L  I  E.  R.ARY 

OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY 

or    ILLINOIS 

920.077349 
P839 


111.    Hist.    Surv 


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Knox  County,  Illinois, 


CONTAINING 


Full  Page  Portraits  and  Biographical  Sketches  of  Prominent 
and  Representative  Citizens  of  the  County, 

TOGETHER    WITH 

PORTRAITS    AND    BIOGRAPHIES    OF    ALL   THE    GOVERNORS    OF  ILLINOIS,  AND 
OF  THE   PRESIDENTS  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

Also  Containing  a  History  of  the  County  from  its  Earliest  Settlement 
Up  to  the  Present  Time. 


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CHICAGO: 

BIOGRAPHICAL    PUBLISHING    COMPANY, 
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HAVE  completed  our  labors  in  writing  and  compiling  the  Portrait  and  Bio- 
iGRAPHiCAL  Album  of  this  county,  and  wish,  in  presenting  it  to  our  patrons,  to  speak 
briefly  of  the  importance  of  local  works  of  this  nature.  It  is  certainly  the  duty 
of  the  present  to  commemorate  the  past,  to  perpetuate  the  names  of  the  pioneers, 
to  furnish  a  record  of  their  early  settlement,  and  to  relate  the  story  of  their  progress. 
»-  The  civilization  of  our  day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age,  and  this  solemn  duty  which 
-  •  '  ^  men  of  the  present  time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to  themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives  and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  local  history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to  enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and  to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a  safe 
vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the  people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  region  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly  the  noble  men,  who  in  their  \-igor  and  prime 
came  early  to  the  county  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their  heritage,  are  passing  to  their 
graves.  The  number  remaining  who  can  relate  the  history  of  the  first  days  of  seitiement  is 
becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an  actual  necessity  e.xists  for  the  collection  and  preservation  of  his- 
torical matter  without  delay,  before  the  settlers  of  the  wilderness  are  cut  down  by  time.  Not  only 
isitof  the  greatest  importance  to  render  histor)'  of  pioneer  times  full  and  accurate,  but  it  is  also  essen- 
tial that  the  history  of  the  county,  from  its  settlement  to  the  present  day,  should  be  treated  through  its  various 
phases,  so  that  a  record,  complete  and  impartial,  may  be  handed  down  to  the  future.  The  present  the  age 
of  progress,  is  reviewed,  standing  out  in  bold  relief  over  the  quiet,  unostentatious  olden  times;  it  is  abrilliant 
record,  which  is  destined  to  live  in  the  future;  the  good  works  of  men,  their  magnificent  enterprises,  ihcii 
lives,  whether  commercial  or  militarj",  do  not  sink  into  oblivion,  but,  on  the  contrary,  grow  brighter  with  age, 
and  contribute  to  build  up  a  record  which  carries  with  it  precedents  and  principles  that  will  1  e  advanced  and 
observed  when  the  acts  of  soulless  men  will  be  forgotten  and  their  very  names  hidden  in  obscurity. 

In  the  prepararion  of  the  personal  sketches  contained  in  this  volume,  unusual  care  and  pains  were 
taken  to  have  them  accurate,  even  in  the  smallest  detail.  Indeed,  nothing  was  passed  lightly  over  or  treated 
indifferently ;  and  we  flatter  ourselves  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  accurate  works  of  its  nature  ever  published 
As  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  this  work,  we  present  the  portraits  of  numerous  represent- 
ative citizens.  It  has  been  our  aim  to  have  the  prominent  men  of  to-day,  as  well  as  the  pioneers,  represented 
in  this  department;  and  we  congratulate  ourselves  on  the  uniformly  high  character  of  the  gentlemen  whose 
portraits  we  present.  They  are  in  the  strictest  sense  representative  men,  and  are  selected  from  all  the  call- 
ings and  professions  worthy  to  be  given.  There  are  others,  it  is  true,  who  claim  equal  prominence  with 
those  given;  but  of  course  it  was  impossible  for  us  to  give  portraits  of  all  the  leading  men  and  pioneers 
of  the  county.  We  are  under  great  obligation  to  many  of  the  noble  and  generous  people  of  this  county 
for  kindly  and  material  assistance  in  the  preparation  of  this  Album. 


Chicago,  August,  1886. 


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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUNO''^ 


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■  v. 

FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


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'9 


GEDBBE  WASra??BTDI^, 


'1' ; »' ;^'^' ^sj'-^^j'.;  I'-^i' ;  ■' ;  i' Ja';g>'?tei';^:*: 


.  V  tiS>'c^''l?^^t''«  ■'  I 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was 
born  in  Westmorland  Co.,  Va., 
Feb.  22,  1732.  His  parents 
were  Augustine  and  Mary 
(Ball)  Washington.  The  family 
to  which  he  belonged  has  not 
been  satisfactorily  traced  in 
England.  His  great-grand- 
father, John  Washington,  em- 
igrated to  Virginia  about  1657, 
and  became  a  prosperous 
planter.  He  had  two  sons, 
Lawrence  and  John.  The 
former  married  Mildred  Warner 
and  had  three  children,  John, 
.Augustine  and  Mildred.  Augus- 
tine, the  father  of  George,  fi:st 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bjre 
him  four  children,  two  of  whom, 
Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his 
second  marriage,  George  was  the 
eldest,  the  others  being  Betty, 
Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles 
and  Mildred. 
Augusrine  Washington,  the  father  of  George,  died 
in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property.  To  his 
eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an  estate  on 
the  Patomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mount  Vernon,, 
and  to  George  he  left  the  parental  residence.  George 
received  only  such  education  as  the  neighborhood 
schools  afforded,  save  for  a  short  time  after  he  left 
school  when  he  received  private  instruction  in 
mathematics.      His    spelling  was   rather   defective. 


Remarkable  stories  are  told  of  his  great  physical 
strength  and  development  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  his  companions,  and 
was  early  noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fair- 
ness and  veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  1 4  years  old  he  had  a  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  secured  for  him, 
but  through  the  opposition  of  his  mother  the  idea  was 
abandoned.  Two  years  later  he  was  apix>iniedj 
surveyor  to  the  immense  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In 
this  business  he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier 
life,  gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  vt;ry 
essential  to  him.  In  1 751,  though  only  ig  years  of 
age,  he  was  apix)inted  adjutant  with  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  Virginia  miliria,  then  being  trained  for 
active  service  against  the  French  and  Indians.  Soon 
after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  with  his  brother 
Lawrence,  who  went  there  to  restore  his  health  They 
soon  returned,  and  in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence 
died,  leaving  a  large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter 
who  did  not  long  survive  him.  On  her  demise  the 
estate  of  Mount  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddie,  as  Lieutai- 
ant-Governor  of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia  was 
reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into  four  mili- 
tary districts,  of  which  the  northern  was  assigned  to 
Washington  as  adjutant  general.  Shortly  after  this 
a  very  perilous  mission  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cepted, which  others  had  refused.  This  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  French  jxist  near  Lake  Erie  in  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
was  between  500  and  600  miles.  Winter  was  at  hand, 
and  the  journey  was  to  be  made  without  military 
escort,  through  a  territory  occupied  by  Indian       '^' 


The 


"T* 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 


trip  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several  limes  he  came  near 
losing  his  life,  yet  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished 
a  full  and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  300  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Major  Washington  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  Active  war  %yas 
then  begun  against  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
Washington  took  a  most  important  part.  In  the 
memorable  event  of  July  9,  r75S,  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer 
of  distinction  who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor.  The  other  aids  of  Braddock 
were  disabled  early  in  the  action,  and  Washington 
alone  was  left  in  that  capacity  on  the  field.  In  a  letter 
to  his  brother  he  says :  "I  had  four  bullets  through 
my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  I  escaped 
unhurt,  though  death  was  levelino  my  companions 
on  every  side."  An  Indian  sharpshooter  said  he  was 
not  born  to  be  killed  by  a  bullet,  for  he  had  taken 
direct  aim  at  him  seventeen  times,  and  failed  to  hit 
him. 

After  having  been  five  years  in  the  military  service, 
and  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the  royal  army,  he 
look  advantage  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Duquesne  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  French  from  the  valley  of  the  Ohio, 
to  resign  his  commission.  Soon  after  he  entered  tlie 
Legislature,  where,  although  not  a  leader,  he  took  an 
active  and    imix)rtant  part.      January  17,    1759,  he 

remarried  Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy 

I    widow  of  John  Parke  Custis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the  port 
lof  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the  ])rovinces 
that  "The  cause  of  Boston  is  the  cause  of  us  all." 
It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Virginia,  that  a  Con- 
gress of  all  the  colonies  was  called  to  meet  at  Phila- 
delphia,Sept.  5,  1774,  to  secure  their  common  liberties, 
peaceably  if  possible.  To  this  Congress  Col.  Wash- 
ington was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
Congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  intentions  of 
England  were  plainly  apparent.  The  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Lexington  had  been  fought.  Among  the 
first  acts  of  this  Congress  was  the  election  of  a  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  colonial  forces.  This  high  and 
responsible  office  was  conferred  uix)n  \\'ashington, 
who  was  still  a  memberof  the  Congress.  He  accepted 
it  on  June  19,  but  upon  the  express  condition  that  he 
receive  no  salary.  He  would  keep  an  exact  account 
of  expenses  and  expect  Congress  lo  pay  them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to 
trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom  the 
fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this  country 
were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was  conducted  by 
him  under  every  possible  disadvantage,  and  while  his 
forces  often  met  with  reverses,  yet  he  overcame  every 
obstacle,  and  after  seven  years  of  heroic  devotion 
and  matchless  skill  he  gained  liberty  for  the  greatest 
nation  of  earth.  On  Dec.  23,  17S3,  Washington,  in 
a  parting  address  of  surpassing  beauty,  resigned  his 


commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  to 
to  the  Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annaixjlis.  He 
retired  immediately  to  Mount  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupalior.  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning  all 
connection  with  public  lite. 

In  February,  1 7 89,  Washington  was  unanimously 
elected  President.  In  his  presidential  career  he  was 
subject  to  the  peculiar  trials  incidental  to  a  new 
government ;  trials  from  lack  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  other  governments;  trials  from  want  of  harmony 
between  the  different  sections  of  our  own  country; 
trials  from  the  imjxiverislied  condition  of  the  country, 
owing  to  the  war  and  want  of  credit;  trials  from  the 
beginnings  of  part}'  strife.  He  was  no  partisan.  His 
clear  judgment  could  discern  the  golden  mean;  and 
while  perhaps  this  alone  kept  our  government  from 
sinking  at  the  veiy  outset,  it  left  him  exj'osed  to 
attacks  from  both  sides,  which  were  often  bitter  and 
very  annoying. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  unani- 
mously re-elected.  At  the  end  of  this  term  many 
were  anxious  that  he  be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely 
refused  a  third  nomination.  On  the  fourth  of  March, 
1797,  at  the  expiraton  of  his  second  terra  as  Presi- 
dent, he  returned  to  his  home,  hoping  to  pass  there 
his  few  remaining  yeais  free  from  the  annoyances  of 
public  life.  I-ater  in  the  year,  however,  his  rejxjse 
seemed  likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France. 
.\t  the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  armies.  He  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  to  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superinter.ded  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  preparations 
his  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  12,  he  took 
a  severe  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain,  which,  settling 
ill  h's  throat,  produced  inflammation,  and  terminated 
fatally  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth.  On  the  eigh- 
teenth his  body  was  borne  wi'h  military  honors  to  its 
final  resting  place,  and  interred  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  resjject  and  ad- 
Uiiration.  The  more  we  see  of  the  operations  of 
our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel  the 
difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common  interest, 
the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the  force  of  his  tal- 
ent and  character,  which  have  been  able  to  challenge 
the  reverence  of  all  parties,  and  principles,  and  na- 
tions, and  to  win  a  fame  as  extended  as  the  limits 
of  the  globe,  and  which  we  cannot  but  believe  will 
be  as  lasting  as  the  existence  of  man. 

The  person  of  Washington  was  unusally  tall,  erect 
and  well  proportioned.  His  muscular  strength  was 
great.  His  features  were  of  a  beautiful  symmetn'. 
He  commanded  respect  without  any  appearance  of 
haughtiness,  and  ever  serious  without  being  dull. 


<M 


LIBRARy 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITV  OF  ILLINOIS 


"^    -^^ 


J(f^  Jc//^?nj 


4i 


t 


SECOND  PRESIDENT. 


23 


.^«L*rwra<j 


««< 


OHN  ADAMS,  the  second 
President  and  the  first  Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  in  Braintree  ( now 
Quincy),Mass.,  and  about  ten 
miles  from  Boston,  Oct.  ig, 
1735.  His  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Adams,  emigrated  from  England* 
about  !  640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The 
parents  of  John  were  John  and 
Susannah  (Boylston)  Adams.  His 
father  was  a  farmer  of  limited 
means,  to  which  he  added  the  bus- 
iness of  shoemaking.  He  gave  his 
eldest  son,  John,  a  classical  educa- 
tion at  Harvard  College.  John 
graduated  in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
school  in  Worcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  Init  a 
"scliool  of  affliction,"  from  which  he  endeavored  to 
gain  relief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.  F'or  this  purixsse  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town.  He 
had  thought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profession 
but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by  what  he 
termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesiastical  coun- 
cils, of  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvanistic  good  nature," 
of  the  operations  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in 
his  native  town.  He  was  well  fitted  for  the  legal 
profession,  possessing  a  clear,  sonorous  voice,  being 
ready  and  fluent  of  speech,  and  having  quick  percep- 
tive iX)wers.  He  gradually  gained  practice,  and  in 
1764  married  Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister, 
and  a  lady  of  sui^erior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  (1765),  the  attempt  of  Parliamentary  taxa- 
tion turned  him  from  law  to  iwlitics.  He  took  initial 
steps  toward  holding  a  town  meeting,  and  the  resolu- 


'  ■'*"*"ji»^a 


tions  he  offered  on  the  subject  became  very  ix)pular 
throughout  the  Provmce,  and  were  adopted  word  for 
word  by  over  forty  different  towns.  He  moved  to  Bos- 
ton in  1768,  and  became  one  of  the  most  courageous 
and  prominent  advocatesof  the  popular  cause,  and 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
lislature)  in  1770. 

Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  delegates 
from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
which  met  in  1774.  Here  he  distinguished  himself 
by  his  capacity  for  business  and  for  debate,  and  ad- 
vocated the  movement  for  independence  against  the»< 
majority  of  the  members.  In  May,  1776,  he  moved 
and  carried  a  resolution  in  Congress  that  the  Colonies 
should  assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He, 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  five 
appointed  June  11,  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  arricle  was  drawn  by  Jefferson,  but 
on  .Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it  tlirough 
Congress  in  a  three  days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm  with  the 
glow  of  excited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife, 
which,  as  we  read  it  now.  seems  to  have  been  dictated 
by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  "  Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the 
greatest  question  was  decided  that  ever  was  debated 
in  .Nnierica;  and  greater,  jjcrhaps,  never  was  or  will 
be  decided  among  men.  .\  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  '  that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ouglit  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent states.'  The  day  is  passed.  The  fourth  of 
July,  1776,  will  l)e  a  memorable  epoch  in  the  histor)- 
of  America.  I  am  apt  to  believe  it  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations,  as  the  great  anniversary 
festival.  It  ought  to  be  commemorated  as  the  day  of 
deliverance  by  solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty 
God.     It  ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows. 


^ 


^ 


24 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


games,  sports,  guns,  bells,  bonfires,  and  illuminations 
from  one  end  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  from  this 
time  forward  for  ever.  You  will  think  me  transported 
with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I  am  well  aware  of 
the  toil,  and  blood  and  treasure,  that  it  will  cost  to 
maintain  this  declaration,  and  support  and  defend 
these  States;  yet,  through  all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the 
rays  of  light  and  glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is 
worth  more  than  all  the  means;  and  that  posterity 
will  triumph,  although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I 
hope  we  shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  a 
delegate  to  France  and  to  co-operate  with  Bemjamin 
Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then  in  Paris,  in 
the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in  arms  and  money 
from  the  French  Government.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
to  his  patriotism,  as  it  separated  him  from  his  home, 
compelled  him  to  cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  ex- 
posed him  to  great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruis- 
ers, who  were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
chosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and  of  commerce 
with  Great  Britian,  as  soon  as  the  British  Cabinet 
'might  be  found  willing  to  listen  to  such  pvoposels.  He 
sailed  for  France  in  November,  from  there  he  went  to 
Holland,  where  he  negotiated  important  loans  and 
J  formed  important  commercial  treaties 

Finally  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was  signed 
Jan.  21,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the  excitement, 
toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr.  Adams  had  passed 
threw  him  into  a  fever.  After  suffering  from  a  con- 
tinued fever  and  becoming  feeble  and  emaciated  he 
was  advised  to  go  to  England  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Bath.  While  in  England,  still  drooping anddesixsnd- 
ing,  he  received  dispatches  from  his  own  government 
urging  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health  was 
delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and  through 
storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot, he  made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785,  Congress  appointed  Mr.  Adams 
envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here  he  met  face 
to  face  the  King  of  England,  who  had  so  long  re- 
garded him  as  a  traitor.  As  England  did  not 
condescend  to  appoint  a  minister  to  the  United 
States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he  was  accom- 
plishing but  little,  he  sought  |5ermission  to  return  to 
his  own  country,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President,  John 
Adams,  rendered  illustiious  by  his  signal  services  at 
home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice  President.  Again 
at  the  second  election  of  Washington  as  President, 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice  President.  In  1796,  W^ash- 
ington  retired  from  public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
elected  President, though  not  without  much  opposition. 
Serving  in  this  office  four  vears,he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

While   Mr.  Adams  was  Vice  President  the   great 


French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  it  was  upon  this  ix)int  which  he  was  at  issue  with 
the  majority  of  his  countrymen  led  by  Mr.  Jefl'erson. 
Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy  with  the  French  people 
in  tlieir  struggle,  for  he  had  no  confidence  in  their 
power  of  self-government,  and  he  utterly  abhored  the 
classof  atlicist  philosophers  wlio  he  claimed  caused  it. 
On  the  other  hand  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  peojile.  Hence  or- 
iginated the  alienation  between  tliese  distinguished 
men,  and  two  jx)werful  parties  were  thus  soon  organ- 
ized, Adams  at  the  head  of  the  one  whose  sympathies 
were  with  England  and  Jefferson  led  the  other  in 
sympathy  with  France. 

The  world  has  seldom  seen  a  spectacle  of  more 
moral  beauty  and  grandeur,  than  was  presented  by  the 
old  age  of  Mr.  Adams.  The  violence  of  party  feeling 
had  died  away,  and  he  had  begun  to  receive  that  just 
appreciation  which,  lo  most  men,  is  not  accorded  till 
after  death.  No  one  could  look  upon  his  venerable 
form,  and  think  of  what  he  had.  done  and  suffered, 
and  how  he  had  given  up  all  the  prime  and  strength 
of  his  life  to  tlie  public  good,  without  the  deepest 
emotion  of  gratitude  and  respect.  It  was  his  peculiar 
good  fortune  to  witness  the  complete  success  of  the 
institution  which  he  had  l)een  so  active  in  creating  and 
supporting.  In  1824,  his  cup  of  happiness  was  filled 
to  the  brim,  by  seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the  half 
century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, arrived,  and  there  were  but  three  of  the 
signers  of  that  immortal  instrument  left  upon  the 
earth  to  hail  its  morning  light.  And,  as  it  is 
well  known,  on  that  day  two  of  these  finished  their 
earthly  pilgrimage,  a  coincidence  so  remarkable  as 
to  seem  miraculous.  For  a  few  days  before  Mr. 
Adams  had  been  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  he  found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from 
his  bed.  On  being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the 
customary  celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed  "  In- 
dependence FOREVER."  When  the  day  was  ushered 
in,  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of  cannons, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attendants  if  he  knew 
what  day  it  was?  He  replied,  "O  yes;  it  is  the  glor- 
ious fourth  of  July — God  bless  it — God  bless  you  all." 
In  the  course  of  the  day  he  said,  "It  is  a  great  and 
glorious  day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
"Jefferson  survives."  But  he  had,  at  one  o'clock,  re- 
signed his  spitit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 

The  personal  appearance  and  manners  of  Mr. 
Adams  were  not  particularly  preposses-;ing.  His  face, 
as  his  ]iortrait  nianifests.was  intellectual  ard  exjires- 
sive,  but  his  figure  was  low  and  ungraceful,  and  his 
manners  were  frequently  abrupt  and  uncourteous. 
He  had  neither  the  lofty  dignity  of  Washington,  nor 
the  engaging  elegance  and  gracefulness  which  marked 
the  manners  and  address  of  Jefferson. 


uvjrr 


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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUNniS 


^^^'^k^TZ^ 


THIBD  PRESIDEXT. 


-^-^ 


27 


A    -^        ->_        .    '•:> 


-  THOMAS   JETPEBSDA',  -%• 


HO^fAS  JEFFERSON  was 
=  '^  born  April  2,  1743,  at  Shad- 
5>\  ^^*'ell,  Albermarle  county,  Va. 
V  His  iwrents  were  Peter  and 
/  Jane  (  Randolph)  Jefferson, 
the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  bom  in  Lon- 
don. To  them  were  bom  six 
daughters  and  two  sons,  of 
whom  Thomas  was  the  elder. 
When  14  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a 
most  liberal  education,  hav- 
ing been  kept  diligently  at  school 
from  the  time  he  was  five  years  of 
age.  In  1760  he  entered  William 
and  Mar)-  Qjllege.  Williamsburg  was  then  the  seat 
of  the  Colonial  Court,  and  it  was  the  obode  of  fashion 
a.id  splendor.  Voting  Jefferson,  who  was  then  17 
years  old,  lived  somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine 
horses,  and  much  caressed  by  gay  society,  yet  he 
was  earnestly  devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproacha- 
ablc  in  his  morals.  It  is  strange,  however,  under 
such  influenceSjthat  he  was  not  ruined.  In  the  sec- 
ond year  of  his  college  course,  moved  by  some  un- 
explained inward  impulse,  he  discarded  his  horses, 
society,  and  even  his  favorite  violin,  to  which  he  had 
previously  given  much  time.  He,ofien  devoted  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  hard  study,  allowing  himself  for  ex- 
ercise only  a  run  in  the  evening  twilight  of  a  mile  out  ! 
of  the  city  and  back  again.  He  thus  attained  ver>' 
high  intellectual  culture,  alike  excellence  in  philoso- 
phy and  the  languages.  The  most  difficult  Latin  and 
Greek  authors  he  read  with  facility.  A  more  finished 
scholar  has  seldom  gone  forth  from  college  halls ;  and 

-:- —A 


there  was  not  to  be  found,  perhaps,  in  all  Virginia,  a 
more  pureminded,  upright,  gentlemanly  young  man. 

Immediately  ui)on  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  short  time  he  continued  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  energy  and  accuteness  as  a 
law\-er.  But  the  times  called  for  greater  action. 
The  policy  of  England  had  awakened  the  spirit  of 
resistance  of  the  American  Colonics,  and  the  enlarged 
views  which  Jefferson  h.id  ever  entertained,  soon  led 
him  into  active  jjolitical  life.  In  1769  he  was  chosen 
a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses.  In 
1772  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beauti- 
ful, wealthy  and  highly  acconii)lished  young  widow. 

Upon  Mr.  Jefferson's  large  estate  at  Shadwell,  there 
was. a  majestic  swell  of  land,  ca'.led  Moiiticello,  which 
commanded  a  prosi>ect  of  wonderful  extent  and 
beauty.  This  spot  Mr.  Jefferson  selected  (or  his  new 
home;  and  here  he  reared  a  mansion  of  modest  yet 
elegant  architecture,  which,  ne.xt  to  Mount  Vernon, 
i>ecame  the  most  distinguished  resort  in  our  land. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Qlonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  uix)n  a  number  of  imixjrtant  committees, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed  for  the  draw- 
ing up  of  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  .\dan)s, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Shennan  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.  Jefferson,  as  chainnan,  was  apixjinted 
to  draw  up  the  pai>cr.  Franklin  and  .Adams  suggested 
a  few  verbal  changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Con- 
gress. On  June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made 
in  it  by  Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July 
4,  1776.     What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  that 


t^ 


-H- 


i. 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


man — what  the  emotions  that  swelled  his  breast — 
who  was  charged  with  the  preparation  of  that  l!)ec- 
laration,  which,  while  it  made  known  the  wrongs  of 
America,  was  also  to  publish  her  to  the  world,  free, 
soverign  and  independent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable papers  ever  written  ;  and  did  no  other  effort 
of  tiie  mind  of  its  author  exist,  that  alone  would  be 
sufficient  to  stamp  his  name  with  immortality. 

In  1779  Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry,  c.s  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one  time 
the  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a  secret  expedition  to 
Monticello,  to  capture  the  Governor.  Scarcely  five 
minutes  elapsed  after  tlie  hurried  escape  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson and  his  family,  ere  his  mansion  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British  troops.  His  wife's  health,  never 
very  good,  was  much  injured  by  this  excitement,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  years  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United  States 
in  September,  1789,  he  Ijecame  Secretary  of  State 
m  Washington's  cabinet.  This  position  he  resigned 
Jan.  I,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  four  years  later  was  elected  President  over 
Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron  Burr  as  Vice  President.  In 
1804  he  was  re-elected  with  wonderful  unanimity, 
and  George  Clinton,  Vice  President. 
1  The  early  part  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  second  adminstra- 
tion  was  disturbed  by  an  event  which  threatened  the 
tranquility  and  peace  of  the  (Jnior. ;  this  was  the  con- 
spiracy of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated  in  the  late  election 
to  the  Vice  Presidency,  and  led  on  by  an  unprincipled 
ambition,  this  extraordinary  man  formed  the  plan  of  a 
military  expedition  into  the  Spanish  territories  on  our 
southwestern  frontier,  for  the  purpose  of  forming  there 
a  new  republic.  This  has  been  generally  supposed 
was  a  mere  pretext ;  and  although  it  has  not  been 
generally  known  what  his  real  plans  were,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far  more  dangerous 
character. 

In  1809,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term  for 
whicli  Mr.  Jefferson  had  lieeu  elected,  he  determined 
to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period  of  nearly 
forty  years,  he  had  been  continually  before  the  pub- 
tic,  and  all  that  time  had  been  employed  in  offices  of 
the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility.  Having  thus  de- 
voted the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his 
country,  he  now  felt  desirous  of  that  rest  which  his 
declining  years  required,  and  upon  the  organization  of 
the  new  administration,  in  March,  i8og,  he  bid  fare- 
well forever  to  public  life,  and  retired  to  Monticello. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  profuse  in  his  hospitality.  Whole 
families  came  in  their  coaches  with  their  horses, — 
fathers  and  mothers,  boys  and  girls,  babies  and 
nurses, — and  remained  three  and  even  six  months. 
Life  at  Monticello,  for  years,  resembled  that  at  a 
fashionable  watering-place. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  anniver- 


sary of  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence, 
great  preparations  were  made  in  every  part  of  the 
Union  for  its  celebration,  as  the  nation's  jubilee,  and 
the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to  the  solemnity 
ot  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jefferson,  as  the  framer, 
and  one  of  the  few  surviving  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion, to  participate  in  their  testivities.  But  an  ill- 
ness, whicli  had  been  of  several  weeks  duration,  and 
had  been  continually  increasing,  compelled  him  to 
decline  the  invitation. 

On  the  second  of  July,  the  disease  under  which 
he  was  laboring  left  liim,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants,  entertained  no 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was  perfectly 
sensible  that  his  last  hour  was  at  hand.  On  the  next 
d;iy,  which  was  Monday,  he  asked  of  those  around 
him,  the  day  of  the  month,  and  on  being  told  it  was 
the  third  of  July,  he  expressed  the  earnest  wish  that 
he  might  be  perniirted  to  breathe  t!  e  airof  the  fiftieth 
anniversary.  His  prayer  was  heard — that  day,  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  with  such  rapture  through  our  land, 
burst  U|K)n  his  eyes,  and  then  they  v\ere  closed  for- 
ever. And  what  a  noble  coi'.suuimation  of  a  noble 
life !  To  die  on  that  day, — the  birthday  of  a  nation,-  - 
the  day  which  his  own  name  and  his  own  act  had 
rendered  glorious;  to  die  amidst  the  rejoicings  and 
festivities  of  a  whole  nation,  who  looked  u|i  to  him, 
as  the  author,  under  God,  of  their  greatest  blessings, 
was  all  that  was  wanting  to  fill  ui)  the  record  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  chanii)ions  of 
freedom;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark  and  des|!er- 
ate  struggle  of  tlie  Revolution,  they  had  cheered  and 
animated  their  desponding  countrymen;  for  half  a 
century  they  had  labored  together  for  the  good  of 
the  country;  and  now  hand  in  hand  they  depart. 
In  their  lives  they  had  been  united  in  the  same  great 
cause  of  liberty,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not 
divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  lieight,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair  originally  red,  in  after  life  became 
white  and  silvery;  his  complexion  was  fair,  his  fore- 
head broad,  and  his  whole  countenance  intelligent  and 
thoughtful.  He  possessed  great  fortiti:de  of  mind  as 
well  as  personal  courage ;  and  his  coniniar.d  of  tem- 
per was  such  that  hi-;  oldest  and  most  intimate  friends 
never  recollected  to  have  seen  him  in  a  passion. 
His  manners,  though  dignified,  were  simple  and  un- 
affected, and  his  hospitality  was  so  unbounded  that 
all  found  at  his  house  a  ready  welcome.  In  conver- 
sation he  was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic;  and 
his  language  was  remarkably  pure  and  correct.  He 
was  a  finished  classical  scholar,  and  in  his  writings  is 
discernable  the  care  with  which  he  formed  his  style 
upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


^H 


\ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  llMwnis 


^lyt^i^^-^      .^^OC  CC^-c^  <7'V, 


jprriEsnpDisoi] 


-1- 


± 


FOURTH  PRESIDENT. 


3' 


AMES    MADISON,    "Father 
of  llie  Constitution,''  and  fourth 
'President  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  March  i6,  1757,  and 
died  at  his  home  in  Virginia, 
'^  June  28,  1836.     The  name  of 
James  Madison  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  most  of  tiie  important 
events  in  that  heroic  period  of  our 
country  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of  tliis  great    republic   were 
laid.  He  was  the  last  of  the  founders 
of  the   Constitution   of  the    United 
States   to    l)e    i:alled    to    his    eternal 
reward. 

The  Madison  family  were   among 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  New  World, 
mding  u[X)n  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake but  15  years  after   the    settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.     The  father  of 
James     Madison     was     an     opulent 
ilanter,  residing  uix>n  a  very  fine  es- 
tate called  "Mout])elier,"  Orange  Co., 
Va.     The  mansion  was  situated  in 
the    midst  of   scenery  highly  pictur- 
escjue  and  romantic,  on  the  west  side 
of  South-west  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
Blue  Ridge.     It  was  but  25  miles  from  the   home  of 
Jefferson  at  Monticello.     The   closest    personal   and 
jwlitical  attachment  existed  between  these  illustrious 
men,  from  their  early  youth  until  deatii. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  conducted 
mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At  the  age  of 
18  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  in  New  Jersey. 
Here  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  the  most  i-^ 


prudent  zeal;  allowing  himself,  for  months,  but  three 
hours' sleep  out  of  the  24.  His  health  thus  iiecameso 
seriously  impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor 
of  constitution.  He  graduated  in  177  i.  with  a  feeble 
body,  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and  with  a 
mind  liiglily  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with  learning 
which  embellished  and  gave  proficiency  to  his  subsf 
([uent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study  ot 
law  and  a  course  of  e.vtensive  and  systematic  reading. 
This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of  ihe  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with  which  he  asso- 
ciated, all  combined  to  inspire  him  with  a  strong 
love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for  his  life-woik  ol 
a  statesman.  Being  naturally  of  a  religious  turn  of 
mind,  and  his  frail  health  leading  him  to  think  that 
his  life  was  not  to  be  long,  he  diiected  especial  atten- 
tion to  theological  studies.  Endowed  with  a  mind 
singularly  free  from  passion  and  prejudice,  and  with 
almost  unequalled  rowers  of  reasoning,  he  weighed 
all  the  arguments  for  and  against  revealed  religion, 
until  his  faith  became  so  established  as  never  to 
be  shaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  26  years  of  age,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention,  to 
frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The  next  year 
(1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  General  .Assembly. 
He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-lovii.g  voters,  and 
conse(piently  lost  his  election  ;  but  those  who  had 
witnessed  llie  talent,  energy  and  public  spirit  of  the 
modest  young  man,  enlisted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  the    E.veculive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Clovernors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  remained 
member  of  the  Council ;    and  their  appreciation  of  his 


^ 


^K 


t 


32 


JAMES  MADISON. 


I 


intellectual,  social  and  moral  worth,  contributed  not 
a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence.  In  the  year 
1780,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  illustrious  men  in 
our  land,  and  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  positions  among  them. 

For  three  years  Mr.  Madiscn  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  members. 
In  the  year  1784,  his  term  having  exiiired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia   Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  tiian  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no  na- 
tional government,  with  no  power  to  form  treaties 
which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law.  There 
was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than  Virginia  in 
the  declaration,  that  an  efficient  national  government 
must  be  formed.  In  Januar)',  1786,  Mr.  Madison 
carried  a  resolution  through  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia,  inviting  the  other  States  to  ai)[ioint  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss 
this  subject.  Five  States  only  were  represented.  The 
convention,  however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Madison,  urging  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadeliihia,  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  tlie  United  States,  to  take  the  place 
of  that  Confederate  League.  The  delegates  met  at 
the  time  appointed.  F,very  State  but  Rhode  Island 
was  represented.  George  Washington  was  chosen 
president  of  the  convention;  and  the  present  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  then  and  there  formed. 
There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  ac- 
tive in  framing  this  immortal  document  than  the  mind 
and  the  pen  of  James  Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  81  to  79,  was 
to  be  presented  to  the  several  States  for  acceptance. 
But  grave  solicitude  was  felt.  Should  it  be  rejected 
we  should  be  left  but  a  conglomeration  of  independent 
States,  with  but  little  ix)wer  at  home  and  little  respect 
abroad.  Mr.  Madison  was  selected  by  tne  conven- 
tion to  draw  up  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  expounding  the  principles  of  the  Constitution, 
and  urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  opposition 
to  it  at  first,  but  it  at  length  triumphed  over  all,  and 
went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became  the 
avowed  leader  of  the  Republican  party.  While  in 
New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs  Todd,  a 
young  widow  of  remarkable  power  of  fascination, 
whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person  and  character 
queenly,  and  probably  no  lady  has  thus  far  occupied 
so  prominent  a  ix)sition  in  the  ver\' peculiar  society 
which  has  constituted  our  republican  court  as  Mrs. 
Madiso'  . 

Mr.  Madison   served  as  Secretarj' of    State   under 
Jefferson,  and  at    the  close    of    his    administration 
was  chosen  President.     At  this  time   the   encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of  war. 
• '-'T 


British  orders  in  council  destioyed  our  commerce,  and 
our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult.  Mr.  Madison 
was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in  his  taste,  retiring 
in  his  disposition,  war  had  no  charms  for  him.  But  the 
meekest  spirit  can  be  roused.  It  makes  one's  blood 
boil,  even  now,  to  think  of  an  American  ship  brought 
to,  u[X)n  the  ocean,  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser. 
A  young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
cicw  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  nonchal- 
ance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may  please  to 
designate  as  Britisli  subjects ;  orders  them  down  the 
ship's  side  into  his  boat;  and  places  them  on  the  gun- 
deck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by  compulsion,  the 
battles  of  England.  This  right  of  search  and  im- 
pressment, no  efforts  of  our  Government  could  induce 
the  British  cabir.et  to  relinijuish. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  181 2,  President  Madison  gave 
his  approval  to  an  act  of  Congress  declaring  war 
against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the  bitter 
hostility  of  the  Federal  parly  to  the  war,  the  country 
in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison,  on  the  4th 
of  March,  1813,  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority, 
and  entered  uiHDn  his  second  term  of  office.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  describe  the  various  adventures  of 
this  war  on  the  land  and  on  the  water.  Our  infant" 
navy  then  laid  the  foundations  of  its  renown  in  grap- 
pling with  the  most  formidable  power  which  ever 
swept  the  seas.  The  contest  commenced  in  earnest 
by  the  aupearance  of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  February, 
18 13,  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole 
coast  of  the  LTnited  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as  me  , 
ditator.  America  accepted ;  England  refused.  A  Brit- 
ish force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  marched  rapidly,  by  way  of  Bladens- 
burg,  upon  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was  thrown 
into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the  brief  conflict 
at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the  streets  of  the 
metropolis.  The  whole  population  fled  from  the  city. 
The  President,  leaving  Mrs.  Madison  in  the  White 
House,  with  her  carriage  drawn  up  at  the  door  to 
await  his  speedy  return,  hurried  to  meet  the  officers 
in  a  council  ot  war  He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed, 
and  he  could  not  go  back  without  danger  of  being 
captured.  But  few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential 
Mansion,  the  Capitol,  and  all  the  jjublic  buildings  in 
Washington  were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and  on 
Feb.  13,  1815,  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  iSty,  his  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the  Presidential  chair 
to  his  friend,  James  Monroe.  He  retired  to  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  Montpelier,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  On  June  28,  1836,  then  at  the 
age  of  85  years,  he  fell  asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madi 
son  died  July  12,  1849. 


\ 


LIBRARY 
GF  THE 
Li-ilVERSiTY  OF  |(|iw 


a* 


FIFTH  PRESIDENT. 


35 


^(Mis^ 


pri]Esn]oi]itOE.^^t 


is^ 


\\  AMES  MONROE,  the  fifth 
IS  President  of  The  United  States, 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  Co., 
Va.,  April  28,  1758.  His  early 
life  was  passed  at  the  place  of 
nativity.  His  ancestors  had  for 
1  ,_j_l9  many  years  resided  in  the  prov- 
ince in  which  he  was  born.  When, 
at  17  years  of  age,  in  the  process 
of  completing  his  education  at 
William  and  Mary  College,  the  Co- 
lonial Congress  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia to  deliberate  u[)on  the  un- 
just and  manifold  oppressions  of 
Great  Britian,  declared  the  separa- 
tion of  the  Colonies,  and  i^romul- 
gated  the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before  it  is  highly 
probable  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  signers 
of  that  celebrated  instrument.  At  this  time  he  left 
school  and  enlisted  among  the  patriots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked  hope- 
less and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters  increased 
from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies  came  ixjuring 
in ;  and  the  tones  not  only  favored  the  cause  of  the 
mother  country,  but  disheartened  the  new  recruits, 
who  were  sufficiently  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  con- 
tending with  an  enemy  whom  they  had  been  taught 
to  deem  invincible.  To  such  brave  spirits  as  James 
Monroe,  who  went  right  onward,  undismayed  through 
difficulty  and  danger,  the  United  States  owe  their 
political  emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the 
ranks,  and  esjwused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
with  a  firm  determination  to  live  or  die  with  her  strife 


•yi 


for  liberty.  Firmly  yet  sadly  he  shared  in  the  mel- 
ancholy retreat  from  Harleam  Heights  and  White 
Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited  army  as  it  fled 
before  its  foes  through  New  Jersey.  In  four  months 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  patriots 
had  been  beaten  in  seven  battles.  At  the  battle  of 
Trenton  he  led  the  vanguard,  and,  in  the  act  of  charg- 
ing upon  the  enemy  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left 
shoulder. 

As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was  pro- 
moted a  captain  of  infantr)' ;  and,  having  recovered 
from  his  wound,  he  rejoined  the  army.  He,  however, 
receded  from  the  line  of  promotion,  by  becoming  an 
officer  in  the  staff  of  Lord  Sterling.  During  the  cam- 
paigns of  1777  and  r778,  in  the  actions  of  Brandy- 
wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth,  he  continued 
aid-de-camp;  but  becoming  desirous  to  regain  his 
position  in  the  army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a 
regiment  for  the' Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed 
owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon 
this  failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued,  with  considerable 
ardor,  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did  not,  however, 
entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for  the  green  bag; 
but  on  tlie  invasions  of  the  enemy,  ser\'ed  as  a  volun- 
teer, during  the  two  years  of  his  legal  pursuits. 

In  1782,  he  was  elected  from  King  George  county, 
a  member  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  and  by  that 
body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the  Executive 
Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  at  23  years  of  age  ;  and  having 
at  this  early  period  displayed  some  of  that  ability 
and  aptitude  for  legislation,  which  were  afterwards 
employed  with  unremitting  energy  for  the  public  good, 


I 


«f* 


^-^ 


36 


JAMES  MONROE. 


he  was  in  the  succeeding  year  chosen    a  member  of 
the  Congress  of  the  Uniicd  States. 

Deeply  as  Mr.  Monroe  ft;lt  the  imperfet  tionsof  theold 
Confederacy,  he  was  opposed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
thinking,  with  many  others  of  the  Republican  party, 
that  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  Central  Government, 
and  not  enough  to  the  individual  States.  Still  he  re- 
tained the  esteem  of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm 
supporters,  and  who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition 
secured  its  adoption.  In  1789,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  United  States  Senate  ;  which  office  he  held  for 
four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the  nation, 
the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was  growing  more 
distinct.  The  two  prominent  ideas  which  now  sep- 
arated them  were,  that  the  Republican  party  was  in 
sympathy  with  France,  and  also  in  favor  of  such  a 
strict  construction  of  the  Constitution  as  to  give  the 
Central  Government  as  little  power,  and  the  State 
Governments  as  much  ])ower,  as  the  Constitution  would 
warrant.  The  Federalists  sympathized  with  England, 
and  were  in  favor  of  a  liberal  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, which  would  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  that  document  could  possibly 
authorize. 

The  leading  Federalists  and  Republicans  were 
alike  noble  men,  consecrating  all  their  energies  to  the 
good  of  the  nation.  Two  more  honest  men  or  more 
pure  patriots  than  John  Adams  the  Federalist,  and 
James  Monroe  the  Republican,  never  breathed.  In 
building  up  this  majestic  nation,  which  is  destined 
^to  eclipse  all  Grecian  and  Assyrian  greatness,  the  com- 
bination of  their  antagonism  was  needed  to  create  the 
light  equilibrium.  And  yet  each  in  his  day  was  de- 
nounced as  almost  a  demon. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the  princi- 
ples of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe  was  drawn 
into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and  far  away. 
Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France  had  helped 
us  in  the  struggle  for  our  liberties.  All  the  despotisms 
of  Europe  were  now  combined  to  prevent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse 
than  that  which  we  had  endured  Col.  Monroe,  more 
magnanimous  than  prudent,  was  anxious  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  generous 
and  noble  nature.  He  violently  opposed  the  Pres- 
ident's proclamation  as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimity. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such  a  character, 
developed  his  calm,  serene,  almost  divine  greatness, 
by  appointing  that  very  James  Monroe,  who  was  de- 
nouncing the  policy  of  the  Government,  as  the  minister 
of  that  Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Convention 
in  France  with  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  country,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  held  the 
office  ior  three  yeais.  He  was  again  sent  to  Prance  to 
co-ojierate  with  Chancellor  Livingston  in  obtaining 
the  vast  territory  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  which  France  had  but  shortly  before  ob- 
tained from  Spain.  Tneir  united  efforts  were  suc- 
cessful. For  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  the  entire  territory  of  Orleans  and 
district  of  Louisiana  were  added  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  probably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate 
which  was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to  ob- 
tain from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against  those 
odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  but  Eng- 
land was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to  Eng- 
land on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive  no 
redress.  He  returned  to  his  liome  and  was  again 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  under 
Madison.  While  in  this  office  war  with  England  was 
declared,  the  Secretary  of  War  resigned,  and  during 
these  trying  times,  the  duties  of  the  War  Department 
were  also  put  upon  him.  He  was  truly  the  armor- 
bearer  of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  of 
peace  he  resigned  the  Department  of  War,  but  con- 
tinued in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  At  the  elec- 
tion held  the  previous  autumn  Mr.  Monroe  himself  had 
been  chosen  President  with  but  little  opposition,  and 
upon  March  4,  1817,  was  inaugurated.  Four  years 
later  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presidency 
were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United  States;  the 
Missouri  Compromise,  and  the    "  Monroe  doctrine.'' 

This  famous  doctrine,  since  known  as  the  "  Monroe 
doctrine,"  was  enunciated  by  him  in  T823.  At  that 
time  the  United  States  had  recognized  the  independ- 
ence of  the  South  American  states,  and  did  not  wish 
to  have  European  (xjwers  longer  attempting  to  sub- 
due portions  of  the  American  Continent.  The  doctrine 
is  as  follows:  "That  we  should  consider  any  attempt 
on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  extend  their  sys- 
tem to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous 
to  our  peace  and  safety,"  and  "that  we  could  not 
view  any  interposition  for  the  jJurjMse  of  oppressing 
or  controlling  American  governments  or  provinces  in 
any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by  European 
powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  toward  the  United 
States."  This  doctrine  immediately  affected  the  course 
of  foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  approved 
sentiment  of  the  United  States. 

At  the  end  of  his  second  term  Mr  Monroe  retired 
to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  until  1830, 
when  he  went  to  New  York  to  live  with  his  son-in- 
law.     In  that  city  he  died,on  the  4th  of  July,  1831. 


•-K=Z 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UWIVERSITV  OF  ILLINOIS 


J. 

5, 

t 


SIXTH  PRESIDENT. 


39 


ZXAV.; 


3or?i]  Qnii]6Y  p:«ri]s. 


^ 


o 


OHV  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the 
'h)  sixth  President  of  the  United 
^^t^tes,  was   born  in  tiie   rural 
home  of  his    honored   father. 
John  Adams, in  Quincy,  Mass., 
on  the  1 1  th  cf  J  uly,  1767.   His 
mother,  a  woman  of  exaUed 
worth,  watched  over  his  childhood 
duruig    the   almost    constant    ab- 
sence of   his  father.      Wjien    but 
eight  years  of  age,  he  stood  with 
his  mother  on  an  eminence,  listen- 
ing to  the  booming  of  the  great  bat- 
lie  on  Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  on 
upon  the  smoke  and  flames   billow- 
ing up  from    the   conflagration   of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he 
took  a  tearful  adieu  of  his  mother, 
to  sail  with  his  father  for  Europe, 
through  a  fleet  of  hostile  British  cruisers.  The  bright, 
animated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  Paiis,  where 
his  father  was  associated  with  Franklin  and  Lee  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  His  intelligence  attracted 
the  notice  of  these  distinguished  men,  and  he  received 
from  them  flattering  murks  of  attention. 

Mr.  John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
country,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad.  Again 
John  Quincy  accompanied  his  father.  At  Paris  he 
applied  himself  with  great  diligence,  for  si.\  months, 
to  study;  then  accompained  his  father  to  Holland, 
where  he  entered,  first  a  school  in  ,'Vmsterdani,  then 
the  University  at  Leyden.  About  a  year  from  this 
time,  in  178 1,  when  the  manly  boy  was  but  fourteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  selected  by  Mr.  Dana,  our  min- 
ister to  the  Russian  court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

In  this  school  of  incessant  lal)or  and  of  enobling 
culture  he  s[>ent  fourteen  months,  and  then  returned 
to  Holland  through  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  This  long  journey  he  took  alone,  in  the 
winter,  when  in  his  sixteenth  year.  Again  he  resumed 
his  studies,  under  a  pgvate  tutor,  at  Hague.   Thence, 


in  the  spring  of  1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  to 
Paris,  traveling  leisurely,  and  forming  acquaintance 
with  the  most  distinguished  men  on  the  Continent; 
examining  architectural  remains,  galleries  of  paintings, 
and  all  renowned  works  of  art.  At  Paris  he  again 
i)ecame  associated  with  the  most  illustrious  men  of 
all  lands  in  the  contemplations  of  the  loftiest  temporal 
themes  which  can  engross  the  human  mind.  After 
a  short  visit  to  England  he  returned  to  Paris,  and 
consecrated  all  his  energies  to  study  until  May,  1785, 
when  he  returned  to  America.  To  a  brilliant  young 
man  of  eighteen,  who  had  seen  much  of  the  world, 
and  who  was  familiar  with  tlie  etiquette  of  courts,  a 
residence  with  his  father  in  London,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, must  have  been  extremely  attractive; 
but  witli  judgment  very  rare  in  one  of  his  age,  he  pre- 
ferred to  return  to  America  to  complete  his  education 
in  an  .\merican  college.  He  wished  then  to  study 
law,  that  with  an  honorable  profession,  he  might  be 
able  to  obtain  an  independent  support. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June,  1794,  be- 
ing then  but  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Washington,  resident  minister  at  the 
Netherlands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in  July,  lie  reached 
London  in  October,  where  he  was  immediately  admit- 
ted to  the  deliberations  of  Messrs.  Jay  and  I'inckney, 
assisting  them  in  negotiating  a  commercial  treaty  with 
Gieat  Brilian.  After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  in 
London,  he  proceeded  to  the  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  the  Hague  to  go  to  Portugal  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.  On  his  way  to  Portugal, 
upon  arriving  in  London,  he  met  with  despatches 
directing  him  to  the  court  of  Berlin,  but  requesting 
him  to  remain  in  London  until  lie  should  receive  his 
instructions.  While  waiting  he  was  mairied  to  an 
American  lady  to  whom  he  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged,— Miss  Louisa  Catherine  Johnson,  daughter 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  consul  in  London; 
a  lady  endownd  with  that  beauty  and  those  accom- 
lilishment  which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  the 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  was  destined. 


•^Hr 


-t4— 


--t-i- 


40 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS. 


OJ 


He  reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1 7  97  ; 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  havingful- 
filled  all  the  purposes  of  his  mission,  he  solicited  his 
recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  from  Boston,  and  then 
was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six  years, 
from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  reputation,  his 
ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him  immediately 
among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
of  that  body.  Especially  did  he  sustain  the  Govern- 
ment in  its  measures  of  resistance  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  England,  destroying  our  commerce  and  in- 
sulting our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America  more 
familiar  with  the  arrogance  of  the  British  court  upon 
these  points,  and  no  one  more  resolved  to  present 
a  firm  resistance. 

In  1809,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the  Pres- 
idential chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated  John 
Quincy  Adams  minister  to  St.  Petersaurg.  Resign- 
ing his  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  he  embarked 
at  Boston,  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense   stu- 

dent.     He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  language  and 

history   of  Russia;    to   the   Chinese    trade;    to   the 

European  system  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins  ;  to 

the  climate  and  astronomical  observations  ;  while  he 

a*  kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and 

T  Latin  classics.     In  all  the  universities  of  Europe,  a 

more  accomplished  scholar  could  scarcely  be   found. 

All  through  life  the   Bible  constituted  an   important 

*■  part  of  his   studies.     It  was  his  rule    to   read    five 

chapters  every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  18 17,  Mr.  Monroe  took  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  apixiinted  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of  his  num- 
erous friends  in  public  and  private  life  in  Europe,  he 
sailed  in  June,  1819,  for  the  United  States.  On  the 
i8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed  the  threshold  of  his 
home  in'Quincy.  During  the  eight  years  of  Mr.  Mon- 
roe's administration,  Mr.  Adams  continued  Secretary 
of  State. 

Some  time  before  the  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's  second 
term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be  presented 
for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Adams  brought 
forward  his  name.  It  was  an  exciting  campaign. 
Party  spirit  was  never  more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and 
sixty  electoral  votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  re- 
ceived ninety- nine;  John  Quincy  Adams,  eighty-four; 
William  H.  Crawford,  forty-one;  Henry  Clay,  thirty- 
seven.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people,  the 
question  went  to  the  House  of  Representatives.  Mr. 
Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  Adams,  and 
he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates  now 
combined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  assault  upon 
Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more  disgraceful  in 
the  past  historj'  of  our  country  than  the  abuse  which 


was  poured  in  one  uninterrupted  stream,  upon  this 
high-minded,  upright,  patriotic  man.  There  never  was 
an  administration  more  pure  in  principles,  more  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, than  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  per- 
haps, was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupu- 
lously and  outrageously  assailed. 

Mr.  Adams  was,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  ab- 
stemious and  temperate  in  his  habits;  always  rising 
early,  and  taking  much  exercise.  \\  hen  at  his  h.omein 
Quincy,  he  has  been  known  to  walk,  before  breakfast, 
seven  miles  to  Boston.  In  Washington,  it  was  said 
that  he  was  the  first  man  up  in  the  city,  lighting  his 
own  fire  and  applying  himself  to  work  in  his  library 
often  long  before  dawn. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  Andrew 
Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  Vice  Presi- 
dent. The  slavery  question  now  began  to  assume 
fwrtentous  magnitude.  Mr.  .^dams  returned  to 
Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he  pursued  with  un- 
abated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  re- 
main in  retirement.  In  November,  1830,  he  was 
elected  representative  to  Congress.  For  seventeen 
years,  until  his  death,  he  occupied  the  jxjst  as  repre- 
sentative, towering  above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to 
do  brave  battle' for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of 
"the  old  man  eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in 
the  House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never  was  a 
member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He  was  usually 
the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to 
leave  his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure  could 
be  brought  forward  and  escape  his  scrutiny.  1  he 
battle  which  Mr.  .\dams  fought,  almost  singly,  against 
the  proslaverj'  party  in  the  Government,  was  sublime 
in  Its  moral  dating  and  lieroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  abolition  of  slavery,  he 
was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand  jury, 
with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassination  : 
but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and  his  final 
triumph  was  complete. 

It  has  been  said  of  President  Adams,  that  when  his 
body  was  bent  and  his  hair  silvered  by  the  lapse  of 
fourscore  years,  yielding  to  the  simple  faith  of  a  little 
child,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  every  night,  before 
he  slept,  the  prajer  which  his  mother  taught  him  in 
his  infant  years. 

On  the  2istof  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the  floor 
of  Congress,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to  address  the 
speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again  stricken  by  paraly- 
sis, and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  those  around  him. 
For  a  time  he  was  senseless,  as  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving  conscious- 
ness, he  opened  his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  and 
said  "  This  is  the  end  of  earth  .-"then  after  a  moment's 
pause  he  added,  ^^  I  am  eonfenf"  These  were  the 
last    words  of    the    grand    "Old    Man    Eloquent." 


L13RARY 

OF  THE 

L'NIVERSITy  OF  ILLINOIS 


(2J^7-z.a^7^..^<^9 


7:^  .^^^^ 


SEVENTH  PRESIDENT. 


43 


JAOK! 


c^-' 


J  ^ .? 


^*?^r  ^ 


J  N'DREW  JACKSON,  the 
V  seventh  President  of  the 
].'■"  L  nited  States,  was  born  in 
Waxhaw  settlement,  N.  C, 
March  15,  1767,  a  few  days 
after  his  father's  death.  His 
parents  were  poor  emigrants 
from  Ireland,  and  took  up 
their  abode  in  Waxhaw  set- 
tlement, where  they  lived  in 
deepest  poverty. 
Andrew,  or  Andy,  as  he  was 
universally  called,  grew  up  a  very 
rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.  His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  un- 
gainly; and  there  was  but  very 
little  in  his  character,  made  visible,  which  was  at- 
tractive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the  volun- 
teers of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion.  In 
1781,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British  officer 
ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered  boots.  "  I  am 
a  prisoner  of  war,  not  your  servant,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  dauntless  boy. 

The  bnite  drew  his  sword,  and  aimed  a  desi)erate 
blow  at  the  head  of  the  helpless  young  prisoner. 
Andrew  raised  his  hand,  and  thus  received  two  fear- 
ful gashes, — one  on  the  hand  and  the  other  upon  the 
head.  The  officer  then  turned  to  his  brother  Robert 
with  the  same  demand.  He  also  refused,  and  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  the  keen-edged  sabre,  which  quite 
diiabled  him,  and  which  probably  soon  after  caused 
his  death.  They  suffered  muchother  ill-treatment,  and 
were  finally  stricken  with  the  small-pox.  Their 
mother  was  successful  in   obtaining   their  exchange, 


and  took  her  sick  boys  home.  After  a  long  illness 
Andrew  recovered,  and  the  death  of  his  mother  soon 
left  him  entirely  friendless. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,  such  as 
working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school  and 
clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when  he 
entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He,  however, 
gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amusements  of  the 
times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788,  he  was  apixDinted 
solicitor  for  the  western  district  of  Norili  Carolina,  of 
which  Tennessee  was  then  a  part.  This  involved 
many  long  and  tedious  journeys  amid  dangers  of 
every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never  knew  fear, 
and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  repeat  a  skirmish 
with  the  Sharp  Knife. 

In  T791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman  who 
supix)sed  herself  divorced  from  her  former  husband. 
Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties,  two  years  later, 
to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the  divorce  had  just  been 
definitely  settled  by  the  first  liusband.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  a  second  time,  but  the  occur- 
rence was  often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr. 
Jackson  into  disfavor. 

During  these  years  he  worked  hard  at  his  profes- 
sion, and  frequently  had  one  or  more  duels  on  hand, 
one  of  which,  when  he  killed  Dickenson,  was  espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee  then 
containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
people  met  in  convention  at  Knoxville  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. Five  were  sent  from  each  of  the  eleven 
counties.  Andrew  Jackson  was  one  of  the  delegates. 
The  new  State  was  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jack- 
son was  chosen  that  member.  Mounting  his  horse  he 
rode  to  Philedelphia,  where  Congress   then    lield  its 


-M* 


-6-^ 


44 


ANDRE  IV  JACKSON. 


^^ 


sessions, — a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred    miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  admired 
Bonaparte,  loved  France  and  hated  England.  As  Mr. 
Jackson  took  his  seat,  Gcrt.  Washington,  whose 
second  term  of  office  was  then  expiring,  delivered  his 
last  speech  to  Congress.  A  committee  drew  up  a 
complimentary  address  in  reply.  Andrew  Jackson 
did  not  approve  of  the  address,  and  was  one  of  the 
twelve  wlio  voted  against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to 
say  that  Gen.  Washington's  adminstration  had  been 
"  wise,  firm  and  patriotic." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned  home. 
Soon  after  he  was  chosen  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  his  State,  which  position  he  held  for  si.x  years. 

When  the  war  of  181 2  with  Great  Britian  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Burr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there  was 
an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one  were  con- 
ferred ujxjn  him.  Just  at  that  time  Gen.  Jackson 
offeied  his  services  and  those  of  twenty-five  hundred 
volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  troops 
were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  expected  to  make  an  at- 
tack upon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen  Wilkinson  was 
in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  descend  the  river 
with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid  Wilkinson.  The 
expedition  reached  Natchez;  and  after  a  delay  of  sev- 
eral weeks  there,  without  accomplishing  anything, 
the  men  were  ordered  back  to  their  homes.  But  the 
energy  Gen.  Jackson  had  displayed,  and  his  entire 
devotion  to  the  comrfort  of  his  soldiers,  won  him 
golden  opinions;  and  he  became  the  most  iX)pular 
man  in  the  State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his 
toughness  gave  him  the  nickname  of  "  Old  Hickor\'." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip  Col. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  a  part  as  second  in  a  duel,  in 
which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  engaged, 
he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds.  While  he  was 
lingering  ujxm  a  l>ed  of  suffering  news  came  that  the 
Indians,  who  had  combined  under  Tecumseh  from 
Florida  to  the  Lakes,  to  extenninate  the  white  set- 
tlers, were  committing  the  most  awful  ravages.  De- 
cisive action  became  necessary.  Gen.  Jackson,  with 
his  fractured  bone  just  beginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in 
a  sling,  and  unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assis- 
tance, gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  Fayettesville,  Alaljama. 

.The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong  fort  on 
one  of  thebendsof  theTallaixjosa  River,  near  the  cen- 
ter of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  below  Fort  Strother. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  men,  Gen.  Jackson 
traversed  the  pathless  wilderness  in  a  march  of  eleven 
days.  He  reached  their  fort,  called  Tohopeka  or 
Horse-shoe,  on  the  27th  of  March.  1814.     The  bend 

'         -X- 


of  the  river  enclosed  nearly  one  hundred  acres  of 
tangled  forest  and  wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow 
neck  the  Indians  had  constructed  a  formidable  breast- 
-work  of  logs  and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors, 
with  an  ample  suply  oi  arms  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly  des- 
perate. Not  an  Indian  would  accept  of  quarter.  \\'hen 
bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  those  who  en- 
deavored to  spare  their  lives.  From  ten  in  the  morn- 
.ing  until  dark,  the  battle  raged.  The  carnage  was 
awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw  themselves  into  the 
river;  but  the  unerring  bullet  struck  their  heads  as 
they  swam.  Nearly  ever)- one  of  the  nine  hundred  war- 
rios  were  killed  A  few  probably,  in  the  night,  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war.  The 
[x)wer  of  the  Creeks  was  broken  forever.  This  bold 
plunge  into  the  wilderness,  with  itsterriffic  slaughter, 
so  appalled  the  savages,  that  the  haggard  remnants 
of  the  bands  came  to  the  camp,  begging  for  peace. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  war  enabled  us  to  con- 
centrate all  our  militia  uix)n  the  British,  who  were  the 
allies  of  the  Indians  No  man  of  less  resolute  will 
than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  conducted  this  Indian 
campaign  to  so  successful  an  issue  Immediately  he 
was  apjxjinted  major-general.  » 

Late  in  .\ugust,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  on  a  rushing  march.  Gen.  Jackson  came  to , 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  came  from  Pensacola,  landed  . 
a  force  upon  the  beach,  anchored  near  the  little  fort,"" 
and  from  both  ship  and  shore  commenced  a  furious  ■ 
assault.  The  battle  was  long  and  doubtful.  At  length  1 
one  of  the  ships  was  blown  up    and  the  rest  retired.  J 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his  little 
army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
And  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  verj'  arduous  campaign.  This  won 
for. Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name.  Here  his 
troops,  which  numbered  about  four  thousand  men, 
won  a  signal  victory  over  the  Brirish  army  of  about 
nine  thousand.  His  loss  was  but  thirteen,  while  the 
loss  of  the  British  was  two  thousand  six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  Presidency,  but,  in  1824, 
he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams.  He  was,  however, 
successful  in  the  election  of  1828,  and  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1832.  In  1829,  just  before  he 
assumed  the  reins  of  the  government,  he  met  with 
the  most  terrible  affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  whom  he  hadlovedwith  adevorion  which  has 
perhaps  never  been  surpassed.  From  the  shock  of 
her  death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  memorable 
in  the  annals  of  our  countr)';  applauded  by  one  party, 
condemned  by  the  other.  No  man  had  more  bitter 
enemies  or  warmer  friends.  .\t  the  expiration  of  his 
two  terms  of  office  he  retired  to  the  Hermitage,  where 
he  died  lune  8,  1845.  The  last  years  of  ^Ir.  Jack- 
son's  life   wc-e   that   of  a   devoted  Christian    man. 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINl 


i 

V                    / 

^72^^^ 

-^^^i^^^i^-^-^^^ 

EIGHTH  PRESIDENT. 


47 


\ 


^^^^^\®m^>^^^ 


I]Q:aRTII]  V;?!]  BUREI]. 


ARTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the 
eighth      President     of     the 
United  States,  was  born  at 
Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  5, 
1782.     He  died  at  the  same 
place,  July   24,    1862.      His 
body  rests  in   the  cemetery 
at  Kinderhook.     Above  it  is 
a  plain  granite   shaft  fifteen  feet 
high,  bearing  a  simple  inscription 
about  halt  way  up   on   one    face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered 
or  unboui'.ded  by  slirub  or  flower. 

There  is  but  little  iii  the  life  of  Martin  Van  Buren 
of  rumantic  interest.  He  fought  no  battles,  engaged 
ill  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life  was  stormy  in 
political  and  intellectual  conflicts,  and  he  gained  many 
signal  victories,  his  days  passed  uneventful  in  those 
incidents  which  give  zest  to  biography.  His  an- 
cestors, as  his  name  indicates,  were  of  Dutch  origin, 
and  were  among  the  earliest  emigrants  from  Holland 
to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
residing  in  the  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother, 
also  of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

He  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing  un- 
usual activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic  studies 
in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
law.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  education,  seven 
years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  reijuired  of  him 
before  he  could  be  admitted  to  the  bar.  Inspired  with 
a  lofty  ambition,  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  with  indefatigable  industry.  After 
spending  six  years  in  an  office  in  his   native  village, 


he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his 
studies  for  the  seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  Van  Buren,  then  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  vil- 
lage. The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal  and 
Republican  party  was  then  at  its  height.  Mr.  Van 
Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politician.  He  had,  ' 
perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while  listening  to  the 
many  discussions  which  had  been  carried  on  in  his 
father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial  sympathy  with  ** 
Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  eloquently  espoused  the 
cause  of  State  Rights ;  though  at  that  time  the  Fed- 
eral party  held  the  supremacy  both  in  his  town 
and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  ruputation  led  him, 
after  six  years  of  practice,  to  remove  to  Hudson,  the 
county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent  seven  years, 
constantly  gaining  strength  by  contending  in  the 
courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  fur  Hudson,  Mr. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomplishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  the  victim  of  consump- 
tion, leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  weep  over 
her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was 
an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous  lawyer.  The  record 
of  those  years  is  barren  in  items  of  public  interest. 
In  1812,  when  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  State  Senate,  and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to 
Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  In  1815,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Attorney-General,  and  the  next  year  moved 
to  .Albany,  the  capital  of  the  State. 

While  he  was  acknowledged  as  one  of  the  most 
prominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party,  he  had 


=ljl: 


4 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


"i^ 


the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  that  "  universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right  of 
governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with  his 
democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while  the 
path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should  be  open 
to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one  should  be 
invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative,  unless  he  were 
in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by  intelligence,  virtue 
and  some  property  interests  in  the  welfare  of  the 
State. 

In  182  I  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate;  and  in  the  same  year,  he  took  a  seat 
in  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  his 
native  State.  His  course  in  this  convention  secured 
the  approval  of  men  of  all  parries.  No  one  could 
doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to  promote  the 
interests  of  all  classes  in  the  community.  In  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  he  rose  at  once  to  a 
conspicuous  position  as  an  active  and  useful  legislator. 
In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  being  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected  to 
the  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning  a  de- 
termined opposer  of  the  Administration,  adopting  the 
"State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what  was 
deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governorof 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned  his 
seat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the  United 
States  contributed  so  much  towards  ejecting  John  Q. 
Adams  from  the  Presidential  chair,  and  placing  in  it 
Andrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin  Van  Buren.  Whether 
entitled  to  the  reputation  or  not,  he  certainly  was  re- 
garded throughout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful,  sagacious  and  cunning  of  politicians. 
It  was  supposed  that  no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how 
to  touch  the  secret  spiings  of  action;  how  to  pull  all 
the  wires  to  put  his  machinery  in  motion ;  and  how  to 
organize  a  political  army  which  would,  secretly  and 
stealthily  accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By 
these  powers  it  is  said  that  he  outv.ntted  Mr.  Adams, 
Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  ^Vebster,  and  secured  results  which 
few  thought  then  could  be  accomplished. 

When  .\ndrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  he 
appointed  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State.  This 
position  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  immediately 
appointed  Minister  to  England,  where  he  went  the 
same  autumn.  The  Senate,  however,  when  it  met, 
refused   to   ratify  the  nomination,   and  he  returned 


¥^ 


home,  apparently  untroubled;  was  nominated  Vice 
President  in  the  place  of  Calhoun,  at  the  re-elecrion 
of  President  Jackson ;  and  with  smiles  for  all  and 
frowns  for  none,  he  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that 
Senate  which  had  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination 
as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal  of 
President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated  favor- 
ite ;  and  this,  probably  mure  than  any  other  cause, 
secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the  Chief  Execu- 
dve.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr.  Van  Buren  re- 
ceived the  Democratic  nomination  to  succeed  Gen. 
Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  to  the  delight  of  the 
retiring  President.  "  Leaving  New  York  out  of  the 
canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton,  "the  election  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren  to  the  Presidency  was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen. 
Jackson  as  though  the  Consritution  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  jxjwer  to  appoint  a  successor." 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting  events. 
The  insurrection  in  Canada,  which  threatened  to  in-  , 
volve  this  countr)'  in  war  witli  England,  the   agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  finally  the  great  commer- 
cial panic  which  spread   over   the   country,  all   were^ 
trials  to  his  wisdom.     The  financial  distress   was  at- 
tributed to  the  management  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he  , 
failed  of  re-election. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats,  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  uiwn  his  estate  until 
his  death. 

He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of  frugal  habits, 
and  living  within  his  income,  had  now  fortunately  a 
competence  for  his  declining  years.  His  unblemished 
character,  his  commanding  abilities,  his  unquestioned 
patriotism,  and  the  distinguished  iX)sitions  which  he 
had  occupied  in  the  government  of  our  countrj',  se- 
cured to  him  not  only  the  homage  of  his  party,  but 
the  respect  ot  the  whole  community.  It  was  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1841,  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  from 
the  presidency.  From  his  fine  estate  at  Lindenwald, 
he  still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  upon  theix)litics 
of  the  countr)'.  From  this  time  until  his  death,  on 
the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  he 
resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  of 
culture  and  of  wealth;  enjoying  in  a  healthy  old 
age,  probably  far  more  happiness  than  he  had  before 
experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes  of  his  active  life. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

t;^JVERSITY  OF  Miwm 


/d  J^//a 


NINTH  PRESIDENT. 


^^^^^ 


St 


WIM14M  HiiN^EI  m41MiW. 


i-e-h- 


\bi 


ILLIAM  HENRY  HARRI- 
SOM,  the  ninth    President  of 
the    United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  Feb.  9,  1773. 
His  father,    Benjamin    Harri- 
son, was  in  comparatively  op- 
ulent circumstances,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  his  day.      He  was  an 
intimate    friend    of     George 
Washington,  v\  as  early  elected 
a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,    and  was    conspicuous 
among  the  patriots  of  Virginia  in 
resisting  the  encroachments  of  the 
British  crown.     In  the  celebrated 
Congress  of  1775,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison   and    John    Hancock    were 
both  candidates  for  the  office  of 
s[>eaker. 

fMr  Harrison  was  subsetpiently 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
was  twice    re-elected.       His   son, 
i  William  Henry,  of  course  enjoyed 

in  childhood  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and 
intellectual  and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  common-school  education,  he 
entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where  he  graduated 
with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He 
then  repaired  to  Philadelphia  tostudy  medicine  under 
the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush  and  the  guardianship  of 
Robert  Morris,  both  of  whom  were,  with  his  father, 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

'Jl)on  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and  not- 
withstanding the  remonstrances  of  his  friends,  he 
abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the  army, 
having  obtained  a  commission  of  Ensign  from  Presi- 

• -x 


dent  Washington.  He  was  then  but  19  years  old. 
From  that  time  he  passed  gradually  upward  in  rank 
until  he  became  aid  to  General  Wayne,  after  whose 
death  he  resigned  his  commission.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  the  North-western  Territory.  This 
Territory  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
Congress  and  Capt.  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that 
position. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  the  North-western  Territory 
was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions.  The 
eastern  jwrtion,  comprising  the  region  now  embraced 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  ''  The  Territory 
north-west  of  the  Ohio."  The  western  jMrlion,  which -^ 
included  what  is  now  called  Indiana,  Illinois  and ! 
Wisconsin,  was  called  the  "Indiana  Territory."  Wil- 
liam Henry  Harrison,  then  27  years  of  age,  was  ajj- 
ix)inted  by  John  Adams,  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  immediately  after,  also  Governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as 
extensive  a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  was  in- 
vested with  [wwers  nearly  dictatorial  over  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The  ability  and 
fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  these  responsible 
duties  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  four 
times  ap[X3inted  to  tliis  office — first  by  John  Adams, 
twice  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  afterwards  by  Presi- 
dent Madison. 

When  he  began  his  adminstration  there  were  but 
three  white  setilementsin  that  almost  boundless  region, 
now  crowded  with  cities  and  resounding  with  all  the 
tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic.  One  of  these  settlements 
was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  Ixsuisville;  one  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  third  a  French 
settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrison 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians.  About 


joui 


H  H> 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


-H^ 


the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men,  twin  brothers, 
of  the  Shawnese  tribe,  rose  among  them.  One  ot 
these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or  "  The  Crouching 
Panther;"  the  other,  OUiwacheca,  or  "'I'he  Prophet." 
Tecumseh  was  not  only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man 
of  great  sagacity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomit- 
able perseverance  in  any  enterprise  m  which  he  might 
engage.  He  was  inspired  with  the  highest  enthusiasm, 
and  had  long  regarded  with  dread  and  with  hatred 
the  encroachment  of  the  whites  upon  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  his  fathers.  His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was 
an  orator,  who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored 
Indian  as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree -tops  beneath  which 
they  dwelt. 

But  the  Prophet  was  not  merely  an  orator:  he  was, 
in  the  superstitious  minds  of  the  Indians,  invested 
with  the  superhuman  dignity  of  a  medicine-man  or  a 
magician.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsurpassed  by  Peter 
tlie  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the  crusades,  he  went 
from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming  that  he  was  specially  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  conciliate 
the  Indians,  but  at  last  the  war  came,  and  at  Tippe- 
canoe the  Indians  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 
October  28,  18 12,  his  army  began  its  march.  When 
near  the  Prophet's  town  three  Indians  of  rank  made 
their  appearance  and  inquired  why  Gov.  Harrison  was 
approaching  them  in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a 
short  conference,  arrangements  were  made  fora  meet- 
ing the  next  day,  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted  with 
L  the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such  protes- 
tations Selecting  a  favorable  sixjt  for  his  night's  en- 
campment, he  took  every  precaution  against  surprise 
His  troops  were  jxjsted  in  a  hollow  square,  and  slept 
upon  their  arms. 

The  troops  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  for 
rest;  but  every  man  had  his  accourtrements  on,  his 
loaded  musket  by  his  side, and  his  bayonet  fixed.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting  in  conversa- 
tion with  his  aids  by  the  embers  of  a  waning  fire.  It 
was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning  with  a  drizzling  rain.  In 
the  darkness,  the  Indians  had  crept  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, and  just  then,  with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all 
the  desperation  which  superstition  and  passion  most 
highly  inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  provided 
with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English.  Their 
war-whoop  was  accompained  by  a  shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as  the 
light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim.  With  hide- 
ous yells,  the  Indian  Viands  rushed  on,  irot  doubting  a 
speedy  and  an  entire  victory.  But  Gen.  Harrison's 
troojjs  stood  as  immovable  as  the  rocks  around  them 
until  day  dawned :  they  then  made  a  simultaneous 
charge  with  the  bayonet,  and  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore   them,    and    completely    routing    the    foe. 


Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British  descending  from  the  Can - 
adas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  formidable  force  ;  but 
with  their  savage  allies,  rushing  like  wolves  I'rom  the 
forest,  searching  out  every  remote  farm-house,  burn- 
ing, plu.idering,  scalping,  torturing,  the  wide  frontier 
was  plunged  into  a  state  of  consternation  which  even 
the  most  vivid  imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive. 
The  war-whoop  was  resounding  everywhere  in  the 
forest.  Tlie  horizon  was  illuminated  with  the  conflagra- 
tionofthe  cabins  of  the  settlers.  Gen  Hullhadmade 
the  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at  Detroit. 
Under  these  desjiairing  circumstances.  Gov.  Harrison 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  North-western  army,  with  orders  to  retake 
Detroit,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man  in  a  situation 
demanding  more  energy,  sagacity  and  courage;  but 
General  Harrison  was  found  equal  to  the  position, 
and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet  all  the  re- 
sponsibilities. 

He  won  the  love  of  his  soldiers  by  always  sharing 
with  them  their  fatigue.  His  whole  baggage,  while 
pursuing  the  foe  up  the  Thames,  was  earned  in  a 
valise;  and  his  bedding  consisted  of  a  single  blanket 
lashed  over  his  saddle.  Thirty-five  British  officers, 
his  prisoners  of  war,  supped  with  him  after  tlie  battle. 
The  otily  fare  he  could  give  them  was  beef  roasted 
before  the  fire,  witliout  bread  or  salt. 

In  18 16,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  re[)resent 
the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved  an 
active  member;  and  whenever  he  s|ickc,  it  was  with 
force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence,  which  arrested 
the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  1819,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio;  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  The 
same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  1836,  the  friends  of  Gen.  Harrison  brought  him 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  against 
Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the  close  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nominated  by  his 
party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unanimously  nominated 
by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 
The  contest  was  very  animated.  Gen  Jackson  gave 
all  his  influence  to  prevent  Harrison's  electi(jn  ;  but 
his  triumph  was  signal. 

The  cabinet  which  be  formed,  with  Daniel  Webster 
at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  with  which  anv  President  had  ever  been 
surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects  of  an  admin- 
istration more  flattering,  or  the  hopes  of  the  country 
more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of  these  bright  and 
joyous  prospects,  Gen.  Harrison  was  seized  by  a 
pleurisv-fever  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  on  the  4th  of  April ;  just  one  month  after 
his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States. 


x^ 


i» 


LISRARY 
GF  THE 

l;jiversity  of  ilunoss 


L 


± 


TENTH  PRESIDENT. 


55 


OHN    TYLER,     the    tenth 
Presidentof  the  United  States. 
He  was  born   in  Charles-city 
Co.,  Va.,  March  29, 1790.  He 
was  tlie  favored  child   of  af- 
fluence and  high    social    po- 
sition.    .\t  the   early  age   of 
twelve,  John  entered  William 
and   Mary  College  and  grad- 
uated with  much  honor  when 
but  seventeen  years  old.  .\fter 
graduating,  he  devoted   him- 
self  with    great    assiduity  to    the 
study    of    law,    partly   with    his 
father   and    pirtly  with   Edmund 
Randolph,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  ne 
commenced  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  was  rapid  and  aston- 
ishing. It  is  said  that  three 
months  had  not  elapsed  ere  there 
was  scarcely  a  case  on  the  dock- 
et of  the  court  in  which  he  was 
not  retained.  When  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he 
was  almost  unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic i)arty,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive  years  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving  nearly  the 
unanimous  vote  or  his  county. 

When  hut  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  earnestly  and 
ably  with  tiie  Democratic  party,  opposing  a  national 
bank,  internal  improvements  by  the  General  Govern- 


ment, a  protective  tariff,  and  advocatmg  a  strict  con- 
struction of  the  Constitution,  and  the  most  careful 
vigilance  over  State  rights.  His  labors  in  Congress 
were  so  arduous  that  before  tlie  close  of  his  second 
term  he  found  it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his 
estate  in  Charles-city  Co.,  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in  the 
State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was  jxiwerful  ' 
in  promoting  public  works  of  great  utility.  With  a 
reputation  thus  canstantly  increasing,  he  was  chosen 
by  a  very  large  majority  of  votes,  Governor  of  his  **■ 
native  State.  His  administration  was  signally  a  suc- 
cessful one.     His  popularity  secured  his  re-election. 

John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  thtn  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic  party 
was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  wayward  course, 
and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as  his  opix)nent, 
considering  him  the  only  man  in  Virginia  of  sufficient 
popularity  to  succeed  against  the  renowned  orator  of 
Roanoke.     Mr.  T\ler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  taking  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  opposi- 
tion. He  opixDsed  the  tariff;  he  spoke  against  and 
voted  against  the  bank  as  unconstitutional ;  he  stren- 
uously opposed  all  restrictions  upon  slavery,  resist- 
ing all  projects  of  internal  improvements  by  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  and  avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr. 
Calhoun's  view  of  nullification  ;  he  declared  that  Gen. 
Jackson,  by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had 
abandoned  the  piinciples  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Such  was  Mr.  'I'yler's  record  in  Congress, — a  record 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession.     There  was  a  split  in  the   Democratic 


i 


^€4-* 


JOHN  TYLER. 


-M 


party.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a  true  Jef- 
fersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  showered  compli- 
ments upon  him.  He  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
forty-six.  His  career  had  been  ver)'  brilliant.  In  con- 
sequence of  his  devotion  to  public  business,  his  pri- 
vate affairs  had  fallen  into  some  disorder;  and  it  was 
not  without  satisfaction  that  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  cultuie  of  his  plan- 
tation. Soon  after  this  he  remo\ed  to  Williamsburg, 
for  the  better  education  of  his  children  ;  and  he  again 
took  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  of  Virginia. 

By  the  Southern  Whigs,  he  was  sent  to  the  national 
convention  at  Harrisburg  to  nominate  a  President  in 
1839.  The  majonty  of  votes  were  given  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison, a  genuine  Whig,  much  to  the  disappointment  of 
the  South,  who  wished  for  Henry  Clay.  To  concili- 
ate the  Southern  Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the 
convention  then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice  Pres- 
ident. It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  Whig  party  in  the  Noith  :  but  the  Vice 
President  has  but  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to  pre- 
side over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  a  Whig  President,  and,  in  reality,  a 
Democratic  Vice  President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  In  one  short  month  from 
'  that  time.  President  Harrison  died,  and  Mr.  Tyler 
thus  found  himself,  to  his  own  surprise  and  that  of 
the  whole  Nation,  an  occupant  of  the  Presidential 
chair.  This  was  a  new  test  of  the  stability  of  our 
institutions,  as  it  was  the  first  time  in"the  history  of  our 
country  that  such  an  event  had  occured.  Mr.  Tyler 
was  at  home  in  Williamsburg  when  he  received  the 
unexpected  tidings  of  the  death  of  President  Harri- 
son. He  hastened  to  Washington,  and  on  the  6th  of 
April  was  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  responsible 
office.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of  exceeding 
delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  longlife  he  had  been 
opjX)sed  to  the  main  principles  of  the  party  which  had 
brought  him  into  power.  He  had  ever  been  a  con- 
sistent, honest  man,  with  an  unblemished  record. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  selected  a  Whig  cabinet.  Should 
he  retain  them,  and  thus  surround  himself  with  coun- 
sellors whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own.'  or, 
on  the  other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him  and  select  a  cabinet  in  har- 
mony with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose  all  those 
views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essential  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare?  This  was  his  fearful  dilemma.  He  in- 
vited the  cabinet  which  President  Harrison  had 
selected  to  retain  their  seats.  He  reccommended  a 
day  of  fasting  and  praj-er,  that  God  would  guide  and 
bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for  the 
incor]X)ration  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  President,  after  ten  days'  delay,  returned  it  with 
his  veto.      He   suggested,   however,  that  he  would 


^ 


approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon  such  a  plan  as  he 
pro^xjsed.  Such  a  bill  was  accordingly  prepared,  and 
privately  submitted  to  him.  He  gave  it  his  approval. 
It  A'as  passed  without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back 
with  his  veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 
ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  severely 
touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the  Presi- 
dent into  their  arms.  The  party  which  elected  him 
denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the  members  of  his 
cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster,  resigned.  The  Whigs 
of  Congress,  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  held  a 
meeting  and  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  proclaiming  that  all  [wlitical  alliance 
between  the  Whigs  and  President  Tyler  were  at 
an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs  and 
Conser\'atives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong  party 
men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary  to  resign, 
forced  out  by  the  jiressure  of  his  Whig  friends.  Thus 
the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  unfortunate  administra- 
tion passed  sadly  away.  i\o  one  was  satisfied.  The 
land  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  vituperation.  \\  higs 
and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him.  ^lore  and  more, 
however,  he  brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his 
old  friends,  the  Democrats,  until  atthe  close  of  his  term, 
he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  supjwrt  of  Mr. 
Polk,  the  Democratie  candidate  for  his  successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  he  retired  from  the 
harassments  of  office,  to  the  regret  of  neitherparty,  and 
probably  to  his  own  unspeakable  lelief.  His  first  wife, 
Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died  in  Washington,  in  1842; 
and  in  June,  1844,  President  Tyler  was  again  married, 
at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of 
many  personal  and  intellectual  accomplishments. 

The  remainder  of  his  days  Mr.  Tyler  passed  mainly 
in  retirement  at  his  beautiful  home, — Sherwood  For- 
est, Charles  city  Co.,  Va.  A  polished  gentleman  in 
his  manners,  richly  furnished  with  information  from 
books  and  experience  in  the  world,  and  possessing 
brilliant  powers  of  conversation,  his  family  circle  was 
the  scene  of  unusual  attractions.  With  sufficient 
moans  for  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hospitality,  he 
might  have  enjoyed  a  serene  old  age  with  the  few 
friends  who  gathered  around  him,  were  it  not  for  the 
storms  of  civil  war  which  his  own  principles  and 
policy  had  helped  to  introduce. 

When  the  great  Rebelhon  rose,  which  the  State- 
rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  Mr.  John  C.  Cal- 
houn had  inaugurated,  President  Tyler  renounced  his 
allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  joined  the  Confed- 
erates. He  was  chosen  a  member  of  their  Congress; 
and  while  engaged  in  active  measures  to  destroy,  by 
force  of  arms,  the  Government  over  which  he  had 
once  presided,  he  was  taken  sick  and  soon  died. 
:f 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

IMIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


■'I 


ELEVENTH  PRESIDENT. 


59 


'  ^  AMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh 
^jiiPresident  of  the  United  States, 
was  born  in  Mecklenburg  Co., 
N.  C.jNov.  2,  1795.     His  par- 
ents were   Samuel   and    Jane 
(Knox)  Polk,  the  former  a  son 
of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the 
first  i)ioneers,  in  1735. 

In  the  year  1S06,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  ar.d  soon  after  fol- 
lowed by  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Polk  fainly,  Samuel  Polk  emi- 
grated some  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  f;irther  west,  to  the  rich  valley 
of  the  Duck  River.  Here  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  in  a  region 
which  was  subsequently  called  Mau- 
ry Co ,  they  reared  their  log  huls, 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the 
hard  toil  of  a  new  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, James  K.  Polk  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  adding  the  pur- 
suit of  a  surveyor  to  that  of  a  farmer, 
'  gradually  increased  in  wealth   until 

he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  region.  His 
mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of  strong  common 
sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life,  James  developed  a  taste  for 
reading  and  e.xpressed  the  strongest  desire  to  obtain 
a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training  had  made 
him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught  him  punct- 
uality and  industry,  and  had  inspired  him  witii  lofty 
principles  of  morality.  His  health  was  frail ;  and  his 
father,  fearing  that  he  might  not  be  able  to  endure  a 


sedentary  life,  got  a   situation    for   him   behind    the 
counter,  hoping  to  fit  hini  for  commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  tliese  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupali9n  but  a  few  weeks,  when  at  his 
earnest  solicitation  his  father  removed  him,  and  made 
arrangements  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies.  Soon 
after  he  sent  him  to  Murfreesboro  Academy.  With 
ardor  which  could  scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed 
forward  in  his  studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a  half  ^ 
years,  in  tlie  autumn  of  1815,  entered  the  sophomore 
class  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a  religious 
service. 

He  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest  honors,  be- 
ing deemed  tlie  best  scholar  of  his  class,  both  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was  then  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Polk's  health  was  at  this 
time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with  whicli  he 
had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a  short  season  of 
relaxation  he  went  to  Nashville,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Felix  C.rundy,  to  study  law.  Here  Mr.  Polk 
renewed  his  acquaintance  \Mth  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
resided  on  his  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  but  a  few 
miles  from  Nashville.  They  li:id  prnliably  been 
slightly  acquainted  l;cfore. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  Jeffersonian  Republican, 
and  James  K.  Polk  ever  adliered  to  the  same  jjoliti- 
cal  faith.  He  was  a  i)opular  jniblic  speaker,  and  was 
constantly  called  ujwn  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
jiarty  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such  that 
he  was  jxipulaily  called  the  Najwleon  of  the  stump. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished    morals,   genial   and 


¥^ 


«- 


-e4- 


=t 


JAMES  K.  POLK. 


lourteous  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that  sympathetic 
nature  in  the  jo)  s  and  griefs  of  others  which  ever  gave 
him  troops  of  friends.  In  1S23,  Mr.  Polk  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  Here  he  gave  his 
strong  influence  towards  the  election  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Jackson,  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

Ill  January,  T824,  Mr.  Polk 'married  Miss  Sarah 
Cliildress,  of  Rutherford  Co.,  Tenn.  His  bride  was 
altogether  worthy  of  him, — a  lady  of  beauty  and  cul- 
ture. In  the  fall  of  1825,  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen  a 
member  of  Congress.  The  satisfaction  which  he  gave 
to  his  constituents  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
for  fourteen  successive  years,  until  1 839,  he  was  con- 
tinued in  that  office.  He  then  voluntarily  withdrew, 
only  that  he  might  accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair 
of  Tennessee.  In  Congress  he  was  a  laborious 
member,  a  frequent  and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was 
always  in  his  seat,  always  courteous;  and  whenever 
he  spoke  it  was  always  to  the  ix)int,  and  without  any 
ambitious  rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress,  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  Strong  passions  were  roused, 
and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed  ;  but  Mr.  Polk  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  him  was 
]>as3ed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk,  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State.  He  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  the  141)1  of  Octo- 
ber, 1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville.  In  1841, 
his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was  again  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  defeated. 

On  the  4th of  March,  1S45,  Mr.  Polk  was  inaugur- 
ated President  of  the  United  States.  The  verdict  of 
the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  exerted 
its  influence  upon  Congress  ;  and  the  last  act  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler  was  to  affix  his  sig- 
nature to  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  passed  on  the 
3d  of  March,  approving  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  American  Union.  As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas 
as  one  of  her  provinces,  the  Mexican  minister, 
Almonte,  immediately  demanded  his  passports  and 
left  tlie  country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation 
to  be  an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message.  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be  re- 
ceived into  the  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the 
other  States.  In  the  meantime,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent 


with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the  country.  He  was 
sent  first  to  Nueces,  which  the  Mexicans  said  was  the 
western  boundary  of  Texas.  Then  he  was  sent  nearly 
two  hundred  miles  further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  he  erected  batteries  which  commanded  the 
Mexican  city  of  Matamoras,  which  was  situated  on 
the  western  banks. 

The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place,  and  war 
was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President  Polk.  The 
war  was  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor,  whose  army  was  first 
called  one  of  "observation,"  then  of  "occupation," 
then  of  "  invasion, "was  sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The 
feeble  Mexicans,  in  every  encounter,  were  hopelessly 
and  awfully  slaughtered.  The  day  of  judgement 
alone  can  reveal  the  misery  which  this  war  caused. 
It  v/as  by  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
that  the  war  was  brought  on. 

'To  the  victors  belong  the  spoils."  Mexico  was 
prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our  hands. 
We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the  condition  that 
Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in  addition  to  Texas, 
all  of  New  Me.\ico,  and  all  of  Upper  and  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia. This  new  demand  embraced,  exclusive  of*^ 
Texas,  eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  This 
was  an  extent  of  territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the 
size  of  New  York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen 
majestic  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There  were 
some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right :  there  were 
others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In  the  prosecutit)n 
of  this  war,  we  expended  twenty  thousand  lives  and 
more  tlian  a  hundred  million  cf  dollars.  Of  this 
money  fifteen  millions  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3J  of  Mxrch,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired  from 
office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next  day  was 
Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
as  his  successor.  Mr  Polk  rode  to  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  carriage  with  Gen.  Taylor;  and  the  same  even- 
ing, with  Mrs.  Polk,  he  commenced  his  return  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
He  had  ever  been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  haliits, 
and  his  health  was  good  With  an  ample  foitane, 
a  choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic  ties 
of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though  long  years 
of  tranquility  and  happiness  were  before  him.  But  the 
cholera — that  fearful  scourge — was  then  sweeping  up 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississijipi.  This  he  contracted, 
and  died  on  the  ijth  of  June,  1S49,  in  the  fifty-fourth 
)  ear  of  his  age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


<^> 


LIBRARY 

Gf  THE 

IMIVERSITY  OF  II.UN05S 


H- 


TWELFTH  PRESIDENT. 


/ACKAKV    TAYLOR 


?\ 


I  ACHARV  TAYLOR,  Uvellth 
y  President  of  the  United  States, 
'  j^  was  born  on  the  24th  of  Nov., 
\  1784,  in  Orange  Co.,  Va.  His 
father,  Gslonel  Taylor,  was 
a  Virginian  of  note,  and.  a  dis- 
^^  tinguished  [latriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  \Vhen  Zachary 
was  an  infant,  his  father  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  emigrated 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in 
the  pathless  uilderness,  a  few 
miles  from  Louisville.  In  this  front- 
ier home,  away  from  civilization  and 
all  its  refinements,  yjung  Zachary 
Could  enjoy  but  few  social  and  educational  advan- 
tages. When  si.\  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common 
school,  and  was  the.i  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  lioy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of  char- 
acter He  was  strong,  feailess  and  self-reliant,  and 
manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  tlie  anny  to  fight 
the  Indians  who  were  ravaging  the  frontiers.  There 
is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the  uneventful  years  of  his 
childhood  on  his  father's  large  but  lonely  plantation. 
In  iSoS,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him 
the  commission  of  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
anny  ;  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were  stationed 
at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Soon  after 
this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith,  a  young  lady 
from  one  of  the  first  families  of  Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng- 
land, in  1812,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then  been 
promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  alxjut  fifty  miles  above 
Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  Gen.  Harrison.on  his  march  to  Tipj)ecanoe. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  attack  by  the  Indians, 
led  by  Tecumseh.     Its  garrison  consisted  of  a  broken 


company  of  infantry  numbenng    fifty   men,    many  of 
wliom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  181 2,  the  Indians,  stealthily, 
and  in  large  numbers,  moved  ujxDn  the  fort.  Their 
api)roath  was  first  indicated  by  the  murder  of  two 
soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade.  Cai)t.  Taylor 
made  every  jxissible  preparation  to  meet  the  antici- 
pated assault.  On  the  4th  of  September,  a  band  of  • 
forty  painted  and  plumed  savages  came  to  the  fort, 
waving  a  white  flag,  and  infoniied  Capt.  Taylor  that 
in  the  morning  their  chief  would  con;e  to  have  a  talk 
with  him.  It  was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages,  kept  *r\ 
them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down  ;  the  savages  disappeared,  the 
garrison  slept  u[K)n  their  arms.  One  hour  btfore"' 
midnight  the  war  whooi)  Ijurst  from  a  thousand  lips 
in  the  forest  around,  followed  by  the  discharge  of 
musketry,  and  the  rush  of  the  foe.  Every  man,  sick 
and  well,  sprang  to  Iiis  jx^st.  Every  man  knew  that 
defeat  was  not  merely  death,  but  in  the  case  of  caj)- 
ture,  death  by  the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  tor- 
ture. No  pen  can  describe,  r,o  immagination  can 
conceive  the  scenes  which  ensued  The  savages  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  I'ire  to  one  of  the  block  houses- 
Lentil  si.x  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  awful  conflict 
continued.  The  savages  tiien,  baflled  at  eveiy  ixjint, 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired.  Capt. 
Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defence,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  MajorTaylor  was  placed 
in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little  more  of  active 
service.  He  was  sent  far  away  into  the  depths  of  the 
wilderness,  to  Fort  Crawford,  on  Fo.x  River,  which 
empties  into  Green  Bay.  Here  there  was  but  little 
to  be  done  but  to  wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one 
best  could.    There  were  no  Ixxjks,  no  society,  no  in- 


*64— 


64 


. — ^r . 

ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


J: 


4- 


tellectual  stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful 
years  rolled  on  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  In  the  Black  Hawk  war,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain,  Col  Taylor 
took  a  subordinate  but  a  brave  and  etificient  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged  in 
the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  remote,  and  in 
employments  so  obscure,  that  his  name  was  unknown 
beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  immediate  acquaintance. 
In  the  year  1836,  he  was  sent  to  Florida  to  comi^el 
the  Seminole  Indians  to  vacate  that  region  and  re- 
tire beyond  the  Mississippi,  as  their  chiefi  by  treaty, 
had  promised  they  should  do.  The  services  rendered 
here  secured  for  Col,  Taylor  the  high  a[)preciation  of 
the  Government;  and  as  a  reward,  he  was  elevated 
to  the  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet ;  and  soon 
after,  in  May,  1838,  was  appointed  to  the  chief  com- 
mand of  the  United  States  troops  in   Florida. 

After  two  years  of  sncn  wearisome  employment 
amidst  the  everglades  of  the  peninsula.  Gen.  'Faylor 
obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of  command, 
and  was  stationed  over  the  Department  of  the  South- 
west. This  field  embraced  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Alabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing  his  headquarters 
uisiana,  he  removed  his  family 
e  purchased,  near  Baton  Rogue, 
five  years,  buried,  as  it  were, 
J|>from  tire  world,  but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty 

I  imposed  upon  him. 
In  1846,  (ien.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the  land 
between  the  Nueces  and  Rio  Grande,  the  latter  river 
y  being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which  was  then  claimed 
by  the  United  States.  Soon  the  war  with  Mexico 
was  brought  on,  and  at  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
Palma,  Gen.  Taylor  won  brilliant  victories  over  the 
Mexicans.  The  rank  of  major-general  by  brevet 
was  then  conferred  upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name 
was  received  with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in 
the  Nation.  Then  came  the  battles  of  Monterey  and 
Buena  Vista  in  which  he  won  signal  victories  over 
forces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

His  careless  habits  of  dress  and  his  unaffected 
simplicity,  secured  for  Gen.  Taylor  among  his  troops, 
\he  sobriquet  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready.' 

The  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista 
spread  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the  country.  The 
name  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on  every  one's  lips.  The 
Whig  party  decided  to  take  advantage  of  this  wonder- 
ful popularity  in  bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  un- 
lettered, honest  soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  an- 
nouncement, and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it;  de- 
claring that  he  was  not  at  all  (pialified  for  such  an 
office.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  ])olitics  that, 
for  forty  years,  he  had  not  cast  a  vote.  It  was  not 
without  chagrin  that  several  distinguished  statesmen 
who  had  been  long  years  in  the  public  service  found 
their  claims  set  aside  in  behalf  of  one  whose   name 

' '^ 


had  never  been  heard  of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo 
Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena 
Vista.  It  Is  said  that  Daniel  Webster,  in  his  haste  re- 
marked, "  It  is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a  fine 
writer  His  friends  took  possession  of  him,  and  pre- 
pared such  few  communications  as  it  was  needful 
should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The  popularity  of 
the  successful  warrior  swe[)t  the  land.  He  was  tri- 
umphantly elected  over  two  opposing  candidates, — 
Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-President  Martin  Van  Buren. 
Though  he  selected  an  excellent  cabinet,  the  good 
old  man  found  himself  in  a  very  uncongenial  position, 
and  was,  at  times,  sorely  perplexed  and  harassed. 
His  mental  sufl'erings  were  very  severe,  and  probably 
tended  to  hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party 
was  pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy,  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba  ;  California  was 
pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while  slavery 
stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen.  Taylor  found 
the  political  conflicts  in  Washington  to  be  far  more 
trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles  with  Mexicans  or 
Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but  little 
over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief  sickness  of 
but  little  over  five  days,  died  on  the  glh  of  July,  1 850. 
His  last  words  were,  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.  I  am 
ready.  I  have  endeavored  to  do  111}  duty."  He  died 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  un- 
pretending man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the 
affections  of  the  people;  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la-^ 
mented  his  death. 

Gen.  Scott,  who  was  thoroughly  acquainted  witli 
Gen.  Taylor,  gave  the  following  graphic  and  truthful 
description  of  his  character: — "  With  a  good  store  of 
common  sense,  Gen.  Taylor's  mind  had  not  been  en- 
larged and  refreshed  by  reading,  or  much  converse 
with  the  world.  Rigidity  of  ideas  was  the  conse- 
quence. The  frontiers  and  small  military  posts  had 
been  his  home.  Hence  he  was  quite  ignorant  for  his 
rank,  and  quite  bigoted  in  his  ignorance.  His  sim- 
plicity was  child-like,  and  with  innumerable  preju- 
dices, amusing  and  incorrigible,  well  suited  to  the 
tender  age.  Thus,  if  a  man,  however  respectable, 
chanced  to  wear  a  coat  of  an  unusual  color,  or  his  hat 
a  little  on  one  side  of  his  head ;  or  an  officer  to  leave 
a  corner  of  his  handkerchief  dangling  from  an  out- 
side pocket, — in  any  such  case,  this  critic  held  the 
offender  to  be  a  co.Kcomb  (perhaps  something  worse), 
whom  he  would  not,  to  use  his  oft  repeated  phrase, 
'  touch  with  a  pair  of  tongs.' 

"Any  allusion  to  literature  beyond  good  old  Dil- 
worth's  spelling-book,  on  the  part  of  one  wearing  a 
sword,  was  evidence,  with  the  same  judge,  of  utter 
unfitness  for  heavy  marchings  and  combats.  In  short, 
few  men  have  ever  had  a  more  comfortable,  labor- 
saving  contempt   for  learning  of  every  kind." 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UMiVERSITY  OF  ILLINCIS 


...y^6c£^^.</j  yu^^^vi^^^ 


THIRTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


67 


^^  I  ^MILLftRn  FILLMnRE.^         | 


ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thir- 
teenth President  of  the  L"nited 
States,   was  born  at  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga  Co.,   X.  Y  .,  on 
the  7th  of  Jan uar\,  1800.  His 
1        -^    father  was  a  farmer,  and  o\v-    1 
'"'       '    -"-z,  to  misfortune,  in  humble  cir- 
.<-  :  -'    '     camstances.     Of  his  mother,  the 
:'?'w'i.)     daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard,    | 
J^^y]%?l   of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it   has  been    \ 
K^^a    ^^d  that  she  possessed  an  intellect 
I^J     of  very  high  order,  united  with  much   t 
^^^     personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  dis-   1 
^W^     position,  graceful  manners  and  ex-   ' 
^a      quisite  sensibilities.      She   died   in 
^f       1831 ;  having  lived  to  see  her  son  a    j 
'        young  man  of  distinguished    prom-   '■ 
ise,  though  she  was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high 
dignity  which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  liome  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slecder  ad- 
vantages for  education  in  his  early  years.  The  com- 
mon schools,  ivhich  he  occasionally  attended  were 
ver)  imperfect  institutions;  and  books  were  scarce 
and  expensive.  There  was  nothing  then  in  his  char- 
acter to  indicate  the  brilliant  career  ujwn  which  he 
was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a  plain  farmer's  boy ; 
intelligent,  good-looking,  kind-hearted.  The  sacred 
influences  of  home  had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible, 
and  had  laid  the  foundations  of  an  upright  character. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him 
some  hundred  miles  from  home,  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier, 
Neav  the  raiil  there  was  a  small  villiage.  where  some 
. • -X' 


enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  collection  of  a 
village  library.  This  proved  an  inestimable  blessing 
to  young  Fillmore.  His  evenings  were  spent  in  read- 
ing. Soon  ever)' leisure  moment  was  occupied  with 
books.  His  thirst  fur  knowledge  became  insatiate; 
and  the  selections  which  he  made  were  continually 
more  elevating  and  instructive.  He  read  history, 
biography,  orator)',  and  thus  gradually  there  was  en- 
kindled in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more_, 
than  a  mere  worker  with  his  hands;  and  he  was  be-T 
coming,  almost  unknown  to  himself,  a  well-informed, 
educated  man. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appearance 
and  cf  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  happened  that 
there  was  a  gentleman  m  the  neighborhood  of  ample 
pecuniar)'  means  and  of  benevolence, — Judge  Walter 
Wood, — who  was  struck  with  the  prejwssessing  aj)- 
jjcarance  of  young  Fillmore.  He  made  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  was  so  much  impressed  with  his  ability  and 
attainments  that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his 
trade  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The 
young  man  replied,  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own, 
no  friends  to  help  him  and  that  his  previous  educa- 
tion had  been  ven-  im[ierfect.  But  Judge  Wood  had 
so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly  offered  to 
take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to  loan  him  such 
money  as  he  needed.  Most  gratefully  the  generous 
offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion  about 
a  collegiate  education.  \  \oung  man  is  supposed  to 
be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  graduated  at  some  col- 
lege. But  many  a  boy  loiters  through  university  halls 
and  then  enters  a  law  office,  who  is  by  no  means  as 


1^ 


4: 


4^ 


68 


MILLARD  FILLMORE. 


well  prepared  to  prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was 
Millard  Fillmore  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing- 
mill  at  the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to  in- 
tense mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  v/as 
admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  then 
went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded,  peaceful  region, 
his  practice  of  course  was  limited,  and  there  was  no 
opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in  foitune  or  hi  fame. 
Here,  in  the  year  1826,  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of  adorning  any  station 
she  might  be  called  to  fill, — Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advocate, 
gradually  attracted  attention  ;  and  he  was  invited  to 
enter  into  partnership  under  highly  advantageous 
circumstances,  with  an  elder  member  of  the  bar  in 
Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to  Buffalo,  in  1829, 
'  he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Assembly,  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  a  representative  from  Erie 
County.  Though  he  had  never  taken  a  very  active 
*■  part  in  politics,  his  vote  and  his  sympathies  were  with 
the  Whig  party.  The  State  was  then  Democratic, 
and  he  found  himself  in  a  helpless  minority  in  the 
Legislature  ,  still  the  testimony  comes  from  all  parlies, 
that  his  courtesy,  ability  and  integrity,  won,  to  a  very 
unusual  degri  e  the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
the  United  States  Congress  He  entered  that  troubled 
arena  in  some  of  the  most  tumultuous  hours  of  our 
national  history.  The  great  conflict  respecting  the 
national  bank  and  the  removal  of  the  deposits,  was 
then  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed  ;  and  he  returned  to 
his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increasing  rep- 
utation and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years 
he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress ;  was  re- 
elected, and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His  past  expe- 
rience as  a  representative  gave  him  strength  and 
confidence.  The  first  term  of  service  in  Congress  to 
any  man  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  introduction. 
He  was  now  prepared  for  active  duty.  All  his  ener- 
gies were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every 
measure  received  his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute,  and 
his  popularity  filled  the  State,  and  in  the  year  1847, 
he   was   elected  Comptroller   of    the   State. 


Mr.  Fillmore  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  His  labors  at  the  bar,  in  the  Legislature,  in 
Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given  him  very  con- 
siderable fame.  The  Whigs  were  casting  about  to 
find  suitable  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent at  the  approaching  election.  Far  away,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  there  was  a  rough  old 
soldier,  who  had  fought  one  or  two  successful  battles 
with  the  Mexicans,  which  had  caused  his  name  to  be 
proclaimed  in  trumpet-tones  all  over  the  land.  But 
it  was  necessary  to  associate  with  him  on  the  same 
ticket  some  man  of  reputation  as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
namesof  Zachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  became 
the  rallying-cry  of  tiie  Whigs,  as  their  candidates  for 
President  and  Vice-Peesident.  The  Whig  ticket  was 
signally  triumphant.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1849, 
Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated  President,  and  Millard 
Fillmore  Vice-President,  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor,  but 
about  one  year  and  four  months  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the  Con- 
stitution, Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  became  Presi- 
dent. He  appointed  a  very  able  cabinet,  of  which  >< 
the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Fillniore  had  very  serious  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  since  the  opposition  had  a  majority  in  Imth  . 
Houses.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  com  iliate 
the  South;  but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  the  Soutli  felt 
the  inadequacy  of  all  measuresof  transient  conciliation. 
The  population  of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  in- 
creasing over  that  of  the  slave  States  that  it  was  in- 
evitable that  the  power  of  the  Government  sliould 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The 
famous  compromise  measures  were  adopted  under  Mr. 
Fillmcre's  adminstration,  and  the  Japan  Expedition 
was  sent-out.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Fill- 
more, having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the  Pres- 
idency by  the  "  Know  Nothing  "  party,  but  was  beaten 
by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr.  Fillmore  lived  in 
retirement.  During  the  terrible  conflict  of  civil  war, 
he  was  mostly  silent.  It  was  generally  supix)sed  that 
his  sympathies  were  rather  with  those  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  our  institutions.  President 
Fillmore  kept  aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any 
cordial  words  of  cheer  to  the  one  party  or  the  other. 
He  was  thus  forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  and  died  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.,  March  8,    1874. 


i 


LICRARY 

OF  THE 

L'MIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


FOURTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


f 


^FHflNKLIN  PIERCE.  ^^ 


^^~*-  •^*'*>'--,jj§^ 


Ui^ 


^"^n^'f, 


^(^ 


\^' 


f 


RANKLIN     PIERCE,   the 
:  >ineenth   President  of  the 
•  ited  States,  was  bom  in 
^'   Hillsborough,    N.    H.,    Nov. 
23,  1804.     His  father  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,   who, 
with   his   own    strong    arm, 
hewed   out  a    home   in    the 
wilderness.     He  was  a  man 
of    inflexible    integrity;     of 
strong,  though   uncultivated 
mind,  and  an  uncompromis- 
ing Democrat.      The    mother   of 
Franklin  Pierce  was  all  that  a  son 
could  desire, — an  intelligent,  pru- 
dent, affectionate,  Christian  wom- 
an.    Franklin  was  the  si.xth  of  eight  children. 

Franklin  was  a  very  bright  and  handsome  boy,  gen- 
erous, warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won  alike  the 
love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on  the  play  ground 
loved  him.  His  teachers  loved  him.  The  neighbors 
looked  upon  him  with  pride  and  affection.  He  was 
by  instinct  a  gentleman;  always  speaking  kind  words, 
doing  kind  deeds,  with  a  peculiar  unstudied  tact 
which  taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar;  in  lx)dy, 
in  mind,  in  affections,  a  finely-developed  boy. 

When  si.xteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  J820,  he 
entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me  He  was 
one  of  the  most  jxipular  young  men  in  the  college. 
The  purity  of  his  moral  character,  the  unvarying 
courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank  as  a  scholar,  and 


genial  nature,  rendered  him  a  universal  favorite. 
There  was  something  verj'  peculiarly  winning  in  his 
address,  and  it  was  evidently  not  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree studied :  it  was  the  simple  outgushing  of  his 
own  magnanimous  and  loving  nature. 

Uix)n  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin  Pierce 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of 
the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private  worth.  The 
eminent  social  quahties  of  the  young  lawyer,  his 
father's  prominence  as  a  public  man,  and  the  brilliant 
political  career  into  which  Judge  Woodbury  was  en- 
tering, all  tended  to  entice  Mr.  Pierce  into  the  faci- 
nating  yet  perilous  path  of  political  life.  With  all 
the  ardor  of  his  nature  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Gen. 
Jackson  for  the  Presidency.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected 
to  represent  the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here 
he  served  for  four  years.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  speaker  of  the  house  by  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Without  taking  an  active 
part  in  debates,  he  was  faithful  and  laborious  in  duty, 
and  ever  rising  in  the  estimation  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associatad. 

In  1837,  being  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States; 
taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  commenced 
his  administration.  He  was  the  youngest  member  in 
the  Senate.  In  the  year  1834.  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Means  .\ppleton,  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, and  one  admirably  fitted  to  adorn  ever)' 
station  with  which  her  husband  was  honoied.   Of  the 


4 


1 

4 


•H* 


72 


FRANKLIN  PIERCE. 


three  sons  who  were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with 
their  parents  in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing  fame 
and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire. 
President  Polk,  upon  his  accession  to  office,  appointed 
Mr.  Pierce  attorney-general  of  the  United  States ;  but 
the  offer  was  declined,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
professional  engagements  at  home,  and  the  precariuos 
state  of  Mrs.  Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the 
same  time  declined  the  nomination  for  governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  army.  Receiving  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general,  he  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  his 
troops,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1847. 
He  took  an  imixsrtant  part  in  this  war,  proving  him- 
self a  brave  and  true  soldier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  Mexican  war,  and  coldly  by  his  oppo- 
nents. He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in  political  ques- 
:tions,  giving  his  cordial  support  to  the  pro-slavery 
J  wing  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  compromise 
measures  met  cordially  with  his  approval;  and  he 
strenuously  advocated  the  enforcement  of  the  infa- 
mous fugitive-slave  law,  which  so  shocked  the  religious 
sensibilities  of  the  North.  He  thus  became  distin- 
guished as  a  "  Northern  man  with  Southern  principles.'' 
The  strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  For  four  days  they  continued  in  session, 
and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one  had  obtained  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus  far  had  been  thrown 
for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the  Virginia  delegation 
brought  forward  his  name.  There  were  fourteen 
more  ballotings,  during  which  Gen.  Pierce  constantly 
gained  strength,  until,  at  the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all 
other  candidates  eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was 
the  Whig  candidate.  Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with 
great  unanimity.  Only  four  States — Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee  —  cast  their 
electoral  votes  against  him  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States   on   the  4th  of  March,    1853. 


His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most  stormy  our 
country  had  ever  experienced.  The  controversy  be- 
tween slavery  and  freedom  was  then  approaching  its 
culminating  point  It  became  evident  that  there  was 
an  "  irrepressible  conflict"  between  them,  and  that 
this  Nation  could  not  long  exist  "  half  slave  and  half 
free."  President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  ad- 
ministration, did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate 
the  South  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on  every  South- 
ern breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  President 
Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four-years'  term 
of  office.  The  North  had  become  thoroughly  alien- 
ated from  him.  The  anti-slavery  sentiment,  goaded 
by  great  outrages,  had  been  rapidly  increasing;  all 
the  intellectual  ability  and  social  worth  of  President 
Pierce  were  forgotten  in  deep  reprehension  of  his  ad- 
ministrative acts.  The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  also, 
unmindful  of  the  fidelity  with  which  he  had  advo- 
cated those  measures  of  Government  which  they  ap- 
proved, and  perhaps,  also,  feeling  that  he  had 
rendered  himself  so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be  I' 
able  acceptably  to  serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped 
him,  and  nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Concord.  Of  three  children,  two 
had  died,  and  his  only  surviving  child  had  been 
killed  before  his  eyes  by  a  railroad  accident ;  and  his 
wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and  accomplished  of 
ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in  consumption.  The 
hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon  came,  and  he  was  left 
alone  in  the  world,  without  wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth,  which  di- 
vided our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two  only,  Mr. 
Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  cherished,  and  gave  his  sympathies  to 
that  pro-slaver)-  party  with  which  he  had  ever  been 
allied.  He  declined  to  do  anything,  either  by  voice 
or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment. He  continued  to  reside  in  Concord  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October, 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of 
men,  an  honored  communicant  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Gen- 
erous to  a  fault,  he  contributed  liberally  for  the  al- 
leviation of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his  towns- 
people were  often  gladened  by  his  material   bounty. 

K' . . . 


U.VPMY 
GF  THE 

L':!;vERsiTy  of  illin- 


** 


I  %■ 


^Z^TTZ^J  G--^'S>Ci:*^^(;^<;^^(?^<?^^ 


I 


I'tFTEENTH  PRESIDKXT. 


7^ 


i' :  i'  ■^i':?^^?^';r'i'^?^tg;a':ir^i'J?'if;;3i^i: 


BS    RlJKTT^BmT^.    ^ 


.^H'Jf&^C\^\%?C\\\.'  -/ 


>-'!§) 


^ 


AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fif- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States,  was  born  iu  a  small 
frontier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the 
eastern  ridge  of  the  Allegha- 
nies,  in  Franklin  Co.,  Penn.,on 
the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  place 
where  the  humble  cabin  of  his 
r.ither  stood  was  called  Stony 
latter.  It  was  a  wild  and  ro- 
'^  iiiantic  spot  in  a  gorge  of  the  moim- 
tair^s,  with  towering  summits  rising 
grandly  all  around.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland ; 
a  ixxjr  man,  who  had  emigrated  in 
;  1783,  with  little  property  save  his 
own  strong  arms.  Five  years  aftenvards  he  married 
Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter  of  a  respectable  farmer, 
and,  with  his  young  bride,  plunged  into  the  wilder- 
ness, staked  his  claim,  reared  his  log-hut,  opened  a 
clearing  with  his  axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  per- 
fonii  his  obscure  part  in  the  drama  of  life.  In  this  se- 
cluded home,  where  James  was  born,  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  but  few  social  or  intellectual 
advantages.  When  James  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  removed  to  the  village  of  Mercersburg,  where 
his  son  was  placed  at  school,  and  commenced  a 
course  of  study  in  English,  Latin  and  Greek.  His 
progress  was  rapid,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle.  Here  he  de- 
veloped remarkable  talent,  and  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution.  His  application 
to  study  was  intense,  and  yet  his  native  powers    en- 


abled him  to  master  the  most  abstruse  subjects  with 
faciUty. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  the  highest 
honors  of  his  class.  He  was  then  eighteen  years  of 
age;  tall  and  gr.aceful,  vigorous  in  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sjwrt,  an  unening  shot,  and  enlivened  with 
an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits.  He  immedi.itely 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  city  of  Lancaster, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1812,  wlien  he  was 
but  twenty -one  years  of  age.  Very  rapidly  he  rose 
in  his  profession,  and  at  once  took  undisputed  stand 
with  the  ablest  lawyers  of  the  State.  When  but 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  unaided  by  counsel,  he  suc- 
cessfully defended  before  the  State  Senate  one  of  the 
judges  of  tlie  State,  who  was  tried  upon  articles  of 
impeachment.  At  the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally 
admitted  that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar;  and 
there  was  no  lawyer  in  the  State  who  had  a  more  lu- 
crative practice. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  for 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower  House. 
During  the  vacations  of  Congress,  he  occasionall/ 
tried  some  important  case.  In  1831,  he  retired 
altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profession,  liaving  ac- 
quired an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  u|X)n  his  elevation  toihe  Presidency, 
appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  minister  to  Russia.  The 
duties  of  his  mission  he  performed  with  ability,  which 
gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  l'|)on  his  return,  in 
1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met,  as  his  associates,  Webster. 
Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He  advocated  the  meas- 
ures proix)sed  by  President  Jackson,  of  making  repri- 


-H- 


4. 


76 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


sals  against  France,  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our 
claims  against  that  country ;  and  defended  the  course 
of  the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and  wliolesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  wlio  were  not  tlic  sup- 
porters of  his  administration.  Upon  tliis  question  he 
Was  brought  into  direct  collision  with  Henry  Clay. 
He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  advocated  expunging 
from  the  journal  of  the  Senate  the  vote  of  censure 
against  (len.  Jackson  for  removing  the  deposits. 
Earnestly  he  opposed  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the 
circulation  of  anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United 
States  mails. 

As  to  petitions  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  he  advo- 
cated that  they  should  be  respectfully  received;  and 
that  the  reply  should  be  returned,  that  Congress  had 
no  power  to  legislate  upon  the  subject.  "  Congress," 
said  he,  "  might  as  well  undertake  to  interfere  with 
slavery  under  a  foreign  government  as  in  any  of  the 
States  where  it  now  exists." 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  such, 
took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the  conduct  of 
the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed  that  crossing 
the  Nueces  by  the  American  troops  into  the  disputed 
territory  was  not  wrong,  but  for  the  Mexicans  to  cross 
the  Rio  Crande  into  that  territory  was  a  declaration 
of  war.  No  candid  man  can  read  with  pleasure  the 
account  of  the  course  our  Government  pursued  in  that 
movement, 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly  with 
the  party  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  and  extension 
of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies  of  his  mind 
to  bear  against  the  Wilmot  Proviso.  He  gave  his 
cordial  approval  to  the  compromise  measures  of  1S50, 
which  included  the  fugitive-slave  law.  Mr.  Pierce, 
upon  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  honored  Mr. 
Buchanan  with  the  mission  to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency.  The 
political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most  severe  in  which 
our  country  has  ever  engaged.  All  the  friends  of 
slavery  were  on  one  side;  all  the  advocates  of  its  re- 
striction and  final  aliolltion,  on  the  other.  Mr.  Fre- 
mont, the  candidate  of  the  enemies  of  slavery,  re- 
ceived 114  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
17  4,  and  was  elected.  The  (xipular  vote  stood 
1,340,618,  for  Fremont,  1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On 
March    4th,    1857,  Mr.   Buchanan  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only  four 
years  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  threescore  years  and 
ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with  whom  he  had  been 
allied  in  political  principles  and  action  for  years,  were 
seeking  the  destruction  of  the  Government,  that  they 
might  rear  upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a 
nation  whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery. 
In  this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly  be- 
wildered.    He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed  prin- 


ciples, consistently  oppose  the  State-rights  party  in 
their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the  United  States, 
bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to  administer  tlie  laws, 
he  could  not,  witliout  perjury  of  the  grossest  kind, 
unite  with  those  endeavoring  to  overthrow  tlie  repub- 
lic.    He  therefore  did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration 
nominaied  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  standard  bearer 
in  the  next  Presidential  canvass.  The  pro-slavery 
party  declared,  that  if  he  were  elected,  and  the  con- 
trol of  the  Government  were  thus  taken  from  their 
hands,  they  would  secede  from  the  Union,  taking 
with  them,  as  they  retired,  the  National  Capitol  at 
Washington,  and  the  lion's  share  of  the  territory  of 
tlie  United  States. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  sympatliy  with  the  pro-slavery 
party  was  such,  that  he  had  been  willing  to  offer  them 
far  more  than  they  had  ventured  to  claim.  All  the 
South  had  professed  to  ask  of  the  North  was  non- 
intervention upon  the  subject  of  slavery.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan had  been  ready  to  offer  them  the  active  co- 
operation of  the  Government  to  defend  and  extend 
the  institution. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slaveliolders 
claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr.  Buclianan  avow- 
ing that  Congress  had  no  power  to  prevent  it,  one  of 
the  most  pitiable  exhibitions  of  governmental  im- 
becility was  exhibited  the  world  has  ever  seen.  He 
declared  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  enforce  its 
laws  in  any  State  which  had  withdrawn,  or  which 
was  attempting  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  This 
was  not  the  doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with 
his  hand  upon  his  sword-hilt,  he  exclaimed,  "  The 
Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  i860;  nearly 
three  months  before  the  inauguration  of  President 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in  listless  despair. 
The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in  Charleston;  Fort  Sumpter 
was  besieged ;  our  forts,  navy-yards  and  arsenals 
were  seized;  our  depots  of  military  stores  were  plun- 
dered ;  and  our  custom-houses  and  post-offices  were 
appropriated  by  the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels,  and  the  imbecility  of  our 
F.xecutive,  were  alike  marvelous.  The  Nation  looked 
on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow  weeks  to  glide  away, 
and  close  the  administration,  so  terrible  in  its  weak- 
ness At  length  the  long-looked-for  hour  of  deliver- 
ance came,  wben  Abraham  Lincoln  was  to  receive  the 
scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  cannot  recall  it  with 
])leasure.  And  still  move  deplorable  it  is  for  his  fame, 
that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  which  rolled  its  billows 
of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole  land,  no  word  came 
from  his  lips  to  indicate  his  wish  that  our  country's 
banner  should  triumph  over  the  flag  of  the  rebellion. 
He  died  at  his   Wheatland   retreat,    June    i,    i868. 


-H^ 


OF  THE 
L"!!VERSITY  OF  ILLIN"'! 


•<^ 


SIXTEEXTH  PRESIDEXT. 


79 


^f 


i  y  ABRAHAM  >  ^gv; 


^<:i:^  i  LINCOLN,  >  ^ 


(T-v 


^^r-.^. 


BRAHAM  LINCOLN,  the 
sixteenth  President  of  the 
United  States,  was  l>orn  in 
Hardin  Co.,  Ky.,  Feb.  12, 
1809.  About  the  yean  7  So,  a 
-^  man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 
f*^  Lincoln  left  Virginia  with  his 
-  family  and  moved  into  the  then 
wilds  of  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 
after  this  emigration,  still  a  young 
man,  while  working  one  day  in  a 
field,  was  stealthily  approached  by 
an  Indian  and  shot  dead.  His  widow 
was  left  in  extreme  jxiverty  with  five 
little  children,  three  boys  and  two 
girls.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the 
lx)ys,  was  four  years  of  age  at  liis 
father's  death.  This  Thomas  was 
the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
President  of  the  United  States 
whose  nanie  must  henceforth  forever  be  enrolled 
with  the  most  prominent  in  the  annals  of  our  worW. 
Of  course  no  record  has  been  kept  of  the  life 
of  one  so  lowly  as  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  was  among 
the  poorest  of  the  ixwr.  His  home  was  a  wretched 
log-cabin ;  his  food  the  coarsest  and  the  meanest. 
Education  he  had  none;  he  could  never  either  rend 
or  write.  As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  anything  for 
himself,  he  was  comiielled  to  leave  the  cabin  of  his 
starving  mother,  and  push  out  into  the  world,  a  friend- 
less, wandering  boy,  seeking  work.  He  hired  him- 
self out,  and  thus  spent  the  whole  of  his  youth  as  a 
laborer  in  the  fields  of  others. 

When  twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  buili  a  log- 
cabin  of  his  own,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  \oox  Kentucky  emi- 
grants, who  had  also  come  from  Virginia.  Their 
second  child  was  .\braham  Lincoln,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was  a  noble 
woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created  to  adorn 
a  palace,  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and  die  in  a  hovel. 
".\11  that  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,"  exclaims  the  grate- 
ful son  "  I  owe  to  my  angel-mother. 

When  he  was  eight  years  of  age,  his  father  soKl  his 


cabin  and  small  farm,  and  moved  to  Indiana.  Where 
two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

.■\braham  soon  became  the  scribe  of  the  uneducated 
community  around  him.  He  could  not  have  had  a 
better  school  than  this  to  teach  him  to  put  thoughts 
into  words.  He  also  became  an  eager  reader.  The 
books  he  could  obtain  were  few ;  but  these  he  read 
and  re-read  until  they  were  almost  committed  to 
memory. 

.As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly  family 
was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  Th.-re  were  joys  and 
griefs,  weddings  and  funerals.  .Abraham's  sister 
Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  was  mar- 
ried when  a  child  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  died.  The  family  was  gradually  scattered.  Mr. 
Thomas  Lincoln  sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830, 
and  emigrated  to  Macon  Co.,  111. 

.Abraham  Lincoln  was  then  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father  in  rearing 
another  log-c.ibin.  Abraham  worked  diligently  at  this 
until  he  saw  the  family  comfortably  settled,  and  their 
small  lot  of  enclosed  prairie  planted  with  com,  when 
he  announced  to  his  father  his  intention  to  leave 
home,  and  to  go  out  into  the  world  and  seek  his  for- 
tune. Little  did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  bril- 
liant that  fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  of 
education  and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  He  saw  the  luin 
which  ardent  spirits  were  causing,  and  liecame 
strictly  temi)erate;  refusing  to  allow  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating liipior  to  pass  his  lips.  .And  he  had  read  in 
Ciod's  word,  "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the 
Ix>rd  thy  (iod  in  vain ;"  and  a  profane  expression  he 
was  never  heard  to  utter.  Religion  he  revered.  His 
morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  uncontaminated  by  a 
single  vice. 

Young  .Abraham  woiked  for  a  time  as  a  hired  laborer 
among  the  fanners.  'I'hen  he  went  to  Springfield, 
where  he  was  employed  in  building  a  large  flat-loat. 
In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine,  floated  them  dowr^ 
ihe-Sangamon  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  by  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  New  Orleans.  What.;ver  Abraham  Lin- 
coln undertook,  he  [jerfomied  so  faithfully  as  to  give 
great  satisfaction  to  his  employers.      In  this  ndven- 


-^ 


t 


ABJiAHAM  LINCOLN. 


!i 


-Hp^ 


ture  his  employers  were  so  well  pleased,  ihat   upon   i 
his  retarn  they  placed  a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak,  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  he 
enlisted  and  was  chosen  captain  of  a  company.     He    , 
returned  to  Sangamon  County,  and  although  only  23 
years  of  age,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but   i 
was  defeated.     He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew    ; 
Jackson  the  apiwintment  of  Postmaster  of  New  Salem,   . 
His  only  post-office  was  his  hat.     All  the  letters    he   ' 
received  he  carried  there  ready   to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.     He  studied  surveying,  and  soon    j 
made  this  his  business.     In  1834  he  again  became  a   | 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and  was  elected.     Mr.    | 
Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him  to  study  law.     He   ; 
walked  from  New  Salem  to  Springfield,  borrowed   of 
Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of  books,  carried  them  back  and 
began  his  legal  studies.     When   the   Legislature  as- 
sembled he  trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back 
one  hundred  miles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.     In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.      Here  it 
was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839  he  re- 
moved to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great  that    he  was 
soon  engaged  in  almost  ever}'  noted  case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas,  on  the  slavery  question. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  Illinois, 
in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at  once  became 
one  of  the  leaders  in  that  party.  Mr.  Lincoln's 
speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator  Douglas  in  the  con- 
test in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  form  a  most 
notable  part  of  his  history-.  The  issue  was  on  the 
slavery  question,  and  he  took  the  broad  groiThd  of 
he  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  con- 
test, but  won  a  far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Gsnvention  met  at  Chicago 
on  the  i6th  of  June,  r86o.  The  delegates  and 
strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to  twenty- 
five  thousand.  An  immense  building  called  "  The 
Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommodate  the  Conven- 
tion. There  were  eleven  candidates  for  whom  votes 
were  thrown.  William  H  Seward,  a  man  whose  fame 
as  a  statesman  had  long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most 
orominent.  It  was  generally  supiwsed  he  would  be 
the  nominee.  Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received 
the  nomination  on  the  third  ballot.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  of  the  weary  years  of  toil  and  care,  and  the 
bloody  death,  to  which  that  nomination  doomed  him: 
and  as  little  did  he  dream  that  he  was  to  render  services 
to  his  countr)',  which  would  fi.x  upon  him  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  which  would  give  him 
a  place  in  the  affections  of  his  countiymen,  second 
only,  if  second,  to  that  of  Washington. 

Election  day  came  a^d  Mr.  Lincoln  received  180 
electoral  votes  out  of  203  cast,  and  was,  therefore, 
constitutionally  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  was  poured  ujwn  this    good 

• -"Y 


and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slaveholders,  was 
greater  than  upon  any  other  man  ever  elected  to  this 
high  position.  In  February,  1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  started 
for  Washington,  stopping  in  all  the  large  cities  on  his 
way  making  speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  frought 
with  much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassination 
were  aftenvards  brought  to  light.  A  gang  in  Balti- 
more had  arranged,  upon  his  arrival  to"  get  up  a  row," 
and  in  the  confusion  to  make  sure  of  his  death  witli 
revolvers  and  hand-grenades.  A  detective  unravelled 
the  plot.  .\  secret  and  special  train  was  provided  to 
take  him  from  HarrisL'urg,  through  Baltimore,  at  an 
unexjjected  hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at 
half-past  ten  ;  and  to  prevent  any  ]X)ssible  communi- 
cation on  the  part  ol  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train  had 
started  the  telegraph-\vires  were  cut.  Mr.  Lincoln 
reached  Washington  in  safety  and  was  inaugurated, 
although  great   anxiety  was  felt  by  all  loyal  people. 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Lincoln  gave 
to  Mr.  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to  other 
prominent  opixjnents  before  the  convention  he  gave 
important  iwsitions. 

During  no  other  administration  ha\  •;  the  duties ' 
devolving  upon  the  President  been  so  manifold,  and 
the  responsibihties  so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  President  Lincoln.  Knowing  this,  andj^ 
feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability  to  meet,  and  in  ■ 
his  own  strength  to  cop)e  with,  the  difficulties,  he 
learned  early  to  seek  Divine  wisdom  and  guidance  in 
deteraiining  his  plans,  and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his  1 
trials,  bo'h  j>ersonal  and  national.  Contrary  to  his 
own  estimate  of  himself.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the 
most  courageous  of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the 
rebel  capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving, 
with  no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  i86i,  however,  plans  had  been 
made  for  his  assassination, and  he  at  last  fell  a  victim 
to  one  of  them.  April  14,  r865,  he,  with  Gen.  Grant, 
was  urgently  invited  to  attend  Fords'  Theater.  It 
was  announced  that  they  would  te  present.  Gen. 
Grant,  however,  left  the  city.  President  Lincoln,  feel- 
ing, with  his  characteristic  kindliness  of  heart,  that 
it  would  be  a  disappointment  if  he  should  tail  them, 
ver)'  reluctantly  consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  Wilkes  Booth 
entered  the  bo.x  where  the  President  and  family  were 
seated,  and  firtd  a  bullet  into  his  brains.  He  died  the 
next  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 

Never  before,  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  a  nation 
plunged  into  such  deep  grief  by  the  death  of  its  ruler. 
Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and  wept  in  SI)eechles^ 
anguish.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  nation  was 
in  tears.  His  was  a  life  which  will  fitly  become  a 
model.  His  name  as  the  savior  of  his  country  will 
live  with  that  of  AVashington's,  its  father;  his  country- 
men beine  unable  to  decide   which  is   the  greater. 


LISRARY 
GF  THE 
L.;;VERS1TY0FILU^!. 


/.</''- 


^^^i^^^ 


i* 


SEVEXTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


83 


^.-i 


/\  T^r  D  K  Ji^Yf    >  I  f )  i  I  i^f  ?5  Q  l^f , 


NDREW  JOHNSON,  seven- 
■eenth  President  of  the  United 
■  States.       The    early    life    of 
Andrew  Johnson  contains  but 
the  record  of  poverty,  destitu- 
tion and  friendlessness.      He 
]y  was  bom   December   29,    180S, 
,      ^.^      ,     in  Raleigh,  N.  C.     His    parents, 
/"  ^  '  vi^'  1     belonging   to   the   class    of    the 

"poor  whites  "  of  the  South,  were 
in  such  circumstances,  that  they 
could  not  confer  even  the  slight- 
est advantages  of  education    upon 
their  child.     When  Andrew  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally 
lost  his  life  while  herorically  endeavoring  to  save   a 
friend  from  drowning.  Until  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  about  the  streets,  sup]X)rted  by  the 
labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained   her  living   with 
her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one  day, 
and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gentleman 
was  it  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's  shop  occasion- 
ally, and  reading  to  the  boys  at  work  there.  He  often 
read  from  the  sjieeches  of  distinguished  British  states- 
men. .\ndrew,  who  was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more 
than  ordinary-  native  ability,  became  much  interested 
in  these  speeches ;  his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he 
was  inspired  with  a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow-workmen, 
learned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon  the  gentle- 
man to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches.      The  owner, 

■ -x 


^^^5,^' 


pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave  him  the  book, 
but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  combine  the  letters 
into  words.  Under  such  difficulties  he  pressed  on- 
ward lalx)riously,  spending  usually  ten  or  twelve  hours 
at  work  in  the  shop,  and  then  robbing  himself  of  rest 
and  recreation  to  devote  such  time  as  he  tould  to 
reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1S26,  and  located  at 
Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who  pos-  • 
scssed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions  he| 
learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became  prominent  1 
in  the  village  debaring  society,  and  a  favorite  with  I 
the  students  of  Greenville  College.  In  1828,  he  or- 
ganized a  working  man's  party,  which  elected  him 
alderman,  and  in  1830  elected  him  mayor,  which 
position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  political 
affairs ;  idenrifying  himself  with  the  working-classes, 
to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Tennes- 
see. He  was  then  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  became  a  very  active  member  of  the  legislature, 
gave  his  adhesion  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
1840  "stumped  the  State,"  advocaring  Martin  Van 
Buren's  claims  to  the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  those 
of  Gen.  Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  Stale  Senator;  in  1843,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  by  successive 
elections,  held  that  important  jiost  for  ten  years.  In 
1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1S55.  In  all  these  resiionsible  posi- 
tions, he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinguished  abil- 


i 


-H- 


4h* 


^^ 


ANDRE  \V  JOHNSON. 


ity,  and  proved  himself  the  warm  friend  of  the  work- 
ing classes.  In  1S57,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected 
United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  anne.vation  of  Texas,  stating  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would  prob- 
ably prove  "  to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which  the  sable 
sons  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage  to  freedom, 
and  become  merged  in  a  population  congenial  to 
themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  supjxjrted  the  com- 
promise measures,  the  two  essential  features  of  which 
were,  that  the  white  people  of  the  Territories  should 
be  permitted  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they 
would  enslave  the  colored  people  or  not,  and  that 
the  free  States  of  the  North  should  return  to  the 
South  jiersons  who  attempted  to  escape  from  slaver)-. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  neverashamedof  his  lowly  origin: 
on  the  contrary',  he  often  took  pride  in  avowing  that 
he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own  exertions.  "Sir," 
said  he  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  "  I  do  not  forget 
that  I  am  a  mechanic ;  neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam 
was  a  tailor  and  sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Sav- 
ior was  the  son  of  a  carpenter." 
rT  In  the  Charleston-Baltimore  convention  of  i860,  he 
was  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for  the 
Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of  the  South- 
im  Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took  a  decided 
stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held  that  "  slavery 
must  be  held  subordinate  to  the  Union  at  whatever 
cost."  He  returned  to  Tennessee,  and  repeatedly 
imperiled  his  own  life  to  protect  the  Unionists  of 
Tennesee.  Tennessee  having  seceded  from  the 
Union,  President  Lincoln,  on  March  4th,  1862,  ap- 
p)ointed  him  Military  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he 
established  the  most  stringent  militarj'  rale.  His 
numerous  proclamations  attracted  wide  attention.    In 

1864,  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April  15, 

1865,  became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later 
he  said,  "  The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime  and 
must  be  punished ;  that  the  Government  will  not 
always  bear  with  its  enemies ;  that  it  is  strong  not 
only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The  people 
must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the  blackest  of 
crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished."  Yet  his  whole 
administration,  the  history-  of  which  is  so  well  known, 
was  in  utter  inconsistency  with,  and  the  most  violent 


opposition  to,  the  principles  laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress ;  and  he  char- 
acterized Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and  lawlessly 
defied  it,  in  everything  possible,  to  the  utmost.  In 
the  beginniiig  of  1868,  on  account  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal  of  which  was  the 
removal  of  Secretary  Stanton,  in  violation  of  the  Ten- 
ure of  Office  Act,  articles  of  impeachment  were  pre- 
ferred against  him,  and  the    trial   began    March   23.    • 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was  at 
length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It  was 
certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  article  so 
would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty-four  voices  pronounced 
the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  his  condemnation,  he  was  pronounced  ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding  the  great  majority  against 
him.  The  change  of  one  vote  from  the  not  guilty 
side  would  have  sustained  the  impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  was  ' 
but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though  imixitently, 
his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own  party  did  not 
think  it  expedient  to  renominate  him  for  the  Presi-  "^ 
dency.  The  Nation  rallied,  with  enthusiasm  unpar- 
alleled since  the  days  of  Washington,  around  the  name 
of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew  Johnson  was  forgotten. 
The  bullet  of  the  assassin  introduced  him  to  the 
President's  chair.  Notwithstanding  this,  never  was 
there  presented  to  a  man  a  better  opportunity  to  im- 
mortalize his  name,  and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a 
nation.  He  failed  utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home 
in  Greenville,  Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in 
politics  until  1875  On  Jan.  26,  after  an  e.xciting 
struggle,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee, United  States  Senator  in  the  forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special 
session  convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  5th  of 
March.  On  the  27th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-President 
made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near  Carter 
Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his  journey,  he  was 
apparently  in  his  usual  ^-igorons  health,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  residence  of  his  child  the  following  day,  was 
stricken  wlh  paralysis,  rendering  him  unconscious. 
He  rallied  occasionally,  but  finally  passed  away  at 
2  A.M.,  July  31,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  fun- 
eral was  attended  at  Geenville,  on  the  3d  of  August, 
with  every  demonstration  of  respect. 


-t^ 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

i::iiVERSiTY  OF  iluh: 


^ 


:i 


<:iytyO^^ 


RIGH  TEEXril  PRESIDENT. 


87 


•  LVSSES  S.  GRANT,  the 
k  eighteenth  President  of  the 
"/•^United  States,  was  bom  on 
the  29th  of  April,  1822,  of 
Christian  parents,  in  a  humble 
home,  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after 
his  father  moved  to  George- 
town, Brown  Co.,  O.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses 
received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, in  the  year  1 839,  he  entered 
^«y  the  Militarj'  Academy  at  West 
I  Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a 
solid,  sensible  young  man  of  fair  abilities,  and  of 
sturdy,  honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank 
as  a  scholar.  In  June,  1843,  he  graduated,  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  lieutenant  of  in- 
fantr)-  to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the  Mis- 
souri Territory.  Two  years  he  past  in  these  dreary 
solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  and  exasperating 
Indians. 

The  war  with  Mexico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His  first 
battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no  chance  here 
for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or  heroism,  nor  at 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  his  second  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Monterey,  his  third  engagement,  it  is  said  that 
he  i)erfoniied  a  signal  service  of  daring  and  skillful 
horsemanship.  His  brigade  had  exhausted  its  am- 
munition. A  messenger  must  be  sent  for  more,  along 
a  route  exposed  to  the  bullets  of  the  foe.  Lieut. 
Grant,  adopting  an  exj^dient  learned  of  the  Indians, 
grasped  the  mane  of  his  horse,  and  hanging  upon  one 
side  of  the  animal,  ran  the  gauntlet  in  entire  safety. 


From  Monterey  he  was  sent,  with  the  fourth  infantry, 
to  aid  Gen.  Scott,  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In 
preparation  for  the  march  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  he 
was  apix)inted  quartermaster  of  his  regiment.  At  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  and  was  brevetted  captain  at  Cha- 
pultepec. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant  re- 
turned with  his  regiment  to  Xew  York,  and  was  again 
sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the  frontier.  The 
discover)' of  gold  in  California  causing  an  immense 
tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to  the  Pacific  shores,  Capt. 
Grant  was  sent  with  a  battalion  to  Fort  Dallas,  in 
Oregon,  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  im- 
migrants. Life  was  wearisome  in  those  wilds.  Capt. 
Grant  resigned  his  commission  and  returned  to  the 
States;  and  having  married,  entered  upon  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  small  fann  near  St.  I/3uis,  Mo.  He  had  but 
little  skill  as  a  farmer.  Finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering  into 
the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother,  at  Ga- 
lena, 111.  This  was  in  the  year  i860.  .■Xs  the  tidings 
of  the  rebels  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached  the  ears 
of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting-room,  he  said, — 
"Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me  for  the  army;  though 
I  have  served  him  through  one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that 
I  have  yet  repaid  the  debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge 
my  obligations.  I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  sword 
and  see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers, and  led  them  .as  their  captain  to  Springfield, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their  services  were 
offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Governor,  impressed  by 
the  zeal  and  straightforward  executive  ability  of  Capt. 
Grant,  gave  him  a  desk  in  his  office,  to  assist  in  the 
volunteer  organization  that  was  being  fonned  in  the 
State  in  behalf  of  the  Government.      On  the   15th  of 


\ 


^f^ 


■cT  ' 


^'. 


ULYSSES  S.  GRANT. 


June,  1861,  Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers. His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who 
had  served  for  15  years  in  the  regular  army,  were  such 
that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- 
General  and  was  placed  in  command  at  Cairo.  The 
rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Paducah,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  River.  Scarcely  had  its  folds  ap- 
peared in  the  breeze  ere  Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The 
rebels  fled.  Their  banner  fell,  and  the  star  and 
stripes  were  unfurled  in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determination 
and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning, and  until  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Richmond 
he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and 
effectiveness.  At  Belmont,  a  few  days  later,  he  sur- 
prised and  routed  the  rebels,  then  at  Fort  Henry 
won  another  victory.  Then  came  the  brilliant  fight 
at  Fort  Donelson.  The  nation  was  electrified  by  the 
victory,  and  the  brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was 
immediately  made  a  M.ijor-General,  and  the  military 
district  of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains.  Gen.  Grant  knew  well  how 
to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  immediately 
pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then  came  the 
terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen.  Pemberton  made  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  city  with  over  thirty 
thousand  men  and  one-hundred  and  seventy-two  can- 
non. The  fall  of  Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most 
severe  blow  which  the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered, 
and  opened  up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 
Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Te.xas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from  which  he 
was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then  rushed  to  the  aid 
of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  and 
by  a  wonderful  series  of  strategic  and  technical  meas- 
ures put  the  Union  Army  in  fighting  condition.  Then 
followed  the  bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lookout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  with  great  loss.  This  won  for  him  un- 
bounded praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of  lieutenant- 
general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred  on  Gen.  Grant. 
He  repaired  to  Washington  to  receive  his  credentials 
and  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  new  office. 

LA 


Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge  of 
the  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed  National 
troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond,  the  nominal 
capital  of  the  Rebellion,  and  endeavor  there  to  de- 
stroy the  rebel  armies  which  would  be  promptly  as- 
sembled from  all  quarters  for  its  defence.  The  whole 
continent  seemed  to  tremble  under  the  tramp  of  these 
majestic  armies,  rushing  to  the  decisive  battle  field. 
.Steamers  were  crowded  with  troops.  Railway  trains 
were  burdened  with  closely  packed  thousands.  His 
plans  were  comprehensive  and  involved  a  series  of 
campaigns,  which  were  executed  with  remarkable  en- 
ergy and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the  sur- 
render of  Lee,  April  9,   1865. 

Tlie  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved.  The 
almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Nation  declared  Gen. 
Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  instrument  in  its  sal- 
vation. The  eminent  services  he  had  thus  rendered 
the  country  brought  him  conspicuously  forward  as  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago, 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the 
Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election  received  a 
majority  of  the  jxapular  vote,  and  214  out  of  294' 
electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  tlie  Republican  party 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  of  June,  1872," 
placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for  a  second  term 
by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selection  was  emphati- 
cally indorsed  by  the  people  five  months  later,  292 
electoral  votes  being   cast   for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  terra,  Gen.  Grant 
started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the  world.  He 
visited  almost  every  country  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  such  ovations 
and  demonstrations  of  respect  and  honor,  private 
as  well  as  public  and  official,  as  were  never  before 
bestowed  u{X)n  any  citizen  of  the  United   States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before  the 
Republican  National  Convention  in  i88o  for  a  re- 
nomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New  York  and 
embarked  in  the  brokerage  business  under  the  firm 
nameof  Grant  &  Ward.  The  latter  proved  a  villain, 
wrecked  Grant's  fortune,  and  for  larceny  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary.  The  General  was  attacked  with 
cancer  in  the  throat,  but  sulfered  in  his  stoic-like 
manner,  never  complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as 
General  of  the  Army  and  retired  by  Congress.  The 
cancer  soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23, 
1885,  the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  of 
the  illustrious  General. 


LIDRARY 
^  THE 

i;:nvERs»TY  of  ilun 


f 


<h} 


..v^_ — >  

NINETEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


9« 


r 


S  RUTHEMl'aiiD  B.  HmYES. 


UTHERFORD  B.  HAVES, 
the  nineteenth  President  of 
the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  O.,  Oct.  4,  1822,  al- 
most three  months  after  the 
death  of  his  father,  Rutherford 
Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  sides, 
was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said, 
as  farbackas  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  were  two  Scottish  chief- 
tains, fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert 
Bruce.  Both  families  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  owned  extensive  estates, 
'  and  had  a  large  following.  Misfor- 
tune overtaking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scot- 
land in  1680,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  was  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  life.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Lee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  Ezekiel, 
son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724,  and  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  scythes  at  Bradford,  Conn.  Rutherford  Hayes, 
son  of  Ezekiel  and  grandfather  of  President  Hayes,  was 
born  in  New  Haven,  in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer, 
blacksmith  and  tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro, 
where  he  established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son  Ruth- 
erford Hayes,   the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was 


born.  He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  wliose  ancestors  emi- 
grated thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having  been 
among  the  wealthiest  and  best  fanilies  of  Norwich. 
Her  ancestry  on  the  male  side  are  traced  back  to 
r635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  principal  founders 
of  -Vorwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industrious, 
frugal  and  opened-hearted  man.  He  was  of  a  me- 
chanical turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow,  knit  a  slock- 
ing, or  do  almost  anything  else  that  he  choose  to 
undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Church,  active 
in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  town,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  on  Christian  principles.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  of  181 2,  for  reasons  inexplicable 
to  his  neighbors,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to   Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day, 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  nor  railways, 
was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  inspection  was 
first  made,  occupying  four  months.  Mr.  Hayts  deter- 
mined to  move  to  Delaware,  where  the  family  arrived 
in  1817.  He  died  July  22,  1822,  a  victim  of  malaiial 
fever,  less  than  three  months  before  the  birth  of  the 
son, of  whom  we  now  write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  be- 
reavement, found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in 
her  brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from  Ver- 
mont, and  in  an  orphan  girl  whom  she  had  adopted 
some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  very  weak,  and  the 


--> 


A 


92 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble  at  birth  that  he 
was  not  expected  to  live  beyond  a  month  or  two  at 
most.  As  the  months  went  by  he  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
quiring from  time  to  time  "  if  Mrs.  Hayes'  baby  died 
last  night."  On  one  occasion  a  neighbor,  who  was  on 
familiar  terms  with  the  family,  after  alluding  to  the 
boy's  big  head,  and  the  mother's  assiduous  care  of 
him,  said  in  a  bantering  way,  "  That's  right !  Stick  to 
him.  Yoa  have  got  him  along  so  far,  andl  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  would  really  come  to  something  yet." 

"  You  need  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Hayes.  "  You 
wait  and  see.  You  can't  tell  but  I  shall  make  him 
President  of  the  United  States  yet."  The  boy  lived, 
in  spite  of  the  universal  predictions  of  his  speedy 
death;  and  when,  in  1825,  his  older  brother  was 
drowned,  he  became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his 
mother. 

The  boy  was  seven  years  old  before  he  went  to 
school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neglected. 
He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his  mother  and 
sister  as  he  would  have  done  at  school.  His  sports 
were  almost  wholly  within  doors,  his  playmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circumstances 
f  tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that  gentleness  of  dispo- 
sition, and  that  delicate  consideration  for  the  feelings 
of  others,  which  are  marked  traits  of  his   character. 

His  uncle  Sardis  Birchard  took  the  deepest  interest 
^  in  his  education;  and  as  the  bov's  health  had  im- 
proved, and  he  was  making  good  progress  in  his 
studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college.  His  pre- 
,  yaration  commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home;  bit  he 
was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  professor  in  the 
Wesleyan  University,  in  Middletown,  Conn.  He  en- 
tered Kenyon  College  in  1838,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in   1842. 

Inmiediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow,  Esq., 
in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities  for  study  in 
Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  determined  to  enter 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years. 

In  1845,  after  graduatmg  at  the  Law  School,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  went  into  practice  a's  an  attorney-at-law 
with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he  re- 
mained three  years,  acipiiring  but  a  limited  practice, 
and  apparently  unambitious  of  distinction  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

In  1849  he  moved  to  Cincninati,  where  his  ambi- 
tion found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years,  how- 
ever, his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events,  occurring  at 
this  period,  had  a  powerful  influence  upon  his  subse- 
quent life.  One  of  these  was  his  marrage  with  Miss 
Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of 
Chilicothe;  the  other  was  his  introduction  to  the  Cin- 
cinnati Literary  Club,  a  body  embracing  among  its 
members  such  men  as  Chief  justice  Salmon  P.  Chase, 


Gen.  John  Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many 
others  hardly  less  distinguished  in  after  life.  The 
marriage  was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of  our 
Presidents  was  more  universally  admired,  reverenced 
and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and  no  one  did 
more  than  she  toreflect  honor  upon  American  woman- 
hood. The  Literary  Club  brought  Mr.  Hayes  into 
constant  association  with  young  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  noble  aims,  and  lured  him  to  display  the 
qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his  bashfulness  and 
modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  but  he  declined  to  ac- 
cept the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  office  of 
city  solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City  Council 
elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1 86 1,  when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  he  was  at 
the  zenith  of  his  professional  life.  His  rank  at  the 
bar  was  among  the  the  first.  But  the  news  of  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sumpter  found  him  eager  to  take  up 
arms  for  the  defense  of  his  co\intry. 

His  military  record  was  bright  ard  illustrious.  In 
October,  1861,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of  the  79th  Ohio 
regiment,  but  he  refused  to  leave  his  old  comrades 
and  go  among  strangers.  Subsequently,  however,  he 
was  made  Colonel  of  his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle 
of  South  Mountain  he  received  a  wound,  and  while 
faint  and  bleeding  dis^jlayed  courage  and  fortitude 
that  won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment,  after 
his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General,  and  placed 
in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha  division, 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  sei  vices  in  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  he  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also  brevetted 
Major-General,"forpallant  and  distirguished  services 
during  the  campaigns  of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In 
the  course  of  liis  arduous  services,  four  horses  were 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times. 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress,  from 
the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long  been  Dem- 
ocratic. He  was  not  present  during  the  campaign, 
and  after  his  election  was  importuned  to  resign  his 
commission  in  the  army;  but  he  finally  declared,  "I 
shall  never  come  to  Washington  until  I  can  come  by 
the  way  of  Richmond."  He  was  re-elected  in  1S66. 

In  1867,  Gen  Hayes  wis  elei-ted  (lovernorof  f  )hio, 
over  Hon.  .\llen  G.  Thurman,  a  popular  Democrat. 
In  1869  was  re-elected  over  tieorge  H.  Pendleton. 
He  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third  term  in    1875. 

In  1876  he  was  the  standard  bearer  of  the  Repub- 
lican P.irty  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and  after  a 
hard  long  contest  was  chosen  President,  and  was  in 
augurated  Monday,  March  5,  1875.  He  served  his 
full  term,  not,  however,  with  satisfaction  to  his  party, 
but  his  admiii'stration  was  an  average  one. 


=X! 


L'.rnARY 

OF  THE 
L".VERSITY  OF  ILUW" 


JU 


TxVEXriETIl  PRESIDENT. 


95 


i  JAMES  A,  GAKFIELEJ^^ 


::r«re::;.^«i^;:;c*i;:;c«»£;:j+      a    j 


AMES  A.  (lARi'lELD,  twen- 
tieth President  of  the  United 
States,  was  born  Nov.  19, 
I  S3 1,  in  the  woods  of  Orange, 
Cuyahoga  Co.,  O  His  par- 
M'^Y  -   /  ^"'^  were  Abram  and    Eliza 

^''ij'icjlz  (Ballou)   Garfield,   both   of  New 
'     '.  ^      England  ancestry  and  from  fami- 
w.  "_       lies  well  known  in  the  early  liis- 
'  jTlf'  ^""^  "^  ''^^^  section  of  our  coun- 
try, but  had  moved  to  the  Western 
Reserve,  in  Ohio,  early  in  its  settle- 
ment. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was 
born  was  not  unlike  the  houses  of 
poor  Ohio  farmers  of  that  day.  It 
was  about  20x30  feet,  built  of  logs,  with  the  spaces  be- 
tween the  logs  filled  with  clay.  His  father  was  a 
hard  working  farmer,  and  he  soon  had  his  fields 
cleared,  an  orchard  planted,  and  a  log  barn  built. 
The  household  comprised  the  father  and  mother  and 
their  four  children — Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mary  and 
James.  In  May,  1823,  the  father,  from  a  cold  con- 
tracted in  helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire,  died.  At 
this  time  James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps,  can 
tell  how  much  James  was  indebted  to  his  biother's 
toil  and  self-sacrifice  during  the  twenty  years  suc- 
ceeding his  father's  death,  but  undoubtedly  very 
much.  He  now  lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sis- 
ters live  in  Solon,  O.,  near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Garfield 
enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the  most  of 
them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for  others,  did  car- 
penter work,  chopped  wood,  or  did  anything  that 
would  bring  in  a  few  doHars  to  aid  his  widowed 
mother  in  her  struggles  to  keep  the  little  family  to- 


gether. Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield  ever  asii.mied  of  his 
origin,  and  ho  never  forgot  the  friends  of  his  strug- 
gling childhood,  youtli  and  manhood,  neither  did  they 
ever  forget  him.  When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor, 
the  humblest  fiiend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly 
greeted  as  ever.  The  [xjorest  lai)orer  was  sureof  the 
sympathy  of  one  who  had  known  all  tlie  bitterness 
of  wa.it  ami  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple,  ])lain, 
modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ajnbition  of  young  Garfield  until  he 
was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  a  captain  of 
a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.  He  was  anxious  to  go  aboard 
a  vessel,  which  his  mother  strongly  opposed.  She 
finally  consented  to  his  going  to  Cleveland,  with  the 
understanding,  however,  that  he  should  try  to  obtain 
some  other  kind  of  employment.  He  walked  all  the 
way  to  Cleveland.  This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city. 
After  making  many  applications  for  work,  and  trying 
to  get  aboard  a  lake  vessel,  and  nut  meeting  witji 
success,  he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  tlie  Ohio  i\:  Pennsylvania  Canal.  He  re- 
mained at  this  work  but  a  short  time  when  he  went 
home,  and  attended  the  seminary  at  Chester  for 
about  three  years,  when  he  entered  Hiram  and  the 
Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few  terms  of  school  in 
the  meantime,  and  doing  other  work.  This  school 
was  started  by  the  Disci|)les  of  Christ  in  1850,  of 
whicli  church  he  was  then  a  member.  He  became 
janitor  and  bell-ringer  in  order  to  help  pay  his  way. 
He  then  became  both  teacher  and  pujiil.  He  soon 
"  exhausted  Hiram  "  and  needed  more  ;  hence,  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  hon- 
ors of  his  class.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram 
College  as  its  President.  .\s  above  stated,  he  early 
united  with  the  Christian  or  Diciples  Church  at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous  mem- 
ber, often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and  places  where 
he  liappened  to  be.  Dr.  Noah  Porter,  President  of 
Vale  College,  says  of  him  in  reference  to  his  religion : 


V 


-€h. 


96 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


■4- 


"President  Garfield  was  more  than  a  man  of 
strong  moral  and  religious  convictions.  His  whole 
history,  from  boyhood  to  the  last,  shows  that  duty  to 
man  and  to  God,  and  devotion  to  Christ  and  life  and 
faith  and  spiritual  commission  were  controlling  springs 
of  his  being,  and  to  a  more  than  usual  degree.  In 
my  judgment  there  is  no  more  interesting  feature  of 
his  character  than  his  loyal  allegiance  to  the  body  of 
Christians  in  which  he  was  trained,  and  the  fervent 
sympathy  which  he  ever  showed  in  iheir  Christian 
communion.  Not  many  of  the  few  'wise  and  mighty 
and  noble  who  are  called'  show  a  similar  loyalty  to 
the  less  stately  and  cultured  Christian  comnmnions 
in  which  they  haue  been  reared.  Too  often  it  is  true 
that  as  they  step  upward  in  social  and  political  sig- 
nificance they  step  upward  from  one  degree  to 
another  in  some- of  the  many  types  of  fashionable 
Christianity.  President  Garfield  adhered  to  the 
church  of  his  mother,  the  church  in  which  he  was 
trained,  and  in  which  he  sen'ed  as  a  pillar  and  an 
evangelist,  and  yet  with  the  largest  and  most  unsec- 
tarian  charity  for  all  'who  love  our  Lord  in  sincerity.'" 
Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolph,  Nov.  11,  1858,  who  proved  herself 
worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom  all  the  world  loved  and 
mourned.  To  them  were  born  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  are  still  living,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 
iK  Mr.Garfieldmade  his  first  politicalspeechesin  1856, 
^  in  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and  three 
years  later  he  began  to  speak,  at  county  mass-meet- 
ings, and  became  the  favorite  speaker  wherever  he 
was.  During  this  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Ohio 
Senate.  He  also  began  to  study  law  at  Cleveland, 
and  in  i86t  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The  great 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  the  early  part  of  this  year, 
and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once  resolved  to  fight  as  he  had 
talked,  and  enlisted  to  defend  tlie  old  flag.  He  re- 
ceived his  commission  as  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Aug. 
14,  1861.  He  was  inmiediately  put  into  active  ser- 
vice, and  before  he  had  ever  seen  a  gun  fired  in  action, 
was  placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantrj' 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer 
(Humphrey  M'-rsl-all)  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  of 
those,  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given 
to  the  Rebellion.  This  work  was  bravely  and  speed- 
ily accomplished,  although  against  great  odds.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  on  his  success  commissioned  him 
Brigadier-General,  Jan.  10,  1862;  and  as  "he  had 
been  the  youngest  man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years 
before,  so  now  he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the 
army."  He  was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh, 
in  its  operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  member  of  the 
General  Couit-Martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen.  Fitz-Tohn 
Porter.  He  was  then  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  and  was  assigned  to  the  "Chief  of  Staff." 
The  military  history  of  Gen.  Garfield  closed  with 


his  brilliant  services  at  Chickamauga,  where  he  won 
the  stars  of  the  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part  Gen.  Garfield  was 
elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1S62  from  the 
Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of  Ohio 
had  been  represented  in  Congress  for  si.vty  years 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  Whittlesey  and  Joshua 
R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  struggle  that  he 
resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At  the  time  he  en- 
tered Congress  he  was  the  youngest  member  in  that 
body.  There  he  remained  by  successive  re- 
elections  until  he  was  elected  President  in  1880. 
Of  his  labors  in  Congress  Senator  Hoar  says  :  "  Since 
the  year  1864  you  cannot  think  of  a  question  which 
has  been  debated  in  Congress,  or  discussed  before  a 
iribunel  of  the  American  people,  in  regard  to  which 
you  will  not  find,  if  you  wish  mstruction,  the  argu- 
ment on  one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance 
better  than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings  by 
Mr.  Garfield."' 

UiX)n  Jan.  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  on  the  eighth  of  June,  of  the 
same  year,  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  President  at  the  great  Chicago  Convention. 
He  was  elected  in  the  following  November,  and  on  ^ 
March  4,  1881,  was  inaugurated.  Probably  no  ad- 
ministration ever  opened  its  existence  under  brighter 
auspices  than  that  of  President  Gaifield,  and  every^ 
day  it  grew  in  favo."  with  the  peojjle,  and  by  the  first 
of  July  he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  pre- 
liminary work  of  his  administration  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Williams" 
College.  While  on  his  way  and  at  the  deix)t,  in  com- 
pany with  Secretary  Blaine,  a  man  stepped  behind 
him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  directly  at  his  back. 
The  President  tottered  and  fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the 
assassin  fired  a  second  shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the 
left  coat  sleeve  of  his  victim,  but  in.licting  no  further 
injury.  It  has  been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was 
"  the  shot  that  was  heard  round  the  world  "  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  Nation  had  anything  oc- 
curred which  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  people 
for  the  moment,  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was  smit- 
ten on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his  life,  and 
was  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  For  eighty 
days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  however,  remained 
master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and  by  his  magnificent 
bearing  was  teaching  the  countrj-  and  the  world  the 
noblest  of  human  lessons — how  to  live  grandly  in  the 
very  clutch  of  death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpass- 
ingly great  in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  Sept. 
19,  1S83,  at  Elberon,  N.  J,  on  the  ver>-  bank  of  the 
ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  previous.  The 
world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  never  had  done  on  the 
death  of  any  other  man  who  had  ever  lived  upon  it. 
The  murderer  was  duly  tried,  found  guilty  and  exe 
cuted,  in  one  year  after  he  committed  the  foul  deed. 


I 


CF  THE 
1—.VERSITY  OF  ILLIW' 


:^ 


*"*#*y3f. 


S^-     / 


./ 


TirE.WTY-FIRST  PRESIDEXT. 


99       J 


HESTER      A.      ARTHUR, 

~  '4-   twenty-first    President   of  the 

^United   States,   was    bom    in 

Franklin  County,  Vermont,  on 

thefifthof  October,  1S30,  and  is 

the  oldest   of  a   family    of  two 

sons  and   five   daughters.     His 

father  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 

Arthur,  a  Baptist  clergyman,  who 

emigrated  to  this  countrj'  from 

the  count)-  Antrim,   Ireland,   in 

his  iSth  year,  and  died  in  1S75,  in 

Newtonville,   near  Albany,   after  a 

long  and  successful  ministry-. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at 
Union  College,  Schenectady,  where 
he  excelled  in  all  his  studies.  Af- 
ter his  graduation  he  taught  school 
in  Vermont  for  two  years,  and  at 
the  e.xpiration  of  that  time  came  to 
New  York,  with  $500  in  his  ix)cket, 
and  entered  the  oflice  of  e.x-Judge 
E.  D.  Culver  as  student.  .After 
being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and  room-mate, 
Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing 
in  the  West,  and  for  three  months  they  roamed  about 
in  the  Western  States  in  search  of  an  eligible  site, 
but  in  the  end  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
hung  out  their  shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  success- 
ful career  almost  from  the  start.  General  Arthur 
soon  afterward  manied  the  daughter  of  Lieutenant 


Hemdon,  of  the  United  Stales  Navy,  who  was  lost  at 
sea.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  liis  widow  in 
recognition  of  the  braver)'  lie  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr.  .-Vrthur's 
nomination  to  the  Vice  Presidency,  leaving  two 
children. 

Gen.  .\rthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celebrity 
in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon  suit, 
brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves  who  had 
been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of  the  Siijjeriot 
Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in  1852  that  Jon. 
athan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to  New  York  with 
his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Texas,  when 
they  were  discovered  and  freed.  The  Judge  decided 
that  they  could  not  be  held  by  the  owner  under  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
the  South,  and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  tht 
Attorney  General  of  that  State  to  assist  in  an  apj)eal. 
Wm.  M.  Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed 
to  represent  the  People,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Unitetl 
States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  esiwused  the  cause 
of  the  slave-holders,  but  he  too  was  beaten  by  Messrs. 
Evarts  and  .\rthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  toward 
the  emancipation  of  the  black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  General 
.\rthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jennings, 
a  resiiectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off  a  Fourth 
Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had  paid  her  fare. 
General  .Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf,  and  secured  a 
verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next  day  the  compa- 
ny issued  an  order  to  admit  colored  persons  to  tide 
on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car  companies  quickly 


I 


t* 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


followed  their  example.  Before  that  the  Sixth  Ave- 
nue Company  ran  a  few  special  cars  for  colored  per- 
sons and  the  other  lines  refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Gov- 
ernor Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  huii  Engineer- 
in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was  made  Inspec- 
tor General,  and  soon  afterward  became  Quartermas- 
ter-General. In  each  of  these  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government  during  the  war.  At 
the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ransom,  and  then  Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney 
of  New  York,  was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  prac- 
tice of  this  well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucra- 
tive, each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  were  able 
lawyers,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputation,  if 
not  indeed  one  of  national  extent. 

He  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State  and  city 
lX)litics.  He  was  apjxjintcd  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
New  York  by  President  Grant,  Nov.  21  1872,  to  suc- 
ceed Thomas  Murphy,  and  held  the  office  until  July, 
20,  1878,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  .A.  Garfield,  at  the  famous 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in 
June,  1 880.  This  was  jjerhaps  the  greatest  {X)litical 
convention  that  ever  assembled  on  the  continent.  It 
was  composed  of  the  leading  politicians  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  all  able  men,  and  each  stood  firm  and 
fought  vigorously  and  with  signal  tenacity  for  their 
respective  candidates  that  were  before  the  conven- 
tion for  the  nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  and  Gen.  Arthur 
for  Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  standard-bearer  of 
the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular  man,  and  his 
party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his  election. 

Finally  the  election  came  and  the  country's  choice 
was  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  inaugurated 
March  4,  1881,  as  President  and  Vice-President. 
A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere  the  newly  chosen 
President  was  the  victim  of  the  assassin's  bullet.  Then 
came  terrible  weeks  of  suffering, — those  moments  of 
anxious  suspense,  when  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  na- 


tions were  throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  re- 
cover)' of  the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remark- 
able patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible  suf- 
fering man  has  often  been  called  upon  to  endure,  was 
seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was  certainly  God- 
like. During  all  this  period  of  deepest  anxiety  Mr. 
Arthur's  every  move  was  watched,  and  be  it  said  to  his 
credit  that  his  every  action  displayed  only  an  earnest 
desire  that  the  suffering  Garfield  might  recover,  to 
serve  the  remainder  of  the  term  he  had  so  auspi- 
ciously begun.  Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested 
in  deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  jxasition  in  the  world  «as  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President  Gar- 
field from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as  never 
before  in  its  history  over  the  death  of  any  other 
man,  wept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the  duty  of 
the  Vice  President  to  assume  the  responsibilities  of 
the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath  in  New  York, ' 
Sept.  20,  1881.  The  jxssition  was  an  embarrassing 
one  to  him,  made  doubly  so  from  the  facts  that  all 
eyes  were  oii  him,  anxious  to  know  what  he  would  do,  ■< 
what  [Xjlicy  he  would  pursue,  and  who  he  would  se- 
lect as  advisers.  The  duties  of  the  office  had  been 
greatly  neglected  during  the  President's  long  illness, 
and  many  innxirtant  measures  were  to  be  immediately 
decided  by  him ;  and  still  farther  to  embarrass  him  he 
did  not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  on 
this  jxjint.  Under  these  trying  circumstances  President 
Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Government  in  his  own 
hands ;  and,  as  embarrassing  as  were  the  condition  of 
affairs,  he  happily  surprised  the  nation,  acting  so 
wisely  that  but  few  criticised  his  administration. 
He  served  the  nation  well  and  faithfully,  until  the 
close  of  his  administration,  March  4,  1885,  and  was 
a  popular  candidate  before  his  party  for  a  second 
terra.  His  name  was  ably  presented  before  the  con- 
vention at  Chicago,  and  was  received  with  great 
favor,  and  doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity 
of  one  of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have 
been  selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party 
for  another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life  car- 
rj-ing  with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself. 


LICRARY 
CF  THE 
t'!!VERSITY  OF  ILLIN' 


J 


/^^trt€^7^ 


t 


TWENTY-SECOND  PRESIDENT. 


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TEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND,the  twenty- second  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  was 
born  in  1837,  in  the  obscure 
town  of  Caldwell,  Essex  Co., 
..^^^  vf  N.  J.,  and  in  a  little  two-and-a- 

/f/^^l^  half-story  white  house  which  is  still 
standing,  characteristically  to  mark 
the  humble  birth-place  of  one  of 
America's  great  men  in  striking  con- 
trast with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in 
origin  and  born  in  the  cradle  of 
wealth.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
father,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, with  a  large  family  and  a  small  salary,  moved, 
by  way  of  the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to 
Fayetteville,  in  search  of  an  increased  income  and  a 
larger  field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles  from 
Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour  was  born. 

At  the  last  mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  "  good,  old-fashioned 
way,"  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after  the 
manner  of  all  village  boys,  in  doing  the  things  he 
ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  distinguishing  trait  of 
all  geniuses  and  independent  thinkers.  Wlien  he 
arrived  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  had  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  village  school  and  expressed  a  most 


emphatic  desire  to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this 
his  father  decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him  to 
become  self-supiwrting  by  the  quickest  ix>ssible 
means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayetteville  seemed 
to  be  a  iMsition  in  a  country  store,  where  his  father 
and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had  considerable 
inrtiience.  Grover  was  to  be  paid  S50  for  his  services 
the  first  year,  and  if  he  proved  trustworthy  he  was  to 
receive  $100  the  second  year.  Here  the  lad  com- 
menced his  career  as  salesman,  and  in  two  years  he 
had  earned  so  good  a  reputation  for  trustworthiness 
tiiat  his  employers  desired  to  retain  him  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time.  Otherwise  he  did  not  ex- 
hibit as  yet  any  particular  "  flashes  of  genius  "  or 
eccentricities  of  talent.  He  was  simply  a  good  boy. 
But  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in  Fayette- 
ville, he  went  with  the  family  in  their  removal  to 
Clinton,  wliere  he  had  an  opportunity  of  attending  a 
high  school.  Here  he  industriously  pursued  his 
studies  until  the  family  removed  with  him  to  a  point 
oil  Black  River  known  as  the  "  Holland  Patent,"  a 
village  of  500  or  600  people,  15  miles  north  of  Utica, 
.V.  Y.  At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching 
but  three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept,  at  a 
small  salary,  the  (wsition  of  "  under-teachcr  "  in  an 
asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully  for  two 
years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good  reputation  in 
this  capacity,  he  concluded  that  teaching  was  not  his 


+> 


4 


104 


yY^ . 

S.   GROVER  CLEVELAND. 


calling  for  life,  and,  reversing  the  traditional  order, 
he  left  the  city  to  seek  his  fortune,  instead  of  going 
to  a  city.  He  first  thought  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  as 
there  v/as  some  charm  in  that  name  for  him ;  but 
before  proceeding  to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffalo  to 
ask  the  advice  of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted 
stock-breeder  of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not 
speak  enthusiastically.  "  What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy.'"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
law,"  was  the  reply.  "  Good  gracious !  "  remarked 
the  old  gentleman ;  "  do  you,  indeed  .''  What  ever  put 
that  into  your  head.'  How  much  money  have  you 
got?"  "Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  haven't  got 
any." 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  him  a 
place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at  $50  a 
year,  while  he  could  "  look  around."  One  day  soon 
afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  office  of  Rogers, 
Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and  told  them  what  he 
wanted.  A  number  of  young  men  were  already  en- 
gaged in  the  office,  but  Grover's  persistency  won,  and 
he  was  finally  permitted  to  come  as  an  office  boy  and 
Jhave  the  use  of  the  law  library,  for  the  nominal  sum 
,of  $3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and,  although 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair  and  his  overcoat — he  had 
none — yet  he  was  nevertheless  prompt  and  regular. 
On  the  first  day  of  his  service  here,  his  senior  em- 
ployer threw  down  a  copy  of  Blackstone  before  him 
with  a  bang  that  made  the  dust  fly,  saying  "That's 
where  they  all  begin."  A  titter  ran  around  the  little 
circle  of  clerks  and  students,  as  they  thought  that 
was  enough  to  scare  young  Grover  out  of  his  plans  ; 
but  in  due  time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleveland 
exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveness  rather  than  for 
chasing  principles  through  all  their  metaphysical 
possibilities.  "  Let  us  quit  talking  and  go  and  do 
it,"  was  practically  his  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
elected  was  that  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
which  BuiTalo  is  situated;  and  in  such  capacity  it  fell 
to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  punishment  upon  two 
criminals.  In  1881  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  of  Buffalo,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  with  es- 
pecial reference  to  the  bringing  about  certain  reforms 


in  the  administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that 
city.  In  this  office,  as  well  as  that  of  Sheriff,  his 
performance  of  duty  has  generally  been  considered 
fair,  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions  which  were  fer- 
reted out  and  magnified  during  the  last  Presidential 
campaign.  As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  from  one  vetoing  an  iniqui- 
tous street-cleaning  contract :  "  This  is  a  time  for 
plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your  action  shall 
be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  the  culmination  of 
a  mos';  bare-faced,  impudent  and  shameless  scheme 
to  betray  the  interests  of  the  people  and  to  worse 
than  squander  the  people's  money."  The  New  York 
Sun  afterward  very  highly  commended  Mr.  Cleve- 
land's administration  as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  there- 
upon recommended  him  for  Governor  of  the  Empire 
State.  To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882, 
and  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistakes  he  made,  if 
any,  were  made  very  public  throughout  the  nation 
after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  For  this  high  office  he  was  nominated  July 
ti,  1884,  by  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at 
Chicago,  when  other  competitors  were  Thomas  F. 
Bayard,  Roswell  P.  Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks, 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc.;  and  he 
was  elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  about  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Repub- 
lican statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President  Cleve- 
land resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New  York  in 
January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  duties  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  United  States,  in  which 
capacity  his  term  commenced  at  noon  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1885.  For  his  Cabinet  officers  he  selected 
the  following  gentlemen:  For  Secretary  of  State, 
Thomas  F.  Bayard,  of  Delaware  ;  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  Daniel  Manning,  of  New  York  ;  Secretary 
of  War,  William  C.  Endicott,  of  Massachusetts; 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  William  C.  Whitney,  of  New 
York ;  Secretary  of  the  Interior,  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  of 
Mississippi;  Postmaster-General,  William  F.  Vilas, 
of  Wisconsin ;  Attorney-General,  A.  H.  Garland,  of 
Arkansas. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy  be- 
tween those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continuance  of 
silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  opposed,  Mr. 
Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter,  even  before  his 
inauguration. 


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i. 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


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HAURACH  BOND,  ihe  first 
Governor  of  Illinois  after  its 
organization  us  a  State,  serving 
from  1818  to  1822,  was  born  in 
Frederick  County,  Maryland, 
in  tlie  year  1773,  and  was 
raised  a  farmer  on  his  father's 
plantation,  receiving  only  a  plain 
English  education.  He  emigrated 
to  this  State  in  1794,  when  it  was  a 
part  of  the  "Northwest  Territory," 
continuing  in  the  vocation  in  which 
he  had  been  brought  up  in  his  native 
State,  in  the  "  New  Design,"  near 
Eagle  Creek,  in  what  is  now  Monroe 
County.  He  served  several  terms  as 
a  member  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  Indiana  Territory,  after  it  was  organized  as  such, 
and  in  1812-14  he  was  a  Delegate  to  the  Twelfth 
and  Thirteenili  Congresses,  taking  his  seat  Dec.  3, 
iSi 2,  and  serving  until  Oct.  3,  1814.  These  were 
the  times,  the  reader  will  recollect,  when  this  Gov- 
ernment had  its  last  struggle  with  Great  Britain. 
The  year  1812  is  also  noted  in  the  history  of  this 
State  as  that  in  which  the  first  Territorial  Legislature 
was  held.  It  convened  at  Kaskaskia,  Nov.  25,  and 
adjourned  Dec.  26,  following. 

While  serving  as  Delegate  to  Congress,  Mr.  Bond 
was  instrumental  in  procuring  the  right  of  pre-em|)- 
tion  on  the  public  domain.  On  the  expiration  of  his 
term  at  Washington  he  was  apiwinted  Receiver  of 
Public  Moneys  at  Kaskaskia,  then  the  capital  of  tl>e 
Territory.      In   company    with  John   G.    Comyges, 


Thomas  H.  Harris,  C^harles  Slade,  Michael  Jones, 
Warren  Brown,  Edward  Humphries  and  Charles  W. 
Hunter,  he  became  a  proprietor  of  tlie  site  of  the 
initial  city  of  Cairo,  wliich  they  hoped,  from  its  favor- 
able location  at  the  junction  of  the  two  great 
rivers  near  the  center  of  the  Great  West,  would 
rapidly  develop  into  a  metropolis.  To  aid  the  enter- 
prise, they  obtained  a  special  charter  from  the  Legis- 
lature, incoriwrating  both  the  City  and  the  Bank  of  J 
Cairo. 

In  1818  Mr.  Bond  was  elected  the  first  Governor 
of  the  State  of  Illinois,  being  inaugurated  Oct.  6, 
that  year,  which  was  several  weeks  before  Illinois 
was  actually  admitted.  The  facts  are  these:  In 
January,  18 18,  the  Territorial  Legislature  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Congress  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  as  a 
State,  Nathaniel  Pope  being  then  Delegate.  The 
])etition  was  granted,  fixing  the  northern  line  of  the 
State  on  the  latitude  of  the  southern  extremity  of 
Lake  Michigan;  but  the  bill  was  afterward  so  amend- 
ed as  to  extend  this  line  to  its  present  latitude.  In 
July  a  convention  was  called  at  Kaskaskia  to  draft  a 
constitution,  which,  however,  was  not  submitted  to 
the  people.  By  its  provisions,  supreme  judges,  pros- 
ecuting attorneys,  county  and  circuit  judges,  record- 
ers and  justices  of  the  peace  were  all  to  be  apiwinted 
by  the  Governor  or  elected  by  the  Legislature.  This 
constitution  was  accei)ted  by  Congress  Dec.  30.  At 
that  time  Illinois  comprised  but  eleven  counties, 
namely,  Randolpli,  Madison,  Gallatin,  Johnson, 
Pope,  Jackson,  Crawford,  Bond,  Union,  Washington 
and  Franklin,  the  northern  iwrtion  of  the  State  be- 
ing mainly  in  Madison  County.  Thus  it  appears 
that  Mr.  Bond  was   honored  by   the   naming  of  a 


^ 


A 


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SHADRACH  BOND. 


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county  before  he  was  elected  Governor,  The  present 
county  of  Bond  is  of  small  limitations,  about  60  to  80 
miles  south  of  Springfield.  For  Lieutenant  Governor 
the  neople  chose  Pierre  Menard,  a  prominent  and 
worthy  Frenchman,  after  whom  a  county  in  this  State 
is  named.  In  this  election  there  were  no  opposition 
candidates,  as  the  ix>pularity  of  these  men  had  made 
their  promotion  to  the  chief  offices  of  the  State,  even 
before  the  constitution  was  drafted,  a  foregone  con- 
clusion. 

The  principal  points  that  excited  the  people  in 
reference  to  political  issues  at  this  period  were  local 
or  "internal  improvements,"  as  they  were  called. 
State  banks,  location  of  the  capital,  slavery  and  the 
personal  characteristics  of  the  proposed  candidates. 
Mr.  Bond  represented  the  "Convention  party,"  for 
introducing  slavery  into  the  State,  supported  by  Elias 
Ke  It  Kane,  his  Secretary  of  State,  and  John  Mc- 
Lean, while  Nathaniel  Pope  and  John  P.  Cook  led 
the  anti-slavery  element.  The  people,  however,  did 
not  become  very  much  excited  over  this  issue  until 
1820,  when  the  famous  Missouri  Compromise  was 
adopted  by  Congress,  limiting  slavery  to  the  south 
of  the  parallel  of  36''  30'  exce|)t  in  Missouri.  While 
this  measure  settled  the  great  slavery  controversy, 
so  far  as  the  average  public  sentiment  was  tempor- 
arily concerned,  until  1854,  when  it  was  repealed 
under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  the  issue 
as  considered  locally  in  tliis  State  was  not  decided 
until  1824,  after  a  most  furious  campaign.  (See 
sketch  of  Gov,  Coles.)  The  ticket  of  1818  was  a 
compromise  one.  Bond  representing  (moderately)  the 
pro-slavery  sentiment  and  Menard  the  anti-slavery. 

An  awkward  element  in  the  State  government 
under  Gov.  Bond's  administration,  was  the  imperfec- 
tion of  the  State  constitution.  The  Convention 
wished  to  have  Elijah  C.  Berry  for  the  first  Auditor 
of  Public  Accounts,  but,  as  it  was  believed  that  the 
new  Governor  would  not  appoint  him  to  the  office, 
the  Convention  declared  in  a  schedule  that  "an 
auditor  of  public  accounts,  an  attorney  general  and 
such  other  officers  of  the  State  as  may  be  necessary, 
may  be  appointed  by  the  General  Assembly."  The 
Constitution,  as  it  stood,  vested  a  very  large  apix)int- 
ing  power  in  the  Governor ;  but  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  one  man  into  office,  a  total  change  was  made, 
and  the  jxjwer  vested  in  the  Legislature.  Of  this 
provision  the  Legislature  took  advantage,  and  de- 

.   ' 'H 


clared  that  State's  attorneys,  canal  commissioners, 
bank  directors,  etc.,  were  all  "  officers  of  the  State" 
and  must  therefore  be  apjxjinted  by  itself  independ- 
ently of  the  Governor. 

During  Gov.  Bond's  administration  a  general  law 
was  passed  for  the  incorporation  of  academies  and 
towns,  and  one  authorizing  lotteries.     The  session  of 
1822  authorized  the   Governor  to  appoint  commis- 
sioners, to  act  in  conjunction  with  like  commissioners 
appointed   by  the   State  of  Indiana,  to  report  on  the 
practicability  and  expediency  of  improving  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Wabash  River;  also  inland  navigation 
generally.     Many  improvements  were  recommended, 
some  of  which  have  been  feebly  worked  at  even  till 
the  present  day,  those  along  the  Wabash  being  of  no 
value.     Also,  during  Gov.  Bond's  term  of  office,  the 
capital  of  the  State  was  removed  from   Kaskaskia  to    j 
Vandalia.     In  1820  a  law  was  passed  by  Congress 
authorizing  this  State  to  open  a  canal   through  the    [ 
public  lands.     The  State   appointed  commissioners    f 
lo  explore  the  route  and  prepare  the   necessary   sur-^ 
veys   and   estimates,    preparatory    to  its   execution;    | 
but,  being  unable  out  of  its  own  resources  to  defray 
the  expenses  of  the  undertaking,  it   was  abandoned^* 
until  some  time  after  Congress  made   the   grant  of 
land  for  the  purpose  of  its  construction. 

On  the  whole,  Gov.  Bond's  administration  was' 
fairly  good,  not  being  open  to  severe  criticism  from 
any  party.  In  1824,  two  years  after  the  expiration 
of  his  term  of  office,  he  was  brought  out  as  a  candi- 
date for  Congress  against  the  formidable  John  P. 
Cook,  but  received  only  4,374  votes  to  7,460  for  the 
latter.  Gov.  Bond  was  no  orator,  but  had  made 
many  fast  friends  by  a  judicious  bestowment  of  his 
gubernatorial  patronage,  and  these  worked  zealously 
for  him  in  the  campaign. 

In  1827  ex-Gov.  Bond  was  appointed  by  the  Leg- 
islature, with  Wm.  P.  McKee  and  Dr.  Gershom 
Jayne,  as  Commissioners  to  locate  a  site  for  a  peni- 
tentiary on  the  Mississippi  at  or  near  Alton. 

Mr.  Bond  was  of  a  benevolent  and  convivial  dis- 
position, a  man  of  shrewd  observation  and  clear  ap- 
preciation of  events.  His  person  was  erect,  stand- 
ing six  feet  in  height,  and  after  middle  life  became 
portly,  weighing  200  pounds.  His  features  were 
strongly  masculine,  complexion  dark,  hair  jet  and 
eyes  hazel ;  was  a  favorite  with  the  ladies.  He  died 
April  1 1,  1830,  in  peace  and  contentment. 


1 


^T  LEAST  OIVJE  OF  THE  EDGES  OF  TH.c 
ECAUSE  OF  AN  EXTREMELV  NARROW 


LHRARY 

OF  THE 

L.:;VERSITY  OF  ILUNC^S 


if^UvtiX^  ^^i^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLIiXOlS. 


"5 


f 


DWARl>  COLES,  second 
Governor  of  Illinois,  1823- 
6,  was  born  Dec.  15,  1786, 
in  Albemarle  Co.,  Va.,  on 
the  old  family  estate  called 
"Enniscorthy,"  on  the 
'"i>'  Green  Mountain.  His  fath- 
er, John  Coles,  was  a  Colonel  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Having  been  fit- 
ted for  college  by  private  tutors,  he 
was  sent  to  Hampden  Sidney,  where 
he  remained  until  the  autumn  of  1805, 
when  he  was  removed  to  William  and 
Mar)'  College,  at  Williamsburg,  Va. 
This  college  he  left  in  the  summer  of 
1807,  a  short  time  before  the  final  and  graduating 
examination.  Among  his  classmates  were  Lieut. 
Gen.  Scott,  President  John  Tyler,  Wni.  S.  Archer, 
United  States  Senator  from  Virginia,  and  Justice 
Baldwin,  of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  The 
President  of  the  latter  college.  Bishop  Madison,  was 
a  cousin  of  President  James  Madison,  and  that  cir- 
cumstance was  the  occasion  of  Mr.  Coles  becoming 
personally  acquainted  with  the  President  and  re- 
ceiving a  position  as  his  private  secretary,  1809-15. 
The  family  of  Coles  was  a  prominent  one  in  Vir- 
ginia, and  their  mansion  was  the  seat  of  the  old- 
fashioned  Virginian  hospitality.  It  was  visited  by 
such  notables  as  Patrick  Henry,  Jefferson,  Madison, 
Monroe,  the  Randolphs,  Tazewell,  Wirt,  etc.  At  the 
age  of  23,  young  Coles  found  himself  heir  to  a  plant- 
ation and  a  considerable  number  of  slaves.  Ever 
since  his  earlier  college  days  his  attention  had  been 
drawn  to  the  question  of  slavery.     He   read    every- 


thing on  the  subject  that  came  in  his  way,  and 
listened  to  lectures  on  the  rights  of  man.  The  more 
he  reflected  upon  the  subject,  the  more  impossible 
was  it  for  him  to  reconcile  the  immortal  declaration 
"that  all  men  are  born  free  and  equal  "  with  the 
practice  of  slave-holding.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to 
free  his  slaves  the  first  opportunity,  and  even  remove 
his'residence  to  a  free  State.  One  reason  which  de- 
termined him  to  accept  the  appointment  as  private  _J 
secretary  to  Mr.  Midison  was  because  he  believed 
that  through  the  acquaintances  he  could  make  at 
Washington  he  could  better  determine  in  what  part , 
of  the  non-slaveho'ding  portion  of  the  Union  he  would 
prefer  to  settle. 

The  relations  between  Mr.  Coles  and  President 
Madison,  as  well  as  Jefferson  and  other  distinguished 
men,  were  of  a  very  friendly  character,  arising  from 
the  similarity  of  their  views  on  the  question  of  slavery 
and  their  sympathy  for  each  other  in  holding  doc- 
trines so  much  at  variance  with  the  prevailing  senti- 
ment in  their  own  State. 

In  1857,  he  resigned  his  secretaryship  and  spent  a 
portion  of  the  following  autumn  in  exploring  the 
Northwest  Territory,  for  the  purpose  of  finding  a  lo- 
cation and  purchasing  lands  on  which  to  settle  his 
negroes.  He  traveled  with  a  horse  and  buggy,  with 
an  extra  man  and  horse  for  emergencies,  through 
many  parts  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Missouri, 
determining  finally  to  settle  in  Illinois.  .\t  this  time, 
however,  a  misunderstanding  arose  between  our 
Government  and  Russia,  and  Mr.  Coles  was  selected 
to  repair  to  St.  Petersburg  on  a  special  mission,  bear- 
ing important  papers  concerning  the  matter  at  issue. 
The  result  was  a  conviction  of  the   Emperor   (Alex- 


HI- 


ii6 


EDWARD  COLES. 


ander)  of  the  error  committed  by  his  minister  at 
Washington,  and  the  consequent  withdrawal  of  the 
the  latter  from  the  post.  On  his  return,  Mr.  Coles 
visited  otiier  parts  of  Europe,  especially  Paris,  where 
he  was  introduced  to  Gen.  Lafayette. 

In  the  spring  of  1819,  he  removed  with  all  his 
negroes  from  Virginia  to  Edwardsville,  111.,  with  the 
intention  of  giving  them  their  liberty.  He  did  not 
make  known  to  them  his  intention  until  one  beautiful 
morning  in  April,  as  they  were  descending  the  Ohio 
River.  He  lashed  all  the  boats  together  and  called 
all  the  negroes  on  deck  and  made  them  a  short  ad- 
dress, concluding  his  remarks  by  so  expressing  him- 
self that  by  a  turn  of  a  sentence  he  proclaimed  in 
the  shortest  and  fullest  manner  that  they  were  no 
longer  slaves,  but  free  as  he  was  and  were  at  liberty 
to  proceed  with  him  or  go  ashore  at  their  pleas- 
ure. A  description  of  the  effect  upon  the  negroes  is 
best  desciibed  in  his  own  language  : 

"The  effect  upon  them  was  electrical.  They  stared 
at  me  and  then  at  each  other,  as  if  doubting  the  ac- 
curacy or  reality  of  what  they  heard.  In  breathless 
silence  they  stood  before  me,  unable  to  utter  a  word, 
but  with  countenances  beaming  with  expression  which 
no  words  could  convey,  and  which  no  language 
can  describe.  As  they  began  to  see  the  truth  of 
what  they  had  lieard,  and  realize  their  situation,  there 
came  on  a  kind  of  hysterical,  giggling  laugh.  After 
.  a  pause  of  intense  and  unutterable  emotion,  bathed 
in  tears,  and  with  tremulous  voices,  they  gave  vent  to 
their  gratitude  and  implored  the  blessing  of  God 
L  on  me." 

Before  landing  he  gave  them  a  general  certificate 
of  freedom,  and  afterward  conformed  more  particu- 
larly with  the  law  of  this  State  requiring  that  each 
individual  should  have  a  certificate.  This  act  of 
Mr.  Coles,  all  the  more  noble  and  heroic  considering 
the  overwhelming  pro-slavery  influences  surrounding 
him,  has  challenged  the  admiration  of  every  philan- 
thropist of  modern  times. 

March  5,  1819,  President  Monroe  appointed  Mr. 
Coles  Registrar  of  the  Land  Office  at  Edwardsvil.e, 
at  that  time  one  of  the  principal  land  offices  in  the 
State.  While  acting  in  this  capacity  and  gaining 
many  friends  by  his  politeness  and  general  intelli- 
gence, the  greatest  struggle  that  ever  occurred  in 
Illinois  on  the  slavery  quesiion  culminated  in  the 
furious  contest  characterizing  the  campaigns  and 
elections  of  1822-4.  In  the  summer  of  1823,  when  a 
new  Governor  was  to  be  elected  to  succeed  Mr. 
Bond,  the  pro-slavery  element  divided  into  factions, 
putting  forward  for  the  executive  office  Joseph 
Phillips,  Chief  Justice  of  the  State,  Thomas  C. 
Browne  and  Gen.  James  B.  Moore,  of  the  State  Mil- 
itia. The  anti-slavery  element  united  upon  Mr. 
Coles,  and,  after  one  of  the  most  bitter  campaigns, 
succeeded  in  electing  him  as  Governor.  His  plural- 
ity over  Judge  Phillips  was  only  59  in  a  total  vote  of 


over  8,000.  The  Lieutenant  Governor  was  elected 
by  the  slavery  men.  Mr.  Coles' inauguration  speech 
was  marked  by  calmness,  deliberation  and  such  a 
wise  expression  of  appropriate  suggestions  as  to 
elicit  the  sanction  of  all  judicious  politicians.  But 
he  compromised  not  with  evil.  In  his  message  to 
the  Legislature,  the  seat  of  Government  being  then 
at  Vandalia,  he  strongly  urged  the  abrogation  of  the 
modified  form  of  slavery  which  then  existed  in  this 
State,  contrary  to  the  Ordinance  of  1787.  His  posi- 
tion on  this  subject  seems  the  more  remarkable,  when 
it  is  considered  that  he  was  a  minority  Governor,  the 
population  of  Illinois  being  at  that  time  almost  ex- 
clusively from  slave-holding  States  and  by  a  large 
majority  in  favor  of  the  perpetuation  of  that  old  relic 
of  barbarism.  The  Legislature  itself  was,  of  course, 
a  reflex  of  the  popular  sentiment,  and  a  majority  of 
them  were  led  on  by  fiery  men  in  denunciations  of 
the  conscientious  Governor,  and  in  curses  loud  and 
deep  upon  him  and  all  his  friends.  Some  of  the 
public  men,  indeed,  went  so  far  as  to  head  a  sort  of 
mob,  or  "shiveree"  party,  who  visited  the  residence 
of  the  Governor  and  others  at  Vandalia  and  yelled 
and  groaned  and  spat  fire. 

The  Constitution,  not  establishing  or  permitting 
slavery  in  this  State,  was  thought  therefore  to  be 
defective  by  the  slavery  politicians,  and  they  desired 
a  State  Convention  to  be  elected,  to  devise  and  sub- 
mit a  new  Constitution;  and  the  dominant  politics 
of  the  day  was  "Convention"  and  "anti-Conven- 
tion." Both  parties  issued  addresses  to  the  people. 
Gov.  Coles  himself  being  the  author  of  the  address 
published  by  the  latter  party.  This  address  revealed 
the  schemes  of  the  conspirators  in  a  masterly  man- 
ner. It  is  difficult  for  us  at  this  distant  day  to  esti- 
mate the  critical  and  extremely  delicate  situation  in 
which  the  Governor  was  placed  at  that  time. 

Our  hero  maintained  himself  honorably  and  with 
supreme  dignity  throughout  his  administration,  and 
in  his  honor  a  county  in  this  State  is  named.  He 
was  truly  a  great  man,  and  those  who  lived  in 
this  State  during  his  sojourn  here,  like  those  who 
live  at  the  base  of  the  mountain,  were  too  near  to  see 
and  recognize  the  greatness  that  overshadowed  them. 

Mr.  Coles  was  married  Nov.  28,  1833,  by  Bishop 
De  Lancey,  to  Miss  Sally  Logan  Roberts,  a  daughter 
of  Hugh  Roberts,  a  descendant  of  Welsh  ancestry, 
who  cami  to  this  country  with  Wm.   Penn  in    1682. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service.  Gov. 
Coles  continued  his  residence  in  Edwardsville,  sup- 
erintending his  farm  in  the  vicinity.  He  was  fond 
of  agriculture,  and  was  the  founder  of  the  first  agri- 
cultural society  in  the  State.  On  account  of  ill 
health,  however,  and  having  no  family  to  tie  him 
down,  he  spent  much  of  his  time  in  Eastern  cities. 
About  r832  he  changed  his  residence  to  Philadel- 
phia, where  he  died  July  7,  1868,  and  is  buried  at 
Woodland,  near  that  city. 


LI3RARY 
CF  THE 
L':!1VERSITY  OF  ILLI»'' 


6- c^-ti/ti^^Ji, 


::?=^ 


GOl'ERyORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


"9 


!V  i  11  i  a  11  E  d  a\  a  i^  d  ss . 


h%^^#^->»- 


INIAN  EDWARDS,  Governor 
1)  from  1827  to  1830,  was  a  sou 
')^  of  Benjamin  Edwards,  and 
was  born  in  Montgomer)- 
o  County,  Maryland,  in  March, 
~'  .*;  1775-  His  domestic  train- 
"^  ft-  ^  ing  was  well  fitted  to  give 
his  mind  strength,  firmness  and 
hor.orable  principles,  and  a  good 
foundation  was  laid  for  the  elevated 
character  to  which  he  afterwards 
attained.  His  parents  were  Bap- 
tists, and  very  strict  in  their  moral 
piinciples.  His  education  in  early 
youth  was  in  company  with  and 
partly  under  the  tuition  of  Hon.  Wm. 
Wirt,  whom  his  father  patronized^ 
and  who  was  more  than  two  years 
older.  An  intimacy  was  thus 
formid  between  them  which  was  lasting  for  life.  He 
was  further  educated  at  Dickinson  College,  at  Car- 
lisle, Pa.  He  ne.xt  commenced  the  study  of  law,  but 
before  completing  his  course  he  moved  to  Nelson 
County,  Ky.,  to  open  a  fami  for  his  father  and  to 
purchase  homes  and  locate  lands  for  his  brothers  and 
sisters.  Here  he  fell  in  the  company  of  dissolute 
companions,  and  for  several  years  led  the  life  of  a 
spendthrift.  He  was,  however,  elected  to  the  Legis- 
lature of  Kentucky  as  the  Representative  of  Nelson 
County  before  he  was  2 1  years  of  age,  and  was  re- 
elected by  an  almost  unanimous  vote. 


In  1798  he  was  licensed  to  practice  law,  and  the 
following  year  was  admitted  to  the  Courts  of  Tennes- 
see. About  this  time  he  left  Nelson  County  for 
Russellville,  in  Logan  County,  broke  away  from  his 
dissolute  companions,  commenced  a  reformation  and 
devoted  himself  to  severe  and  laborious  study.  He 
then  began  to  rise  rapidly  in  his  profession,  and  soon 
became  an  eminent  lawyer,  and  inside  of  four  years 
he  filled  in  succession  the  offices  of  Presiding  Judge 
of  the  General  Court,  Circuit  Judge,  fourth  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals  and  Chief  Justice  of  the  State, 
— all  before  he  was  32  years  of  age!  In  addition,  in 
1S02,  he  received  a  commission  as  Major  of  a  battal- 
ion of  Kentucky  militia,  and  in  1S04  was  chosen  a 
Presidential  Elector,  on  the  Jefferson  and  Clinton 
ticket.  In  1806  he  was  a  candidate  for  Congress, 
but  withdrew  on  being  promoted  to  the  Court  of 
Appeals. 

Illinois  was  organized  as  a  separate  Territory  in 
the  spring  of  1809,  when  Mr.  Edwards,  then  Chief 
Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  in  Kentucky,  received 
from  President  Madison  the  ap[X)intment  as  Gover- 
nor of  the  new  Territory,  his  commission  bearing  date 
.\pril  24,  1809.  Edwards  arrived  at  Kaskaskia  in 
June,  and  on  the  i  ith  of  that  month  took  the  oath  of 
office.  At  tiie  same  time  lie  was  apixsinted  Superin- 
tendent of  the  United  States  Saline,  this  Government 
interest  then  developing  into  considerable  proportions 
in  Southern  Illinois.  Although  during  the  first  three 
years  of  his  administration  he  had  the  power  to  make 
new  counties  and  appoint  all  the  officers,  yet  he  always 
allowed  the  people  of  each  county,  by  an   informal 


4^ 


A 


—  ,tTZ . 

NINIAN  EDWARDS. 


vote,  to  select  their  own  officers,  both  civil  and  mili- 
tary. The  noted  John  J.  Crittenden,  afterward 
United  States  Senator  from  Kentucky,  was  appointed 
by  Gov.  Edwards  to  the  office  of  Attorney  General  of 
the  Territory,  which  office  was  accepted  for  a  short 
time  only. 

The  Indians  in  iSio  committing  sundry  depreda- 
tions in  the  Territory,  crossing  the  Mississippi  from 
the  Territory  of  Louisiana,  a  long  correspondence  fol- 
lowed between  the  respective  Governors  concerning 
the  remedies,  which  ended  in  a  council  with  the  sav- 
ages at  Peoria  in  1812,  and  a  fresh  interpretation  of 
the  treaties.  Peoria  was  depopulated  by  these  de- 
predations, and  was  not  re-settled  for  many  .years 
afterward. 

As  Gov.  Edwards'  term  of  office  expired  by  law  in 
1812,  he  was  re-appointed  for  another  term  of  three 
years,  and  again  in  1815  for  a  third  term,  serving 
until  the  organization  of  the  State  in  the  fall  of  18 18 
and  the  inauguration  of  Gov.  Bond.  At  this  time 
'  ex-Gov.  Edwards  was  sent  to  the  United  States 
Senate,  his  colleague  being  Jesse  B.  Thomas.  As 
Senator,  Mr.  Edwards  took  a  conspicuous  part,  and 
acquitted  himself  lionorably  in  all  the  measures  that 
came  up  in  that  body,  being  well  posted,  an  able  de- 
bater and  a  conscientious  statesman.  He  thought 
seriously  of  resigning  this  situation  in  1821,  but  was 
persuaded  by  his  old  friend,  Wm.  Wirt,  and  others  to 
continue  in  office,  which  he  did  to  the  end  of  the 
term. 

He  was  then  appointed  Minister  to  Mexico  by 
President  Monroe.  About  this  time,  it  appears  that 
Mr.  Edwards  saw  suspicious  signs  in  the  conduct  of 
Wm.  H.  Crawford,  Secretary  of  the  United  States 
Treasury,  and  an  ambitious  candidate  for  the  Presi- 
dency, and  being  implicated  by  the  latter  in  some  of 
his  statements,  he  resigned  his  Mexican  mission  in 
order  fully  to  investigate  the  charges.  The  result 
was  the  exculpation  of  Mr.  Edwards. 

Pro-slavery  regulations,  often  termed  "Black  Laws," 
disgraced  the  statute  books  of  both  the  Territory  and 
the  State  of  Illinois  during  tlie  whole  of  his  career  in 
this  commonwealth,  and  Mr.  Edwards  always  main- 
tained the  doctrines  of  freedom,  and  was  an  important 
actor  in  the  great  struggle  which  ended  in  a  victory 
for  his  party  in  1824. 

In  1826-7  the  Winnebago  and  other  Indians  com- 
mitted some  depredations  in  the  northern  part  of  the 


State,  and  the  white  setders,  who  desired  the  lands 
and  wished  to  exasperate  the  savages  into  an  evacu- 
ation of  the  country,  magnified  the  misdemeanors  of 
the  aborigines  and  thereby  produced  a  hostility  be- 
tween the  races  so  great  as  to  precipitate  a  little  war, 
known  in  history  as  the  "Winnebago  War."  A  few 
chases  and  skirmishes  were  had,  when  Gen.  Atkinson 
succeeded  in  capturing  Red  Bird,  the  Indian  chief, 
and  putting  him  to  death,  thus  ending  the  contest,  at 
least  until  the  troubles  commenced  which  ended  in 
the  "  Black  Hawk  War  "  of  1832.  In  the  interpre- 
tation of  treaties  and  execution  of  their  provisions 
Gov.  Edwards  had  much  vexatious  work  to  do.  The 
Indians  kept  themselves  generally  within  the  juris- 
diction of  Michigan  Territory,  and  its  Governor, 
Lewis  Cass,  was  at  a  point  so  remote  that  ready  cor- 
respondence with  him  was  difficult  or  impossible. 
Gov.  Edwards'  administration,  however,  in  regard  to 
the  protection  of  the  Illinois  frontier,  seems  to  have 
been  very  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

For  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  after  his  re- 
moval to  Illinois,  Gov.  Edwards  resided  upon  his 
farm  near  Kaskaskia,  which  he  had  well  stocked  with 
horses,  cattle  and  sheep  from  Kentucky,  also  with  1  • 
fruit-trees,  grape-vines  and  shrubbery.  He  estab- 
lished saw  and  grist-mills,  and  engaged  extensively 
in  mercantile  business,  having  no  less  than  eight  or  ten 
stores  in  this  State  and  Missouri.  Notwithstanding 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  he  nearly  always  pur- 
chased the  goods  himself  with  which  to  supply  the 
stores.  Although  not  a  regular  practitioner  of  medi- 
cine, he  studied  the  healing  art  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, and  took  great  pleasure  in  prescribing  for,  and 
taking  care  of,  the  sick,  generally  without  charge. 
He  was  also  liberal  to  the  poor,  several  widows  and 
ministers  of  the  gospel  becoming  indebted  to  him 
even  for  their  homes. 

He  married  Miss  Elvira  Lane,  of  Maryland,  in 
1803,  and  they  became  the  affectionate  parents  of 
several  children,  one  of  whom,  especially,  is  well 
known  to  the  people  of  the  "  Prairie  State,"  namely, 
Ninian  Wirt  Edwards,  once  the  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction  and  still  a  resident  of  Springfield. 
Gov.  Edwards  resided  at  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Kas- 
kaskia from  1809  to  1818;  in  Edwardsville  (named 
after  him)  from  that  time  to  1824;  and  from  the  lat- 
ter date  at  Belleville,  St.  Clair  County,  until  his 
death,  July  20,  1833,  of  Asiatic  cliolera.  Edwards 
County  is  als«  named  in  his  honor. 


CF  THE 
i:!lVERSITy  OF  ILLIV- 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


-^^k^ 


123 


->I  * 


|:OHN  REYNOLDS,  Governor  183 1- 
4.  was  born  in  Montgomery  Coun- 
ty, Pennsylvania,  Feb.  26,  1788. 
His  father,  Robert  Reynolds  and 
is  mother,  me  Margaret  Moore, 
were  both  natives  of  Ireland,  from 
which  country  they  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  in  1785,  land- 
ing at  Philadelphia.  The  senior 
Reynolds  entertained  an  undying 
hostility  to  the  British  Govem- 
ment.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  about  six  months  old, 
his  parents  emigrated  with  him  to 
Tennessee,  where  many  of  their 
relatives  had  already  located,  at  the  base  of  the 
Gspper  Ridge  Mountain,  about  14  miles  northeast  of 
the  present  city  of  Knoxville.  There  they  were  ex- 
posed to  Indian  depredations,  and  were  much  molest- 
ed by  them.  In  1794  they  moved  into  the  interior 
of  the  State.  They  were  ixx)r,  and  brought  up  their 
children  to  habits  of  manual  industr)'. 

In  1 800  the  family  removed  to  Kaskaskia,  111.,  with 
eight  horses  and  two  wagons,  encountering  many 
hardships  on  the  way.  Here  young  Reynolds  passed 
the  most  of  his  childhood,  while  his  character  began 
to  develop,  the  most  prominent  traits  of  which  were 
ambition  and  energy.  He  also  .idopted  the  princi|jle 
and  practice  of  total  abstinence  from  intoxicating 
liquors.     In  1807  the  family  made  another  removal, 


•>^ — »-H- 


this  time  to  the  "  Goshen  Settlement,"  at  the  foot  of 
the  Mississippi  bluffs  three  or  four  miles  southwest 
of  Edwardsville. 

On  arriving  at  his  20th  year,  Mr.  Reynolds,  seeing 
that  he  must  look  about  for  his  own  livelihood  and 
not  yet  having  determined  what  calling  to  pursue, 
concluded  first  to  attend  college,  and  he  accordingly 
went  to  such  an  institution  of  learning,  near  Knox- 
ville, Tenn.,  where  he  had  relatives.  Imagine  his 
diffidence,  when,  after  passing  the  first  20  years  of 
his  life  without  ever  having  seen  a  carpet,  a  papered 
wall  or  a  Windsor  chair,  and  never  having  lived  in  a 
shingle-roofed  house,  he  suddenly  ushered  himself 
into  the  society  of  the  wealtliy  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville!  He  attended  college  nearly  two  years, 
going  through  the  principal  Latin  authors;  but  it 
seems  that  he,  like  the  rest  of  the  world  in  modern 
tinies,  had  but  very  little  use  for  his  Latin  in  after 
life.  He  always  failed,  indeed,  to  exhibit  any  good 
degree  of  literary  disciplme.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  law  in  Knoxville,  but  a  pulmonary  trouble 
came  on  and  compelled  him  to  change  his  mode 
of  life.  Accordingly  he  returned  home  and  re- 
cuperated, and  in  1812  resumed  his  college  and 
law  studies  at  Knoxville.  In  the  fall  of  1812  he  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar  at  Kaskaskia.  About  this  time 
he  also  learned  the  French  language,  wliich  he 
practiced  with  pleasure  in  conversation  with  his 
family  for  many  years.  He  regarded  this  language 
as  being  superior  to  all  others  for  social   intercourse. 


n^^i 


-^ 


-^4 


^ 


124 


JOHN  REYNOLDS. 


From  his  services  in  the  West,  in  the  war  of  181 2, 
he  obtained  the  sobriquet  of  the  "  Old  Ranger."  He 
was  Orderly  Sergeant,  then  Judge  Advocate. 

Mr.  Reynolds  opened  his  first  law  office  in  the 
winter  and  spring  of  1814,  inthe  French  village  of 
Cahokia,  then  the  capital  of  St.  Clair  County. 

In  the  fall  of  18 18  he  was  elected  an  Associate 
Justice  upon  the  Supreme  Bench  by  the  General 
Assembly.  In  1825  he  entered  more  earnestly  than 
ever  into  the  practice  of  law,  and  the  very  next  year 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  where  he 
acted  independently  of  all  cliques  and  private  inter- 
ests. In  1828  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  were  for 
the  first  time  distinctively  organized  as  such  in  Illi- 
nois, and  the  usual  party  bitterness  grew  up  and 
raged  on  all  sides,  while  Mr.  Reynolds  preserved  a 
judicial  calmness  and  moderation.  The  real  animus 
of  the  campaign  was  "  Jackson  "  and  "  anti-Jackson," 
the  former  party  carrying  the  State. 

In  August,  1830,  Mr.  Reynolds  was  elected  Gov- 
ernor, amid  great  excitement.  Installed  in  office,  he 
did  all  within  his  power  to  advance  the  cause  of  edu- 
cation, internal  improvements,  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal,  the  harbor  at  Chicago,  settling  the  coun- 
try, etc.;  also  reccmmended  the  winding  up  of  the 
State  Bank,  as  its  affairs  had  become  dangerously 
complicated.  In  his  national  politics,  he  was  a 
moderate  supporter  of  General  Jackson.  But  the 
T  most  celebrated  event  of  his  gubernatorial  admin- 
istration was  the  Black  Hawk  War,  which  occurred 
in  1832.  He  called  out  the  militia  and  prosecuted 
.the  contest  with  commendable  diligence,  appearing 
in  person  on  the  battle-grounds  during  the  most 
critical  periods.  He  was  recognized  by  the  President 
as  Major-General,  and  authorized  by  him  to  make 
treaties  with  the  Indians.  By  the  assistance  of  the 
general  Government  the  war  was  terminated  without 
much  bloodshed,  but  after  many  serious  fights.  This 
war,  as  well  as  everything  else,  was  materially  re- 
tarded by  the  occurrence  of  Asiatic  cholera  in  the 
West.  This  was  its  first  appearance  here,  and  was 
the  next  event  in  prominence  during  Gov.  Reynolds' 
term. 

South  Carolina  nullification  coming  up  at  this  time, 
it  was  heartily  condemned  by  both  President  Jackson 
and  Gov.  Reynolds,  who  took  precisely  the  same 
grounds  as  the  Unionists  in  the  last  war. 

On  the  termination  of  his  gubernatorial  term  in 
1834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  Member  of  Con- 
gress, still  considering  himself  a  backwoodsman,  as 
he  had  scarcely  been  outside  of  the  State  since  he 
became  of  age,  and  had  spent  nearly  all  his  youthful 
days  in  the  wildest  region  of  the  frontier.  His  first 
move  in  Congress  was  to  adopt  a  resolution  that  in 
all  elections  made  by  the  House  for  officers  the  votes 
should  be  given  viva  voce,  each  member  in  his  place 
naming  aloud  the  person  for  whom  he  votes.  This 
created  considerable   heated  discussion,  but  was  es- 


sentially adopted,  and  remained  the  controlling  prin- 
ciple for  many  years.  The  ex-Governor  was  scarcely 
absent  from  his  seat  a  single  day,  during  eight  ses- 
sions of  Congress,  covering  a  period  of  seven  years, 
and  he  never  vacillated  in  a  party  vote;  but  he  failed 
to  get  the  Democratic  party  to  foster  his  "  National 
Road"  scheme.  He  says,  in  "  My  Own  Times  "  (a 
large  autobiography  he  published),  that  it  was  only 
by  rigid  economy  that  he  avoided  insolvency  while  in 
Washington.  During  his  sojourn  in  that  city  he  was 
married,  to  a  lady  of  the  i)lace. 

In  1837,  while  out  of  Congress,  and  in  company 
with  a  few  others,  he  built  the  first  railroad  in  the 
Mississippi  Valley,  namely,  one  about  six  miles  long, 
leading  from  his  coal  mine  in  the  Mississippi  bluff  to 
the  bank  of  the  river  opposite  St.  Louis.  Having  not 
the  means  to  purchase  a  locomotive,  they  operated  it 
by  horse-iX3wer.  The  next  spring,  however,  the  com- 
pany sold  out,  at  great  sacrifice. 

In  1S39  the  ex-Governor  was  appointed  one  of  the 
Canal  Commissioners,  and  authorized  to  borrow 
money  to  prosecute  the  enterprise.  Accord' ngly,  he 
repaired  to  Philadelphia  and  succeeding  in  obtaining 
a  million  dollars,  which,  however,  was  only  a  fourth 
of  what  was  wanted.  The  same  year  lie  and  his 
wife  made  at  our  of  Europe.  This  year,  also,  Mr. 
Reynolds  had  the  rather  awkward  little  responsibility 
of  introducing  to  President  Van  Buren  the  noted 
Mormon  Prophet,  Joseph  Smith,  as  a  "  Latter-Day 
Saint!" 

In  1846  Gov.  Reynolds  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  from  St.  Clair  County,  more  particu- 
larly for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  a  feasible  charter 
for  a  macadamized  road  from  Belleville  to  St.  Louis, 
a  distance  of  nearly  14  miles.  This  was  immediately 
built,  and  was  the  first  road  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
He  was  again  elected  to  the  Legislature  in  1852,  when 
he  was  chosen  Speaker  of  the  House.  In  i860,  aged 
and  infirm,  he  attended  the  National  Democratic 
Convention  at  Charleston,  S.  C  ,  as  an  anti-Douglas 
Delegate,  where  he  received  more  attention  from  the 
Southern  Delegates  than  any  other  member.  He 
supported  Breckenridge  for  the  Presidency.  After 
the  October  elections  foreshadowed  the  success  of 
Lincoln,  he  published  an  address  urging  the  Demo- 
crats to  rally  to  the  support  of  Douglas.  Immedi- 
ately preceding  and  during  the  late  war,  his  corre- 
spondence evinced  a  clear  sympathy  for  the  .Southern 
secession,  and  about  the  first  of  March,  1861,  he 
urged  upon  the  Buchanan  officials  the  seizure  of  the 
treasure  and  arms  in  the  custom-house  and  arsenal 
at  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Reynolds  was  a  rather  talkative 
man,  and  apt  in  all  the  Western  phrases  and  catch- 
words that  ever  gained  currency,  besides  many  cun- 
ning and  odd  ones  of  his  own  manufacture. 

He  was  married  twice,  but  had  no  children.  He 
died  in  Belleville,  in  May,  1865,  just  after  the  close 
of  the  war. 


'Xl 


CF  THE 
I  "iVERSITY  OF  ILLI^"- 


j__T» 


GOVERNORS  OF  TLLTNOIS. 


'27 


ILLIAM    LEE    D.    EWING, 
,  -  Governor  of  Illinois  Nov.  3 
J    :   '.o  17,  1834,  was  a  native 
\M'L.  01  Kentucky,  and  probably 
fff      of  Scotch  ancestry.  He  had 
a  fine  education,  was  a  gentle- 
man of  pwlished  manners  and 
„      ......^>_.    i^,.iinient.      In    1S30  John  Rey- 

.^^^    nolds  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State, 
'^P^    and   Zadok   Casey    Lieutenant   Governor, 
r^B^    and  for  the  principal  events  that  followed, 
''W      ^"'^  ^^^  characteristics  of  the  times,  see 
l-^    sketch  of  Gov.  Reynolds.     The  first  we 
v,JV     see  in  history  concerning  Mr.  Ewing,  in- 
y         forms  us  that  he  was  a  Receiver  of  Public 
..i^7,ieys  at  Vandalia  soon  after  the  organization  of 
this  State,  and  that  the  public  moneys  in  his  hands 
were  deposited  in  various  banks,  as  they  are   usually 
at  the  present  day.     In    1823  the  State  Bank  was 
robbed,  by  which  disaster  .Mr.  Ewing  lost  a  thousand- 
dollar  deposit. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  a  commission  as 
Colonel  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  in  emergencies 
he  acted  also  as  Major.  In  the  summer  of  1832, 
when  it  was  rumored  among  the  whites  that  Black 
Hawk  and  his  men  had  encamped  somewhere  on 
Rock  River,  Gen.  Henry  was  sent  on  a  tour  of 
reconnoisance,  and  with  orders  to  drive  the  Indians 
from  the  State.  After  some  opjwsition  from  his 
subordinate  officers,  Henry  resolved  to  proceed  up 
Rock  River  in  search  of  the  enemy.  On  the  19th  of 
July,  early  in  the   morning,   five  baggage    wagons, 


camp  equipage  and  all  heavy  and  cumbersome  arti- 
cles were  piled  up  and  left,  so  that  the  army  might 
make  speedy  and  forced  marches.  For  some  miles 
the  travel  was  exceedingly  bad,  crossing  swamps 
and  the  worst  thickets;  but  the  large,  fresh  trail 
gave  life  and  animation  to  the  .\mericans.  Gen. 
Dodge  and  Col.  Ewing  were  both  actmg  as  Majors, 
and  comix)sed  the  "  spy  corps  "  or  vanguard  of  the 
army.  It  is  supposed  the  army  marched  nearly  50 
miles  this  day,  and  the  Indian  trail  they  followed 
became  fresher,  and  was  strewed  with  much  property'' 
and  trinkets  of  the  red-skin;  that  they  had  lost  or 
thrown  away  to  hasten  their  march.  During  the 
following  night  there  was  a  terrific  thunder-storm,  and 
the  soldiery,  with  all  their  appurtenances,  were  thor- 
oughly drenched. 

On  approaching  nearer  the  Indians  the  next  day. 
Gen.  Dodge  and  Major  Ewing,  each  commanding  a 
battalion  of  men,  were  placed  in  front  to  bring  on  the 
battle,  but  the  savages  were  not  overtaken  this  day 
Forced  marches  were  continued  until  they  reached. 
Wisconsin  River,  where  a  veritable  battle  ensued, 
resulting  in  the  death  of  about  68  of  Black  Hawk's 
men.  The  next  day  they  continued  the  chase,  and 
as  soon  as  he  discovered  the  trail  of  the  Indians 
leading  toward  the  Mississippi,  Maj,  Ewing  formed 
his  battalion  in  order  of  battle  and  awaited  the  order 
of  Gen.  Henry.  The  latter  soon  appeared  on  the 
ground  and  ordered  a  charge,  which  directly  resulted 
in  chasing  the  red  warriors  across  the  great  river. 
Maj.  Ewing  and  his  command  proved  particularly 
efficient  in  war,  as  it  seems  they  were  the  chief  actors 
in  driving  the  main  body  of  the  Sacs  and  Fo.xes,  in- 


eluding  Black  Hawk  himself,  across  the  Mississippi, 
while  Gen.  Atkinson,  commander-in-chief  of  the  ex- 
pedition, with  a  body  of  the  army,  was  hunting  for 
them  in  another  direction. 

In  the  above  affair  Maj.  Ewing  is  often  referred  to 
as  a  "General,"  which  title  he  had  derived  from  his 
connection  with  the  militia. 

It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year  (1832) 
that  Lieutenant  Governor  Casey  was  elected  to  Con- 
gress and  Gen.  Ewing,  who  had  been  elected  to  the 
Senate,  was  chosen  to  preside  over  that  body.  At 
the  August  election  of  1834,  Gov.  Reynolds  was  also 
elected  to  Congress,  more  than  a  year  ahead  of  the 
time  at  which  he  could  actually  take  liis  seat,  as  was 
then  the  law.  His  predecessor,  Charles  Slade,  had 
Just  died  of  Asiatic  cholera,  soon  after  the  elec- 
tion, and  Gov.  Reynolds  was  chosen  to  serve  out  his 
unexpired  term.  Accordingly  he  set  out  for  Wash- 
ington in  November  of  that  year  to  take  his  seat  in 

'Congress,  and  Gen.  Ewing, by  virtue  of  his  office  as 
President  of  the   Senate,   became   Governor  of  the 
1  State  of  Illinois,  his  term  covering  only  a  period  of 
1^15  days,  namely,  from  the  3d  to  the  17th  days,  in- 
clusive, of  November.     On  the  17th  the  Legislature 
met,  and  Gov.  Ewing  transmitted  to  that  body  his 

i  message,  giving  a  statement  of  the  condition  of  the 
affairs  of  the  State  at  that  time,  and  urging  a  contin- 
uance of  the  policy  adopted  by  his  predecessor ;  and 
on  the  same  day  Governor  elect  Joseph  Duncan 
was  sworn  into  oflice,  thus  relieving  Mr.  Ewing  from 


the  responsible  situation.  This  is  the  only  time  that 
such  a  juncture  has  happened  in  the  history  of  Illi- 
nois. 

On  the  29th  of  December,  1835,  Gen.  Ewing  was 
elected  a  United  States  Senator  to  serve  out  the 
unexpired  term  of  Elias  Kent  Kane,  deceased.  The 
latter  gentleman  was  a  very  prominent  figure  in  the 
early  politics  of  Illinois,  and  a  county  in  this  State  is 
named  in  his  honor.  The  election  of  Gen.  Ewing  to 
the  Senate  was  a  protracted  struggle.  His  competi- 
tors were  James  Semple,  who  afterwards  held  several 
important  offices  in  this  State,  and  Richard  M. 
Young,  afterward  a  United  States  Senator  and  a 
Supreme  Judge  and  a  man  of  vast  influence.  On 
the  first  ballot  Mr.  Semple  had  25  votes,  Young  19 
and  Ewing  18.  On  the  eighth  ballot  Young  was 
dropped  ;  the  ninth  and  tenth  stood  a  tie ;  but  on 
tiie  1 2th  Ewing  received  40,  to  Semple  37,  and  was 
accordingly  declared  elected.  In  1837  Mr.  Ewing 
received  some  votes  for  a  continuance  of  his  term  in 
Congress,  when  Mr.  Young,  just  referred  to,  was 
elected.  In  1842  Mr.  Ewing  was  elected  State 
Audit-i-r  on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Ford. 

Gen.  Ewing  was  a  gentleman  of  culture,  a  lawyer 
by  profession,  and  was  much  in  public  life.  In  person 
he  was  above  medium  height  and  of  heavy  build, 
with  auburn  hair,  blue  eyes,  large-sized  head  and 
short  face.  He  was  genial,  social,  friendly  and 
affable,  with  fair  talent,  though  of  no  high  degree  of 
originality.    He  died  March  25,  1846. 


V 


LI3RARY 
CF  THE 
L.;;VERSITY  OF  ILU^'' 


^^l^^^-p^.^^-^^^^-^-^ — ^ 


a* 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'3' 


►gfs/OTTwx^a'it^, 


*cx<i>---;:i:-s^-' 


OSEPH  DUNCAN,  Governor 
1834-8,  was   born   at   Paris, 
Ky.,  Feb.  23,  1794.     At  the 
tender  age  of  19  years  he  en- 
listed in  the  war  against  Great 
Britain,   and  as  a  soldier  he 
acquitted  himself  with  credit.  He 
s  an  Ensign  under  the  daunt- 
I  s  Croghan  at  Lower  Sandusky, 

4  -'  \  '1'  ^  or  Fort  Stephenson.     In   Illinois 
l^'^Cn  ''c  first  appeared  in  a  public  capa- 
*^4*     city  as  Major-General  of  the  Militia, 
(sk^    *  position  which  his  military  fame 
M^    had   procured   him.      Subseiiuently 
re^     he    became  a   State   Senator   from 
J        Jackson  County,  and  is   honorably 
mentioned  for  introducing  the  first  bill  providing  for 
a  free-school  system.     In   1826,  when  the  redoubt- 
able John  P.  Cook,  who  had  previously  beaten   such 
men   as  John    McLean,  Elias  Kent  Kane  and  ex- 
Gov,  Bond,  came  up  for  the  fourth  time  for  Congress, 
Mr.  Duncan  was  brought  forward  against  him  by  his 
friends,  greatly  to  the  surprise  of  all  the  politicians. 
As  yet  he  was  but  little  known  in  the  State.     He  was 
an  original  Jackson  man  at  that  time,  being  attached 
to  his  political  fortune  in  admiration  of  the  glory  of 
his  militaiy  achievements.     His  chances  of  success 
against  Cook  were  generally  regarded    as  hopeless, 
but  he  entered  upon  the  campaign  undaunted.     His 
speeches,  though  short  and  devoid  of  ornament,  were 
full  of  good  sense.     He  made  a  diligent   canvass  of 
the  State,  Mr.  Cook  being  hindered  by  the  condition  of 
his  health.     The  most    that    was    expected   of   Mr. 
Duncan,  under  the  circumstances,  was  that  he  would 


obtain  a  respectable  vote,  but  without  defeating  Mr. 
Cook.  The  result  of  the  campaign,  however,  was  a 
source  of  surprise  and  amazement  to  both  friends 
and  foes,  as  Mr.  Duncan  came  out  641  votes  ahead! 
He  received  6,32 r  votes,  and  Mr.  Cook  5,680.  Un- 
til this  denouement,  the  violence  of  party  feeling 
smoldering  in  the  breasts  of  the  people  on  account 
of  the  defeat  of  Jackson,  was  not  duly  appreciated. 
Aside  from  the  great  convention  struggle  of  1824,  no 
other  than  mere  local  and  personal  considerations 
had  ever  before  controlled  an  election  in  Illinois. 

From  the  above  date  Mr.  Duncan  retained  his 
seat  in  Congress  until  his  election  as  Governor  in 
.\ugust,  1834.  The  first  and  bloodless  year  of  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  was  apix)inted  by  Gov.  Rey- 
nolds to  the  position  of  Brigadier-General  of  the 
volunteers,  and  he  conducted  ills  brigade  to  Rock 
Island.  But  he  was  absent  from  the  State,  in  Wash- 
ington, during  the  gubernatorial  campaign,  and  did 
not  personally  participate  in  it,  but  addressed  circu- 
lars to  his  constituents.  His  election  was,  indeed, 
attributed  to  the  circumstance  of  his  absence,  be- 
cause his  estrangement  from  Jackson,  formerly  his 
ixjlitical  idol,  and  also  from  the  Democracy,  largely 
in  ascendency  in  the  State,  was  complete;  but  while 
his  defection  was  well  known  to  his  Whig  friends, 
and  even  to  the  leading  Jackson  men  of  this  State, 
the  latter  were  unable  to  carry  conviction  of  that  fact 
to  the  masses,  as  mail  and  newspaper  facilities  at 
that  day  were  far  inferior  to  those  of  the  present 
time.  Of  course  the  Governor  was  much  abused 
afterward  by  the  fossilized  Jackson  men  who  re- 
garded party  lies  and  affiliations  as  above  all 
other  issues  that  could  arise ;  but  he  was  doubtless 


t 


132 


JOSEF JI  DUNCAN. 


sincere  in  his  opposition  to  the  old  hero,  as  the  latter 
had  vetoed  several  important  western  measures 
which  were  dear  to  Mr.  Duncan.  In  his  inaugural 
message  he  threw  off  the  mask  and  took  a  bold  stand 
against  the  course  of  the  President.  The  measures 
he  recommended  in  his  message,  however,  were  so 
desirable  that  the  Legislature,  although  by  a  large 
majority  consisting  of  Jackson  men,  could  not  refrain 
from  endorsing  them.  These  measures  related 
mainly  to  banks  and  internal  improvements. 

It  was  while  Mr.  Duncan  was  Governor  that  the 
people  of  Illinois  went  whirling  on  with  bank  and  in- 
ternal improvement  schemes  that  well  nigh  bank- 
rupted the  State.  The  hard  times  of  1837  came  on, 
and  the  disasters  that  attended  the  inauguration  of 
these  plans  and  the  operation  of  the  banks  were  mu- 
tually charged  upon  the  two  political  parties.  Had 
any  one  man  autocratic  power  to  introduce  and 
carry  on  any  one  of  these  measures,  he  would  proba- 
bly have  succeeded  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public ; 
but  as  many  jealous  men  had  hold  of  the  same  plow 
handle,  no  success  followed  and  each  blamed  the  other 
for  the  failure.  In  this  great  vortex  Gov.  Duncan 
fWas  carried  along,  suffering  the  like  derogation  of 
character  with  his  fellow  citizens. 

At  the  height  of  the  excitement  the  Legislature 
"provided  for"  railroads  from  Galena  to  Cairo,  Alton 
to  Shawneetown,  Alton  to  Mount  Carmel,  Alton  to  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  State  in  the  direction  of 
Terre  Haute,  Quincy  via  Springfield  to  the  Wabash, 
Bloomington  to  Pekin,  and  Peoria  to  Warsaw, — in  all 
about  1,300  miles  of  road.  It  also  provided  for  the 
improvement  of  the  navigation  of  the  Kaskaskia, 
Illinois,  Great  and  Little  Wabash  and  Rock  Rivers  ; 
also  as  a  placebo,  $200,000  in  money  were  to  be  dis- 
tributed to  the  various  counties  wherein  no  improve- 
ments were  ordered  to  be  made  as  above.  The 
estimate  for  the  expenses  for  all  these  projects  was 
placed  at  a  little  over  $10,000,000,  which  was  not 
more  than  half  enough !  That  would  now  be  equal  to 
saddling  upon  the  State  a  debt  of  $225,000,000!  It 
was  sufficient  to  bankrupt  the  State  several  times 
over,   even   counting  all  the  possible  benefits. 

One  of  the  most  exciting  events  that  ever  occurred 
in  this  fair  State  was  the  murder  of  Elijah  P.  Love- 
joy  in  the  fall  of  1837,  at  Alton,  during  Mr.  Duncan's 
term  as  Governor.  Lovejoy  was  an  "  Abolitionist," 
editing  the  Observer  at  that  place,  and  the  pro- 
slavery  slums  there  formed  themselves  into  a  mob, 


and  after  destroying  successively  three  presses  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Lovejoy,  surrounded  the  warehouse 
where  the  fourth  press  was  stored  away,  endeavoring 
to  destroy  it,  and  where  Lovejoy  and  his  friends 
were  entrenching  themselves,  and  shot  and  killed  the 
brave  reformer! 

About  this  time,  also,  the  question  of  removing  the 
State  capital  again  came  up,  as  the  20  years'  limit  for 
its  existence  at  Vandalia  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
There  was,  of  course,  considerable  excitement  over 
the  ijiatter,  the  two  main  points  competing  for  it  be- 
ing Springfield  and  Peoria.  The  jealousy  of  the  lat- 
ter place  is  not  even  yet,  45  years  afterward,  fully 
allayed. 

Gov.  Duncan's  term  expired  in  1838.  In  1842 
he  was  again  proposed  as  a  candidate  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  this  time  by  the  Whig  party,  against  Adam 
W.  Snyder,  of  St.  Clair  County,  the  nominee  of  the 
Democrats.  Charles  W.  Hunter  was  a  third  candi- 
date for  the  same  position.  Mr.  Snyder,  however,  died 
before  the  campaign  had  advanced  very  far,  and  his 
party  substituted  Thomas  Ford,  who  was  elected, 
receiving  46,9or  votes,  to  38,584  for  Duncan,  and 
909  for  Hunter.  The  cause  of  Democratic  success  »( 
at  this  time  is  mainly  attributed  to  the  temporary 
support  of  the  Mormons  which  they  enjoyed,  and  the 
want  of  any  knowledge,  on  the  part  of  the  masses, 
that  Mr.  Ford  was  opposed  to  any  given  ix)licy  en- 
tertained in  the  respective  localities. 

Gov.  Duncan  was  a  man  of  rather  limited  educa- 
tion, but  with  naturally  fine  abilities  he  profited 
greatly  by  his  various  public  services,  and  gathered 
a  store  of  knowledge  regarding  public  affairs  which 
served  him  a  ready  purpose.  He  possessed  a  clear 
judgment,  decision,  confidence  in  himself  and  moral 
courage  to  carry  out  his  convictions  of  right.  In  his 
deportment  he  was  well  adapted  to  gain  the  admira- 
tion of  the  people.  His  intercourse  with  them  was 
both  affable  and  dignified.  His  portrait  at  the  Gov- 
ernor's mansion,  from  which  the  accompanying  was 
made,  represents  him  as  having  a  swarthy  complex- 
ion, high  cheek  bones,  broad  forehead,  piercing  black 
eyes  and  straight  black  hair. 

He  was  a  liberal  patron  of  the  Illinois  College  at 
Jacksonville,  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  and 
died,  after  a  short  illness,  Jan.  15,  1844,  a  devoted 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  leaving  a  wife 
but  no  children.  Two  children,  born  to  them,  had 
died  in  infancy. 


•J<rz. 


LIBRARY 
CF  THE 
flSVERSlTY  OF  ILU^' 


SIW^ 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


•35 


HOMAS  CARLIN,  the  sixth 
Governor  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  serving  from  1838 
to  1842,  was  also  a  Ken- 
tuckian,  being  bom  near 
Frankfort,  that  State,  July 
J  ,^15  [  rS,  1789,  of  Irish  paternity. 

Wvi'j;;;  ?"  The  opportunities  for  an  education 
being  very  meager  in  his  native 
place,  he,  on  approaching  years  of 
judoment  and  maturity,  applied 
himself  to  those  branches  of  learn- 
ing that  seemed  most  important, 
and  thus  became  a  self-made  man  ; 
and  his  taste  for  reading  and 
study  remained  with  him  through 
life.  In  1803  his  father  removed 
to  Missouri,  then  a  part  of  "  New  Spain,"  where  he 
died  in  18 10. 

In  181 2  young  Carlin  came  to  Illinois  and  partici- 
pated in  all  the  "ranging"  service  incident  to  the 
war  of  that  period,  proving  himself  a  soldier  of  un- 
daunted bravery.  In  1814  he  married  Rebecca 
Huitt,  and  lived  for  four  years  on  the  bank  of  the 
Mississippi  River,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
souri, where  he  followed  farming,  and  then  removed 
to  Greene  County.  He  located  the  town  site  of  Car- 
roUton,  in  that  county,  and  in  1825  made  a  liberal 
donation  of  land  for  county  building  purjxjses.  He 
was  the  first  Sheriff  of  that  county  after  its  separate 
organization,  and  afterward  was  twice  elected,  as  a 
Jackson  Democrat,  to  the  Illinois  Senate.  In  the 
Black  Hawk  War  he  commanded  a  spy  battalion,  a 
post  of  considerable  danger.  In  1834  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Jackson  to  the  position  of 
Receiver  of  Public  Moneys,  and  to  fulfill  the  office   ' 

-x 


more  conveniently  he  removed  to  the  city  of  Quincy. 

While,  in  1838,  the  unwieldy  internal  improvement 
system  of  the  State  was  in  full  operation,  with  all  its 
expensive  machinery,  amidst  bank  suspensions 
throughout  the  United  States,  a  great  stringency  in 
the  money  market  everywhere,  and  Illinois  bonds 
forced  to  sale  at  a  heavy  discount,  and  the  "  hardest 
limes "  existing  that  the  people  of  the  Prairie  State 
ever  saw,  the  general  election  of  State  officers  was 
approaching.  Discreet  men  who  had  cherished  the 
hope  of  a  speedy  subsidence  of  the  public  infatua- 
tion, met  with  disappointment.  A  Governor  and 
Legislature  were  to  be  elected,  and  these  were  now 
looked  forward  to  for  a  repeal  of  the  ruinous  State 
policy.  But  the  grand  scheme  had  not  yet  lost  its 
dazzling  influence  u]X)n  the  minds  of  the  people. 
Time  and  experience  had  not  yet  fully  demonstrated 
its  utter  absurdity.  Hence  tlie  (juestion  of  arresting 
its  career  of  profligate  expenditures  did  not  become 
a  leading  one  with  the  dominant  party  during  the 
campaign,  and  most  of  the  old  members  of  the  Leg- 
islature were  returned  at  this  election. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  Democrats,  in  State 
Convention  assembled,  nominated  Mr.  Carlin  for  the 
office  of  Governor,  and  S.  H.  .\ndorson  for  Lieuten- 
ant Governor,  while  the  Whigs  nominated  Cyrus  FaI- 
wards,  brother  of  Ninian  Kdwards,  formeriy  Governor, 
and  W.  H.  Davidson.  Edwards  came  out  strongly 
for  a  continuance  of  the  State  jwlicy,  while  Cariin 
remained  non-committal.  Tiiis  was  the  first  time 
that  the  two  main  ixjlitical  parties  in  this  State  were 
unembarrassed  by  any  third  party  in  the  field.  The 
result  of  the  election  was:  Cariin,  35,573;  Ander- 
son, 30,335;  Edwards,  29,629;  and  Davidson,  28,- 

U|ion  the  meeting  of  the  subsequent  Legislature 
(1839),  the  retiring  Governor  (Duncan)  in   his  raes- 


4-9- 


<r¥ 


136 


— . ,r:^:=r~ 

THOMAS  CARLIN. 


sage  spoke  in  emphatic  terms  of  the  impolicy  of  the 
internal  improvement  system,  presaging  the  evils 
threatened,  and  uiged  that  body  to  do  their  utmost 
to  correct  the  great  error ;  yet,  on  the  contrary,  the 
Legislature  not  only  decided  to  continue  the  policy 
but  also  added  to  its  burden  by  voting  more  appro- 
priations and  ordering  more  improvements.  Although 
the  money  market  was  still  stringent,  a  further  loan 
of  $4,000,000  was  ordered  for  the  Illinois  &  Mich- 
igan Canal  alone.  Cn-'cago  at  that  time  began  to 
loom  up  and  promise  to  be  an  important  city,  even 
the  great  emporium  of  the  West,  as  it  has  since  in- 
deed came  to  be.  Ex-Gov.  Reynolds,  an  incompe- 
tent financier,  was  commissioned  to  effect  the  loan, 
and  accordingly  hastened  to  the  East  on  this  respons- 
ible errand,  and  negotiated  the  loans,  at  considera- 
ble sacrifice  to  the  State.  Besides  this  embarrassment 
to  Carlin's  administration,  the  Legislature  also  de- 
clared that  he  had  no  authority  to  appoint  a  Secretary 
of  State  until  a  vacancy  existed,  and  A.  P.  Field,  a 
Whig,  who  had  already  held  the  post  by  appointment 
I  through  three  administrations,  was  determined  to 
I  ,  keep  the  place  a  while  longer,  in  spite  of  Gov.  Car- 
lin's  preferences.  The  coarse  of  the  Legislature  in 
this  regard,  however,  was  finally  sustained  by  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  a  quo  7vananto  case  brought  up 
before  it  by  John  A.  McClernand,  whom  the  Gov- 
ernor had  nominated  for  the  office.  Thereupon  that 
dignified  body  was  denounced  as  a  "Whig  Court!" 
endeavoring  to  establish  the  principle  of  life-tenure 
of  office. 

A  new  law  was  adopted  re-organizing  the  Judici- 
ary, and  under  it  five  additional  Supreme  Judges 
were  elected  by  the  Legislature,  namely,  Thomas 
Ford  (afterward  Governor),  Sidney  Breese,  Walter  B. 
Scates,  Samuel  H.  Treat  and  Stephen  A.  Douglas — 
all  Democrats. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Carhu's  administration  that  the 
noisy  campaign  of  "Tippecanoe  and  Tyler  too"  oc- 
curred, resulting  in  a  ^Vhig  victory.  This,  however, 
did  not  affect  Illinois  politics  very  seriously. 

Another  prominent  event  in  the  West  during  Gov. 
Carlin's  term  of  office  was  the  excitement  caused  by 
the  Mormons  and  their  removal  from  Independence, 
Mo.,  to  Nauvoo,  111.,  in  1840.  At  the  same  time 
they  began  to  figure  somewhat  in  State  politics.  On 
account  of  their  believing — as  they  thought,  accord- 
ing to  the  New  Testament — that   they  should   have 


"all  things  common,"  and  that  consequently  "all 
the  earth  "  and  all  that  is  upon  it  were  the"  Lord's  " 
and  therefore  the  property  of  his  "  saints,"  tliey 
were  suspected,  and  correctly,  too,  of  committing 
many  of  the  deeds  of  larceny,  robbery,  etc.,  that 
were  so  rife  throughout  this  country  in  those  days. 
Hence  a  feeling  of  violence  grew  up  between  the 
Mormons  and  "anti-Mormons."  In  the  State  of 
Missouri  the  Mormons  always  supported  the  Dem- 
ocracy until  they  were  driven  out  by  the  Democratic 
government,  when  they  turned  their  support  to  the 
Whigs.  They  were  becoming  numerous,  and  in  the 
Legislature  of  1840-1,  therefore,  it  became  a  matter 
of  great  interest  with  both  parties  to  conciliate  these 
people.  Through  the  agency  of  one  John  C.  Ben- 
nett, a  scamp,  the  Mormons  succeeded  in  rushing 
through  the  Legislature  (both  parties  not  daring  to 
oppose)  a  charter  for  the  city  of  Nauvoo  which  vir- 
tually erected  a  hierarcliy  co-ordinate  with  the  Fed- 
eral Government  itself.  In  the  fall  of  1841  the 
Governor  of  Missouri  made  a  demand  upon  Gov. 
Carlin  for  the  body  of  Joe  Smith,  the  Mormon  leader, 
as  a  fugitive  from  justice.  Gov.  Carlin  issued  the 
writ,  but  for  some  reason  it  was  returned  unserved.  I  * 
It  was  again  issued  in  1842,  and  Smith  was  arrested, 
but  was  either  rescued  by  his  followers  or  discharged 
by  the  municipal  court  on  a  writ  of  habeas  corpus. 

In  December,  1841,  the  Democratic  Convention 
nominated  .^dam  W.  Snyder,  of  Belleville,  for  Gov- 
ernor. As  he  had  been,  as  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, rather  friendly  to  the  Mormons,  the  latter 
naturally  turned  their  support  to  the  Democratic 
party.  The  next  spring  the  Whigs  nominated  Ex- 
Gov.  Duncan  for  the  same  office.  In  the  meantime 
the  Mormons  began  to  grow  more  odious  to  the 
masses  of  the  people,  and  the  comparative  prospects 
of  tlie  respective  parties  for  success  became  very 
problematical.  Mr.  Snyder  died  in  May,  and 
Thomas  Ford,  a  Supreme  Judge,  was  substituted  as 
a  candidate,  and  was  elected. 

At  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term,  Mr.  Carlin 
removed  back  to  his  old  home  at  CarroUton,  where 
he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life,  as  before  his  ele- 
vation to  office,  in  agricultural  pursuits.  In  1849 
he  served  out  the  unexpired  term  of  J.  D.  Fry  in  the 
Illinois  House  of  Representatives,  and  died  Feb.  4, 
1852,  at  his  residence  at  CarroUton,  leaving  a  wife 
and  seven  children. 


<% 


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inRARY 

CF  THE 

i:!!VERSITY  OF  ILUNC^S 


"^^^SWP^T^ 


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a 


-— — — -^-_— — . 

Gi.>  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


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ssr^s«rs^ 


£S- 


-NiHOMAS  FORD,  Governor 
from  1S42  to  1S46,  and  au- 
thor of  a  very  interesting 
histor)'  of  Illinois,  was  born 
at  Uniontown.  Pa.,  in  the 
year  1 800.  His  mother,  after 
the  death  of  her  first  hus- 
band (Mr.  Forquer),  married  Rob- 
ert Ford,  who  was  killed  in  1802, 
by  the  Indians  in  the  mountains 
of  Pennsylvania.  She  was  conse- 
quently left  in  indigent  circum- 
stances, with  a  large  family,  mostly 
girls.  With  a  view  to  better  her 
condition,  she,  in  1 804,  removed  to 
Missouri,  where  it  had  been  cus- 
tomary by  the  Spanish  Govern- 
ment to  give  land  to  actual  settlers;  but  upon  her 
arrival  at  St.  Louis  she  found  the  country  ceded  to 
the  United  States,  and  the  liberal  policy  toward  set- 
tlers changed  by  the  new  ownership.  After  some 
sickness  to  herself  and  family,  she  finally  removed  to 
Illinois,  and  settled  some  three  miles  south  of  Water- 
loo, but  the  following  year  moved  nearer  the  Missis- 
sippi  bluffs.     Here   young    Ford    received    his  first 


-r^ 


schooling,  under  the  instructions  of  a  Mr.  Humphrey, 
for  which  he  had  to  walk  three  miles.  His  mother, 
though  lacking  a  thorough  education,  was  a  woman 
of  superior  mental  endowments,  joined  to  energy 
and  determination  of  ciiaracter.  She  inculcated  in 
her  children  those  high-toned  principles  which  dis- 
tinguished her  sons  in  public  life.  She  exercised  a 
rigid  economy  to  provide  her  children  an  education ; 
but  George  Forquer,  her  oldest  son  (six  years  older 
than  Thomas  Ford),  at  an  early  age  had  to  quit 
school  to  aid  by  his  labor  in  the  support  of  the  family. 
He  afterward  became  an  eminent  man  in  Illinois 
affairs,  and  but  for  his  early  death  would  probably 
have  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

Young  Ford,  with  somewhat  better  op|X)rtunities, 
received  a  better  education,  tiiough  limited  to  the 
curriculum  of  the  common  school  of  those  pioneer 
times.  His  mind  gave  early  promise  of  superior  en- 
dowments, with  an  inclination  for  niathem.itics.  His 
proficiency  attracted  the  attention  of  Hon.  Daniel  P. 
Cook,  who  became  his  efficient  patron  and  friend. 
The  latter  gentleman  was  an  eminent  Illinois  states- 
man who,  as  a  Member  of  Congress,  obtained  a  grant 
of  300,000  acres  of  land  to  aid  in  comi)leting  the 
Illinois  &  .Michigan  Canal,  and  after  whom  the 
county  of  Cook  was  named.     Through  the  advice  of 


W^ 


v 


H  ^        ■ 


140 


THOMAS  FORD. 


I 


this  gentleman,  Mr.  Ford  turned  his  attention  to  the 
study  of  law;  but  Forquer,  then  merchandising,  re- 
garding his  education  defective,  sent  him  to  Transyl- 
vania University,  where,  liowever,  he  reuiained  but 
one  term,  owing  to  Forquer's  failure  in  business.  On 
his  return  he  alternated  his  law  reading  with  teach- 
ing school  for  support. 

In  1829  Gov.  Edwards  appointed  him  Prosecuting 
Attorney,  and  in  1831  he  was  re-appointed  by  Gov. 
Reynolds,  and  after  that  he  was  four  times  elected  a 
Judge  by  the  Legislature,  without  opposition,  twice  a 
Circuit  Judge,  once  a  Judge  of  Chicago,  and  as  As- 
sociate Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  when,  in  1841, 
the  latter  tribunal  was  re-organized  by  the  addition 
of  five  Judges,  all  Democrats.  Ford  was  assigned  to 
the  Ninth  Judicial  Circuit,  and  while  in  this  capacity 
he  was  holding  Court  in  Ogle  County  he  received  a 
notice  of  his  nomination  by  the  Democratic  Conven- 
tion for  the  office  of  Governor.  He  immediately  re- 
signed his  place  and  entered  upon  the  canvass.  In 
August,  1842,  he  was  elected,  and  on  the  8th  of  De- 
cember following  he  was  inaugurated. 

All  the  offices  which  he  had  held  were  unsolicited 
by  him.  He  received  them  upon  the  true  Jefferson- 
ian  principle, — Never  to  ask  and  never  to  refuse 
office.  Both  as  a  lawyer  and  as  a  Judge  he  stood 
deservedly  high,  but  his  cast  of  intellect  fitted  him 
rather  for  a  writer  ujwn  law  than  a  practicing  advo- 
cate in  the  courts.  In  the  latter  capacity  he  was  void 
of  the  moving  power  of  eloquence,  so  necessary  to 
success  with  juries.  As  a  Judge  his  opinions  were 
sound,  lucid  and  able  expositions  of  the  law.  In 
practice,  he  was  a  stranger  to  the  tact,  skill  and  in- 
sinuating address  of  the  politician,  but  he  saw  through 
the  arts  of  demagogues  as  well  as  any  man.  He  was 
plain  in  his  demeanor,  so  much  so,  indeed,  tliat  at 
one  time  after  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office, 
during  a  session  of  the  Legislature,  he  was  taken  by 
a  stranger  to  be  a  seeker  for  the  position  of  door- 
keeper, and  was  waited  upon  at  his  hotel  near  mid- 
night by  a  knot  of  small  office-seekers  with  the  view 
of  effecting  a  "  combination  !  " 

Mr.  Ford  had  not  the  "  brass  "  of  the  ordinary 
politician,  nor  that  impetuosity  wliich  characterizes  a 
political  leader.  He  cared  little  for  money,  and 
hardly  enough  for  a  decent  supix)rt.  In  person  he 
was  of  small  stature,  slender,  of  dark  complexion, 
with  black  hair,  sharp  features,  deep-set  eyes,  a 
pointed,  aquiline  nose  having  a  decided  twist  to  one 
side,  and  a  small  mouth. 

The  three  most  important  events  in  Gov.  Ford's 
administration  were  the  establishment  of  the  high 
financial  credit  of  the  State,  the  "  Mormon  War  "and 
the  Mexican  War. 

In  the  first  of  these  the  Governor  proved  himself 
to  be  eminently  wise.  On  coming  into  office  he  found 
the  State  badly  paralyzed  by  the  ruinous  effects  of 
the   notorious  "  internal  improvement  "   schemes   of 


the  preceding  decade,  with  scarcely  anything  to 
show  by  way  of  "improvement."  The  enterprise 
that  seemed  to  be  getting  ahead  more  than  all  the 
rest  was  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  As  this 
promised  to  be  the  most  important  thoroughfare, 
feasible  to  the  people,  it  was  well  under  headway  in 
its  construction.  Therefore  the  State  policy  was 
almost  concentrated  upon  it,  in  order  to  rush  it  on  to 
completion.  The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  Stale 
was  growing  so  large  as  to  frighten  the  people,  and 
they  were  about  ready  to  entertain  a  proposition  for 
repudiation.  But  the  Governor  had  the  foresight  to 
recommend  such  measures  as  would  maintain  the 
public  credit,  for  which  every  citizen  to-day  feels 
thankful. 

But  perhaps  the  Governor  is  remembered  more  for 
his  connection  witli  the  Mormon  troubles  than  for 
anything  else;  for  it  was  during  his  term  of  office 
that  the  "  Latter-Day  Saints"  became  so  strong  at 
Nauvoo,  built  their  temple  there,  increased  their  num- 
bers throughout  the  country,  committed  misdemean- 
ors, taught  dangerous  doctrines,  suffered  the  loss  of 
their  leader,  Jo  Smith,  by  a  violent  death,  were  driven 
out  of  Nauvoo  to  the  far  West,  etc.  Having  been  a 
Judge  for  so  many  years  previously,  Mr.  Ford  of 
course  was  non-committal  concerning  Mormon  affairs, 
and  was  tlierefore  claimed  by  both  parties  and  also 
accused  by  each  of  sympathizing  too  greatly  with  the 
other  side.  Mormonism  claiming  to  be  a  system  of 
religion,  the  Governor  no  doubt  was  "  between  two 
fires,"  and  felt  compelled  to  touch  the  matter  ratlier 
"  gingerly,"  and  doubtless  felt  greatly  relieved  when 
that  pestilential  people  left  the  State.  Such  compli- 
cated matters,  especially  when  religion  is  mixed  up 
with  them,  expose  every  person  participating  in 
them  to  criticism  from  all  parties. 

The  Mexican  War  was  begun  in  the  spring  of 
1845,  and  was  continued  into  the  gubernatorial  term 
of  Mr.  Ford's  successor.  The  Governor's  connection 
with  this  war,  however,  was  not  conspicuous,  as  it 
was  only  administrative,  commissioning  officers,  etc. 

Ford's  "  History  of  Illinois  "  is  a  very  readable  and 
entertaining  work,  of  450  small  octavo  pages,  and  is 
destined  to  increase  in  value  with  the  lapse  of  time. 
It  exhibits  a  natural  flow  of  compact  and  forcible 
thought,  never  failing  to  convey  the  nicest  sense.  In 
tracing  with  his  trenchant  pen  the  devious  operations 
of  the  professional  politician,  in  which  he  is  inimit- 
able, his  account  is  open,  perhaps,  to  the  objection 
that  all  his  contemporaries  are  treated  as  mere  place- 
seekers,  while  many  of  them  have  since  been  judged 
by  the  people  to  be  worthy  statesmen.  His  writings 
seem  slightly  open  to  the  criticism  that  they  exhibit 
a  little  splenetic  partiality  against  those  of  his  con- 
temporaries who  were  prominent  during  his  term  of 
office  as  Governor. 

The  death  of  Gov.  Ford  took  place  at  Peoria,  111., 
Nov.  2,  1850. 


LI3RARY 
OF  THE 
L.;.VE8SITY  OF  ILLIW: 


— ^^^-y^^^T^^^^^^-;^ 


I 


■^ 


GO  VERXORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


M3 


\       Augu^stas  a  Frenclt,        I 


iS^^^^^ 


"\UGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH, 
Governor  of  Illinois  from 
1846  to  1852,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Hill,  in  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire, 
Aug.  2,  -1808.  He  was  a 
descendant  in  the  fourth 
generation  of  Nathaniel 
French,  who  emigrated  from  England 
in  1687  and  settled  in  Saybury,  Mass. 
In  early  life  young  French  lost  his 
father,  but  continued  to  receive  in- 
struction from  an  exemplary  and 
Christian  mother  until  he  was  19  years 
old,  when  she  also  died,  confiding  to 
his  care  and  trust  four  younger  broth- 
ers and  one  sister.  He  discharged  his  trust  with 
parental  devotion.  His  education  in  early  life  was 
such  mainly  as  a  common  school  afforded.  For  a 
brief  period  he  attended  Dartmouth  College,  but 
from  pecuniary  causes  and  the  care  of  his  brothers 
and  sister,  he  did  not  graduate.  He  subsequently 
read  law,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1831,  and 
shortly  afterward  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  first  at 
Albion,  Edwards  County,  where  he  established  him- 
self in  the  practice  of  law.  The  following  year  he 
removed  to  Paris,  Edgar  County.  Here  he  attained 
eminence  in  his  profession,  and  entered  public  life 
by  representing  that  county  in  the  Legislature.  A 
strong  attachment  sprang  up  between  him  and  Ste- 
phen A.  Douglas. 

In  1839,  Mr.  French  was  appointed  Receiver  of 
the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Palestine,  Craw- 
ford County,  at  which  place  he  was  a  resident  when 

-^ 


elevated  to  the  gubernatoiial  chair.  In  1S44  he  was 
a  Presidential  Elector,  and  as  such  he  voted  for 
James  K.  Polk. 

The  Democratic  State  Convention  of  1846,  meet- 
ing at  Springfield  Feb.  10,  nominated  Mr.  French 
for  Governor.  Other  Democratic  candidates  were 
Lyman  Trumbull,  John  Calhoun  (subsequently  of 
Lecompton  Constitution  notoriety),  Walter  B.  Scales, 
Richard  NL  Young  and  A.  W.  Cavarly, — an  array  of 
very  able  and  prominent  names.  Trumbull  was  per- 
haps defeated  in  the  Convention  by  the  lumor  that 
he  was  opposed  to  the  Illinois  and  Michigan  Canal, 
as  he  had  been  a  year  previously.  For  Lieutenant 
Governor  J.  B.  Wells  was  chosen,  while  other  candi- 
dates were  Lewis  Ross,  Wm.  McMurlry,  Newton 
Cloud,  J.  B.  Hamilton  and  W.  W.  Thompson.  The 
resolutions  declared  strongly  against  the  resuscita- 
tion of  the  old  State  Banks. 

The  Whigs,  who  were  in  a  hopeless  minority,  held 
their  convention  June  8,  at  Peoria,  and  selected 
Thomas  NL  Kilpatrick,  of  Scott  County,  for  Governor, 
and  Gen.  Nathaniel  G.  Wilco.x,  of  Schuyler,  for 
Lieutenant  Governor. 

In  the  campaign  the  latter  exposed  .Mr.  French's 
record  and  connection  with  the  passage  of  the  in- 
ternal improvement  system,  urging  it  against  his 
election;  but  in  the  meantime  the  war  with  Mexico 
broke  out,  regarding  which  the  Whig  record  was  un- 
popular in  this  State.  The  war  was  the  absorbing 
and  dominating  question  of  the  period,  sweeping 
every  other  political  issue  in  its  course.  The  elec- 
tion in  .\ugust  gave  Mr.  French  58,700  votes,  and 
Kilpatrick  only  36,775.  Richard  Eells,  Abolitionist 
candidate  for  the  same  office,  received  5,152   votes. 


-^ 


-*4--*- 


^ 


144 


AUGUSTUS  C.  FRENCH. 


^ 


4^ 


By  the  new  Constitution  of  184S,  a  new  election  for 
State  officers  was  ordered  in  November  of  that  year, 
before  Gov.  French's  terra  was  half  out,  and  he  was 
re-elected  for  the  term  of  four  years.  He  was  there- 
fore the  incumbent  for  six  consecutive  years,  the 
only  Governor  of  this  State  who  has  ever  served  in 
that  capacity  so  long  at  one  time.  As  there  was  no 
organized  opposition  to  his  election,  he  received  67,- 
453  votes,  to  5,639  for  Pierre  Menard  (son  of  the 
first  Lieutenant  Governor),  4,748  for  Charles  V. 
Dyer,  3,834  for  W.  L.  D.  Morrison,  and  1,361  for 
James  L.  D.  Morrison.  But  Wra.  McMurtry,  of 
Knox  County,  was  elected  Lieutenant  Governor,  in 
place  of  Joseph  B.  Wells,  who  was  before  elected 
and  did  not  run  again. 

Governor  French  was  inaugurated  into  office  dur- 
ing the  progress  of  the  Mexican  War,  which  closed 
during  the  summer  of  1847,  although  the  treaty  of 
Guadalupe  Hidalgo  was  not  made  until  Feb.  2, 
1848.  The  policy  of  Gov.  French's  party  was  com- 
mitted to  that  war,  but  in  connection  with  that  affair 
he  was,  of  course,  only  an  administrative  officer. 
During  his  term  of  office,  Feb.  19,  1S47,  the_ Legisla- 
ture, by  special  permission  of  Congress,  declaVea  thUt 
all  Government  lands  sold  to  settlers  should  be  im- 
mediately subject  to  State  taxation;  before  this  they 
were  exempt  for  five  years  after  sale.  By  this  ar- 
rangement the  revenue  was  materially  increased. 
.\bout  the  same  rime,  the  distriburion  of  Government 
land  warrants  among  the  Mexican  soldiers  as  bounty 
threw  upon  the  market  a  great  quantity  of  good 
lands,  and  this  enhanced  the  settlement  of  the  State. 
The  same  Legislature  authorized,  with  the  recom- 
mendation of  the  Governor,  the  sale  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad  (from  Springfield  to  Meredosia,  the 
first  in  the  State  and  now  a  section  of  the  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific)  It  sold  for  $100,000  in  bonds, 
although  it  had  cost  the  State  not  less  than  a  million. 
The  salt  wells  and  canal  lands  in  the  Saline  reserve 
in  Gallatin  County,  granted  by  the  general  Govern- 
ment to  the  State,  were  also  authorized  by  the 
Governor  to  be  sold,  to  apply  on  the  State  debt.  In 
1850,  for  the  first  time  since  1839,  the  accruing  State 
revenue,  exclusive  of  specific  appropriations,  was 
sufficient  to  meet  the  current  demands  upon  the 
treasur)-.  The  aggregate  taxable  property  of  the 
State  at  this  time  was  over  $100,000,000,  and  the 
population  851,470. 
: ' 'X 


In  1849  the  Legislature  adopted  the  township  or- 
ganization law,  which,  however,  proved  defective, 
and  was  properly  amended  in  185 1.  At  its  session 
in  the  latter  year,  the  General  Assembly  also  passed 
a  law  to  exempt  homesteads  from  sale  on  executions. 
This  beneficent  measure  had  been  repeatedly  urged 
upon  that  body  by  Gov.  French. 

In  1850  some  business  men  in  St.  Louis  com- 
menced to  build  a  dike  opjxjsite  the  lower  part  of 
their  city  on  the  Illinois  side,  to  keep  the  Mississippi 
in  its  channel  near  St.  Louis,  instead  of  breaking 
away  from  them  as  it  sometimes  threatened  to  do. 
This  they  undertook  without  permission  from  the 
Legislature  or  Executive  authority  of  this  State  ;  and 
as  many  of  the  inhabitants  there  complained  that 
the  scheme  would  inundate  and  ruin  much  valuable 
land,  there  was  a  slight  conflict  of  jurisdictions,  re- 
sulting in  favor  of  the  St.  Louis  project ;  and  since 
then  a  good  site  has  existed  there  for  a  city  (East  St. 
Louis),  and  now  a  score  of  railroads  center  there. 

It  was  in  September,  1850,  that  Congress  granted 
ftft-^s  State  nearly  3,000,000  acres  of  land  in  aid  of 
the  completion  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad, 
which  dottstiluted  the  most  important  epoch  in  the** 
railroad — we  might  say  internal  improvement — his- 
tory of  the  State.  The  road  was  rushed  on  to  com- 
pletion, which  accelerated  the  settlement  of  the  in-  < 
terior  of  the  State  by  a  good  class  of  industrious  citi- 
zens, and  by  the  charter  a  good  income  to  the  State 
Treasury  is  paid  in  from  the  earnings  of  the  road. 

In  185  r  the  Legislature  passed  a  law  authorizing 
free  stock  banks,  which  was  the  source  of  much  leg- 
islative discussion  for  a  number  of  years. 

But  we  have  not  space  further  to  particularize 
concerning  legislaUon.  Gov.  French's  administra- 
tion was  not  marked  by  any  feature  to  be  criticised, 
while  the  countrj'  was  settling  up  as  never  before. 

In  stature.  Gov.  French  was  of  medium  height, 
squarely  built,  light  complexioned,  wth  ruddy  face 
and  pleasant  countenance.  In  manners  he  was 
plain  and  agreeable.  By  nature  he  was  somewhat 
diffident,  but  he  was  often  very  outspoken  in  his  con- 
victions of  duty.  In  public  speech  he  was  not  an 
orator,  but  was  chaste,  earnest  and  persuasive.  In 
business  he  was  accurate  and  methodical,  and  in  his 
administration  he  kept  up  the  credit  of  the  State. 

He  died  in  1S65,  at  his  home  in  Lebanon,  St 
Clair  Co.,  111. 


tl6fi,\RY 

OF  THE 

UNtVERSITY  OF  IUi»l01S 


^^ ,y^^^i^.c?c.^Z^SZ^^^ 


■  Y^ .    ' 

GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


■47 


f 


%\i^t\  Z\>  iWwWtsmi. 


*()LI>  A.  MATTESON,  Governor 
l^««  1 85  3-6,  was  born  Aug.  8,  1808, 
in  Jefferson  County,  New  York, 
to  which  place  his  father  had  re- 
moved from  Vermont  three  years 
i.fore.  His  father  was  a  farmer 
\n  fair  circumstances,  but  a  com- 
mon English  education  was  all 
that  his  only  son  received.  Young 
Joel  first  tempted  fortune  as  a 
small  tradesman  in  Prescott, 
Canada,  before  he  was  of  age. 
He  returned  from  that  place  to 
his  home,  entered  an  academy, 
taugiit  school,  visited  the  prin- 
cii)al  Eastern  cities,  improved  a  farm  his  father  had 
given  him,  m.ule  a  tour  in  tlie  South,  worked  there 
in  building  railroads,  experienced  a  storm  on  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  visited  the  gold  diggings  of  Northern 
Georgia,  and  returned  via  Nashville  to  St.  Louis  and 
through  Illinois  to  his  father's  home,  when  he  mar- 
ried. In  1833,  having  sold  his  farm,  he  removed, 
ivith  his  wife  and  one  child,  to  Illinois,  and  entered 
a  claim  on  Government  land  near  the  head  of  Au 
Sable  River,  in  what  is  now  Kendall  County.  At 
that  time  there  were  not  more  than  two  neighbors 
within  a  range  of  ten  miles  of  his  place,  and  only 
three  or  four  houses  between  him  and  Cliicago.  He 
opened  a  large  farm.     His   family  was  boarded   12 


miles  away  while  he  erected  a  house  on  his  claim, 
sleeping,  during  this  time,  under  a  rude  pole  shed. 
Here  his  life  was  once  placed  in  imminent  peril  by 
a  huge  prairie  rattlesnake  sharing  his  bed. 

In  1835  he  bought  largely  at  the  Government  land 
sales.  During  the  speculative  real-estate  mania  which 
broke  out  in  Chicago  in  1836  and  spread  over  the  State, 
he  sold  his  lands  under  the  inflation  of  that  period 
and  removed  to  Joliet.  In  1838  he  became  a  heavy 
contractor  on  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal.  Upon 
the  completion  of  his  jolj  in  1841,  when  hard  times 
prevailed,  business  at  a  stand,  contracts  paid  in  State 
scrip;  when  all  the  public  works  except  the  canal 
were  abandoned,  the  State  offered  for  sale  700  tons 
of  railroad  iron,  which  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Mat- 
teson  at  a  bargain.  This  he  accepted,  shipped  and 
sold  at  Detroit,  realizing  a  very  handsome  profit, 
enough  to  pay  off  all  his  canal  debts  and  leave  him  a 
surplus  of  several  thousand  dollars.  His  enterprise 
next  prompted  him  to  start  a  woolen  mill  at  Joliet, 
in  which  he  prospered,  and  which,  after  successive 
enlargements,  became  an  enormous  establishment. 

In  1842  lie  was  first  elected  a  State  Senator,  but, 
by  a  bungling  apportionment,  John  Pearson,  a  Senator 
holding  over,  wa-;  found  to  be  in  tlie  same  district, 
and  decided  to  be  entitled  to  represent  it.  Mat- 
teson's  seat  was  declared  vacant.  Pearson,  however, 
with  a  nobleness  difficult  to  appreciate  in  tliis  day  of 


I 


JOEL  A.  MATTESON. 


<         wai 


greed  for  office,  unwilling  to  represent  his  district 
under  the  circumstances,  immediately  resigned  his 
unexpired  term  of  two  years.  A  bill  was  passed  in  a 
few  hours  ordering  a  new  election,  and  in  ten  days' 
time  Mr.  Matteson  was  returned  re-elected  and  took 
his  seat  as  Senator.  From  his  well-known  capacity 
as  a  business  man,  he  was  made  Chairman  of  the 
Committee  on  Finance,  a  position  he  held  during 
this  half  and  two  full  succeeding  Senatorial  terms, 
discharging  its  im[X)rtant  duties  with  ability  and  faith- 
fulness. Besides  his  extensive  woolen-mill  interest, 
when  work  was  resumed  on  the  canal  under  the  new 
loan  of  $[,600,000  he  again  became  a  heavy  con- 
tractor, and  also  subsequently  operated  largely  in 
building  railroads.  Thus  lie  showed  himself  a  most 
energetic  and  thorough  business  man. 

He  was  nominated  for  Governor  by  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Convention  which  met  at  Springfield 
April  20,  1852.  Other  candidates  before  the  Con- 
vention were  D.  L.  Gregg  and  F.  C.  Sherman,  of 
Cook ;  John  Dement,  of  Lee  ;  Thomas  L.  Harris,  of 
Menard;  Lewis  W.  Ross, of  Fulton;  and  D.  P.  Bush, 
of  Pike.  Gustavus  Koerner,  of  St.  Clair,  was  nom- 
inated for  Lieutenant  Governor.  For  the  same  Qjifice^  4 1 1 
the  Whigs  nominated  Edwin  B.  Webb  and  De.xter  A. 
Knowlton.  Mr.  Matteson  received  80,645  votes  at 
the  election,  while  Mr.  Webb  received  64,408.  Mat- 
teson's  forte  was  not  on  the  stump;  he  had  not  cul- 
tivated the  art  of  oily  flattery,  or  the  faculty  of  being 
all  things  to  all  men.  His  intellectual  qualities  took 
rather  the  direction  of  efficient  executive  ability.  His 
turn  consisted  not  so  much  in  the  adroit  manage- 
ment of  party,  or  the  powerful  advocacy  of  great  gov- 
ernmental principles,  as  in  those  more  solid  and 
enduring  operations  which  cause  the  physical  devel- 
opment and  advancement  of  a  State, — of  commerce 
and  business  enterprise,  into  which  he  labored  with 
success  to  lead  the  people.  As  a  politician  he  was 
just  and  liberal  in  his  views,  and  both  in  official  and 
private  life  he  then  stood  untainted  and  free  from 
blemish.  As  a  man,  in  active  benevolence,  social 
I'irtues  and  all  the  amiable  qualities  of  neighbor  or 
citizen,  he  had  few  superiors.  His  messages  present 
a  perspicuous  array  of  facts  as  to  the  condition  of  the 
State,  and  are  often  couched  in  forcible  and  elegant 
diction. 

The  greatest  e.xcitement  during  his   term  of  office 
was  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  by  Con- 


gress, under  the  leadership  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas  in 
1854,  when  the  bill  was  passed  organizing  the  Terri- 
tory of  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  A  large  portion  of 
the  Whig  party  of  the  North,  through  their  bitter  oj)- 
position  to  tire  Democratic  party,  naturally  drifted 
into  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  and  thus  led  to  what 
was  temporarily  called  the  "Anti-Nebraska"  party, 
while  the  followers  of  Douglas  were  known  as  "  Ne- 
braska or  Douglas  Democrats."  It  was  during  this 
embryo  stage  of  the  Republican  party  that  Abraham 
Lincoln  was  brought  forward  as  the  "Anti-Nebraska  " 
candidate  for  the  United  States  Senatorship,  while 
Gen.  James  Shields,  the  incumbent,  was  re-nom- 
inated by  the  Democrats.  But  after  a  few  ballotings 
in  the  Legislature  (1855),  these  mer>  were  dropped, 
and  Lyman  Trumbull,  an  Anti-Nebraska  Democrat, 
was  brought  up  by  the  former,  and  Mr.  Matteson, 
then  Governor,  by  the  latter.  On  the  nth  ballot 
Mr.  Trumbull  obtained  one  majority,  and  was  ac- 
cordingly declared  elected.  Before  Gov.  Matteson 's 
term  expired,  the  Republicans  were  fully  organized 
as  a  national  party,  and  in  1856  put  into  the  field  a 
Ml"  Viatfonal  and  State  ticket,  carrying  the  State,  but 
,  ito;!;-  the  nation. 

The  Legislature  of  1855  passed  two  very  import- 
ant measures, — the  present  free-school  system  and  a 
submission  of  the  Maine  liquor  law  to  a  vote  of  the 
people.  The  latter  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority 
of  the  popular  vote. 

During  the  four  years  of  Gov.  Maiteson's  admin- 
istration the  taxable  wealth  of  tlie  State  was  about 
trebled,  from  $137,818,079  to  $349,951,272;  the  pub- 
lic debt  was  reduced  from  $17,398,985  to  $12,843,- 
144;  taxation  was  at  the  same  time  reduced,  and  the 
State  resumed  paying  interest  on  its  debt  in  New 
York  as  fast  as  it  fell  due ;  railroads  were  increased 
in  their  mileage  from  something  less  than  400  to 
about  3,000 ;  and  the  population  of  Chicago  was 
nearly  doubled,  and  its  commerce  more  than  quad- 
rupled. 

Before  closing  this  account,  we  regret  that  we  liave 
to  say  that  Mr.  Matteson,  in  all  other  respects  an 
upright  man  and  a  good  Governor,  was  implicated 
in  a  false  re-issue  of  redeemed  canal  scrip,  amount- 
ing to  $224,182.66.  By  a  suit  in  the  Sangamon  Cir- 
cuit Court  the  State  recovered  the  principal  and  all 
the  interest  excepting  $27,500. 

He  died  in   the  winter  of  1872-3,  at  Chicago. 


t 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

UNIVtRSITY  OF  ILU»0IS 


I 


1 


rH- 


GOrERAORS  Op  ILLINOIS. 


«S« 


K.  ©isstll. 


I'^'^'^t^'^Si'^.t  ■ 


I  :'>":, '>a.'i  :'>■•;'■  vt^ 


— >.T>t-fi;^<gv 


ILLIAM  H.  BISSELL,  Gov- 
\\-*-  ernor    1857-60,   was    bom 
■-    -   April    25,    1811,    in   the 
.,     -   .'.e  of  New   York,    near 
q/ff       Painted  Post,  Yates  County. 
^^-.^>   His    parents     were     obscure, 
-  honest,    God-fearing    people, 

\  Iio  reared  their  children  under  the  daily 
example  of  industry  and  frugality,  accord- 
ing to  the  custom  of  that  class  of  Eastern 
society.  Mr.  Bissell  received  a  respecta- 
ble but  not  thorough  academical  education. 
By  assiduous  application  he  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  medicine,  and  in  his  early 
manhood  came  West  and  located  in  Mon- 
roe County,  this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  that  profession.  But  he  was  not  enam- 
ored of  his  calling:  he  was  swayed  by  a  broader 
ambition,  to  such  an  extent  that  the  mysteries  of  the 
liealing  art  and  its  arduous  duties  failed  to  yield  hiui 
further  any  charms.  In  a  few  years  he  discovered 
his  choice  of  a  profession  to  be  a  mistake,  and  when 
he  approached  the  age  of  30  he  sought  to  begin 
anew.  Dr.  Bissell,  no  doubt  unexpectedly  to  him- 
self, discovered  a  singular  facility  and  charm  of 
speech,  the  exercise  of  which  acquired  for  him  a 
ready  local   notoriety.     It  soon  came  to  be  under- 


stood that  he  desired  to  abandon  his  profession   and 
take  up  that  of  the  law.     During  terms  of  Court  he 
would  spend  his  time  at  the  county  seat  among  the  ' 
members  of  the  Bar,  who  extended  to  him   a  ready 
welcome. 

It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  should  drift 
into  public  life.  In  1840  he  was  elected  as  a  Dem- 
ocrat to  the  Legislature  from  Monroe  County,  and 
was  an  efficient  member  of  that  body.  On  his  re- 
turn home  he  qualified  himself  for  admission  to  the 
15ar  and  speedily  rose  to  the  front  rank  as  an  advo- 
cate. His  powers  of  oratory  were  ca|)tivating.  With  a 
pure  diction,  charming  and  inimitable  gestures, 
clearness  of  statement,  and  a  remarkable  vein  of  sly 
humor,  his  efforts  before  a  jury  told  with  irresistible 
effect.  He  was  chosen  by  tlie  Legislature  Prosecut- 
ing Attorney  for  the  Circuit  in  which  he  lived,  and 
in  that  [wsition  he  fully  discharged  his  duty  to  the 
.State,  gained  the  esteem  of  the  Bar,  and  seldom 
failed  to  convict  the  offender  of  the  law. 

In  stature  he  was  somewhat  tall  and  slender,  and 
with  a  straight,  military  bearing,  he  presented  a  dis- 
tinguished appearance.  His  complexion  was  dark, 
liis  head  well  [wised,  though  not  large,  his  address 
pleasant  and  manner  winning.  He  was  exemplary 
in  his  habits,  a  devoted  husband  and  kind  parent. 
He  was  twice  married,  the  first  time  to  Miss  James, 


^^ 


■cT  » 


152 


—  . ^r;==r- 

WILLIAM  H.  BISSELL. 


of  Monroe  County,  by  whom  he  had  two  children, 
both  daughters.  She  died  soon  after  the  year  1840, 
and  Mr.  B.  married  for  his  second  wife  a  daughter 
of  Elias  K.  Kane,  previously  a  United  States  Senator 
from  this  State.  She  survived  him  but  a  short  time, 
and  died  without  issue. 

When  the  war  with  Mexico  was  declared  in  1846, 
Mr.  Bissell  enlisted  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  his 
regiment,  over  Hon.  Don  Morrison,  by  an  almost 
unanimous  vote, — 807  to  6.  Considering  the  limited 
opportunities  he  had  had,  he  evinced  a  high  order  of 
military  talent.  On  the  bloody  field  of  Buena  Vista 
he  acquitted  himself  with  intrepid  and  distinguished 
ability,  contributing  with  his  regiment,  the  Second 
Illinois,  in  no  small  degree  toward  saving  the  waver- 
ing fortunes  of  our  arras  during  that  long  and  fiercely 
contested  battle. 

After  his  return  home,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  lie 
was  elected  to  Congress,  his  opponents  being  the 
Hons.  P.  B.  Fouke  and  Joseph  Gillespie.  He  served 
two  terms  in  Congress.  He  was  an  ardent  politician. 
During  the  great  contest  of  1850  he  voted  in  favor 
,  of  the  adjustment  measures  ;  but  in  1854  he  opposed^ 
the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  act  '■Sh'Q'" 
therefore  the  Kansas-Nebraska  bill  of  Douglas,  and 
thus  became  identified  with  the  nascent  Republican 
party. 

During  his  first  Congressional  term,  while  the 
Southern  members  were  following  their  old  practice 
of  intimidating  the  North  by  bullying  language, 
and  claiming  most  of  the  credit  for  victories  in  the 
Mexican  War,  and  Jefferson  Davis  claiming  for  the 
Mississippi  troops  all  the  credit  for  success  at  Buena 
Vista,  Mr.  Bissell  bravely  defended  the  Northern 
troops ;  whereupon  Davis  challenged  Bissell  to  a  duel, 
which  was  accepted.  This  matter  was  brought  up 
against  Bissell  when  he  was  candidate  for  Governor 
and  during  his  term  of  office,  as  the  Constitution  of 
this  State  forbade  any  duelist  from  holding  a  State 
office. 

In  1856,  when  the  Republican  party  first  put  forth 
a  candidate,  John  C.  Fremont,  for  President  of  the 
United  States,  the  same  party  nominated  Mr.  Bissell 
for  Governor  of  Illinois,  and  John  Wood,  of  Quincy, 
for  Lieutenant  Governor,  while  the  Democrats  nomi- 
nated Hon.  W.  A.  Richardson,  of  .\dams  County, 
for  Governor,  and  Col.  R.  J.  Hamilton,  of  Cook 
County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.     The  result  of  the 


election  was  a  plurality  of  4,729  votes  over  Richard- 
son. The  American,  or  Know-Nothing,  party  had  a 
ticket  in  the  field.  The  Legislature  was  nearly  bal- 
anced, but  was  politically  opposed  to  the  Governor. 
His  message  to  the  Legislature  was  short  and  rather 
ordinary,  and  was  criticised  for  e.xpressing  the  sup- 
posed obligations  of  the  people  to  the  incorporators 
of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  Company  and  for  re- 
opening the  slavery  question  by  allusions  to  the 
Kansas  troubles.  Late  in  the  session  an  apportion- 
ment bill,  based  upon  the  State  census  of  1855,  was 
passed,  amid  much  partisan  strife.  The  Governor 
at  first  signed  the  bill  and  then  vetoed  it.  A  furious 
debate  followed,  and  the  question  whether  the  Gov- 
ernor had  the  authority  to  recall  a  signature  was 
referred  to  the  Courts,  that  of  last  resort  deciding  in 
favor  of  the  Governor.  Two  years  afterward  another 
outrageous  attempt  was  made  for  a  re-apportionment 
and  to  gerrymander  the  State,  but  the  Legislature 
failed  to  pass  the  bill  over  the  veto  of  the  Governor. 

It  was  during  Gov.  Bissell's  administration  that 
thB'.lieiWtjous  canal  scrip  fraud  was  brought  to  light, 
•niplicating  ex-Gov.  Matteson  and  other  prominent 
■Stafe  0fifiqi5fe*j':'§he  principal  and  interest,  aggregat-  '  * 
ing  $255,500,  was  all  recovered  by  the  State  except- 
ing $27,500.     (See  sketch  of  Gov.  Matteson.) 

In  1859  an  attempt  was  discovered  to  fraudu- 
lently refund  the  Macalister  and  Stebbins  bonds  and 
thus  rob  the  State  Treasury  of  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars.  The  State  Government  was  impli- 
cated in  this  affair,,  and  to  this  day  remains  unex- 
plained or  unatoned  for.  For  the  above,  and  other 
matters  previously  mentioned,  Gov.  Bissell  has  been 
severely  criticised,  and  he  has  also  been  most  shame- 
fully libelled  and  slandered. 

On  account  of  exposure  in  the  army,  the  remote 
cause  of  a  nervous  form  of  disease  gained  entrance 
into  his  system  and  eventually  developed  paraplegia, 
affecting  his  lower  extremities,  which,  while  it  left 
his  body  in  comparative  health,  deprived  him  of  loco- 
motion except  by  the  aid  of  crutches.  While  he  was 
generally  hopeful  of  ultimate  recovery,  this  myste- 
rious disease  pursued  him,  without  once  relaxing  its 
stealthy  hold,  to  the  close  of  his  life,  March  18, 
i860,  over  nine  months  before  the  expiration  of  his 
gubernatorial  term,  at  the  early  age  of  48  years.  He 
died  in  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  of 
which  he  harl  been  a  member  since  1854. 


*y 


riAr: 


OBRAHY 

OF  THE 

UHWEBStTY  Of  JU^^^'S 


'nm 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


Jr* 


'55 


folm  1 


:-e-f 


■^^-s 


-J— 


^;<  )HN  WOOD,  Governoi-  1 860-1,  and 
tfe*«  the  first  settler  of  Quincy,  111., 
^'  was  born  in  the  town  of  Sempro- 
nius  (now  Moravia),  Cayuga  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  20,  1798.  He  was 
the  second  child  and  only  son  of 
Dr.  Daniel  Wood.  His  mother, 
nee  Catherine  Craiise,  was  of 
German  parentage,  and  died 
while  he  was  an  infant.  Dr. 
Wood  was  a  learned  and  skillful 
physician,  of  classical  attain- 
ments and  proficient  in  several 
modern  lai.guages,  who,  after 
serving  throughout  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  as  a  Surgeon,  settled  on  the  land  granted 
him  by  the  Government,  and  resided  there  a  re- 
spected and  leading  influence  in  his  section  until  his 
death,  at  the  ripe  age  of  92  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  impelled  by  the  spirit 
of  Western  adventure  then  pervading  everywhere, 
left  his  home,  Nov.  2,  18 18,  and  passed  the  succeed- 
ing winter  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  The  following  sum- 
merlie  pushed  on  to  Illinois,  landing  at  Shawneetown, 
and  spent  the  fall  and  following  winter  in  Calhoun 
County.  In  1820,  in  company  with  Willard  Keyes, 
he  settled  in  Pike  County,  about  30  miles  southeast 
of  Quincy,  where  for  the  next  two  years  he  pursued 
farming.  In  1821  he  visited  "the  Bluffs"  (as  the 
present  site  of  Quincy  was  called,  then  uninhabited) 
and,  pleased  with  its  prospects,  soon  after  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land  near  by,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing fall  (1822)  erected  near  the  river  a  small  cabin. 


18  X  20  feet,  the  first  building  in  Quincy,  of  which 
he  then  became  the  first  and  for  some  months  the 
only  occupant. 

About  this  time  he  visited  his  old  friends  in  Pike 
County,  chief  of  whom  was  William  Ross,  the  lead- 
ing man  in  building  up  the  village  of  Atlas,  of  that' 
county,  which  was  thought  then  to  be  the  jwssible 
commencement  of  a  city.  One  day  they  and  others 
were  traveling  together  over  the  country  between  the'  ^ 
two  points  named,  making  observations  on  the  com- 
parative merits  of  the  respective  localities.  On  ap- 
proaching the  Mississi|)pi  near  Mr.  Wood's  place, 
the  latter  told  his  companions  to  follow  him  and  he 
would  sliow  them  where  he  was  going  to  build  a  city. 
They  went  about  a  mile  off  the  main  trail,  to  a  high 
ix)int,  from  which  the  yiew  in  every  direction  was 
most  magnificent,  as  it  had  been  for  ages  and  as  yet 
untouched  by  the  hand  of  man.  Before  them  swept 
by  the  majestic  Father  of  Waters,  yet  imburdened  by 
navigation.  After  Mr.  Wood  had  expatiated  at 
length  on  the  advantages  of  tlie  situation,  Mr.  Ross 
replied,  "  But  it's  too  near  Atlas  ever  to  amount  to 
anything!" 

Atlas  is  still  a  cultivated  farm,  and  (Juincy  is  a 
city  of  over  30,000  (wpulation. 

In  1824  Mr.  Wood  gave  a  newspaper  notice, 
as  the  law  then  prescribed,  of  his  intention  to  apply 
to  the  General  .\ssembly  for  the  formation  of  a  new 
county.  This  was  done  the  following  winter,  result- 
ing in  the  establishment  of  the  present  Adams 
County.  During  the  next  summer  Quincy  was  se- 
lected as  the  county  seat,  it  and  the  vicinity  then 
containing  but  four  adult  male  residents  and  half 


■r  9^-L 


150 


JOHN  WOOD. 


that  number  of  females.  Sinoe  that  period  Mr. 
Wood  resided  at  the  place  of  his  early  adoption  un- 
til his  death,  and  far  more  than  any  other  man  was 
he  identified  with  every  measure  of  its  progress  and 
history,  and  almost  continuously  kept  in  public  posi- 
tions. 

He  was  one  of  the  early  town  Trustees,  and  after 
the  place  became  a  city  he  was  often  a  member  of 
the  City  Council,  many  times  elected  Mayor,  in  the 
face  of  a  constant  large  opposition  political  majority. 
In  1850  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Senate.  In  1856, 
on  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he  was 
chosen  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State,  on  the 
ticket  with  Wm.  H.  Bissell  for  Governor,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  latter,  March  18,  i860,  he  succeeded  to 
the  Chief  Executive  chair,  which  he  occupied  until 
Gov.  Yates  was  inaugurated  nearly  ten  months  after- 
ward. 

Nothing  very  marked  characterized  the  adminis- 
tration of  Gov.  Wood.  The  great  anti-slavery  cam- 
paign of  i860,  resulting  in  the  election  of  the  honest 
Illinoisan,  Abraham  Lincoln,  to  the  Presidency  of  ^fie 
United  States,  occurred  during  the  short.  .Bfripd 
while  Mr.  Wood  was  Governor,  and  th^'excil?eme"nt 
and  issues  of  that  struggle  dominated  over  ever)- 
other  consideration, — indeed,  supplanted  them  in  a 
great  measure.  The  people  of  Illinois,  during  all 
that  time,  were  passing  the  comparatively  petty  strifes 
under  Bissell's  administration  to  the  overwhelming 
issue  of  preserving  the  whole  nation  from  destruction. 

In  1 86 1  ex-Gov.  Wood  was  one  of  the  five  Dele- 
gates from  Illinois  to  the  "  Peace  Convention  "  at 
Washington,  and  in  April  of  the  same  year,  on  the 
breaking  out  of  the    Rebellion,   he    was    appointed 


Quartermaster-General  of  the  State,  which  position 
he  held  throughout  the  war.  In  1864  he  took  com- 
mand as  Colonel  of  the  137th  111.  Vol.  Inf,  with 
whom  he  served  until  the  period  of  enlistment  ex- 
pired. 

Politically,  Gov.  Wood  was  always  actively  identi- 
fied with  the  Whig  and  Republican  parties.  Few 
men  have  in  personal  experience  comprehended  so 
many  surprising  and  advancing  local  changes  as 
vested  in  the  more  than  half  century  recollections  of 
Gov.  Wood.  Sixty-four  years  ago  a  solitary  settler 
on  the  "Bluffs,"  with  no  family,  and  no  neighbor 
within  a  score  of  miles,  the  world  of  civilization  away 
behind  him,  and  the  strolling  red-man  almost  his 
only  visitant,  he  lived  to  see  growing  around  him, 
and  under  his  auspices  and  aid,  overspreading  the 
Svild  hills  and  scraggy  forest  a  teaming  city,  second 
only  in  size  in  the  State,  and  surpassed  nowhere  in 
beauty,  prosperity  and  promise ;  whose  people  recog- 
nize as  with  a  single  voice  tlie  proverbial  honor  and 
liberality  that  attach  to  the  name  and  lengthened 
,l.ife  of  their  pioneer  settler,  "the  old  Governor." 

Gov.  Wood  was  twice  married, — first  in  January, 
i^^yto  Ann  M.  Streeter,  daughter  of  Joshua  Streeter, 
formerly  of  Salem,  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.  They  had 
eight  children.  Mrs.  W.  died  Oct.  8,  1863,  and  in 
June,  1865,  Gov.  Wood  married  Mrs.  Mary  A.,  widow 
of  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Holmes.  Gov.  Wood  died  June  4, 
1880,  at  his  residence  in  Quincy.  Four  of  his  eight 
children  are  now  living,  namely:  Ann  E.,  wife  of 
Gen.  John  Tillson;  Daniel  C,  who  married  Mary  J. 
Abemethy;  John,  Jr.,  who  married  Josephine  Skinner, 
and  Joshua  S.,  who  married  Annie  Bradley.  The 
last  mentioned  now  resides  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and 
all  the  rest  are  still  at  Quincy. 


...  c^v 

Ate 


—  Aj 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

•UWVERSITY  OF  JUlxniS 


■  y.  .     ..   

GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


-H- 


»S9 


I^icl\ar(l    y  at  es. 

T.^yt..u<.-\i<fKf.t  A  ;v  .y-  v.  v\  -y  :■  y  \\  a  a  V^TT^^'rVT^V  S  ^  V  V-  V  \  \  S^  V  \  S  ■•  'Rag 


ICHARD  YATE?,  the  "War 
Governor,"  1861-4,  was  born 
Jan.  18,  1818,  on  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio  River,  at  Warsaw, 
Gallatin  Co.,  Ky.  His  father 
moved  in  1831  to  Illinois,  and_ 
after  stopping  for  a  time  in 
Springfield,  settled  at  Island 
Grove,  Sangamon  County.  Here, 
after  attending  school,  Richard  joined 
the  family.  Subsequently  he  entered 
Illinois  College  at  Jacksonville, 
where,  in  1837,  he  graduated  with 
first  honors.  He  chose  for  his  pro- 
fession the  law,  the  Hon.  J.  J.  Har- 
din being  his  instructor,  .\fter  ad- 
mission to  the  Bar  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  as  an 
advocate. 

Gifted  with  a  fluent  and  ready  oratory,  he  soon 
appeared  in  the  political  hustings,  and,  being  a 
passionate  admirer  of  the  great  Whig  leader  of  the 
West,  Henry  Clay,  he  joined  his  ixjlitical  fortunes  to 
the  party  of  his  idol.  In  1 840  he  engaged  with  great 
ardor  in  the  exciting  "  hard  cider  "  campaign  for 
Harrison.  Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  the 
Legislature  from  Morgan  County,  a  Democratic 
stronghold.  He  served  three  or  four  terms  in  the 
Legislature,  and  such  was  the  fascination  of  his  ora- 
tory that  by  1850  his  large  Congressional  District, 
extending  from  Morgan  and  Sangamon  Counties 
north  to  include  LaSalle,  unanimously  tendered  him 
the  Whig  nomination  for  Congress.  His  Democratic 
opponent  was  Maj.  Thomas  L.  Harris,  a  very  pop- 
ular man  who  had  won  distinction  at  the  battle  of 
Cerro  Gordo,  in  the  Me.xican  War,  and  who  had 
beaten  Hon.  Stephen  T.  Logan  for  the  same  position. 


two  years  before,  by  a  large  majority.  Yates  was 
elected.  Two  years  later  he  was  re-elected,  over 
John  Calhoun. 

It  was  during  Yates'  second  term  in  Congress  that 
the  great  question  of  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise was  agitated,  and  the  bars  laid  down  for  re- 
opening the  dreaded  anti-slavery  question.  He  took 
strong  grounds  against  the  repeal,  and  thus  became 
identified  with  the  rising  RepuWican  party.  Conse- 
quently he  fell  into  the  minority  in  his  district,  which 
was  pro-slavery.  Even  then,  in  a  third  contest,  he 
fell  behind  Major  Harris  only  200  voles,  after  the 
district  had  two  years  before  given  Pierce  2,000 
majority  for  President. 

The  Republican  State  Convention  of  1S60  met  at 
Decatur  May  9,  and  nominated  for  the  offii.e  of  Gov- 
ernor Mr.  Yates,  in  preference  to  Hon.  Norman  B. 
Judd,  of  Chicago,  and  Leonard  Swett,  of  Blooming- 
ton,  two  of  the  ablest  men  of  the  State,  who  were 
also  candidates  before  the  Convention.  Francis  \. 
Hoffman,  of  DuPage  County,  was  nominated  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.  This  was  the  year  when  Mr. 
Lincoln  \v<as  a  candidate  for  President,  .1  jieriod  re- 
membered as  characterized  by  the  great  whiripool 
which  precipitated  the  bloody  W'.r  of  the  Rebellion. 
The  Douglas  Democrats  nominated  J.  C.  Allen  of 
Crawford  County,  for  Governor,  and  Lewis  W.  Ross, 
of  Fulton  County,  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The 
Breckenridge  Democrats  and  the  Bell-Everett  |>arty 
had  also  full  tickets  in  the  field.  After  a  most  fear- 
ful campaign,  the  result  of  the  election  gave  Mr. 
Yates  172,196  votes,  and  Mr.  Allen  159,253.  Mr. 
Yates  received  over  a  thousand  more  votes  than  did 
Mr.  Lincoln  himself. 

Gov.  Yates  occupied  the  chair  of  Stale  during  the 


^ 


-H: 


1 60 


RICHARD    YATES. 


most  critical  period  of  our  country's  history.  In  the 
fate  of  the  nation  was  involved  that  of  each  State. 
The  life  struggle  of  the  former  derived  its  sustenance 
from  the  loyalty  of  the  latter;  and  Gov.  Yates 
seemed  to  realize  the  situation,  and  proved  himself 
both  loyal  and  wise  in  upholding  the  Government. 
He  had  a  deep  hold  upon  the  affections  of  the 
people,  won  by  his  moving  eloquence  and  genial 
manners.  Erect  and  symmetrical  in  person,  of  pre- 
possessing appearance,  with  a  winning  address  and  a 
magnetic  power,  few  men  possessed  more  of  the  ele- 
ments of  iKipularity.  His  oratory  was  scholarly  and 
captivating,  his  hearers  hardly  knowing  why  they 
were  transjwrted.  He  was  social  and  convivial.  In 
the  latter  respect  he  was  ultimately  carried  too  far. 

The  very  creditable  military  efforts  of  this  State 
during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  in  putting  into  the 
field  the  enormous  number  of  about  200,000  soldiers, 
were  ever  promptly  and  ably  seconded  by  his  excel- 

.  lency  ;  and  the  was  ambitious  to  deserve  the  title  of 
"the  soldier's  friend."  Immediately  after  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  he  repaired  to  the  field  of  carnage  to  Ipqlju 

Rafter  the  wounded,  and  his  appeals  for  aid  were 
promptly  responded  to  by  the  people.  His  procla- 
mations  calling    for    volunteers   were  impassionate 

,  appeals,  urging  upon  the  people  the  duties  and  re- 
quirements of  patriotism;  and  his  special  message 
in  1863  to  the  Democratic  Legislature  of  this  State 
pleading  for  material  aid  for  the  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers  of  Illinois  regiments,  breathes  a  deep  fervor 
of  noble  sentiment  and  feeling  rarely  equaled  in 
beauty  or  felicity  of  expression.  Generally  his  mes- 
sages on  ix)litical  and  civil  affairs  were  able  and  com- 
prehensive. During  his  administration,  however, 
there  were  no  civil  events  of  an  engrossing  cliaracter, 
although  two  years  of  his  time  were  replete  wiih 
partisan  quarrels  of  great  bitterness.  Military  ar- 
rests, Knights  of  the  Golden  Circle,  riot  in  Fulton 
County,  attempted  suppression  of  the  Chicago  Times 
and  the  usurjnng  State  Constitutional  Convention  of 
1862,  were  the  chief  local  topics  that  were  exciting 
during  the  Governor's  term.  This  Convention  assem- 
bled Jan.  7,  and  at  once  took  the  high  position  that 
the  law  calling  it  was  no  longer  binding,  and  that  it 
had  supreme  power;  that  it  represented  a  virtual 
assemblage  of  the  whole  people  of  the  State,  and  was 
sovereign  in  the  exercise  of  all  power  necessary  to 
effect  a  peaceable  revolution  of  the  State  Government 


and  to  the  re-establishment  of  one  for  the  "  happiness, 
prosperity  and  freedom  of  the  citizens,"  limited  only 
by  the  Federal  ConstituUoh.  Notwithstanding  the 
law  calling  the  Convention  required  its  members  to 
take  an  oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  State 
as  well  as  that  of  the  general  Government,  they 
utterly  refused  to  take  such  oath.  They  also  as- 
sumed legislative  powers  and  passed  several  irajMrt- 
ant  "laws!"  Interfering  with  the  (then)  present 
executive  duties.  Gov.  Yates  was  provoked  to  tell 
them  plainly  that  "  he  did  not  acknowledge  the  right 
of  the  Convention  to  instruct  him  in  the  performance 
of  his  duty." 

In  1863  the  Governor  astonished  the  Democrats 
by  "  proroguing  "  their  Legislature.  This  body,  after 
a  recess,  met  June  2,  that  year,  and  soon  began  to 
waste  time  upon  various  partisan  resolutions ;  and, 
while  the  two  houses  were  disagreeing  upon  the 
question  of  adjourning  si>ie  die,  the  Governor,  having 
tire  authority  in  such  cases,  surprised  them  all  by 
adjourning  them  "  to  the  Saturday  next  preceding  the 
first  Monday  ^n  January,  1S65  !  "  This  led  to  great 
excitement  and  confusion,  and  to  a  reference  of  the 
Governor's  act  to  the  Supreme  Court,  who  decided  in 
his  favor.  Then  it  was  the  Court's  turn  to  receive 
abuse  for  weeks  and  months  afterward. 

During  the  autumn  of  1864  a  conspiracy  was  de- 
tected at  Chicago  which  had  for  its  object  the  liber- 
ation of  the  prisoners  of  war  at  Camp  Douglas,  the 
burning  of  the  city  and  the  inauguration  of  rebellion 
in  the  North.  Gen.  Sweet,  who  had  charge  of  the 
camp  at  the  time,  first  had  his  suspicions  of  danger 
aroused  by  a  number  of  enigmatically  worded  letters 
which  passed  through  the  Camp  postoflice.  A  de- 
tective afterward  discovered  that  the  rebel  Gen. 
Marmaduke  was  in  the  city,  under  an  assumed 
name,  and  he;  with  other  rebel  officers — Grenfell, 
Morgan,  Cantrell,  Buckner  Morris,  and  Charles 
Walsh — was  arrested,  most  of  whom  were  convicted 
by  a  court-martial  at  Cincinnati  and  sentenced  to 
imprisonment, — Grenfell  to  be  hung.  The  sentence 
of  the  latter  was  afterward  commuted  to  imprison- 
ment for  life,  and  all  the  others,  after  nine  months' 
imprisonment,  were  pardoned. 

In  March,  1873,  Gov.  Yates  was  appointed  a  Gov- 
ernment Director  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in 
which  office  he  continued  until  his  decease,  at  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  on  the  27th  of  November  following. 


4-^ 


^ 


LtBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVEBSJTY  OF  JLUNOIS 


r         V 


-.-^ 


=t* 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'63 


% 


Miehard  J.  Oqleshy. 


=-e-i- 


■HARD  J.  OGLESBY,  Gov- 
-raor  1S65-S,  and  re-elected 
in    1872  and    1884,  was  born 
July  25,  1824,  in  Oldham  Co., 
Ky., — the   State  which   might 
be  considered  the  "  mother  of 
Illinois  G<)vemors."     Bereft  of 
^        his  parents  at  the  tender  age 
'if  eight  years,  his  early   education 
was  neglected.     When    12   years  of 
age,  and  after  he  had  worked  a  year 
and  a  half  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
he   removed    with  an  uncle,  Willis 
Oglesby,   into   whose   care   he    had 
been   committed,   to    Decatur,    this 
^y  State,  where  he  continued  his  ap- 

prenticeship as  a  mechanic,  working  six  months  for 
Hon.  E.  O.  Smith. 

In  1844  he  commenced  studying  law  at  Spring- 
field, with  Judge  Silas  Robbins,  and  read  with  him 
one  year.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1845,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  chosen  profession  at 
Sullivan,  the  county  seat  of  Moultrie  County. 

The  next  year  the  war  with  Mexico  was  com- 
menced, and  in  June,  1S46,  Mr.  Oglesby  volunteered, 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant  of  Co.  C,  Fourth  Illinois 
Regiment  of  Volunteers,  and  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Vera  Cruz  and  Cerro  Gordo. 

On  his  return  he  sought  to  perfect  his  law  studies 
by  attending  a  course  of  lectures  at  Louisville,  but 
on  the  breaking  out  of  the  California  "gold  fever  "  in 
1849,  he  crossed  the  plains  and  mountains  to  the 
new  Eldorado,  driving  a  six-raule  team,  with  a  com- 


pany of  eiglu  men,  Henry  Pralher  being  the  leader. 

In  1 85  2  he  returned  home  to  Macon  County,  and 
was  placed  that  year  by  the  Whig  party  on  the  ticket 
of  Presidential  Electors.  In  1856  he  visited  Europe, 
.\sia  and  Africa,  being  absent  20  months.  On  his 
return  home  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law,  as  a 
member  of  the  fir;ii  of  Gallagher,  Wait  &  Oglesby. 
In  185S  he  was  the  Republican  no  .linee  fjr  the 
Lower  House  of  Congress,  but  was  defeated  by  the 
Hon.  James  C.  Robinson,  Democrat.  In  i860  he 
was  elected  to  the  Illinois  State  Senate ;  and  on  the 
evening  the  returns  of  this  election  were  coming  in, 
Mr.  Oglesby  had  a  fisticuff  encounter  with  "  Cerro 
Gordo  Williams,"  in  which  he  came  out  victorious, 
and  which  was  regarded  as  "  the  first  fight  of  the 
Rebellion."  The  following  spring,  when  the  war 
had  commenced  in  earnest,  his  ardent  nature 
quickly  responded  to  the  demands  of  patriotism  and 
he  enlisted.  The  extra  session  of  the  Legislature 
elected  him  Colonel  of  the  Eighth  Illinois  Infantry, 
the  second  one  in  the  State  raised  to  suppress  the 
great  Rebellion. 

He  WJ.S  shortly  eiitrusted  with  important  com- 
mands. For  a  time  he  was  stationed  at  Bird's  Point 
and  Cairo;  in  .April  he  was  promoted  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral; at  Fort  Donehon  his  brigade  was  in  the  van, 
being  stationed  on  the  right  of  General  Grant's  array 
and  the  first  brigade  to  be  attacked.  He  lost  500 
men  before  re-inforcements  arrived.  Many  of  these 
men  were  from  Macon  County.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Corinth,  and,  in  a  brave  charge  at  this 
place,  was  shot  in  the  left  lung  with  an  ounce  ball, 
and  was  carried  from  the  field  in  expectation  of  im- 


^ 


HH 


164 


■  Y".  . 
RICHARD  J.    OGLESB  Y. 


mediate  death.  That  rebel  ball  he  carries  to  this 
day.  On  his  partial  recovery  he  was  promoted  as 
Major  General,  for  gillantry,  his  commission  to  rank 
from  November,  1862.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he 
was  assigned  to  the  command  of  the  i6th  Army 
Corps,  but,  owing  to  inability  from  the  effects  of  his 
wound,  he  relinquished  this  command  in  July,  that 
year.  Gen.  Grant,  however,  refused  to  accept  his 
resignation,' and  he  was  detailed,  in  December  follow- 
ing, to  court-martial  and  try  the  Surgeon  General  of 
the  Army  at  Washington,  where  he  remanied  until 
May,  1864,  when  he  returned  home. 

The  Republican,  or  U  lion,  State  Convention   of 

1864  was  held  at  Springfield,  May  25,  when  Mr. 
Oglesby  was  nominated  for  the  office  of  Governor, 
while  other  candidates  before  the  Convention  were 
Allen  C.  Fuller,  of  Boone,  Jesse  K.  Dubois,  of  Sanga- 
mon, and  John  M.  Palmer,  of  Macoupin.  VVm. 
Bross,  of  Chicago,  was  nominated  for  Lieutenant 
Governor.  On  the  Democratic  State  ticket  were 
James  C.  Robinson,  of  Clark,  for  Governor,  and  S. 
Corning  Judd,  of  Fulton,  for  Lieutenant  Governor. 
The  general  election  gave  Gen.  Oglesby  a  majority 
of  about  31,000  votes.  The  Republicans  had  also  a 
majority  in  both  the  Legislature  and  in  the  repre- 
sentation in  Congress. 

Gov.  Oglesby  was  duly  inaugurated  Jan.  17,  1865. 

*"  The  day  before  the  first  time  set  for  his  installation- 

I  death  visited  his  hoaie  at  Decatur,  and  took  from    it 

his  only  son,  an  intelligent  and  sprightly  lad. of  six 

j  years,  a  great  favorite  of  the  bereaved  parents.  'This' 

caused  the  inauguration  to  be  postponed  a  week. 

The  political  events  of  the  Legislative  session  of 

1865  were  the  election  of  ex-Gov.  Yates  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  and  the  ratification  of  the  13th 
amendment  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
abolishing  slavery.  This  session  also  signalized 
itself  by  repealing  the  notorious  "  black  laws,"  part 
of  which,  although  a  dead  letter,  had  held  their  place 
upon  the  statute  books  since  1819.  Also,  laws  re- 
quiring the  registration  of  voters,  and  establishing  a 
State  Board  of  Equalization,  were  passed  by  this  Leg- 
islature. But  the  same  body  evinced  that  it  was  cor- 
ruptly influenced  by  a  mercenary  lobby,  as  it  adopted 
some  bad  legislation,  over  the  Governor's  veto,  nota- 
bly an  amendment  to  a  charter  for  a  Chicago  horse 
railway,  granted  in  1859  for  25  years,  and  now 
sought  to  be  extended  99  years.  As  this  measure 
was  promptly  passed  over  his  veto  by  both  branches 
of  the  Legislature,  he  deemed  it  useless  further  to 
attempt  to  check  their  headlong  career.  At  this 
session  no  law  of  a  general  useful  character  or  public 
interest  was  perfected,  unless  we  count  such  the 
turning  over  of  the  canal  to  Chicago  to  be  deepened. 
The  session  of  1867  was  still  more  productive  of 
private  and  special  acts.  Many  omnibus  bills  were 
proposed,  and  some  passed.  The  contests  over  the 
location  of  the   Industrial  College,  the  Capital,  the 


Southern  Penitentiary,  and  the  canal  enlargement 
and  Illinois  River  improvement,  dominated  every- 
thing else. 

During  the  year  1S72,  it  became  evident  that  if 
the  Republicans  could  re-elect  Mr.  Oglesby  to  the 
office  of  Governor,  they  could  also  elect  him  to  the 
United  States  Senate,  which  they  desired  to  do. 
.Accordingly  they  re-nominated  him  for  the  Execu- 
tive chair,  and  i)laced  upon  the  ticket  with  him  for 
Lieutenant  Governor,  John  L.  Beveridge,  of  Cook 
County.  On  the  other  side  the  Democrats  put  into 
the  field  Gastavus  Koerner  for  Governor  and  John 
C.  Black  for  Lieutenant  Governor.  The  election 
gave  the  Republican  ticket  majorities  ranging  from 
3S'334  '^o  56,174, — 'he  Democratic  defection  being 
caused  mainly  by  their  having  an  old-time  Whig  and 
Abolitionist,  Horace  Greeley,  on  the  national  ticket 
for  President.  According  to  the  general  understand- 
ing had  beforehand,  as  soon  as  the  Legislature  met 
it  elected  Gov.  Oglesby  to  the  United  States  Senate, 
whereupon  Mr.  Beveridge  became  Governor.  Sena- 
tor Oglesby 's  term  expired  March  4,  1879,  having 
served  his  party  faithfully  and  exhibited  an  order  of 
statesmanship  beyond  criticism. 

During  the  campaign  of  1884  Mr.  Oglesby  was 
nominated  for  a  "third  term"  as  Executive  of  the 
State  of  Illinois,  against  Carter  H.  Harrison,  Mayor 
of  Chicago,  nominated  by  the  Democrats.  Both 
gentlemen  "stumped  "  the  State,  and  while  the  peo- 
ple electei^  a  Legislature  which  was  a  tie  on  a  joint 
ballot,  as'  between  the  two  parties,  they  gave  the 
jovial  "  Dick"  Oglesby  a  majority  of  15,018  for  Gov- 
ernor, and  he  was  inaugurated  Jan.  30,  1885.  The 
Legislature  did  not  fully  organize  until  this  date,  on 
account  of  its  equal  division  between  the  two  main 
parties  and  the  consequent  desperate  tactics  of  each 
party  to  checkmate  the  latter  in  the  organization  of 
the  House. 

Gov.  Oglesby  is  a  fine-appearing,  affable  man,  with 
regular,  well  defined  features  and  rotund  face.  In 
stature  he  is  a  little  above  medium  height,  of  a  large 
frame  and  somewhat  fleshy.  His  physical  appear- 
ance is  striking  and  prepossessing,  while  his  straight- 
out,  not  to  say  bluff,  manner  and  speech  are  well 
calculated  favorably  to  impress  the  average  masses. 
Ardent  in  feeling  and  strongly  committed  to  the  pol- 
icies of  his  party,  he  intensifies  Republicanism 
among  Republicans,  while  at  the  same  rime  his  jovial 
and  liberal  manner  prevents  those  of  the  opposite 
party  from  hating  him. 

He  is  quite  an  effective  stump  orator.  With  vehe- 
ment, passionate  and  scornful  tone  and  gestures, 
tremendous  physical  power,  which  in  speaking  he 
exercises  to  the  utmost ;  with  frequent  descents  to 
the  grotesque;  and  with  abundant  homely  compari- 
sons or  frontier  figures,  expressed  in  the  broadest 
vernacular  and  enforced  with  stentorian  emphasis, 
he  delights  a  promiscuous  audience  beyond  measure. 


LIBfiARY 

CF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  0F4Uiwnis 


GO  V^ER.VORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


.67 


i'*.»'. : '.  •. '. ; 'X'i^'i.'^i'ssi'^":^"??' 


^1      J  o  HN  M.  'Pa  l  mer 


'^'^'^'g^^;i'^i'.Vi';i'^'^';£>'.;^Vi^. 


"■  U'^.vs't^'iaJtas'f^l 


^v.,,^?^^ 


■>I  ^     »<g>'4e»;gx 


\. 


G-'* 


H;OHN  Mc  AULEY  PALMER,  Gov- 
.fW**  ernor  1869—72,  was  born  on 
-^-  Eagle  Creek,  Scott  Co.,  Ky., 
Sept.  13,  1817.  During  his  in- 
;•'  fancy,  his  father,  who  had  been 
a  soldier  in  the  war  of  181 2,  re- 
moved to  Christian  Co.,  Ky., 
where  lands  were  cheap.  Here 
the  future  Governor  of  the  great 
Prairie  State  spent  his  childhood 
and  received  such  meager  school- 
ing as  the  new  and  sparsely  set- 
tled country  afforded.  To  this 
he  added  materially  by  diligent 
reading,  for  which  he  evinced  an 
eaily  aptitude.  His  father,  an  ardent  Jackson  man, 
was  also  noted  for  his  anti-slavery  sentiments,  which 
he  thoroughly  impressed  upon  his  children.  In  1831 
he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Madison  County. 
Here  the  labor  of  improving  a  farm  was  pursued  for 
about  two  years,  when  the  death  of  Mr.  Palmer's 
mother  broke  up  the  family.  Al)Out  this  time  Alton 
College  was  opened,  on  the  "manual  lal)or  "  system, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1834  young  Palmer,  with  his 
elder  brother,  Elihu,  entered  this  school  and  remained 
18  months.  Next,  for  over  three  years,  he  tried 
variously  coopering,  peddling  and  school-teaching. 

During    the   summer  of   1838  he  formed  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  then  making  his 


first  canvass  for  Congress.  Young,  eloquent  and  in 
political  accord  with  Mr.  Palmer,  he  won  his  confi- 
dence, Sred  his  ambition  and  fi.xed  his  purpose.  The 
following  winter,  while  teaching  near  Canton,  he  be- 
gan to  devote  his  spare  time  to  a  desultory  reading  ' 
of  laA-,  and  in  the  spring  entered  a  law  office  at  Car- 
linville,  making  his  home  with  his  elder  brother, 
Elihu.  (The  latter  was  "a  learned  clergyman,  of  con- 
siderable orginality  of  thought  and  doctrine.)  On 
the  next  meeting  of  the  Supreme  Court  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  Bar,  Douglas  being  one  of  his  examiners. 
He  was  not  immediately  successful  in  his  profession, 
and  would  have  located  elsewhere  than  Carlinville 
had  he  the  requisite  means.  Thus  his  early  poverty 
was  a  blessing  in  disguise,  for  to  it  he  now  attributes 
the  success  of  his  life. 

From  1839  on,  while  he  diligently  pursued  his 
profession,  he  participated  more  or  less  in  local 
])olitics.  In  r843  he  became  Probate  Judge.  In 
1847  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, where  he  took  a  leading  part.  In  1852  he 
was  elected  to  the  State  Senate,  and  at  the  special 
session  of  February,  1854,  true  to  the  anti-slavery 
sentiments  bred  in  him,  he  took  a  firm  stand  in  op- 
;x)sition  to  the  reiieal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise; 
and  when  the  Nebraska  ([uestion  became  a  party 
issue  he  refused  to  receive  a  re-nomination  for  the 
Senatorship  at  the  hands  of  the  Democracy,  issuing 
a  circular  to  that  effect.     A   few   weeks   afterward. 


i 


4 


4-4^ 


i68 


JOHN  MC  AULEY  PALMER. 


however,  hesitating  to  break  with  his  party,  he  par- 
ticipated in  a  Congressional  Convention  which  nomi- 
T.  L.  Harris  against  Richard  Yates,  and  whicli 
unqualifiedly  approved  the  principles  of  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  act.  But  later  in  the  campaign  he  made 
the  plunge,  ran  for  the  Senate  as  an  Anti-Nebraska 
Democrat,  and  was  elected.  The  following  winter 
he  put  in  nomination  for  the  U.iited  States  Senate 
Mr.  Trumbull,  and  was  one  of  the  five  steadfast  men 
who  voted  for  him  until  all  the  Whigs  came  to  their 
support  and  elected  their  man. 

In  1856  he  was  Chairman  of  the  Republican  State 
Convention  at  Bloomington.  He  ran  for  Congress  in 
1859,  but  was  defeated.  In  i860  he  was  Republican 
Presidential  Elector  for  the  State  at  large.  In  1861 
he  was  appointed  one  of  the  five  Delegates  (all  Re- 
publicans) sent  by  Illinois  to  the  peace  congress  at 
Washington. 

When  the  civil  conflict  broke  but,  he  offered  his 
services  to  his  country,  and  was  elected  Colonel  of  the 
i4ih  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  participated  in  the  engagements 
at  Island  No.  10  ;  at  Farmington,  where  he  skillfuity 
X  extricated  his  command  from  a  dangerous  poyUp j  ;, 
J  at  Stone  River,  where  his  division  for  several  hours,' 
Dec.  31,  1862,  held  the  advance  anti  stood  like  a 
rock,  and  for  his  gallantry  there  he  was  made  Major 
General;  at  Chickamauga,  where  his  and  Van  Cleve's 
divisions  for  two  hours  maintained  their  position 
when  they  were  cut  off  by  overpowering  numbers. 
Under  Gen.  Sherman,  he  was  assigned  to  the  14th 
Army  Corps  and  participated  in  the  .\tlanta  campaign. 
At  Peach-Tree  Creek  his  prudence  did  much  to  avert 
disaster.  In  February,  1865,  Gen.  Palmer  was  as- 
signed to  the  military  administration  of  Kentucky, 
which  was  a  delicate  post.  That  State  was  about 
half  rebel  and  half  Union,  and  those  of  the  latter 
element  were  daily  fretted  by  the  loss  of  their  slaves. 
He,  who  had  been  bred  to  the  rules  of  common  law, 
trembled  at  the  contemplation  of  his  extraordinary 
power  over  the  persons  and  property  of  his  fellow 
men,  with  which  he  was  vested  in  his  capacity-  as 
military  Governor ;  and  he  exhibited  great  caution  in 
the  execution  of  the  duties  of  his  post. 

Gen.  Palmer  was  nominated  for  Governor  of  Illi- 
nois by  the  Republican  State  Convention  which  met 
at  Peoria  May  6,  1868,  and  his  nomination  would 
probably  have  been  made  by  acclamation  had  he  not 
persistently  declared  that  he  could  not  accept  a  can- 


didature for  the  office.  The  result  of  the  ensuing 
election  gave  Mr.  Palmer  a  majority  of  44.707  over 
John  R.  Eden,  the  Democratic  nominee. 

0.1  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  in  Januar)', 
18(59,  the  first  thing  to  arrest  public  attention  was 
th.it  portion  of  the  Governor's  message  which  took 
broad  Slate's  rights  ground.  Th's  and  some  minor 
points,  which  were  more  in  keeping  with  the  Demo- 
cratic sentiment,  constituted  the  e  itering  wedge  f  jr 
the  criticisms  and  reproofs  he  afterward  received 
from  the  Republican  party,  and  ultimately  resulted 
in  his  entire  aleniation  from  the  latter  element.  The 
Legislature  just  referred  to  was  noted  for  the  intro- 
duction of  numerous  bills  in  the  interest  of  private 
parties,  which  were  embarrassing  to  the  Governor. 
Among  the  public  acts  passed  was  that  which  limited 
railroad  charges  for  passenger  travel  to  a  maximum 
of  three  cents  per  mile ;  and  it  was  passed  over  the 
Governor's  veto.  Also,  they  passed,  over  his  veto, 
the  "  tax-grabbing  law  "  to  pay  railroad  subscriptions, 
the  Chicago  Lake  Front  bill,  etc.  The  new  State  ' 
^Constitution  of  1S70,  far  superior  to  the  old,  was  a 
'peaceful  "  revolution"  which  took  place  during  Gov. 
■Paffi«ir's  term  of  office.  The  suffering  caused  by  the 
great  Chicago  Fire  of  October,  1871,  was  greatly 
alleviated  by  the  prompt  responses  of  his  excellency. 
Since  the  expiration  of  Gov.  Palmers 's  term,  he  has 
been  somewhat  prominent  in  Illinois  politics,  and 
has  been  talked  of  by  many,  especially  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  as  the  best  man  in  the  State  for  a 
United  States  Senator.  His  business  during  life  has 
been  that  of  the  law.  Few  excel  him  in  an  accurate 
appreciation  of  the  depth  and  scope  of  its  principles- 
The  great  number  of  his  able  veto  messages  abun- 
dantly testify  not  only  this  but  also  a  rare  capacity  to 
point  them  out.  He  is  a  logical  and  cogent  reasoner 
and  an  interesting,  forcible  and  convincing  speaker, 
though  not  fluent  or  ornate.  Without  brilliancy,  his 
dealings  are  rather  with  facts  and  ideas  than  with 
appeals  to  passions  and  prejudices.  He  is  a  patriot 
and  a  statesman  of  very  high  order.  Physically  he  is 
above  the  medium  height,  of  robust  frame,  ruddy 
complexion  and  sanguine-nervous  temperament.  He 
has  a  large  cranial  development,  is  vivacious,  social 
in  disposition,  easy  of  approach,  unostentatious  in  his 
habits  of  life,  democratic  in  his  habits  and  manners 
and  is  a  true  American  in  his  fundamental  principles 
of  statesman'Uiip. 


"t 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ItUNOIS 


^ 


^^ 


^^^^^^^^^ /^^^/^-^J^ 


H^ 


^JL. 


GO  VERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


171 


OHN  LOWRiE  BEVER- 
IDGE,Oovernor  187  3-6,  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Green- 
wich, Washington  Co.,  N.  Y., 
July  6,  1824.  His  parents 
were  George  and  Ann  Bever- 
.'\)  idge.  His  father's  parents,  An- 
drew and  Isabel  Beveridge,  be- 
fore their  marriage  emigrated 
from  Scotland  just  before  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  in 
Washington  County.  His  father 
was  the  eldest  of  eight  brothers,  the 
youngest  of  whom  was  60  years  of 
age  when  the  first  one  of  the  num- 
ber died.  His  mother's  parents, 
Tames  and  Agnes  Hoy,  emigrated 
from  Scotland  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  settling  also  in 
!  °[P  Washington  Co.,  N.  Y.,  with  their 
first-born,  whose  "  native  land  "  was 
the  wild  ocean.  His  parents  and 
grandparents  lived  beyond  the  time 
allotted  to  man,  their  average  age 
being  over  80  years.  They  belonged  to  the  "Asso- 
ciate  Church,"   a    seceding    Presbyterian    body    of 


America  from  the  old  Scotch  school ;  and  so  rigid 
was  the  training  of  young  Beveridge  that  he  never  '  ■] 
heard  a  sermon  from  any  other  minister  except  that 
of  his  own  denomination  until  he  was  in  his  19th 
year.  Later  in  life  he  became  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  relation  he  still 
holds. 

Mr.  Beveridge  received  a  good  common-school  ed- 
ucation, but  liis  parents,  who  could  obtain  a  livelihood 
only  by  rigid  economy  and  industry,  could  not  send 
him  away  to  college.  He  was  raised  upon  a  farm, 
and  was  in  his  18th  year  when  the  family  removed 
to  De  Kalb  County,  this  State,  when  that  section  was 
very  sparsely  settled.  Chicago  had  less  than  7,000 
inhabitants.  In  this  wild  West  he  continued  as  a 
farm  laborer,  teaching  school  during  the  winter 
months  to  supply  the  means  of  an  education.  In  the 
fall  of  1842  he  attended  one  term  at  the  academy  at 
Granville,  Putnam  Co.,  111.,  and  subsequently  several 
terms  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary  at  Mount  Morris, 
Ogle  Co.,  111.,  completing  the  academic  course.  At 
tliis  tiriie,  the  fall  of  1845,  his  parents  and  brothers 
were  anxious  to  have  him  go  to  college,  even  though 
he  had  not  money  sufficient;  but,  n^t  willing  \o  bur- 
den the  family,  he  jjacked  his  trunk  and  with  only 
$40    in  money   started    .South    to  seek    liis  fortune. 


4-^ 


A 


172 


JOHN  L.  BEVERIDGE. 


Poor,  alone,  without  friends  and  influence,  !ie  thus 
entered  upon  the  battle  of  life. 

First,  he  taught  school  in  Wilson,  Overton  and 
Jackson  Cos.,  Tenn.,  in  which  experience  he  under- 
went considerable  mental  drill,  both  in  book  studies 
and  in  the  ways  of  the  world.  He  read  law  and  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar,  in  the  South,  but  did  not  learn 
to  love  the  institution  of  slavery,  although  he  ad- 
mired many  features  of  Southern  character.  In  De- 
cember, 1847,  he  returned  North,  and  Jan.  20,  1848, 
he  married  Miss  Helen  M.  Judson,  in  the  old  Clark- 
Street  M.  E.  church  in  Chicago,  her  father  at  that 
time  being  Pastor  of  the  society  there.  In  the  spring 
of  1848  he  returned  with  his  wife  to  Tennessee, 
where  his  two  children.  Alia  May  and  Philo  Judson, 
were  born. 

In  the  fall  of  1849,  through  the  mismanagement 
of  an  associate,  he  lost  what  little  he  had  accumu- 
lated and  was  left  in  debt.  He  soon  managed  to 
earn  means  to  pay  his  debts,  returned  to  De  Kalb 
Co.,  111.,  and  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession at  Sycamore,  the  county  seat.  On  anival^' 
from  the  South  he  had  but  one-quarter  of  a  dollar.in 
money,  and  scanty  clothing  and  bedding  for  him'Self ' 
and  family.  He  borrowed  a  little  money,  practiced 
law,  worked  in  public  offices,  kept  books  for  some  of 
the  business  men  of  the  town,  and  some  railroad  en- 
gineering, till  the  spring  of  1854,  when  he  removed 
to  Evanston,  1 2  miles  north  of  Chicago,  a  place  then 
but  recently  laid  out,  under  the  supervision  of  the 
Northwestern  U'liversity,  a  Methodist  institution. 
Of  the  latter  his  father-in-law  was  then  financial 
agent  and  business  manager.  Here  Mr.  Beveridge 
prospered,  and  the  next  year  (1855)  opened  a  law 
office  in  Chicago,  where  he  found  the  battle  some- 
what hard;  but  he  persevered  with  encouragement 
and  increasing  success. 

Aug.  12,  1 861,  his  law  partner.  Gen.  John  F. 
Farnsworth,  secured  authority  to  raise  a  regiment  of 
cavalry,  and  authorized  Mr.  Beveridge  to  raise  a 
company  for  it.  He  succeeded  in  a  few  days  in  rais- 
ing the  company,  of  course  enlisting  himself  along 
with  it.  The  regiment  rendezvoused  at  St.  Charles. 
111.,  was  mustered  in  Sept.  18,  and  on  its  organiza- 
tion \^.  B.  was  elected  Second  Major.  It  was  at- 
t.ichod,  Oct.  II,  to  the  Eighth  Cavalry  and  to  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac.  He  served  with  the  regiment 
until  November,  1863,  participating  in  some  40  bat- 


tles and  skirniislies  :  was  at  Fair  Oaks,  the  seven  days' 
fight  around  Richmond,  Fredericksburg,  Chancellors- 
ville  and  Gettysburg.  He  commanded  the  regiment 
the  greater  part  of  the  summer  of  1S63,  and  it  was  while 
lying  in  camp  this  year  that  he  originated  the  policy 
of  encouraging  recruits  as  well  as  the  fighting  capac- 
ity of  the  soldiery,  by  the  wholesale  furlough  system. 
It  worked  so  well  that  many  other  officers  adopted 
it.  In  the  fall  of  this  year  he  recruited  another  com- 
pany, against  heavy  odds,  in  January,  1864,  was 
commissioned  Colonel  of  tlie  17th  111.  Cav.,  and 
skirmished  around  in  Missouri,  concluding  with  the 
reception  of  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Kirby  Smith's 
army  in  Arkansas.  In  1865  he  commanded  various 
sub-districts  in  the  Southwest.  He  was  mustered 
out  Feb.  6,  1866,  safe  from  the  casualties  of  war  and 
a  stouter  man  than  when  he  first  enlisted.  His  men 
idolized  him. 

He  then  returned  to  Ciiicago,  to  practice  law,  with 
no  library  and  no  clientage,  and  no  political  experi- 
ence except  to  help  others  into  office.  In  the  fall  of 
1866  he  was  elected  Sherifif  of  Cook  County,  serving 
one  term;  next,  until  November,  1870,  he  practiced 
law  artd  closed  up  the  unfinished  business  of  his  H 
office.  He  was  then  elected  State  Senator;  in  No- 
vember, 187  I,  he  was  elected  Congressman  at  large; 
in  November,  1872,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor on  the  ticket  with  Gov.  Oglesby  ;  the  latter  be- 
ing elected  to  the  U.  S.  Senate,  Mr.  Beveridge  became 
Governor,  Jan.  21,  1873.  Thus,  inside  of  a  few 
weeks,  he  was  Congressman  at  large.  Lieutenant 
Governor  and  Governor.  The  principal  events  oc- 
curring during  Gov.  Beveridge's  administration  were: 
The  completion  of  the  revision  of  the  statutes,  begun 
in  1869;  the  partial  success  of  the  "  farmers'  move- 
ment;" "Haines'  Legislature  "  and  IIHnois'  exhibit  at 
the  Centennial. 

Since  the  close  of  his  gubernatorial  term  ex-Gov. 
Beveridge  has  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bever- 
idge &  Dewey,  bankers  and  dealers  in  commercial 
paper  at  7 1  Dearborn  Street  (McCormick  Block), 
Chicago,  and  since  November,  1881,  he  has  also  been 
.\ssistant  United  States  Treasurer :  office  in  the 
Government  Building.  His  residence  is  still  at  Ev- 
anston. 

He  has  a  brother  and  two  sisters  yet  residing  in 
De  Kalb  County — James  H.  Beveridge,  Mrs.  Jennet 
Henry  and  Mrs.  Isabel  French. 


t 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  liUNOiS 


GOl'ERyORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


«75 


--> 


y  HELBV  M.  CLLLOM,  Gover- 
nor 1877-83,18  the  sixth  child 
of  the  late  Richard  N.  Cullom, 
and  was  born  Nov.  22,  1829,  in 
Wayne  Co.,  Ky.,  where  his  fa- 
ther then  resided,  and  whence 
both  the  Illinois  and  Tennessee 
branches  of  the  family  originated.  In 
the  following  year  the  family  emi- 
grated to  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
Tazewell  Co.,  III.,  when  that  section 
was  very  sparsely  settled.  They  lo- 
cated on  Deer  Creek,  in  a  grove  at 
the  time  occupied  by  a  party  of  In- 
dians, attracted  there  by  the  superior 
hunting  and  fishing  afforded  in  that 
vicinity.  The  following  winter  was 
known  as  the  "  hard  winter,"  the  gnow  being  very 
deep  and  lasting  and  the  weather  severely  cold;  and 
t'ue  family  had  to  subsist  mainly  on  boiled  corn  or 
hominy,  and  some  wild  game,  for  several  weeks.  In 
the  course  of  time  Mr.  R.  N.  Cullom  became  a  prom- 
inent citizen  and  was  several  times  elected  to  the 
Legislature,  both  before  and  after  the  removal  of  the 
capital  from  Vandalia  to  Springfield.  He  died  about 
'873- 

Until  about  19  years  of  age  young  Cullom  grew  up 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  attending  school  as  he  had 
opportunity  during  the  winter.  Within  this  time, 
however,  he  spent   several  months  teaching  school, 


and  in  the  following  summer  he  "broke  prairie  "with 
an  ox  team  for  the  neighbors.  With  the  money  ob- 
tained by  these  various  ventures,  he  undertook  a 
course  of  study  at  the  Rock  River  Seminary,  a 
Methodist  institution  at  Mt.  Morris,  Ogle  County;  J 
but  the  sudden  change  to  the  in-door  life  of  a  stu- 
dent told  severely  upon  his  health,  and  he  was  taken 
home,  being  considered  in  a  hopeless  condition.  While 
at  Mt.  Morris  he  heard  Hon.  E.  B.  Washburne  make 
his  first  speech. 

On  recovering  health,  Mr.  Cullom  concluded  to 
study  law,  under  the  instruction  of  Abraham  Lincoln, 
at  Springfield,  who  had  by  this  time  attained  some 
notoriety  as  an  able  lawyer;  but  the  latter,  being  ab- 
sent from  his  office  most  of  the  time,  advised  Mr. 
Cullom  to  enter  the  office  of  Stuart  &  Edwards. 
After  about  a  year  of  study  there,  however,  his  health 
failed  again,  and  he  was  obliged  to  return  once  more 
to  out-door  life.  Accordingly  he  bought  hogs  for 
packing,  for  A.  G.  Tyng,  in  I'eoria,  and  while  he  re- 
gained his  health  he  gained  in  purse,  netting  $400  in 
a  few  weeks.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  Bar,  he 
went  to  Springfield,  where  he  was  soon  elected  City 
Attorney,  on  the  .\nti-Nebraska  ticket. 

In  1856  he  ran  on  the  Fillmore  ticket  as  a  Presi- 
dential Elector,  and,  although  failing  to  be  elected  as 
such,  he  was  at  the  same  time  elected  a  Representa- 
tive in  the  Legislature  from  Sangamon  County,  by  a 
local  coalition  of  tlie  American  and  Republican  par- 
ties. On  the  organization  of  the  House,  he  received 
the  vote  of  the  Fillmore  men  for  Speaker.    Practicing 


-^ 


*t4— 


176 


SHELB  Y  M.    CULLOM. 


law  until  i860,  he  was  again  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, as  a  Republican,  while  the  county  went  Demo- 
cratic on  the  Presidential  ticket.  In  January  follow- 
ing he  was  elected  Speaker,  probably  the  youngest 
man  who  had  ever  presided  over  an  Illinois  Legis- 
lature. After  the  session  of  186 1,  he  was  a  candidate 
for  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  called  for 
that  year,  but  was  defeated,  and  thus  escaped  the 
disgrace  of  being  connected  with  that  abortive  party 
scheme  to  revolutionize  the  State  Government.  In 
1862  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  but 
was  defeated.  The  same  year,  however,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  President  Lincoln  on  a  Government 
Commission,  in  company  with  Gov.  Boutwell  of 
Massachusetts  and  Cnarles  A.  Dana,  since  of  the 
New  York  Sun,  to  investigate  the  affairs  of  the 
Quartermaster's  and  Commissary  Departments  at 
Cairo.     He  devoted  several  months  to  this  duty. 

In  1864  he  entered  upon  a  larger  political  field, 
being   nominated  as  the   Republican  candidate  for 
Congress  from  the  Eighth  (Springfield)  District,  in 
opposition  to  the  incumbent,  John  T.  Stuart,  who  haj 
^been  elected  in   1862   by  about  1,500  majority  over^ 

[Leonard  Swett,  then  of  Bloomington,  now  of  Chicago.- 
The  result  was  the  election  of  Mr.  Cullom  in  Novem- 
ber following  by  a  majority  of  1,785.  In  1866  he 
was  re-elected  to  Congress,  over  Dr.  E.  S.  Fowler,  by 
the  magnificent  majority  of  4,103  !  In  1868  he  was 
again  a  candidate,  defeating  the  Hon.  B.  S.  Edwards, 
another  of  his  old  preceptors,  by  2,884  votes. 

During  his  first  term  in  Congress  he  served  on  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  E.xpenditures  in 
the  Treasury  Department;  in  his  second  term,  on 
"the  Committees  on  Foreign  Affairs  and  on  Territories ; 
and  in  his  third  term  he  succeeded  Mr.  Ashley,  of 
Ohio,  to  the  Chairnnnship  of  the  latter.  He  intro- 
duced a  bill  in  the  House,  to  aid  in  the  execution  of 
law  in  Utah,  which  caused  more  consternation  amons; 
the  Mormons  than  any  measure  had  previously,  but 
whici),  though  it  passed  the  House,  failed  to  pass  the 
Senate. 

The  Republican  Convention  which  met  May  25, 
1876,  nominated  Mr.  Cullom  for  Governor,  while  the 
other  contestant  was  Gov.  Beveridge.  For  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor they  nominated  Andrew  Shuman,  editor 
of  the  Chicago  Journal.  For  the  same  offices  the 
Democrats,  combining  with  the  Anti-Monopolists, 
placed    in    nomination    Lewis   Steward,   a  wealthy 


farmer  and  manufacturer,  and  A.  A.  Glenn.  The 
result  of  the  election  was  rather  close,  Mr.  Cullom 
obtaining  only  6,800  majority.  He  was  inaugurated 
Jan.  8,  1877. 

Great  depression  jjrevailed  in  financial  circles  at 
this  time,  as  a  consequence  of  the  heavy  failures  of 
1873  and  afterward,  the  effect  of  which  had  seemed 
to  gather  force  from  that  time  to  the  end  of  Gov. 
CuUom's  first  administration.  This  unspeculative 
period  was  not  calculated  to  call  forth  any  new 
issues,  but  the  Governor's  energies  were  at  one  time 
put  to  task  to  quell  a  spirit  of  insubordination  that 
had  been  begun  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  among  the  laboring 
classes,  and  transferred  to  Illinois  at  Chicago,  East 
St.  Louis  and  Braidwood,  at  which  places  laboring 
men  for  a  short  time  refused  to  work  or  allow  others 
to  work.  These  disturbances  were  soon  quelled  and 
the  wheels  of  industry  again  set  in  motion. 

In  May,  1880,  Gov.  Cullom  was  re-nominated  by 
the  Republicans,  against  Lyman  Trumbull,  by  the 
Democrats;  and  although  the  former  party  was  some- 
what handicapped  in  the  campaign  by  a  zealous 
faction  opposed  to  Grant  for  President  and  to  Grant 
men  for  offipe  generally,  Mr.  Cullom  was  re-elected^ 
by  about  314,565,  to  277,532  for  the  Democratic  State 
ticket.  The  Greenback  vote  at  the  same  time  was 
about  27,000.  Both  Houses  of  the  Legislature  again 
became  Republican,  and  no  representative  of  the 
Greenback  or  Socialist  parties  were  elected.  Gov. 
Cullom  was  inaugurated  Jan.  10,  1S81.  In  his  mes- 
sage he  announced  that  the  last  dollar  of  the  State 
debt  had  been  provided  for. 

March  4,  1883,  the  term  of  David  Davis  as  United  I 
States  Senator  from  Illinois  expired,  and  Gov.  Cul- 
lom was  chosen  to  succeed  him.  This  promoted 
Lieutenant-Governor  John  M.  Hamilton  to  the  Gov- 
ernorship. Senator  Cullom's  term  in  the  United 
States  Senate  will  expire  March  4,  1889. 

As  a  practitioner  of  law  Mr.  C.  has  been  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Cullom,  Scholes  &  Mather,  at  Spring- 
field ;  and  he  has  also  been  President  of  the  State 
National  Bank. 

He  has  been  married  twice, — the  first  time  Dec. 
12,  1855,  to  Miss  Hannah  Fisher,  by  whom  he  had 
two  daughters;  and  the  second  time  May  5,  1863, 
to  Julia  Fisher.  Mrs.  C  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  with  which  religious  body  Mr. 
C.  is  also  in  sympathy. 


LI8RARY 

OF  THE 

UNtV£RSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


1 


:?==4-^ 


GOVERNORS  OF  ILLINOIS. 


'79 


I 


liG)]^  ||[."  j|Lai^iltof\. 


.ii^'^..'^-^.''*?-. 


-^^(syy  j>^^ 


OHN  MARSHALL  HAMIL- 
TON, Governor  1883-5,  ^^^ 
born  May  28,  1847,  in  a  log 
house  ujxjn  a  farm  about  two 
miles  from  Richnood,  Union 
County,  Ohio.     His  father  was 

t_    '■■"" ;    >amuel  Hamilton,  the  eldest  son 

i^f  Rev.  Wni.  Hamilton,  who,  to- 
gether with  his  brother,  the  Rev. 
J  'Jiji^t  '•   Samuel  Hamilton,  was  among  the 
^'^C^'i   ejrly  pioneer  Methodist  preachers  in 
'i.io.     The  mother  of  the  subject  of 
is  sketch  was,  before  her  marriage, 

fMrs.  Nancy  McMorris,  who  was 
born  and  raised  in  Fauquier  or  Lou- 
:  doun  County,  Va.,  and  related  to  the 
two  large  families  of  Youngs  and  Marshalls,  well 
known  in  that  commonwealth ;  and  from  the  latter 
family  name  was  derived  the  middle  name  of  Gov. 
Hamilton. 

In  March,  1854,  Mr.  Hamilton's  father  sold  out 
his  little  pioneer  forest  home  in  Union  County,  O., 
and,  loading  his  few  household  effects  and  family 
(of  six  children)  into  two  emigrant  covered  wagons, 
moved  to  Roberts  Township,  Marshall  Co.,  111.,  being 
21  days  on  the  route.  Swamps,  unbridged  streams 
and  innumerable  hardships  and  privations  met  them 
on  their  way.  Their  new  home  had  been  previously 
selected  by  the  father.  Here,  after  many  long  years 
of  toil,  they  succeeded  in  paying  for  the  land  and 
making  a  corafortaMp  home.     Joha  was,  of  course, 


brought  up  to  hard  manual  labor,  with  no  scliooling 
except  three  or  four  months  in  the  year  at  a  common 
country  school.  However,  he  evinced  a  capacity 
and  taste  for  a  high  order  of  self  education,  by 
studying  or  reading  what  books  Ic  could  borrow,  as 
the  family  had  but  very  few  in  ilie  house.  .Much  of  • 
his  study  he  prosecuted  by  the  light  of  a  log  fire  in 
the  old-fashioned  chimney  place.  The  financial 
panic  of  1857  caused  the  family  to  come  near  losing 
their  home,  to  pay  debts ;  but  the  father  and  two 
sons,  William  and  John,  "buckled  to"  and  perse- 
vered in  hard  labor  and  economy  until  they  redeemed 
their  place  from  the  mortgage 

When  the  tremendous  excitement  of  the  political 
campaign  of  i860  reached  the  neigliborhood  of  Rob- 
erts Township,  young  Hamilton,  who  had  been 
brought  up  in  the  doctrine  of  anti-slavery,  took  a  zeal- 
ous part  in  favor  of  Lincoln's  election.  Making  special 
efforts  to  procure  a  little  money  to  buy  a  imiform,  lie 
joined  a  company  of  Lincoln  Wide-Awakes  at  Mag- 
nolia, a  village  not  far  away.  Directly  after  the 
ensuing  election  it  became  evident  that  trouble 
would  ensue  with  the  South,  and  this  Wide-Awake 
company,  like  many  others  throughout  the  country, 
kept  up  its  organization  and  transformed  itself  into  a 
military  company.  During  the  ensuing  summer  they 
met  often  for  drill  and  became  proficient ;  but  when 
they  offered  themselves  for  the  war,  young  Hamilton 
was  rejected  on  account  of  his  youth,  he  being  then 
but  14  years  of  age.  During  the  winter  of  1863-4  he 
attended  an  academy  at  Henry,   Marshall  County, 


V 


-%■ 


i8o 


JOHN  MARSHALL  HAMILTON. 


V 


and  in  the  following  May  he  again  enlisted,  for  the 
fourth  time,  when  he  was  placed  in  the  i4ibt  III. 
Vol.  Inf.,  a  regiment  then  being  raised  at  Elgin,  111., 
for  the  loo-day  service.  He  took  with  him  13  other 
lads  from  his  neighborhood,  for  enlistment  in  the 
service.  This  regiment  operated  in  Southwestern 
Kentucky,  for  about  five  months,  under  Gen.  Paine. 

The  following  winter,  1864-5,  '^'■-  Hamilton  taught 
school,  and  during  the  two  college  years  1865-7,  ''"^ 
went  through  three  years  of  the  curriculum  of  the 
Ohio  Wesleyan  University  at  Delaware,  Ohio.  The 
third  year  he  graduated,  the  fourth  in  a  class  of  46, 
in  the  classical  department.  In  due  time  he  received 
the  degree  of  M.  A.  For  a  few  months  he  was  the 
Principal  of  Marshall  "  College  "  at  Henry,  an  acad- 
emy under  the  auspices  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  By 
this  time  he  had  commenced  the  study  of  law,  and 
after  earning  some  money  as  a  temporary  Professor 
of  Latin  at  the  Illinois  Wesleyan  University  at 
Bloomington,  he  entered  the  law  office  of  Weldon, 
Tipton  &  Benjamin,  of  that  city.  Each  member  of 
this  firm  has  since  been  distinguished  as  a  Judge. 
Admitted  to  the  Bar  in  M  ly,  1870,  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  given  an  interest  in  the  same  firm,  Tipton  hav- 
ing been  elected  Judge.  In  October  following  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  J.  H.  Rowell,  at  that  time 
Prosecuting  Attorney.  Their  business  was  then 
small,  but  they  increased  it  to  very  large  proportions, 
practicing  in  all  grades  of  courts,  including  even  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court,  and  this  partnership  continued 
unbroken  until  Feb.  6,  1883,  when  Mr.  Hamilton 
was  sworn  in  as  E.xecut!ve  of  Illinois.  On  the  4th 
of  March  following  Mr.  Rowell  took  his  seat  in  Con- 
gress. 

In  July,  187  I.  Mr.  Hamilton  married  Miss  Helen 
M.  Williams,  the  daughter  of  Prof.  Wui.  G,  Williams, 
Professor  of  Greek  in  the  Ohio  Wejleyan  University. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  have  two  daughters  and  one  son. 

In  1876  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  by  the  Re- 
publicans for  the  State  Senate,  over  other  and  older 
competitors.  He  took  an  active  part  "  on  the  stump  " 
in  the  campaign,  for  the  success  of  his  party,  and  was 
elected  by  a  majority  of  1,640  over  his  Democratic- 
Greenback  opponent.  In  the  Senate  he  served  on 
the  Committees  on  Judiciary,  Revenue,  State  Insti- 
tutions, Appropriations,  Education,  and  on  Miscel- 
lany ;  and  during  the  contest  for  the  election  of  a 
U.  S.  Senator,  the  Republicans  endeavoring  to  re- 


elect John  A.  Logan,  he  voted  for  the  war  chief  on 
every  ballot,  even  alone  when  all  the  other  Republi- 
cans had  gone  over  to  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Lawrence  and 
the  Democrats  and  Independents  elected  Judge 
David  Davis.  -At  this  session,  also,  was  passed  the 
first  Board  of  Health  and  Medic  al  Practice  act,  of 
which  Mr.  Hamilloa  was  a  champion,  aga'- 
much  opposition  that  the  bill  was  seveial  tunes 
"  laid  on  the  table."  Also,  this  session  authorized 
the  location  and  establishment  of  a  southern  pei-'- 
tentiary,  which  was  fixed  at  Chester.  In  the  sessio":^ 
of  1879  Mr.  Hamilton  was  elected  Vxt%\i.<nl fro tem. 
of  the  Senate,  and  was  a  zealous  supporter  of  John 
A.  Logan  for  the  U.  S.  Senate,  who  wa ".  this  time 
elected  without  any  trouble. 

In  May,  1880,  Mr.  Hamilton  was  nominated  on 
the  Republican  ticket  for  Lieutenant  Governor,  his 
principal  competitors  before  the  Convention  being 
Hon.  Wm.  A.  James,  ex  Speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  Judge  Robert  Bell,  of  Wabash 
County,  Hon.  T.  T.  Fountain,  of  Perry  County,  and 
Hon.  M.  M.  Saddler,  of  Marion  County.  He  engaged 
actively  in  the  campaign,  and  his  ticket  was  elected 
by  a  majority  of  41,200.  As  Lieutenant  Governor, 
he  presided  almost  continuously  over  the  Senate  in 
the  32d  General  Assembly  and  during  the  early  days 
of  the  33d,  until  he  succeeded  to  the  Governorship 
When  the  Legislature  of  1883  elected  Gov.  Cullom 
to  the  United  States  Senate,  Lieut.  Gov.  Hamilton 
succeeded  him,  under  the  Constitution,  taking  the 
oath  of  office  Feb.  6,  1883.  He  bravely  met  all  the 
annoyances  and  embarrassments  incidental  upon 
taking  up  another's  :idministration.  The  principal 
events  with  which  Gov.  Hamilton  was  connected  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  the  State  were,  the  mine  dis- 
aster at  Braidwood,  the  riots  in  St.  Clair  and  Madison 
Counties  in  May,  1883,  the  appropriations  for  the 
State  militia,  the  adoption  of  the  Harper  high-license 
liquor  law,  the  veto  of  a  dangerous  railroad  bill,  etc. 

The  Governor  was  a  Delegate  at  large  to  the 
National  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  June, 

1884,  where  his  first  choice  for  President  was  John 
A.  Logan,  and  second  choice  Chester  A.  Arthur;  but 
he  afterward  zealously  worked  for  the  election  of  Mr. 
Blaine,  true  to  his  party. 

Mr.  Hamilton's  term  a?  Governor  expired  Jan.  30, 

1885,  when  the  great  favorite  "Dick"  Oglesby  was 
inaugurated. 


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«|  INTRODUCTORY.^. 


■^?T^ 


*\  H  K  time  has  arrived  when  it 
ccomes  the  duty  of  the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of  their  early  settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress.  The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age 
and  the  duty  that  men  of  the  pres- 
ent time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
to  instruct  man  by  precedent,  to 
enliven  the  mental  faculties,  and 
to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 
safe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  countrj'  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  prime  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining who  can  relate  the  incidents  of  the  first  days 
of  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  exists  for  the  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All  will  be  forgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  best  works  and  the  most  earnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memor)'  has  been  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
The  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
I  names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  The  exhu- 
mations made  by  the  archeologists  of  Egypt  from 
buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those  people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements. 
The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same 
purpose.  Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  nges. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-bu'lders,  in  piling 
up  their  great  moinids  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — 
to  leave  so'ncthing  to  sliow  th  it  ihey  had  lived.  .All 
these  works,  though  manv  oi  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac- 
ters of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  then  lived.  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  reniaiM  objects  only  of  curiosity; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  m<xlern  nges  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutalile  method  of  perpetuating 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  ahnost  un- 
limited in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its  action ;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  though 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
has  the  means  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history, 
through  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which  his  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  ceme- 
tery' will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engrave  their  iwnraits,  for  the  s.ime  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
think  it  necessani',  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know 
them  are  gone:  to  do  this  we  are  ashamed  only  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  lives 
are  unworthy  of  public  record. 


■4^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  lUINOlS 


^^.  §  f-^ 


--4- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^r^>^K?3^ 


^;;4//\\Kv^a. 


BSmT^^ICii 


:.acob  Gum.  Among  the  leading 
i-^^  farmers  and  more  worhiy  citizens, 
-\  tli-;ini;uished  for  industry  and 
^  _  ;  management,  may  be  named 
;  ::  ihe  subject  of  this  personal  nar- 
ration, a  resident  of  Knox  Town- 
ship, and  in  reality  one  of  the 
oldest  settlers  in  the  county. 
The  details  of  his  life  career,  as 
herein  given,  go  to  show  that  he 
is  in  a  large  degree  worthy  of  no 
tice  as  a  capable  citizen  and  an 
able  man.  Mr.  Gum  was  born  in 
that  part  of  Sangamon  now  in- 
cluded in  Menard  County,  111., 
Nov.  2r,  1827.  His  father,  John 
B.  Gum,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  being  born  in 
Munfordsville,  Hart  County,  March  7,  1796.  His 
father,  Jacob  Gum,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was  a  pioneer  of  Knox  County,  of  1828.  In  1827  he 
and  his  son  Zephaniah  came  and  viewed  Knox 
County,  and  the  next  spring  he  returned  here  with 
his  family.  He  settled  at  Henderson  Grove,  May 
I  St,  of  that  year.  He  was  a  preacher  of  the  regular 
Baptist  Church,  and  the  first  minister  of  the  Gospel 
in  this  county.  His  marriage  with  Miss  Rhoda 
Bell  was  productive  of  the  birth  of  four  children,  as 
follows  :  John  B.,  Zephaniah,  Jessie  and  James  ;  all 
dead.  Mrs.  Gum  was  born  in  Germany  and  died 
March  11,  1852,  aged   84  years  7    months   and   18 


days.  The  sons  came  to  Knox  County  with  their 
parents,  and  all  settled  in  Henderson  Grove  in 
1828.  The  elder  Giun  took  up  a  tract  of  320  acres 
of  land  in  Henderson  Township,  on  which  he  erected 
a  log  house,  and  his  sons,  Zephaniah  and  Jesse,  im-^ 
proved  the  land.  Here  the  old  gentlenjan  passed 
his  last  years  on  the  home  farm,  and  died  April  15, 
1847,  aged  82  years  and  4  months. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  State,  and  in  his  earlier  years  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Cassandria  Dills,  also  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  born  Jan.  26,  1803.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  Dills.  In  1823  the  Gum  family 
all  moved  to  Illinois,  which  journey  was  made  over- 
land with  teams.  They  brought  with  them  their 
household  goods  and  camped  along  the  way.  They 
lived  in  that  part  of  Sangamon  County  which  is  now 
Menard  County,  and  were  among  the  earlier  settlers. 
They  took  up  claims  and  erected  cabins,  where  they 
resided  until  the  spring  of  1828,  when  they  sold  out 
and  came  to  Knox  County,  which  was  then  attached 
to  Fulton  County  for  judicial  purposes.  In  1833  Mr. 
Gum  went  among  the  Indians  and  bought  seed  corn. 
The  father  took  up  a  claim  in  Henderson  Township, 
building  a  durable  log  cabin,  covering  the  same 
with  clapboards  and  laying  a  puncheon  floor.  This 
house  played  a  very  conspicuous  part  in  the  early 
history  of  the  county,  being  noteworthy  from  the  fact 
that  the  first  re'igious  meetings  in  the  county  were 
held  within  its  walls,  as  was  also  the  first  court. 


190 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Continuing  in  this  part  of  the  county  until  1831, 
he  at  that  time  sold  his  patent  to  the  land  and  re- 
moved to  Knox  Township,  where  he  located  a  claim 
of  240  acres  on  section  29,  and  again  built  a  small 
log  house,  which  in  the  fall  he  replaced  by  a  hewed 
log  cabin,  which  is  still  standing.  Sometimes  during 
the  Indian  wars,  whenever  an  outbreak  occurred, 
the  few  settlers  would  repair  to  this  house  for  a 
place  of  safety.  Here  his  wife  died  Nov.  14,  1832. 
Two  years  later  he  formed  a  second  matrimonial  con- 
nection, with  Miss  Jane  Burner,  who  was  born  in 
Tennessee,  Nov.  18,  1809.  He  bought  this  land  and 
improved  it  as  a  farm,  living  there  until  1861,  when 
he  sold  out  and  went  to  California,  making  the  en- 
tire journey  overland.  He  located  in  San  Joaquin 
County,  purchasing  a  farm,  on  which  he  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits.  His  death  occurred  Oct.  29, 
1869,  at  that  place.  To  him  had  been  born  by  the 
first  marriage  two  children — ^Melissa,  who  married  D. 
G.  Burner,  and  who  died  June  9,  1853,  and  Jacob, 
our  subject.  By  the  second  marriage  there  were  10 
children,  of  whom  eiglit  now  survive — Isaac,  who  is 
'  warden  of  the  State  Penitentiary  of  California ; 
Rhoda,  wife  of  Aaron  White,  and  is  living  in  San 
Joaquin  County,  Cal.;  John,  who  lives  in  Galva, 
Henry  County,  III.;  Charles  makes  his  home  in  San 
Joaquin  County,  Cal.;  Mary,  wife  of  a  Mr.  Plummer, 
resides  in  Stockton,  Cal.;  Bessie,  wife  of  Peter 
Elamm,  lives  in  San  Joaquin  County,  Cal. ;  Susan, 
wife  of  Mr.  Cope,  and  Jane,  who  is  also  married,  and 
lives  in  California;  Knox  lives  on  the  homestead  in 
Lodi,  Cal.,  with  his  mother.  The  children  who  are 
dead  were  Jason,  the  eldest  son,  and  Bessie  ;  both 
died  several  years  ago. 

Jacob  Gum  was  but  a  few  months  old  when  he 
came  to  this  county  with  his  parents.  Here  he  grew 
to  manhood,  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm  and 
attending  the  public  school.  He  was  one  of  first 
students  in  the  first  school  ever  established  in  Knox- 
ville.  He  continued  under  the  parental  roof  until 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  April  i,  1852, 
with  Miss  Jane  Montgomery,  daughter  of  John  and 
Margaret  (Vaughn)  Montgomery  (see  sketch).  At 
the  time  of  his  marriage  he  engaged  in  farming,  locat- 
ing on  section  36,  of  Galesburg  Township.  This  farm 
he  occupied  until  1873,  when  he  left  it  in  charge  of 
his  daughter  and  son-in-law,  and  moved  to  tlie  place 
he  now  occupies,  on  section  31,  of  Knox  Township. 
Mr.  Gum  has  been  one  of  the  most  noteworthy  farm- 


ers for  enterprise  and  prosperity  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  Mr.  Gum's  farm  comprises  about  one 
thousand  acres,  in  Knox,  Galesburg  and  Orange 
Townships.  Mr.  Gum  makes  a  specialty  of  stock 
raising  and  breeding,  particularly  the  raisii.g  of 
horses.  He  has  for  several  years  been  breeding  well- 
bred  Hamiltonians  and  Clydesdales,  also  a  few  Nor- 
mans. He  also  breeds  Short-horn  cattle,  and  has 
been  breeding  thorough-bred  Chester-white  hogs  and 
Leicester  sheep.  He  takes  rank  as  one  of  the  large 
stock-raisers  in  this  section  of  the  country.  His  sons 
are  interested  with  him  in  stock-raising.  They  have 
on  hand,  at  this  writing,  61  horses  and  mules,  and  a 
good  herd  of  cattle,  which  gives  some  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  his  stock  enterprises. 

Mr.  Gum  and  wife  are  the  parents  of  five  children, 
as  follows  :  Sarah  M.,  wife  of  Jesse  Brown,  whose 
home  is  in  Henderson  Township;  William  N.,  John 
M.,  Mary  B.  and  Charlie  D.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gum  are 
members  of  theChristian  Church,  and  most  excellent 
neighbors  and  friends.  The  husband  takes  an  active 
interest  in  politics,  and  has  been  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  ever  since  its  formation.  During 
tlie  war,  he  was  a  standi  Union  man. 

John  B.  Gum,  whose  portrait  we  present  on  the 
opposite  page,  was  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  men 
in  the  early  history  of  Knox  County.  He  was  evi- 
dently regarded  as  one  of  the  most  capable  of  pio- 
neers, as  we  find  him  prominently  identified  with  ev- 
ery move  toward  the  organization  of  the  county,  as 
well  as  of  the  various  departments  of  the  county's 
government.  It  was  at  his  residence  that  the  first 
County  Commissioners'  Court  was  held.  He  was 
elected  Clerk,  but  at  the  next  meeting  resigned.  The 
first  term  of  the  Circuit  Court  was  also  held  at  his 
cabin,  Oct.  i,  1830.  This  cabin,  which  was  known 
as  the  "  temporary  seat  of  justice  of  Knox  County," 
stood  on  section  32,  Henderson  Township.  It  was  a 
one-story,  double  log  cabin.  Each  division  contained 
one  room.  This  was  also  the  tavern  for  this  section 
of  country.  Mr.  Gum  also  served  as  the  first  Treas- 
urer of  Knox  County.  His  first  report  showed  that 
he  handled  for  the  year  $341.32.  Of  this  $320  was 
received  from  the  State  Treasurer,  $[9.32  from  taxes, 
and  $2  from  license.  Mr.  Gum  was  a  fine  type  of 
the  early  pioneer,  possessing  a  well  developed,  mus- 
cular form.  He  possessed  many  Christian  virtues, 
and  was  highly  esteemed  and  respected  by  every  one 


^> 


njyjui 


H-l- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


191 


of  the  sturdy  pilgrims  who  came  to  the  beautiful 
groves  of  Knox  County,  before  they  were  marred  by 
the  hand  of  man. 


#^ 


jaryRoe.     The  lady  of  whom  this  biogra- 
phy is  written,  is  one  of  the  most  estima- 
''    ble  women  of  Knox  County,   and   worthy 

^  \  of  a  place  ill  its  records.  She  has  shown 
'^  much  business  ability,  and  in  spite  of  the  ob- 
stacles and  hindrances  that  confront  a  woman 
left  alone,  has  done  nobly,  and  like  Joan  of  Arc 
"  Redeemed  her  people.  "  Her  farm  is  situated  on 
section  2  1,  of  Indian  Point  Township,  and  though 
large,  originally,  has  been  divided  with  the  children, 
until  74  acres  as  a  homestead,  remains  to  the  widow, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Nancy  (Tift)  Barber,  who 
were  natives  of  Rhode  Island. 

Mrs.  Mary  Roe  was  born  in  Chenango  County, 
near  Norwich,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  9,  1815.  In  the  yeur  1836, 
1^  she  united  her  destiny  with  Mr.  Silas  Roe,  of  Dutch- 
ess County,  N.  Y.,  who  was  born  June  15,  1807. 
Their  marriage  was  celebrated  in  Norwich,  and  they 
lived  there  six  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time 
they  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Knox  County  in  the 
spring  of  1843.  They  have  had  12  children,  and  be- 
sides her  own  family,  she  has  two  children,  which 
she  brought  up  as  her  own.  The  children's  names 
are  as  follows  :  Sarah  Ann,  the  eldest,  died  when  in 
infancy;  Emily  C,  Silas  J.,  Truman  H.,  Daniel  M., 
Mary  A.,  Jerusha  G.,  Pluma  A.,  Martin  E  ,  Nancy  E., 
Laura  A.,    Martha    J.  and   Elizabeth. 

Mr.  Roe  enlisted  in  the  army  in  March,  1865. 
Being  a  carpenter  by  trade,  he  engaged  with  the 
Government  to  work  at  Duval's  Bluff.  He  was  never 
heard  from  after  the  war,  and  it  was  generally  sup- 
posed that  he  perished  in  a  steamboat  explosion  in  , 
the  vicinity  of  Vicksburg,  as  all  inquiries  failed  to 
elicit  any  information  as  to  his  whereabouts. 

Mrs.  Roe  had  three  sons  in  the  army,  one  of  whom, 
Daniel,  lost  his  life  at  Pittsburgh  Landing.  He 
nobly  proved  that  "  They  never  die  who  fall  in  a 
great  cause.  "  His  death  was  the  result  of  wounds. 
The  two  others  were  Silas  J.  and  Truman  H.  The 
latter  was  in  the  ist  Cavalry,  passed  through  the  or- 
deal   unscathed    and    went    home   to    the  waiting 


mother.  They  are  still  living.  She  has  one  daugh- 
ter, now  living  'in  Galesburg,  and  one  in  Cass 
County,  Iowa;  a  daughter  in  Ford  County,  111.,;  one 
in  Hancock  County;  one  in  Knox  County;  and 
Mills  County,  Iowa  ;  Martha  E.  is  in  Nebraska  ;  and 
one  in  Wyoming  County,  Pa. 

Mrs.  Roe  and  husband  were  congenial  companions 
and  passed  together  a  happy  married  life.  He  was 
an  earnest,  humble,  and  a  kind  and  loving  husband 
and  father,  and  his  death  was  deeply  lamented. 
Mrs.  Roe  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  section 
of  country,  and  remembers  vividly,  many  of  the  inci- 
dents of  pioneer  days.  She  entered  the  house  in 
which  she  now  lives,  before  it  was  sided  or  shingled. 
During  his  life  they  accumulated  considerable  prop- 
erty. Their  landed  possessions  amount  to  400  acres. 
He  was  an  active,  earnest  member  of  society,  and 
watched  political  events  with  considerable  interest. 
He  was  a  Republican  in  sentiment  and  vote.  In 
faith,  he  was  a  Protestant  Methodist. 


jilff    oseph  Ellis,  now  deceased,  formerly  a  lead- 
;;^fe"   iiig  farmer,  was  born  in   Hamilton  County, 
l,S>''        Ohio,  Oct.  26,   181 1.     His   parents   were 
%i>     Dr.  Thomas    and  Catherine    (Wescott)   Ellis, 
|L      natives  of  New  England,  who  resided  in   Ohio 
I       many  years  prior  to  their  decease,  having  sup- 
posedly   married  in   that   State.      The    father   died 
when  Joseph  was  a  small   boy,  who  lived  with  his 
mother  till  his  marriage,  which  took  place  in  Hamil- 
ton County,  Jan.  30,  1842,  to  Miss  Laura  M.  Jacobus, 
who  was  born  near  Bath  in   Steuben  County,   N.  Y., 
June  24,  1 8 18.     Her  parents,  Garrett  and   Elizabeth 
(Wilhelms)  Jacobus,  were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and 
married  in  New  York  Stale,  where  five  children  were 
l)Orn   to   them  :       Eleanor,    Margaret    (Mrs.    Ellis), 
Henry,  Mary  and  Joshua.     The  children  are  all  de- 
ceased except  Mary  and   Mrs.    Ellis.      The  mother 
died  in  the  year  of  1834.    Mrs.  Ellis  remained  with 
her  father  about  four  years  after  the  death  of  her 
mother.     She  then   went  to  live  with  her  uncle  as 
house-keeper,  where  she  remained  three  years,  until 
she  was  married.  After  the  marriage  of  his  daughter, 
the  father  lived  with  her,  and  died   at  her   home  in 
Oneida,  Jan.  i,  1877,  i.ged  86  years.     He  was  a  me- 
chanic of  skill  and  a  generally  successful  man.     In 


-^J^ 


f^ 


^ 


192 


■  Y. . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


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1842,  in  the  spring  following  their  marriage,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ellis  came  to  Fulton  County,  111.,  and  settled  on 
a  new  farm  in  Fairfield  Township,  where  they  lived 
for  20  years,  during  which  period  Mr.  Ellis  purchased 
a  farm  of  160  acres  in  Ontario  Township,  which  he 
operated  and  rented,  making  his  home  in  Oneida  till 
his  death,  March  19,  1873,  having  lived  in  the  latter 
place  two  years. 

Mrs.  E.,  since  the  death  of  her  husband,  operated 
a  portion  of  the  property  which  was  left  to  her  by 
him,  amounting  to  80  acres  in  Ontario  Township,  im- 
proved, and  1 1  acres  in  the  city,  besides  the  fine  home 
property  on  which  she  resides.  She  is  a  woman  of 
strong  character,  possessing  fine  executive  ability,  a 
clear,  vigorous  mind,  and  an  especially  excellent 
memor)'.  Her  husband,  while  living,  was  a  firm  and 
reliable  Republican,  and  a  good  honest  man  of  kind 
and  friendly  disposition,  alike  toward  rich  and  poor. 
Mrs.  Ellis  IS  an  active  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  for  many  j'ears,  while  living  in  the 
countr)',  their  home  was  noted  for  its  generous  hos- 
pitality and  unfailing  good  cheer,  and  was  called  by 
many  of  the  traveling  p'lblic  the  "  Taveler's  Home.  " 
^  She  is  the  mother  of  two  children  :  Mary  E.  Mur- 
dock  (see  sketch  of  Frank  Miirdock);  Alonzo,  a  sin- 
gle man,  now  living  in  Elvada,  Butler  County,  Kas., 
the  owner  of  a  large  farm  and  a  stock-feeder.  The 
excellent  mother,  now  approaching  the  seventies 
in  years,  has  led  an  irreproachable  life,  cheered 
and  guided  by  the  light  which  gleams  from  the  por- 
tals of  another  world,  entrance  into  which  she  awaits 
in  confident  faith,  happy  to  stay  with  loved  ones  here 
or  ready  to  join  the  throng  of  friends  awaiting  her 
coming  on  the  other  shore.  In  all  her  life,  she  has  been 
blessed  with  loving  friends  and  dutiful  children,  and 
she  approaches  old  age  with  neither  regret  nor  repin- 


ICohn  Hobbs,  formerly  one  of  the  most 
prominent  farmers  of  Knox  County,  where 
he  lived  from  the  time  he  was  a  year  old 
till  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Oneida,  Feb. 
It  21,  1885,  was  born  in.  Knox  County,  Ohio, 
April  7,  1837.  His  parents,  William  and 
Sarah  (Mountjoy)  Hobbs,  were  natives  of  England, 
where  they  were  married,  and  came  to  the  United 


States  after  the  birth  of  their  first  child,  William, 
and  settled  in  Knox  County,  Ohio,  a  short  time  after 
John  was  born.  A  year  later  the  family  located  in 
Knoxville,  111.,  where  they  resided  for  ten  years, 
when  they  settled  in  Copley  Township,  purchasing 
and  improving  a  farm  of  320  acres,  on  which  they 
lived  until  their  decease,  the  mother  dying  in  Sep- 
tember, 1 86 1,  while  the  father  followed  in  April, 
1879. 

John  Hobbs,  our  subject,  remained  at  home  with 
his  parents  till  he  was  married  May  t,  1862,  to  Miss 
Jennette  McSkimming,  who  was  a  native  of  Ayer- 
shire,  Scotland,  and  who,  when  14  years  old,  came 
with  her  parents  to  America.  Her  father's  name 
was  Hugh  and  her  mother's  Anna  Wallace.  They 
at  once  settled  in  Knox  County,  where  her  parents 
resided  for  many  years,  removing  in  March,  1878, 
to  Adams  County,  Iowa,  where  they  are  yet  living 
and  rank  among  the  active  and  successful  farmers 
of  Union  County. 

Mrs.  Hobbs  was  the  eldest  but  two  of  a  family  of  \ 
15  children,  ro  of  whom  are  yet  living.  The  names 
of  these  are:  Marj-,  who  became  the  wife  of  Ezra  . 
Fosmire,  and  they  are  now  living  in  Adams  County,  ' 
Iowa;  William  married  Jeanette  Russell  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  one  child,  Hattie;  Mrs.  Hobbs  of  j 
this  sketch  is  next  in  order;  Anna  became  the  wife 
of  Christian  Gehring  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  by  eight  children — William,  Mary,  Anna, 
Frank,  .\lice,  Stella,  Harr)'  and  Mabel ;  Lillie  mar- 
ried William  Griffith  and  they  have  five  children — 
George,  Alice,  Harry,  .Arnold  and  Hugh  ;  Jeannie 
became  the  wife  of  Edward  Town  and  mother  of 
one  child,  born  March  5,  1886;  Joan  became  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Montgomer)-,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  children — George  and  Luella;  Hugh 
married  Adella  Burkhart,  and  they  now  have  two 
children,  named  Maud  and  Pearl;  James  is  now 
living  in  Colorado;  David  married  Delia  Humphrey 
and  one  child  has  blessed  that  union — Hugh.  The 
five  children  that  are  deceased  died  in  infancy,  ex- 
cept Campbell,  who  died  at  the  age  of  17.  Mrs. 
Hobbs  is  the  mother  of  four  children,  one  of  whom, 
Stephen,  is  deceased.  The  living,  Sarah,  John  and 
Ella,  were  all  educated  in  ihe  Oneida  High  School 
and  are  all  affectionate  and  intelligent  children,  a 
comfort  and  blessing  to  their  widowed  mother,  who 
]   has  given  a  mother's  devotion  ar.d  care  to  their  in- 


*r 


t 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


193 


struction  and  training  in  all  that  adonis,  developes 
and  strengthens  true  character. 

After  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hobbs  they 
settled  on  a  farm  of  80  acres,  once  a  part  of  her 
father's  homestead  in  Copley  Township,  and  which 
the  young  and  thrifty  couple  promptly  improved  and 
which  they  increased  by  purchase  to  134  acres  in 
this  county  and  56  acres  near  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 
This  was  all  well  improved  before  his  death,  and  all 
is  yet  owned  by  Mrs.  Hobbs,  the  administratrix  of 
her  husband's  estate.  Prior  to  his  death  Mr.  Hobbs 
had  held  local  offices  in  his  township,  enjoying  to  a 
marked  degree  that  best  of  all  evidence  of  worth,  the 
unwavering  confidence  and  respect  of  his  neighbors 
to  whom  he  was  best  known. 

The  loss  of  the  affectionate  husband  and  father 
was  a  severe  blow  to  the  family,  and  especially  to 
her  with  whom  he  had  walked  side  by  side  for  more 
than  a  score  of  years,  through  the  sunshine  of  youth 
and  the  struggles  of  their  maturer  days.  Separation 
being  if  possible  made  more  poignant  than  after  suc- 
cessfully placing  his  family  beyond  any  possible 
want.  He  was  taken  away  in  the  prime  of  his  man- 
hood, without  being  permitted  to  long  enjoy  the 
fruits  of  his  successful  toil.  Such,  however,  is  one 
of  the  frequent  incidents  of  this  earthly  existence, 
and  to  the  family  thus  early  bereaved  is  left  a  worthy 
example  to  emulate  and  the  memory  of  a  dear  friend 
to  cherish. 


f  ff»t)i  edro  W.  Epperson,  deceased.  The  sub- 
||:  ject  of  this  detailed  biographical  notice  was 
^  recognized  as  one  of  the  citizens  of  Knox 
cij  County,  eminent  for  their  enterprising  industry 
jfr  and  success  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  section  of  country, 
having  come  to  the  county  in  1836,  from  the  State 
of  Kentucky.  He  was  prosperous  in  all  his  pursuits 
and  to-day  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  leading  men 
of  the  county. 

Mr.  Epperson  was  born  in  Virginia  April  13, 
i8oo,  and  grew  up  in  his  native  State  to  young  man- 
hood, and  was  united  in  marriage  in  Kentucky,  Jan. 
4,  1823.  At  this  time  he  took  to  wife  Elizabeth 
Dalton,  who  was  born  in  Virginia,  May  6,  1803.  To 
them  were  born  1 1  children,  named  as  follows : 
Sarah  A.,  Lydia  J.,  William  D.,  James  W.,  John  H., 


Christina,  Charles  I.,  Mary  E.,  Thomas  P.,  Francis 
M.  and  Henry  F. 

Mr.  Epperson  held  many  important  offices  in  the 
township  in  which  he  lived,  and  assisted  in  laying 
out  tlie  wagon  road  to  Rock  Island.  As  previously 
stated,  he  came  from  Kentucky  in  1836,  with  his 
wife  and  si.x  children,  and  settled  in  Rio  Township, 
in  which  part  of  the  county  he  departed  this  life 
and  was  there  buried.  His  death  took  place  Sept. 
20,  1881.  He  was  a  genial,  warm-hearted  man,  of 
affable  and  kindly  manners,  so  that  his  loss  was 
widely  felt.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  a  consistent,  worthy  Christian,  living 
the  principles  in  his  daily  life  in  a  noble  charity,  and 
a  generous  feeling  for  his  fellow  men.  At  his  death 
he  left  to  his  widow  190  acres  of  land,  30  of  which  is 
in  timber,  besides  other  property  in  Rio  Township, 
so  that  she  is  amply  provided  for  in  a  worldly  point 
of  view.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fratern- 
ity in  good  standing,  being  a  member  of  Oxford 
Lodge,  No.  337.  He  was  connected  with  that  lodge 
for  over  30  years.  His  parentage  may  be  traced 
back  to  English  origin.  Mrs.  Epperson's  lineage  is 
traced  back  to  the  same  country  as  her  husband's. 


I  illiam  P.  Marks  is  a  farmer  residing  on 

section  9,  Cedar  Township,  Knox  Co.,  111. 

M^n  ^^  ^^^  '^'-"'"  •"  ''^'^  township  June  19, 
\i,  on  section  9,  where  he  still  resides 
A-i\^  with  his  family,  and  is  the  son  of  Benjamin 
and  Mary  (Bishop)  Marks,  both  natives  of 
Kentucky.  They  came  here  in  1835  and  settled 
right  here  where  William  P.  still  lives,  and  both  died 
here  on  this  place.  The  date  of  Mr.  Mark's  father's 
birth  is  unknown,  but  his  demise  took  place  in  1845. 
His  mother  was  born  in  i8n  and  died  in  1878  in 
this  township.  By  the  happy  marriage  there  were 
seven  children — Lavina,  Benjamin,  Mary  A.,  Serilda, 
William  P.,  Wayne  B.  and  Penelope.  The  two  lat- 
ter are  dead.  Five  of  these  children  are  still  living, 
each  being  happily  married. 

Mr.  William  P.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  married 
Miss  Mary  E.  McCoy  in  Knox  County,  she  having 
been  born  July  14,  1847,  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Harlem  and  Jane  (Wise)  Mc- 
Coy, natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio  respectively.     Hig 


^ 


-€4-* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


A. 


birth  took  place  Nov.  22,  18 18,  and  he  still  lives  in 
Orange  Township,  this  county.  She  was  born  Jan.  14, 
1825,  and  by  this  happy  union  there  were  six  children 
— Salina  E.,  Mary  E.,  Kerzerta  A.,  Eliza  J.,  Christo- 
pher A.  and  James  W. 

The  children  of  Mr.  Marks,  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  biography,  are  eight  in  number  and 
all  living:  Wilbert  F.,  born  Nov.  i,  1866;  William 
A.,  Aug.  28,  1869;  Mary  J.,  June  30,  1872;  Lavina 
A„  Jan.  20,  1875  ;  Waldon  A.,  Aug.  25,  1877  ;  War- 
ren P.,  March  3,  1880;  Wilber  E.,  Dec.  i,  1882; 
and  Wilson  H.,  June  28,  1885.  Mr.  Mark's  estate 
consists  of  200  acres  of  fine  land,  all  situated  in  this 
township.  In  1884  he  erected  a  very  desirable  barn, 
48  X  58  feet.  He  possesses  30  head  of  cattle  of  the 
Polled  Angus  breed,  and  50  head  of  graded  and 
Short-horns.  He  is  also  breeding  the  Black  Hawk 
and  Messenger  roadsters,  the  latter  of  which  he  has 
four  head;  besides  these  he  is  breeding  some  English 
,  Draft  and  Clydesdales.  From  the  care  and  general 
watchfulness  which  this  gentleman  bestows  upon  his 
stock,  he  is  likely  in  the  near  future  to  produce  some 
(.splendid  specimens  of  highly  bred  cattle  and  horses. 


"/rpl?  eorge    Stevei 

'  '_^j,     :  irmers  of  Knox  County. 


^ 


one  of  the  prominent 
He  came  to  it 
1  i860  from  Colorado,  and  purchased  470 
f^  acres  in  Persifer  Township.  On  this  land 
he  settled  in  1866,  where  he  has  since  lived, 
and  is  now  owner  of  1257  acres  in  that  town- 
ship, and  as  it  will  be  seen,  is  one  of  the  heaviest 
land  owners  in  the  county.  His  homestead  is  lo- 
cated on  section  27,  and  besides  being  interested  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  he  is  busily  engaged  in  raising 
stock. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  and  when 
nine  years  of  age  went  to  North  Carolina  and  thence 
to  New  Orleans.  He  belonged  to  the  "4gers,"  going 
to  California  in  that  year  and  engaging  in  mining. 
He  is  an  extensive  traveler,  having  crossed  the  plains 
a  number  of  times,  and  has  engaged  in  freighting 
from  Missouri  to  Colorado. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Galesburg,  Oct.  2nd, 
1866,  to  Hannah  P.  Rafferty,  who  was  born  in  Madi- 
son County,  Ohio,  July  r,  1848.  They  have  been 
the  parents  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  survive,  as 


follows:  Lucinda,  George  W.,  Mary  J.,  Eleanor,  John 
and  Milo;  Roy,  Loringand  Lillie  are  deceased.  In 
politics  Mr.  Stevens  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  an  active 
wide-awake  man,  interested  in  all  matters  relative  to 
the  welfare  of  his  country,  a  man  of  enlarged  views, 
and  has  successfully  applied  his  intelligence  to  his 
business  affairs,  the  result  of  which  is  witnessed  in 
his  vast  prosperity. 


aines  W.  Kays.  This  gentleman  is  a 
farmer  of  prominent  standing  on  section 
17,  Cedar  Township,  and  was  born  in  Put- 
_  nam  County,  Ind.,  Nov.  17,  1831.  He  is  the 
]C  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  (Bracken)  Kays, 
both  natives  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  Kays'  father 
was  born  April  9,  1804,  while  the  birth  of  his  mother 
took  place  in  1810;  her  death  occurring  in  i87r. 
They  first  emigrated  to  Illinois  iii  the  fall  of  1834, 
locating  in  Cedar  Township,  and  had  12  children 
born  to  them:  William,  James  W.,  Henry,  Gsorge 
W.,  Andrew  J.,  Charles,  Mary  A.,  Nancy  J.,  Arti- 
mitia,  Abigail,  Dealy  Ann  and  Francis  E.  Jackson 
and  Charles  are  deceased. 

Our  subject  married  Mrs.  Sabina  High,  Aug.  14, 
1864.  She  was  a  native  of  Parke  County,  Ind., 
where  she  was  born  May  30,  1832.  Her  parents  were 
John  and  Catherine  (Weight)  Reed.  Her  father  was 
born  Oct.  4,  1784,  in  Virginia,  and  died  Nov.  30, 
1858,  while  residing  in  Knox  County,  111.  Her 
mother  was  born  in  Scotland,  within  nine  miles  of 
Edinborough,  May  24,  1789.  They  were  married  in 
the  State  of  Kentucky.  When  she  was  only  in  her 
seventh  year  her  parents  emigrated  to  this  country 
and  landed  at  New  York,  in  1799.  She  died  on  the 
1 8th  of  February,  i886,  in  her  97  th  year.  Making 
no  stay  here,  they  at  once  proceeded  to  Virginia 
and  settled  on  the  Potomac  River.  Mr.  James 
Weight  died  in  1801.  In  her  father's  family  there 
were  ten  children.  The  nine  children  deceased  are 
Ann  J.,  born  Aug.  7,  r8o9;  Sarah,  April  6,  1812; 
Mary,  July  17,  1814;  James  A.,  Jan.  i,  1817; 
RachaelE.,  Feb.  12,  1820;  Jemima,  Jan.  23,  1822; 
Catherine,  May  22,  1827;  Louisa,  Feb.  10,  1829; 
and  Sabina,  May  30,  1832. 

The  last  named  is  the  youngest  daughter  of  the 
family  and  the  wife  of  Mr.  Kays.     By  her  first  hus- 


iX! 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


'95 


'H- 


band,  Lemuel  High,  she  had  four  children.  She 
married  this  gentleman  May  i8,  1850.  The  children 
were  Charles  H.,  born  July  30,  1852  ;  George,  born 
Jan.  8,  1853;  Gertrude  S.,  Nov.  17,  1855  ;  and  So- 
phia S.,  March  15,  1858.  Her  marriage  with  Mr. 
lames  W.  Kays,  to  which  happy  union  has  been 
borne  two  children,  took  place  Aug.  14,  1864.  The 
eldest,  James  R.  Kays,  was  born  March  6,  1868, 
and  Fannie  S.,  Dec.  2,  187 1.  The  death  of  Mr. 
George  High,  son  of  Mrs.  Kays'  first  union,  was  the 
result  of  hydrophobia,  he  only  surviving  seven  weeks 
from  the  date  of  the  attack. 

During  tlie  late  war  Mr.  Kays  enlisted  in  his 
country's  cause,  Oct.  14,  1861,  and  was  mustered  in 
at  Chicago  in  Co.  K,  55th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Col. 
Stewart  and  Capt.  Joseph  Black.  He  was  at  once 
ordered  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained  two  weeks, 
and  then  proceeded  to  Paducah,  Ky.,  where  his  reg- 
iment remained  four  weeks.  He  was  engaged  in 
the  battle  of  Shiioh,  which  was  the  first  the  regiment 
'  engaged  in,  and  next  participated  in  the  battle  of 
Chickasaw  Bayou,  near  Vicksbarg,  where  the  regi- 
ment was  stationed  six  days.  We  next  find  him  at 
Arkansas  Post,  and  from  thence  he  went  to  Cham- 
pion Hills,  and  was  afterwards  in  the  assa'ilt  on 
Haines  Bluff.  After  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg,  he 
took  part  in  the  seige  of  Jackson,  Miss.,  then  un- 
der Slierman  to  Kenesaw  Mountains,  where  he  re- 
ceived a  dangerous  wound  in  the  left  thigh  and  was 
conveyed  to  the  field  hospital,  then  to  Altona,  where 
he  remained  four  weeks.  This  occurred  June  27, 
1864,  but  again  we  find  him  on  duty  Jan.  13,  at 
Savanah,  Ga.  At  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee  he 
was  in  pursuit  of  Johnston,  and  when  that  joyful 
news  was  received  he  was  glad  to  be  mustered  out, 
which  was  done  at  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  Aug.  14,  1865, 
and  discharged  at  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago.  He 
has  the  good  fortune  to  be  at  present  drawing  a  pen- 
sion from  the  Government. 

Mr.  Kays  is  the  possessor  of  141  acres  of  very  fair 
land  and  an  excellent  two-story  dwelling  house.  He 
is  doing  a  mi.xed  farming  business  and  is  considered 
very  successful  in  his  calling.  Himself  and  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  all 
in  good  standing  and  in  thorough  sympathy  wilh 
their  communion.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  Lodge  185,  at  Abingdon,  he  having  been 
created  a  Mason  in  1863.  As  a  member  of  the  G. 
A.  R.,  Post,  58,  at   Abingdon,  he  has  won   to   him- 


self the  esteem  and  good  will  of  his  fellow  members. 
On  entering  the  army  he  took  position  as  "  high 
private,"  but  was  made  First  Lieutenant  March  24, 
1865,  at  Goldsboro,  N.  C.  He  was  subsequently 
mustered  in  as  Captain,  on  May  2r,  1865.  This  lat- 
ter promotion  was  given  him  at  Louisville,  Ky.,  and 
the  commission  was  held  by  him  until  he  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service.  His  regiment,  as  history 
will  show,  performed  as  much  hard  service  as  any 
one  of  the  regular  army.  At  Shiioh  it  lost  45  men, 
nine  officers  wounded,  one  officer  killed,  and  192 
men  wounded,  besides  those  taken  prisoners,  who 
numbered  26,  the  whole  number  of  casualties  reached 
a  grand  total  of  273  "len.  He  has  always  been  a 
Democrat. 

-^ -¥-¥ ^ 


ILr.  Sylvester    Foster  is   a  leading   citizen 
jl^^^L    and    prominent   druggist  of  Oneida,    and 
3 1(1^"^  came  to  Knox  County  in  June,    1851.     He 
' f^      stopped  on    a  farm    in  Maquon  Townshii), 
^    where    his  father,  Richard  Foster,  had  settled 
s     about  one  year  before,  having  come  from  High-  ^ 
land  County,  Ohio.    The  father  was  a  native  of  Bed-   I  , 
ford  County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  born  in  180 1.     He 
was   reared  there  as  a  farmer,  and  married  Nancy  J  1 
Shreves,  the  daughter  of  a  neighbor.     She  was  born      1 
in  or  about  the  year  1802,  and  like  her  husband,  was      I 
of  American  parentage  and  descent,  and  a  child  of  a 
farmer.      Soon   after   their  marriage    they  went  to 
Highland  County,   Ohio,  crossing  the  country  in  a 
small   wagon,   in    which  was   conveyed  all  of  their 
earthly  possessions,  and  with  brave  and  dauntless 
hearts  entered  into  a  veritable  wilderness,  in   which 
to  carve  out  their  fortune.     Here  they  reared  a  family 
and  prospered.     Twelve  children  were  born  to  them, 
of  whom  the  present  Dr.  F.  was  the  eldest  but  one  ;      I 
three  of  the  children  died  when  very  young.     Of  the       1 
nine   children  living,   all    are  now  married    except       ' 
one  daughter,  who  lives  with  and  tenderly  cares  for 
the  aged  father,   now  84  years  old,  living  in    retire- 
ment at  Wallace,  Knox  County,  calmly  awaiting,  as      1 
the  Patriarch  of  old  "  To  join  the  innumerable  throng      I 
that    moves   to  the   mysterious  realm."    This  now 
venerable  man,  secured  and  improved  a  good  farm 
and   acquired  considerable  wealth.     The    good    pio- 
neer mother  passed  away  about  the  year  1859. 
Dr.  Foster,  when  grown   to  manhood,  had  only  a 


-:|:^ 


•*-?■ 


r^ 


196 


XJVOX  CO  17 AT  TV. 


limited  education,  but  like  many  others  of  native  en- 
ergy and  talents,  and  innate  ability,  has  gained  a 
a  large  knowledge  and  the  practical  cultivation  of  a 
self-made  man.  In  1846  when  war  was  declared 
against  Mexico,  and  his  couniry  called  her  sons  to 
arms,  our  hero  not  then  of  age,  enlisted  in  the  Amer- 
ican Army  under  Col.  George  W.  Morgan,  (now  a 
noted  politician  of  Mt.  Vernon,  Ohio,)  joined  Co.  C, 
2nd  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  commanded  by  Capt.  Arick.  He 
participated  in  some  of  the  minor  engagements  be- 
tween the  opposing  forces,  and  was  made  Corporal  pre- 
vious to  his  discharge  at  New  Orleans,  in  July,  1847. 
Returning  home  he  next  went  to  Marion,  Grant  Co., 
Ind.,  and  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  carpen- 
ters' trade,  under  one  Mr.  Dillon.  His  next  move- 
ment was  taking  charge  of  a  hotel  at  Wabashtown, 
Ind.,  which  he  conducted  for  some  time,  and  which 
he  abandoned  when  he  came  to  his  father's  home 
in  Knox  County,  in  1851.  Here  he  followed  his 
trade  for  some  time,  establishing  a  shop  later,  in 
1854,  at  Round  Top,  Fulton  County,  8  miles  west  of 
Farmington,  where  he  worked  as  wagon  mechanic 
for  two  years.  From  this  place,  in  the  winter  of 
1856-57,  he  removed  to  Fairview,  where  he  clerked 
in  a  general  store,  and  two  years  later  returned  to  the 
paternal  roof  tree,  where  he  remained  about  two 
years. 

In  1859  our  subject  went  to  Avon,  and  there  be- 
gan to  study  medicine  under  the  tuition  of  Dr.  Roe, 
one  of  the  leading  members  of  the  medical  profession 
there.  He  continued  there  until  the  winter  of  185  i- 
52,  at  which  time  he  attended  lectures  at  Rush  Med- 
ical College,  Cnicago.  Returning  to  Avon  he  opened 
a  drug  store,  which  he  conducted  until  the  spring  of 
1863,  when  he  went  to  Galesburg,  and  engaged  in 
the  same  business.  In  this  he  continued  for  some 
time,  but  eventually  sold  out  and  opened  a  grocery 
on  Prairie  Street,  in  that  city,  running  it  a  year  and  a 
half.  In  the  spring  of  1866  he  came  to  Oneida  and 
established  a  drug  store,  which  was  burned  out,  after 
which  he  began  in  the  drug  and  notion  business  at 
his  present  location.  He  owns  four  business  houses, 
one  of  the  finest  residences  in  the  cit)',  and  also  runs 
two  farms  in  Ford  County,  and  one  in  Sedgwick 
County,  Kans.,  all  improved. 

Dr.  Foster  was  married  March  5,  1867,  in  Fulton 
County,  111.,  to  Miss  Mary  DeWitt,  a  native  of  Belvi- 
dere,  N.  J.  Her  father  died  when  she  was  but  an 
nfant,  and    while  yet    a  little  child  she   came    to 


'X 


Illinois  with  her  mother  and  grandparents,  living  in 
Fairview,  Fulton  County,  for  most  of  the  time  up  to 
the  date  of  her  marriage.  She  is  the  mother  of  five 
children,  namely :  Carl,  DeWitt,  Don,  Madge  and 
May,  deceased.  Dr.  Foster  is  a  solid  Democrat  and 
an  active  local  politician,  but  no  office  seeker.  He 
has  followed  a  wide-awake,  enterprising  and  success- 
ful business  career,  crowned  with  the  cheering  pres- 
ence of  wife,  children  and  friends,  and  whether  as 
soldier,  mechanic,  hotel-keeper,  student,  farmer, 
druggist  or  citizen,  has  always  played  his  part  in  the 
drama  of  life,  maintaining  that  rigid  independence  of 
character  for  which  the  old  Pennsylvania  stock  from 
which  he  sprang  are  distinguished.  Popular  with 
all,  his  enterprise  and  public  spirit  are  recognized 
and  appreciated  by  his  neighbors,  whose  good  wishes 
and  liberal  patronage  he  enjoys. 


Wl^avid  Mooers.     One  of  the  most  industri 
:Sm8     ous  and  energetic  citizens  of  Knox  County, 

and  prominent  for  his  skill  in  the  business  'K 
he  conducts,  is  David  Mooers.  He  is  among 
the  most  thorough  and  adroit  of  his  trade  and 
calling,  which  is  that  of  a  blacksmith  and  farmer. 
This  latter  branch  he  conducts  on  section  9,  of  Rio 
Township,  where  his  pleasant  home  stands. 

The  gentleman  in  question  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Ohio,  May  8,  1820,  from  which  part  of  the 
country  he  went,  at  the  age  of  15,  to  Genesee  County, 
N.  Y.  Here  he  lived  for  five  years,  with  his  uncle 
and  others  of  his  own  blood,  and  from  this  point 
came  to  Licking  County  Ohio.  In  this  section  of  the 
country  he  served  as  an  apprentice  to  the  trade  of 
blacksmithing,  which  he  has  followed  in  connection 
with  his  agricultural  pursuits,  nearly  ever  since.  On 
coming  from  Genesee  County  he  settled  in  Rio 
Township,  on  land  purchased  in  1843,  which  in- 
cluded 80  acres,  and  was  located  on  section  9.  He  is 
now  the  owner  of  80  acres,  besides  a  small  timber  lot 
of  5  acres. 

Mr.  Mooers,  on  the  3d  of  October,  1844,  united  in 
matrimony  with  Harriet  Bragg,  who  was  born  in 
Southern  Virginia,  April  25,  1820,  and  the  result  of 
this  union  was  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  dead, 
viz. :  Loammi,  Mary  A.,  Frances  and  Elias  B.  Elias 
departed   this   life  May,  31,   1875,  in  the  full  flush 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


■— ^ 


197 


and  vigor  of  healthful  manhood,  having  reached  the 
age  of  26  years.  Besides  his  own  family,  he  left  to 
mourn  his  loss  a  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Jose- 
phine Epperson,  daughter  of  Samuel  Epperson. 
Elias  was  the  only  one  who  lived  to  attain-manliood, 
the  other  children  all  dying  in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Mooers  is  the  daughter  of  Elias  and  Polly 
(Bryant)  Bragg.  They  were  natives  of  Virginia,  as 
likewise  their  fathers  before  them.  The  grandfather 
of  Mrs.  M.,  Mr.  Bryant,  was  in  the  War  of  Inde- 
pendence, under  the  immediate  command  of  Gen. 
Washington,  and  for  a  time  acted  as  his  Private  Sec- 
retary. Her  father,  Elias  Bragg,  was  an  officer  in  tlie 
War  of  1812.  He  was  a  cousin  of  Gen.  Bragg,  of  the 
late  Civil  War. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Mooers  were  Loammi  and 
Maria  A.  (Bartlett)  Mooers.  On  the  paternal  side 
Mr.  M.  is  of  Scotch  Irish  origin,  and  on  the  maternal 
side  of  English  ancestry.  The  father  of  Mr.  Mooers, 
Loammi,  was  in  the  War  of  1812,  serving  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  fife  major.  His  father,  David  Mooers,  was 
Inspector  of  the  Springfield  gun  factory  during  the 
War  of  1812.  Jacob  Swain,  the  great-grandfather  of 
Mr.  Mooers,  was  of  one  the  Minute  Men,  of  Revolu- 
tionary times. 

Mr;  Mooers,  of  this  sketch,  is  a  man  of  sound 
practical  judgment  and  logical  common  sense,  and  is 
well  liked  for  his  straitforward  and  trite  dealings  with 
his  patrons  and  friends.  He  is  upright  in  business 
trafisactions  and  respected  for  his  integrity  and  hon- 
esty of  character.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fel- 
lows' Fraternity,  and  affiliates  with  the  Democratic 
party,  with  which  he  is  politically  identified. 


-^->'>^:5^t^^t7<^- 


[homas  B.  Mount,  resides  on  section  17, 
Cedar  Township,  and  is  pursuing  farming 
operations.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  in  War- 
ren County,  Aug.  21,  1815,  and  until  he  at- 
tained to  his  majority,  lived  with  his  parents 
working  on  the  farm,  and  at  the  same  time  at- 
tending the  district  school.  He  is  the  son  of  Ralph 
and  Lucy  (Barber)  Mount.  The  date  of  his  father's 
birth  is  unknown,  but  it  is  certain  that  he  came  to 
Illinois  in  1845  and  located  in  this  (Cedar)  Township. 
By  the  nnion  there  were  four  children:    T.  B.  Mount, 


born  in  1815,  Nancy,  Susan,  and  one  dying  in  in- 
fancy, William  being  the  last.  Mr.  Ralph  Mount  the 
father  of  the  present  gentleman  was  married  for  the 
second  time  to  Hannah  Templeton,  who  was  a  native 
of  Maryland,  and  by  this  wife  he  had  seven  children  : 
Richard,  Caroline,  Emily,  Francis,  Charlie  and  John, 
(twins)  and  Rebecca.  Mr.  Mount,  who  inspires  this 
history,  married  Miss  Elizabetii  McCollough,  Dec.  3, 
1835.  She  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  born  April  26, 
r8i5,  her  decease  taking  place  in  Sept.  1873.  By 
this  deserving  union  there  were  seven  children :  Su- 
san J.,  born  April  6,  1837;  Sidney,  Oct.  30,  1839; 
Jane,  Aug.  7,  184 r ;  William,  March  27,  1843;  Emory 
July  28,  1858;  Lucy  T.,  Jan.  2,  1854,  and  Perry, 
Sept.  22,  1850.  Of  these  children  only  one  now  sur- 
vives, Sidney,  M.,  now  living  near  Cameron,  Warren 
County,  111 

He  married  MaryB.  Carson,  widow  of  Furman  Car- 
son, to  whom  she  was  married  Nov.  18,  1852.  Her 
first  husband  being  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  born  Jan. 
15,  1827,  in  Warren  County.  Mr.  Mount's  present 
wife  was  united  to  him  April  5,  T874,  and  was  a  na- 
tive of  Erie  County,  Pa.,  where  she  was  born  Aug. 
r3,  1831.  Her  parents  were  Walter  and  Rachael 
(Lyon)  Greenwood.  They  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  York  respectively.  He  was  born  in 
Carlisle,  Pa.,  in  r798,  while  her  birth  took  place  in 
1805,  her  death  occurring  in  Erie  County,  Pa.,  Jan. 
12,  1874.  By  the  union  there  were  eight  children, 
viz. :  Sarah  E.,  Mary  E.,  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy, Thomas,  Grace,  L.  Greenwood,  Arthur  and 
Annett.  Mr.  Greenwood,  the  father  of  these  chil- 
dren, is  still  living  in  Erie  County  Pa.  Situated  in 
this  county  there  are  150  acres  of  improved  land,  at 
present  the  property  of  Mr.  Mount,  of  this  biography. 
He  erected  a  very  fine  dwelling  house  one  and  one- 
half  story  high,  in  1868.  He  has  also  a  very  suit- 
able barn,  24  x  48  feet. 

Mr.  M.  is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Churcii,  in  which  institution  his  in- 
erest  has  steadily  grown.  At  present  he  is  engaged 
in  breeding  some  fine  Short-horns,  as  well  as 
5  Polo  Angus  cattle.'  By  her  first  husband,  Mr. 
Furman  M.  Carson,  Mrs.  Mount  had  four  children  : 
Norton  W.,  born  July  n,  1854,  and  died  July  24, 
1855  ;  Ida  D.,  born  Jan.  i,  1856,  died  Nov.  12,  1863; 
Albert,  born  Jan.    r,   1858,  and  Ella  May   15,   1868. 

Of  tliese  children  Albert  Carson  married  Miss  Ella 
Huniiston,  and  lives  in  Iroquois  County,  III.,  and  by 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


■^"-r 


the  union  one  child  has  been  born.  Mr.  Mount  is  a 
very  genial  gentleman  and  solid  friend  with  all  those 
who  have  won  his  confidence. 

William  Mount  became  a  soldier  in  the  last  war, 
having  entered  the  55th  regiment,  but  was  killed 
Aug.  4,  1864. 


->M££r©-^^— ^^ 


J^;WUtnytn. 


tOlney  C.  Steadman  may  be  quoted  as  one 
of  the  most  active  and  successful  farmers  of 
this  county,  and  is  now  residing  on  section 
'J)"  8,  Ontario  Township,  where  he  has  made  his 
(  home  since  the  year  1855.  At  that  time  he  en- 
tered the  county  and  began  a  series  of  earnest 
efforts  toward  the  founding  of  a  homestead.  He  has 
been  so  far  successful  as  to  have  accumulated  a  large 
and  desirable  propeity  of  300  acres,  a  portion  of 
which  is  situated  on  section  i,  and  at  the  time  of  its 
first  occupation  by  the  present  owner,  it  was  largely 
wild  and  unbroken.  > ;  .  u     ■ 

Mr.  Steadman  was  born  in  Jefferson  Cou'ity,  "N. 
Y.,  March  16,  1825.  His  father,  Nathan  Steadman, 
was  a  farmer,  and  came  of  New  England  ancestry 
and  of  English  extraction.  He  lived  the  larger  part 
of  his  life  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  settled 
after  his  marriage  to  Lucy  Chapin,  a  younglady  from 
Oswego  County,  N.  Y.  They  lived  on  a  farm  in  that 
county  till  the  death  of  the  father,  which  occurred 
while  Volney  was  yet  a  youth.  The  mother  removed 
to  Illinois  in  the  year  1878,  and  entered  the  home  of 
her  son,  where  she  remained  till  1880,  during  which 
year  she  died,  at  the  mature  age  of  80. 

Nine  children  were  the  result  of  her  marriage  with 
Mr.  Steadman,  of  whom  the  subject  and  Chalcy  are 
the  only  two  now  surviving.  The  latter  lives  in  York 
County,  Neb.,  where  he  has  proven  extremely  suc- 
cessful in  agricultural  pursuits.  After  the  death  of 
his  father,  Volney  was  supplied  with  employment  by 
many  of  the  neighbors,  and  for  some  lime  remained 
in  that  section.  In  the  year  1855,  he  resolved  to  "  Go 
West,  "  and  in  pursuance  thereof  he  came  to  Illinois, 
and  purchased  80  acres,  which  is  now  his  home. 

Mr.  Steadman  returned  to  his  own  county  for  the 
purpose  of  uniting  witli  the  lady  of  choice,  Miss 
Amanda   J.  Prescott,  to  whom  he  was  married  Feb. 


4.  1856.  She  was  born  in  New  Hartford,  Oneida 
County,  in  1832.  There  she  passed  her  childhood 
years  in  the  home  of  her  parents,  who  were  farmers 
and  early  settlers  in  that  section.  Her  union  with 
Mr.  Steadman  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  four  chil- 
dren, they  having  lost  one:  Ida,  wife  of  B.  F.  Ely, 
has  a  pleasant  home  in  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa. 
Her  husband  is  a  farmer  and  successful  in  his  voca- 
tion;  Clara  remains  at  home  with  her  parents;  Les- 
ter P.,  also  lives  at  home.  Their  youngest  child, 
Ada,  whom  they  lost  by  death,  was  five  years  of  age. 
In  addition  to  his  landed  possessions  in  the  State 
of  Illinois,  Mr.  Steadman  has,  by  perseverance,  econ- 
omy and  thrift,  secured  land  in  1;he  State  of  Iowa,  as 
well  as  in  Dakota  Ter.  He  has  held  the  office  of 
Road  Commissioner  for  ten  years,  and  is  an  active 
and  alert  thinker  on  political  topics.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  belief,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers, regularly  enrolled  on  the  records  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  He  has  held  many  of  the  offices  in  the 
Church  and  is  now  Trustee  and  Treasurer  of  that 
.congregation. 


\  illiam  A.  Yates,  an  old  and  respected  cit. 
izen  of  Ontario  Township,  is  a  bright  and 
%&^f-^  '  pleasing  example  of  a  successful  farmer. 
^  His  home  is  located  on  section  22.  He  is  the 
son  of  John  Yates,  a  farmer,  and  a  native  of 
the  State  of  Virginia.  He  was  of  Irish  descent 
and  his  marriage  with  Nancy  Shields,  who  was  of 
the  same  ancestry,  took  place  in  that  State,  and  they 
began  life  in  Berkly  County,  in  which  their  son,  Wil- 
liam A.,  was  born  March  12,  1814.  He  was  about 
eight  years  of  age  when  his  parents  came  to  Dela- 
ware, Ohio,  where  they  passed  the  remaining  years 
of  life.  Mr.  Yates  was  the  oldest  son  of  a  family  of 
eight  children  He  remained  under  the  family  roof 
up  to  the  time  of  his  marriage  with  Mary  Finley, 
Nov.  9,  1848.  She  died  at  her  home  in  Ontario 
Township,  June  16, 1859.  She  was  born  on  a  farm  in 
Delaware  County,  Ohio.  Her  parents  were  native 
Virginians.  She  was  the  mother  of  five  children,  as 
follows:  Emily,  deceased;  John,  Elizabeth,  Mary 
and  Margaret.    The  latter  is  deceased. 

Mr.  Yates,  on  first  coming  to  this  State,  remained 
but  a  few  months  and  then  returned  to  Ohio.    Com- 


"J" 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  fLUHmS 


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LIBRARV 

or  THE 

UNIVERSITV  OF  ILIINOIS 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ing  West  the  second  time,  he  settled  in  Knox 
County,  and  went  back  to  bring  his  wife  to  his  new 
home.  He  purchased  land  in  Ontario  Township, 
consisting  of  i6o  acres  He  afterward  purchased  20 
acres  in  Sparta  Township,  and  i6  in  Henderson 
Township  In  1855,  he  purchased  the  farm  which  is 
his  present  home.  He  now  has  160  acres  of  la.id  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Yates  married  Miss  Marcia  Gaston  for  his 
second  wife,  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio.  She  was 
born  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  June  14,  1S30,  and 
in  that  section  was  reared  and  educated.  Her  par- 
ents lived  on  a  farm  and  her  father,  James  Gaston, 
was  of  Scotch  origin,  and  her  mother,  Lois  (Jones) 
Gaston,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire. 
They  established  a  home  in  Delaware  County,  where 
they  lived  out  their  remaining  years.  The  grandfather 
of  Mrs.  Yates,  on  her  mother's  side,  was  Solomon 
Jones,  a  noble  old  warrior  and  an  officer  in  the  Rev- 
olutionary War. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs  Yates,  of  this  notice, 
has  been  blessed  with  two  children  :  Nancy  C,  who 
lives  with  her  parents ;  and  Electa,  a  most  success- 
ful and  popular  teacher.  They-are  both  Presbyter- 
ians in  belief.  Mr.  Yates  has  held  many  of  the 
minor  offices,  and  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  cit- 
izens of  the  township.  He  is  a  solid  Republican  and 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  politics  and  affairs  of  State. 


^X^ 


srljf,|%  efferson  M.  Dawdy.     Resident  within  the 
vj^aj^"  ijorders   of  Knox   County   may   be  found 

f''  many  men  whose  good  citizenship  and 
practical  ability  entitles  them  to  a  high  place 
on  her  records.  Among  the  more  prominent 
of  these  may  be  reckoned  the  subject  of  this 
personal  narrative,  a  farmer  residing  on  section  17, 
of  Indian  Point  Township,  and  who  is  the  possessor 
of  330  acres  of  land  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
His  predilection  for  agricultural  pursuits  has  caused 
turn  to  be  especially  successful  in  his  chosen  line  of 
labor. 

Mr.  Dawdy  was  born  in  Hart  County,  Ky.,  in 
1812,  on  the  24th  of  January,  and  at  the  age  of  20, 
in  the  year  1832  he  came  to  the  State  of  Illinois. 
Here  he  continued  four  months,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  that  time  returned  to  the  State  of  his  nativity. 


In  1847  he  removed  here  with  his  family,  this 
being  the  third  trip  he  made  to  Illinois. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  James  by  name,  and  his 
mother,  Margaret  (Morse)  Dawdy,  were  both  natives 
of  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  he  being  born  in  1776, 
and  she  in  1775.  They  both  died  in  the  State  of 
Illinois,  the  former  in  1851  and  the  latter  in  1855. 
They  were  devoted  and  worthy  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  lived  the  doctrines  of  iis  faith  in 
their  daily  lives.  In  political  belief  Mr.  Dawdy  was 
a  Democrat,  and  supported  that  party  in  sentiment 
and  by  vote. 

The  fruits  of  this  union  were  nine  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  John,  Jane,  Phoebe,  Isabelle,  Mary,  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Isaac  .\tterbury,  and  lives  in  Missouri;  How- 
ell, Jefferson,  of  this  personal  sketch,  and  Nancy, 
who  died  at  twenty-five  years  of  age.  Jefferson  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Amos,  their 
nuptials  being  celebrated  May  7,  1834.  Mrs.  Dawdy 
was  born  October  15,  1815,  in  Kentucky,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  Erasmus  and  Mancy  (Smith)  Amos, 
both  natives-of  Kent;icky.  Her  father  entered  this 
life  in  I'jSSj-^nd  .passed  to  the  life  beyond  Aug.  7, 
183b*.'  Hef  mother' first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  1802, 
and  departed  this  life  in  1852,  having  lived  half  a 
century. 

Howell  Dawdy,  the  grandfather  of  the  Dawdy 
family,  was  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  James 
Monroe,  his  brother-in-law,  was  in  the  War  of  18  [2. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dawdy  of  this  writing  have  a  large 
family  circle,  which  includes  eleven  children  of  whose 
lives  the  following  brief  summary  is  given  :  Cassan- 
dria  was  born  May  5,  t835,  and  united  in  marriage 
with  E  Meadows,  who  died  in  1858,  and  she  remar- 
ried, this  time  to  James  Cooper,  June  17,  i860; 
Mary  J.  was  born  April  13,  1837  ;  and  Feb.  16,  1858, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  married  R.  Bell,  now  of 
the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad;  James  was  born 
Nov.  I,  1838,  and  wedded  Adelia  Hampton,  Nov. 
15,  1859;  John  W.,  was  born  March  25,  1840,  and 
united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Miss  Jane 
Latimer,  March  25,  1867;  Samuel  M.  was  born 
March  17,  1842,  and  united  in  marriage  with  Kittie 
Cooper,  Nov.  15,  1863;  Sarah  E.  was  born  Feb.  27, 
1844,  and  united  in  wedlock  with  Frank  M.  Hamp- 
ton, Dec.  3,  t86i ;  Harriet  was  born  April  16,  1846, 
and  married  Matthew  Allen,  Sept.  10,  1865,  and,  los- 
ing her  husband  by  death,  again  wedded,  her  second 


r^J^ 


V 


-H^ 


^? 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


matrimonial  connection  being  formed  with  Mr.  Frank 
Stubbs,  March  8,  1876;  Louisa  was  born  May  28, 
1 85 1,  and  died  at  the  early  age  of  seven,  April  25, 
1858;  Angeline,  born  Aprils,  1853,  died  after  at- 
taining five  years,  at  the  most  interesting  period  of 
Childhood;  Adelina  F.,  born  Aug.  8,  1855,  died  May 
8,  1858,  having  barely  passed  infancy;  Althea  R. 
Bell  was  born  June  16,  1857,  and  united  in  marri- 
age with  Horace  Morse,  Nov.  26,  1875  ;  Samuel  M. 
died  in  1865  in  California,  in  the  first  flush  of  man- 
hood, having  attained  only  to  the  age  of  twenty- 
three:  They  have  twenty-nine  grandchildren  and 
three  great-grandchildren. 

Mr.  Dawdy,  as  previously  stated,  has  a  large  and 
finely  cultivated  farm,  and  to  his  vocation  he  has 
added  the  raising  of  Short-horn  cattle,  all  of  which 
are  registered,  and  of  which  he  has  a  herd  of  65  head. 
Among  these  is  a  splendid  bull  called  Young  Mary. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dawdy  are  helpful  and  kindly 
friends  and  neighbors,  are  hospitable  in  the  e.xtreme, 
and  good  cheer  is  always  found  within  their  well- 
ordered  household.  They  are  active  members  of  the 
If  Christian  Church,  of  Abingdon,  111.,  and  show  forth 
the  noble  principles  of  love  and  faith  as  taught  by 
the  life  of  Jesus.  Mr.  Dawdy  has  had  an  opportun- 
ity of  watching  the  fluctuations  in  politics,  as  he  cast 
his  first  vote  for  Jackson  in  1832.  He  is  a  Democrat 
of  the  Jeff"ersonian  school.  He  bought  land  here 
where  he  now  lives  in  1847.  He  came  out  in  1832 
to  join  the  forces  to  put  down  the  Black  Hawk  War. 
He  and  William  Atterbury  came  from  Kentucky,  on 
horseback,  a  distance  of  400  miles,  but  on  their  ar- 
rival here  were  too  late.  Black  Hawk  was  captured 
and  his  forces  driven  over  the  river — the  war  was 
over.  Young  Dawdy  had  but  $5  when  he  started,  and 
had  to  go  to  work  for  John  Strum,  mowing  grass  at 
50  cents  per  acre,  and  afterwards  worked  for  a  man 
by  name  of  Dorsey ;  then  went  to  McClean  County, 
where  he  had  a  brother,  and  shelled  corn  for  him 
and  then  returned  home.  He  has  been  liere  46 
years. 

Mr.  Dawdy  is  certainly  deserving  of  great  credit 
for  the  splendid  results  of  his  life-work.  He  came 
here  in  an  early  day  possessing  no  other  legacy  than 
a  warm  heart,  willing  hands,  good  judgment  and  an 
excellent  faithful  helpmeet.  By  these,  encouraged, 
and  strengthened  by  an  abiding  faith  in  the  future  de- 
velopment   and    greatness   of   this    section    of   the 


country;  by  an  affectionate  and  dutiful  family  of 
children  which  sprang  up  around  him,  and  wearing, 
above  all  and  through  all  the  trials  and  labors  a  love 
for  the  world's  "  Great  Teacher "  and  "  Burden 
Bearer"  he  felt  strong.  What  a  blessing  to  a  com- 
munity such  examples  of  Christian  love,  faith  and  | 
fortitude  are,  as  displayed  in  the  lives  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dawdy,  with  all  their  influence  for  good  !  Eter- 
nity can  only  tell. 

We  feel  that  in  presenting  the  portraits  in  this  vol- 
ume of  these  excellent  people,  their  numerous  friends 
will  be  gratified  in  thus  possessing  such  mementos 
of  two  of  the  best  and  most  highly  respected  husband 
and  wife,  father  and  mother,  and  friends  in  Knox 
County. 

iW «' illiam  A.   Neill.      One  of  the  wealthiest 
'llfeSl''    '"^'-'    '^''ost   influential    farmers    of  Cedar 

f.'"'''^    Township,  owning  an  extensive  property 
;.     on  section  27,  is  William  A.  Neill,  spoken  of. 
at  the  head  of  this  notice.     He  is  a  breeder  of  ^ 
fine   stock,    including    Polled  Angus  cattle, , 
and  among  them  29  thorough-breds  and  grades.   He^ 
makes  a  specialty  of  fine   blooded-stock,  and  paid 
$1,600  for  two  calves,  the  finest  of  their  breed,  with 
which  to  start  this  branch  of  business.     He  owns 
150  acres  of  land  in  a   high    state  of  cultivation,  on 
which  stands  a  handsome  residence,  convenient  and 
attractive.     Every  improvement  has  been  devised  to 
make  Pleasant   View    Farm,  by  which  his  place  is 
known,  a  desirable  home. 

Mr.  Neill  was  born  in  Morrow  County,  Ohio, 
March  13,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of  Josiah  and  Jus- 
tine A.  (Ashton)  Neill.  The  former  parent  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  in  1812,  and  his 
demise  occurred  Jan.  21,  1872,  the  birth  of  the  lat- 
ter occurred  in  Columbia  County,  Ohio,  July  23, 
1818.  The  mother  still  lives,  making  her  home  in 
the  State  of  Ohio.  Her  marriage  with  Mr.  Neill  oc- 
curred in  1840,  in  that  State,  the  issue  of  which  was 
seven  children:  Phebe  E.,  Richard  T.,  Omar  D., 
William  A.,  Barak,  Jonathan  W.  and  Mary  W.,  all  of 
whom  are  living  at  the  present  writing. 

The  union  of  Mr.  William  A.  Neill,  our  subject, 
with  Lucy  T.,  daughter  of  Thomas  Mount,  ocurred 
March  26,  1874.  She  was  born  in  1854.  and  after 
entering  her  new  home  and  enjoying  for  a  short  sea- 
son the  pleasant  associations  that  clustered  around 


% 


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4H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


203 


the  fire  side  of  the  newly  married  pair,  she  departed 
this  life  June  12,  1S76,  leaving  in  the  care  of  the  be- 
reaved husband  one  child,  a  son,  wlio  was  born  May 
2,  1875,  and  who  passed  away  from  earth  the  Sep- 
tember following  his  mother's  death.  Two  years 
previously,  to  a  day,  occurred  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Neill's  sister,  of  the  same  dread  disease,  consump- 
tion, which  so  early  deprived  her  of  life  and  home. 
When  a  little  girl  Mrs.  Neill  was  converted  to  the 
Christian  religion,  and  received  as  a  member  of  the 
Church  in  good  and  regular  standing,  but  during  the 
interval  between  that  age  and  womanhood  she  let 
slip  some  of  the  strong  faith  of  her  early  profession. 
Possessed  of  a  true  and  loving  disposition,  and 
nojle,  unselfish  attributes,  she  endeared  herself  to 
friends  and  neighbors,  and  before  passing  from  earth 
regained  the  unquestioning  contidence  and  love  of 
childish  years,  closing  her  eyes  to  things  of  earth 
without  a  fear,  her  last  words  being  "  Tell  father  to 
meet  me  in  Heaven." 

On  the  4th  of  July  1877,  Mr.  Neill  contracted  a 
second  matrimonial  alliance.  Miss  Harriet  M.  Whil- 
taker,  of  Indian  Point  Township,  Knox  County, 
being  the  other  party.  She  was  born  in  Clinton 
County,  Ohio,  and  died  May.  14,  1878,  18  days  af- 
ter the  birth  of  her  son,  Emis  Omar,  born  April  26, 
1878.  She  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  at  Abingdon,  111.,  was  in  disposition  ex- 
tremely affectionate  and  confiding,  and  the  pet  of  the 
neighborhood  as  well  as  a  devoted  faithful  wife. 
She  was  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  and  Mary  Whit- 
,  taker,  into  whose  home  Mr.  Neill  removed  in  the 
'  hour  of  his  great  bereavement.  He  closed  his  own 
house  and  placed  his  child  under  the  guardianship 
:  of  her  parents,  who  by  devoted  care  and  attention 
brought  the  little  boy  to  the  years  of  healthful  child- 
hood.    He  remained  with  them  17  months. 

Mr.  Neill's  union  with  Miss  Cornelia  J.  Hurshaw, 
of  McDonough  County,  occurred  Aug.  22,  1880,  and 
I  to  him  she  has  borne  three  children,  namely  :  Cather- 
ine J.,  born  May  23,  1881  ;  Mary  E.,  March  9,  t883 
'and  Samuel  J.,  April  21,  1885.     She  is  the  daughter 

■^amuel  and  Catherine  (Botienburg)  Hurshaw,  both 

•ives  of  Ohio.  The  parents  of  the  former  re- 
;:.oved  to  Indiana  when  he  was  a  small  boy,  from 
which  place  they  removed  to  McDonough   County 

en  he  was  13  years  of  age.     His  wife  was  born  in 

state  of  Illinois;  the  union  being   productive  of 

-.xchildren.namely:  Jacob,  A.,  Nancy  J., Sarah  E.T., 


Mary  E.,  Henry  L.  and  Neely,  the  present  wife  of 
Mr.  Neill.  Mr.  Hurshaw  lived  near  Prairie  City  23 
years;  then  removed  to  Industry  Township,  McDon- 
ough County,  where  he  now  lives. 

Mr.  Neill  experienced  religion  at  the  age  of  24 
years,  and  his  wife  accepting  the  Word  of  Life  as 
found  in  Christ  Jesus,  identified  herself  with  the 
Free  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  she  is  a 
consistent  member.  Of  educational  advantages  Mr. 
Neill  has  been  deprived  in  no  way ;  he  attended 
school  at  Mt.  Hesper,  Ohio,  and  Central  College  for 
several  years,  and  Nov.  19,  1870,  came  to  Abingdon 
and  began  his  labors  as  a  pedagogue  in  District  No. 
6,  Cedar  Township,  where  he  continued  six  months, 
removing  next  to  an  adjoining  district  in  Warren 
County,  where  he  labored  nine  months.  At  the  end 
of  this  time  his  services  were  re-engaged,  and  he  re- 
mained there  five  years,  returning  subsequently  to 
District  No.  6,  where  he  again  taught  16  months, 
closing  his  labors  in  school  work,  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits,  at  which  he  has  since 
continued. 

He  is  a  clear-minded,  thinking  man,  fornieily  a  Re- 
publican, but  at  the  present  time  a  supporter  of  the  "^ 
Prohibition  party.  He  claims  his  first  religious  im- 
pression was  received  while  reading  his  morning  les- 
son in  the  day  school,  but  he  was  formerly  educated 
in  the  Quaker  religion.  Later  he  joined  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  but  is  at  this  time  an  active  mem- 
ber and  class-leader  of  the  Free  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church. 


IjpHwibert  B.  Cochrun.  Late  Postmaster  of 
^g^JT  Abingdon,  also  Notary  Public  and  served 
-|^^°^  as  Police  Magistrate  from  1S67  till  187 1. 
J'.}a  is  the  gentleman,  the  outlines  of  whose  per- 
\^  sonal  history  are  herein  given.  He  is  an  act 
I  ive  public  worker,  and  ix)litically,  a  wide-awake 
Republican.  Mr.  Cochrun  was  born  in  Putnam 
County,  Ohio,  June  9,  1838,  and  is  the  son  of  Josiah 
C.  and  Sarah  A.  (Capron)  Cochrun.  His  father  was 
born  near  Lexington,  Ky.,  and  his  mother  is  a  native 
of  the  State  of  Rhode  Island.  They  claim,  respect- 
ively, Scotch  and  English  lineage.  His  mother  was 
descended  in  a  direct  line  from  Banfield  Capron,  who 
emigrated  from  England  to  America  prior  to  the  Rev- 
olutionary struggle.     When  a  child  of  three  years, 


4-3- 


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■•       mX^ 


204 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Cochrun  of  this  sketch,  moved  to  Southern  In- 
diana, under  the  guardianship  of  his  parents,  and 
when  grown  to  a  boy  of  12  years,  a  second  removal 
on  the  part  of  his  parents  brought  him  to  Abingdon. 
Albert  B.  engaged  at  work  upon  a  farm  until  he 
attained  to  the  age  of  18  years.  He  received  his  ear- 
lier education  in  the  common  schools,  and  subse- 
quently attended  Hedding  College,  after  which  he 
taught  one  year.  His  next  business  movement  was 
collecting  and  insurance  work,  which  he  followed  un- 
til his  appointment  to  the  office  of  Postmaster,  by 
the  Postmaster-General,  in  1869,  under  the  Presi- 
dency of  Grant ;  he  entered  upon  his  duties  in  April, 
1869.  He  has  since  been  appointed  by  Presidents 
Grant,  Hayes  and  Arthur,  holding  this  position 
through  subsequent  years  up  jto  recent  a  date.  He 
has  discharged  all  duties  resulting  from  his  position 
in  the  most  creditable  manner,  and  by  his  affable  and 
courteous  treatment  of  the  public  has  gained  many 
friends.  He  sent  in  his  resignation  as  Postmas- 
ter and  is  about  to  remove  to  Scott  County,  Kansas. 


STjif  aeob  Aekerman.  Among  the  more  impor- 
ai;.r  tant  business  men  and  influential  citizens 
'fW^  of  Knoxville,  stands  the  gentleman  whose 
name  heads  this  biographical  sketch  and  the 
^F  principal  points  of  whose  personal  history  are 
"*  herein  detailed  He  is  identified  as  an  act- 
ive, working  member  of  society,  and  is  popular  in 
consequence  of  his  strictly  upright  dealing  and  his 
courteous  and  affable  treatment  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  Feb.  i, 
1829,  and  is  the  son  of  Lorenzo  and  Rachael  Acker- 
man,  both  natives  of  Germany.  In  the  year  1830, 
his  father  came  with  his  wife  and  family  to  America, 
and  settled  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio.  By  trade, 
he  was  a  tanner,  and  at  his  occupation  he  continued 
working  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  the  place 
where  he  pursued  his  vocation  being  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  his  home  in  Ohio.  After  a  brief  time 
spent  at  this  work  he  went  to  Youngstown,  Ohio, 
where  he  continued  until  he  was  called  from  earth  lo 
cross  the  River  of  Death.  This  occurred  in  1839, 
when  our  subject,  Jacob,  was  but  ten  years  of  age, 
and  the  mother  was  left  with  a  large  family  on  her 


^ 


-yi 


hands.  To  lighten  the  doniestic  burden,  Jacob  went 
into  the  home  of  a  farmer  in  Columbiana  County,  re- 
ceiving for  his  boyish  labor  the  mere  pittance  of 
32.50  per  month,  through  the  summer  months.  In 
the  winter  he  attended  the  district  school  and  con- 
tinued at  farming  until  he  reached  the  age  of  16, 
when  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  shoemaker  at  Poland, 
Ohio,  whom  he  served  faithfully  for  three  and  a  half 
years.  Working  as  journeyman  until  185  i,  in  May 
he  came  to  Illinois,  landing  at  Rock  Island,  and  from 
there  going  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  he  followed  his  trade 
till  October.  1851,  when  he  came  to  Knoxville.  In 
this  town  he  worked  as  a  shoemaker  until  the  spring 
of  1852,  when,  attacked  with  the  "  gold  fever," — that 
mirage  that  proved  the  destruction  and  downfall  of 
so  many  mistaken  mortals — he  started  overland  to 
Crlifornia  with  ox  teams,  landing  in  Sacramento, 
September  7,  after  a  journey  of  five  months. 

After  working  at  gardening  in  Sacramento  for  one 
month,  he  started  for  the  mines  in  Calaveras  County, 
in  which  he  labored  with  but  moderately  fair  suc- 
cess and  finally  grew  extremely  restricted  in  the 
matter  of  finances.  Whenever  this  occured,  he  went 
back  to  the  city,  worked  for  a  time,  replenished  hisW 
pocketbook  and  returned  to  the  mines.  In  1854  he 
came  to  Knoxville,  via  Panama  and  New  York,  and 
on  the  25  th  of  December  of  that  year,  united  in  the 
holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Jane  Tingle,  who  was 
born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Harriet  (Parker)  Tingle.  Following  his 
marriage  he  engaged  in  journeyman  work,  which  he 
continued  up  to  December,  1855,  at  which  time  he 
opened  a  shop  with  C.  L.  Stewart  as  associate  part- 
ner. These  two  continued  in  business  together  for 
12  months,  when  an  interest  was  bought  in  it  by 
James  Boyd,  he  purchasing  half  the  slock.  This  firm 
lasted  till  1861,  when  Mr.  Aekerman  sold  out  his  in- 
terest and  engaged  with  Stewart  &  Bassett,  shoe 
manufacturers,  remaining  with  them  as  their  em- 
ployee for  12  months.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he 
purchased  the  entire  business  from  his  employers 
and  has  continued  in  it  ever  since,  showing  himself 
to  pwssess  rare  business  tact  and  ability. 

Mr.  Aekerman  and  wife  have  been  given  as  the 
fruits  of  their  union,  eight  children,  five  of  whom  are 
hving  at  the  present  time  and  who  are  by  name, 
George  W.,  John  J.,  Fred  L.,  Mabel  H.  and  May  J., 
and  their  family  circle  is  a  happy  and  pleasant  one. 
Mr.  Aekerman  has  ably  demonstrated  what  unremit 


^ 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


205 


ting  and  persevering  labor  will  accomplish,  and  has 
shown  forth  the  good  old  fashioned  plan,  "That  he 
may  gain  who  will,  and  he  must  keep  who  can." 
Mrs.  Ackerman  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Church.     Mr.  A.  is  a  Republican. 


Tames  Runkle  is  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
1^  ous  farmers  in  this  county,  and  one  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Knox  Township.  His 
home,  which  he  now  occupies,  is  located  on 
section  26,  and  includes  a  handsome  set  of 
substantial  frame  buildings  with  all  modern 
conveniences.  He  gives  his  attention  to  the  raising 
of  the  cereals,  and  also  to  the  breeding  of  stock, 
more  especially  of  horses.  He  has  been  markedly 
successful  in  his  business,  and  his  prudence  and  en- 
terprise have  given  him  a  rank  among  the  financiers 
and  able  men  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Runkle  was  born  in  the  city  of  Knoxville, 
Jan.  22,  1836,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  E  and 
Nancy  (Bowen)  Runkle.  His  father  was  one  of  the 
oldest  setders  iii  Knoxville,  and  was  born  in  Water- 
vleitCentre,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  19,  1802,  and  was  the  sec- 
ond son  of  his  parents. 

When  a  young  man  the  father  learned  the  trade  of 
a  millwright,  at  which  he  worked  in  Albany  and 
Renssalaer  Counties,  until  his  removal  to  Knoxville. 
His  first  visit  to  this  city  was  in  1834,  but  he  re- 
turned from  that  trip,  and  in  1835,  removed  here, 
and  in  that  year,  accompanied  by  his  brother  Henry, 
he  built  a  steam  saw-mill,  the  first  in  Knox  County. 
They  soon  after  added  a  flouring-mill,  and  about  this 
time  his  brother  was  elected  County  Clerk.  Mr. 
Runkle  managed  the  mill  alone  until  1845,  when  he 
sold  out  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming.  It  was 
in  this  year  that  he  settled  on  land  which  had  pre- 
viously been  entered  for  him  by  his  brother,  and 
was  located  on  the  east  half  of  section  26.  He  at- 
tended to  tlie  improving  of  the  land,  had  it  broken 
and  fenced,  and  a  set  of  frame  buildings  erected  ;  all 
this  being  done  before  he  went  on  the  place. 

In  1854  he  sold  this  most  desirable  home  to 
Thomas  R.  Glisson,  and  moved  to  a  a  farm  inside  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  city  of  Knoxville,  which  he 
had  purchased  several  years  before.  This  he  made 
his  home  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  look  place 


in  1865.  He  was  widely  mourned  for  his  most  esti- 
mable qualities  and  noble  characteristics;  and  he  left 
to  sorrow  for  him  his  children  and  a  widow,  now  resi- 
dent in  Knoxville.  These  children  were  six  in  num- 
ber, and  are  as  follows  :  Elizabeth,  wliose  home  is 
with  her  mother;  James,  our  subject,  Mary  H.,  wife 
of  William  Jones;  Lucy,  who  wedded  Capt.  G.  G. 
Stearns,  whose  home  is  on  section  26,  Knox  Town- 
ship; George,  who  lives  in  GalesbuFg  Townsliip,  and 
Frank,  deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  narrative  was  reared 
on  a  farm  until  after  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  and 
allowed  the  educational  privileges  of  the  city  schools. 
His  marriage  with  Mahitable  Caldwell  took  place 
Dec.  4,  1872.  She  was  born  in  Knox  County — Per- 
sifer  Township — and  was  the  daughter  of  Oliver  and 
Desire  (Manly)  Caldwell,  the  former  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  the  latter  a  native  of  York 
State.  Three  children  were  born  to  them,  Daisy  E., 
Lucy  O.  E.  and  Elroy. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  he  settled  on  the  farm 
which  he  now  owns  and  occupies  on  section  26,  to 
which  he  has  added  all  the  improvements  previously 
spoken  of.  He  has  been  extremely  prosperous 
his  undertakings,  proving  beyond  doubt  the  good 
results  of  industry  and  economy.  He  is  wide-awake 
in  pohtical  matters,  and  votes  with  the  Democratic, 
party. 


mW 


Iti:  saac  Hunter.  One  of  the  most  prominent 
citizens  of  Cedar  Township  and  a  pioneer 
farmer,  living  on  section  23,  came  to  the 
State  of  Illinois  in  tlie  year  1839  and  stopped 
in  Peoria.  He  moved  to  the  tract  of  land 
which  is  his  present  finely  improved  farm  in 
Mr.  Hunter  was  born  in  Berkshire  County, 
Mass.,  Feb.  25,  1812,  and  is  the  son  of  Isaac  and 
Rebecca  (Brown)  Hunter,  both  of  New  England. 
Isaac  Hunter,  Sr.,  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  Feb. 
26,  1766.  He  was  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  died 
in  the  year  1845,  at  the  age  of  79  years.  Rebecca 
Hunter,  his  wife,  native  of  the  same  State,  was  born 
in  Marcli,  1768,  and  died  in  1856,  having  survived 
her  husband  1 1  years,  she  attaining  to  the  ripe  age 
of  88  years.  Their  pleasant  family  circle  included 
six  children,  three  sons  and  three  daughters:  Rob- 
ert, John  and  Isaac,  Rebecca,  Betsey  and  Sarah,  of 


^■^^f-::^ 


•^^^^ 


206 


JCNOX  COUNTY. 


whom  only  three  now  survive,  viz. :  Rebecca,  Betsey 
and  Isaac. 

Isaac  Hunter,  Jr.,  wliile  in  the  early  vigorof  man- 
hood, wedded  Miss  Julia  A.  Jordan,  Nov.  14,  1837, 
who  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  the  dite  of 
her  birth  181 1.  She  lived  to  attain  middle  age 
only,  dying  in  the  prime  of  life,  at  42  years  of  age, 
in  the  year  1853.  One  child,  an  only  son,  Kirk  J., 
was  born  to  them  July  9,  1838.  He  still  survives 
and  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Andrews,  March 
28,  1861.  By  this  marriage  Kirk  J.  is  the  father  of 
II  cl.ildren,  namely:  John,  born  Jan.  ig,  1862;  Ju- 
lia L.,  Jan.  12,  1846;  Benjamin  D.,  April  8,  1866; 
Mary  J.,  April  12,  1868;  Isaac  T.,  July  28,  1870; 
Kirk,  Aug.  22,  1872;  Samantha  J.,  Nov.  8,  1874; 
Henry  F.,  July  3,  1877  ;  Almina  E.,  Dec.  30,  1879; 
Madison  R.,  July  27,  1883;  and  Jessie  E.,  Oct.  20, 
1885. 

The  second  matrimonial  alliance  of  our  subject 
was  with  Miss  Jane  Johnson — Dec.  14,  1855 — a  na- 
tive of  Ireland,  and  who  died  Aug.  15,  18S2.  Mr. 
Hunter  was  then  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Lucinda 
Andrews,  relict  of  Thomas  Andrews,  who  died  July 
'10,  1883.  She  was  born  April  15,  1812,  in  Jefferson 
County,  Ohio,  and  her  marriage  to  Thomas  Andrews 
took  place  June  9,  1831.  He  was  a  nativeof  Che- 
nango County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  year  of  his  birth  was 
1808.  He  came  to  the  State  of  Illinois  in  1841,  and 
was  identified  as  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Knox 
County.  To  him  and  his  wife  were  born  1 1  chil- 
dren, as  follows :  Mary,  born  April  18,  1832;  Hen- 
rietta, May  10,  1834;  James  in  1836;  Benjamin, 
June  I,  1838;  Almina,  Sept.  4,  1840;  Elizabeth  in 
1842;  Martin,  Feb.  12,  1845;  Harriet,  March  21, 
1847  ;  Wesley,  March  13,  1850;  Samantha,  Jan.  30, 
1852;  and  Albert,  May  31,  1855.  Elizabeth  mar- 
ried Kirk  J.  Hunter,  March  17,  1859.  He  is  the  son 
of  Isaac  Hunter,  Jr.;  Mary  Andrews  married  Jan. 
15,  1852;  Benjamin  married  Emily  Twitchell,  March 
17,  1859;  Almina  married  Joseph  Moore;  the  mar- 
riage of  James  took  place  Dec.  10,  1874;  Elizabeth 
and  James  are  the  only  two  surviving  members  of 
this  family  of  children. 

The  landed  possessions  of  Mr.  Hunter  of  this 
sketch  include  277  acres  of  highly  cutlivated  land. 
In  the  fall  of  1841,  he,  with  his  brother,  Jordan, 
drove  1,000  sheep  across  the  country  from  Massa- 
chusetts to  Knox  County,  111.,  taking  122  days  to 
make  the  trip.     He  is  estimated  by  his  neighbors  as 


possessing  that  energetic  enterprise  characteristic  of 
the  pioneer,  as  he  entered  the  county  while  the 
country  at  large  was  still  a  wilderness  and  erected  a 
small  log  house,  in  which  he  lived  for  two  years,  and 
there  laid  the  foundation  of  his  present  desirable 
home.  Success  has  crowned  his  efforts  towards 
prosperity,  and  he  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of 
the  neighborhood  in  which  he  lives.  He  has  served 
on  the  Agricultural  Board  for  a  number  of  years  and 
is  a  useful  and  worthy  man.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  while  Mrs.  Hunter  worships 
under  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith.  Her  name  is 
enrolled  on  the  records  of  this  Church  at  Abingdon , 
111.  Politically,  Mr.  Hunter  is  a  Republican,  the 
sentiments  of  which  party  he  has  upheld  many 
years.  He  has  a  keen  appreciation  of  the  growth 
and  advancement  of  the  country  at  large,  and  recol- 
lects the  lime  when  Peoria  numbered  only  750  and 
Chicago  7,000  inhabitants. 


ndrew  B.  Anderson,  senior  member  of  the 
banking  firm  of  Anderson  &  Murdock,  is 
^^  one  of  the  most  active  and  prominent  citi- 
zens of  Oneida.  He  came  to  Knox  County 
from  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Canada,  late  in 
the  month  of  May,  1852,  first  stopping  in  the 
village  of  Victoria,  where  he  engaged  in  blacksmith- 
ing,  a  trade  he  had  learned  from  his  father,  James. 
The  father  was  born,  raised  and  also  learned  his 
trade  and  was  married  in  his  native  Ayershire,  Scot- 
land, espousing  Mary  Borland,  both  being  of  old 
Scottish  ancestry  and  parentage.  The  result  of  the 
above  marriage  was  six  daughters  and  three  sons, 
Andrew  being  the  third  child;  one  of  the  daughters 
died  in  Scotland  and  four  in  Knox  County  ;  the  eld- 
est son,  John,  never  came  to  America,  but  becoming 
and  eminent  mechanic  and  operating  extensively  in 
his  own  country,  went  to  Russia,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed as  master  mechanic,  and  located  in  St.  Pe- 
tersburg, where  he  now  resides,  one  of  the  most 
successful  of  mechanics.  James,  another  brother,  is 
a  prominent  farmer  in  Page  County,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Anderson's  parents,  after  raising  their  family, 
left  Scotland  and  came  to  America  in  the  summer  of 
i860,  and  commenced  living  with  their  son  in  Copley 
Township,  where  they  both  died,  the  father  in  1866 
and  the  mother  in  1870,  having  both  been  prominent 


^ 


DC! 


^' 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


207 


and  active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  all 
their  lives.  They  were  brought  up  within  two  or 
three  miles  of  the  home  of  Robert  Burns,  the  grand- 
father, Andrew  Borland,  having  been  a  verj'  aged 
man  when  he  died,  was  most  likely  acquainted  with 
the  Scottish  bard,  living,  as  they  did,  so  near  to  each 
other. 

Mr.  A.  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  the  parish  of 
Sorn,  Ayershire,  Sept.  10,  1832,  his  early  education 
bein?  such  as  was  given  young  Scottish  students  of 
that  period,  usually  limited.  When  strong  enough, 
he  assisted  his  father  in  his  shop  till  18  years  of  age, 
when  he  sailed  with  an  acquaintance  for  Canada, 
stopping  two  years  in  Paris,  Ontario,  working  at  his 
trade  till  leaving  for  Knox  County.  He  came  from 
Victoria  to  Oneida  in  the  summer  of  1857,  following 
his  calling  as  a  blacksmith  till  1S64.  He  was  mar- 
ried Dec.  2  1,  i860,  in  this  city,  to  Miss  Marj-  Mc- 
Quie,  a  native  of  Scotland,  where  her  father,  Alex- 
ander, died  when  she  was  quite  young,  and  in  1857, 
with  her  mother  and  other  members  of  the  family, 
she  came  to  America  and  to  Knox  County,  where  the 
mother  died  some  years  later.  Mrs  Anderson  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  under  the  excel- 
lent discipline  of  a  Presbyterian  mother.  She  is  now 
herself  mother  of  five  children,  three  living  :  William 
H.,  John  H.  and  Mary  Ella,  all  at  home.  Chariie 
and  .\nna  passed  away  when  quite  young. 

In  1864  Mr.  Anderson  entered  into  partnership 
with  Mr.  H.  Wright,  in  the  hardware  business,  which 
they  conducted  for  some  years,  in  the  meantime  en- 
gaging considerably  in  other  enterprises,  earning 
money  and  prospering.  In  1874  he  engaged  in  the 
banking  business  alone,  till  the  winter  of  1876,  when 
he  and  Mr.  Murdock,  who  separately  conducted  the 
same  business,  combined  tlieir  interests  under  the 
firm  name  of  Anderson  &  Murdock,  styling  their 
business  "  The  Oneida  Exchange  Bank.  "  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Anderson  worship  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  In  [X)litics  he  is  a  firm  Democrat.  He  has 
been  a  member  of  the  City  Council  and  is  now 
Township  Treasurer,  having  held  the  latter  oflSce 
for  eight  years.  There  is  in  the  brief  history  of  .Mr. 
Anderson's  life,  a  mine  of  example  and  instruction 
for  the  youth  who  may  chance  to  read  this  sketch, 
which  they  might  study  and  imitate  with  the  best  re- 
sults. Since  his  ver)-  boyhood  he  has  been  a  model 
of  industry,  sobriety  and  integrity,  constantly  and 
usefully  employed,  traits  for  which  so  many  of  the 
X 


prosperous  citizens  of  Knox  County  are  noted.  And 
it  will  be  a  fortunate  circumstance  for  the  youth  of 
America  and  for  their  country  when  they  shall  come 
to  learn  more  generally  and  practice  more  assidu- 
ously the  sterling  virtues  to  which  so  many  whose 
lives  are  portrayed  in  these  pages  are  indebted  for 
their  prosperity,  success  and  happiness,  and  among 
whom  there  is  no  more  striking  example  than  that  to 
be  found  in  the  career  of  .Andrew  B.  .\nderson.  Sur- 
rounded by  wife,  children  and  hosts  of  friends,  he  is 
indeed  a  fortunate  man,  and  the  result  of  character 
and  habits  as  above  mentioned. 

Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  Oneida  Lodge,  No. 
337,A.  F.  &A.  M. ;  also  of  Oneida  Chapter,  No. 
173.  He  is  besides  a  member  of  Oneida  Lodge, 
No.  228,  I.  O.  O.  F. 


homas  Newell.     The  Treasurer  and  one] 
,  „,^^^,-,   of  the  Trustees  of  Hedding  College,  at  Ab-   ' 
'^iS^       in£;don,  and  one  of  the   originators  of  thel 
iSfi*    People  s   Bank,  of  that  town,  is  the  subject  of^ 


this  brief  biographical  narrative.  He  was  one 
of  the  prime  movers  or  factors  in  the  growth 
of  Hedding  College.  He  has  held  the  position  or 
Treasurer  of  Hedding  College  since  June  1883,  and 
was  Financial  Agent  from  that  date  to  1885.  He 
has  held  the  position  of  Trustee  for  six  years,  and 
his  active  management  and  wisdom  as  a  financier 
have  almost  freed  the  College  from  a  debt  amounting 
to  §20,000.  Being  known  as  a  safe,  conservative 
business  man,  the  position  of  Financial  Agent  was 
warmly  urged  upon  him  at  the  time  he  accepted  it. 
The  funds  were  intrusted  entirely  to  his  judgment, 
and  ensuing  results  have  shown  that  the  right  man 
was  chosen  for  the  place,  the  debt  having  shrunk  to 
a  few  thousand  dollars. 

Mr.  Newell  was  born  in  Brown  County,  Ohio, 
Sept.  19,  182 1,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Mar- 
garet (Taylor)  Newell.  His  father  was  a  native  of 
the  same  county  and  of  Irish  descent.  His  mother 
was  of  Scotch  lineage  and  first  saw  the  light  in  the 
Buckeye  State.  When  Thomas  was  13  years  of  age 
his  parents,  with  him  in  charge,  went  to  Parke 
County,  Ind,,  and  made  a  settlement  at  Rockville, 
where  at  the  age  of  22,  on  Sept.  14,  1843,  he  united 
in  wedlock  with  Louisa  .M.  Smith,  daughter  of  Hec 


t 


^^ 


208 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


tor  Smith,  who  claimed  as  her  birth-place  Vigo 
County,  Ind. 

Into  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell  have  come 
six  children,  cf  whom  the  two  eldest  were  born  in 
Indiana  and  the  others  in  Knox  County.  He  re- 
moved from  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  Chestnut  Town- 
ship, Knox  County  in  1848,  in  which  section  of 
country  he  has  been  engaged  in  farming.  There  he 
remained  until  Jan.  4,  1877,  when  he  removed  to 
Abingdon,  in  which  town  he  has  since  resided.  Of 
his  family  of  children,  Sarah  A.  is  the  wife  of  George 
Burnside,  of  Chestnut  Township.  John  W.  has  been 
twice  married  and  lives  in  Clarke  County,  Iowa ;  his 
present  wife  was  formerly  Miss  E.  A.  Roberts;  Will- 
iam H.  married  Salina  Meek,  and  lives  in  Indian 
Point  Township ;  Julia  M.  is  the  wife  of  Cornelius 
McFarland,  of  Clarke  County,  Iowa;  Harriet  E. 
wedded  C.  A.  Lee  and  has  a  pleasant  home  in  Al- 
bert Lea,  Minn. ;  Katie  E.  is  a  student  in  Hedding 
College  and  still  remains  under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newell  are  devoted  and  consistent 
members  of  the  Metliodist  Episcopal  Church.  He 
is  politically  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  is  an  active  energetic  citizen  and  no  drone-in., 
the  hive  of  life.  He  is  one  of  the  Directors  of  the 
First  National  Bank  and  is  noted  for  his  shrewd 
business  tact  and  financial  ability.  He  has  held  high 
offices  in  the  College,  as  previously  stated. 

-€~*-® ^ 


'hales  Edgar  Givens.  Among  the  promi- 
nent business  iner  of  Abingdon  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice.  Cashier  of  the  Union 
Bank,  and  also  a  breeder  and  dealer  in  French 
draft  horses.  He  was  born  in  McDonough 
County,  111.,  Nov.  8,  1857,  and  is  a  son  of 
Thales  H.  and  Julia  (Carter)  Givens.  A  biograph- 
ical notice  of  his  father  is  given  in  this  work. 

Mr.  Givens  was  educated  at  Abingdon  College, 
and  in  1875  engaged  as  book-keeper  in  the  Union 
Bank,  of  Abingdon.  He  continued  to  serve  in  that 
capacity  until  1880.  when  he  was  promoted  to  Cash- 
ier, and  has  held  that  position  continuously  to  the 
present  time.  In  addition  to  his  duties  as  Cashier, 
Mr.  Givens  is  to  no  inconsiderable  extent  engaged  in 
the  breeding  of  French  draft-horses  on  his  fine  farm 
adjacent   to  the  city,  and  keeps  on  an  average  from 


-*> 


20  to  25  head,  five  of  which  are  thorough -bred.  Mr. 
Givens  became  a  benedict,  Oct.  30,  1879,  by  uniting 
his  destiny  with  that  of  Olive  A.,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  Lewis  Lesh.  She  was  born  in  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  and  has  borne  her  husband  three  chil- 
dren: Eugene  E.,  Olive  P.  and  Ruby  B.  His 
residence  is  adjacent  to  and  just  south  of  the  city 
limits.  In  politics  he  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party. 

g^amuel  K.  Pedrick.  Mr.  Pedrick's  orchard 
and  grounds  are  located  on  section  33, 
^^  near  the  city  limits  of  Abingdon,  Cedar 
Township.  This  gentleman  is  a  native  of 
Circleville,  Ohio,  and  was  born  on  the  7th 
of  August,  1823.  While  attending  the  dis- 
trict schools  he  was  employed  on  his  father's  farm 
until  attaining  his  majority.  At  the  age  of  33  he 
married  Miss  Harriet  W.  Kirk,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  in  McDonough  County,  111.  His  wife 
Vas  born  June  17,  1830,  and  was  a  native  of  Green 
,  County,  Ky,  She  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents 
'  iiV  1S34,  the  family  locating  west  of  Macomb.  She 
remained  here  until  her  marriage.  To  this  desirable 
union  there  were  born  four  children — Nancy  E., 
April  21,  1858;  William  L.,  April  21,  i85(,;  John 
K.,  Dec.  rx,  1862;  Samuel  E.  was  born  July  21, 
1868,  and  died  July  5,  1872. 

In  all  the  country  around  there  is  no  better  land 
than  the  32  acres  of  fruit  orchard  belonging  to  Mr. 
Pedrick.  This  he  purchased  Feb.  i,  1877,  and  at 
once  turned  his  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  black- 
berries, strawberries  and  raspberries.  Of  all  these 
he  has  five  acres,  and  intends  increasing  the  pro- 
ductions from  year  to  year.  Together  with  the 
Creston  Seedling  he  has  eight  other  varieties,  but 
these  former  he  considers  preferable  excepting  the 
Green  Prolific.  He  has  two  varieties  of  red  and  two 
of  Black  Cap  raspberries.  He  has  a  two-story  brick 
residence,  which  is  very  commodious  and  fitted  up 
with  every  comfort.  Mr.  Pedrick  is  a  prominent 
Prohibitionist  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church. 

The  father  of  this  gentleman  was  Levi  and  his 
mother  Elinor  (Keffer)  Pedrick,  both  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  the  former  being  born  Dec.  29,  1792,  and 
dying  Nov.   6,   1856.     His  mother  was  born  May  r, 


+' 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


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'moL^i^.Ui_ 


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UBRARY 
UNlVERsfrVo'lLUNO^S 


. ■Y''- .    ■ 

^NOX  COUNTY. 


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213 


1802,  and  died  Sept.  18,  1828,  in  Circleville,  Ohio. 
They  were  married  March  5,  1822,  and  by  the  union 
there  were  two  children — Samuel  K.  and  William. 
His  second  marriage  was  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Hoover.  She  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  born 
Feb.  17,  1804,  and  still  lives  on  the  homestead. 
There  were  four  children  by  this  marriage,  viz. : 
Sarah  A.,  Lewis,  Elizabeth  A.  and  Joseph.  Besides 
Mr.  Pedrick,  Elizabeth  is  the  only  surviving  child. 

The  parents  of  the  present  Mrs.  Pedrick  were 
John  and  Nancy  (Coe)  Kirk,  natives  of  Kentucky. 
The  father  was  born  in  1790  and  died  in  November, 
1856;  the  mother,  born  in  1793,  died  Aug.  i,  1863. 
There  were  11  children  born  of  the  marriage — Ma- 
linda,  Paulina,  Julia  A.,  John  J.,  Harriet  \V.,  Mary- 
etta,  Lucy,  Miranda,  Manner)-,  Edward  and  Nancy. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirk  were  devoted  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and,  politically  speak- 
ing, he  was  a  Whig  in  his  day. 

Mr.  Pedrick  is  a  gentleman  of  quiet  demeanor, 
though  exercising  considerable  religious  and  political 
influence  in  his  locality. 


eorge  Woodmansee.  The  subject  of  this 
^  personal  narration,  whose  career  is  herein 
•©i\3— "^  briefly  recorded,  is  noteworthy  for  having 
'■^  >  lived  a  most  useful  life.  At  present  he  is  liv- 
T  ing  in  retirement,  on  section  35,  Knox  Town- 
*  ship.  His  home  property  includes  neat  and 
substantial  frame  buildings,  and  in  his  former  active 
life  and  earnest  industry,  he  has  proved  that  to  him 
at  least,  "  Honest  labor  wears  a  lovely  face." 

Mr.  W.  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Pa.,  May  20, 
1810.  His  father,  Thomas  Woodmansee,  was  a  na- 
tive of  New  Jersey,  and  was  born  April  13,  1780. 
His  father — the  grandfather  of  our  subject — James 
Woodmansee,  was  also  a  native  of  New  Jersey.  He 
was  the  son  of  Thomas  Woodmansee  of  Connecticut, 
who  was  the  son  of  Gabriel  Woodmansee.  The  en- 
tire Woodmansee  family  claimed  French  ancestry,  a 
part  of  the  forefathers  going  from  France  to  England 
and  coming,  previous  to  the  Revolutionary  War,  to 
Long  Island,  where  they  first  settled.  Later,  they 
removed  to  New  Jersey  and  their  descendants  are 
now  scattered  all  over  the  United  States.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject  removed  from  New  Jersey  to 


Pennsylvania  and  from  there  to  Ohio,  locating  in  But- 
ler County,  where  he  was  a  pioneer,-  and  there  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  his  death. 

Thomas  Woodmansee  was  a  child  of  eight  years 
of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, and,  in  Fayette  County,  where  they  settled,  he 
grew  to  manhood.  While  still  young,  in  Greene 
County,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mary  Tay- 
lor, who  was  born  Jan.  18,  1787,  in  Maryland.  They 
went  at  once  to  live  in  Greene  County,  and  there  tar- 
ried until  the  fall  of  181 7. 

In  1816,  the  father  and  mother  of  our  subject  vis- 
ited Ohio,  each  on  horseback,  and  at  this  time  he 
purchased  360  acres  of  timber  land  in  Clinton 
County.  In  the  spring  of  1817,  he  returned  to  Clin- 
ton County,  and  began  cultivating  and  improving, 
and  after  devoting  a  brief  space  of  time  to  this  imme- 
diate duty,  went  back  to  Pennsylvania  for  his  family. 
Then,  taking  their  two  children  they  went  to  the 
State  of  Ohio,  which  journey  was  made  with  horses 
and  wagons.  With  them  they  carried  their  house- 
hold goods,  drove  their  domestic  animals  and  camped 
and  cooked  by  the  way.  The  husband  came  out  in 
tlie  spring,  raised  a  partial  crop  and  erected  a  portion 
of  his  cabiji.  His  brother-in-law  completed  it  for 
him,  which  being  ready  for  them,  into  it  they 
moved.  Immediately  following  their  arrival  the  hus- 
band and  father  began  the  work  for  which  he  had 
come  to  this  place.  He  rented  some  land  near  and 
while  working  this  cleared  some  of  his  own.  In  1818, 
he  bought  a  farm  with  a  few  acres  broken,  which  he 
worked  until  1853.  At  this  time  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Knox  County,  locating  near  Abingdon,  and 
about  two  years  later,  bought  a  farm  near  by  and 
there  remained  until  called  home  by  death.  His 
widow  remained  at  the  home  of  our  subject  until  she 
departed  this  life.  She  had  been  a  most  devoted 
wife  and  mother  and  was  ready  to  go,  realizing  that 
"To  live  in  hearts  we  leave  behind,  is  not  to  die." 
She  was  the  mother  of  two  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  was  the  eldest.  His  brother  James  lives 
at  Abingdon. 

George  Woodmansee  was  a  child  of  but  seven 
years  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Ohio,  and 
there  grew  to  the  estate  of  man.  His  early  life  was 
spent  in  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm,  which  was 
all  unbroken  and  had  to  be  cleared.  In  spite  of  the 
obstacles  and  drawbacks  that  came  in  his  way,  he 
devoted   a   portion    of  his  time  to  gaining  an  ed- 


i- 


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rH 


214 


ATVOJr  COUNTY. 


ucation.  At  that  period  there  were  but  few  schools 
and  his  sole  dependence  was  on  the  subscription 
school.  In  his  early  manhood  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Eliza  Hollcraft,  who  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  March  15,  18 15,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  James  and  E'.iza  (Lyttle)  Hollcraft, 
both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  At  the  time  of  his 
marriage  he  took  up  and  marked  the  boundaries  of 
the  first  piece  of  land  his  father  had  bought  and  com- 
menced house-keeping  in  the  old  family  log-cabin. 
Here  they  remained  until  1855,  when,  on  the  26th of 
September,  they  emigrated  to  Illinois.  Like  many 
others,  they  made  the  journey  to  Knox  County  with 
teams.  They  had  with  them  seven  horses,  two  bug- 
gies and  two  wagons,  and  reached  their  point  of  des- 
tination after  traveling  19  days.  Previous  to  this  he 
had'  visited  the  county  and  bought  land  in  Knox 
Township.  There  was  on  this  a  small  brick  dwelling 
and  a  frame  house.  The  family  first  moved  into  the 
brick  house  and  one  year  after  built  the  residence 
which  is  the  present  home.  At  the  same  time  he 
erected  a  good  barn  and  planted  a  large  number  of 
shade  trees.  All  these  improvements  tended  to- 
>=  ward  producing  that  sweetest  of  all  possessions,  a 
home. 

Their  family  circle  is  an  extended  one,  including 
12  children,  ten  of  whom  survive:  Thomas  {see 
sketch);  Mary,  wife  of  James  Huffmire;  Lucinda, 
who  married  Peter  Lacey  and  who  lives  in  Haw 
Creek  Township;  Adaline,  wife  of  Hiram  Ward, 
whose  home  is  in  Polk  County,  Iowa;  Leroy  is  mar- 
ried, living  in  Orange  Township;  George,  whose 
home  is  in  Washington  County,  Ark.;  Victoria,  wife 
of  A.  J.  Ferguson,  living  in  Orange  Township;  Xen- 
ophon,  whose  home  is  in  Orange  Township;  Loreno, 
wife  of  Charles  T.  Chase,  also  of  Orange  Township; 
and  Alonzo,  with  his  family,  living  in  Boone  County, 
Iowa. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodmansee  are  most  excellent 
people  and  practical  every-day  Christians,  and  are 
united  by  profession  of  faith  with  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  W.  joined  that  body  in 
Ohio,  and  served  for  some  years  as  Trustee.  He  is  a 
vigorous  and  aleri  politician,  well  versed  in  the  de- 
tails of  questions  relative  to  National  affairs.  He  has 
had  unchallenged  opportunities  for  watching  the 
fluctuations  in  political  questions,  as  he  cast  his  first 
Presidential  vote  for  Andrew  Jackson.  Later,  he 
became  a  Whig  and  then  an  Abolitionist,  and  during 


the  Rebellion  was  a  stanch  Union  man.  He  is  at  the 
present  time  a  Republican,  to  which  party  he  has 
belonged  ever  since  its  oaganization. 

The  portraits  of  Mr.  Woodmansee  and  wife  ap- 
pear in  connection  with  this  sketch,  and  a  view  of 
their  home  place  is  also  shown. 

on.  Bufus  W.  Miles.  Among  the  honored 
and  respected  citizens  of  Knox  County, 
whose  record  as  a  public  man  bears  upon 
it  no  spot  or  blemish,  and  whose  motto  through 
life  has  been  "  Act  and  deal  honorably  with 
your  fellow-men,"  is  Mr.  Miles.  Mr.  Miles  is 
a  fair  representative  of  what  an  individual  can  ac- 
complish, providing  he  is  possessed  of  these  three 
necessary  requisites — pluck,  perseverance  and  good 
judgment.  He  is  at  present  passing  the  afternoon  of 
life  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  34,  Persifer  Town- 
ship, engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Miles,  Solomon  and  Eliza  A. 
(Gilmore)  Miles,  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Vermont, 
respectively.  They  were  married  and  settled  in  Lick-  ; 
ing  County,  Ohio,  where  they  resided  until  1836, 
when  they  came  to  this  county,  locating  in  Orange 
Township.  There  they  lived  for  one  year,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1838,  moved  to  Persifer  Township,  and  set- 
tled on  the  identical  tract  on  which  their  son,  our 
subject,  is  now  living.  There  they  continued  to  live 
and  labor  for  the  best  interest  of  themselves  and 
children,  until  their  demise,  that  of  the  father  occur- 
ring Oct.  6,  1876,  and  of  the  mother,  July  19,  i88o. 
The  former  was  a  Presbyterian  preacher  in  Ohio,  but 
while  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty  as  a  follower  of  the 
meek  and  lowly  Jesus,  his  health  failed  him  and  he 
was  obliged  to  resign  his  charge  His  family  com- 
prised ten  children  :  Rufus  W.,  Sarah  O.,  James  G., 
Catherine  E.,  Benjamin  S.,  Marion  C,  JohnS.,  Par- 
nach  O.,  Putnam  L.  and  Perrigrine  F. 

Rufus  W.  Miles  was  born  in  Newark,  Licking 
County,  Ohio,  Sept.  21,  1822.  He  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  county  until  coming  to  this 
county  in  1836,  when  he  was  but  14  years  of  age. 
His  desire  while  yet  a  youth,  was  that  in  the  future 
he  might  be  a  useful  man,  and  to  this  end  he  applied 
himself  to  study  and  was  soon  prepared  to  enter 
Knox  College.  He,  however,  attended  only  half  of 
the  Freshman  year,  when  he  went  to  work   upon  the 


zXi 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


2'S 


farm,  and  his  business  since  that  time  has  been 
mainly  that  of  agriculture.  In  1850,  soon  after  the 
gold  fever  had  swept  over  the  country,  and  many 
thousands  believed  that  all  that  was  necessary  to  at- 
tain a  fortune,  was  simply  to  cross  the  plains  and 
gather  the  gold  in  hatfuUs,  almost  from  the  surface 
of  the  soil,  Mr.  Miles  concluded  to  try  his  luck  in 
that  far-off  coast.  He  consequently  crossed  the  plains, 
and,  on  arriving  there,  worked  for  one  year  at  min- 
ing on  Weber  Creek,  in  Eldorado  County,  meeting 
with  partial  success.  He,  however,  did  not  tarry 
there  long,  for,  in  the  latter  part  of  August  of  the  fol- 
lowing year,  185  i,  we  again  find  him  settled  on  the 
old  homestead,  acting  in  the  capacity  of  a  sturdy 
tiller  of  the  soil,  and  the  help  of  his  parents  during 
the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Miles  took  place  in  Knox 
Township,  Jan.  18,  1846,  at  which  time  Miss  Mary 
J.  Bruce,  born  in  Vermont,  Jan.  24,  1830,  became 
his  wife.  Her  parente  were  Silas  and  Hannah  D. 
'  (Scott)  Bruce,  natives  of  the  Green  Mountain  State. 
They  left  that  State  in  1845,  coming  to  this  county 
and  making  settlement  in  Knox  Township.  Her 
=^  father  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  died  while  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  vocation  at  Knoxville,  in  1S72. 
His  wife,  mother  of  Mrs.  Miles,  still  survives.  The 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bruce  are  seven  in  num- 
ber: H.  Elizabeth,  Mary  J.,  (Mrs.  Miles)  Dwight, 
Lucretia  M.,  Atlanta  L.,  William  M.  and  Abby  C. 

In  the  fail  of  1858,  Mr.  Miles  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent his  district  in  the  State  Legislature,  beating 
his  opponent,  Ford,  by  nearly  1,000  votes.  In  the 
fall  of  1878  he  was  again  elected  as  a  member  of 
that  honorable  body,  and  served  his  constituents  with 
credit,  during  the  sessions  of  187S-79.  In  1867, 
Mr.  Miles  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Oglesby  ;is  one  of 
the  members  of  the  Board  of  StSte  Equalization,  and 
in  the  fall  of  1868,  was  elected  to  that  office  for  the 
counties  of  Knox;  Fulton  and  Mason,  and  in  1872, 
was  elected  to  represent  the  counties  of  Knox,  Peo- 
ria, Fulton  and  Stark,  making  a  service  of  ten  years 
in  that  capacity. 

Mr.  Miles  was  an  ardent  admirer  of  our  martyred 
President,  Abraham  Lincoln,  and,  after  Mr.  Lincoln 
was  elected  President  the  first  time,  Mr.  Miles  sent 
him  an  eagle's  quill,  with  which  the  Chief  Magistrate 
wrote  his  first  inaugural  address.  The  letter  written 
by  Mr.  Miles  to  the  President,  and  sent  with  the 
quill,  which  was  two  feet  in  length,  was  of  such  elo- 


quence and  prophecy,  that  we  deem  it  interesting  to 
such  an  extent  as  to  gladly  give  it  place  in  this 
sketch. — 

Persifer,  Dec.  21,  i860. 

Hon.  A.  Lincoln. 

Dear  Sir: — Please  accept  the 
eagle  quill  I  promised  you,  at  the  hand  of  our  Rep- 
resentative, A.  A.  Smith.  The  bird  from  whose  wing 
the  quill  was  taken  was  shot  by  John  F.  Dillon,  in- 
Persifer  Township,  Knox  County,  this  State,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1857.  Having  heard  that  James  Buchanan 
was  furnished  with  aji  eagle  quill  to  write  his  inaug- 
ural with,  and  believing  that  in  i860,  a  Republican 
would  be  elected  to  take  his  place,  I  determined  to 
save  this  quill  and  present  it  to  the  fortunate  man, 
whoever  he  might  be.  Report  tells  us  that  the  bird 
which  furnished  Buchanan's  quill  was  a  captured 
bird — fit  emblem  of  the  man  that  used  it;  but  the 
bird  from  which  this  quill  was  taken  yielded  the 
quill  only  with  its  life — fit  emblem  of  the  man  who 
is  expected  to  use  it;  for  true  Republicans  believe 
that  you  would  not  think  life  worth  keeping  after  the 
surrender  of  principle.  Great  difficulties  surround 
you ;  traitors  to  tlieir  country  have  threatened  your 
life ;  and  should  you  be  called  upon  to  surrender  it 
at  the  post  of  duty,  your  memory  will  live  forever  in 
the  heart  of  every  free  man  ;  and  that  will  be  a  grander 
monument  than  can  be  built  of  brick  or  marble. 
"  For  if  hearts  may  not  our  memories  keep. 
Oblivion  haste  each  vestige  sweet 
And  let  our  memories  end.  " 

Yours  truly,  R.  W.  Miles. 

Mr.  Miles,  in  his  own  township,  accepted  the  office 
of  Supervisor,  and  for  19  years  has  been  the  incum- 
bent of  that  position,  serving  at  present.  He  has  also 
been  the  incumbent  of  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  of  Township  Clerk,  as  well  as  other  minor 
offices.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Ma- 
sonry, and  at  one  time  belonged  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
He  is  a  true  and  consistent  Christian  gentleman,  be- 
longing, with  his  good  wife,  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Having  printed  the  foregoing  letter,  it 
is  unnecessary  for  us  to  state  that  he  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  for  the  tone  of  that  letter  indicates,  with 
more  positiveness  than  anything  we  can  say,  the 
party  to  which  he  belongs. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miles  have  had  their  home  circle 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  seven  children  :  lAicy  W.,  Han- 
nah E.,  Emma  M.,  James  H.,  Rufus  H.,  Joseph  W. 
and  Mary  J.  James  H.  died  July  27,1877,  wlien  he  was 
in  his  2 1  St  year.  The  cause  of  his  death  was  drown- 
ing in  Spoon  River,  while  bathing;  Lucy  is  the  wife 
of  Charles  Mastin,  a  resident  of  Elba  Township,  and 
she  has  borne  her  husband  seven  children:     Carl, 


fT 


A-_ 


44- 


■^ 


2l6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Joa,  Rufus  W.,  Winnefred,  Eliza,  Albert  K.  and 
Myrtle.  The  remaining  children  reside  on  the  old 
homestead. 

Mr.  Miles  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors for  several  years.  Having  done  good  work 
in  the  past,  now  in  the  sunset  of  life,  he  is  enjoying 
a  competency  on  his  fine  farm  of  270  acres,  on  sec- 
tion 34,  Persifer  Township,  160  of  which  is  tillable. 
He  is  respected  by  all  who  know  him  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  integrity,  and  none  can  point  to  a  single 
act  in  the  history  of  his  life,  wherein  he  has  wronged 
his  fellow-man,  or  where  he  has  refused  to  listen  to 
the  earnest  entreaty  of  true  charity. 

-^*> •o«o-@H><V®-o*o. .S.^- 

oamma  M.  Bartlett.  Truly  a  good  and 
honorable  citizen  of  Kno.x  County  and  a 
man  esteemed  for  his  popularity  and  enter- 
prise, the  subject  of  this  sketch  stands  out  in 
distinct  prominence  among  the  residents  of 
that  section  of  country  as  an  example  of  no- 
bihty  and  manhood.  His  life  has  been  an  instance 
of  what  may  be  accomplished  by  dogged  persistency 
of  purpose  that  holds  its  own  against  "  The  slings 
and  arrows  of  outrageous  fortune."  Mr.  Bartlett 
owns  a  farm  on  section  17,  Rio  Township,  and  has 
made  his  home  a  model  of  taste  and  convenience. 

Our  subject  came  to  Knox  County  in  May,  1844, 
from  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  and  may  rightfully 
claim  a  place  among  those  noble  pioneers  who  left 
the  refinements  and  luxuries  of  their  Eastern  homes 
and  with  spirit  undaunted,  entered  the  wilderness  of 
the  wild  West,  and  here  made  for  themselves  and 
their  descendents  a  name  and  a  fortune.  Imme- 
diately after  reaching  the  West,  Mr.  Bartlett  entered 
Knox  County  and  located  the  foundation  of  what  is 
now  his  beautiful  home.  He  is  the  present  owner  of 
97  i^  acres  of  land,  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  was  born  in  Alexander,  N.  Y.,  July  14,  1828. 
His  father  was  by  occupation  a  hotel  keeper,  and 
when  Loamma  was  old  enough  so  to  do,  he  assisted 
him  in  the  business.  (See  sketch  of  E.  A.  Bartlett.) 
He  was  allowed  the  privilege  of  attending  the  com- 
mon schools  and  studied  with  a  fair  amount  of  per- 
severance and  industry.  After  coming  to  Knox 
County  he  began  and  has  since  followed  agricultural 
pursuits.     He  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  mat- 


rimony in  Rio  Township,  Dec.  rr,  1851,  to  Ann  P., 
daughter  of  Joshua  and  Eliza  P.  (Kibby)  Willitts, 
natives  of  Ohio,  the  former  of  whom  died  in  Mercer 
County,  near  New  Boston,  in  1840,  and  the  latter  in 
Rio  Township  in  1875.  Mrs.  Bartlett  was  born  in 
Milton,  Ind.,  April  13,  1833. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bartlett  has  been  made 
perfect  by  the  birth  of  two  children,  by  name  Mari- 
etta and  Lucy  M.  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Sylvester 
Thompson  and  resides  in  Washington  County,  Iowa, 
and  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  as  follows  :  Ed- 
win C,  Alma  B.  and  Arthur  B.  Lucy  is  the  wife  of 
Charles  G.  Farnham,  and  lives  at  Rio;  she  is  the 
mother  of  three  children,  as  follows:  Grace  B.,  Ray 
and  Everett  L. 

Mr.  Bartlett  is  an  active  public  man  and  fills 
many  of  the  local  offices  of  his  neighborhood.  He 
has  held  the  offices  of  Township  Clerk  and  School 
Director  for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  dignified  and 
elevated  in  sentiment  politically,  and  always  en- 
deavors to  vote  for  the  right  man.  His  principles 
bear  the  Republican  stamp. 


'-^^->^^i?^k^i?^T^k^-^-- 


g:^^\oa^c^ 


homas  R.  Glisson.  One  of  the  well-to-do 
and  enterprising  farmers  of  Knox  Town- 
^,„  '  ship,  and  standing  among  those  persons 
^^  distinguished  for  energetic  industry  and  the 
success  that  crowns  such  effort,  is  the  subject 
of  this  biography,  who  resides  on  section  26. 
When  he  first  came  to  Knox  Township  he  purchased 
his  present  farm,  and  has  since  added  to  and  im- 
proved on  the  original,  until  he  owns  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  that  entire  section  of  country,  comprising 
220  acres  of  fertile  soil. 

Mr.  Glisson  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
Jan.  29,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  Glisson, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  the  town  of  Car- 
lisle. By  occupation  he  was  a  cabinet-maker.  Re- 
moving to  Hamilton  County  when  but  a  young  man, 
he  there  married  Miss  Rebecca  Runyan,  a  native  of 
New  Jersey.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Run- 
yan. In  1817  he  removed  to  Indiana  and  settled 
near  Brookville,  where  he  bought  a  saw-mill  and  en- 
gaged in  business,  working  at  his  own  trade  until 
1828.  At  that  time,  during  the  month  of  December, 
he  sold  out  and  returned  to  Hamilton  County,  where 


-H^ 


4 


■  ¥!= . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


219 


he  labored  at  cabinet-making  until  his  death,  which 
took  place  in  1849,  having  survived  his  wife  (who 
died  in  1843)  six  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
ten  children — six  boys  and  four  girls. 

One  of  the  sons,  O.  S.  Glisson,  is  R-iar  Admiral 
in  the  United  States  Navy,  now  on  the  retired  list. 
He  was  educated  at  the  Naval  Academy  at  Ann- 
apolis. The  subject  was  the  fourth  son,  and  as  soon 
as  he  grew  large  enough  to  be  of  any  use  whatever, 
he  entered  his  father's  shop  and  there  learned  the 
trade  of  cabinet-making.  At  this  he  worked  until 
he  attained  the  age  of  23  years,  when  he  learned  the 
cooper's  trade.  This  he  followed  until  1854,  in 
Hamilton  County,  when  he  concluded  to  go  West. 
Accordingly,  he  came  to  Knox  County,  purchased 
180  acres  of  improved  prairie  land  on  section  26, 
Knox  Township,  and  40  acres  of  timber  land  on  sec- 
tion 12  of  the  same  township.  He  located  on  the 
former  section  and  has  there  resided  ever  since, 
building  up  a   pleasant  and  attractive  home.     The 

("farm  contains   two  sets  of  frame  buildings,  his  only 

1  son  occupying  one  of  the  houses. 

;      He   married    Miss     Mary    Edwards    in    October, 

■^1838,  who  was  born  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Aug. 

j  30,  18 1 9,  and  who  is  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Ann  (Outterbridge)  Edwards,  both  natives  of  Mary- 

•land.  To  them  have  been  born  nine  children,  two 
of  whom  are  deceased  and  seven  now  living,  as  fol- 
lows:  Elizabeth,  wife  of  James  Redick,  who  lives 
in  Hancock  County,  Ohio ;  Abbie,  who  wedded 
James  Hadley  and  who  lives  in  Yolo  County,  Cal.; 
Nellie,  Sarah,  Charles,  Pameli  and  Harrie.  Charles 
is  married  and  carries  on  the  home  farm.  The  four 
younger  daughters  reside  at  home.  Mr.  Glisson  has 
given  his  children  the  benefits  of  a  good  education. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Glisson  are  active  members  of  society 
and  good  workers  in  the  neighborhood  to  which 
they  belong,  the  wife  and  mother  and  four  of  her 
children  being  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  G.  is  Republican  in  |)olitics,  and  a 
wide-awake,  earnest  thinker. 

Charles,  the  only  son,  lives  on  the  home  place 
and  follows  farming,  the  vocation  to  which  he  was 
reared.  He  was  born  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
Oct.  19,  1853,  and  was  but  a  year  old  when  he  came 
to  Knox  County  with  his  parents.  He  married  Miss 
Emma,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Ellen  (Curl) 
McPherson,  who  was  born  in  Knox  Township,  and 
to  them  has  been  born  one   child,   a   son,   named 


Oliver.  Both  the  younger  Mr.  Glisson  and  his  wife 
are  favorites  with  the  younger  members  of  society, 
and  desirable  friends  and  neighbors.  They  are 
worshipers  under  the  Methodist  Episcopal  doctrines 
of  faith,  to  which  Church  they  are  connected  by 
membership. 


iloward  M.  Griffith.  Mr.  Griffith  farms  on 
section  2,  of  Cedar  Township,  and  was  born 
May  4,  1854,  in  Knox  County.  He  is  the 
son  of  Abel  and  Hannah  (Gore)  Griffith.  His 
mother  was  born  near  Hagerstown,  Md.,  Sept. 
13,  181 1,  her  parents  also  hailing  from  Mary- 
land. This  lady's  parents  were  John  and  Mary 
(Spindler)  Gore,  and  by  the  union  five  children  were 
the  result,  viz:  Jacob,  Samuel,  Nicholas,  now  living 
in  Iowa  ;  Rosena,  through  marriage  Mrs.  Thornburg, 
who  died  in  1877  ;  and  Hannah,  the  eldest,  was  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  H.  Griffith.  She  married  Mr.  Abel 
Griffith,  April  2,  1854,  her  husband  being  born  in 
Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  Oct.   16,  1803. 

The  father  of  Abel,  Mr.  Benjamin  Griffith,  was 
quite  a  lad  when  he  removed  with  his  widowed 
mother,  and  though  yet  young  took  charge  of  her  af- 
fairs until  her  death  in  1845,  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 
She  was  buried  in  Muskegon  County,  near  Zanes- 
ville.  Her  husband  was  interred  in  Bucks  County, 
Pennsylvania,  181 6.  By  the  marriage  there  were 
five  children,  William,  Abel,  Horatio,  Rebecca  A. 
and  Elizabeth. 

Through  the  the  union  of  Abel  and  Hannah  Grif- 
fith there  were  eight  children :  Morris,  born  in 
Pennsylvania,  Feb.  17,  1836;  John,  Aug.  13,  1834; 
Ann,  July  4,  1839;  Mary,  Aug.  24,  1840,  in  Ohio; 
William,  Dec.  8,  1843,  in  the  same  State;  Rebecca, 
March  12,  1846;  Due,  May  g,  1853,  in  the  State  of 
Illinois;  George,  Aug.  18,  1848,  in  Ohio;  Howard, 
May  4,  1854,  in  the  State  of  Illinois  ;  and  Francis  B., 
in  the  same  State,  July  5,  1856.  .\11  these  children, 
except  the  last  named,  are  married. 

Mr.  Griffith,  whose  name  heads  this  history,  mar- 
ried Miss  Edith  E.  Parsons,  Oct.  i,  1884,  the  cere- 
mony being  performed  by  the  Rev.  A.  R.  Thair. 
This  lady  was  born  Oct.  i,  1852,  in  Knox  County, 
she  being  the  daughter  of  Franklin  and  Sarah  (Bul- 
lard)  Parsons.    They  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  Can- 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ada,  respectively.  He  being  born  in  Ashtabula 
County,  in  the  State  named,  on  Jan.  29,  182 1,  the 
date  of  his  wife's  birth,  is,  however,  unknown.  By 
this  devoted  union  there  were  nine  children,  viz: 
Leonard  W.,  Edotha  E.,  Frank  D.,  Ellen  A.,  Rollin 
J.,  Lincoln  E.,  Sarah  E.,  Emma  N.  and  Effie  M.  Of 
these  there  are  five  living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  had  a  son  born  Dec. 
23,  1855.  Mr.  Griffith's  farm  consists  of  221  acres  of 
prime  land,  on  which  he  erected  a  desirable  two- 
story  house  in  1882.  During  two  winters  he  attended 
the  Knox  Academy,  where  he  won  distinction  in  his 
classes.  He  had  three  brothers  in  the  army;  one  of 
them  served  two  years  and  the  other  twelve  months. 
John  was  Captain  of  tlie  Red  River  Expedition,  and 
was  incarcerated  fourteen  months,  at  Taylor,  Texas. 
The  subject  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  and  considered  by  that  community 
a  gentleman  of  broad  sympathies,  whose  good  com- 
mon sense  is  worthy  of  reliance  whenever  called  into 
requisition. 


;  lisha  Humiston,  (deceased)  the  gentleman 
whose  name  honors  this  brief  reviewof  a 
worthy  life,  was  one  among  the  earliest  pi- 
^§,.  oneers  of  Knox  County,  111,  having  arrived  in 
the  State  in  1834.  He  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut not  long  subsequent  to  the  War  of  Inde- 
pendence. He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
being  Elizabeth  Hartshorn.  Two  children,  a  son  and 
a  daughter,  were  born  to  the  union,  Hartson  and 
Alniira,  both  births  occurring  in  Broome  County, 
New  York.  The  daughter  married  Mr.  Gary  Rugg- 
les,  a  gentleman  of  prominence.  While  the  countrj' 
was  still  a  wilderness,  Mr.  Humiston  moved  from 
Connecticut  to  Broome  County,  New  York,  and  re- 
sided there  until  1834,  when  he  came  to  Knox 
County,  111.,  settling  in  this  township. 

Having  lost  his  first  wife  he  married  Betsy  Noble 
by  whom  he  had  four  children,  Elizabeth,  Phoebe 
Delia  and  Hobert.  The  last  three  were  early  asso- 
ciated with  the  history  of  Knox  County.  Hartson 
Humiston,  who  was  born  in  Broome  County,  N.  Y., 
April  3d,  1805,  was  married  in  that  place  to  Miss 
Mary  Church,  June  28,  1832,  five  children  being  the 
result  of  the  union  ;  Cyrus  J.,  Mary  E.,  Helen  M., 
Francis  M.  and  Joanna.     The  last  named  being  the 


wife  of  Joseph  F.  Latimer,  of  Cedar  Township,  Knox 
County  111. 

In  1846  Mr.  H.  Humiston  emigrated  with  his  fam- 
ily from  New  York  to  Knox  County,  and  immediately 
engaged  in  farming,  with  profit  to  himself  and  much 
fatisfaction  to  those  who  had  dealings  with  him,  he 
continued  in  this  occupation  until  his  death,  July  6, 
1876. 


rasmus  J.  Easel.  Among  the  more  prom- 
inent and  enterprising  farmers  of  Knox 
County,  noteworthy  for  persistent  industry, 
and  financial  ability,  may  be  counted  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  a  brief  summary  of  whose 
personal  history  is  herein  given.  He  owns  a 
farm  on  section  10,  of  Indian  Point  Township,  and 
upon  it  stands  a  pleasant  and  attractive  home.  He 
is  within  a  convenient  distance  of  town  privileges, 
living  two  and  three-quarter  miles  southeast  of 
Abingdon. 

Mr.  Easel,  of  this  writing,  was  born  in  Adams 
-County,  111.,  March  28,  1855,  and  came  to  Knox 
Coupty  ill  1865,  at  the  ageof  ten  years.  Considera- 
ble attention  was  given  to  his  educational  training  and 
he  seemed  to  possess  a  natural  predilection  for  intel- 
lectual industry.  He  attended  Hedding  College 
three  terms  and  his  application  won  him  golden  opin- 
ions. He  is  the  son  of  Harvey  D.  and  Margaret 
(Sampson)  Easel,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in 
Ohio,  in  1 83 1,  and  the  date  of  the  latter  parent's 
birth  not  being  positively  known,  the  records,  by  some 
unfortunate  circumstance  being  lost. 

Mr.  Easel,  of  this  sketch,  lost  his  mother  when 
about  eight  years  of  age.  She  died  of  congestive 
chills,  the  date  of  her  death  being  1863.  She  was 
the  mother  of  five  children,  by  name  :  Mary  E.,  who 
died  at  the  early  age  of  four  years;  Erasmus,  Silas, 
Mary  F.  and  Jennie  F. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erasmus  Easel  were  united  in  the 
holy  bonds  of  wedlock,  July  3,  1878,  and  his  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Elwell.  She  was  born  Feb. 
9,  1859,  and  was  at  the  time  of  her  marriage,  19 
years  of  age.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Har- 
riet (Haynes)  Elwell,  and  her  father  was  born  in  In- 
diana, July  4,  1835,  wliile  her  mother.  Miss  Harriet 
Haynes,  first  saw  the  light  of  day,  Oct.  2,  1841.  The 
father  now  lives  in   Van  Buren  County,  Iowa.     She 


t 


LIBRARy 

OF  THE 

^JNIVERSIiy  OF  ILLINOIS 


/-vii^^V^/^      c.rciS^'-'^ 


H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


t 


rt 


died  Aug.  20,  1865, leaving  one  child,  a  daughter, 
who  is  the  wife  of  our  subject.  One  year  after  Mrs. 
Elwell  died,  Mr.  Elwell  remarried,  Mrs.  Emily  A. 
Laymon,  of  Ohio,  being  his  chosen  companion. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  survive,  and  are  living  in 
the  State  of  Iowa.  To  them  were  born  five  children, 
viz:  Arominta,  who  died  in  infancy;  Anna  W., 
Myra,  Hattie  and  Ora.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Easel,  of 
this  sketch,  have  been  given  two  children  :  Harley 
D.,  born  April  18,  1879;  and  Jamie  R.,  Aug.  30, 
1882. 

Mr.  Easel  is  the  owner  of  100  acres  of  fine  land 
and  devotes  himself  to  the  breeding  of  good  blooded 
cattle.  He  has  always  been  prominent  in  public 
affairs  and  has  held  the  office  of  School  Director  for 
a  long  period.  In  politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Re- 
publican party  and  keeps  his  eyes  open  relative  to 
public  and  private  good.  His  wife  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Abingdon,  and 
formerly  attended  the  St.  Mary's  Seminary  at  Knox- 

'  ville,  at  which   institution    she  remained  two  years. 
Mr.  Easel  has  an  intelligent  and  interesting  family 

,  and  the  home  is  a  place  of  pleasant  resort  to   friends 
'^'and  neighbors. 

-€-^^ — ^ 


'onathan  Latimer.  As  consistency  is  ever 
a  trait  in  the  records  of  remarkable  men, 
one  can  scarcely  recall  the  name  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biography  without  at  the  same  time 
being  struck  with  the  roundness  and  complete 
unity  in  character  of  the  man  immediately 
under  our  notice.  Mr.  Latimer,  now  deceased,  whose 
pen  portrait  is  given  here,  was  one  among  the  earli- 
est pioneers  of  Knox  County.  He  settled  in  the 
year  1832,  though  arriving  in  Illinois  as  early  as 
1829.  At  the  home  of  his  parents  in  Robinson 
County,  Tenn.,  the  boy  was  born  May  23,  1803,  his 
father  being  Elder  Joseph  and  his  mother  Anna 
(Dobbins)  Latimer. 

Descended  from  one  of  those  old  and  sturdy  New 
England  families  who  played  a  most  conspicuous 
part  in  the  struggle  for  American  Independence,  Mr. 
Latimer  through  a  life  devoted  to  duty  and  the  good 
of  his  fellows,  lost  none  of  those  strong  traits  which 
so  distinguished  his  ancestors.  During  the  Revolu- 
tionary War  the  grandfather  of  Jonathan  held   rank 


as  Colonel,  and  contributed  to  the  Colonial  forces  no 
less  than  twelve  sons,  each  serving  under  his  gal- 
lant father's  command.  On  the  24th  day  of  Feb. 
1824,  Miss  Nancy  West  became  the  wife  of  Jonathan 
Latimer.  After  his  arrival  in  Illinois  in  1829,  he 
took  up  his  abode  in  Sangamon  County.  Three  years 
later,  however,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  finally 
located  in  Knox  County,  upon  section  28,  in  what  is 
known  as  Ced  ir  Township.  At  the  date  referred  to 
the  township  only  nuuibered  four  other  families, 
proving  the  rapid  growth  during  the  past  half  cen- 
tury of  that  now  prosperous  district.  Deciding  to 
make  his  home  on  the  newly  located  section,  Mr. 
Latimer  at  once  engaged  in  farming  and  stock  rais- 
ing, a  vocation  which  he  followed  creditably  and 
with  profit  up  to  the  date  of  his  demise,  the  4tli  of 
Aug.,  1866. 

The  children  born  to  the  Latimer  family  were  ten 
in  number;  Mrs.  Latimer  through  a  course  of  long 
years  proving  a  most  exemplary  mother  of  the  old 
time  school.  The  family  at  the  date  of  writing  are 
disposed  of  as  follows  :  Emily  is  the  wife  of  J.  B.  F. 
Chesney,  of  Abingdon  ;  Mary  Latimer  is  deceased; 
Alexander  married  Miss  Julia  Meek,  and  is  living  in 
Winnebago  City,  Minn.;  Louisa  twice  married  ;  first  to 
Joseph  Meek,  but  is  now  widow  of  L.  C.  Bacon,  liv- 
ing at  Abingdon;  William  (deceased)  married  Eliza- 
beth Humiston,  who  lives  now  in  Abingdon,  her 
husband  dying  in  the  year  1872;  James  married 
Jennie  Hartford,  and  resides  at  Pleasanton,  Kas.; 
Anna  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Foster,  now  dead; 
Clara  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  F.  C.  Wells,  of  Wheaton, 
111.,  and  a  prominent  business  man  in  Chicago;  Jo- 
seph F.  married  Joanna  Humiston,  and  resides  in 
Cedar  Township  ;  Columbus  married  Angie  Ranson, 
and  lives  in  Tiogo  Center,  N.  Y. 

Early  in  life  Mr.  Jonathan  Latimer  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  At  the  Cherry 
Grove  Presbyterian  Church  he  subsequently  became 
one  of  the  original  members,  and  was  leader  among 
the  leading  Elders  of  that  body.  As  one  of  the 
chief  founders  of  the  Cherry  Grove  Seminary,  and 
most  incessant  worker  in  the  cause  of  education  Mr. 
Latimer's  name  will  be  remembered  by  not  only 
those  who  were  benefitted,  by  but  those  who  took  an 
active  part  in  the  good  work  of  the  hour.  During 
the  latter  25  years  of  his  life  he  engaged  in  various 
business  and  manufacturing  enterprises.  During  the 
building  of  what  is  now   the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Railroad, 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


he  contracted  to  tie  the  road  to   Quincy,  and    was 
connected  with  it  until  his  death. 

Seconded  and  encouraged  by  one  of  the  most  de- 
voted and  loving  among  wives,  Mr.  Latimer's  zeal 
in  the  cause  of  religion  grew  daily,  and  his  upright 
and  honorable  intercourse  with  his  fellow-men  be- 
came a  subject  of  remark. 

He  was  not  only  open-handed  but  generously 
bountiful  to  all  who  really  needed  his  help,  or  desired 
to  help  themselves.  This  was  a  common  trait  in 
I  the  Latimer  family,  and  is  shared  to-day  by  the 
I  wife  who  survives  this  good  man.  At  Abingdon, 
I  where  she  now  resides,  the  universal  respect  and 
love  shown  this  lady  is  not  lost.  She  is  in  her  eighty- 
fourth  year,  being  born  in  North  Carolina  in  1802. 


*% 


;lof  Johnson.  The  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  O.  Johnson  &  Co.,  manufacturers 
of  boots  and  shoes  at  Abingdon,  whose 
business  was  established  in  1881,  and  who  is 
associated  with  his  son,  M.  C.  Johnson,-  is 
the  gentleman,  the  brief  outlines  of  whose 
personal   history  are  herein  given. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  was  born  in 
Sweden,  Nov.  5,  1826,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Matilda  (Swanson)  Matteson.  In  his  native  countrj' 
he  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  entering  his  ap- 
prenticeship when  a  boy  of  12  years.  He  is  fully 
master  of  his  trade,  having  worked  at  it  continuously 
for  almost  47  years.  He  emigrated  from  Sweden  to 
America  in  the  year  1854,  coming  directly  to  Illinois 
and  settling  in  Galesburg,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  for  a  few  months  and  from  which  city  he  re- 
moved to  Abingdon.  Here  he  continued  a  year  and 
a  half,  working  as  before  at  his  trade,  and  then  re- 
turned to  Galesburg,  and  subsequently,  in  1859,  to 
Monmouth.  Here  he  labored  a  year  and  a  half  and 
again  cast  his  lot  at  Galusburg,  where  he  went  into 
business,  in  which  he  remained  seven  years. 

Leaving  this  he  engaged  in  farming  in  Knox 
County,  in  187 1,  but  relinquished  this  after  two  years 
experience,  when  he  moved  to  Abingdon,  where  he 
worked  as  journeyman  till  1881  and  then  commenced 
business  for  himself,  forming,  in  1882,  the  existing 
partnership  with  his  son,  M.  C.  Johnson. 

Mr.  Johnson,  of  this  writing,  took  to   wife   Miss 


Ellen,  daughter  of  Swan  Matteson,  Oct.  22,  1855. 
They  were  married  at  Galesburg,  and  the  result  of 
their  union  is  seven  children,  four  of  whom  lived  to 
grow  up,  and  of  which  number  three  survive,  as  fol- 
lows :  Matilda,  wife  of  Peter  E.  Nelson,  of  Stanton, 
Iowa;  Carrie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  12  years;  M. 
C,  the  junior  partner  of  the  firm  of  O.  Johnson  & 
Co.;  and  Joseph,  the  youngest.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John- 
son are  useful  members  of  the  community  in  which 
they  reside  and  congenial  friends  and  neighbors. 
They  are  devoted  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church  to  which  they  both  belong. 


ohn   W.    Head.      Among   the   citizens  of 
jfe^  Knox  County,  who  have  won  repute  as  en- 
terprising men  and  substantial  persons  in  a 
social  way,  may  be  reckoned  John  W.   Head,  a 
"^IF    farmer   living   on    section  3,  of  Indian   Point. 

P    Township.     To  speak  of  him  as  one  of  the 
most  able  and  sound   residents   of  this  section   of 
country,  is  the  only  way  in  which  to  convey  a  com-> 
mensurate  idea  of  his  worth. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in  > 
Highland  County,  Ohio,  Dec.  29,  1846,  and  came  to. 
Illinois,  Oct.  2,  1853.  His  parents  located  at  Ma- 
comb, McDonough  County,  and  he  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  1S64,  and  came  with  his  wid- 
owed mother  to  Abingdon.  Nine  years  previous  to 
this  time,  his  father  had  realized  the  truth  that  "  To 
every  man  upon  this  earth,  death  cometh  soon  or 
late,  "  and  yielding  up  his  life  went  out  into  the  great 
unknown  Country.  The  parents  of  John  W.  Head, 
our  subject,  were  Wilson  and  Sarah  (Foraker)  Head. 

Wilson  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1822,  and  died  at  Ma- 
comb, 111.,  Oct.  2,  1855.  He  occupied  the  pulpit  at 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at  that  place,  and 
taught  school  in  the  western  part  of  the  city,  devo- 
ting himself  to  religious  and  intellectual  pursuits, 
with  the  honest  desire  to  lay  the  foundations  of  good 
citizenship  and  practical  Christianity.  He  united 
in  marriage,  in  February,  1845,  with  Sarah  Foraker, 
who  was  born  in  Highland  County,  Ohio,  May  22, 
1837,  celebrating  his  nuptials  at  the  date  previously 
stated.  In  August,  i860,  she  married  Rev.  W.  B. 
Carithers,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  with 
whom  she  lived  until  her  death,  Jan.  12,  1878,  which 


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OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


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KAOX  COUNTY. 


227 


occurred  at  Tulon,  Stark  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Head 
were  the  parents  of  three  children  :  John  W.,  the 
eldest;  Margaret  S.  and  Mary  E.,  the  two  latter  of 
whom  were  twins.  Margaret  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years,  but  Mary,  who  grew  to  womanhood,  was  uni- 
ted in  marriage  with  H.  B.  Lequatte,  of  Rock  Island 
County,  on  the  7th  of  June,  £872,  and  their  home  is 
in  Drury  Township,  Rock  Island  County. 

John  W.  Head  formed  the  acquaintance  of,  and 
subsequently  married  Miss  Ella  Scott,  Sept.  19, 
1878.  She  is  the  daughter  of  W.  K.  and  Sarah  J. 
(Stickle)  Scott,  and  was  born  Oct.  31,  1851.  Her 
father  was  born  in  Kentucky,  Jan.  4,  1822.  and  her 
mother  April  4,  1829,  in  Pennsylvania.  This  pair 
were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  viz  :  Mary  J  , 
born  Jan.  12,  1850;  S.  Ella,  Oct.  3,  1851;  Susan  M., 
in  1853,  who  died  in  1856;  Annabel,  Paulina  J., 
Fannie  F.,  Emma,  Myra,  ^Martin  E.  and  one  who  died 
in  infancy,  unnamed. 

Mr.  Head  is  the  owner  of  80  acres  of  fine  land  in 
a  high  state  of  cultivation,  lying  one  and  one  half 
miles  from  Abingdon.  He  is  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  Shorthorn  and  Polled-.^ngus  cattle,  and  has 
been  highly  successful  in  almost  every  ventarp;,he 
has  undertaken,  all  efforts  of  his  resulting  in  the  ulti- 
mate improvement  of  his  possessions.  Himself  and 
wife  are  consistent  and  worthy  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  his  fitness  for  of- 
fice has  given  him  a  place  in  many  of  the  local  posi- 
tions of  his  neighborhood.  He  has  lield  the  office  of 
Pathmaster  for  an  extended  length  of  time,  and  has 
an  interest  in  politics.  He  is  a  RepubHcan  in  be- 
lief and  by  vote.  He  is  the  father  of  but  one  child, 
a  boy,  now  in  his  sixth  year,  whom  he  proudly  des- 
ignates as  his  son  and  heir;  the  date  of  his  birih  was 
March  25,  1880. 

- — ^^OOC>€=3r:    -o^ 


f.!;;!  ohn  C.  Hearn.  The  biographer  finds  in  his 
f^ljr  interviews  with  the  people  of  Persifcr 
Township,  that  many  of  the  prominent  and 
well-to-do  citizens  were  brought  here,  or  to 
the  county,  by  their  parents  when  they  were  in 
early  childhood  or  youth.  Their  families  were 
pioneers,  and  as  the  children  grew  and  developed 
into  manhood,  many  of  them  assumed  the  manage- 
ment of  the  business  interests,  not  only  of  the  fam- 


ily estate  but  of  the  community.  Prominent  among 
this  number  is  John  C.  Hearn,  who  to-day  is  a 
prosperous  agriculturist,  residing  on  section  29,  of 
the  township  named.  He  was  a  ten-year  old  boy 
when,  in  Nov.  1835,  his  parents  arrived  in  Knox 
County.  They  located  in  Orange  Township,  where 
they  became  widely  known  and  highly  respected. 
The  father,  James  Hearn,  died  in  Chestnut,  and 
the  mother,  Nancy  (Di.x)  Hearn,  died  in  Orange 
Township. 

John  C.  Hearn  passed  tlie  first  three  or  four  years 
after  coming  to  this  county,  in  Orange  Township, 
when  the  family  moved  to  Knox  Township,  and 
later  on  he  came  into  Persifer.  .\s  eady  as  1848  he 
purchased  160  acres  of  land  in  the  latter  township, 
where  he  settled  and  has  since  lived.  Here  he  has 
erected  a  splendid  suit  of  farm  buildings,  and  is  the 
fortunate  owner  of  400  acres  of  valuable  land,  300  of 
which  are  under  cultivation. 

Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  where  lie  was 
born  July  20,  1825.  Shortly  after  he  had  reached' 
■his  2 1  St  year,  Oct.  7,  [846,  he  and  Mrs.  Eliza  Mc- 
Pherrin  nee  Wilson,  were  united  in  marriage.  She 
grew  to  wdm  an  hood  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  "^ 
and  there  married  Mr.  McPherrin,  and  immediately 
after,  in  1835,  moved  to  Knox  County,  locating 
in  Knox  Township.  Here  they  engaged  in  farming 
until  the  death  of  Mr.  McPherrin,  which  occurred 
in  Knox  Township  Jan.  5,  1845.  He  was  highly 
esteemed  and  respected  anong  the  early  pioneers  of 
the  county.  By  him  Mrs.  Hearn  became  the  mother  of 
two  children,  John  T.  and  William  H.,  both  of  whom 
reside  in  California.  They  are  both  married  and  well- 
to-do  farmers.  John  resides  in  Tehama  County,  and 
William  in  Sutter  County.  They  married  two  sisters, 
the  Misses  Stevens,tlie  eldest  has  five  children  and  the 
youngest  four.  Mrs.  H.  was  born  in  Champaign  County, 
Ohio,  Jan.  21,  18 ig.,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Fran- 
cis and  Priscilla  A.  Wilson.  She  has  borne  to  Mr. 
Hearn  two  children,  Lorena  A.  and  one  who  died  in 
infancy.  Lorena  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Breece,  of 
Elba  Township,  and  is  the  mother  of  three  children, 
Harry  L.,  John  C.  and  Eliza  M. 

During  the  intense  excitement  over  the  discovery 
of  gold  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  Mr.  Hearn  joined  the 
great  army  of  gold  seekers,  and  crossed  the  plains, 
and  like  thousands  of  othera  his  success  was  not 
flattering.      Before  the    close  of  the   year  (in    De- 


4-3- 


A 


228 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


5 


cember)  he  started  for  home,  returning  via  the  Isth- 
mus, reaching  home  the  following  2d  of  April,    185 1. 

Mr.  H.  has  been  called  to  fill  some  of  the  minor 
official  positions  of  his  township,  among  which  are 
that  of  Highway  Commissioner  and  School  Director. 
In  his  political  convictions  he  votes  and  works  for 
the  Republican  party.  Mrs.  Hearn  many  years  ago 
joined  the  Methodist  Church,  though  she  had  been 
reared  in  the  Presbyterian. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hearn  have  by  industry,  persever- 
ance and  economy,  succeeded  in  securing  a  hand- 
some competency.  Their  home  is  provided  with 
all  the  comforts  that  are  needed  for  the  enjoyment  of 
life,  and  it  is  here  that  they  dispense  a  liberal  hos- 
pitality with  the  ease  and  grace  of  "  The  olden 
time."  As  a  farmer  and  stock  raiser  Mr.  Hearn 
takes  prominent  rank  among  the  leading  men  in  this 
especially  favored  county.  A  view  of  their  handsome 
residence  is  shown  on  another  page  of  this  volume, 
and  their  portraits  are  given,  accompanying  this 
brief  outline  of  their  life  histories. 


obert  C.  Edwards,  one  of  the  earliest  pio- 
neers of  this  county,  resides  on  section  26, 
AJll^W  Cedar  Township.  His  birthplace  is  located 
}^\  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State  of  Virginia 
and  he  was  born  in  the  year  1818.  Many 
years  back  he  traveled  to  Illinois  and  located 
on  the  section  where  he  still  lives.  In  marriage  he 
was  united  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Ensinger,  on  the 
5th  of  April,  1844.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  Vir- 
ginia and  was  born  in  that  State,  May  30,  1825. 
After  a  union  with  Mr.  Edwards  of  39  years,  she  was 
called  to  the  better  land,  Oct.  14,  1883,  her  remains 
resting  in  Cherry  Grove  Cemetery,  at  Abingdon,  111. 
Very  little  is  now  known  of  this  lady's  parentage, 
but  that  they  were  natives  of  Virginia  is  certain.  In 
that  State  they  lived  up  to  the  date  of  their  death. 
To  the  devoted  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards  nine 
children  were  born,  viz.  :  Sarah,  Uavid,  Hester  A., 
Susan,  Nancy,  Eliza,  Mary,  Esterlina  and  Bell,  all 
of  whom  are  married  with  the  exception  of  Ester- 
lina and  Bell.  The  latter  young  lady  is  the  younger 
of  her  father's  family  and  at  present  has  the  entire 
supervision  of  her  father's  household,  over  which  she 
presides  with  unceasing  care.     Mr.  Edwards  has  56 


acres  of  prime  land  in  this  township  and  a  comforta- 
ble home,  in  which  he  has  resolved  to  spend  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  Politically  speaking,  he  is  a 
firm  Democrat,  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word. 


hales  H.  Givens,  deceased,  a  former  resi- 
dent af  Abingdon,  and  a  pioneer  settler  of 
McDonough  County,  111.,  of  1854,  as  well 
as  a  gentleman  honored  and  respected  for  his 
sterling  worth  and  integrity  by  all  who  became 
acquainted  with  him,  was  born  near  Rich- 
mond, Ky.,  Sept.  20,  1822.  He  was  the  son  of  James 
and  Martha  (Miller)  Givens,  and  moved  with  his  par- 
ents to  Monroe  County,  Ind.,  while  yet  in  childhood. 
The  grandfather  died  in  Knox  Connty  at  the  resi- 
dence of  his  son,  in  1867.  The  grandmother  died 
ten  years  prior  in  Monroe  County,  Ind.  There  our 
subject  was  reared  to  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  He 
served  a  regular  apprentiship  at  cabinet-making  and 
subsequntly  at  the  carpenters'  trade,  acquired  his  ed- 
ucation and  lived  there  developing  into  manhood.  It 
was  in  that  State  and  county  that  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Julia  Carter,  in  1842.  She  was 
born  November  8,  1854.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Carter  and  was  born  in  that  part  of  Virginia,  which 
at  the  present  time  is  known  as  West  Virginia.  She 
died  Jan.  9,  i874- 

The  union  of  the  parents  of  Mr.  Givens,  of  this 
notice,  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  ten  children,  five 
sons  and  five  daughters,  and  of  whom  the  elder  five 
were  born  in  Indiana,  and  the  younger,  in  Illinois. 
Seven  of  the  ten  children  are  yet  living:  Strawther, 
has  a  biographical  notice  in  another  part  of  this  work ; 
Araminta  H.,  is  living  at  Abingdon;  Walter  E.,  died 
in  infancy ;  Laura,  is  the  wife  of  W.  G.  Nesbit,  of 
Evans,  Col.;  Newton,  died  in  infancy;  Florence,  is 
the  widow  of  Dr.  Livy  Hatchett,  and  resides  at 
Abingdon;  Clara  A.,  died  in  infancy;  Thales  E., 
married  Miss  Olive  A.  Lesh,  and  resides  in  Indian 
Point  Township,  and  of  whom  a  biographical  notice 
is  given  in  this  work;  Dora  F.,  is  serving  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  head  book-keeper  in  the  wholesale  house  of 
Shaver  &  Dows,  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa;  and  Hattie 
M.,  is  the  wife  of  William  A.  Jones,  of  Abingdon. 

Thales  H.  Givens  removed  with  his  family  to  Mc- 
Donough County,  this  State,  in  1854,  and  was  there 


T: 


zyi 


^p 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


t 


239 


engaged  in  the  honorable  calling  of  an  agricuUurist, 
together  with  that  of  stock-raising,  until  April,  1865. 
He  then  came  to  Abingdon,  and  subsequently  en- 
gaged in  his  former  occupation  in  Cedar  Township, 
adjacent  10  the  city.  In  iS7  2,in  company  with  his 
eldest  son,  Strawther,  and  Mr.  J.  M.  Dawdy,  under 
thf  name  of  the  Union  Bank  of  Abingdon,  they  began 
business.  Mr.  Givens,  nevertheless,  continued  his 
fanning  and  stock-raising  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 
which  occurred  April  23,  18S2.  He  was  a  gentleman 
of  considerable  ability,  strictly  honest  and  upright  in 
all  his  dealings  and  was  prominently  identified  with 
the  educational  interests  of  Abingdon,  as  well  as  of 
other  places  in  which  he  had  formerly  resided.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  support  of  the  Abingdon  Col- 
lege and  aided  very  materially  in  prolonging  its  e.x- 
istence.  The  present  Abingdon  College  was 
constructed  and  built  under  his  supervision.  He  was 
an  honored  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  in 
his  politics,  an  active  worker  for  the  success  of  the 
Democratic  party. 


■^ 


■r-T" 


€S- 


SjI^  illiam  Smith,  as  a  representative  of  the  ag- 
— ^Sl  ''cultural  class  of  Kno.x  County,  is  the  sub- 
"^^  ject  of  this  notice,  and  resides  on  the  south- 
3'  west  corner  of  section  to,  Ontario  Township. 
Mr.  Smith  is  one  of  the  successful  farmers, 
respected,  and  honored  citizens  of  that  township, 
and  his  success  in  life  is  a  fair  measure  of  what  may 
be  accomplished  by  an  individual  possessing  a  large 
amount  of  perseverance  and  energy,  for  his  accumu- 
lations have  been  acquired  through  his  own  exertions 
and  not  by  being  the  recipient  of  any  legacy. 

William  Smith  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Vt.,  Sept.  15,  1S16,  and  is  consequently  nigh  onto 
70  years  of  age  at  the  date  of  writing.  He  is  a  son  of 
Samuel  Smith,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  a 
native  of  Vermont  and  of  New  England  ancestry. 
The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject  came  from 
England  and  made  settlement  in  the  United  States 
at  an  early  day.  His  son,  Joseph,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  born  in  New  England  and  in  early  life 
became  interested  in  the  cause  of  the  Colonies  and 
was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist  in  their  defense.     He 


served  for  seven  years  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution 
and  lived  to  see  the  cause  of  the  Colonies  victorious. 
When  the  War  of  iSu  broke  out,  he  again  enlisted, 
tliis  time  accompanied  by  his  two  sons,  aged  12  and 
14  years,  they  being  musicians.  He  fought  all 
through  that  war,  and  received  no  injuries  of  a  seri- 
ous nature  in  either  of  the  conflicts  in  which  he 
participated.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
died  at  the  extreme  age  of  96  years  in  Vermont.  His 
wife,  Hannah  (Derkee)  Smith,  of  New  England  par- 
entage, lived  to  attain  the  age  of  99  years,  and  died 
in  Orange  County,  Vt.  They  have  one  child  yet  liv- 
ing, Mrs.  Dolly  White,  who  is  a  resident  of  Orange 
County,  Vt.,  and  at  this  writing  has  attained  the  ven- 
erable age  of  ro3  years.  The  entire  family  seemed 
to  have  been  noted  for  their  longevity.  Mrs.  White 
reads  readily  without  glasses  and  in  her  actions  is 
more  agile  than  many  ladies  from  20  to  30  years  her 
junior. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was,  prior  to  her  marriage, 
a  Miss  Bettie  Rood,  born  in  Windsor  County,  Vt.' 
Her  mother's  maiden  name  was  Betsey  Kibling,  the 
patronymic  having  been  spelled  prior  to  tiie  settle- 
ment of  her  ancestry  in  this  country,  Kiblinger,  th^ 
"  er "  having  been  dropped  on  their  settlement  in 
Vermont.  Numerous  among  the  families  of  that 
State  as  well  as  throughout  the  Western  States,  are 
to  be  found  Kiblings. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Smith  lived  in  their  native 
State,  where  his  father  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  August, 
1865,  and  that  of  the  wife  one  year  later,  he  being  77 
and  she  75  years  of  age.  They  were  members  of  the 
Christian  Reform  Church.  Of  the  1 1  children  born 
of  their  union,  eight  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  man 
and  womanhood.  William  Smith,  of  whom  we  write, 
was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of  his  parent's  chil- 
dren, and  of  whom  seven  are  yet  living.  He  remained 
at  home,  assisting  on  the  farm  and  received  the  ad- 
vantages afforded  by  the  common  schools  and  devel- 
oped into  manhood.  In  September,  1837,  he  left  the 
parental  roof-tree  and  engaged  in  traffic  in  "  Yankee 
notions. "  He  afterwards  engaged  in  business  in 
Franklin  and  various  counties  adjacent  to  York  State 
and  was  thus  occupied  for  about  20  years,  meeting 
with  signal  success.  In  1854,  he  disposed  of  his  bus- 
iness in  Franklin  County  and  went  to  Montreal,  Can- 
ada, where  he  engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and 
was  thus  occupied  for  several  years.     While  there  he 


-^ 


t 


230 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


erected  a  wharf  at  a  large  expense  to  the  Canadian 
Government  and  also  completeted  several  other  large 
contracts. 

In  1859,  Mr.  Smith  left  Montreal  and  emigrated 
to  this  State,  making  settlement  in  thiscounty,  where 
he  secured  a  four  year's  lease  to  a  section  of  land 
which  he  broke  and  seeded  by  the  following  June, 
and  from  which  he  afterward  reaped  a  large  harvest. 
By  the  time  his  lease  had  e.xpired  he  had  been  ena- 
bled to  save  sufficient  to  purchase  a  farm  of  his  own 
and  immediately  invested  his  means  in  165  acres  of 
land,  a  portion  of  which  had  been  improved.  As 
soon  as  his  lease  had  expired  he  erected  a  residence 
on  the  land  he  had  purchased,  into  which  he  moved 
his  family,  and  at  once  entered  actively  and  energet- 
ically upon  the  cultivation  of  his  land  and  the  im- 
provement of  his  place  and  where  he  has  continued 
to  reside  until  the  present  time.  He  has  added  to  his 
original  purchase  until  he  is  at  present  the  proprietor 
of  330  acres  of  as  good  drained  and  watered  land  as 
there  is  to  be  found  in  Knox  County.  His  farm  is 
supplied  with  two  hydraulic  pumps  and  is  also 
drained  by  a  sufficiency  of  tile  to  make  it  rich  and 
productive.  His  residence  is  a  good  and  comforta- 
ble one,  heated  by  furnace,  and  his  out-buildings  are 
of  a  substantial  nature. 

December  27,  1865,  Mr.  Smith  became  united  in 
marriage  with  Mrs.  Margaret  Frame,  nee.  Boher,  a 
native  of  Pennsylvani;i,  born  in  Washington  County, 
July  T2,  183T.  She  was  first  married  to  Dr.  Thomas 
Frame,  by  whom  she  had  three  children  :  Thomas, 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  ;  Emma,  wife  of  James 
Tilden,  a  resident  of  York  County,  Neb.;  and  Ella, 
wife  of  J.  F.  Friend,  a  resident  of  Henry  County,  111. 
Her  husband,  Mr.  P'rame,  died  in  Greene  County, 
III.,  in  May  T864.  He  was  a  practicing  physician  of 
considerable  prominence.  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Smith,  three  children  have  been  born,  one  of 
whom  is  deceased :  Levi  G.  and  Lucy  R.,  both  of 
whom  are  skilful  muscians.  The  parents  of  Mrs. 
Smith  were  of  German  descent,  and  her  father  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  They  emigrated 
to  this  State  in  1858,  and  here  resided  until  their 
death,  that  of  the  father  occurring  in  r86o,  and  that 
of  her  mother  10  years  later,  in  1S70. 

Politically,  Mr.  Smith  votes  with  the  Republican 
party.  Religiously,  Mr.  S.  and  his  wife  are  members 
pf  no  denomination.     Mr.  Smith  is  a  prominent  fac- 


tor in  the  Knox  County  Farmer's  Insurance  Company. 
He  is  a  gentleman  well-read  and  thoroughly  posted 
in  the  isssiies  of  the  day.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  literary  con- 
tributor of  no  small  prominence,  several  of  her  arti- 
cles occurring  in  the  JVestern  Rural  under  the  nom 
lie  plume  of  "Mother.".  The  landed  possessions  of 
our  subject  in  this  county  and  other  Westean  States, 
amount  to  more  than  1,000  acres,  a  large  majority  of 
which  is  under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  His 
stock  upon  his  home  farm,  consisting  of  Poland-China 
hogs,  and  thorough-bred  Durham  cattle,  are  of  the 
best  quality,  and  in  this  branch  of  his  chosen  voca- 
tion, as  well  as  others,  he  is  meeting  with  that  success 
which  energy  and  perseverance,  coupled  with  good 
judgment  are  sure  to  bring.  As  a  representative  of 
the  agricultural  class  and  a  thorough-going  energetic 
business  men  of  Knox  County,  he  is  certainly  the 
peer  of  any. 

5-K.#4?-^^-i— 

helden  O.  Allen.     This    gentleman  is  the  | 
son   of  Sheldon  W.    and  Fidelia  (Leach)  ] 
,    _  Allen,  whose  names  occur  prominently  in  j 

/i|',\\    another  place  in  this  Album.     The  subject  of  j 
the  present  biography  was  born  in  Log  City,  I 
Henderson  Township,   on  the   loth  of  Sept.,  J 
1838,  and  was  the  first  male  child  born   there. 
He  was  only  in  his  second  year  when  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Galesburg,  and  in  this  city  he  spent  his  early 
life.     His  education  was  mostly  received  at  the  com- 
mon schools.     Having  made  rapid  progress  he  at- 
tended Hamilton  College,  Madison  Countj',  N.  Y., 
during  a  six-months  term.     This  he  intended   as  a 
commencement  of  a  college  course,  but  being  ambi- 
tious to  uphold  his  Western  home  he  returned   to 
Galesburg  and  finished  his  school  training  there. 

Subsequently  he  was  employed  as  fireman  of  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  and  in  July  1861,  settled  in  Hen- 
derson Township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  is 
the  owner  of  198  acres  of  land,  which  is  in  a  highly 
improved  state  of  cultivation.  He  was  married  in  this 
township  on  the  25th  of  October,  i860,  to  Zipporah 
Edwards,  the  daughter  of  Marcus  and  Hannah 
(Ferkins)  Edwards,  natives  of  New  York.  They  came 
to  Knox  County  in  1839,  and  have  resided  in  Hen- 
derson Township  since  that  date.  They  have  a  fam- 
ily of  thirteen  children,  of  which  Mrs.  Allen  was  the 
sixth  in  order  of  birth.     She  was  born  in  the  town- 


ZJC 


■\ 


AMSQfj  4 


Sleeping  SsAurrl'iT^/.) PRitJCs'JuMBO ija'Tis) 


Part   of  Herd  of  pure  bred  Galloway  CAniE, Property  of  Messer^ 


umvERS?rVo'iu'»'nis 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^Zl 


+-. 


ship  named,  on  the  12th  of  January,  1S44.  She  re- 
ceived her  education  at  the  common  schools,  and  by 
her  marriage  has  become  the  mother  of  four  inter- 
esting children  :  Dora  F.,  Edwin  A.,  George  S.  and 
Laura  M.  Dora  F.  is  the  wife  of  Ben.  Brown,  and 
resides  in  Henderson  Township.  She  has  one  child, 
Laura  M.  The  other  children  reside  at  home.  Mr. 
Allen  has  not  been  an  aspirant  for  office  of  any  kind 
and  has  in  consequence  not  held  any  of  importance 
in  this  township.  He  is,  however,  one  of  the  most 
capable  men  in  Henderson  Township,  and  would  do 
credit  to  any  position  of  public  trust. 

The  names  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  are  as  found 
below : 

Rebecca  became  the  wife  of  .\  W.  Miller,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  four  children — Marcus  C, 
Francis,  Martin  L.  and  Hannah  May.  Martin  L.  is 
deceased.  Lydia  is  deceased-  Sarah  became 
the  wife  of  Charles  Rowe,  and  they  are  the  pa- 
rents of  two  children — William  and  Arthur.  George 
M.  married  Jessie  Frantz,  and  has  one  adopted 
child,  named  Clinton.  Bessie  is  deceased.  Issachar' 
is  married  and  had  one  child,  now  dead.  Mary  jnar 
ried  .-Vndy  Stewart;  one  boy  has  blessed  this  "union, 
named  Othniel.  Otis,  now  dead.  Charles  died  at 
the  age  of  28,  unmarried.  Jackson  is  the  ne.xt  in 
.  order.  Lula  became  the  wife  of  Cooper  McCord,  and 
'  has  one  boy,  named  William  Clinton.  On  the  paternal 
side  of  the  house  Mrs.  -Mien  is  of  English  origin,  and 
the  maternal  side  is  of  English- French  ancestiy. 
Her  grandfather,  George  Ferkins,  was  a  member  of 
the  English  Parliament.  He  came  to  this  countr)- 
and  fought  in  the  War  of  1812  against  his  mosher 
country.  He  died  in  1856,  at  the  age  of  98.  Her 
grandfather,  Moses  Edwards,  was  a  soldier  of  1812, 
and  also  fought  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  are  charter  members  of  Fi- 
delity Lodge  of  Good  Templars,  of  Galesburg.  They 
are  among  the  most  active  temperance  workers  of 
their  vicinity,  and  within  two  years  have  traveled 
over  1600  miles  in  Knox  and  Warren  Counties  or- 
ganizing and  directing  temperance  societies.  Most 
•  of  this  traveling  was  done  on  Saturdays  and  Sun- 
I  days.  Mr.  Allen  is  a  correspondent  for  the  Republi- 
can Register ,  of  Galesburg,  as  well  as  filling  the 
office  of  President  of  the  Correspondents'  Associa- 
tion, of  the  same  publication.  He  is  a  thoroughly 
progressive  and  enterprising  man,  and  one  who  is  up 
with  the   times  in    every    respect.       He    is    always 


ready  and  willing  to  assist  in  the  advancement  of 
any  good  cause,  a  fact  taken  advantage  of  by  many 
persons  interested  in  the  public  good.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Biptist  Church,  of  Gales- 
burg, where  they  are  held  in  high  esteem.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican,  active  and  uncompromising,  and 
with  a  clearness  of  judgment  that  is  rarely  met 
with  in  men  not  holding  the  highest  offices,  decides 
measures  of  good  in  the  public  cause  that  commend 
themselves  to  the  gratitude  and  consideration  of  his 
fellows. 

lex.  Thurman.    A  summary  of  the  lives  of 
many  of  the  residents  of  Knox  County  are 
:  '-''^  °*  detailed  on  her  records  and    go    to    show 
Z-^*    what  claim  may  be  made  to  genuine  manhood, 

'^^      citizenship,   and    a   place   among    the    active 

I  workers  in  life,  .\mong  those  none  was  better 
fitted  to  draw  forth  approbation  than  that  of  our 
subject,  whose  home  was  situated  on  sec.  29,  Maquon 
Township,  who  followed  the  vocationof  farming  until 
liis  demisfe,  which  occurred  in  August,  1882. 

He  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  in  Highland  County,  j 
Ohio,  Dec.  i,  1821.  His  parents  were  John  G.  and 
Dorothy  (Strange)  Thurman.  They  were  natives  of 
Ohio  and  Virginia,  respectively.  The  father  was  born 
in  1795,  and  died  in  1859.  The  mother  was  born 
in  1799,  and  is  now  living  with  her  son's  wife  at  the 
advanced  age  of  87  years. 

He  came  to  Knox  County  in  June,  1841,  and  six 
vears  later,  on  the  26ih  day  of  November,  was  mar- 
ried. After  marriage  he  settled  in  Maquon  Town- 
ship, where  he  was  actively  engaged  in  following 
the  avocation  of  an  agriculturist,  and  there  met  with 
extraordinary  success  until  his  decease,  as  above 
stated. 

Tiae  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  our  subject  was 
Eliza  A.,  daughter  of  Mark  and  Fannie  (Merchant) 

Thurman.  Her  parents  were  pioneers  of  Knox 
County,  coming  there  as  early  as  1829.  There  they 
resided  until  their  demise.  Mark  Thurman,  the  father 
of  Mrs  Thurman,  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  Knox  County.  His  demise  occurred  Oct.  26, 
1 845 .  The  parental  family  consisted  of  ten  children, 
of  whom  Mrs.  T.  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth. 
February  14,1820,  in  Highland  County,  Ohio,  slie  first 
saiv  the  light.     She  was  only  seven  months  old  upon 


Jy-ZZ. 


"T" 


>£T__L 


234 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


her  arrival  in  this  county,  where  she  has  hved  all  her 
life,  she  being  one  of  the  oldest  settlers  in  the 
county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thurman,  of  this  notice,  have  become 
the  parents  of  one  child,  a  daughter,  named  Clarissa, 
who  died  at  the  interesting  age  of  two  years;  Dec.  19. 
1850,  being  the  date  of  her  death.  Since  her  hus- 
band's death,  Mrs.  Thurman  has  come  in  possession 
of  the  extensive  farm  of  320  acres  of  land,  200  of 
which  is  in  a  most  excellent  state  of  cultivation.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thurman,  having  lost  their  only  child,  have 
raised  five  children,  all  reaching  the  age  of  man  and 
womanhood.  The  names  of  the  children  they  have 
reared  will  be  found  below:  Zeruial  McCullock,  who 
was  five  years  of  age  when  he  was  taken  to  raise; 
Loren  E.  Thurman  was  the  next  child  adopted,  he 
being  only  three  years  of  age  when  he  was  taken 
as  one  of  their  children  ;  Catherine  Potts  was  raised 
and  became  the  wife  of  Luther  Moats;  Nettie  Hall 
came  to  their  home  when  only  13  months  old  and  has 
grown  up  to  womanhood  and  is  now  the  leading  sup- 
port of  Mrs.  Thurman. 


ames  McMurtry.    Conspicuous  among  the 

I-   prominent  citizens  of  Knox  County,  and  its 

enterprising  and  worthy  men,  useful  for  the 

characteristics  they  show  forth,  may  be  found 

"^F    James  McMurtry,  a  brief  sketch  of  whom  may 

"*  be  found  herein  recorded.  He  resides  on  a 
farm  situated  on  section  3,  Henderson  Township,  and 
is  respected  by  one  and  all.  Mr.  M.  was  amons;  the 
early  settlers  of  Knox  County,  coming  here  in  1829, 
at  a  time  when  this  part  of  Illinois  was  a  broad  prai- 
rie, with  nothing  to  break  the  monotony  of  tl»e  gently 
undulating  country,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
His  home  was  ir  Crawford  County,  Ind.,  but  his  birth- 
place, Hardin. County,  Ky.,  and  the  date  of  his  birth 
Oct.  31,  1807.  When  he  was  eight  years  of  age  his 
parents  went  to  Harrison  County,  Ind.,  and  three 
years  later,  in  1818,  moved  to  Crawford  County,  his 
mother  dying  there  the  same  year.  Here  the  subject 
lived  until  1829,  when  his  father  emigrated  to  Knox 
County.  The  father  died  in  Henderson  Town- 
ship in  185 1.  James  received  only  a  limited  edu- 
cation while  attending  school,  his  time  being  abrevi- 
ated  to  about  one  year. 

Mr.  McMurtry  has  engaged  largely  in  agricultural 


pursuits,  and,  although  regretting  his  lack  of  early 
drill,  has  often  demonstrated  that  the  heart  may  be 
cultured  though  long  mental  training  is  denied.  No 
one  can  know  him  long  and  not  recall  the  fact  that 
"  Often  in  a  wooden  house  a  golden  room  we  find.  " 
He  has  devoted  his  time  almost  exclusively  to  farm- 
ing with  the  exception  of  three  years  spent  on  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers. 

He  entered  partnership  with  his  brother  William, 
who  was  afterward  elected  Lieutenant-Governor  of 
Illinois  (see  sketch),  and  together  they  purchased 
a  quarter-section  of  land  in  Henderson  Township, 
and  also  bought  a  claim  on  another  section.  He  then 
settled  on  section  3,  where  he  has  lived  and  estab- 
lished, and  made  desirable  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
the  township  and  county.  He  is  one  of  the  oldest 
settlers  of  this  section  of  country.  In  1848  he  met 
with  a  severe  and  painful  accident,  one  of  his  arms, 
— his  right  one — being  caught  in  a  threshing  machine 
and  so  injured  that  he  was  obliged  to  have  it  ampu- 
tated. He,  however,  bears  his  loss  with  cheerfulness.' 
He  is  at  present  the  owner  of  150  acres  of  land,  50 
of  which  is  timber  and  pasture,  and  has  been  pros- 
perous in  almost  every  endeavor. 

He  united  in  heart  and  hand  with  Eliza  Rice, 
April  5,  1829,  in  Crawford  County,  Ind.  This  lady 
was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Ky.,  Nov.  20,  1809. 
She  was  the  mother  of  12  children,  eight  of  whom  sur- 
vive. The  four  deceased  are  :  Jonathan,  William, 
George  and  Ellen.  Of  the  remaining  part  of  the  fam- 
ily, Minerva  is  the  wife  of  Ruben  Reeves  and  has 
a  home  in  Iowa;  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Michael 
Conley  and  resides  in  Nebraska;  Lucinda  is  the  wife 
Fielding  Scott  and  is  pleasantly  situated  in  Nebraska- 
Andrew  J.  resides  in  Iowa ;  Ruth  wedded  John  Con- 
ley  and  has  a  home  in  Kansas;  Jacob  resides  in 
Iowa;  Ezra  makes  his  home  in  Warren  County;  and 
Harriet  resides  at  home. 

Mrs.  McMurtry  departed  this  life  in  Henderson 
Township,  Sept.  23,  1879  Mr.  M.  has  held  many  of 
the  local  offices  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Su- 
pervisor and  Assessor,  besides  other  smaller  ones. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  voted  the  Presi- 
dential ticket  for  Andrew  Jackson  in  1828.  In  1832, 
Mr.  McMurtry,  accompanied  by  two  men — F. 
Freeman  and  Thomas  McKee — went  to  Rock  Island 
for    guns    to  protect  the  stl  lers  from  the  Indains 

during  th?  PlacK  H^vyk  War,  a^id  was  instrumental 


^ 


UBRftHY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


84 


ft 


■rHr 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


*37 


in  having  loo  sent  down  the  river  by  boat  as  far 
as  Ruthsbur)',  and  from  there  transported  by  teams  to 
his  house,  where  they  were  distributed  to  the  settlers. 
Mr.  M.  served  during  the  Black  Hawi<  War  under 
Maj.  Butler. 


dward  J.  Wyman.     It  may   in   truth  be 
said  that  from  1850  to  1856  more  settlers 
^  came  into  Knox  County  than  during  any 

j5S>.  other  equal  period  of  •time  since  Daniel  Robin- 
son erected  his  cabin  in  1828.  That  was  a 
great  railroad  building  era,  and  the  fertile  land 
of  Knox  County  was  taken  up  rapidly,  and  claimed 
by  early  settlers.  Our  subject,  who  is  to-day  one  of 
the  leading  farmers  in  Persifer  Township,  residing  on 
section  17,  came  in  with  his  parents,  Arthur  and  Anna 
(Salts)  Wyman.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Steuben 
County,  New  York,  and  his  mother  of  Ross  County, 
Ohio.  He  was  also  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
during  life.  Both  parents,  continued  to  reside  in 
Persifer  Township  until  their  death,  the  father  dying 

>I.iibout  the  year  1876,  and  the  mother  Jan.  1884. 
It  was  in  1853  when  they  left  Vinton  County,  Ohio,- 
for  their  journey  westward,  and  finding  what  proved 
,a  desirable  spot,  located  in  Persifer  Township,  where 
young  Edward  continued  a  member  of  the  household 
until  1858.  During  that  year  a  new  epoch  in  his 
life  began  with  his  marriage,  and  he  settled  down  to 
follow  the  peaceful  and  independent  calling  that  his 
father  had  previously  honored.  He  selected  what  is 
his  present  location,  and  where  during  these  28  years 
he  has  continued  to  reside.  He  has  erected  upon 
his  splendid  360-acre  farm,  a  fine  set  of  buildings, 
suitable  for  carrying  on  extensive  agricultural  enter- 
prises. 

Edward  J.  Wyman  was  born  in  Vinton  County, 
Ohio,  Jan.  10,  1833,  and  was  married  on  the  4th  of 
February  in  the  year  1858,  in  Stark  County,  Illinois 
to  Susan  E.  Bradford,  daughter  of  Harvey  S. 
and  Esther  (Whitten)  Bradford,  they  being  early 
pioneers  of  Knox  County,  who  settled  in  Persifer 
Township.  They  subsequently  removed  to  Haw 
Creek,  where  they  are  prominent  and  highly  re- 
spected residents.  Mrs.  Wyman  was  born  in  Persi- 
fer Township,  Nov.  24,  1837,  and  has  become  the 
mother  of  eight  children,  to  whom  they  gave  the  fol- 

I   lowing  names,  Mary  A.,  Alice  E.,  Willie  P.,  Lincoln 


H.,  Oscar  S.,  Minerva  J.,  Clark  E.  and  Rufus  C. 
Mary,  Oscar  and  Lincoln  are  deceased.  Before  her 
demise  Mary  had  become  the  wife  of  Nels  Eiker, 
and  resided  in  Persifer  Township,  where  she  died. 

Mr.  Wyman  has  taken  a  prominent  position  in  the 
affairs  of  his  township,  as  well  as  of  the  county,  and 
has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  for  seven  years,  and 
also  the  offices  of  Constable,  Assessor,  Collector  and 
Township  Treasurer,  up  to  the  present  time.  The 
last  he  still  holds.  He  labors  and  votes  in  support 
of  the  men  and  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party.  In  his  religious  connection  himself,  wife 
and  family  are,  excepting  one  son,  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church. 


amesL.Campbell,of  Indian  PointTownship, 
is  conspicuous  among  the  farmers  of  Knox 
County,  as  not  only  being  proficient  in  his 
art,  but  extremely  successful  in  the  pursuance 
of  his  vocation.  His  farm  is  situated  on  section 
3,  and  as  an  agriculturist  he  has  no  superior  in 
that  section  of  the  country.  Mr.  Campbell  was  born 
in  Kentucky,  near  Paris,  on  April  11,  1829,  and  is 
the  son  of  Lewis  and  Elizabeth  (Wallace)  Campbell, 
both  born  in  Bourbon  County,  Ky.,  he  Oct.  27, 
1790,  and  she  March  24,  1799.  He  died  Aug.  9, 
1849,  in  the  State  of  his  nativity,  and  she  followed 
him  May  17,  1885,  in  Knox  County,  III.  They  were 
united  in  marriage  in  May,  1818,  when  Mr.  Can^pbell 
continued  to  pursue  farming. 

To  them  were  born  six  children,  viz. :  William 
W.,  Elizabeth,  Margaret  E.,  born  Oct.  5,  1823,  and 
who  died  at  the  early  age  of  three  years ;  John  H., 
born  Dec.  13,  1835,  and  who  died  Dec.  22,  1852; 
Margaret  2nd.,  born  March  20,  1S39,  who  died  Nov. 
22,  1852. 

Mr.  William  W.  Campbell,  brother  to  the  subject  of 
our  sketch,  was  born  on  the  6th  day  of  April,  1819,  in 
Bourbon  County,  Ky.  The  portrait  of  this  gentle- 
man, which  will  be  found  on  another  page,  represents 
a  man  whose  estimable  life  reflects  credit  not  alone 
uix)n  himself,  but  inspired  to  hope  and  encourage- 
ment the  lives  of  those  with  whom  he  was  directly 
or  indirectly  associated.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
qualities  of  mind  and  heart,  and  those  who  knew  . 
him  best  could  appreciate  him  most.  "  Honor  to 
whom  honor  is  due  "is  a  motto  that  cannot  be  mis- 


V 


■H  >         ■- 


-** 


238 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


placed,  if  found   encircling  the  name  of  this  good 
man. 

After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Byram's  husband,  the 
widow  finding  herself  the  possessor  of  some  consid- 
erable money,  forwarded  the  same  to  her  brother — 
the  gentleman  referred  to — then  in  Kentucky,  and 
they  together  invested  it  in  some  excellent  pedi- 
greed cattle  and  high  grades.  Arriving  in  Illinois 
with  these — 16  head  in  all — he  so  managed  the  busi- 
ness for  his  sister  that  Mrs.  Byram's  cattle  became 
known  as  the  finest  of  their  kind  in  Illinois.  In  this 
way  he  laid  the  foundation  of  those  striking  successes 
created  and  enjoyed  by  those  who  survive  him.  His 
death  took  place  Dec.  i8th,  1876.  Though  dying  in 
the  hope  of  a  bright  future,  he  left  many  saddened 
hearts  to  mourn  him. 

For  quite  a  time  in  his'township  he  filled  the  posts 
of  Assessor,  Collector  and  represented  his  town- 
ship for  several  years  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 
As  an  enterprising,  consistent  and  conscientious  citi- 
zen, Mr.  Wm.  Campbell  has  left  a  splendid  record 
within  the  memory  of  those  who  knew  and  loved  him. 

James  Campbell,  of  whom  we  write,  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Mrs.  Amanda  Wood,  nee  Pitzer,  December 
4,1872.  She  was  born  in  Kentucky,  Oct.  24,1829, 
and  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents  when  a  small 
girl,  seven  years  of  age.  They  located  near  Carlins- 
ville.  They  were  by  name  Clayborn  and  Sarah 
(Bradley)  Pitzer.  The  father  was  born  in  Virginia, 
in  1802,  and  his  death  took  place  in  February,  1865, 
in  the  State  of  Illinois.  The  mother  was  born  Nov. 
12,  1807,  and  still  survives  him.  Their  marriage 
was  celebrated  in  1825,  and  the  union  was  blessed 
by  1 2  children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Those  living  are  :  Amanda  A.,  Fletcher  P.,  Henry 
L.,  Emory  W.,  Samuel  C,  Newton  C,  George  and 
one  other,  Mary  A.,  who  lived  to  become  a  most 
attractive  and  lovable  young  lady  of  20  years,  at 
which  age  she  died. 

Mr.  Campbell,  our  subject,  owns  80  acres  of  fine 
land  one-half  mile  east  of  Abingdon,  and  engages  in 
the  breeding  of  pure-blooded  stock,  Doth  horses  and 
cattle.  He  includes  Short-horns  among  his  cattle 
and  Hambletonians  among  his  horses.  He  is  an  ac- 
tive, energetic  worker  in  his  home  affairs  and  shirks 
no  duty,  wiiether  domestic  or  public.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  School  Commissioner  for  three  jears 
and  is  Democratic  in  political  sentiment.  He  is  an 
honest  and  devoted  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 


and  supports  and  helps  that  organization  by  his 
presence  and  prayers,  no  less  than  in  a  financial 
way. 

The  first  husband  of  Mrs  Campbell  was  Edward 
Wood,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  Oct.  13,  1824,  and 
died  Nov.  12,  1859.  Two  children  were  born  to 
them  :  Emma  E.,  Nov.  18,  1851,  and  died  Dec.  15, 
1855;  and  Franklin  P.,  born  Sept.  13,  1853.  He 
married  Miss  Fannie  Philbrick,  and  his  home  is  in 
Brown  County,  Neb.  They  have  two  children,  by 
name,  Harry  L.  and  Chester  E.  Mrs.  Wood,  now 
Mrs.  Campbell,  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Abingdon,  and  is  an  admired  and  estima- 
ble lady.  Mr.  Campbell  remained  in  Kentucky  un- 
til the  year  i86g,  when  he  came  to.  Knox  County, 
where  he  has  remained  up  to  the  present  time. 


'1^- ^ 


-K3- 


ideon  Pitman.  This  gentleman's  farm  is^ 
located  on  section  3  of  Henderson  Town- 
ship. He  came  with  his  parents  to  Knox  I 
County  in  the  spring  of  1842,  and,  settling  in«^ 
Henderson  Township,  lived  respected,  andj 
died  ;  regretted  by  the  community  that  had  I 
shared  both  in  their  successes  and  sorrows.  His  par-J 
ents  were  John  and  Susan  (Oatman)  Pitman,  natives 
respectively  of  Virginia  and  Kentucky.  Mr.  Pitman 
was  the  seventh  child  in  a  family  of  ten  children, 
viz. :  Joseph,  John,  Christina,  George,  Elizabeth, 
Harvey,  Flora,  Philip  and  Lucinda.  George  and 
PhiHn  are  deceased.  The  father  died  in  1849,  and 
the  mother  in  1879. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  born  in  Harri- 
son County,  Ind.,  on  Nov.  17,  1831,  and  received  a 
good  common-school  education.  Since  the  year  1842 
he  has  been  almost  exclusively  engaged  in  agricul- 
tural pursuits  and  is  the  owner  of  160  acres,  20  of 
which  are  under  pasture  and  timber.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Henderson  Township  on  the  29th  of  March, 
1855,  to  Mary  J.  Champion,  the  daughter  of  Thomas 
and  Artimitia  (.Miles)  Champion;  her  parents  being 
natives  of  Kentucky.  Mrs.  Pitman  was  born  in  Hen- 
derson Township  on  the  6th  of  March,  1836.  Mrs. 
Pitman  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  six  children,  viz.: 
Mrs.  P.,  Ruth,  Nancy  A.,  Drusilla,  John  H.  and 
James  M.  The  mother  died  in  1845,  the  father  is 
still  living.     By  this  happy   union   there  have  heen 


4-^»- 


LIBRARy 

OF  THE 

LiJiVERSITV  OF  ILLINGic 


i^^'  '//l(rt.t/y..<n^uj^  ^ 


u 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


241 


five  children  :  James  A.,  Fannie,  Nancy  A.,  Thomas 
C.  and  Edgar  G.  Thomas  C,  to  the  great  sorrow  of 
his  parents,  died  in  his  loth  year;  James  resides  in 
Henderson  Township.  He  married  AHce  Mathers, 
they  are  the  parents  of  two  children — Pearl  and 
George;  Fannie  is  the  wife  of  Ezra  McMurtry  and 
resides  in  Warren  County.  She  is  the  mother  of  two 
children — Ethel  and  Grace.  The  other  children  of 
Mr.  Pitman's  family  at  present  reside  at  home. 

Mr.  Pitman  has  held  the  office  of  Road  Commis- 
sioner, of  which  he  has  faithfully  discharged  the  du- 
ties. Himself  and  family  are  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church  and  are  held  in  tlie  highest  esteem 
by  that  body.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics 
and  always  ready  and  willing  to  support  any  measure 
of  sound  policy  favoring  Republican  politics. 


^arvey  Montgomery.  One  of  the  leading 
farmers  of  Knox  Township,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 30,  and  prominent  in  the  ranks  of  sub 
stantial  citizens,  is  the  subject  of  this  biographi- 
cal narration,  and  some  of  the  principal  points 
in  whose  life  history  areherein  summed  up.  Mr. 
Montgomery  was  born  in  Knox  Township  on  Jan. 
14,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  John  Montgomery,  of  Nel- 
son County,  Ky.,  who  was  born  in  i8oi,  and  was  the 
son  of  Robert  and  Rebecca  (Brown)  Montgomery^ 
both  of  whom  were  originally  from  Mifflin  (."ounty. 
Pa.  The  great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  John  Montgomery,  of  Irish  ancestry  and 
birth,  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, serving  in  the  Indian  War  in  Ohio,  and  receiv- 
ing his  death- wound  at  the  battle  of  Pickaway  Plains 
in  that  State.  While  yet  a  young  man,  the  grand- 
father of  Mr.  Montgomery  of  this  narration,  removed 
to  Kentucky  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in 
Nelson  County.  He  consummated  his  life's  happi- 
ness by  a  union  in  marriage  in  181 1,  after  which  he 
removed  to  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  where  he  loca- 
ted in  Harrison  County.  In  that  section  of  country 
he  located  and  there  lived  until  1821.  He  then  re- 
moved to  Spencer  County,  where  he  bought  timber 
land  and  with  the  assistance  of  his  son,  removed 
some  of  the  trees  and  marked  out  the  boundary  of  his 
farm.  Here  he  resided  until  his  death. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Montgomery  resided  at  home  in 


Harrison  County,  under  the  parental  roof,  and  went 
with  them  to  Spencer  County,  where  he  continued 
one  year  or  until  he  returned  to  Harrison  County.  In 
1824  he  married  Margaret  Vaughn,  also  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  having  been  born  in  Green  County  in  the 
year  1802.  Instigated  by  the  thrift  and  industry  so 
common  to  him,  the  young  man  rented  land  in  Har- 
rison County  and  began  life.  He  had  prospered 
fairly  well  and  there  remained  until  1830,  when  with 
his  wife  and  their  two  little  ones,  he  emigrated  to  Ill- 
inois; coming  in  a  flat  boat  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio, 
then  by  steamer  up  the  Mississippi  River,  to  Bur- 
lington, Iowa.  Leaving  his  wife  and  children  at  this 
point,  that  they  might  not  suffer  the  hardships  of  the 
journey  with  him,  he  came  to  Knox  County  and  there 
procured  a  conveyance,  an  ox  team,  from  his  mother- 
in-law  and  returned  for  his  goods.  His  family  in- 
sisted on  returning  with  him,  and  rode  with  the  goods 
directly  to  Mrs.  Vaughn's  home  at  Henderson  Grove. 
After  this  he  rented  land  at  Henderson  Grove, 
which  he  worked  with  success  until  the  fall  of  1831, 
when  he  made  a  claim  on  the  southeast  quarter  of 
section  30,  of  Knox  Township.  On  this  he  erected  a 
square  log-cabin,  14  feet  on  each  side,  with  clapboards  f< 
for  the  roof  and  a  puncheon  floor.  This  rough  struct- 
ure completed,  the  little  family  entered  it  and  com- 
menced their  labors  on  their  Western  home.  As  soon, 
as  the  land  came  into  market  he  entered  it  from  the 
Government.  McKee's  Mill,  in  Schuyler  County,  75 
miles  distant,  was  the  nearest  mill  at  that  time,  with 
the  exctption  of  hand-mills,  which  were  resorted  to. 
Several  times  he  made  trips  to  McKee's  mill  with  his 
ox  team,  and  to  Peoria,  which  was  the  nearest  deixjt 
of  supplies.  He  improved  and  cultivated  the  land 
on  whicli  he  settled  and  also  a  farm  of  80  acres  in 
Sparta  Township;  160  in  Galesburg  Township;  be- 
sides 120  situated  on  section  36  of  the  same  town- 
ship, and  from  a  comparative  wilderness  lived  to  see 
the  county  flourish  and  develop  into  a  bright  and 
stirring  community.  His  death  took  place  on  Dec. 
4, 1872,  and  his  wife,  surviving  him  1  2  years,  followed 
him  Sejjt.  2  i,  1884. 

The  olive  branches  that  sprang  from  the  parent 
Montgomery  family-tree,  were  seven  in  number,  viz.: 
Robert,  who  died  in  infancy;  Rebecca,  who  lived  to 
attain  girlhood,  reaching  the  age  of  20,  but  who  then 
died  ;  Jane,  wife  of  Jacob  Gum,  who  resides  in  Knox 
Township;  Eliza,  who  died  at  the  age  of  21 ;  Harvey, 
our  subject;  Sarah,  wife  of  C.  N.  Butt,  who  lives   in 


^-^ 


242 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Knox  Township;  and  John,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Montgomery  of  this  notice,  was  reared  on  the 
farm  where  he  was  born  and  which  has  been  his 
home  since  that  time.  He  was  married  Nov.  15, 
1864,  to  Miss  Louisa  Maxwell.  She  was  born  at 
Henderson  Grove,  Feb.  28,  1842,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  and  Sarah  (Hodges)  Maxwell,  who  fig- 
ure prominently  among  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Knox 
County.  Three  children  have  come  to  brighten  the 
home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery,  who  bear  the 
names  respectively,  of  Sarah  J  ,  John  and  Henry. 

He  owns  and  carries  on  the  homestead  farm,  on 
which  he  has  erected  a  neat  frame  house,  which  in- 
cludes 165  acres.  He  has  also  purchased  other  land, 
and  now  owns  in  all  about  800  acres  of  land, 
highly  improved  and  cultivated,  and  is  considered  one 
of  the  wealthiest  land-owners  in  that  section  of  the 
county.  Mr.  Montgomery  makes  stock-raising  a 
specialty  in  farming,  particularly  that  including  thor- 
ough-bred horses.  He  now  has  40  head  of  horses; 
his  cattle  are  high-grade  Short-horns;  as  well  as  an 
excellent  grade  of  sheep  and  hogs.  In  fact,  he  ranks 
among  the  leading  stock-raisers  in  the  county.  His 
^  success  in  life  is  the  result  of  careful  methodical  ef- 
fort, and  he  takes  a  foremost  position  among  tlie  pub- 
lic-spirited and  enterprising  agriculturists  of  Knox 
County.  Any  enterprise  having  for  its  object  the 
improvement  and  benefit  of  the  county  in  which  he 
resides,  may  claim  in  him  an  earnest  supporter.  He 
is  an  active  public  worker,  and  is  noted  for  keen  log- 
ical thought  and  the  accuracy  of  his  political  opinion. 
He  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party.  The  por- 
trait of  John  Montgomery,  the  father  of  the  present 
gentleman,  is  shown  on  another  page. 

iorman  Fay  may  be  designated  as  one  of 
the  principal  stock-raisers  of  Knox  County. 
His  farm  is  situated  on  section  20,  Ontario 
Township.  Mr.  Fay  came  to  this  county  in 
•'/^  the  year  1850,  locating  immediately  after  his  ar- 
rival in  the  now  thriving  city  of  Galesburg. 
Feeling  a  deep  interest  in  agricultural  pursuits,  he 
decided  to  turn  his  attention  in  that  direction,  and 
two  years  after  he  came  to  Ontario  Township,  he 
made  his  first  purchase  of  160  acres  of  land.  He  be- 
gan the  cultivation  of  his  farm  in  1856,  his  material 


being  wholly  raw  prairie-land  in  a  wild  and  unculti- 
vated condition.  He  at  once  set  about  adding  im- 
provements with  the  view  of  eventually  creating  a 
home  worth  having.  He  has  succeeded  so  pleasantly 
that  his  first  acquisition  of  property  has  been  his  per- 
manent residence  ever  since.  His  house  is  large, 
handsome  and  convenient.  His  barns  and  surround- 
ing farm-buildings,  commodious  and  substantial. 
His  landed  possessions  have  constantly  been  on  the 
increase,  dating  from  his  first  purchase.  Soon  after 
he  began  his  farming  pursuits  he  commenced  raising 
and  breeding  blooded,  Poland-China  hogs,  and  has 
ever  since  made  a  specialty  of  this  branch  of  his  bus- 
iness. About  1880,  he  introduced  breeds  of  Short- 
horn cattle.  By  constantly  adding  to  and  improv- 
ing his  stock,  and  by  giving  this  business  tliought 
and  attention,  he  has  now  in  his  possession  a  herd  of 
60  head  of  extremely  fine  cattle.  His  breeder  is 
Baron  Bates,  Jr,  and  is  a  regular  registered  bull. 

Mr.  Fay  was  born  in  Windham  County,  Vermont, 
Sept.  22,  1821.  His  father,  John  Fay,  a  native  of  ' 
Massachusetts  and  a  genuine  New  England  man,  is 
by  trade  a  blacksmith.  The  latter  was  married  in 
Vermont,  to  which  State  he  went  when  a  young  man  ■< 
from  Massachusetts,  where  he  had  been  engaged  in 
learning  blacksmithing.  There  he  met  and  afterward 
married  Phebe  Lock,  a  young  lady  of  English  ances- 
try and  American  parentage.  She  was  born  in  Rock- 
ingham, Windham  Co.,  Vt.  The  result  of  their 
union  was  eight  children,  Mr.  Fay  of  this  writing,  be- 
ing the  youngest  but  one.  Of  four  brothers  and  four 
sisters,  three  of  the  former  and  one  of  the  latter  only 
are  survivors.  Both  parents  departed  this  life  in 
Rockingham,  Vt.,  having  attained  to  ripe  years. 

When  but  a  young  man,  Norman  learned  tiie  trade 
of  a  mill-wright  under  his  older  brother.  At  this  he 
was  engaged  for  1 2  years,  but  eventually  abandoned 
it  and  came  West. 

While  still  living  in  his  native  State,  he  met  and 
married  Sarah  J.  Bellows,  who  was  born,  lived  and 
died  in  the  State  of  Vermont  After  he  came  to  Knox 
County,  he  again  married,  this  time,  Miss  Susan  O. 
Chapman  of  Ontario  Township,  becoming  his  wife, 
Dec.  25,  1853.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Ezra  Chap- 
man, (see  sketch.)  Mrs.  Fay  was  born  in  Whites- 
burg,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  29,  1831.  When  she 
was  but  eight  years  of  age  her  parents  came  West 
and  located  a  home  in  which  she  remained  up  to  the 
date  of  her  marriage.     Mrs.  Fay  is  the  mother  of 


*x 


•J^ 


I 


rM- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


243 


three  children,  but  lost  one  by  death,  namely ;  Nor- 
man, who  died  in  infancy.  The  living  children  are 
as  follows:  Oscar  L.,  who  lives  at  home  and  works 
the  farm  in  company  with  his  father.  He  is  connected 
also  with  him  in  stock-raising.  The  date  of  his  birth 
is  Oct  25,1855.  Sarah  J.,  second  child,  was  born 
March  15,  1857,  and  lives  at  home. 

While  connected  with  no  orthodox  Church  and 
holding  no  specified  position  in  secular  belief,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Fay  are  tolerant  in  religious  matters  and  liberal 
in  their  views.  Mr.  Fay  takes  a  live  interest  in  po- 
litical affairs  and  is  a  member  of  the  Republican 
party. 


E.  Pleeker.  One  of  the  prominent 
^^mu  business  men  of  Indian  Point  Township  is 
5>>3''~       the  subject  of  this  biography,  whose  name 

?  finds  a  place  on  the  records  of  Knox  County, 
and  of  whose  career  a  brief  summary  is  herein 
given.  He  was  formerly  a  hardware  merchant 
and  tinner,  but  at  the  present  time  devotes  himself 
to  farming,  for  which  he  has  a  liking  and  the  duties 
of  which  he  ably  discharges. 

Mr.  Flecker  was  born  in  Shenandoah  Valley,  Va., 
April  27,  1S14,  and  in  1856  moved  to  Lexington, 
McLean  Co.,  El.,  where  he  remained  for  one  year. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  removed  to  Abing- 
don, where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  four  years.  He 
then  established  a  hardware  business,  which  hecon- 
ducted  until  1S66,  then  sold  out  his  stock,  moved  to 
Bushnell,  McDonough  County,  and  bought  a  half  in- 
terest in  the  hardware  store  of  E.  P.  King.  He  con- 
tinued as  partner  with  him  for  one  year,  and  then  sold 
to  Kingworthy  &  Hand.  Pursuant  to  this  he  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  dry-goods  of  James  Cole,  of  Bush- 
nell, and  this  business  he  conducted  until  1872,  at 
which  time  he  returned  to  Abingdon,  111.,  and  opened 
a  new  hardware  store,  and  continued  the  same  for 
three  years. 

In  1837,  Mr.  Flecker  married  Miss  Sarah  Gilkeson, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1808,  and  died  in  Janu- 
ary, 1874,  in  Abingdon.  She  became  the  mother  of 
four  children :  The  first  of  whom  died  in  infancy; 
the  second,  William  A.,  was  born  in  August,  1839, 
and  was  killed  accidentally  by  shooting  himself  while 
out  gunning.  This  happened  in  Virginia,  in  1856;  the 
third  in  order  of  birth  was  James  H.,  April  13,  1842, 


who  married  Miss  Ellen  Washburn,  of  Prairie  City, 
111.  His  present  home  is  183  West  Madison  St., 
Chicago.  He  made  a  study  of  medicine,  graduating 
for  the  profession  at  Rush  Medical  College ;  Mary 
E.  T.  is  the  wife  Mr.  Manning  Hunt,  of  Bushnell,  111. 
and  was  married  in  1845. 

In  October,  1874,  Mr.  Flecker  married  Miss  Eliz- 
abeth L.  Reeves,  his  second  matrimonial  alliance. 
She  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  born  July  13,  1835.  Her 
parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1850,  and  were  Samuel 
and  Susan  (Martin)  Reeves.  They  were  natives  of 
Kentucky  and  Virginia,  respectively.  He  died  in 
1866,  and  she  in  1869.  Their  family  numbered  six 
children :  Eliza,  Martha,  Olive,  Elmer,  Lydia  and 
Elizabeth. 

The  Fleckers  real  estate  consists  120  acres  of 
finely  cultured  land  and  a  house  and  lot  in  the 
city  of  .Abingdon.  They  carry  on  mixed  husbandry. 
They  are  active  members  of  the  society  in  which  they 
move  and  are  worthy  citizens,  genial,  courteous  and 
honorable.  They  are  consistent  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  Abingdon,  and  for- 
ward the  interests  of  that  body  in  word  and  deed. 
Mr.   P.  is,  politically,  a  Republican. 


Yj-  H.  Vaughn.  Among  the  well-to-do  and 
prosperous  farmers  of  Sparta  Township, 
who  have  succeeded  in  acquiring  a  compe- 
tency, and  winning  universal  respect,  is  the 
subject  of  this  notice,  residing  on  section  19, 
where  he  is  actively  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  chosen  vocation. 

Mr.  Vaughn  was  born  in  Knoxville,  Nov.  22, 
1834.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were  John  and 
Viny  (Osborne)  Vaughn,  natives  of  Kentucky  and 
Indiana  respectively,  and  of  German-Irish  ancestry. 
John  Vaughn  and  family  came  to  this  State  and  set- 
tled in  this  county  in  1828.  His  was  the  second 
family  to  locate  in  Knox  County,  where  he  located 
on  a  farm  of  160  acres.  It  must  be  remembered  by 
the  readers  of  these  biographical  notices  that  Mr. 
Vaughn's  being  the  second  family  to  settle  in  Knox 
County,  that  he  must  have  come  otherwise  than  in  a 
Pullman  Palace  car,  and  that  on  his  arrival  he  had 
many  obstacles  to  overcome  in  making  his  settle- 
ment   here.      The  land  was  in  its  original    condi* 


^^ 


HH 


244 


J^JVOX  COUNTY. 


tion,  no  portion  of  it  ever  having  brightened  the 
share  of  a  plow,  and  the  only  neighbors  were  the 
Indians,  who  were  not  friendly  at  all  times  with  the 
early  pioneers.  John  Vaughn  was  nevertheless  fav- 
orably impressed  with  the  lay  of  the  land,  and  hav- 
ing great  faith  in  the  future  development  of  the 
country,  went  to  work  on  his  farm  with  a  deterraina- 
nation  of  making  it  his  future  abiding  place,  and  was 
thus  occupied  on  his  original  claim  for  three  or  four 
years.  He  then  moved  to  Henderson  Township, 
where  he  again  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and 
there  lived  and  labored,  overcoming  all  obstacles, 
which  naturally  fell  in  the  pathway  of  the  early  pio- 
neer, until  1859.  During  this  year  he  moved  to 
Kansas,  where  he  has  an  80-acre  farm,  and  where  he 
is  still  living  with  his  daughter,   Mrs.  Sarah  Howe. 

His  wife,  who  came  to  this  county  with  him  in  1828, 
and  who  shared  his  reverses  and  successes  all  along 
during  the  years  of  their  married  life,  died  in  August, 
1870,  in  Marshall  County,  Kas.  It  is  hardly  neces- 
sary in  this  short  biographical  notice  for  us  to  enum- 
erate the  many  trials  and  difficulties  through  which 
I  John  Vaughn  and  his  good  wife  passed,  from  the  time 
they  made  their  early  settlement  here  until  her 
death,  for  they  were  similar  to  those  of  many  others, 
and  we  more  fully  treat  of  this  subject  in  another 
part  of  this  work.  They  became  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  named  Sarah,  Charles  H.,  James  T.,  Cor- 
nelius, Harvey  M.,  Mary  A.  and  Franklin  P.  Cor- 
nelius died  in  August,  1872.  In  addition  to  being  an 
agriculturist  John  Vaughn  was  a  skilled  mechanic, 
and  was  employed  as  engineer  in  different  mills  in 
the  county. 

Charles  H.  Vauglin  was  an  inmate  of  the  parental 
household  until  he  attained  the  age  of  18  years,  re- 
ceiving his  education  in  the  primitive  log  school-house 
of  that  day,  and  assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  farm. 
When  a  boy  residing  at  home  there  were  no  houses 
on  the  prairie  from  Henderson  Grove  to  Knoxville, 
and  he  was  often  engaged  in  hunting  wild  horses  on 
the  uncultivated  prairies  which  are  now  fenced  and 
under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  The  early 
settlers  in  those  days  were  under  the  impression  that 
the  broad  prairies  were  worthless,  so  far  as  cultiva- 
tion was  concerned,  but  Mr.  Vaughn  has  lived  to  see 
those  same  prairies  develop  and  made  to  "  Bloom 
and  blossom  as  the  rose,"  and  advance  in  value 
until  they  are  at  the  present  time  worth  $75  per  acre. 
After   leaving   home  Mr    Vaughn   worked    for   four 


*r 


3C 


years  with  James  Osborne,  an  uncle,  and  afterwards 
worked  his  farm  on  shares. 

It  was  at  this  period  in  the  life-history  of  our  sub- 
ject that  he  became  a  benedict,  having  united  his 
destiny  with  that  of  Miss  Helen  M.  Duval,  the  date 
of  their  marriage  being  Feb.  5,  1857.  She  was  a  na- 
tive of  Warren  County,  and  was  born  Dec.  25,  1836, 
her  parents  being  Thomas  C.  and  Nancy  (Shoemate) 
Duval.  (See  sketch  of  T.  C.  Duval.)  After  his 
marriage  Mr.  Vaughn  and  his  bride  lived  on  rented 
land  in  Henderson  Township,  which  he  cultivated 
for  two  years  He  then  moved  to  Wataga,  where  he 
also  worked  another  year.  November  7,  1859,  in 
company  with  his  wife  and  children,  Mr.  Vaughn 
moved  to  Kansas.  He  made  the  journey  in  a  cov- 
ered wagon,  and  four  weeks  after  his  start  arrived 
in  Pottawattomie  County,  of  that  State,  and  was  there 
a  resident  for  18  months.  The  first  year  of  his  resi- 
idence  there  he  was  engaged  in  splitting  rails  and 
making  posts,  and  the  second  year  worked  a  rented 
fiirm.  He  then  moved  to  Marshall  County,  that 
State,  where  he  purchased  80  acres  of  land,  which 
he  subsequently  increased  by  an  additional  purchase 
of  80  acres,  on  which  he  lived  and  labored  until 
1879.  The  land  which  he  purchased  was  prairie  but 
he  improved  it  erecting  thereon  good  buildings,  and 
set  out  an  orchard  of  apples  and  peaches,  and  in 
1878,  a  cyclone  came,  which  struck  his  place  the 
30th  of  May,  and  completely  demolished  all  his 
buildings,  and  destroyed  his  orchard,  levelling  it  to 
the  ground.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  it  is  nev- 
ertheless true,  that  none  of  the  family  were  killed. 
There  were  nevertheless  33  persons  killed  by  this 
cyclone,  within  a  radius  of  13  miles. 

In  1879,  after  suffering  the  loss  of  his  property  by 
the  cyclone,  Mr.  Vaughn  returned  to  this  State  and 
county,  settling  north  of  Knoxville,  where  he  lived 
four  years.  He  then  moved  to  Sparta  Township, 
where  he  had  purchased  a  farm  of  236  acres,  on 
which  he  settled  and  is  living  at  the  present  time. 
In  addition  to  his  home  farm  he  has  160  acres  in 
Knox  Township,  and  also  retains  his  80  acre  farm  in 
Kansas,  where  he  suffered  such  a  loss  of  property, 
and  where  his  family  came  near  losing  their  lives.  Of 
the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vaughn  seven  children 
have  been  born,  Lydia  A.,  Sarah  E.,  James  T.,  John 
O.,  Ellis  E.,  Benny  C.  and  Nancy  U.  The  latter  of 
whom  are  twins.  Lydia  A.  married  H.  B.  Flinn, 
and  they  have  three  children,  Clarence,   Myrtie  and 


I 


=  RIS-r    CF     ASGUS    FARM 


iNCr55    ir       •4345  5cc-  H   B)         PRIHCESSK.  Pr  I  N  c  r  S5  8  (  3  2  3  8  5c  aT.  H  -  B  . ) 


HERD      OF     POLLED=ANGUS      CATXt-E 


f^^^f*^?»S|JM^-SS:*;*'<'^  -^T=n 


REsiDEKCEi  Rarm^Phoperty  OF  FRANCIS  WI  L50N  ,5ec.30,  Persifer  Township. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  lU'W^'^ 


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r-> 


^JVOX  COUNTY. 


247 


Charles.  Sarah  became  the  wife  of  George  B.  Lan- 
drutn,  and  to  them  two  children  have  been  born, 
Claude  G.  and  Charles.  James  T.  chose  Miss  Hat- 
tie  E.  Weed  for  his  wife,  and  they  have  one  son, 
Harrison  T. 

Politically  Mr.  Vaughn  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party.  Socially  he  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Ma- 
sonry. Religiously  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Christian  Church.  The  experiences  of  our  sub- 
ject when  he  first  made  settlement  in  Kansas,  were 
similar  to  those  of  his  father  when  he  first  arrived  in 
this  county.  We  will  not  in  this  brief  notice  attempt 
to  enumerate  them  all,  but  will  simply  say  the  coun- 
try was  new  and  very  sparcely  settled,  and  his  loca- 
tion was  20  miles  from  the  county-seat,  and  there 
was  but  one  house  between  him  and  that  village. 
Sometimes  he  was  compelled  to  go  nearly  100  miles 
to  obtain  flour  for  his  family,  and  on  one  of  these 
trips,  in  company  with  six  neighbors,  they  were  gone 
18  days. 


m-'>'^®f!PSVr<^ 


^jK^jJ  oseph  N.  Beed. 


The  subject  of  this   bio- 

yj^Sgit,    graphical  narrative,  is  one  of  the  proprie- 

v^j^'        tors  and    publishers  of  the   Enterprise,  a. 

X  ji    Republican  organ  in  the  journalistic  field  and 

jC     a  bright  and  newsy  sheet,  published  at  Abing- 

%      don.  111.     It  is  a  five-column  quarto  and  has  a 

circulation  of  750,  being  managed  financially  by  Mr. 

Reed,  and  is  edited  by  its  publishers. 

Joseph  N.  Reed  was  born  in  Henderson  County, 
111.,  Nov.  20,  1858.  He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Char- 
ily (Webb)  Reed.  He  was  a  bright,  intelligent  boy, 
with  keen  foresight  and  of  quick  native  wit.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Abingdon  and  sub- 
sequently graduated  from  Hedding  College — one  of 
the  class  of  1884.  He  entered  into  partnership  with 
Robert  E.  Pendarvis,  a  class-mate,  and  the  firm  be- 
came known  as  Reed  &  Pendarvis.  Their  venture 
was  the  issuing  of  the  Enterprise,  a  weekly  Republi- 
can journal,  and  it  proved  eminently  successful.  The 
respective  partners  of  the  firm  gained  the  good-will 
of  friends  and  neighbors  and  proved  themselves  able, 
mentally  and  finacially,  to  fill  their  chosen  positions, 
with  all  the  more  credit  it  may  be  said,  because  they 


were  com])aritively  inexperienced.  The  Enterprise 
has  grown  until  it  now  ranks  high  among  the  live  pa- 
pers of  the  county,  and  is  a  credit  to  its  owners. 


NHJH#€ 


j^'ohn  Mosser  is  a  dealer  in  dry  goods,  boots 
and  shoes,  carpets  and  cloaks,  and  carries  a 
stock  valued  at  about  $12,000,  in  the  city 
of  Abingdon.  He  is  quoted  as  one  of  the 
town's  successful  merchants.  Mr.  Mosser  was 
born  in  Preston  County,  W.  Va.,  Jan.  i,  1832, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Susan  (Frankhouser) 
Mosser.  His  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  and 
comes  of  a  direct  line  of  German  forefathers.  His 
mother  was  born  in  Virginia,  but  grew  to  woman- 
hood in  West  Virginia,  on  the  farm  of  her  father. 

John  grew  to  manhood,  spending  the  years  prior  to 
attaining  his  majority,  in  farming.  He  afterward  went 
toMcDonough  County,  111.,  in  the  year  1855,  where 
he  worked  at  blacksmithing,  at  Industry  for  nine 
years,  and  at'  the  expiration  of  that  time — 1864 — re- 
moved to  Abingdon,  and  in  February,  opened  his 
present  business  house.  He  was  married  in  the  fall 
of  i860  to  Miss  Mary  Carroll,  in  McDonough  County, 
She  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Sarah  Carroll, 
and  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Pa.  The  fruits  of 
the  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Mosser,  are  two  children  : 
Samuel  T.,  born  in  186 1  ;  and  Ida  L.,  born  in  April, 
1864.  Mrs.  Mosser  passed  from  earth,  Oct.  21, 
1866,  leaving  her  husband  and  children  to  mourn  her 
loss. 

Mr.  Mosser  contracted  a  second  matrimonial  alli- 
ance with  Sarah  J.  Carroll,  Nov.  24,  1867,  a  sister  of 
tlie  first  wife,  who  lias  presented  him  with  four  chil- 
dren, three  boys  and  one  girl,  viz. :  Carlos  G.,  Stacy 
C,  Johnnie,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years ;  and 
Sarah,  lost  in  infancy, 

Mr.  Mosser  has  been  active  in  public  service;  has 
been  Alderman  one  term  an  Mayor  two  years.  He 
has  also  filled  the  oflfice  of  School  Director  15  years. 
Mrs.  Mosser  and  daugluer  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  They  own  a  handsome  and 
desirable  farm  of  240  acres,  in  Cedar  Township, 
finely  improved  and  well  stocked,  and  80  acres  ad- 
ditional, in  the  same  township,  and  also  a  quarter 
section  in  Coffey  County,  with  one  half  section  in 


t 


^i4— 


^* 


jt 


348 


J^-JVOX  COUNTY. 


Reno  County,  Kas.  He  is  a  member,  respectively,  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  O.  U.  W.  Orders,  and  a  use- 
ful man  in  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 

aleolm  Smith.  Among  the  highly  es- 
l  teemed  citizens  of  Knox  Township  is 
Malcolm  Smith,  a  resident  on  section  23, 
''*^^  whose  biography  is  herein  given.  It  was 
during  the  year  1862  that  Mr.  Smith  first  in- 
vested in  real  estate  in  Knox  County,  his 
initiatory  purchase  being  40  acres  of  land  on  section 
23.  The  farm  which  he  now  owns  he  bought  in 
1867,  and  it  was  well  improved  even  then,  but  in 
the  ensuing  year  he  commenced  modernizing  it,  and 
lo-day  it  presents  a  most  attractive  appearance  and 
is  one  of  the  most  desirable  homes  in  the  township. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Herkimer  County,  N.  Y., 
'  Dec.  15,  1836.  His  father,  James  Smith,  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  was  of  Highland- 
Scotch  consanguinity  and  lineage.  He  was  reared 
^to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  entered  the  bonds  of 
matrimony  with  J.  McCann,  a  native  of  the  same 
county  as  her  husband.  Soon  after  marriage  the 
young  pair  emigrated  to  America,  and  located  in 
Herkimer  County,  where  they  lived  until  1858.  They 
then  removed  to  the  State  of  Michigan,  where  he 
bought  a  farm  and  there  lived  until  his  death,  in 
1863  ;  his  wife  following  in  a  few  months. 

There  were  nine  children  born  of  this  union,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  being  the  second  in  order  of 
birth.  He  grew  to  manhood  and  was  educated  to 
agricultural  pursuits  like  his  father  before  him,  but 
wnen  20  years  of  age  he  tired  of  farm  life  and  left  it. 
After  this  he  engaged  as  brakeman  with  the  Chicago, 
Alton  &  St.  Louis  Railroad.  He  continued  in  this 
position  for  18  months,  at  the  end  ot  which  time  he 
was  made  freight  conductor,  and  at  this  he  continued 
for  ten  years,  when  he  was  promoted,  becoming  pas- 
senger conductor.  This  position  he  held  two  years, 
when  he  took  another  step  upward  and  was  made 
assistant  train  master,  with  headquarters  at  Joliet. 
He  held  this  eighi  years,  pleasing  his  employers  and 
gaining  the  approbation  of  the  people  at  large  ;  re- 
ceived an  appointment  as  train  master,  which  he 
held  nntil  December,  1880,  when  he  resigned  and 
turned  his  attention  to  farming.     The  writer  of  this,. 


sketch  was  at  one  time  employed  as  conductor  un- 
der the  immediate  supervision  of  Mr.  Smith,  and 
will  say  in  regard  to  his  abilities,  etc.,  that  he  was 
considered  one  of  the  best  officers  on  the  road,  a 
man  that  was  well  liked  by  all  the  employees  and 
whose  ability  as  a  railroad  man  was  unquestionable. 
On  the  7lh  of  March,  i860,  he  entered  the  state 
of  matrimony,  his  companion  being  Harriet  Mar- 
tineau  Randall.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in  Allegany, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  23d  of  December,  1839,  and  is  the 
daugliter  of  Dennison  and  Elexemena  (Pratt)  Ran- 
dall, both  natives  of  New  York.  Her  grandparents 
were  pioneers  of  Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  and  her 
grandfather,  on  the  Pratt  side,  was  Doctor  of  Me- 
dicine, and  at  one  time  a  Representative  in  the  New 
York  Legislature.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  children,  viz.:  Fred  M.,  James  D., 
George  C.  and  Maude  R.  They  are  an  agreeable, 
refined  and  cultivated  family,  and  Mr.  Smith  is  a 
keen,  wide-awake  man,  with  an  eye  to  public  interest 
and  alive  to  all  questions  affecting  public  and 
private  good.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican.  Mrs. 
Smith  and  her  two  eldest  children  were  connected 
by  meuibership  with  the  Central  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Joliet,  in  1878,  where  they  have  since  remained 
members. 

itarrison  Shumaker.  The  records  of  Knox 
County  include  the  names  of  many  worthy 
j^l^"  citizens  and  industrious,  able  men,  and 
4j  among  them  may  be  noted  the  subject  of  this 
j  biographical  narrative,  a  summary  of  whose  life 
is  herein  given.  He  is  a  farmer  and  stock- 
grower  of  Indian  Point  Township,  the  place  being 
familiarly  known  as  Box-elder  Grove  Herd  Farm, 
and  is  located  one  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of 
Hernion  and  five  miles  southeast  of  Abingdon.  He 
makes  a  specialty  of  stock-growing  in  addition  to  his 
agricultural  pursuits  and  usually  owns  about  75 
head  of  hogs,  and  a  number  of  Clydesdale  horses 
and  Short-horn  cattle.  His  dwelling  is  a  two-story 
structure,  commodious  and  convenient,  the  estimated 
cost  being  $2,000.  His  barn,  36x46  feet,  is  large 
and  fully  adapted  to  the  purposes  for  which  it  is  re- 
quired. 

Mr.  Shumaker  was  born  in  Knox  County  April  9, 
1S48,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Abigail  (Leigh) 
Shumaker,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  and  who  became 


t. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


f^ 


249 


the  parents  of  17  children.  Harrison  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Sopliia  Shoemaker,  in  February, 
1875,  who  was  born  in  1850  in  Knox  County.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  John  B.  Shoemaker,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  born  near  Columbus,  July  5,  1815  ;  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Sophia  Rager,  who  was  born  in  1824,  and 
who  died  in  August,  1873.  They  had  six  children, 
the  first  of  whom  died  in  infancy ;  Sarah  E.  married 
James  Redwood,  and  she  died  in  June,  1878;  Jere- 
miah C.  married  Miss  Clara  Anderson,  and  is  living 
in  Abingdon  ;  Mahala  J.  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Shu- 
maker  and  their  home  is  in  Knox  County  ;  John  L. 
died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

Mr.  Shumaker  of  this  sketch  has  two  children, 
one  deceased — Artie  L.,  born  Jan.  17,  1876;  and 
Elmer,  born  June  29,  1880,  and  died  Jan.  30,  1883. 
The  brothers  and  sisters  of  our  subject  are  as  fol- 
lows: Robert  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Shoemaker; 
Phidelia,  who  died  at  the  age  of  16  years;  Sally, 
who  married  S.  P.  Meek  in  1873,  and  whose  home 
is  in  Iowa ;  Mary,  now  Mrs.  Snyder,  lives  in  Knox 
County  ;  William,  who  took  for  his  wife  Miss  Ella 
Cashman;  Niles  P.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
years;  Clarke,  who  married  Annie  Fuller;  Lincoln, 
who  died  in  infancy ;  Ida,  who  married  F.  Moore 
and  is  now  deceased ;  James,  who  died  at  the  age 
of  five  years,  and  Carey,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six, 
besides  Delia,  Cora  and  Edna. 

Mr.  S.  is  a  man  that  takes  considerable  interest  in 
educational  matters  and  has  been  School  Director 
for  a  short  time.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

-„>> o«.o..(S>,X^..o4o V-- 

Plndrew  Adams,  deceased.     In   tracing  the 
It   history  of  Knox  County  and  looking  out  the 
.  origin  of  many  points  in  its  growth,  we  find 

,«j!Kft  as  its  supixjrt  and  help  the  many  influential, 
l|^  good  and  worihy  men,  who  aided  its  founda- 
I  tion  and  who  helped  along  its  progress.  Among 
these  stands  prominently  the  name  of  our  subject, 
who  resided  on  section  34,  Maquon  Township,  and 
who  was  one  of  the  important  factors  in  its  pros- 
perity. 

He  came  to  Knox  Coun'y  in  the  spring  of  1857, 
from  Rome,  N.  Y.,  being  accompanied  by  his  wife 
and  five  children.  His  first  purchase  was  made  on 
section  34,  Maquon  Township,  where  he  resided  un- 


til his  demise,  which  occurred   July  25,  1885.     Our 
subject  was   born  in  Ireland,  and  crossed  the  briny 
waters  of  the  Atlantic  when  ten  years  of  age.     Upon     I 
his  arrival  here  he  located  in  New  York  State,  where     I 
he  remained  until  his  removal  to   Knox  County,  in 
.857.  I 

His  marriage  occurred  Dec.  25,  1835,  at  Rome, 
N.  Y.,  at  which  time  Sarah  Convadt  became  his  wife. 
She  was  born  April  13,  1809,  at  Rome.  N.  Y.  The 
issue  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adams  has  been 
six  children,  bearing  the  following  names  :  Char- 
lotte, Mary,  William,  Benjamin,  Andrew  and  Martha. 
William  and  Benjamin  are  the  only  surviving  chil- 
dren. The  former  married  Elizabeth  Jacobs  and 
they  make  Maquon  Township  their  home;  Benjamin 
Adams  became  the  husband  of  Sophia  Walters, 
daughter  of  L.  J.  Waltefs  (see  sketch),  and  they  are 
residents  of  Peoria. 

Mr.  Andrew  Adams  adhered  to  the  faith  of  the  ' 
Episcopalian  Church,  of  which  denomination  he  was 
a  member.  Since  the  death  of  her  husband,  Mrs. 
Ada-^ns  has  become  the  possessor  of  160  acres  of 
land,  upon  which  she  is  passing  the  remainder  of  her 
days  in  peace  and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  a  life  well  "*i 
spent. 


L.    Stephenson.      One   of  the    principal 

merchants,    and  one  of  the   most   widely 

-0  W~  '^  known  auctioneers  of  Knox  County,  is  Mr. 
i^W^  G.  L.  Stephenson,  of  Oneida.  He  came  to 
this  place  from  an  adjoining  township  in  the 
fall  of  1862,  but  had  come  into  the  county  in 
1850.  He  was  born  in  in  Kirkcudbrightshire,  Scot- 
land, Oct.  20,  1838.  His  father,  George,  was  a 
native  of  Aberdeenshire,  and  of  an  old  Scottish  family, 
who  for  many  generations,  were  located  on  the  same 
tract  of  land.  The  father  was  married  in  Ayershire, 
to  Isabella  McMillen,  who  was  also  of  Scottish  an- 
cestry and  parentage.  Both  families  were  usually 
engaged  in  farming  for  many  years  in  their  respect- 
ive shires. 

The  family,  consisting  of  eight  children,  of  whom 
Mr.  S.  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth,  were  all  born 
in  Kirkcudbrightshire,  and  all  sailed  for  America  in 
September,  1850,  landing  five  weeks  later  at  New 
Odeans.  Proceeding  up  the  river  to  St.  Louis,  by 
the  advice  of  an  acquaintance  they  located  in  Knox 


hr= 


-^ 


250 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


County  a  month  later,  settling  on  unbroken  prairie 
in  Copley  Township.  The  father  at  once  set  about 
to  establish  a  home  and  improve  his  farm,  which  he 
successfully  managed  until  his  death,  Jan.  i,  1883, 
dying  at  the  venerable  age  of  83  years.  In  religion 
he  was  a  Presbyterian,  and  in  politics  a  Republican. 
His  first  wife  died  in  June,  1862,  and  he  was  again 
married,  two  children  being  born  to  him  by  his 
second  wife,  by  name  John  and  Adam. 

G.  L.  was  about  13  years  of  age  when  the  family 
landed  in  this  county,  and  he  set  about  to  earn  his 
own  living  three  years  after  reaching  his  majority. 
He  first  began  to  farm,  and  also  to  operate  a  thresh- 
ing machine,  at  which  he  continued  three  years  suc- 
cessfully. In  1863  he  came  to  Oneida  and  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  grocery  business  in  partner- 
ship with  Mr.  Shimer,  continuing  two  years,  when 
he  sold  to  Mr.  S.,  going  out  of  business  for  one 
year,  when  he  opened  a  clothing  store  with  Mr.  C. 
F.  Mettson,  this  firm  lasting  three  years,  and  after  an 
interval  of  two  years  Mr.  S.  engaged  in  this  pleasant 
place,  and  in  the  business  which  he  has  successfully 
conducted,  and  has  not  only  done  well,  but  achieved 
a  good  reputation  for   fair  dealing. 

In  or  about  the  year  1865,  he  engaged  in  the  call- 
ing of  an  auctioneer  for  the  people  of  this  county, 
and  has  since  achieved  great  popularity  and  success 
therein.  His  services  are  constantly  in  demand, 
both  for  stock  selling  and  other  classes  of  public 
property,  and  he  has  made  not  only  a  local  but  a 
general  reputation  throughout  this  part  of  the  State. 
Although  not  an  avaricious  man,  being  always  fair 
and  liberal  in  his  charges,  he  has  acquired  by  his 
industry  a  pleasant  home  on  Center  Street,  and  also 
owns  four  acres  of  valuable  land  within  the  city  limits. 
October  26th,  1865,  he  was  married  in  Copley 
Township,  to  Miss  Grace  L.  Stewart,  who  was  born 
in  Glasgow,  Scotland,  in  or  about  the  year  1839. 
Her  parents  being  deceased  she  came  to  America 
with  her  uncle,  at  the  age  of  12  years,  with  whom 
she  continued  to  make  her  home  until  marriage.  She 
is  the  mother  of  five  children,  Frank,  Milion,  Grace, 
Jessie  and  Geo.  H.  The  parents  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  walking  worthily  in  the 
precepts  of  religion,  happy  in  their  home  life  and  re- 
spected by  their  friends  and  neighbors  for  those 
sterling  virtues  which  have  always  distinguished  the 
rugged  nationality  to  which  they  belong  by  binh. 
Mr.  Stephenson  shirks  no  public  or  private  duty,  and 


has  served  his  townthip  four  years  as  Supervisor,  the 
city  two  years  as  its  Mayor,  and  is  now  a  member  of 
the  City  Council.  He  also  stands  high  in  the  benev- 
olent orders,  being  a  member  of  Oneida  Lodge  No. 
337,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Oneida  Chapter  1 73,  R.  A.  M.  and 
Galesburg  Commandery  No.  8,  and  also  I.  O.  O.  F. 
He  is  the  master  of  his  Masonic  Lodge,  and  served 
as  High  Priest  of  the  Chapter  for  many  years.  He 
is  one  of  the  solid  Republicans  of"  the  county,  and 
has  taken  an  active  part  in  local  politics,  as  every 
good  citizen  should.  Intelligent,  genial,  honest  and 
enterprising,  new  fields  of  duty  and  usefulness 
doubtless  await  him,  and  it  is  of  all  such  citizens  that 
any  community  may  justly  be  proud,  fortunate  in- 
deed to  possess  many  like  him. 


obert  Young  is  a  farmer  whose  home  is 
situated  on  section  30,  Persifer  Township, 
^iiC(C\  and  whose  name  and  history  are  identified 
'  *W  ^^''■^^  '^^  ^^^  pioneers  of  this  section,  as  he 
came  here  in  1844,  from  Warren  County, 
Ohio,  and  passed  that  winter  in  Knoxville. 
Inthe  spring  of  1845  he  came  to  this  township,  and 
settled  on  section  30,  thus  laying  the  foundation  for 
his  present  prosperous  and  desirable  home.  With 
him  to  attempt  was  to  succeed,  and  though  his  be- 
ginning was  comparatively  humble,  being  endowed 
with  a  large  degree  of  energy  and  pertinacity  of  pur- 
pose, he  has  gained  beyond  his  highest  expectations, 
the  largest  degree  of  success.  This  may  be  awarded 
that  meed  of  prosperity  which  is  the  reward  of  indus- 
try and  perseverance. 

Mr.  Young  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio, 
March  10,  1821,  and  moderate  advantages  were 
granted  him  in  an  educational  way,  he  attended  the 
common  school  receiving  a  fair  degree  of  mental  cul- 
tivation. His  parents  were  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
Young,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany,  and  the 
latter  an  American,  and  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Most  of  their  lives  were  passed  in  Warren  County, Ohio, 
where  the  father  died  in  1853.  After  a  short  period, 
succeeding  his  death,  the  mother  came  to  Knox  County 
to  live  with  her  children,  but  was  spared  to  them 
only  a  brief  time,  dying  in  Abingdon,  in  1859. 

Mr.  Young,  of  this  writing,  has  engaged  actively 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising.  His 
landed  possessions  are  extensive  and  desirable,  in- 


'-K::! 


I 


..<  ti/ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L.^iVERSITY  OF  ILLINH!; 


TTt^^^     J?'.  :>f-<Zs<^7^ 


^' 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

trMVERStTY  OF  ILUNClo 


H^ 


H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^11 


eluding  380  acres  of  land,  260  of  which  are  tillable. 
His  "  Barns  are  filled  with  plenty,"  and  his  land  is 
beneficently  productive.  He  lived  in  his  native 
county  until  the  year  1844,  at  which  time  hecameto 
Knox  County.  He  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mary  F.  Johnston,  who  was  born  in  that  county 
June  5,  1826.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Edward  C. 
and  Hannah  (Rusling)  Johnston.  They  came  to 
Knox  County  in  the  fall  of  1844,  and  settled  in 
Knoxville.  in  which  city  they  departed  this  life,  the 
father  dyingin  185 1,  and  the  mother  in  1882. 

The  family  circle  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  has  been 
enlarged  by  the  admission  of  seven  children,  but 
three  childish  faces  have  been  taken  away.  The 
four  children  who  survive  are  Edward  J.,  Hannah 
E.,  John  R.  and  Robert  L.,  and  those  gone  before 
are  Clarisa,  Jeanette  and  Ella.  A  summary  of  the 
principal  events  in  the  lives  of  the  living  are  given  : 
Edward  J.  is  a  farmer,  residing  in  Knox  County ; 
Hannah  is  the  wife  of  E.  M.  Collins,  whose  home  is 
in  Persifer  Township.  John  R.  follows  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Persifer  Township,  and  is  extremely  suc- 
cessful in  his  chosen  field  of  labor.     Robert   L.   still 

Tremains  under  the  parental  roof.  '',./.. 

Mr.  Young  has  held  many  of  the  minor  offices  in 

his  township,  and  is  treasurer  of  the  Farmers'  Mu- 

'tual  Fire  and  Life  Insurance  Company.  Both  him- 
self and  his  worthy  wife  are  respected  and  esteemed 
throughout  the  community,  and  aid  by  their  pres- 
ence andsup|X)rt,  all  noble  and  good  enterprises  cal- 
culated to  forward  and  advance  the  interests  of  their 
fellow  men.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Church,  in  which  organization  they  are  prominent 
factor.     Politically  he  is  a  Republican. 


orancis  Wilson.  Among  the  most  promi- 
L  nent  gentlemen  who  have  adorned  Knox 
County  and  are  resident  within  her  boun- 
daries, it  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  as  one, 
typical  and  noteworthy  for  native  ability  and 
substantial  worth,  no  better  can  be  named  than 
the  subject  of  this  personal  narration.  He  is  a 
farmer,  residing  on  section  30,  Persifer  Township, 
and  ranks  among  the  foremost  of  the  pioneers  of  that 
section,  having  entered  its  boundaries  in  November, 
•  836.  He  came  from  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  and 
passed  a  brief  time  in  Knoxville,  where  he  followed 


blacksmithing  as  a  vocation.  In  the  fall  of  1837, 
owing  to  the  illness  of  his  wife,  he  moved  out  of 
Knoxville  to  his  farm  and  immediately  after  the 
death  of  his  life-long  and  faithful  companion,  in  the 
spring  of  1838,  he  removed  to  Persifer  Township, 
where  he  settled  on  section  30.  Here  he  established 
his  home  and  has  ever  since  remained. 

Mr.  Wilson  was  born  in  Butler  County,  Pa,,  March 
I,  1809.  While  he  was  still  young,  his  parents  moved 
to  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  where  he  engaged  him- 
self to  learn  the  blacksmithing  trade.  When  quite 
young  he  followed  his  calling  with  success,  which 
he  also  did  for  about  a  year  after  coming  to  Knox- 
ville. Locating  on  section  30,  his  present  home  (his 
introductory  purchase  being  96  acres),  he  began  his 
struggle  for  prosperity  and  success,  and  to-day  may 
be  counted  as  one  of  the  most  extensive  land  owners 
in  Knox  County,  his  possessions  including  1,384 
acres.  He  also  owns  160  acres  in  Chariton  County, 
in  the  State  of  Missouri.  On  his  homestead  he  has 
erected  a  handsome  and  commodious  set  of  build- 
ings, complete  with  every  modern  convenience  and 
at  once  attractive,  desirable  and  lasting. 

Mr.  Wilson's  unre  :  itting  efforts  and  arduous  toil 
are  very  marked  and  stand  out  in  the  history  of  his 
life  with  vivid  distinctness,  as  proving  beyond  ques- 
tion the  immense  successes  to  be  gained  from  self- 
reliance.  He  is  an  example  to  every  American  youth 
of  patience  and  persistance  of  purpose.  Following 
his  business  \tt  the  shop,  he  united  with  it  his  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  often  laboring  until  midnight  and 
going  into  the  timber  during  the  day.  The  results 
of  his  labors  prove  that  h:;  has  been  far  from  a  drone 
in  the  hive  of  life.  His  first  matrimonial  alliance 
was  solemnized  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio,  Jan. 
17,  1833,  Miss  Nancy  McPherrin  being  the  other 
contracting  party.  She  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and 
bore  him  three  children  :  George  W.,  Thomas  and 
Elizabeth.  George  W.  is  deceased ;  Thomas  re- 
sides >vith  his  father;  and  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of 
Martin  Brooks,  whose  home  is  in  Aledo,  111. ;  Eliza- 
beth had  previously  married  Daniel  Anderson,  and 
had  by  her  first  marriage  five  children,  two  of  whom 
are  deceased,  and  three  living.  The  litter  are  as 
follows ;  James,  Archibald  and  Francis.  By  her  sec- 
ond marriage  she  has  four  children,  viz. :  Lucian, 
Lena,  Emma  and  one  unnamed.  Mrs.  Wilson  died 
in  Knox  Township,  Jan.  3,  1S38. 

Mr.  Wilson  re-married  in  Knox  Township  in  Sei?- 


V 


.^>--^ 


256 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


tember,  1840,  to  Elizabeth  McPherrin,  a  sister  of  his 
first  wife.  By  this  union  there  were  five  children  : 
John,  James  A.,  Francis  M.,  Drucilla  J.  and  Mary 
E.  Drucilla  and  Mary  are  deceased.  The  former 
lady  was  the  wife  of  Peter  Collins  and  resided  in  the 
Township  at  the  time  of  her  death.  She  left  four 
children,  as  follows  :  John,  Ralph  Bessie  and  Fran- 
cis B.  John  and  James  A.  both  live  in  Galesburg 
Township.  Francis  W.  is  married  to  Clara  Thomas 
and  resides  in  Persifer  Township  with  his  father,  on 
the  home  place. 

Mr.  Wilson's  broad  and  observant  intellect  has 
naturally  marked  him  to  be  one  of  the  best  citizens 
of  this  section  of  country.  He  is  noteworthy  for  his 
keen  foresight,  his  untiring  energy  of  purpose  and  his 
prompt  and  active  execution.  No  less  is  this  power 
and  ability  shown  in  his  financial  prudence.  He  has 
engaged  largely  in  stock-raising  and  has  some  of  the 
finest  thorough-bred  animals  in  the  United  States. 
Among  them  are  pure-bred  polled  Aberdeen  or  Angus 
cattle  that  vary  in  value  all  the  way  from  $500  to 
$2,000  and  $3,000.  He  takes  especial  pride  in  this 
particular  breed.  His  great  success  is  in  the  depart- 
ment of  extensive  stock-raising.  His  horses  are 
amang  the  finest  in  the  vicinity,  and  of  these  he  has 
50  head  on  hand.  They  are  the  Clydesdale  breed, 
and  of  which  slock  he  has  recently  purchased  a 
thorough-bred  stallion.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
interested  in  this  department  and  is  one  of  the  pio- 
neers in  that  branch  of  industry  in  his  county,  prob- 
ably doing  more  tlian  any  other  one  man  to  bring  up 
the  grade  of  stock  to  its  present  high  standard  in  his 
neighborhood. 

His  stables  are  among  the  most  convenient  and 
neatly  arranged  buildings  in  the  county.  The  care 
and  attention  shown  in  his  breeding  department  has 
won  the  praise  and  caused  the  surprise  of  many 
who  have  hitherto  thought  themselves  expeits  in  at- 
tention to  the  wants  of  high-bred  animals.  His  res- 
idence is  also  considered  as  handsome,  commodious 
and  finely  located  as  any  in  this  section  of  country, 
and  it  is  with  pleasure  that  we  present  a  view  of  it, 
with  its  delightful  surroundings  and  some  of  his  fine 
stock  in  this  volume.  He  has  proved  that  he  "Meant 
to  do  much  for  the  honor  of  God  and  for  all  man- 
kind." He  is  a  Director  in  the  schools  and  was  the 
first  School  Treasurer  in  Persifer  Township.  A  most 
useful  man  politically,  he  is  found  always  ready  and 
has  never  ceased  to  identify  himself  with  the  Demo- 


cratic party,  whether  working  for  the  good  of  his- 
country  or  for  that  organization.  He  was  unfortun- 
ately deprived  of  a  life  companion,  his  second  wife 
dying  on  Aug.  15,  1882.  She  was  an  excellent  and 
trusted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
portraits  of  Mr.  Wilson  and  wife  appear  on  another 
page. 

»' I  pl!^  ansing  J.  Dawdy.  But  a  few  short  years 
aL^jt  ago  the  fine  productive  farms  which  can 
I'JW^T  now  be  seen  in  almost  any  direction  in  the 
county,  were  wild  and  uncultivated  tracts  of 
prairie  land.  They  have  been  brought  to  an  ad- 
vanced condition  through  the  energy  and  per- 
severance of  men  who  came  here  to  establish  perma- 
nent homes  and  who  have  labored  industriously 
to  that  end.  Yet,  not  alone  to  the  agriculturist  is 
the  advancement  and  growth  of  Knox  County  attrib- 
utable. The  business  men — the  merchants  and  the 
professional  men — were  alike  necessary  to  develop  the 
county  to  the  magnificent  position  it  occupies  to- 
day in  comparison  with  other  counties  of  the  State. 
As  one  of  Knox  County's  most  honored  and  respected 
citizens,  and  a  gentleman  who  has  been  identified 
with  its  past  growth  and  development  as  a  farmer 
and  merchant,  we  take  pleasure  in  mentioning  the 
name  of  Lansing  J.  Dawdy. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Dawdy,  Howell  and  Elizabeth 
(Ralston)  Dawdy,  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  They 
were  married  in  that  State  and  continued  to  reside 
there  until  they  came  to  Marshall  County,  111.  From 
the  latter  county  they  removed  hither  in  1838,  locating 
in  Indian  Point  Township.  There  the  father  followed 
farming  for  a  livelihood  for  about  five  years,  when, 
with  his  family,  he  removed  to  Chestnut  Township, 
and  there  his  good  wife,  mother  of  our  subject,  died 
in  1845.  The  father  afterward  broke  up  house-keep- 
ing and  concluded  to  live  with  his  children  in  Mc- 
Donough  County,  111.,  until  his  demise  in  1864.  He 
and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  named : 
Alfred  R.,  James  H.,  William  R.,  John  A.,  Margaret 
M.,  Lansing  J.,  Joseph  M.,  Andrew  J.  and  Henry  C. 
Lansing  J.  Dawdy  was  born  while  his  parents  lived 
in  Marshall  County,  this  State,  June  i  6,  1837,  and 
was  about  one  year  of  age  when  his  parents  came  to 
this  county.  Having  lived  here  continuously  since 
that  time,   Mr.  Dawdy  may  be   said  to  have  been 


I 


KNOX   COUNTY. 


257 


^ 


identified  with  the  best  interests  of  Knox  County  ' 
during  his  life.  He  spent  his  early  years  on  a  farm, 
and  attended  school,  alternating  the  two  until  20 
years  of  age.  He  then  spent  one  season  in  Kansas, 
and  after  returning  to  this  State,  entered  -Abingdon 
College,  and  was  there  engaged  in  study  for  about 
a  year. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  Civil  War,  our  sub-  ' 
ject  was  engaged  in  the  work  of  a  pedagogue,  but 
abandoned  the  same,  and  August  i,  1862,  enlisted  in 
the  86th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  his  countr)-  bravely 
and  well  for  (wo  years  and  nine  months.  He  enlisted 
as  a  private  and  was  promoted  to  Adjutant  of  the 
Regiment.  In  the  battle  of  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
June  27,  1864,  he  was  wounded  by  a  shot  through 
the  body,  and  at  the  same  time  taken  prisoner. 
He  was  confined  at  Atlanta  and  during  the  time 
made  many  friends  among  the  enemy.  He  was  about 
to  be  taken  to  the  residence  of  a  private  family,  by 
consent  of  the  surgeon  in  charge,  and  a  room  and 
bed  was  prepared  for  him  in  the  domicile  spoken  of,  ' 
but  just  as  he  was  on  the  point  of  being  removed  a  ' 
shell  from  Sherman's  guns  came  crashing  through 
the  house  and  completely  demolished  the  bed  in 
which  he  was  to  lie.  He  was  also  confined  at  Ma- 
con, Savannah  and  Charleston  and  was  paroled  at 
the  latter  place,  and  came  from  there  to  Annapolis, 
Md.,  and  two  weeks  later  he  was  sufficiently  recov- 
ered to  travel.  After  convalescing  he  went  to  Camp  ! 
Chase,  early  in  Januar)',  1865,  near  Columbus,  Ohio, 
and  took  charge  of  the  paroled  forces,  and  continued 
there  until  March,  when  he  was  transferred  to  St. 
Louis,  and  from  there  sent  to  the  Officer's  Hospital, 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where,  on  the  ist  day  of  May, 
1865,  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  During 
the  time  Mr.  D.  was  in  the  service,  he  passed  through 
a  good  many  engagements,  among  the  most  notewor- 
thy was  Perr)ville,  Ky.,  Mission  Ridge,  Sheppard's 
Run,  Buzzard's  Roost  and  that  of  Kenesaw  Moun- 
tain. 

Receiving  his  discharge  from  the  army,  our  sub-   i 
ject  at  once  returned  to  his  home  in  this  county  and   | 
again  entered  upon  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  life.   He 
engaged  as  merchant's  clerk  in  a  dry-goods   store  in 
Maquon  village,  the  firm  being  D.   Housh  &  Sons, 
and  was  in  their  employ,  off  and  on,  for  three  years. 
In  the  fall  of  1868,  Mr.   Dawdy  removed  to  Iowa,   : 
where  he  embarked  in  the  nursery  business,  and  con- 
tinuing at  the  same  for  six  years  met  with  signal   1 


success.  At  the  end  of  this  time  he  disposed  of  his 
stock,  returned  to  Maquon  and  there  resided  until 
1878,  in  the  meanwhile  speculating  in  w^hatever  of- 
fered him  a  chance  to  increase  his  exchequer.  In 
1878,  he  entered  the  employ  of  G.  D.  Crocker  at  Ma- 
quon, and  had  charge  of  the  store  which  he  soon  af- 
terward bought,  and  which  business  he  conducts  at 
the  present  time.  He  carries  a  good  stock  of  gen- 
eral merchandise  and  by  fair  and  honest  dealing  with 
his  patrons  has  established  a  constantly  increasing 
trade.  He  owns  village  property  at  that  place  and 
also  a  farm  in  Iowa. 

Mr.  Dawdy  was  married  in  Maquon  village,  Feb. 
8,  r866,  to  AHce  E.  Huber,  daughter  of  S.  A.  and 
Ruth  (Barrett)  Huber.  Her  parents  were  among  the 
pioneers  of  this  county  and  made  their  settlement  in 
Haw  Creek  Township.  They  are  now  residents  of 
Maquon,  and  the  children  born  to  them  were  three  in 
number:  Alice  E.,  Catherine  and  Belle.  Mrs.  Dawdy 
was  born  in  HawCreek  Township,  Jan.  21,  r849.  She 
and  her  husband  are  the  parents  of  three  children  ; 
Lansing  J.,  Jr.,  Callista  L.  and  Emma  H. 

Mr.  Dawdy  has  been  Township  Clerk,  Assessor,  and 
also  a  member  of  the  Village  Board.  Socially,  he 
is  a  prominent  member  of  the  order  of  Masonry,  and 
likewise  belongs  to  Post  552,  G.  A.  R.  Religiously, 
Mrs.  Dawdy  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  ' 
Church.  In  politics,  Mr.  D.  votes  with  the  Demo 
cratic  party. 


f^ 


illiam  P.  Alexander.  Prominent  among 
the  able  men  and  representative  citizens 
of  Knox  County  may  be  named  the  sub- 
let of  this  biographical  narrative,  a  sum- 
mary of  whose  life  is  herein  recorded.  He 
is  a  farmer  in  Sparta  Township  and  his  home- 
stead is  situated  on  section  j,\  and  is  known  as  one 
of  the  most  desirable  in  the  neighborhood.  His 
handsome  residence,  which  was  erected  in  1883,  is 
worthy  of  notice,  and  his  home  has  been  the  field  of 
labor  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  heartiest  energies. 
Mr.  Alexander  was  born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio, 
Nov.  26,  1834,  and  his  parents  are  Joseph  and  Mary 
(Pollock)  Alexander,  natives  of  Kentucky  aad  Nova 
Scotia.  In  the  year  1809  they  came  to  Ohio,  and 
there  continued  until  t845,  when  the  father  died. 
A  family  of  six  children  grew  up  about  them,  by 


^ 


■♦■ 


■»-H^ 


258 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


name  as  follows:  Hosea  Y.,  William  P.,  Mary  A., 
Tlieodore  C,  John  S.  and  Cynthia  J.  The  mother 
of  this  family  still  survives  and  lives  at  Aledo,  111. 
She  came  to  Illinois  with  her  family  in  1850,  settHng 
in  Warren  County,  from  which  she  moved  subse- 
quently to  Mercer  County. 

Our  subject  remained  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til he  was  16  years  of  age,  and  while  in  Ohio  at- 
tended school.  The  first  day  of  his  commencing 
school  he  was  thrown  into  the  society  of  Whitelaw 
Reid,  who  is  now  an  editor  in  New  York  City  and 
famed  throughout  the  entire  country. 

After  William  left  home  he  drove  a  team  of  six 
yoke  of  oxen  for  the  breaking  of  prairie  land.  At 
this  hard  labor  he  continued  for  five  years,  and  in 
i86r  rented  a  farm  in  Mercer  County,  111.,  where  he 
remained  until  1868.  He  then  moved  to  Knox 
County,  purchasing  the  80  acres  of  land  on  which 
he  now  lives.  This  he  has  cultivated,  beautified 
and  adorned  until  it  is  indeed  a  home  in  the  truest 
sense,  and  an  abiding  place  "To  the  stranger  within 
the  gates." 

In  the  year  1864  he  united  his  heart  and  fortune 
with  those  of  Miss  Elizabeth  Stuart,  a  native  of  West 
Virginia.  Mrs.  Alexander  was  blessed  with  those 
qualities  that  go  to  make  up  a  true  woman,  and  has 
proved  a  devoted  and  valued  companion — "A  per- 
fect woman,  nobly  planned."  They  have  four  IfVing 
children,  by  name,  Evan,  Harrie  E.,  Mary  Z.  and 
Floyd  E.  Mr.  Alexander  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, taking  great  interest  in  national  affairs,  and  de- 
votes himself  more  or  less  to  educational  interests, 
holding  the  position  of  School  Director  in  his  dis- 
trict. 

Jjcslie  McGirr,  Attorney  at  Law,  Maquon, 
is  the  eldest  son  of  the  family  of  Mahlon 
and  Sarah  L.  (Barbero)  McGirr.  (See 
sketch  of  Mahlon  MaGirr  and  also  of  Nathan 
Barbero,  deceased.)  Our  subject  was  born  in 
Maquon.  His  early  life  was  spent  at  home 
after  the  usual  manner  of  boys  of  his  period.  His 
father  followed  the  peaceful  and  independent  calling 
of  farming,  and  young  McGirr  assisted  him  in  the 
duties  thereof  until  1873,  when  he  engaged  as  a  ped- 
agogue.     He  taught  for  the  first  time  in  Elba  Town- 


ship.    He  was  classed  among  the  most  successful. 


^ 


L>J 


teachers  and  we  find  him  engaged  as  Principal  of  the 
school  at  St.  Augustine,  and  later  on  he  held  the 
same  oflSce  in  a  school  at  Prairie  City,  McDonough 
Co.,  this  State.  His  teaching  covered  a  period  of 
63  months,  not,  however,  without  interruption.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  also  attended  school,  having  in 
mind  the  profession  which  was  his  choice  and  which 
has  been  his  life  work.  He  attended  the  Abingdon 
College  for  three  years.  While  engaged  in  teaching 
and  attending  school,  he  took  up  the  study  of  law 
and  studied  three  years  under  the  supervision  of 
Leander  Douglas,  of  Galesburg,  and  was  duly  admit- 
ted to  the  Bar,  Nov.  13,  1882.  In  May,  the  following 
year,  he  located  at  Maquon,  where  he  still  remains 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  is  a  Notary 
Public  and  with  a  fast  increasing  business,  his  pros- 
pects for  studying  and  gaining  a  place  in  his  profess- 
ion is  indeed  flattering. 

Our  sul  ject  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  the  af- 
fairs of  the  day,  and  being  of  a  genial  disposition  has 
a  host  of  friends.  We  find  him  prominently  con-' 
connected  with  the  Masonic  Fraternity  and  also 
that  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


rs.  Ellen  Behringer.  The  lady  of  this  , 
personal  narration,  is  the  relict  of  Mi- 
^  '^chael  Behringer,  who  departed  this  life  Oc- 
)^^''\  tober.  30,  1870.  She  is  one  who  has  occu- 
•'*  pied  a  wife's  sphere  of  usefulness,  and  has 
I  known  the  hardships  of  a  pioneer's  life.  She 
came  to  Galesburg  at  an  early  day,  and  recollects 
the  time,  when  that  now  pleasant  and  populous 
little  city,  was  sparsely  inhabited,  and  the  inconven- 
iences of  which  were  neither  few  nor  far  between. 
From  what  was  almost  a  wilderness,  she  has  watched 
the  growth  and  advancement  of  a  section  of  country 
that  has  veritably  "  Blossomed  as  a  rose.  " 

Mr.  Behringer  was  born  April  4,  1824,  and  was  a 
native  of  Germany.  His  parents  were  George  and 
Susan  Behringer,  who  were  both  natives  of  Germany. 
Michael  emigrated  to  America,  May  31,  1853,  and 
settled  in  Chicago.  From  this  point  he  engaged  in 
railroading,  which  occupation  he  followed  until  his 
death.  His  marriage  occurred  Dec.  8,  1854,  with 
Miss  Ellen,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Christine  (Hut- 
man)  Smith.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Germany, 
as  was  also  Mrs.  Behringer.  They  died  in  Germany, 


} 


LIBRARy 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


361 


the  dates  of  their  deaths  being  1861  and  1853,  re- 
spectively. In  the  year  that  chronicles  her  mother's 
death,  the  daughter  came  to  America,  and  coming 
West  to  Illinois,  located  in  Chicago.  In  that  city  she 
was  united  in  marriage  as  before  mentioned.  Follow- 
ing this  event  they  removed  to  Galesburg,  Knox 
County,  where  Mr.  Behringer  followed  his  occupation 
as  a  railroad  man.  He  had  purchased  100  acres  of 
land  in  Sparta  Township,  in  1 865 ,  on  which  the  widow 
at  present  resides. 

Mrs.  Behringer  is  the  mother  of  four  children  liv- 
ing, by  name — George,  Daniel,  William  and  Ellen. 
The  home  place  is  still  worked  by  Mrs.  Behringer, 
and  she  has  shown  an  undaunted  spirit  of  persever- 
ing energy.  She  and  her  family  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg,  and  work  heartily 
and  unitedly  for  the  good  of  their  fellowmen. 

Mr.  Behringer,  during  his  life  was  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat, adhering  to  the  doctrines  of  that  party.  He,  in 
addition  to  his  ordinary  work,  took  charge  of  the  re- 
pairing of  cars,  and  was  a  man  so  diligent  in  business 
that  he  won  the  entire  confidence  of  the  comraunit)- 
and  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 

r§«[  mos  Hall.  Prominent  among  the  well-to-do 
and  successful  farmers,  stock-raisers  and 
breeders  of  Knox  County,  is  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  notice,  who  resides  on  section 
2,  Indian  Point  Township.  Mr.  Hall  was  born 
in  De'aware  Count)-,  Ohio,  Sept.  9,  1839.  His 
father  was  David  and  his  mother  S^rah  (Sutton)  Hall. 
The  father  was  bom  in  New  Jersey,  Feb.  8,  1804, 
and  the  mother  in  the  same  State  April  5,  1803,  and 
both  are  li\ing.  They  emigrated  to  this  State  in  1866, 
and  located  in  Abingdon,  where  they  are  at  present 
residing.  The  issue  of  their  union  was  five  children  : 
Perry  I.,  Mercer,  Rebecca,  Amos  and  Stephen,  the 
latter  djing  when  three  years  of  age.  Mr.  Hall  of 
this  notice,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Piatt,  Dec.  7,  1865,  at  Cardington,  Morrow  Co., 
Ohio.  She  was  born  .\ug.  18,  1843,  in  Delaware 
Count)',  Ohio,  and  is  the  intelligent  and  accomplished 
daughter  of  Alaiison  and  Rachael  (White)  Piatt,  na- 
tives of  Clinton  County,  X.  Y.,  where  her  father  was 
bom,  Sept.  7,  1807,  and  who  died  in  June,  1879,  in 
Wisconsin.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Hall  was  bom  May 
20,  18 1 3,  and   died   in   1848,  in   Delaware  County, 


Ohio.  Of  the  children  born  to  the  parents  of  Mrs. 
Hall  there  were  eight  in  number  and  named — Helen, 
Ruth  and  Rhoda  (twins,)  Edward,  Charles,  Mar- 
garet, Mar)-  W.  and  John  B. 

The  household  of  our  subject  has  been  brightened 
by  the  birth  of  four  children  and  saddened  by  the 
death  of  three.  The  record  is  as  follows  :  Frank  A. 
was  born  Sept.  27,  1866;  Rosa,  Feb.  i,  1872,  and 
died  Sept.  i,  of  that  year;  Elsie  T.,  born  Sept  i6, 
1873,  died  Dec.  18,  1878,  of  diphtheria;  John  C, 
born  Sept.  8,  1877,  died  Dec.  30,  187S,  with  the  same 
disease.  They  also  adopted  a  little  girl  in  1885, 
whom  they  have  named  Nellie,  her  birth  having  oc- 
curred Sept  2,  1883;  and  our  subject  has  likewise 
taken  into  his  household  a  boy,  by  name  Charlie  Ba- 
ker, to  raise  to  the  age  of  maturity,  and  who  is  the 
son  of  a  widow  of  that  name. 

Mr.  Hall,  in  addition  to  the  raising  of  the  cereals, 
has,  during  the  past,  devoted  considerable  time  to 
the  breeding  and  raising  of  stock,  his  specialty  of 
cattle  being  Polled-.\ngus.  In  1883,  he  and  his  son' 
purchased  Baron  Balgarshaw,  a  full-blooded  Polled- 
Angus  bull.  He  was  imported  by  J.  J.  Rogers,  of 
Cedar  Township,  in  1880,  and  was  raised  from  a»=^ 
calf,  by  Thomas  Ferguson,  of  Kinnochtry  Coupar, 
Scotland.  The  farm  of  Mr.  Hall  is  known  as  the 
Mound  Farm,  and  consists  of  360  acres  of  land  un~ 
der  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  It  is  said  to 
be  the  highest  tract  of  elevated  ground  in  Knox 
County,  and  he  has  on  the  place  15  head  of  full- 
blooded  Polled-Angus  cattle  and  50  head  of  partially 
blooded  Angus  cattle.  His  bull,  Balgarshaw,  is  one 
of  the  best  breeders  in  the  country  and  his  daughters 
have  sold  for  $1,000  a  piece.  His  present  weight  is 
2,000  pounds.  The  father  and  son,  Iso  have  an- 
other. Prince  Harry,  also  imported  from  Scotland. 
He  is  but  two  years  old,  weighs  1,500  pounds  and  is 
a  pure-blooded  Princess.  They  had  still  another  ani- 
mal, Lena,  now^ead,  and  for  whom  they  paid,  to- 
gether with  her  calf,  young  Lena,  No.  1761,  $1,200. 
.Again,  the  Princess  Beatrice,  No.  1695,  purchased  at 
a  cost  of  $1,000;  Coota  comes  next  and  cost  S550. 
Last,  but  not  least  among  their  fine  herd,  is  Princess 
Maude,  No.  5520;  she  cost  $2,000.  Mr.  Hall  and 
son  have  no  trouble  in  finding  ready  sale  for  all  their 
blooded  calves  at  high  prices,  for  the  reason  that  the 
record  of  purity  of  blood  is  clear. 

As  a  farmer  and  stock- raiser,  and  a  gentleman 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  community 


-H- 


4 


■•  ^j 


262 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


in  which  he  resides,  in  an  agricultural  as  well  as  a 
social  sense,  the  subject  of  this  notice  is  certainly  the 
peer  of  any.  His  success  in  life  is  the  outgrowth  of 
his  own  individual  effort,  together  with  his  good 
judgment  and  indomitable  perseverance. 


#-* 


J^fS-4r4fi< 


athan  Barbero,  deceased,  came  to  Knox 
County  in  the  fall  of  1839,  with  his  wife 
and  three  children,  from  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  made  settlement  in  the  village  of 
Maquon.  In  1872,  Mr.  Barbero  left  the  village 
and  moved  to  Haw  Creek  Township,  where  he 
was  a  sturdy  tiller  of  the  soil  until  his  demise,  which 
took  place  Jan.  i,  1885.  He  was  a  farmer  and  ensjaged 
quite  extensively  in  agriculural  pursuits,  and  at  the 
dale  of  his  death  was  the  proprietor  of  1,000  acres  of 
land. 

Mr.  Barbero  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  N. 
Y.,  April  13,  1805.  His  life  was  spent  in  York  State 
until  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  he  was  married  in 
Oneida  County,  the  former  State,  March  i,  1832,  to 
Calista  W.  Loomis.  She  was  born  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  Aug.  9,  1809,  and  bore  him  four  children — 
Anna,  M.,  Sarah  L.,  Natlian  H.  and  John  J.  Anna  M. 
is  the  widow  of  Alexander  O.  Donason.  and  resides  in 
Maquon  Township.  (See  sketch ;)  Sarah  L.  is  the 
vrife  of  M.  McGirr.  (See  sketch;)  Nathan  H.  mar- 
ried Eliza  Bird  and  resides  in  Haw  Creek  Township; 
John  J.  married  Clara  Will  and  is  a  farmer  of  Haw 
Creek  Township.  Mrs.  Barbero  was  formerly  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  Church.  Her  parents  were  Jer- 
emiah E.  and  SaUie  (Higbee)  Loomis,  he  of  Irish  and 
Welsh  extraction,  and  she  of  English  ancestry. 
Mrs.  Barbero  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of  a 
family  of  six  children,  viz.:  Sally,  Nathaniel  S.,  Lu- 
cinda,  Lorinda  andCelestia.  Sally  became  the  wife 
of  John  Ennis,  who  in  their  turn  became  the  parents 
of  II  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living;  Nathan- 
iel S.  married  Betsy  Ennis,  by  the  union  four  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them.  He  is  now  deceased ; 
Lucinda  married  Leonard  Rogers,  but  is  now  dead ; 
Lorinda  married  Lot  Webster,  and  both  are  numbered 
with  the  departed,  and  Celestia,  who  died  when 
young. 

Mr.  Barbero  was  the  fifth  child  in  order  of  birth  of 


a  family  of  nine  children,  viz. :  Margaret,  Nellie, 
Matthais,  John,  Aaron,  Nathan  (our  subject,)  Freder- 
ick and  Rebecca.  Margaret  became  the  wife  of 
Abraham  Van  Horn ;  Nellie  married  Geo.  Castler ; 
Matthais  married  Catherine  Fink;  Aaron  left  home 
at  the  age  of  28  or  29,  and  was  never  heard  from; 
John  is  now  deceased;  Frederick  married  Malinda 
Bartell ;  and  Rebecca  became  the  wife  of  Harry 
Libolt.  Mr.  Barbero 's  father  was  born  in  Connecti- 
cut and  the  mother  in  New  York,  and  his  parents 
were  John  and  Sallie  (VanPattent)  Barbero.  They 
were  of  German  and  Holland  extraction. 


eorge  C.  Hudson  is  a  farmer  residing  on 
^  section  12,  in  Cedar  Township.  This  gen- 
^JP^"^  tlema"  w=is  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y., 
ftlSTi  fjQy  3^  1833,  and  is  the  son  of  Isaiah  and  Fan- 
nie (Burrell)  Hudson,  natives  of  England. 
His  father  was  born  in  1805,  in  Lincolnshire,. 
England,  and  died  Nov.  7,  1882,  in  Knox  County, 
where  Geo.  C.  now  resides.  His  mother  was  born 
Oct.  24,  1808,  and  on  her  birth  day,  1832,  the  mar- 
riage of  herself  and  husband  took  place  in  New  York 
State.  She  is  now  a  resident  of  Knoxville.  By 
this  happy  union  there  were  ten  children,  viz. : 
George  C,  Charles  J.,  Robert,  Isaiah  W.,  Samentha, 
Louise,  Mary  Ann,  Cornelious,  Jane  and  Henry. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  history, 
married  Miss  Angeline  Carter,  Nov.  21,  1855.  This 
lady  w-as  born  May  31,  1839.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  David  and  Melinda  (Riddle)  Carter.  They  were 
both  natives  of  Indiana,  his  birth  taking  place  April 
3,  1814,  She  was  born  March  7,  i8i6.  Her  de- 
cease taking  place  Nov.  8,  1839;  only- one  child, 
Angeline,  is  now  living.  The  children  born  to  Mr. 
Hudson  are:  Charles  M.,  Feb.  3,  1857;  George 
C,  Oct.  25,  1858;  Robert  J.,  Sept.  21,  i860;  Clara 
J.,  April  s,  1863;  Fannie  M.,  Oct.  8,  1865;  Eva, 
Dec.  S,  1867;  Lewis  C,  April  7,  1870;  Lennie  A., 
June  I,  1872  ;  Mary  E.,  Oct.  3,  1874;  and  Oliver  B., 
Feb.  24,  1879.  None  of  these  children  are  yet  mar- 
ried.    Oliver  and  Lewis  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Hudson  has  ii8j^  acres  of  good  land  on  sec- 
tion 12,  of  this  township,  where  he  has  erected  a  fine 
dwelling,  28  x  28  feet,  one  and  one-half  story  high. 
And  on  the  place  he  has  a  verj'  suitable  barn, 
32x42  feet.     This  is  substantial  in    structure   and 


■^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


263 


well  finished  inside.     There  is  also  a  wagon   shed 
14x32  feet. 

The  wife  of  tliis  gentleman  was  born  in  Hender- 
son Township,  Knox  Co.,  111.  Mr.  H.  first  came  to 
Illinois  with  his  father  in  the  fall  of  1837,  and  located 
in  Warren  County.  In  1839  he  arrived  where  he  at 
present  resides.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Knoxville,  and  an  Independent 
in  his  political  views.  In  1864  he  came  to  where  he 
now  lives  and  bought  the  residence  which  he  is  at 
present  occupying.  Cornelius  was  a  soldier  during 
the  late  war.  The  family  are  pioneers  in  Knox 
County,  having  come  here  in  1839. 


@|.3'3a(j»^»'w~^ 


~\A/>,~vt4£a1s'^^ 


g^amuel  Junk.  Conspicuous  among  the 
more  influential  and  worthy  citizens  of 
Knox  County,  and  characterized  for  his 
sterling  worth  and  upright  character,  is  the 
subject  of  this  brief  personal  history,  the  prin- 
cipal items  in  whose  record  are  here  given. 
He  is  a  resident  of  a  farm  situated  on  section  18, 
Rio  Township,  and  is  a  useful  member  of  society,  oc- 
cupying many  of  the  local  offices,  among  them  that 
of  Road  Commissioner. 

Mr.  Jimk  came  to  Knox  County  at  the  same  time 
that  his  brother,  Thomas,  took  up  his  abode  there 
(see  sketch  of  Thomas  Junk,  of  Henderson  Town- 
ship). He  had  a  predilection  for  agricultural  pur- 
suits and  settled  in  Henderson  Township,  where  he 
lived  until  the  spring  of  1866.  Tarrying  there  for  a 
brief  season,  he  later  came  to  Rio  Township,  where 
he  took  up  a  farm  on  section  18,  which  land  he  had 
bought  two  years  previously.  Here  was  begun  the 
improvement  and  cultivation  which  has  since  pro- 
duced such  admirable  results.  At  this  time  were 
laid  the  founda'ions  of  his  present  handsome  home. 
All  modern  additions  have  been  made;  his  land  has 
been  enriched  by  tilling,  and  new  and  substantial 
buildings  have  been  erected  thereon  and  this  home 
may  be  truly  called  one  of  the  most  desirable  and  at- 
tractive in  the  county.  Two  hundred  acres  of  land 
in  Knox  County  and  160  in  Mercer  County  are  the 
property  of  Mr.  Junk  and  are  an  acquisition  of  no 
mean  value. 

The  subject  of  this  narration  was  born  in  Fayette 
County,  Pa.,  Dec.   19,  1832.      The  parents  of  Mr. 
. -X 


Junk  were  James  and  Elizabeth  (Lincoln)  Junk.  Mr. 
Junk  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of  a  family  of 
seven  cliildren,  viz.:  John,  Samuel,  Thomas,  Sa- 
rah, Henry,  Jackson  and  Robert.  John  married 
Elizabeth  Robertson  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two 
children,  viz.:  Stephen  D.  (deceased)  and  Alexander 
R.  Thomas  married  Maria  Kilgore.  This  union 
has  been  blessed  by  seven  children  :  Jessie,  Frank, 
Alvin,  William,  Minnie,  David  and  Edith.  Sarah  is 
living  on  the  old  homestead  in  Pennsylvania;  Henry 
is  married  and  has  two  children,  James  and  an  in- 
fant not  named;  Jackson  and  Robert  are  deceased. 
The  paternal  side  of  the  Junk  family  is  of  Irish  or- 
igin and  from  the  mother's  side  it  conies  of  Dutch 
stock. 

Mr.  Junk  has  but  just  reached  the  meridian  of 
life,  having  attained  the  age  of  54,  and  being  hale 
and  vigorous,  may  live  to  attain  the  three  score  and 
ten  years  allotted  to  man.  In  his  earlier  years  he 
attended  the  common  schools,  receiving  an  ordinary 
education.  Feeling  that  honest  labor  dignifies  a  man, 
he  learned  the  carpenter  trade,  which  he  followed  in 
Pennsylvania  and  at  which  he  worked  for  two  years 
after  coming  to  Knox  County.  At  Knoxville,  May 
20,  i8!;8,  he  completed  his  happiness  by  choosing  a 
life  companion  in  the  person  of  Ann,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Hannah  (Dunlap)  Henderson,  both  na- 
tives of  Fayette  County,  Pa.  The  parents  of  Mrs. 
Junk  came  to  Knox  County  in  1855  and  settled  in 
Henderson  Township,  where  they  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  their  days,  departing  this  life  in  the  same 
county,  the  mother  in  1870  and  the  father  in  1874. 
Mrs.  Junk  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  March 
8,  1839,  and  there  lived  until  she  came  to  this  county, 
under  the  guardianship  of  her  parents. 

Mrs.  Junk  is  the  first  child  of  a  family  of  seven, 
viz. :  Hannah,  Mary,  Stewart,  Martha  J. ;  those  de- 
ceased are  Lizzie  and  Cynthia.  Hannah  became  the 
wife  of  H.  G.  Shinn.  They  have  four  children  liv- 
ing, viz. :  Francis,  Libbie  E.,  Nellie  and  Wallace. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Rankin,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  four  children,  viz. :  William,  Mary  E., 
Samuel  and  Horace.  Stewart  has  been  married,  but 
is  now  single.  He  has  a  family  of  five  children,  viz. : 
Ada,  Luella,  Annie,  Eva  and  Belle.  Martha  became 
the  wife  of  Alexander  Ritenhouse,  and  they  have 
three  children  now  living  :  Mamie,  Jacob  H.  and 
Edna.  Libbie  (now  deceased)  was  married  to  Tay- 
lor Lynn  and  had  one  child,  Almond.      On  the  pa- 


-(^ 


264 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ternal  side  of  the  house  Mrs.  J.  is  of  Irish  origin. 

To  the  house  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Junk  has  been 
added  four  children,  viz. :  Lizzie  H.,  James  H.,  Myr- 
tle E.  and  Edwin  T.  Lizzie  H.  is  the  wife  of  Taylor 
Lynn  and  resides  in  Rio  Township,  while  the  other 
children  are  still  inmates  of  the  parental  home. 
They  have  also  taken  the  entire  charge  of  Annie 
Henderson  since  she  was  an  infant  of  ten  months, 
and  the  little  one  has  grown  up  in  their  midst,  a 
source  of  much  pride  and  pleasure  to  one  and  all. 
Mr.  Junk  takes  an  active  part  in  educational  mat- 
ters and  has  been  a  School  Director  in  his  district 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  a  keen,  alert  thinker 
in  political  matters,  and  is  identified  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  whose  sentiments  he  voices  and  whose 
principles  he  upholds. 


^3 


€>- 


^'ohn  L.  Bloomfleld.  Standing  in  the  fore- 
most ranks  of  busy  workers    and  among 

3PP*S«  the  enterprising  and  industrious  men  of 
Knox  County,  may  be  named  the  subject  of 
^F  this  detailed  personal  narration.  He  is  a 
^  farmer,  living  on  section  34,  of  Rio  Township- 
He  may  be  reckoned  with  the  early  settlers  of  this 
section  of  country,  as  he  emigrated  from  Montgom- 
ery County,  Ind.,  to  his  present  home  in  the  fall  of 
1845. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  born  in  Butler 
County,  Ohio,  June  9,  1836,  and  was  nine  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  came  to  Kno.x  County.  He  at- 
tended scliool  in  his  native  State,  receiving  a  good, 
practical  education,  and  improving  his  opportunities, 
unlike  many  in  young  America  of  that  date.  In  con- 
sequence of  his  persevering  efforts,  he  found  his 
drill  and  discipline  during  these  years  of  immense 
advantage  to  him  in  later  life.  He  has  always  taken 
an  interest  in  educational  matters  and  has  been 
School  Director  for  some  length  of  time,  being  al- 
ways ready  to  promote  the  best  interests  of  schools 
and  scholars. 

His  matrimonial  alliance  was  formed  on  April  i, 
1858,  with  Elizabeth  Coziah,  a  native  of  Knox 
County,  who  has  borne  him  two  children:  Edwin  D. 
and  Francis  M.  On  the  25th  of  June,  i868,  he 
united  in  marriage  (having  lost  his  first  companion, 


in  Henderson  Township),  with  Miss  Hannah  C. 
Gritton.  She  was  born  in  Kno.x  County,  Jan.  25, 
1850 

Resulting  from  this  marriage  there  have  been  six 
children  :  Le Verne  A.,  George  E.,  William  E.,  Ellis 
J.,  Videlli  and  Etheleni  F.;  William  died  in  infancy. 
The  parents  of  the  subject  were  Isaac  and  Mary 
(Hahn)  Bloomfield,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Indiana  re- 
spectively. They  settled  in  Knox  County  in  1845, 
and  there  made  a  home,  in  which  they  continued 
until  the  day  of  their  death,  that  of  the  father  occur- 
ring in  1878  and  the  mother's  in  1884.  The  parents 
of  Mrs.  Bloomfield  were  George  and  Lucy  (Nation) 
Gritton,  both  natives  of  Kentucky.  They  came  to 
Knox  County  when  quite  young  and  were  married  in 
that  section  of  country,  where  they  began  life  and 
were  attended  by  prosperity  in  their  honest  efforts  to 
gain  a  sustenance.  The  mother  departed  this  life  in 
Henderson  Township,  in  1866,  while  the  father  died 
in  Missouri  in  1882. 

Mr.  Bloomfield  is  one  of  the  most  useful  men  that 
the  county  includes,  and  is  keen,  quick  and  accurate 
in  his  opinions  and  decisions.  Locally  he  is  helpful 
and  often  fills  some  minor  office.  He  is  an  active 
politician,  and  a  Democrat  in  voice  and  vote.  In 
religious  belief  he  is  liberal  and  large  minded  and  is 
believer  in  the  Universalist  faith,  with  which  denom- 
ination he  worships. 


ames  B.  Maekay.  Among  the  prominent 
^"  and  influential  citizens  of  Abingdon,  whose 
interests  have  been  closely  connected  with 
that  place  since  his  locating  there  in  1879,  is 
jt  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice. 
I  The  First  National  Bank  of  Abingdon,  of  which 
Mr.  Maekay  is  President,  was  established  in  August, 
1885,  and  opened  its  doors  for  business  on  the  ist 
day  of  September  of  that  year,  its  officers  being  J. 
B.  Maekay,  President;  M.  C.  Kimball,  Vice-Presi- 
dent; W.  A.  Latimer,  Cashier.  Its  capital  stock  was 
$50,000.  It  was  an  outgrowth  of  the  People's  Bank, 
of  Abingdon,  which  was  established  in  1879,  and  of 
which  M.  O.  Bates  was  President  and  the  subject  of 
this  notice  Cashier. 

James   B.   Maekay  was  born  in  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land, June   24,  1845,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Jes- 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L.JIVERSITY  OF  ILUNOiS 


^2i«^,-i-t--v^-^    €^^>^.^^^^^c-^j 


J»(S^' 


//6&rJZi/U6L    O'^uc/MX 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILUNCl: 


<^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


269 


sie  (Ross)  Mackay,  natives  of  that  country.  Young 
Mackay  was  reared  to  manhood  in  his  native  land, 
where  he  received  a  good  education.  Subsequent, 
to  his  attaining  the  age  of  manhood,  he  engaged  in 
the  banking  business  in  Scotland,  and  was  thus  oc- 
cupied for  r5  years.  In  1878  he  set  sail  for  the 
United  States,  and  in  July  of  that  year  we  find  him 
at  Galesburg.  Remaining  there  for  about  a  year,  he 
removed  to  Abingdon,  where  he  accepted  an  ap- 
pointment as  Cashier  of  the  People's  Bank.  Serving 
in  that  capacity  until  1883,  he  was  elected  President 
of  the  bank,  which  jxjsition  he  held  until  its  re-or- 
ganization and  until  it  was  merged  into  the  First 
National  Bank.  He  was  then  elected  President  and 
has  held  that  position  until  the  present  time.  He  is 
one  of  the  most  popular  business  men  of  Abingdon, 
and  is  well  known  throughout  the  entire  county.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church. 

Mr.   Mackay  was    married  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in 
'  April,  1881,  to  Miss  Anna  G.,  daughter  of  Patrick  R. 
Ramsay.     She  was  bom  in  Scotland,  and  arrived  in 
this  country  April  18,  1881. 


aniel  Fuqua.  Kno.x  County  Includes  some 
^  notable  and  eminently  worthy  men  within 
"  her  borders,  among  whom  may  be  named 
the  subject  of  this  recital,  the  details  of  who^e 
history  are  herein  recorded.  He  is  a  pioneer 
of  this  section,  and  after  many  useful  years  of 
life,  spent  in  forwarding  the  interests  and  growth  of 
the  county,  is  living  retired  in  Kno.\ville. 

Mr.  F.  was  bom  on  the  banks  of  James  River,  in 
Bedford  County,  Va.,  on  the  iSth  day  of  October, 
1814.  His  father,  Joseph  Fuqua,  was  also  a  native 
of  Virginia,  and  the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was 
Martha  Reynolds.  The  State  of  her  nativity  was 
also  Virginia,  and  when  our  subject  was  in  his  third 
year  his  parents  removed  to  Kentucky  and  settled  in 
Hart  County.  Here  his  father  bought  a  farm  and 
engaged  in  the  culture  of  tobacco,  and  here  they  con- 
tinued until  the  fall  of  1S29,  when  he  sold  out  and 
emigrated  to  Illinois.  With  him  were  his  wife  and 
eight  children,  and  with  both  horse  and  ox  teams  they 
pursued  their  journey  as  far  as  Indiana,  where  they 
spent  the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  pushed  fonvard 


to  Kno.x  County.  Here  they  located  at  Henderson 
Grove,  and  finding  a  vacant  cabin,  of  logs,  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Grove,  they  moved  into  it  on  the 
loth  of  May  and  resided  there  until  the  following 
fall.  He,  at  this  time,  took  up  a  claim  in  the  heart 
of  Henderson  Grove  and  there  built  a  log  cabin  of 
his  own.  He  covered  the  roof  with  split  clapboards, 
making  puncheons  for  the  floor,  and  splitting  the 
boards  for  the  doors.  Just  in  the  midst  of  his  prep- 
arations, when  both  were  most  hopeful,  he  was  cut 
down  by  death,  dpng  in  June,  1831,  leaving  his  be- 
reaved widow  to  continue  the  struggle  of  life  alone, 
m  a  new  and  unsettled  country,  with  a  family  of 
eight  children.  Of  their  large  family,  consisting  of  13, 
five  were  married  and  living  in  Kentucky.  How- 
ever, undismayed,  this  pioneer  wife  and  mother 
"took  up  the  burden  of  life  again,  "  and,  calling  to  her 
assistance  all  the  latent  energy  and  perseverance  of 
her  nature,  went  on  with  her  work.  She  carried  on 
the  farm  with  what  assistance  could  be  rendered  her 
by  the  two  older  children  until  1833,  when  they  re- 
moved to  what  is  now  Orange  Township,  staked  a 
claim  and  erected  a  log  cabin.  Here  they  lived  for 
about  three  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  the  ,, 
mother  sold  out  and  removed  to  Hendersonville. 
Here  she  lived  for  many  years,  crowned  with  the  re- 
ward of  virtue  and  goodness,  and,  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  John  Roundtree,  in  1856,  peacefully 
passed  from  earth. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  the  seventh  child 
in  order  of  birth.  At  the  age  of  16  years,  Mr.  Fuqua 
came  to  Knox  County,  and  in  consequence  of  so  early 
a  settlement  well  remembers  all  the  incidents  of  their 
removal  here.  He  assisted  his  father  and  mother  in 
the  improvement  of  the  farm,  and  after  his  father's 
death,  being  the  eldest,  naturally  took  the  lead  in  its 
management.  When  they  lived  in  Henderson  Grove 
they  were  obliged  to  leave  the  county  to  go  to 
mill,  and  the  first  year  the  family  Uved  here  they  had 
to  buy  com,  which  they  ground  in  a  hand-mill.  Up 
to  the  time  of  his  marriage,  Feb.  20,  1834,  he  re- 
mained with  his  motlier,  dutifully  caring  for  and  as- 
sisting her,  but  with  the  natural  desire  of  a  young 
man  to  seek  "  the  shadow  of  his  own  vine  and  fig- 
tree,  "  he  entered  the  bonds  of  holy  matrimony  with 
Rosanna  Bomar.  Miss  Bomar  was  born  in  Hart 
County,  July  4,  1818,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Dr. 
Wilson  and  Elizabeth  (Freeman)  Bomar.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  a   practicing  physician, 


h¥^ 


^-^ 


-e4: 


270 


■  Y. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


who  came  to  this  county  from  Kentucky  in  1833, 
making  the  entire  journey  overland.  His  family  con- 
sisted at  that  time  of  his  wife  and  1 1  children.  Bring- 
ing household  goods  with  him,  he  worked  and  camped 
along  the  way,  and  on  reaching  Knox  County  locat- 
ed in  Orange  Township  in  a  deserted  cabin,  where 
they  spent  the  winter.  The  following  spring  the  fam- 
ily went  to  Knox  Township,  and  taking  up  a  claim 
worked  it  for  two  years,  when,  selling  out,  they  re- 
moved to  Truro  Township.  Here  they  lived  for  five 
or  six  years,  then  returned  to  Knox  Township,  where 
they  spent  the  intervening  time  until  1848.  At  this 
date  they  removed  to  the  State  of  Missouri,  where 
the  father  died  a  few  years  later.  He  had  practiced 
his  profession  and  superintended  the  improvements 
on  his  farm  up  to  this  time. 

The  spring  succeeding  his  marriage,  Mr.  Fuqua,  of 
this  sketch,  took  up  a  claim  in  Orange  Township,  and 
lived  on  it  nearly  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  lime 
he  sold  it  and  removed  to  Knox  Township,  where  he 
bought  a  claim  in  sections  4  and  g.  Oa  this  piece 
of  property  he  lived  for  several  years,  adding  to  it  all 
modern  improvements  and  highly  cultivating  it.  Since 
that  time  he  spent  two  and  one-half  years  in  Abing- 
don, going  there  for  the  purpose  of  giving  his  children 
the  benefits  of  an  education,  but  with  that  exception 
he  has  lived  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville,  in  Knox 
Township,  ever  since  entering  it.  The  farm  of  200 
acres  is  managed  at  the  present  time  by  renters. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fuqua  are  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, viz  :  Martha  E.,  wife  of  A.  A.  Lynde,  living  in 
California;  Charles  W.,  whose  home  is  in  Decatur 
County,  Iowa;  Eliza,  wife  of  A.  O.  Temple,  living  in 
Knox  Township;  Mary  F.,  wife  of  W.  P.  Carlton, 
whose  home  is  in  Cass  County,  Dak.;  Celia,  wife  of 
T.  W.  McGill,  living  in  Knox  Township;  Maria, 
wife  of  J.  M.  Woods,  whose  home  is  in  Orange 
Township;  Emma  G.,  wife  of  C.  S.  Russell,  who 
lives  in  Knox  Township;  and  Ella  D.  resides  at 
home;  Andrew  died  at  the  age  of  five  years;  and  a 
son  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fuqua  botli  worship  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  to  which  they  are  united  as  members  by  pro- 
fession of  faith,  and  to  which  they  have  belonged  ever 
since  they  were  young.  Mr.  F.  is  a  wide-awake  man 
and  a  good,  logical  thinker  on  the  questions  of  the  day, 
and  once  supported  the  Democratic  party  in  senti- 
ment and  vote,  but  lately  gives  the  Prohibition  party 
much  attention.     He  and  his  good  wife  encountered 


the  sunshine  and  storm  of  52  years  of  married  life 
and  are  grandparents  to  59  children,  and  great- 
grandparents  to  7. 

Mr.  Fuqua  assisted  in  the  building  of  the  fort  to 
protect  the  settlers  from  the  Indians  during  the  try- 
ing times  of  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  1831  and  1832, 
and  has  figured  prominently  in  the  early  struggles  of 
the  county.  He  joined  the  Rangers  under  Captain 
McMurtry,  and  was  in  two  engagements,  once  after 
Stillman's  defeat.  Himself  and  wife  were  married  at 
the  residence  of  Maj.  Ferguson,  by  the  Rev.  Jacob 
Gum,  constituting  part  of  a  double  wedding  party,  a 
daughter  of  Mr.  Ferguson  and  Alex.  Robinson  being 
united  at  the  same  time.  Mr.  Fuqua's  wife  died  at 
their  residence,  Feb.  2r,  r886,  and  is  buried  in  the 
cemetery  at  Knoxville. 

In  presenting  the  portraits  of  leading  and  repre- 
sentative citizens,  none  are  more  worthy  of  a  place 
than  that  of  Daniel  Fuqua,  both  as  a  pioneer  and 
leading  citizen.  We  are  pleased  to  give  as  a  com- 
panion picture  his  esteemed  and  lamented  compan- 
ion.    Both  are  given  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 

■^ ..o^..(5J.)x^^-..o*o s— 

ames  L.  Cashman.  The  subject  of  this 
brief  personal  narrative  is  one  of  the 
most  important  citizens  and  enterprising 
men  resident  in  Knox  County.  He  is  engaged 
in  agricultural  pursuits  and  has  been  since  he 
first^came  to  Illinois,  which  was  at  a  date  far 
back,  so  early  that  he  might  be  reckoned  as  one  of 
the  pioneers  of  this  section  of  the  countr}'. 

Mr.  Cashman,  who  is  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
IT,  of  Indian  Point  Township,  come  to  Illinois  in 
1848,  and  settled  in  Knox  County.  He  was  a  native 
of  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  near  Wilmington,  which  is 
the  county-seat  of  Clinton  County.  He  was  born 
Jan.  6,  1836,  and  is  the  son  of  George  and  Rebecca 
J.  (Murphy)  Cashman,  natives  of  Virginia.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  born  Oct.  10,  1798,  and 
died  Feb.  ir,  1881.  The  mother  was  born  Aug.  i, 
1816,  and  died  Sept.  27,  1885. 

To  them  were  born  13  children,  three  of  whom 
died.  Their  names  are  here  given  :  Elizabeth  lives 
in  Tazewell  County,  111. ;  Mary  J.,  wife  of  J.  J.  Laws, 
has  a  home  at  Bedford,  Iowa;  H.  R.  and  James  L., 
twins,  of  whom   Harvey  R.  was  united  in  marriage 


-f 


■4r 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


*7i 


with  Rebecca  Crawford  and  is  living  in  Knox  County, 
he  holding  a  high  position  in  the  Revenue  Depart- 
ment at  Peoria,  111. ;  Susan,  who  is  the  wife  of  Henry 
Bond,  lives  in  Knox  County ;  William  M.  noarried 
Miss  Imogene  Monroe,  and  their  home  is  at  Corn- 
ing, Iowa;  David  M.  married  Mary  E.  Moore,  and 
her  home  was  in  Weldon,  Iowa,  up  to  the  time  of 
her  death  ;  Isaiah  wedded  Annie  Bridson,  and  their 
home  is  in  Clarke  County,  Iowa;  George  E.  married 
Miss  Estella  Hall,  and  lives  near  Corning,  Iowa ; 
Sarah  E.  married  P.  D.  Crawford,  and  lives  near 
Weldon,  Iowa;  Henry,  husband  of  Sarah  E.  Thomp- 
son, hves  near  Weldon,  Iowa. 

James  L.,  of  this  writing,  one  of  the  twins,  married 
Miss  Matilda  E.  Bond,  Dec.  31,  1857.  She  was 
born  Oct.  10,  1844,  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Walter  and  Eleanor  (Moon) 
Bond.  The  father  was  born  in  October,  1800,  and 
died  in  1877.  The  mother  was  born  in  1809,  and 
still  survives  him,  living  at  Herman,  Knox  County. 

Thirteen  children  were  born  to  this  pair,  as  fol- 
lows:  John,  who  married  Miss  Ann  McFarland  and 
died  in  June,  1884;  Henry,  who  united  with  Miss 
Susan  Cashman ;  Lucy  J.,  wife  of  Mr.  Sam  Davis  ; 
Elemanda  married  Miss  Sarah  Cramer ,  Jasper  was 
united  with  Amanda  Callison ;  Levi  took  to  wife 
Miss  Sarah  Drum;  Cynthia  E.,  wife  of  William 
Headly  ;  Sini,  living  at  home  with  her  mother;  and 
Frank,  who  married  Miss  Emma  Headly. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cashman  have  two  children  :  Ella 
B.,  born  Sept.  28,  1858,  who  married  W.  H.  Shunia- 
ker,  and  lives  in  Knox  County  ;  and  Oscar  B.,  who 
was  born  July  23,  1866,  and  is  now  attending  the 
Commercial  College  at  Quincy,  111. 

Our  subject  is  the  possessor  of  134  acres  of  highly 
cultivated  land,  upon  which  he  erected,  in  1866,  fine 
buildings,  a  dwelling-house  and  convenient  out- 
buildings. His  large  stock  of  domestic  animals  is 
complete  and  he  makes  a  business  of  breeding 
blooded  stock.  He  owns  a  thorough-bred  Short- 
horn bull  and  is  carrying  on  the  business  of  breeding 
Short-horn  animals.  He  also  raises  Poland-China 
pigs,  and  has  for  the  past  25  years,  which  he  sells  to 
other  breeders.  He  also  handles  horses,  having  two 
very  expensive  stallions  of  imported  stock,  deep  bay 
in  color  and  five  and  three  years  old  respectively. 
The  older  one  weighs  over  2,000  and  the  younger 
1,460  pounds.  They  were  imported  by  Cress  Bros., 
of  Tazewell  County,  111. 


\M. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cashman  are  members  in  good  and 
regular  standing  in  the  Christian  Church  at  Her- 
man, of  which  congregation  Mr.  C.  has  been  Dea- 
con for  several  years.  He  is  also  School  Director, 
which  position  he  has  held  for  19  years,  and  is  a 
helpful,  able  man  in  all  enterprises  affecting  public 
good.  His  wife  is  an  amiable  Christian  lady,  and 
well  liked  for  her  ready  sympathy  and  willingness  to 
resjxjnd  to  any  call  of  duty  made  upon  her.  Her 
husband  is  a  wide-awake  man  in  a  political  sense, 
and  watches  the  workings  of  National  affairs,  and  is 
Democratic  in  politics.  He  has  been  Treasurer  of 
the  township  three  years  and  Commissioner  for  five. 


|[  obert  Byram.  Foremost  in  the  ranks  of 
prominent  men  identified  with  the  growth 
of  Knox  County,  may  be  named  Robert 
Byram,  who  is  widely  known  and  distin- 
guished as  one  of  the  most  eminently  success- 
ful citizens  and  notable  men  of  Central  Illinois. 
He  is  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  leads  in  his  chosen  °^ 
field  of  labor  the  agriculturists  of  this  section  of  the 
country.  His  patronymic  is  a  household  word,  and 
he  is  conspicuous  as  a  substantial,  worthy  man,  and  ' 
a  desirable  friend  and  neighbor. 

Mr.  Byram's  homestead  is  situated  on  section  7 
of  Indian  Point  Township,  and  his  decided  liking  for 
pursuits  of  this  character — farming — has  won  him 
success  and  prosperity.  In  conjunction  with  the 
tillage  of  the  soil  he  is  interested  in  stock-raising, 
being  one  of  the  most  widely  known  in  this  direction 
of  any  man  in  his  section  of  the  country.  He  raises 
Short-horn  cattle  and  heavy  draft  horses,  besides 
large  numbers  of  blooded  swine.  His  cattle  num- 
ber 13  head,  among  which  is  a  fine  bull  of  the  Vic- 
tor stock,  who  bears  the  name  of  Vinnie  Duke.  This 
animal  is  two  years  of  age  and  weighs  1,400  ixjunds. 
He  is  also  the  possessor  of  12  full-blooded  females 
of  the  celebrated  White  Rose  family.  He  also  im- 
ported a  herd  for  Mrs.  Motts. 

Mr.  Byram  was  born  in  Fayette  and  reared  in 
Highland  County,  Ohio.  Here  he  passed  ten  years. 
The  date  of  his  birth  was  June  4,  1843,  and  he  is 
the  son  of  Lewis  and  Mary  (Lucas)  Byram,  natives 
of  Ohio.  His  father  was  born  April  23,  1821,  and 
departed  this  life  Aug.  22,  1862,  dying  in  the  State 


a, 


272 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


of  Illinois.     He  came  to  this  State  in   1853,  locating 

where  our  subject  lives.     In   1842  the  elder  Byram 

took  as  his  life  companion  Miss  Mary  Lucas,  who 

was  born  in   1822,  on  the   i6th  of  March.     Much 

celebrity  is  attached  to  the  name  of  Mrs.  Byram,  and 

her  ancestors  date  back,  in  point  of  family  history, 

to  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  who  so   long  since,  leaving 

home  and  country  in  search  of  that  grand  liberty  of 

conscience   which   is    the   birthright   of  Americans, 

came   in   the  Mayflower  and  landed  at  Plymouth  on 

that  historical  December  day  of  storm.     How  nobly 

they  succeeded,  we  who  have  enjoyed  the  fruits  of 

their  struggles  with  poverty   and  pain  can  tell,  and 

we  have  proved  that 

"They  have  left  un.staiued  what  there  they  found. 
Freedom  to  worship  God." 

They  were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy.  Those  living  are  as  follows  : 
Robert;  Emma  J.,  who  married  Mr.  A.  J.  Duncan, 
and  is  living  in  this  township  ;  Daniel,  who  married 
Miss  Josephine  Vandercar,  and  who  resides  at  Ellis- 
ville,  Fulton  County;  Cordelia  A.,  who  wedded  Mr. 
I  A.  J.  Spencer,  and  who  is  now  living  in  Nevada  Ter- 
ritory;  Charles  C,  who  married  Miss  Christiana, 
and  whose  home  is  in  Chautauqua  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Robert  Byram,  of  this  biography,  united  hand 
and  fortune  with  Miss  Teenie  Nance,  the  date  of 
this  event  being  Jan.  18,  1867.  She  was  born  Jan. 
16,  1847,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  W.  and 
Nancy  (Simmons)  Nance,  who  were  natives  respect- 
ively of  South  Carolina  and  Tennessee.  Her  father 
was  born  May  15,  1814,  while  Mrs.  Nance  was  born 
Feb.  2,  1815,  and  died  Nov.  13,  1872.  The  date  of 
their  marriage  was  May  24,  1836,  and  they  became 
the  parents  of  1 1  children,  namely :  Rufus  D.,  born 
Feb.  20,  1837;  Francis  M.,  Feb.  20,  1838;  Susan 
A.,  April  3,  1839;  Mary  J.,  Nov.  27,  1840;  Sarah 
E.,  July  16,  1842;  Charles  W.,  Aug.  11,  1844 
Nancy  C,  Jan.  16,  1847  ;  Martha  W.,  Dec.  4,  1848 
Harriet  M.,  April  i,  1851;  John  A.,  Feb.  to,  1853 
and  Robert  H.,  Jan.  20,  1856.  Mr.  Nance  is  now 
living  in  Abingdon,  111.,  and  is  a  farmer,  besides  un- 
derstanding the  carpenter's  trade. 

Mr.  Byram,  of  this  biographical  sketch,  is  the 
father  of  five  children,  as  follows  :  Pearl  L.,  born 
Nov.  4,  1870;  Lewis  M.,  Sept.  10,  1873;  George 
R.,  March  16,  1875;  Frank  G.,  Jan.  2r,  1879;  and 
Lon  R.,  May  29,  1884.  He  is  the  owner  of  85 
acres  of  land  and   is  engaged   in   stock-raising  as 


already  referred  to.  He  is  a  useful  man  in  a  public 
way  and  has  filled  the  office  of  Commissioner  of 
Highways  for  one  year.  He  is  a  member  of  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.  Lodge,  No.  125,  of  Abingdon,  which  or- 
ganization he  joined  in  1882.  He  holds  the  posi- 
tion of  Guide  in  that  body.  Religiously,  he  is  liberal 
and  large-minded,  possessed  of  warm-hearted  sym- 
pathies and  that  rare  principle  of  manhood  which 
"  in  honor  prefers  one  another."  Both  himself  and 
wife  are  working  members  of  the  Christian  Church, 
she  being  helpful  in  all  works  of  philanthropy  and 
kindness.  Politically,  he  is  a  wide-awake,  keen, 
discerning  thinker,  and  a  fearless  spokesman  when 
he  believes  himself  right.  He  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, the  principles  of  which  party  he  supports  by 
voice  and  vote. 


■^= 


-r-~T 


=H=e^ 


*f^ 


Ji 


W.  Dickerson,  deceased.  The  subject  of  ^ 
this  biographical  sketch  was  a  leading 
.^  citizen  of  Knox  County,  and  was  note- 
''  worthy  for  his  particular  success  in  his 
chosen  field  of  labor,  that  of  a  farmer;  his 
home  was  located  on  section  2 1 ,  Haw  Creek 
Township.  He  was  born  Aug.  3,  182  r,  in  Southern  , 
Illinois — White  County — and  was  married  in  1843. 
To  him  were  born  seven  children,  as  follows:  Mary 
Ann,  Phcebe,  James  T.,  Elizabeth  J.,  Eliza,  W.  W. 
and  Martha. 

He  came  to  Knox  County  in  1840,  and  may  be 
reckon-jd  among  the  pioneers  of  this  section,  as  he 
bought  land  at  that  time  and  laid  the  foundation  of 
his  late  home.  He  watched  the  gradual  progress  of 
the  county,  and  was  identified  with  its  early  history 
as  a  factor,  and  here  he  remained  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  Aug.  it,  1885.  He  had  been  mar- 
ried twice,  his  second  alliance  being  with  Elizabeth 
Highfield,  nee  Connor.  This  union  was  crowned  by 
the  advent  of  two  children — John  L.  and  Frank  W.; 
the  former  is  deceased. 

By  her  first  union  there  were  three  children  born — 
Melvina,  Charles  F.  and  Gilbert  H.  Melvina  mar- 
ried James  Dickenson  and  lives  on  the  old  home- 
stead; Charles  F.  married  Charlotte  Westfall  and 
they  reside  in  LaHarpe;  Gilbert  H.  married  Matilda 
Westfall  and  is  now  residing  in  Hancock  County, 
this  State.     Mrs.  Dickerson  is  the  owner  of  40  acres 


I 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

l:jiversity  of  Illinois 


RE51DCNCE    OF      HARMON      BROWN     5EC      30,   H  EN  PER  5  D  N     TOWNSHIP. 


RCSIDENCE   OF   J051AH     NELSON, 5EC    2,  ELBA    T0WN5HTP 


SILVER  LEAF    FflRIYl  .  RESIDENCE    OTJOHN     R.5miTH,HEC.34,   SPARTA  TOWNSHIP. 


■*• 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


275 


of  land,  on  which  is  erected  a  good  house,  neat  and 
convenient,  with  all  needed  out-biiildina;s.  She  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  a  lady 
of  high  attainments,  of  many  graces  of  mind  and 
character,  and  is  esteemed  and  respected  by  the  en- 
tire community. 

armon  G.  Brown.  Among  the  thoroughly 
representative  men  of  Knox  County  the 
name  of  Harmon  G.  Brown  stands  out 
prominently.  He  is  a  farmer  on  section  30,  of 
Henderson  Township,  and  first  arrived  in  this 
county  in  November,  1830,  from  Mead  County, 
Settling  in  Henderson  Township,  he  has  re- 
sided there  since  that  date.  He  owns  175  acres  of 
excellent  and  mostly  tillable  land.  He  is  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  where  he  was  born  on  the  20th  of  Decem- 
ber, r8o3.  In  this  latter  place  he  resided  up  to  the 
dale  of  his  coming  to  Knox  County.  Since  first  start- 
ing in  life  he  has  invariably  allied  himself  with  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  For  the  first  time  he  married  in 
Mead  County,  Ky.,  on  the  7th  of  Feb.,  1828,  Han- 
nah M.  Hascall,  who  was  herself  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky. In  eight  months  after  her  marriage  she 
died,  on  the  17th  of  October,  1828. 

He  was  for  the  second  time  married  in  Warren  Co., 
111.,  in  September,  1840,  to  Nancy  Hogan,  a  native 
of  Harrison  County,  Ind.  This  good  lady  was  born 
on  the  23d  of  June,  1820.  By  this  union  twelve 
children  were  born,  viz:  John,  Henry  C,  Margaret, 
Alfred,  Joshua,  Frank,  Laura,  Freeman,  Samuel, 
Ben,  Harmon  and  Mary.  Henry  C,  Margaret, 
Joshua  and  Harmon  are  deceased.  John  was  mar- 
ried to  Ellen  Cox,  and  resides  in  Warren  County. 
Henry  C.  was  a  member  of  Co.  C,  17th  111.  Vol.  Inf. 
This  gentleman  was  accidentally  killed  by  the  ex- 
plosion of  a  shell  while  seated  at  breakfast,  shortly 
after  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg.  He  was  a  gallant 
soldier  and  a  loyal  patriot,  and  one  of  the  very  first 
numbering  among  the  volunteers.  Alfred  was  mar- 
ried to  Irena  McLaughlin,  and  resides  in  Kansas, 
where  he  follows  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  Frank 
was  married  to  Hannah  Ramage,  and  resides  in 
Kansas,  where  he  also  follows  farming.  Laura  is  the 
wife  of  James  C.  Heflin,  and  lives  in  Kansas.  Free- 
man was  married  to  Annie  C.  Coolidge,  and  is  now 
residing  in  WarrenCounty.  Samuel  married  a  lady  of 


Kansas,  in  which  State  he  resides.  Ben  became  the 
husband  of  Dora  F.  Allen,  and  resides  in  Henderson 
Township,  where  he  carries  on  the  old  home  farm. 
Mary  is  the  wife  of  E.  Bonesteel,  and  also  resides  in 
Henderson. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  elected  at  one  time 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  but  soon  resigned  the  office.  In 
their  religious  belief  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  Uni- 
versalists  and  in  excellent  standing  in  their  commu- 
nity. This  gentleman's  six  sons  as  well  as  the  father 
are  thorough-going  Republicans.  Mr.  Brown  him- 
self has  always  watched  the  interest  of  his  party,  and 
never  permits  any  public  measure  to  escape  his 
notice  without  carefully  calculating  its  issues  for  the 
good  or  evil  of  his  country.  He  has,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  two  elections,  voted  at  Henderson  ever  since 
it  was  made  a  precinct. 


ames  Bale.    Resident  within  the  borders  of 
i-^jti?   Knox  County  are  many  men  of  native  worth 
)i^^  and  force  of  character,  whose  perseverance  ^J 
f^,k>     and    patience  have  won    them    a  high    place 
^IL^    upon  her  records,  and  foremost  among  these 

I  may  be  found  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
recital,  and  the  principal  events  of  whose  career  are 
narrated  in  the  subsequent  paragraphs.  His  home 
is  located  on  section  29,  of  Haw  Creek  Township, 
and  by  vocation  he  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  to 
which  united  occupation  he  gives  his  most  earnest 
attention. 

Mr.  Bale  was  born  in  Devonshire,  England,  Oct. 
15,  1829,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Charlotte 
(England)  Bale.  The  father  of  Mr.  Bale  came  to 
America  in  1841,  and  one  year  later  James  and 
John  came  to  join  their  father,  the  mother  dying  in 
England  when  James  was  but  four  years  of  age.  On 
first  arriving  in  America  he  stopped  in  New  Jersey; 
remained  there  a  few  months,  then  went  to  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  tarried  for  four  years.  From  that 
State  he  removed  to  the  northern  part  of  Ohio, 
where  he  continued  until  1854,  and  in  1862  he  en- 
listed in  the  loth  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  Saline  County.  He 
had  been  in  the  army  six  to  eight  months  when  his 
health  gave  way,  he  being  at  the  time  65  years  of  age, 
and  susceptible  to  disease.  He  was  sent  to  the  hos- 
pital, but  undertook  to  evade  his  duty  and  go  home, 


•^ 


^ 


276 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


A 


and  was  captured  by  some  rebel  guerrillas  and  shot — 
at  least  this  was  the  report  of  his  fate  whicli  reached 
his  sons. 

In  1850  Mr.  Bale  took  a  trip  to  California,  which 
he  made  with  a  team  in  company  with  Oliver  Ulan. 
In  California  he  remained  nine  years,  working  in  the 
mines,  and  while  in  that  State  was  married  to  Lydia 
Bartlett.  She  was  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  died 
about  ten  months  after  her  marriage,  this  being  in 
1854.  In  1858-9  he  left  that  section  of  the  country 
and  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  staid  a  short  time,  then 
went  to  Saline  County,  111.,  and  bought  a  farm  of 
240  acres.  On  this  he  labored  for  four  years,  and  at 
that  date  moved  to  Knox  County,  settling  in  Haw 
Creek  Township.  Here  he  has  lived  up  to  the  pres- 
sent  time.  He  was  married  a  second  time  to  Ma- 
tilda P.  Parke,  Dec.  Dec.  18,  i86o.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  David  and  Matilda  (Taliaferro)  Parke, 
and  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  July  g, 
1832.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Bale  is  a  cousin  of  Gen. 
Zachary  Taylor.  They  have  one  son  by  adoption, 
who  was  born  July  26,  1878.  Mr.  Bale  owns  254 
acres  of  good  land  under  fine  cultivation  and  well 
improved,  on  which  are  erected  first-class  buildings. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat,  supporting  and  voting 
with  that  party.  Mrs.  Bale  is  a  member  of  the  Bap- 
tist Church. 


■43 


=4=4 


=E>J- 


rederiek  P.  Foltz.  Among  the  prosper- 
ous business  men  of  Abingdon,  and  who 
has  long  been  closely  identified  with  the 
_  ^  best  interests  of  the  city,  is  the  gentleman  whose 
3k^  name  heads  this  notice.  He  embarked  in  the 
drug  business  there  in  1865,  but  to  this  line 
subsequently  added  groceries  and  farm  implements. 
Since  1879,  however,  he  has  dealt  exclusively  in 
drugs,  paints,  oils,  books,  stationery,  wall-paper  and 
farm  implements,  and  carries  an  average  stock  of 
about  $4,000. 

Mr.  Foltz  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  Nov. 
15,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of  Christian  and  Hannah 
(Kieffer)  Foltz.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in  his 
native  county  and  there  served  a  regular  apprentice- 
ship to  tiie  carpenter  trade,  after  which  he  was  con- 
tinuously occupied  in  that  work  during  the  year  he 


remained  a  resident  of  that  State.  He  was  married 
at  Waynesboro,  Pa.,  Oct.  8,  1855,  to  Miss  Melinda 
C,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  George  and  Susan 
Jacobs.  Mrs.  Foltz  was  born  at  Waynesboro,  Pa., 
Dec.  7,  1833.  In  1857  our  subject,  with  his  family, 
moved  to  Kansas  and  was  there  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits  until  i860,  when,  on  account  of  the 
unsettled  condition  of  affairs  at  that  time,  it  being 
just  prior  to  the  war,  he  returned  to  his  native  State. 
There  he  worked  at  his  trade  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  in  1865,  when  he  again  came  to  Kansas.  Not 
being  favorably  impressed  with  the  portion  of  that 
State  which  he  visited,  he  came  to  Abingdon  and  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business,  and  has  been 
prominently  identified  with  the  growth,  not  only  of 
Abingdon,  but  of  Knox  County,  since  that  time.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  aid  of  the  construction  of  the 
Peoria  &  Farmington,  now  the  Central  Iowa  Rail- 
road, and  was  a  member  of  its  Board  of  Directors. 
He  was  an  earnest  worker  in  securing  local  aid  in 
the  interest  of  the  road.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Directors  of  the  Union  Bank,  of  Abing- 
don, and  has  been  its  Vice-President  since  1880.  In 
addition  to  his  drug  and  stationery  business,  he  is 
extensively  engaged  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments, together  with  wagons  and  buggies.  He  is  also 
a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  having  a  fine  farm  of  310 
acres,  lying  on  the  west  line  of  Cedar  Township.  On 
this  splendid  place  he  keeps  an  average  herd  of  40 
head  of  full-blooded  Short-horn  cattle  and  also  a 
herd  of  75  head  of  liigh  grades.  He  is  a  gentleman 
of  more  than  ordinary  ability  as  a  business  man,  and 
what  he  possesses  of  this  world's  goods,  which  is  ati 
abundance,  he  has  acquired  through  his  own  energy 
and  perseverance. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Foltz  are  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, two  sons  and  four  daughters  :  Louisa  Belle 
was  born  at  Chambersburg,  Pa.,  July  17,  1856,  and 
died  Sept.  22,  1857;  Jennie  Augusta  was  born  in 
Shawnee  County,  Kas.,  March  20,  1858;  George  F. 
J.  was  also  born  in  that  county,  Nov.  5,  1859,  and 
died  April  18,  1864;  Frederick  Luther  was  born  in 
Waynesboro,  Pa.,  Feb.  25,  1862,  and  died  April  18, 
1864,  in  Kansas.  Linnie  M.  was  born  Nov.  23, 
1867,  in  Abingdon;  Lillie  M.  and  Helen  D.  (twins) 
were  born  at  Abingdon,  Aug.  25,  1870;  the  former 
died  September  15,  of  the  same  year. 

Mrs.  Foltz  united  with  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  in  June,  1849,  and  Mr.  Foltz  Nov.  23,  1850. 


-Hr 


t 


7\  ^- 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


277 


On  coming  to  Abingdon  and  finding  no  church  of 
their  denomination,  they  united  with  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterian,  with  which  they  have  since  held 
fellowship.  This,  however,  is  now  known  as  the 
Congregationalist. 

-^ ••o4o.-@^X^Q>.o*o <,— 

;  rasmus  A.  Bartlett.  One  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive and  conspicuous  citizens  and  pub- 
lic men  of  Knox  County,  through  whose 
enterprise  and  vim  matters  pertaining  to  the 
public  good  are  carried  on,  is  proposed  as  the 
subject  of  our  sketch.  He  is  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative farmers  of  Rio  Township,  and  resides  on 
section  16,  a  home  that  his  energetic  labors  have 
made  beautiful  and  attractive. 

Mr.  Bartlett  came  to  Knox  County  in  1844,  from 
Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  when  he  was  14  years  of 
age.  He  has  since  made  this  section  of  the  country 
his  home,  and  is  looked  up  to  as  oneof  the  most  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  community  to  which  he  belongs. 
His  birthplace  was  Alexander,  N.  Y.,  and  the  date 
of  his  birth  Dec.  24,  1830.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education  up  to  the  time  he  was  14  years  of 
age,  when  he  came  to  Illinois.  He  has  a  greater 
part  of  his  life  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
for  which  he  entertains  an  honest  liking.  He  is  at 
the  present  time  owner  of  116  acres  of  good  farming 
land,  tillable  and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  was  married  in  Henderson  Township  in  T855, 
to  Helen  Sears,  who  was  a  native  of  Cortland  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  who  was  an  estimable  lady  and  devoted 
wife.  To  him  she  has  borne  five  children,  by  name 
Frank  S.,  Mary  A.,  Harry  C,  Nellie  B.,  Carrie  A.,  of 
whom  Frank  and  Carrie  survive.  Mrs.  B.  died  Nov. 
12,  1869.  Frank  has  a  home  in  Galesburg.  He  was 
married  to  Sarah  Fleahearty,  and  they  are  the  parents 
of  three  children — Alice  H.,  John  D.  and  William 
A.  Carrie  is  a  teacher  of  much  success  and  popularity 
in  the  State  of  Iowa. 

Mr.  Bartlett  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance 
in  Oneida,  Aug.  17.  1870,  with  Elizabeth  (Slocum) 
Edwards.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Michael  and  De- 
borah (Le Valley)  Slocum.  On  the  paternal  side,  as 
far  as  can  be  traced,  Mrs.  B.  is  of  American  origin. 
On  the  maternal  side  she  dates  back  to  French  an- 
cestry.    She  has  one  brother,  and  by  the   second 


marriage  of  her  father  she  has  four  brothers  and  two 
sisters.  Two  of  the  brothers  are  now  deceased.  Mrs. 
Bartlett  was  the  widow  of  John  Edwards,  who  died  in 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  during  the  war. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  io2d  111.  Vol.  Inf, 
Div.  18,  which  he  entered  in  the  year  1862.  By  this 
marriage  there  are  two  children — Charlie  E.  and 
Sarah  M.  Mr.  Bartlett  is  in  politics  a  member  of  the 
Republican  party,  which  he  stanchly  upholds.  His 
parents,  John  D.  and  Sarah  (Pryor)  Bartlett,  were 
natives  of  Vermont  and  England,  respectively.  They 
came  to  Knox  County  in  1844,  settling  in  Rio  Town- 
ship, and  may  be  properly  called  pioneers.  In  this  part 
of  the  country  they  died,  he  on  March  20,  1883,  and 
she  followed  him  Feb.  12,  1885.  They  were  estima- 
ble and  highly  respected  old  people,  standing  alone 
with  whitened  heads  and  diminished  vigor,  and  the 
highest  praise  they  needed  and  received,  for  the 
usefulness  of  their  lives,  was  the  respect  and  rever- 
ence of  dutiful  children  and  affectionate  friends. 

They  were  the  parents  of  five  children,  viz. :  Li- 
vonia A.,  LoamniaM.,  E.  A  (see  sketch)  the  subject 
of  this  notice,  Sarah  M.,  John  D.,  Jr.  Livonia  A. 
married  Elisha  C.  Field.  They  have  had  three  chil- 
dren, all  deceased.  Sarah  M.  became  the  wife 
of  Edwin  R.  Rhodes.  The  husband  and  wife  are 
both  dead.  They  left  one  child,  Edwin  B.,  to  mourn 
their  loss.  John  D.  Jr.,  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Chat- 
terdon. 


ames  M.  Fleming  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers of  Oneida  and  of  Knox  County,  com- 
ing to  the  former  place  in  1856,  when  it 
was  a  mere  hamlet  and  when  the  county  was 
"^r  yet  sparsely  peopled.  He  was  a  native  of  Mus- 
kingum County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  June 
22,  t8it,  his  parents  being  Virginia  people.  He  was 
a  farmer,  and  after  enjoying  to  a  limited  extent  the 
meager  educational  advantages  of  that  early  date, 
was  married  in  his  native  county  to  Emily  Wells, 
who  was  born  in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  Oct.  18, 
1815.  Her  parents,  William  and  Susan  Wells  (her 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Bigelow),  were  natives  of 
Connecticut,  of  New  England  ancestry  and  of  En- 
glish descent.  They  came  to  Ohio  before  their  mar- 
riage, were  pioneers  in  that  State,  living  after  their 
marriage  in  Licking  County  till  the  death  of  the 


-¥ 


378 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


father,  after  which  the  mother  re-married,  going  to 
Muskingum  County,  where  she  died.  Mrs.  Flem- 
ing was  five  years  old  at  the  time  of  the  death  of 
her  father,  and  when  12  years  old  went  to  live  in  the 
family  of  Rev.  Solomon  S.  Miles,  then  a  resident  of 
Newark,  Ohio,  and  with  whom  she  remained  till 
within  a  few  years  prior  to  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Flem- 
ing, which  took  place  March  10,  1836.  They  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Licking  and  Muskingum  Counties 
till  they  moved  to  Oneida,  in  1856,  where  they 
partly  improved  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  Ontario 
Township,  which  is  owned  by  Mrs.  Fleming  and  to 
whom  it  was  bequeathed  by  her  father  at  his  death. 

Mrs.  Fleming  is  the  mother  of  three  children  only 
one  of  whom  is  living — Mrs.  Susan  M.  Barnes,  wife 
of  P.  J.  Barnes,  of  Del  Rio,  Texas,  where  they  own 
a  comfortable  home ;  Clay  died  in  Ohio,  aged  two 
years;  and  Emily  A.  became  the  wife  of  F.  M.  B. 
Scott,  died  in  Oneida  after  a  few  years  of  married 
life,  Sept.  I,  1876,  leaving  one  child  and  losing  one 
before  her  own  demise.  The  name  of  the  child  liv- 
ing is  Ira  J. 

Mr.  Fleming  was  an  active  temperance  worker 
and  a  stanch  Republican,  took  considerable  interest 
in  local  politics,  and  after  a  long  and  happy  married 
life,  a  life  of  usefulness  and  devotion  to  friends,  fam- 
ily and  duty,  he  rests  in  peace  beyond  the  turmoil 
of  earth  and  its  cares,  mingling  now  with  the  great 
majority  in  a  "  land  that  is  fairer  than  day.  "  His 
death  occurred  April  26,  1867. 


JJ^dwin  Brainard,  a  farmer  of  Knox  County, 
may  be  cited  as  one  of  our  most  success- 
ful and  prosperous  men.  He  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  the  year  1855,  and  purchased  a  new, 
uncultivated  farm  of  160  acres.  He  erected  a 
small  house  and  there  commenced  what  has 
since  become  his  home.  During  the  subsequent 
years  he  has  added  many  improvements  and  fertil- 
ized his  farm  to  such  an  extent  that  it  now  ranks 
among  the  best  farms  in  the  State.  His  land  is  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  and  his  home  is  an  attract- 
ive and  pleasant  one.  His  farm  buildings  and  adja- 
cent out-houses  are  first-class.  He  owns  large 
numbers  of  blooded  stock,  which  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful in  raising. 

Mr.  Brainard  is  the  son  of  Jephtha  and  Catherine 


(Comstock)  Brainard,  who  were  formerly  of  New  En- 
gland. They  afterward  removed  from  that  sec- 
tion of  the  country  and  settled  on  what  has  long 
been  known  as  Webster  Hill,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y., 
where  Edwin  was  born  Nov.  9,  1809.  Some  time 
later  his  parents  went  to  Whitestown,  a  small  village 
situated  in  the  same  county.  Here  the  subject  of 
our  writing  passed  the  years  of  his  boyhood  with  his 
parents  (see  sketch  of  Jephtha  Brainard,  of  Oneida), 
up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage,  which  happy  event 
took  place  in  Western  Oneida  County,  Dec.  21, 1842, 
Miss  Mercy  White  being  the  other  contracting 
party.  Mercy  (White)  Brainard  was  born  in  West- 
ernville,  Oneida  Co.,  New  York,  Oct.  7,  1820.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Moses  T.  and  Phebe  (Philips) 
White,  natives  of  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  re- 
spectively. Mrs.  Brainard's  father  was  by  occupa- 
tion a  farmer.  He  was  married  in  Oneida  County, 
and  both  himself  and  wife  lived  and  died  there.  He 
was  a  prominent  actor  in  local  affairs,  and,  relating  to 
his  township,  energetic  and  enterprising.  They  both 
lived  to  attain  advanced  years,  the  mother  being  53 
and  the  father  80  years  at  the  date  of  their  demise. 
Mrs.  Brainard  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  a  large  X 
family,  comprising  11  brothers  and  sisters.  She  was 
the  valued  companion  and  assistant  of  both  father 
and  mother,  up  to  the  date  of  her  marriage.  She  is  , 
herself  the  mother  of  five  children,  having  lost  one 
by  death.  Anna,  residing  at  home,  was  formerly  a 
teacher  in  the  public  school.  Everett,  the  second, 
married  Anna  E.  Osborne,  and  at  this  writing  re- 
sides in  Seward  County,  Neb.,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  farming.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children. 
Carrie,  the  third,  is  a  graduate  of  Lombard  Univers- 
ity, of  Galesburg,  and  is  a  young  lady  of  fine  mental 
endowments.  After  leaving  the  University  at  Gales- 
burg she  graduated  a  second  time  from  St.  Lawrence 
College,  Canton,  New  York  State.  She  has  devoted 
her  entire  time  and  talents  thus  far  in  her  life  to  her 
studies,  with  marked  industry  and  ardor.  Since  the 
year  1880  she  has  preached  the  doctrines  of  the 
Universalist  Church,  and  given  much  time  and 
thought  to  religious  points  of  belief  Four  years  of 
her  pastorate  she  spent  at  Leroy,  111  ,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent preaching  at  Girard,  111.  She  is  frequently  des- 
ignated as  strong-minded,  and  is  in  character  an 
interesting  and  highly  cultivated  lady,  as  well  as  a 
fluent  and  eloquent  speaker.  George  W.,  fourth  in 
order  of  birth,  married  Carrie  S.  Cummings,  who  was 


I 


IIBRARV 

OF  THE 

I  DIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


J     //  7/ 


Ht 


■^i- 


js:jv^ox  county. 


283 


born  and  reared  in  Knox  County.  They  settled  oa 
the  Brainard  homestead  and  cultivated  the  farm 
where  they  reside  at  the  present  time. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brainard,  of  this  sketch,  immediately 
after  marriage,  setded  on  a  farm  located  in  Lee 
Township,  Oneida  County,  State  of  New  York.  Here 
they  passed  13  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  they 
removed  to  Illinois.  Coming  to  this  State,  they  dis- 
posed of  their  farm  in  Oneida  County,  which  com- 
prised 64  acres.  Both  are  highly  respected  citizens, 
agreeable  friends  and  good  neighbors.  .  They  are 
active  members  of  the  Universalist  Church,  in  full 
and  regular  standing.     Politically  he   is  a  Republi- 


«taea;®^'«— 1>| 


./gJ.a/3iOT»v. 


'  ohn  M.  Hayes.  Included  among  the  wor- 
Ki  thy  citizens  of  Knox  County  and  the  able 
farmers  of  that  section  is  the  subject  of 
this  historical  sketch.  His  effective  manage- 
ment of  his  farm,  situated  on  section  34  of 
Knox  Township,  gives  him  a  place  among  the 
leading  members  of  society  resident  in  the  county. 
He  is  actively  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  for 
which  he  has  a  decided  liking,  and  also  in  the  breed- 
ing of  fine  blooded  stock,  consisting  of  horses  and 
cattle. 

Mr.  Hayes  was  born  in  Franklin  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1816, 
on  the  9th  of  July.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Dau- 
phin County.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Da- 
vid Hayes,  was  also  a  native  of  Dauphin  County, 
and  came,  when  the  father  of  our  subject  was  but  a 
small  lad,  to  Franklin  County,  where  his  son  grew 
to  manhood,  remaining  with  him  until  his  marriage. 
This  matrimonial  connection,  which  was  celebrated 
within  Cumberland  County,  was  with  Miss  Mary 
McCune.  She  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  and 
at  the  time  of  marriage  settled  with  her  young  hus- 
band on  a  farm  given  to  him  by  his  father,  near 
Green  Castle.  There  they  lived  for  three  years,  then 
sold  out  and  bought  near  St.  Thomas,  where  they 
lived  for  a  few  years  and  then  removed  to  a  point 
near  Mercersburg,  at  whicli  place  the  father  died. 

There  were  born  to  them  10  children,  five  of  whom 
are  now  living,  the  subject  being  the  fourth  child  in 
order  of  birth.     He  grew  to  manhood  in  the  State  of 


his  nativity,  living  on  the  farm  until  he  reached  his 
i6th  year,  when  he  took  charge  of  his  father's  farm, 
which  he  managed  till  1848. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  wedlock 
during  that  year  with  Phebe  F.  Grantham,  who  was 
a  native  of  Jefferson  Co.,  Va.  John  and  his  brother 
had  previously  bought  a  farm  near  Mercersburg,  and 
after  marriage  he  bought  his  brother's  interest  and 
worked  the  farm  himself.  One  year  afterward  he 
sold  liis  property,  removing  to  Chambersburg,  where 
he  rented  land  for  three  years,  and  in  1853  came  to 
Illinois,  locating  in  Knox  County,  and  bought  the 
farm  which  is  his  present  home.  It  was  equipped 
with  a  common  frame  house  and  stable,  which  since 
he  has  owned  it  has  given  place  to  a  good  brick  res- 
idence and  convenient  and  commodious  outbuildings, 
standing  upon  a  large  and  handsome  property  sur- 
rounded by  upward  of  400  rods  of  hedge.  He  is 
largely  engaged  in  the  raising  of  the  cereals  and  the 
breeding  of  stock,  more  especially  horses. 

Mr.  Hayes  lost  his  wife  by  death  on  the  14th  of 
June,  1861,  and  was  re-married  on  the  28th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1863,  to  Nancy  Hockenberry,  a  native  of 
Franklin  Co.,  Pa.  The  children  of  his  first  mar- 
riage were  Mary  K.,  wife  of  Arthur  Barnhart,  whose 
home  is  in  Adams  Co.,  Iowa,  and  John,  who  lives  in 
Clay  Co.,  Neb.  By  his  second  marriage  he  had  one  • 
daughter,  Ella  May,  who  lives  with  her  brother,  in 
Nebraska.  In  the  year  1872,  on  the  3d  of  October, 
he  was  again  married,  this  tinis  to  Hattie  R.  Epler, 
who  was  born  in  Adams  Co.,  Pa.,  and  the  fruit  of  the 
third  marriage  has  been  six  children — David  W., 
Harley  E.,  Abbie  A.,  Bertie  B.,  Maggie  M.  and  Bes- 
sie Mabel. 

In  the  year  1876  Mr.  Hayes  visited  the  Centen- 
nial Exposition  and  there  purchased  the  celebrated 
draft  horse  Pat  Malloy,  and  the  following  September 
he  was  delivered  to  Mr.  Hayes.  When  the  premi- 
ums were  awarded,  Sept.  27,  Pat  Malloy  was  given 
the  bronze  medal  presented  by  the  United  States 
Government  and  a  silver  medal  presented  by  Lord 
Dufferin  in  behalf  of  the  Canadian  Government, 
both  of  which  are  in  Mr.  H.'s  possession.  He  has  done 
more  to  improve  the  breed  of  horses  of  this  section 
than  any  other  man  in  the  county,  and  he  still  re- 
tains Pat.  Malloy,  as  well  as  two  other  valuable  stall- 
ions. Honest  William  and  Frank  Malloy.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  breeders  of  Short-horn  cattle  in  this 
county,  and  at   the  present  time  owns  a  herd  of  40 


'*^- 


284 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


thorough-breds.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican. Mrs.  Hayes  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Hayes  and  a  view  of  his  splen- 
did stock  are  shown  on  another  page. 


•»~WNAiie£'©^«| 


»@5-gl/jWtr»v. -vv^^ 


f^^tenry  Rommel.  Prominent  among  the  sue- 
ill'  cessful  and  well-to-do  farmers  of  Knox 
County,  and  one  who  has  acquired  a  suffi- 
ciency of  this  world's  goods  to  enable  him  to 
pass  the  evening  of  life  in  peace  and  quiet 
retirement  upon  his  fine  farm  on  section  28, 
Sparta  Township,  is  the  subject  of  this  notice.  Mr. 
Rommel  was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  Feb  i,  1829. 
His  parents  were  Henry  and  Susannah  (Grubb) 
Rommel,  natives  of  the  "  Faderland.  "  His  father  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  the  parental  family  of 
children  were  six  in  number,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  and  were  named  Barbara,  George,  Liza, 
Henrietta,  Henry  and  John.  George  and  Barbara 
are  deceased.  The  mother  died  in  1843,  and  the 
father  in  1880;  both  in  their  native  land. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  at  home  until 
he  was  18  years  old,  assisting  on  the  farm  and  at- 
tending school.  He  then  left  his  native  land  and 
came  to  this  country,  disembarking  at  New  York, 
Sept.  29,  1848.  From  there  he  went  to  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  two 
years.  In  1850,  he  came  to  this  State,  settling  at  La 
Salle,  La  Salle  County.  He  worked  on  a  farm  in  the 
neighborhood  of  that  plate  for  one  year,  when  he 
went  to  Marshall  County,  and  was  there  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  two  years.  At  this  period  in  his 
life,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Payne,  the  date 
being  Oct.  6,  1853.  She  was  a  native  of  England, 
and  a  daughter  of  Thomas  E.  and  Catherine  (Rich- 
ards) Payne,  who  came  to  this  country  in  i860;  were 
residents  of  Pennsylvania  one  year,  when  they  came 
to  this  State  and  settled  in  Marshall  County,  where 
Miss  Anna  was  married.  Mr.  Payne  purchased  a 
farm  in  that  county,  and  there  lived  until  his  death; 
that  of  his  wife  occurring  in  1855,  and  his  in  1880. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children — Thomas 
E.,  John,  Hannah,  Edward,  Richard,  Anna,  William 
and  George. 
After  marriage,  Mr.  Rommel  engaged   in  teaming 


^ 


for  himself  in  Henry  Village,  that  county,  and  was 
thus  occupied  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Gales- 
burg.  In  that  village  he  was  occupied  in  teaming 
and  in  farming,  in  close  proximity  to  the  city,  until 
i86o.  He  then  purchased  40  acres  of  land  in  Sparta 
Township,  and  moved  on  it  in  the  fall  of  that  year, 
and  has  there  continued  to  reside,  actively  engaged 
in  the'prosecution  of  his  chosen  vocation,  until  the 
present  time.  He  has  since  added  260  acres  to  the 
original  purchase,  and  is  now  the  proprietor  of  300 
acres  of  good  tillable  land.  In  addition  to  the  culti- 
vation of  his  land,  he  is  engaged  in  the  breeding  of 
stock.  On  his  fine  farm  he  has  erected  a  good  resi- 
dence and  barn,  and  his  farm  is  valued  at  $70  per 
acre.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rommel  have  had  a  family  of 
eight  children  :  Thomas  H.  married  Lottie  Williamson, 
and  to  them  a  daughter  and  two  sons  have  been 
born — Minnie,  Lester  and  John,  and  the  family  are 
living  in  Adair  County,  Iowa;  Susan  C.  married  Cy- 
rus Curry,  and  they  have  two  children — Harry  and 
Jessie  M.,  and  are  living  in  Taylor  County,  111.  The 
remaining  children  are  George  E.,  James  W.,  Cicely, 
Mary,  Richard  P.  and  Henry  W.  Mr.  Rommel  is 
liberal  in  his  political  views.  He  has  held  the  office  >< 
of  Road  Overseer,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  Mrs.  Rommel  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


■•<^<*##'^>" 


k'-v-i'M'f 


obert  E.  Pendarvis,  of  the  firm  of  Reed 
&  Pendarvis,  editors  of  the  Abingdon  En- 
terprise, was  born  near  Raritan,  Henderson 
V{^^  County,  this  State,  Oct.  30,  1861,  his  parents 
being  James  P.  and  Louisa  (Sands)  Pendar- 
vis. He  was  educated  at  Hedding  College, 
Abingdon,  graduating  in  the  class  of  1884.  He  at 
once  formed  the  existing  partnership  with  Mr.  Reed 
as  publishers  of  the  Enterprise.  He  has  also  been 
a  law  student  with  Williams,  Lawrence  &  Bancroft, 
of  Galesburg,  during  the  past  year,  and  for  six 
months  read  in  the  office  of  George  L.  Thatcher,  of 
Chicago. 

Mr.  Pendarvis  is  a  young  gentleman  of  more  than 
ordinary  ability  and  promise,  and  is  just  about  to 
enter  upon  his  career  as  a  lawyer.  He  has  in  the 
meantime  laid  the  foundation  of  what  we  may  well 
predict  will  be  an  honorable  and  successful  career,  in 


N^ 


4^ 


KNOX   COUNTY. 


^^Hr 


»8S 


securing  a  solid  education,  not  only  academic  but 
professional,  while  he  has  at  the  same  lime  widely 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  practical  side  of  life  in 
the  best  school,  a  newspaper  office.  Thus  combin- 
ing the  practical  knowledge  of  business  with  his 
literarj-  and  professional  attainments,  and  having 
youth  and  energy  on  his  side  and  in  his  favor,  his 
friends  may  well  congratulate  him  on  what  promises 
to  be  a  long,  honorable  and  successful  career. 


liJ  saae  Cope.  Among  those  who  have  made 
agriculture  their  vocation  through  life,  and 
who  by  indomitable  energy  have  succeeded 
in  their  calling,  is  he  whose  name  heads  this 
notice.  Our  subject  is  living  retired  from  act- 
ive life  at  Wallace  Station.  He  came  to  Knox 
County  in  the  spring  of  1835,  from  Vigo  County, 
Ind.,  and  purchased  six  quarter-sections,  in  company 
with  his  brother  Wesley. 

The  above  Mr.  Cope  married  three  years  after  his 
arrival  in  this  county,  after  which  he  made  settle- 
ment on  section  28,  of  Maquon  Township,  where  he 
lived  until  the  fall  of  1885,  when  he  left  the  old 
homestead  and  returned  to  the  village  of  Wallace. 
At  this  place  he  has  erected  a  comfortable  and  sub- 
stantial residence  and  lives  a  retired  life.  He  is  the 
owner  of  380  acres  of  exceedingly  fertile  and  well- 
cultivated  land. 

Isaac  Cope  first  saw  the  light  in  Kentucky,  near 
Lexington,  March  13,  rSri.  He  remained  under 
the  parental  roof  until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  18 
yoars,  when  he  came  to  Vigo  County,  Ind.,  where  he 
remained  until  his  removal  to  Knox  County,  in  1835. 
He  was  reared  to  the  peaceful  and  independent  call- 
ing of  a  farmer,  and  has  since  followed  that  vocation. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Fulton  County,  111., 
May  3,  1838,  to  Mary  Wilcoxon,  the  intelligent 
and  accomplished  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Charlotte 
(Calawan)  Wilcoxon,  who  were  natives  of  North 
Carolina.  Mrs.  Cope  was  born  on  the  Kentucky 
River,  in  Estelle  County,  Dec.  31,  1819.  Her  parents 
came  to  Fulton  County,  111.,  about  the  year  1830,  at 
which  place  they  resided  until  their  death.  Her 
father  was  engaged  in  the  Black  Hawk  War. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cope,  of  whom  we  write,  have  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  the  names  of 


whom  are  John  S.,  Jesse  W.,  Isaac  H.  and  Oliver 
P.  John  S.  Cope  married  Mary  J.  Rorke,  who  was  a 
native  of  Ireland,  and  is  now  residing  in  Maquon 
Township;  Anna  A.  is  the  name  of  her  only  child. 
Jesse  maried  Sophia  Wycoff,  and  they  are  residents 
of  Seward  County,  Nebraska.  They  are  the  parents 
of  two  children — Alonzo  M.  and  Amos  C.  Isaac 
Cope  resides  in  Maquon  Township.  Oliver  P.  mar- 
ried Ann  Pickeral,  and  their  home  is  in  Seward 
County,  Nebraska.  They  have  three  children,  as 
follows  :     Alice,  Emeline  and  James  C. 

Mr.  Cope  has  been  School  Director  of  his  district, 
and  also  Commissioner  of  Highways.  Both  himself 
and  wife  are  devoted  members  of  the  Free-Will  Bap- 
tist Church,  and  in  ix)litics  he  is  a  Democrat.  Mr. 
Cope's  parents  were  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Hennis) 
Cope,  natives  of  Maryland,  the  mother  dying  in  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  father  at  Chestnut  Township,  Knox 
County. 

Since  the  above  sketch  was  written  Mr.  Cope  has 
been  gathered  to  his  fathers,  his  demise  taking  place 
April  12,  1886,  surrounded  by  his  family  and  friends. 
So  ends  the  life  of  another  good  man  who  stood  high 
in  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  Beloved  by  all, 
an  e.xcellent  neighbor,  a  kind  father  and  faithful  bus 
band,  Mr.  Cope  has  gone  to  his  eternal  rest. 


^.{  jjg.j^yrus  Robbins 


Among  those  who  came 
to  this  county  at  an  early  day  and  who 
are  passing  the  sunset  of  life  in  quiet 
retirement  from  active  labor,  enjoying  the  ac- 
cumulation of  an  honorable  past,  may  be 
found  the  subject  of  this  notice.  He  is  at 
present  residing  on  his  farm  on  section  5,  Sparta 
Township,  where  he  has  resided  for  upward  of  50 
years. 

Mr.  Robbins,  of  this  notice,  was  bom  in  Lewis 
County,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  3,  1808.  His  parents  were  Reu- 
ben and  Charit)''  (Sage)  Robbins,  natives  of  Berkshire 
County,  Mass.  They  removed  to  Ohio  in  1812, 
where  the  father  purchased  100  acres  of  land  on  the 
Ohio  River,  and  in  what  is  now  Washington  County. 
On  this  land  he  located  with  his  family,  and  subse- 
([uently  added  40  acres  to  his  original  purchase,  and 
there  lived  andlalK)red  in  the  most  independent  of  all 
callings,  farming,  until  his  death  in  1822.  Five  years 
later,  in  1827,  the  widow,  with  her  family  of  children, 


\ ' 


286 


y 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


moved  back  to  her  former  home  and  was  there  a  res- 
ident until  her  demise,  which  occurred  in  1829.  Of 
the  parental  union  eight  children  were  born  and 
named  Stephen  S.,  Esther  H.,  Cyrus,  Emeline,  Reu- 
ben, Ann  E.,  Wait  L.  and  Amelia. 

Cyrus  was  the  third  child  in  order  of  birth  of  his 
parents'  children,  and  remained  with  them  until  he 
was  22  years  old.  He  received  a  common-school  ed- 
ucation, and,  after  leaving  the  parental  roof-tree,  went 
to  work  in  a  blacksmith  shop  and  was  thus  occupied 
for  six  months.  He  then  engaged  as  an  employe 
of  the  Hampton  Rope  Works  and  was  with  that  firm 
for  three  years,  when  he  severed  his  connection  with 
it  and  went  to  Livingston  County,  his  native  State, 
and  worked  for  13  months  in  a  hemp  manufactory. 
After  severing  his  connection  with  the  latter  firm,  he 
returned  to  Lewis  County  in  1835,  from  whence  he 
went  to  Columbia  County,  and  there  the  most  happy 
of  all  events  in  the  history  of  his  life  occurred.  This 
was  his  marriage  with  Miss  Polly  M.  Calkins,  a  na- 
tive of  that  county.  Soon  after  this  happy  event,  he, 
in  company  with  his  young  bride,  on  the  15  th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1836,  started  for  this  State.  Arriving  in 
Henderson  Grove,  this  county,  he  remained  for  a 
short  time,  when  he  moved  out  on  the  broad,  uncul- 
tivated prairie,  settling  on  section  4,  of  Sparta 
Township,  where  he  had  purchased  87  J^  acres  of 
land.  Tliere  the  two  lived  and  labored  with  one  in- 
terest in  common,  and  that  the  establishment  of  a 
home  and  the  welfare  of  their  children,  until  their 
mother's  death,  which  occurred  Oct.  16,  i860.  Their 
children  were  five  in  number — Newton  C,  Cynthia, 
Henry  .George  and  Mary.  Newton,  Henry,  George  and 
Mary  are  deceased.  Cynthia  married  Calvin  Shaw, 
and  by  him  became  the  mother  of  three  children,  liv- 
ing— Ernest,  Frank  and  Fannie.  Her  husband 
died  in  1881.  Henry  married  Louisa  Babcock,  and 
to  them  were  born  three  children — Jennie,  Mary  and 
one  deceased. 

Three  years  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr. 
Robbins  was  again  married.  Miss  Amelia  Gloyd  be- 
coming his  wife,  and  who  lived  with  him  for  nine 
years,  and  she  presented  him  with  two  children 
— Sherman,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  In  1863, 
Mr.  Robbins  moved  onto  section  5,  Sparta  Township, 
where  he  has  purchased  43  J^  acres  of  land,  and  there 
lived  until  the  death  of  his  wife  in  1882,  since  which 
time  he  has  made  his  home  with  his  son  and  daugh- 
ter.    In  185 1,  Mr.  Robbins  purchased  80  acres  of 


land  on  section  4,  Sparta  Township,  and  while  a  res- 
ident thereon  was  continuously  and  diligently  en- 
gaged in  its  cultivation,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year,  which  he  spent  in  Galesburg,  for  the  purpose  of 
educating  his  children.  He  now  has  200  acres,  all 
under  cultivation.  Mr.  Robbins  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, and  in  his  religious  views  a  Baptist.  He  is  an 
honored  and  respected  citizen  of  the  county,  and  a 
man  whose  word  is  considered  as  good  as  his  bond. 

ohn  Junk.  Standing  among  the  important 
members  of  society  and  the  prosperous  and 
prominent  citizens  of  Knox  County  is  to  be 
found  the  subject  of  this  biography,  who  ranks 
if  high  in  those  characteristics  which  are  essen- 
tial to  the  growth  and  development  of  a  county. 
He  is  useful  socially  and  bright  in  a  political  direc- 
tion. His  ideas  are  clear,  and,  being  prompt  and  log- 
ical, his  thoughts  and  opinions  able  and  to  the  point. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  personal  narrative  is 
written  came  to  Knox  County  in  June,  1855,  from 
Fayette  County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  born  May  6, 
1827,  and  where  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Knox 
County.  He  learned  two  trades,  that  of  carpenter  , 
and  joiner  and  also  that  of  millwright,  at  which  lat- 
ter he  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years,  and 
at  the  former  two  years.  He  followed  his  trade  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  since  coming  to  Illinois  has  been 
engaged  at  his  former  work.  At  the  present  time  he 
is  the  owner  of  414  acres  of  land,  40  of  which  is  a 
timber  tract. 

On  the  22d  of  November,  1855,  in  Knoxville,  111., 
he  was  made  one  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Robertson, 
daughter  of  Alexander  and  Narcissa  (Ferguson) 
Robertson,  and  uniting  their  energies  for  the  battle  of 
life  they  began  work.  He  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers of  Knox  County,  making  his  home  where  his 
brother  Daniel  had  settled.  (See  sketch  of  Daniel 
Robertson.)  He  was  deeply  bereaved  at  his  broth- 
er's death,  which  took  place  in  Henderson  Town- 
ship, Feb.  28,  1848.  His  wife  followed  him  Aug. 
27,  1865.  Their  marriage  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
four  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Junk  was  the  second  in 
order  of  birth.  She  was  born  in  Henderson  Town- 
ship, Dec.  14,  1837. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Junk  had  two  children — Alexander 


■4^ 


}' 


Residcnce  OF  Darius  Woolsey.Sec.  1-^.,Haw  CREEKTow^4SH  :p. 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE      .„^.. 
i:-UVERSiTY  OF  ILUNC 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


289 


"- 


R.,  and  also  one  whom  they  lost  by  death,  named  1 
Stephen  A.,  and  who  had  reached  the  age  of  four 
years.  It  was  a  sore  bereavement  to  the  parents,  to 
whom  he  had  greatly  endeared  himself  by  the  many 
childish  and  lovable  traits  of  character  he  exhibited. 
Mr.  Junk  has  been  Supervisor  four  and  Road  Com- 
missioner three  years,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Just- 
ice of  the  Peace  about  eight  years,  a  post  which  he 
still  adorns.  He  has  also  been  Assessor,  and  is  a  use- 
ful man  in  many  public  directions.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  politics  is  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Junk  were  James  and  Eliza- 
beth (Lincoln)  Junk,  natives  of  Virginia.  They  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania,  where  the  father  died  in 
Fayette  County,  July  3,  1877.  The  mother  still  sur- 
vives him.  They  had  some  time  before  his  death 
celebrated  the  anniversary  of  their  golden  wedding, 
and  they  have  been  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  John  was  the  eldest.  The  names  of  the  other 
children  were  Samuel,  Thomas,  Sarah,  Henry,  Robert 
and  Jackson.     Robert  and  Jackson  are  deceased. 

_>, o*o-®Xl^-o*<" *''^- 

jartin  Gehring  is  one  of  the  representative 
citizens  and  successful  farmers  of  Knox 
'  County,  and  has  a  pleasant  homestead, 
consisting  of  a  well-cultivated  farm  and  a 
cozy  residence,  lyin^  within  Sparta  Township, 
on  section  12.  He  is  quite  a  prominent  man 
in  the  neighborhood  where  he  resides,  and  holds  the 
offices  of  Roadmaster  and  School  Director. 

Mr.  G.  was  born  on  Nov.  10,  1854,  in  Germany, 
and  is  the  son  of  Anthony  and  Mary  (Moser)  Geh- 
ring. His  parents  were  natives  of  Germany  and  came 
to  America  with  their  family  in  1857.  Settling  in 
Sparta  Township,  they  purchased  40  acres  of  land  on 
section  14,  and  also  20  acres  of  timber  land.  In 
187 1,  the  father  purchased  80  acres  on  section  12, 
and  they  were  residents  of  this  part  of  Knox  County, 
until  1883,  when  they  moved  to  Oneida.  In  that 
town  he  purchased  a  house  and  lot,  where  he  is  now 
living  a  retired  life.  Their  family  consists  of  two 
sons,  both  living,  and  by  name  Ale.x.  and  Martin. 

Our  subject  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
21  years  of  age,  and  then  took  the  farm  on  shares, 
and  in  this  way  labored  until  1880.     At  that  time  it 


-"V^ 


came  into  his  possession.  He  has  been  liberally 
educated,  and  his  application  and  aptitude  for  various 
studies  have  placed  in  his  [xissession  a  source  of 
enjoyment  which,  as  a  man,  he  fully  appreciates  and 
which  can  never  be  taken  from  him. 

His  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughterof  John 
and  Ann  (Taylor)  Parkinson,  was  celebrated  March 
18,  1880.  She  was  born  in  Knox  County,  June  23, 
1857,  and  her  parents  are  of  English  ancestry,  but 
were  married  in  America.  They  have  reared  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  of  whom  Mr.  Gehring  is  the 
oldest  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gehring  are  the  parents 
of  two  bright  and  interesting  children,  by  name 
Minnie  G.,  born  Sept.  23,  1881 ;  and  Fred  B.,  born 
Nov.  2,  1884.  Mr.  Gehring  is  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics and  interested  in  the  workings  of  that  party. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  of  Oneida. 


illiam  S.  Farnham.     The  subject  of  this 
notice,  who  is  passing  the  sunset  of  his  1 

_,  life  in  peace  and  quiet  retirement,  in  thct 

!^V^'  thriving  little  village  of  Wataga,  made  his 
advent  into  the  State  in  1837.  He  was  born  _ 
Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  .^pril  6,  1S12,  of  par- 
ents by  name  Levi  and  Eunice  (Judd)  Farnham,  na- 
tives of  Connecticut.  The  father  was  a  clothier  by 
trade  and  worked  at  the  same  for  40  years.  The 
parental  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom 
lived  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and  womanhood. 
Both  heads  of  the  family  lived  in  York  State,  whither 
they  had  removed  from  Connecticut,  and  resided 
there  until  their  demise,  his  occurring  May  i,  1853, 
and  hers  March  16,  1821. 

William  S.  Farnham  is  a  self-made  man  in  every 
sense  the  word  implies.  Beginning  life  a  jxxjr  boy, 
with  nothing  but  strong  arms  and  a  firm  determina- 
tion to  win  success,  he  has  pursued  the  even  tenor  of 
his  way,  having  always  the  i>olicy  of  honest  and  fair- 
dealing  as  a  motto,  and  has  acquired  a  suflSciency  to 
enable  him  to  pass  the  sunset  of  life  in  peace  and 
quiet  retirement.  Mr.  Farnham  remained  with  his 
parents  until  the  death  of  his  mother,  when  he  dom- 
iciled beneath  the  roof  of  strangers,  and  there  lived 
until  he  attained  the  age  of  2  i  years,  receiving  of  the 
family  with  whom  he  lived,  at  the  age  of  maturity, 


-84^ 


J^ 


290 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


§100  renumerarion  for  his  services,  together  with  two 
suits  of  clothes.  He  received  a  corumon-school  ed- 
ucation, and,  after  attaining  his  majority,  worked  on  a 
farm,  by  the  month,  and  was  thus  occupied  until  he 
came  to  this  State  and  county,  in  1837.  On  arrival 
here,  he  located  at  Galesburg,  in  proximitj-  to  which 
village  he  rented  a  farm,  which  he  cultivated  and 
rented  for  11  years.  He  then  moved  to  Sparta 
Township,  and,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life,  became 
the  owner  of  land,  his  purchase  consisting  of  80 
acres  of  prairie  land,  located  on  section  9.  On  this 
tract  he  built  a  house  and  barn,  and  there  lived  and 
labored,  engaged  in  its  improvement,  until  1885. 
During  this  year  he  moved  into  Wataga,  where  he 
rented  for  himself  a  home,  and  where  he  has  since 
resided  in  retired  life. 

Mr.  Farnham  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Kenyon, 
in  1S39,  on  the  7  th  of  May.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Mumford  and  Margerj-  (Vanderhule)  Kenyon,  na- 
tives of  Vermont  and  New  York,  respectively,  and 
whose  children  were  three  in  number.  Mrs.  Farn- 
ham was  born  Jan.  11,  1815,  and  has  borne  her  hus- 
band five  children — Charlotte  M.,  who  became  the 
wife  of  C.  T.  Farnsworth,  May  18,  1862.  Mr.  Fams- 
worth  died  Aug.  2,  1864,  leaving  to  the  care  of  his 
wife  one  son — Ira  W.  Ira  lived  to  attain  the  age  of 
18  years;  he  was  night-watchman  in  the  city  of 
Galesburg,  at  Colton's  foundry,  and  was  found  near 
Center  Point,  lying  on  the  railroad  unconscious,  and  1 
only  lived  five  hours  after  he  was  discovered,  and  it  j 
has  never  been  known  what  caused  his  death,  the 
date  of  which  was,  however,  Xov.  25,  1880;  Susan 
A.  Farnham  became  the  happy  wife  of  H.  T.  Mead, 
and  they  have  two  children — Abby  M.  and  Charlotte 
A.;  William  C.  selected  Miss  Louisa  M.  Rhodes  as 
his  bride,  and  their  three  children  are  Fred,  Winne- 
fred  P.  and  Jennie  B. ;  Charles  G.  Farnham'  and 
Miss  Lucy  ^L  Bartlett  were  united  in  marriage  and 
became  the  parents  of  three  children — Grace,  Ray 
and  Everett;  Abigail  G.  Farnham  became  Mrs. 
A.  E.  Drew,  and  their  children  are  Ellen  M.,  Amie 
L.  and  Frank. 

Mr.  Farnham  is  a  Republican  and  has  always  cast 
his  vote  with  that  party.  He  and  his  wife,  together 
with  their  daughter,  Charlotte,  belong  to  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  and  in  this  congregation  Mr.  Farn- 
ham is  a  Deacon.  He  has  held  some  of  the  minor 
offices  of  his  township,  but  is  not  a  seeker  after  oflBce. 


As  a  representative  of  the  energetic  agricultural  class 
of  citizens  of  the  community  in  which  he  resides,  he 
is  certainly  the  peer  of  any. 


i.'3"j<r»i>-'\/w~ 


€Ki 


^avid  H.  Hartsook  is  of  the  firm  of  Hart- 

II    sook   &   Walker,  merchants  at    Maquon. 

■'i'^  ^     He  came  to  Knox  County  in   June,   1851, 

r  emigrating  from  Madison  County,  Ohio,  and 
engaged  in  the  milling  business  at  French 
*  Creek,  Elba  Township,  with  Richard  Morris. 
In  this  branch  of  business  he  continued  until  1857, 
at  which  time  he  removed  to  Haw  Creek  Township, 
settling  on  section  35,  on  land  which  he  had  pre- 
viously purchased.  Upon  this  place  he  remained 
for  12  years,  in  the  meantime  engaging  extensively 
in  farming.  Subsequent  to  this  he  removed  to  the 
village  of  Maquon,  which  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  In  187 1  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  bus- 
iness, in  partnership  with  L.  H.  Butcher,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Hartsook  &  Butcher.  They  continued  , 
in  this  business  for  15  months,  when  our  subject  W 
bought  out  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  for  four 
years  carried  on  the  business  alone,  when  he  took 
into  the  business  his  son-in-law,  H.  J.  Pierce,  and  , 
the  firm  was  known  as  Hartsook  &  Pierce.  This 
partnership  existed  until  t88i,  at  which  time  Mr.  H. 
sold  out  his  interest,  and  two  years  later,  on  the 
death  of  Mr.  Pierce,  took  his  place  in  the  store  again, 
where  he  has  since  remained.  Their  stock  consists 
of  dry  goods,  boots,  shoes,  etc.,  and  is  a  valuable 
concern  for  this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Hartsook  was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Md., 
the  date  of  his  birth  being  May  26,  1824.  He  re- 
mained in  the  State  of  his  narivity  until  12  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  Madison  County,  Ohio,  at 
which  place  he  resided  with  his  elder  brother.  In 
that  county  he  learned  the  blacksmith  trade,  which 
he  followed  until  June,  185 1,  the  date  of  his  emigra- 
tion to  Knox  County.  Mr.  Haitsook  was  married 
in  Windham  County,  Conn.,  June  9,  1846,  the  lady 
being  Nancy  Sherman,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Elisha 
and  Nancy  (Cook)  Sherman.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  New  England,  where  they  resided  until  their 
deaths. 

Mrs  Hartsook  was  bom  in  Foxboro,  Mass.,  June 
3,  1827,  and  has  borne  her  husband  seven  children. 


^ 


4 


, -^  V.  ~ 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


291 


five  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  Ellen  D.,  Susan  J., 
Ann  H.,  David  S.  and  Charles  E.  Those  deceased 
are  Orson  N.  and  Emma.  Ellen  Hartsook  is  the 
wife  of  Joseph  McComas,  and  they  reside  in  Iowa; 
she  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  bearing  the 
names  of  Emma,  Warner  and  Seymour.  Susan 
Hartsook  is  the  relict  of  H.  J.  Pierce,  and  is  residing 
in  Maquon ;  her  only  child  is  named  Charles  D. 
Ann  Hartsook  has  for  a  husband  C.  A.  Walker,  and 
they  are  residents  of  Maquon  ;  they  are  the  parents 
of  one  daughter — Anna  P.  David  Hartsook  married 
Lizzie  Green,  and  they  also  have  one  child — a  son, 
David  H.  Charles  E.  Hartsook  married  Lizzie 
Swigert,  and  tliey  are  residents  of  Scott  County, 
Kan. ;  their  one  child  bears  the  name  of  Vera. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.,  of  this  sketch,  are  identified 
with  the  Christian  Church,  and  in  politics  he  is  a 
firm  supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  His  par- 
ents were  David  and  Helen  (Harding)  Hartsook. 
They  were  natives  of  Maryland,  the  former  being  of 
German  and  the  latter  of  English  ancestry.  They 
both  died  when  our  subject  was  quite  young.  The 
members  of  their  family  were  six  in  number,  viz. : 
Henry  E.  H.,  Mary  E.,  Cass  A.,  Ellen,  Haward  D. 
and  David  H. 


I 


,^  ohn  W.  Stephens  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
g^  June  6,  1825.     His   present  occupation  is 


that  of  farming,  and  he  resides  on  section 
10,  Cedar  Township.  He  is  the  great-grand- 
son of  Richard  and  Dollie  (Landenl  Stephens, 
who  were  both  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and 
were  well  known  and  respected.  The  great-grand- 
father was  born  Feb.  22,  1732,  and  died  on  the  17th 
of  May,  1792.  In  the  Revolutionary  War  he  per- 
formed honorable  service  under  Gen.  Washington. 
It  will  be  noticed  that  his  and  Gen.  Washington's 
birthday  are  the  same.  His  great-grandmother  was 
born  Jan.  14,  1743,  and  died  on  tlie  ist  of  October, 
1839.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  Feb.  18,  1762, 
and  to  the  union  nine  children  were  born.  The 
grandparents  of  Mr.  Stephens  were  Samuel  and  Ann 
(Culver)  Stephens.  The  birth  of  the  grandfather 
W'as  Dec.  22,  1762.  His  death  occurred  June  23, 
1834.  His  grandmother  was  born  Feb.  22,  1770, 
and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  March  26,  1789; 


her  death  occurred  Feb.  22,  1839.  They  were  the 
parents  of  eleven  children.  One,  Sarah,  is  still  liv- 
ing in  New  Jersey,  at  the  advanced  age  of  90. 
Richard,  the  father  of  John  W.,  also  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  was  born  Aug.  4,  1791.  His  decease  took 
place  April  20,  1854.  He  married  Miss  Eleanor 
Addis,  of  New  Jersey,  who  was  born  in  June,  1790, 
and  died  in  August,  1832.  The  marriage  took  place 
in  18 1 2,  and  five  children  were  born  to  them.  Sarah, 
Mr.  Stephens' eldest  sister,  was  born  in  March,  1S14; 
Nancy  in  April,  1818;  Amanda  in  May,  1820, died  in 
September,  1854;  Lorenzo  was  born  Sept.  29,  1827. 
All  these  children  are  still  living  e.xcept  the  one 
whose  death  is  above  recorded. 

Richard  Stephens  came  with  teams  overland  to 
Illinois,  and  stopped  in  Canton,  Fulton  County,  for  a 
short  time,  while  he  prospected.  The  same  fall  he 
made  a  selection  in  what  is  now  known  as  Cedar 
Township,  Knox  County,  where  he  bought  a  quarter- 
section  of  land  on  section  16.  It  was  only  partially 
improved,  there  being  no  house  on  it.  Mr.  Stephens 
erected  a  small  frame  house,  in  which  he  and  the 
family  lived  for  a  number  of  years.  After  Mr.  Ste- 
phens married,  he,  in  1850,  moved  to  section  4,  and 
built  a  liouse,  and  remained  there  five  years,  when 
he  moved  back  to  the  old  homestead,  where  he  still 
lives  and  e.xpects  to  remain  the  balance  of  his  life- 
time. 

Mr.  John  W.,  our  subject,  came  to  Illinois  in  the 
spring  of  1838,  and  stopped  in  Canton,  and,  with  his 
parents,  took  up  his  residence  in  Cedar  Township, 
where  they  resided  until  tlie  death  of  the  latter.  Mr. 
Stephens  has  held  the  position  of  Sur.ervisor  of  this 
township  for  over  four  years,  has  also  served  as  Just- 
ice of  the  Peace  for  one  year,  and  has  been  Road 
Commissioner  for  20  years.  He  was  Postmaster  for 
two  years  at  what  was  known  as  Farmers'  Hall.  He 
has  received  as  fair  an  education  as  could  be  ob- 
tained at  the  common  district  schools,  and  is  a  fairly 
well-read  man.  His  farm  consists  of  280  acres  of 
improved  land.  In  1869  he  erected  an  exceedingly 
fine  dwelling  and  good  barn. 

His  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Stephens  took  place 
Oct.  29,  1848.  She  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  born 
May  24,  1829,  and  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents 
in  the  year  1849.  This  lady  is  the  daughter  of  Ebe- 
nezer  and  Mary  (Goodpasture)  Stephens.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  and  was  born  May  29, 
1786.     His  death  took  place  July  13,  1851.     This 


u 


^?^-4h 


292 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


lady's  mother  was  born  May  11,  1802,  and  died 
March  4,  1874.  There  were  eight  children  born  to 
this  union,  viz.  :  John,  Aaron,  Obadiah,  Dorothy, 
Mary,  Clarissa,  Minard  A.  and  Daniel  S.,  who  died 
on  the  steamboat  while  the  family  were  coming  West. 

The  lady  and  gentleman,  the  principals  of  this 
sketch,  have  had  four  children,  viz. :  Sarah  E.,  born 
Feb.  26,  1851;  Ann  Eliza,  Jan.  21,  1853,  who  died 
Sept.  14,  1868;  Lorenzo  D.,  born  Sept.  13, 1855,  and 
Charles  E.,  July  6,  1857.  Those  living  are  married. 
Sarah  E.  married  Mr.  W.  H.  H.  Nelson,  Dec.  29, 
1870;  is  now  a  widow  and  has  four  small  children — 
Stella  M.,  Liva  A.,  Lina  E.  and  Minnie.  Lorenzo  D. 
married  Miss  Mary  C.  Cast,  on  the  21st  of  February, 
1877,  and  has  two  children — Charles S.  and  Clayton. 
Charles  C.  married  Miss  Harriet  E.  Latimer,  on  Dec. 
24,  1878,  and  has  one  child — Nora  F. 

Mr.  Stephens  is  an  active  member  of  the  M.  P. 
Church,  while  his  wife  is  connected  with  the  Congre- 
gational Church.  In  politics  Mr.  Stephens  is  a  Re- 
publican through  and  through,  and  is  likely  to  re- 
main an  ardent  supporter  of  the  party. 


homas  C.  Duval.  Among  the  early  comers 
to  this  county,  who  by  their  own  indomit- 
able energy  and  perseverance  have  ac- 
quired sufficient  to  enable  them,  in  the  evening 
of  life,  to  retire  from  its  active  labor,  is  the 
gentleman  of  whom  this  brief  biographical 
notice  is  written.  He  is  to-day  passing  the  sunset 
of  life  in  peace  and  quiet  retirement  in  the  village  of 
Wataga.  Coming  here  in  1835,  prior  to  the  organi- 
zation of  the  county  into  townships,  and  at  a  time 
when  the  hand  of  civilization  was  hardly  visible,  he 
has  here  continued  to  reside  for  upward  of  51  years, 
winning  the  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens  by  his 
straightforward  and  manly  dealings,  and  slowly  ac- 
quiring a  competency. 

Mr.  Duval  was  born  in  Virginia  Feb.  28,  1802. 
His  parents  were  James  T.  and  Judah  (Jennings) 
Duval,  natives  of  Culpeper  County,  Va.  His  father 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  also  a  slave-owner, 
and  came  to  this  State  in  1835,  settling  at  Appanoose, 
opposite  Fort  Madison,  in  Hancock  County,  where 
he  died  about  the  year  1838.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  18 12,  under  the  command  of  Col.  Thomas 
D.  Owens.     The  mother  died  in  Arkansas. 


The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  oldest  of  a  fam- 
ily of  eight  children,  viz.  :  Thomas  C,  Sarah  A., 
Elizabeth,  Lucinda,  James  W.  T.,  Daniel  J.,  Judith 
A.  and  Nancy  J.,  all  of  whom  reached  mature  years 
and  all  were  married  and  raised  families. 

Our  subject  received  a  common-school  education 
and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  until  his  coming  to 
this  State.  Arriving  here,  he  worked  a  season  in 
Warren  County,  where  for  one  year  he  rented  a  farm. 
He  then  came  to  this  county  and  located  four  miles 
north  of  Galesburg,  in  Henderson  Township,  where 
he  purchased  a  claim  of  a  quarter-section  of  land, 
giving  therefor  $150.  He  subsequently  perfected 
the  title  to  his  land  by  paying  an  additional  sum  of 
^450.  On  this  claim  he  settled  and  there  laid  the 
foundation  of  his  present  competency,  and  there 
continued  to  reside  until  1855.  He  then  moved  to 
Henderson  village,  where  he  purchased  another 
farm,  and  there  lived,  energetically  engaged  in  the 
vocation  of  an  agriculturist,  until  1863.  It  was  dur- 
ing this  year  that  Mr.  Duval  came  to  Wataga,  where, 
in  close  proximity  to  the  village,  he  had  previously, 
in  1850,  purchased  240  acres.  This  purchase  was 
made  long  prior  to  the  establishment  of  the  present  -< 
village  of  Wataga,  or  even  before  the  idea  originated 
in  the  mind  of  man  that  a  village  was  to  be  estab- 
lished at  that  place.  On  this  240  acres  of  land, 
which  Mr.  Duval  had  disposed  of  by  sale,  the  pres- 
ent thriving  little  village  of  Wataga  now  stands.  On 
coming  to  the  village  in  1863,  Mr.  Duval  purchased 
a  residence  and  lot  and  has  there  lived  until  this 
writing. 

Our  subject  at  one  time  was  the  proprietor  of 
2,000  acres  of  land  in  this  county.  He  has  given 
the  major  portion  of  his  land  to  his  children,  and  at 
present  is  the  proprietor  of  only  200  acres.  Success 
seems  to  have  attended  his  every  effort  in  life. 
When  he  first  came  to  this  State  he  had  but  $100, 
and  through  his  own  energy  and  perseverance, 
coupled  with  the  active  co-operation  of  his  good 
helpmeet,  together  with  his  children,  his  success 
may  be  attributable. 

Mr.  Duval  was  united  in  marriage  April  2,  1823, 
with  Miss  Nancy  Shumate,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
where  she  was  born  Aug.  rg,  1805.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Berryman  and  Elizabeth  (Nelson)  Shu- 
mate, natives  of  Virginia.  Mr.  Shumate  was  a  sol- 
dier in  tiae  War  of  1S12.  Mrs.  Duval  was  one  of  a 
family  of  si.\  children,  viz. :     Polly,   Nancy,  Eliza, 


HI- 


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297 


Lydia,  William  and  Hiram,  all  of  whom  grew  to  man 
and  womanhood. 

Of  the  unio'i  of  Mr.  Duval  and  Miss  Shumate  a 
family  of  ten  children  have  been  born  :  Elizabeth 
(Mrs.  Lewis)  has  borne  her  husband  1 1  children,  nine 
of  whom  are  living — William,  Hiram,  James,  Mel- 
vina,  Thomas,  Aaron,  Benjamin,  Xaiicy  and  Albert; 
William  Duval  married  Minerva  Browner,  and  their 
children  are  Thomas,  Elizabeth,  Clara,  James,  John 
C,  Lewis,  George,  Alice,  Frederick  and  Berryraan ; 
Martha  Duval,  who  is  at  present  Mrs.  Reed,  has 
borne  her  husband  the  following  children  :  Nancy, 
Helen,  Sarah,  Frances,  Polly,  Albert  and  Dora ; 
Mary  Duval  became  Mrs.  Eli,  and  she  and  her  hus- 
band have  three  children — Nancy,  Nellie  and  Willie; 
Helen  Duval  married  Mr.  Vaughn,  and  their  chil- 
dren are  Lydia,  Sarah  L.,  James,  John,  Elmo,  Dora 
and  Benjamin;  Eleanor  Duval  became  Mrs.  Gray, 
and  their  children  are  Frank,  George,  Mary,  Septer, 
Edwin  and  Nettie;  Nancy  A.  Duval  is  the  wife  of 
James  Roundtree. 

Mr.  Duval  of  this  notice  is  the  grandfather  of  43 
children  and  the  great-grandfather  of  41.  The  cOm- 
"ing  generation  of  his  kinsmen,  when  they  read  the 
life  of  our  subject,  cannot  but  appreciate  the  energy 
with  which  he  has  passed  through  so  inany  trials 
and  come  out  so  successfully. 

In  his  politics,  Mr.  Duval  is  a  believer  in  and  a 
supjwrter  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party, 
and  is  one  of  the  citizens  of  Kno.x  County  respected 
and  honored  for  what  he  is  as  «ell  as  for  what  he 
has  been. 


^3 


=4=4= 


€>- 


^fcgriirohn  D.  Eckman,  a  farmer  of  influence,  re- 

'^^2a|.-  sidino  on  section  i,  Cedar  Townsliin,  was 

■^  ;."*^  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  Pa.,  on 


April  r,  1849,  and  came  to  Illinois  Feb.  24, 
1870.  For  nine  years  he  worked  by  the  month 
and  had  no  education  except  what  he  received 
by  his  own  efforts  and  through  the  aid  of  the  district 
school.  He  commenced  farming  on  his  own  account 
in  Knox  County  in  1878,  and  married  Miss  Mina 
M.  Kelso,  Feb.  4,  1870.  Her  birthday  was  April 
JO,  1846,  her  native  place  being  Cumberland  County, 
Pa.  They  were  married  in  that  State  and  much 
happiness  has  resulted  in  the  union.     She  had  three 


brothers  and  three  sisters :     Fulton,  James,   John, 
Bell,  Ann  and  Tabitha. 

Mr.  Eckman  has  five  children  living  and  two  de- 
ceased:  Frank,  born  Jan.  22,  1870;  Matilda,  Nov. 
3,  1872;  Tabitha,  Dec.  20,  1874;  Nellie,  Jan.  24, 
1877;  Mary,Aug.  14,  i88o;  John,  May  13,  1883; 
and  an  infant.  Mr.  Eckman  is  a  Republican  in 
principle  and  an  earnest  advocate  of  any  measure 
calculated  to  promote  his  party's  good. 


^,|,zra  Chapman.     One  of  the  most  highly  re- 
spected and  best  known  citizens  of  Knox 
County,  as  well  as    one  of  its  successful 
-w?-   men,  is  Ezra  Chapman,  who  is  residing  at  Onei- 


da. He  is  the  son  of  Asa  and  Susanna  (Ber- 
ry) Chapman.  The  family  history  of  the 
Chapmans  embraces  a  long  list  of  seafaring  men, 
those  who  were  prominent  in  that  line,  and  who  owned 
their  own  vessels  and  were  engaged  in  carrying  sup- 
plies to  different  parts  of  the  world.  It  is  also  note- 
worthy to  state  that  in  a  financial  point  of  view  they 
were  successful. 

The  family  of  which  the  father  of  our  subject  was 
a  member  was  a  very  small  one,  there  being  but  two 
children,  himself  and  a  sister.  After  he  was  married 
he  made  a  voyage  upon  the  sea,  but  soon  returned 
to  land,  locating  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of 
Utica,  N.  Y.  It  was  during  the  residence  of  his 
parents  there  that  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  born, 
the  date  thereof  being  Jan.  28,  1797.  He  was  the 
eldest  of  five  children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter. 
The  daughter  was  married  and  moved  to  near  Sack- 
ett's  Harbor,  Suffolk  Co.,  where  she  died  some  years 
ago.  She  had  become  the  mother  of  one  child,  who 
is  also  deceased.  John  grew  to  manliood  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Berry;  he  lived  a  useful  life  and  died  in 
Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.  His  wife  is  still  living,  at 
New  Carlisle,  Ind.,  with  her  eldest  son.  Samuel 
Chapman  is  now  living  in  Florida,  where  he  spends 
his  winters,  his  home,  nevertheless,  being  at  Oneida 
and  at  the  residence  of  the  subject  of  this  notice.  He 
is  a  widower.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was 
Mary  Lanfear,  who  bore  him  several  children. 

The  father  of  Ezra  Chapman  accumulated  a  com- 
paratively large  property  (for  that  date),  and  at  the 
time  of  his  demise  made  his  will  in  such  a  manner 


H^ 


■j^ 


■I  ^     ' 


KNOX  C0UN2Y. 


as  to  deprive  the  subject  of  this  notice  from  receiving 
any  of  his  property,  except  the  sum  of  $6.  One  of 
his  sons  and  one  of  his  daughters  received  $400  each, 
and  the  residue  of  his  property,  amounting  to  about 
$3,000,  went  to  his  other  son,  providing  he  took  care 
of  his  mother  until  her  death.  Thus  we  see  that  our 
subject  was  the  least  favored  of  his  father's  children 
and  was  compelled  to  start  in  this  world  as  "  poor 
as  a  church  mouse. "  But  being  possessed  of  an 
unlimited  amount  of  pluck  and  perseverance,  he  went 
forth  with  a  cheerful  heart  to  fight  the  battle  of  life 
alone.  Very  early  in  life  he  became  a  mechanic 
in  one  of  the  manufacturing  establishments  of  Whites- 
town,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was  only  15  years  old 
when  he  learned  a  trade,  and  after  a  few  years  ap- 
plied to  a  Mr.  Wolcott,  one  of  the  millionaires  of  that 
county,  for  a  position  as  a  mechanic  in  his  shops, 
which  he  received.  He  worked  for  that  gentleman 
13  years,  scarcely  losing  a  day's  time,  and  savinghis 
means.  It  was  during  this  period  that  he  was  first 
■  married,  the  date  of  the  event  being  April  4,  1825, 
and  the  lady  chosen  Miss  Sarah  A.  L&nfear.  She 
was  born  Oct.  25,  1798,  in  Rome,  Oneida  County. 
►^  She  bore  him  children  and  departed  this  life  at  On- 
tario.  111.,  March  23,  1876.  Two  of  their  children 
are  deceased.  The  following  is  the  record  of  the 
family  :  John  married  Elizabeth  Eckley,  who  bore 
him  foui  children — Ezra,  Capitola,  Carrie  and  Ida.  By 
his  second  marriage,  to  Elizabeth  Eldridge,  he  has 
three  children — Sarah,  John  and  Samuel,  and  they 
reside  at  Valley  Falls,  Kan.;  Susan  O.  Chapman 
became  the  wife  of  Norman  Fay,  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Ontario  Township  ;  Oscar  and  Sarah  are 
the  two  children  born  to  them;  Mary  Jane  married 
Charles  H.  Babcock,  likewise  a  farmer  of  Ontario 
Township  :  three  children — William  C,  Sarah  and 
Hattie — were  born  to  them  ;  Sarah  A.,  deceased,  was 
the  wife  of  Marvin  Scudder  and  became  the  mother 
of  four  children,  viz. :  Chapman,  Eliza,  Katie  and 
William  ;  Asa  died  after  he  came  home  from  the  army, 
from  the  effects  of  a  gunshot  wound  through  the 
side,  received  while  in  service.  He  was  in  active 
service  for  four  years,  and  was  a  brave  as  well  as  an 
obedient  soldier. 

Ezra  Chapman  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall 
of  1 839,  and  at  once  made  a  settlement  in  what  is 
now  Ontario  Township.  This  was  at  a  time  when 
but  little  improvement  had  been  made  here,  and  the 
land  was  consequently  in  its  natural  condition.  Yet, 


at  this  early  date,  he  made  his  selection  of  160  acres 
near  Ontario  Corners.  He  had  purchased  the  land 
on  time  from  a  gentleman  in  his  native  State,  and 
before  he  was  enabled  to  remit  the  purchase  money 
the  interest  had  accumulated  to  $14,  which  Mr.  C. 
paid  and  which  is  the  only  time  he  has  ever  paid  a 
dollar  of  interest  money  in  his  life,  and  this  we  de- 
sire to  state  is  one  of  the  main  features  of  his  suc- 
cess in  life  and  of  his  popularity  in  Knox  County,  for 
every  one  knows  him  as  a  gentleman  prompt  to  meet 
any  and  all  contracts  which  he  may  make. 

On  the  1 60  acres  of  land  above  referred  to,  Mr. 
Chapman  located  with  his  family  and  at  once  began 
the  laborious  task  of  improving  it,  and  there  lived, 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  for  upward  of  40 
years,  meeting  with  far  more  than  ordinary  success. 
During  his  early  settlement  here  there  was  no  rail- 
road through  the  county,  and  Mr.  Chapman  remem- 
bers very  distinctly  that  he  made  just  17  trips  to 
Chicago  after  provisions  When  the  Chicago,  Bur- 
lington &  Quincy  Railroad  Company  started  to  lay 
their  track  through  the  county,  Mr.  Chapman,  real- 
izing the  advantage  that  it  would  be  to  himself,  as 
well  as  to  other  citizens,  worked  hard  for  it,  and  sue-  < 
ceeded  in  getting  a  number  of  his  fellow  townsmen 
to  subscribe  to  the  stock  of  the  company,  promising 
to  take  it  off  their  hands  whenever  they  desired. 
Sure  enough,  in  a  few  years,  when  the  stock  began  to 
depreciate  in  value,  they  swarmed  about  him  for 
their  money,  and  he  was  always  ready  to  accommo- 
date them.  He  at  that  time  must  have  had  far  bet- 
ter judgment  regarding  the  future  value  of  the  stock 
than  the  parties  who  were  so  anxious  to  have  him 
take  theirs  at  their  depreciated  value,  for  they  are  to- 
day as  good  security  as  one  could  wish,  and  it  is 
through  the  purchasing  of  these  stocks  and  the  hold- 
ing of  them  that  Mr.  Chapman  has  become  wealthy. 
He  is  the  only  stockliolder  in  this  city  and  is  one  of 
the  largest  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Chapman  has  a  fine  residence  in  Oneida,  locat- 
ed on  Prospect  street,  and  it  is  the  only  real  estate 
of  which  he  is  the  proprietor.  December  26,  1878, 
he  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Long,  the  accom- 
plished daughter  of  Abraham  and  Elizabeth  (Can- 
nel)  Long,  natives  of  Columbiana  County,  Ohio.  She 
was  born  there,  Jan.  20,  1858,  and  was  the  eldest  of 
her  parents'  family  of  five  children.  Mrs.  Chapman 
was  nine  years  of  age  when  her  parents  came  to  this 
State  and  made  settlement  in  Ogle  County,  where,  at 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


299 


Forreston,  they  are  still  living.  The  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Chapman  was  the  second  Bishop  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Episcopal  Church.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Chapman  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace 
of  Ontario  Township  for  six  years  and  was  also 
Postmaster  at  Ontario  Corners  for  some  time.  He 
has  voted  the  Republican  ticket  ever  since  the  nom- 
ination of  Fremont,  in  1856,  but  prior  to  that  time 
was  a  Democrat.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chapman  have  had 
born  to  them  two  children — Myrtle  I.  and  Homer  E., 
both  of  whom  are  deceased. 

During  the  War  of  i8i2,Mr.  Ezra  Chapman  stood 
the  draft.  He  had  not  reached  the  age  of  18  years. 
However,  when  the  lime  come  he  drew  his  lot,  which 
was  a  blank.  He  was  willing  to  go  if  he  had  been 
selected.  The  draft  was  for  men  to  defend  Sackett's 
Harbor  from  a  threatened  invasion.  None  of  the 
men  that  were  drafted  for  the  occasion  ever  got  into 
active  service. 

A  portrait  of  Mr.  Chapman,  as  well  as  that  of  his 
deceased  wife,  appears  on  another  page. 


-O 


T~7 


€S- 


jrs.  Cynthia  Shaw,  the  relict  of  John  C. 
Shaw,  and  a  lady  of  more  than  ordinary 

fs^  '  business  ability,  who  is  at  present  resid- 
\  ing  on  her  fine  farm  in  Sparta  Township, 
■T*  deserves  more  than  passing  notice  at  the  hands 
I  of  the  biographer.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Cyrus  and  Maria  (Calkins)  Robbins,  and  was  born 
in  Sparta  Township,  Dec.  25,  1839,  her  marriage 
with  John  C.  Shaw  occurring  Nov.  28,  1861. 

John  C.  Shaw,  husband  of  our  subject,  was  born 
April  26,  1830,  in  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.  His  parents, 
Martin  and  Margaret  (Styles)  Shaw,  were  natives  of 
the  Empire  State.  Martin  Shaw  died  in  1834,  and  his 
wife  and  four  children,  John  C.  among  the  number, 
came  to  this  county  in  1846  and  made  a  location  in 
Sparta  Township,  on  So  acres  of  land  on  section  3, 
which  the  mother  had  purchased.  There  the  widow 
with  her  orphaned  children  continued  to  live  until 
1854,  when  she  was  called  to  meet  her  loving  hus- 
band in  the  land  beyond. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  John  C.  purchased 
the  combined  interests  of  his  brothers  and  sisters  in 


the  old  homestead,  on  which  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  at  present  residing.  In  1880  he  made  an 
additional  purchase  of  50  acres  adjoining  the  pa- 
rental homestead,  and  there  lived  and  labored,  with 
the  interest  and  prosperity  of  his  family  at  heart,  un- 
til his  demise,  on  the  7th  of  May,  1881.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Advent  Church,  to  which  his  wife 
still  belongs.  At  the  date  of  his  demise  he  was  also 
the  proprietor  of  143  acres  of  land  in  Washington 
County,  Oregon.  His  widow,  our  subject,  still  re- 
sides on  the  old  farm,  and  with  her  children  is  en- 
gaged in  its  cultivation,  meeting  with  success.  Mr. 
Shaw  was  a  public-spirited,  generous,  whole-souled 
man,  and  always  ready  and  willing  to  assist  in  any 
enterprise  that  was  calculated  to  benefit  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lived,  and  was  never  known  to 
turn  a  deaf  ear  to  true  charity.  He  held  the  office 
of  School  Director  of  his  township  for  eight  years, 
and,  as  a  representative  of  the  agricultural  class  to 
which  he  belonged,  was  the  peer  of  any. 


^fe?|j|i  B.  Harshberger  is  one  among  the  promi-' 
|il®il£  nent  farmers  of  Knox  County,  as   well   as  j 
1%'        o""^  of  i's  ™°^'  worthy  citizens.     He  is  in- 
^1.^   terested  in  stock  raising  and  dealing,  and  his ' 
It      home  is  located  on  section    15,    Haw  Creek 
I      Township.     He   has  been  also  quite  a  promi- 
nent man  in  public  affairs,  and  has  filled  the   office 
of   Road  Commissioner   a    number   of  times.     His 
homestead   comprises  the   south  half  of  section  15, 
and  on  it  he  has  erected  a  neat  frame  house,  con- 
venient and  modernized  out-buildings,    and   made 
comfortable  the  entire  property. 

Mr.  Harshberger  was  born  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  May  5,  1819,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and 
Elizabeth  (Beckner)  Harshberger,  both  natives  of 
Virginia.  In  the  fall  of  1835  they  emigrated  to 
Knox  County,  but  previously  went  from  Virginia  to 
Ohio,  the  date  of  their  removal  not  being  exactly 
known.  When  they  came  to  Illinois,  they  settled  in 
what  is  now  known  as  Haw  Creek  Township,  and 
bought  the  patent  title  to  the  same  quarter-section 
now  occupied  by  our  subject.  Here  they  remained 
up  to  the  date  of  the  father's  death,  which  occurred 
in  1874,  the  mother  having  previously  departed  this 
life,  closing  her  eyes  to  things  of  life  three  years  be- 
fore.   They  lie  side  by  side  on  the   home  farm. 


■4-a- 


-*4: 


300 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


"  They  were  one  in  life  and  in  death  they  were  not 
divided." 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  one  of  a 
family  of  1 1  children,  nine  boys  and  two  girls.  He 
was  married  Oct.  5,  1849,  to  Mary,  daughter  of 
David  and  Elizabeth  (Thornbrugh)  Housh,  and  to 
them  have  been  born  seven  children — Lenora  C, 
Leah  A.,  Olive  E.,  Ida  D.,  May  L.,  Amanda  and 
Edna  L.  Lenora  C.  and  Amanda  are  deceased. 
The  mother  of  these  children  belongs  to  a  family  of 
13,  who  all  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and 
womanhood  but  one.  All  were  married  and  founded 
homes  of  their  own  but  one.  The  ancestry  on  both 
the  father's  and  mother's  side  of  the  house  were 
German,  but  the  descendants  were  American  by 
birth. 

Both  Mr.  Harshberger  and  wife  are  members  of 
the  United  Brethren  Church,  are  consistent  Chris- 
tians, and  ever  ready  to  unite  heart  and  hand  in  for- 
warding any  enterprise  for  the  good  of  their  fellow 
men.     In  politics  he  is  a  Greenbacker. 


eorge  W.  Butt.  Among  the  principal 
farmers,  whose  names  are  enrolled  on  the 
records  of  Knox  County  as  worthy  of  men- 
tion for  success  and  enterprise,  is  found  the 
subject,  who  for  zeal  and  thrift  has  no  superior 
in  this  section  of  the  country.  His  home  is 
situated  on  section  29,  and  is  a  desirable  and  attract- 
ive farm,  the  soil  being  under  high  cultivation  and 
including  355  acres  of  land,  150  of  which  is  tillable. 
Mr.  Butt  came  with  his  parents  to  this  part  of  the 
State  in  infancy,  being  but  T3  months  old,  from 
Champaign  County,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born,  Feb. 
16,  1836.  His  parents,  Thomas  E.  and  Sarah  E. 
(Williams)  Butt,  were  natives  of  Virginia  and  settled 
in  Persifer  Township,  where  they  both  died. 

They  had  13  children,  of  whom  William  was  the 
1 2th  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  given  some  educa- 
tional advantages,  receiving  a  common-school  edu- 
cation, and  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
for  some  length  of  time.  He  was  married  in  Persifer 
Township,  Sept.  it,  1853,  to  Dorcas  Dawson,  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Margaret  (Claypool)  Dawson,  na- 
tives of  Ohio.  Mrs.  Butt  was  born  in  what  is  now 
known  as  Vinton  County,  Ohio,  July  8,  1834.       Mr. 


m 


and  Mrs.  Butt  have  seven  living  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Martha  J.,  James  A.,  Thomas  J.,  Harriet 
Anna,  Charles  I.,  Sarah  E.  and  George  W.,  Jr.  They 
have  buried  one  child,  John  W.  by  name.  Martha 
is  the  wife  of  L.  N.  Hiler,  and  resides  at  Knoxville  ; 
she  has  one  child,  by  name  George  E. ;  James  A.  is 
in  Washington  Territory ;  Thomas  is  married  to  Sa- 
rah H.  Jackson  and  his  home  is  in  Persifer  Town- 
ship; they  have  three  children — Lawrence,  Benjamin 
L.  and  Laurel ;  Harriet  Anna  is  the  wife  of  James 
H.  Perkins,  and  her  home  is  in  Persifer  Township; 
she  is  the  mother  of  two  children — Katie  M.  and 
Charley  R.  The  remaining  children  are  all  under 
the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Butt  has  been  Road  Commissioner,  Township 
Clerk  and  School  Director  respectively,  which  offices 
he  has  held  with  honor  and  credit  to  himself  and  his 
electors.  He  was  given  the  position  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  but  did  not-qualify  for  it.  He  has  served 
his  country  faithfully  and  well,  fighting  under  the 
stars  and  stripes  to  protect  her,  and  to  win  that  no-  1 
ble  independence  and  liberty  which  are  birthrights  of 
every  American  and  which  they  will  suffer  nothing 
to  wrest  from  them.  He  enlisted  Dec.  21,  1861,  in  >s 
Co.  B,  ist  III.  Cav.,  and  served  seven  months,  when 
he  was  honorably  discharged,  and  re-enlisted  in  Co. 
A,  loth  Missouri  Cav.  In  that  regiment  he  served 
for  three  yerrs,  and  when  at  last  discharged  he  re- 
turned to  his  home  in  Persifer  Township.  He  is  at 
the  present  time  a  member  of  the  James  T.  Shields 
Post,  No.  45,  G.  A.  R. 

•^^ — €-^# ^^-' 

l^^^^r  ngeline  Whipple,  who  devotes  her  time  to 
^jMSr,  farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  9,  of 
f^  Cedar  Township,  was  born  Feb.  8,  1843, 
and  on  her  father's  side  is  of  Scotch  ancestry. 
Ij?^  She  is  now  living  on  the  old  home  farm  where 
)  she  was  born.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Peter 
C.  and  Eliza  H.  (Boram)  Nelson.  The  former  was 
born  in  Greenboro  County,  W.  Va.,  in  1807.  His  de- 
mise took  place  on  March,  6,  1881.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican, and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  was  Cli.ss  Leader  fora  number  of  years. 
He  died  full  in  the  faith  and  the  hope  of  eternal  bliss. 
He  married  Miss  Boram,  as  we  have  have  already 
stated.  They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children,  four 
boys  and  four  gids  the  latter  being  now  dead,   with 


n!' 


UBmy 

OF  THE 
l-nVERSITYOFILLINC?: 


^a^'SS^:^, 


Residence  cf  :.;•:  =  ;■;  L^3:,ALD  Mackintosh,  Sec.  12. .Ontario  Toy.:.: 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


303 


the  exception  of  the  subject,  whose  name  heads  this 
sketch.  One  of  the  boys  is  also  deceased.  The 
names  of  the  children  are :  Mary  J.,  John  J.,  Hester 
A.,  Louisa,  Angeline,  William  H.  H.  (deceased), 
Zachariah  T.  and  Aaron  F. 

Mrs.  Whipple  married  Joseph  W.  Whipple,  Oct.  4, 
i860,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by  the  Rev.  A. 
Morey  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  ("hurch.  Mr. 
Whipple  was  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  born  in  1839.  By  this  marriage  there 
were  three  children  born,  two  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing: W.  H.,  born  June  12,  1862,  and  died  April  13, 
1868;  Harvey  N.,  born  Oct.  25,  1868;  and  L.  A., 
Sept.  8,  1872. 

Mrs.  Whipple  has  90  acres  of  land,  and  is  carrying 
on  her  farming  operations  with  the  assistance  of  her 
two  sons.  She  owns  a  full-blooded  Jersey  cow, 
and  a  number  of  finely  bred  Short-horn  cattle,  to- 
gether with  50  head  of  sheep.  This  lady,  who  is 
remarkable  for  her  good  sense  and  geniality  of  dispo- 
sition, received  her  education  at  the  common  schools. 
She  is  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  takes  part  in  all  good  movements  in  her 
congregation. 


ilson  Adams.  The  subject  of  this  brief 
biographical  notice  is  an  enterprising  man 
^  '^  and  ranks  high  among  the  indi-.strious  and 
'>  persevering  farmers  of  Knox  County.  His 
property  is  situated  on  section  13,  Rio 
Township,  and  is  a  handsome  and  convenient 
home.  He  is  a  useful  man  in  the  community,  tak- 
ing a  great  interest  in  educational  matters  and  hold- 
ing the  office  of  School  Director  in  his  home  district. 
Mr.  Adams  is  the  son  of  James  and  Sarah  (Miller) 
Adams,  natives  of  North  Carolina,  who  came  to 
Knox  County  about  1843,  and  located  in  Rio  Town- 
ship. The  country  was  then  new  and  the  land  all 
undeveloped,  but  they  were  ambitious  and  eventually 
built  for  themselves  a  home  in  which  they  spent 
their  last  days,  the  father  dying  in  i88i  and  the 
mother  about  1850.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Adams 
was  a  soldier  in  the  War  for  Independence.  To  this 
couple  were  born  eight  children,  of  whom  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 
He  was  born  in  Southern  Indiana  Sept.  22,  1834, 
and  was  about  nine  years  of  age  when  his  parents 


emigrated  to  Knox  County.  He  was  allowed  all 
ordinary  advantages  and  received  a  common-school 
education,  and  since  attaining  the  years  of  manhood 
has  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  at  which  he 
has  been  very  successful.  With  the  exception  of 
five  years  passed  in  Mercer  County,  he  has  spent 
almost  his  entire  life  in  this  section  of  country.  He 
owns  170  acres  of  land,  all  of  which  is  tillable. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1856,  our  subject  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Sarelda  J.  Rusk,  who  was  born  in 
Montgomery  County,  Ind.,  Dec.  20,  1835.  Her  par- 
ents were  John'and  Joanna  (Ball)  Rusk,  both  natives 
of  Ohio.  They  came  to  Knox  County  in  1846, 
and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  the  former  died,  in  Rio 
Township.  The  mother's  demise  occurred  in  1867. 
Her  ancestors  were  of  German  origin. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  Adams  are 
eight  in  number,  and  their  names  are  as  follows : 
Rosa  G.,  Henry  M.,  Ida  R.,  Eddie  A.,  E.  Otis, 
Sarah  A.  and  Clyde  W.  Theron,  another  child,  was 
lost  in  infancy.  Rosa,  the  wife  of  Amos  Means, 
lives  in  Iowa,  and  is  the  mother  of  three  children — 
Ethel,  Florence  and  Clyde  E.  Henry  is  engaged  in 
farming  and  lives  in  Nebraska;  he  wedded  .'^da*< 
Richards,  and  to  them  has  been  born  one  child — 
Clara  E.  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Ralph  Mount,  and  her 
home  is  also  in  Nebraska;  she  is  the  mother  of  one 
child,  named  Willard  E.  The  other  children  of  Mr. 
Adams  remain  at  home.  He  and  his  wife  are  con- 
nected with  the  Protestant  Methodist  Church.  Po- 
litically, he  is  wide-awake  to  the  situation  of  affairs 
and  public  workers,  and  supports  the  Democratic 
party,  both  in  theory  and  in  practice. 

A  view  of  Mr.  Adams'  home  is  shown  on  another 
page  in  this  work. 


J<>00« 


i^uit. 


J'badiah  P.  Beebe,  a  farmer  and  carpenter  by 
occupation,  resides  on  section  28,  Cedar 
Township.  He  was  born  in  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  29,  182 r,  and  early 
learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  at  which  he 
worked  during  the  summer,  attending  school 
in  the  winter.  He  is  the  son  of  T.  J.  and  Sarah 
(Preston)  Beebe.  The  father  was  born  in  Herkimer 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1793,  his  demise  occurring  .\pril  3, 
1869,  in  the  same  State.  His  mother  was  born  in 
1795  and  died  in  1839.  By  this  union  there  were  eight 


^•t-h^ 


304 


KJVOX  COUNTY. 


JU 


children — Nelson,  Almira,  Obadiah  P.,  Dillon,  Car- 
lin,  Martin  and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Beebe  married  Miss  Sabra  A.  Merriit,  July  3, 
1857.  She  was  the  daughter  of  William  and  Ella 
(Follett)  Merritt,  and  was  born  in  Ohio,  Sept.  22, 
1839.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  New  York.  The 
father  was  born  in  1800,  and  died  in  Warrren 
County,  111.,  in  1870;  the  mother,  born  in  1810,  died 
Dec.  14,  1885,  also  in  Warren  County.  There  were 
II  children  by  the  union,  three  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy; those  surviving;  are:  Ann  C,  born  in  1835; 
Maritta,  in  1837;  Sabra  A.,  in  1839;  Adelia  J.,  in 
1841;  Jerome,  in  1844;  Albert,  in  1846;  Maria,  in 
1850;  Caroline  in  1854,  her  death  occurring  two 
years  later;  and  Charlie,  born  in  1856,  died  in  1881. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe  have  two  children  living — Ida 
M.,  born  April  10,  1858,  wife  of  Sam'l  Kessler,  lives 
in  Nebraska;  and  Willie,  born  July  13,  1878.  Mr. 
Beebe  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1869,  and  worked  at 
his  trade  some  two  years,  then  moved  to  Stark 
County,  where  he  remained  three  years,  when  he  re- 
solved on  returning  to  this  section,  where  he  pur- 
chased 80  acres  of  land,  which  he  has  under  a  very 
'  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  on  which  he  has  built  a 
fine  dwelling  house,  of  fair  dimensions.  His  daugh- 
ter, Ida  May,  married  Mr.  Sam'l  Kessler,  and  resides 
in  Nebraska.  By  this  union  there  were  two  children, 
boys — Preston  and  Clyde. 

In  religious  sentiment,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beebe  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  at 
Abingdon,  111.,  where  they  are  held  in  high  esteem. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a  strong  sup- 
porter of  its  prirciples. 


|lwM^^r.  J.  Harts  Miller.  Among  the  leading 
ijl^^yiv  professional  gentlemen  of  this  county,  as 
■  well  as  live,  enterprising  business  men,  is 
Dr.  J.  H.  Miller,  of  Abingdon.  He  was  born 
in  Alexandria,  Va.,  Sept.  9,  1839.  His  parents 
were  also  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion,  his 
father,  Joseph  H.,  being  a  native  of  the  same  place 
as  his  son,  but  of  English  and  Welsh  descent.  His 
mother,  Phebe  A.  (Janney)  Miller,  was  born  in  Lou- 
don County,  and  was  of  Irish-English  descent.  The 
elder  Miller  was  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
while  a  resident  of  Virginia,  but  in  1846,  with  his 
family,  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Fulton  County, 


where  they  engaged  in  farming.  Here  the  Doctor 
passed  his  youth,  assisting  his  father  in  the  labors 
of  the  farm  and  attending  the  neighboring  schools. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  fine  physical  development, 
and  possessed  a  patriotic  heart  and  a  strong  devo- 
tion to  the  flag  that  had  been  unfurled  so  early  in 
the  history  of  the  country,  and  had  waved  over  a 
free  and  united  people.  But  when  the  enemy  at  the 
front  were  pressing  our  armies  hard  and  the  President 
called  for  more  troops,  young  Miller  stepped  forward 
and  enlisted  to  defend  that  flag. 

It  was  in  August,  1862,  when  the  young  soldier 
enrolled  his  name  on  the  list  of  Co.  B,  84th  111.  Vol. 
Inf.  He  served  his  country  faithfully  and  well  for 
three  years,  and  was  mustered  out  in  June,  1865. 
He  participated  in  some  of  the  most  important  and 
bloody  battles  of  the  war,  among  which  are  Lookout 
Mountain,  Missionary  Ridge,  Chickamauga,  and  was 
at  Atlanta  as  an  Orderly  with  Gens.  Palmer,  Stanley 
and  others. 

On  his  return  from  the  fields  of  war  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  Dr.  I.  W.  Johnson,  of  Pe- 
oria. From  there  he  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan,  and  later  took  *" 
his  second  course  at  the  Homeopathic  Medical  Col- 
lege of  St.  Louis,  graduating  in  the  class  of  1868. 
He  immediately  entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  ' 
profession,  locating  at  Du  Quoin,  Perry  Co.,  111.  He 
remained  there  but  a  short  time,  for  in  1870  we  find 
him  in  Abingdon,  since  which  time  he  has  been  one 
of  the  prominent  practitioners  of  Kno.x  County.  He 
has  also  been  somewhat  engaged  in  farming,  and  he 
now  owns  two  small  but  valuable  farms  of  80  and 
45  acres  respectively.  Upon  these  he  has  had  an 
opportunity  of  engaging  in  a  department  of  stock- 
raising  which  he  is  very  much  interested  in.  These 
are  his  Jersey  cattle,  of  which  he  has  a  very  fine 
herd,  and  his  trotting-horses,  or  roadsters. 

Dr.  Miller  is  also  proprietor  of  the  patent  of  the 
Star  Gate,  a  very  valuable  and  popular  gate,  which 
is  sold  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  from 
which  its  proprietor  derives  a  handsome  revenue. 
He  is  not  only  the  owner  of  the  patent,  but  is  en- 
gaged in  the  manufacture  of  the  gate. 

Dr.  Miller  was  married  in  1874,  in  Cedar  Town- 
ship, this  county,  to  Miss  Dulcena  B.  Latimer,  daugh- 
ter of  George  Latimer,  one  of  the  most  honorablfrof 
Knox  County's  pioneers.  She  was  born  in  Cedar 
Township,  where  she  was  reared.     She  is  the  mother 


4-^ 


^n)p 


•e4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


305 


of  four  children — Mabel,  the  eldest,  who  was  born 
July,  1876,  died  Dec.  x,  18S1  ;  Laura  W.  was  born 
March  3,  1S7S;  Malcolm  F.,  Jan.  10,  1880,  and  .Anna 
M.,  Jan.  29,  1882. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  are  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church,  and  himself  politically  a  Democrat. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  Masonic 
fraternities.  Dr.  Miller,  yet  young  in  years,  has  led 
an  active  and  successful  life,  and  has  already  made 
a  record  both  as  a  man  and  in  his  profession  which 
much  older  persons  might  well  envy.  Serving  his 
country  faithfully  in  her  hour  of  need,  a  devoted  stu- 
dent, active  practitioner  and  enterprising  business 
man,  he  has  already,  though  yet  in  the  prime  of  life, 
accomplished  more  than  usually  falls  to  the  average 
man  in  an  entire  lifetime. 


.    Frederick    Christianer.        Prominent 
^  among  the  professional  men  of  Abingdon, 

and  a  gentleman  whose  interests  have  been 
identified  with  the  growth  and  development  of 
^  the  place,  and  who  has  met  with  success  in  the 
i  practice  of  his  profession,  is  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  engaged  in  tlie  practice  of  dental  surgery  at 
Abingdon.  Dr.  Christianer  was  born  in  Ostercap- 
peln,  Kingdom  of  Hanover,  Nov.  22,  1829,  and  is  the 
son  of  August  Frederick  and  Johana  (Obrock)  Christ- 
ianer. His  father  was  born  in  the  Kingdom  of  Han- 
over, Oct.  4,  1779,  and  died  in  1876,  at  Beardstown, 
111.  His  mother  was  bom  in  the  same  country,  March 
6,  1806  and  died  in  1844  in  her  native  land.  The 
father  of  Dr.  C.  married  in  the  year  1826. 

Dr.  Christianer  emigrated  from  his  native  land  to 
the  United  States  in  1S44,  when  but  15  years  of  age, 
and  located  in  New  York  City.  Remaining  there  si.x 
months  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where,  after  spending 
six  months  he  came  to  this  State,  and  located  at 
Beardstown,  in  1845.  At  that  place  he  engaged  in 
the  watch-maker  and  jeweler's  trade  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  a  time,  when  he  removed  to  Canton,  Fulton 
County,  and  there  studied  dentistry.  He  came  to 
Abingdon  in  1856,  and  engaged  in  the  watch-maker 
and  jeweler's  trade  to  which  he  added  the  practice  of 
dentistr)-.  About  1862  he  abandoned  the  former  bus- 
iness and  since  that  time  has  devoted  his  life  exclu- 


sively to  the  practice  of  his  profession,  except  such 
time  as  he  was  compelled  to  devote  to  the  various  of- 
ficial positions  to  which  he  has  been  elected.  For 
several  years  he  was  Town  Clerk  of  Indian  Point 
Township,  and  was  eight  years  an  incumbent  of  the 
office  of  Police  Magistrate  at  Abingdon.  For  four 
years  Dr.  Christianer  was  County  Superintendent  of 
schools,  commencing  his  official  career  in  that  capac- 
ity in  1879.  He  has  also  held  the  office  of  City  Clerk 
of  Abingdon  for  17  years  and  is  the  present  incum- 
bent of  that  office.  He  has  also  served  as  School 
Director  for  nine  years  and  holds  that  position  at  this 
writing.  From  the  foregoing  brief  sketch,  we  see  that 
Dr.  Christianer  has  been  a  resident  of  Abingdon  for 
upwards  of  30  years,  and  from  the  numerous  positions 
of  trust  he  has  held,  we  note  that  his  popular- 
ity among  his  fellow  men  has  been  recognized,  and 
that  he  has  always  had  the  best  interest  of  his  town 
and  county  at  heart. 

Dr.  Christianer  was  married  at  Canton,  III.,  Dec. 
5,  1850,  to  Miss  Jane  E.,  the  accomplished  daughter 
of  James  P.  and  Mary  M.  (Kinney)  McMillen.  She 
was  born  in  Mercersburg,  Pa.,  May  30,  1827.  Her 
father  was  born  at  the  same  place,  June  2,  1793,  and 
her  mother  was  likewise  born  there  Jan.  17,  1803. 
The  date  of  the  marriage  of  her  parents  was  in  Jan- 
uary, 1820.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Chistianer  have  been 
blessed  by  a  family  of  seven  children  :  James  A., 
born  Sept.  6,  1851,  is  a  teacher  of  music  at  .Atlanta, 
Ga. ;  Frank,  born  Aug.  r,  1853,  is  a  teacher  of  mu- 
sical Des  Moines,  Iowa;  MoUie,  born  Oct,  14,  1855, 
is  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Mount,  extensive  manfacturer  of 
brooms  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Belle,  born  May  10, 
X858,  is  the  wife  of  Curtis  Byrom,  Postmaster  and 
merchant  at  Cloverdale,  Kan.;  Fred,  born  April  30, 
1859,  married  Nettie  Schultz  and  is  engaged  in  the 
music  business  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Harry  Tell,  born 
Jan.  22,  1862,  is  single  and  resides  at  Des  Moines; 
Lake,  born  .\ug.  18,  1867,  is  a  student  of  Hedding 
College,  Abingdon.  Dr.  Christianer  and  family  are 
happily  possessed  of  a  high  order  of  musical  talent, 
which  has  been  liberjUy  cultivated.  Within  the  fam- 
ily circle  they  constitute  a  complete  concert  party, 
capable  of  giving  an  entertainment  that  would  com- 
pare favorably  with  the  performances  of  profession- 
als. Socially,  the  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Abingdon 
Lodge,  No.  184,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  been  for  the 
past  eight  years  Deputy  Grand  Master  of  said  Lodge. 
The   Doctor  lakes  a  great  interest  in  the  order  to 


4-^ 


^^=^4-* 


3o6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


which  he  belongs,  and  bj'  his  industry  has  contributed 
much  to  its  prosperity.  Politically,  he  votes  with  the 
Republican  party. 


Alex,  rinley.  One  of  the  most  prominent 
l^'r  farmers  and  breeders  of  fine  cattle,  swine 
and  Clydesdale  horses,  and  owner  of  a  fine 
farm,  situated  on  sections  13  and  24,  Ontario 
Township,  on  which  latter  he  resides,  is  the 
subject  of  this  notice.  His  farm  of  380  acres 
is  one  of  the  best  in  any  county  in  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois. It  is  highly  cultivated  and  is  known  as  Rich- 
land Farm.  It  was  bought  by  Mr.  F.  at  times  from 
1863  to  1868,  except  a  portion  he  inherited  one  year 
before  making  his  first  purchase  of  80  acres.  He  has 
since  made  this  his  home  and  has  improved  his  stock 
till  it  now  compares  favorably  with  the  best  in  the 
[  country,  Short-horn  cattle  and  Poland-China  hogs 
being  specialties  with  him. 

Mr.  Finley  was  born  in  Delaware,  Ohio,  March 
26,  1839.  His  father,  Joseph  Finley,  a  farmer,  was 
a  native  of  Ohio  and  of  New  England  parentage  and 
came  to  Delaware  County  when  eight  years  of  age. 
Here  he  was  married  to  Jane  Farris,  a  Virginian,  and 
to  them  four  children  were  born,  Alex,  being  the 
the  youngest  but  one  and  but  three  years  of  age 
when  his  mother  died.  The  father  re-married,  and 
in  1843,  t'^^  entire  family  came  to  Ontario  Township, 
Knox  County,  settling  on  an  entirely  new  place,  on 
section  21,  and  living  in  a  wagon  till  their  house  was 
built,  a  log  hut  or  cabin.  In  this  they  lived  for 
seven  years,  after  which  they  built,  and  in  the  new 
home  the  father  died  in  1866.  He  had  improved 
200  acres  and  owned  considerable  more  land  in  an- 
other part  of  the  township.  After  the  decease  of  the 
father,  Mr.  Finley  became  possessor  of  130  acres, 
upon  which  he  at  once  began  operations,  adding 
from  time  to  time  new  purchases  and  showing  him- 
self remarkably  successful  in  his  chosen  vocation. 
Mr.  Finley  has  to-day  one  of  the  best  tiled  farms 
in  the  State.  He  has  laid  in  the  neighborhood  of 
3,000  rods  of  tiling.  He  attributes  his  good  crops 
to  the  amount  of  tiling  and  thinks  that  it  saves  one- 
third  in  plowing,  and  advises  all  farmers  to  tile  their 
land  and  their  crops  will  be  an  assured  success. 
He  was  married  in  Ontario  Township,  Nov.  5, 


1868,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Cox,  whose  birthplace  was 
Somerton,  England,  and  who  came  to  America  with 
her  parents  when  a  little  girl.  They  located  in  this 
country  in  r846,  and  her  parents  still  live  in  this 
township,  where  they  own  a  farm.  Mrs.  F.  is  the 
mother  of  five  children,  all  living  and  at  home,  viz. : 
Gertie,  Georgie,  Orton,  Clyde  and  Louisa.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Finley  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 

He  has  won  his  way  to  his  present  strong  and  in- 
fluential position  by  the  practice  of  industry,  sobriety 
and  fair  dealing,  and  is  yet  a  comparatively  young 
man.  The  years  of  his  future  life  promise  still 
greater  achievements  in  business,  duty  and  prosper- 
ity. 


r'ohn  J.  Sutor.     Conspicuous  on  the  records 

of  Knox  County  may  be  found  the  name 

of  the  subject  of  this  biography.     He  is  a 

farmer  and  his  homestead  is  situated  on  sec- 

^r    tions  tg  and  20  of  Sparta  Township.     In  point 

of  industry  and  enterprise  he  is  regarded  as  ii 
one  of  the  most  able  men  of  Knox  County.     He  is 
well  known  as  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of 
this  section  of  the  country,   and  has  been  markedly 
successful  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor. 

Mr.  Sutor  was  born  in  Ireland  Jan.  25,  1850,  his 
parents  being  John  and  Martha  (Lyttle)  Sutor,  na- 
tives of  Ireland.  His  father  was  born  Aug.  15, 
1827,  and  his  mother  in  1829.  They  came  to  Can- 
ada in  1853,  in  which  country  they  remained  until 
1859.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time  they  removed 
to  the  State  of  Illinois,  renting  a  farm  in  Galesburg 
Township,  where  they  remained  until  1864.  This 
property  consisted  of  80  acres,  situated  on  section 
19.     Subsequently  he  added  to  it  80  acres. 

The  fruits  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sutor 
were  five  children,  namely:  William,  John  J.,  Mar- 
garet J.,  Martin  and  Henry  T.  Mr.  Sutor  died  Nov. 
14,  1874.  He  was  a  self-made  man,  having  strug- 
gled for  an  education  and  pushed  his  way  through 
the  world  with  admirable  perseverance.  His  re- 
ligion was  of  an  every-day,  practical  kind,  and  its 
fruits  were  shown  in  his  daily  life.  He  was  con- 
nected with  the  Presbyterian  Church  by  membership. 
Politically  he  was  a  Republican. 

John  J.  Sutor,  of  this  recital,  has  always  lived  with 


LAn: 


I 


OF  THE 
L'MIVERSITY  OF  ILUN' 


(^  /hi^9).^A^ 


^-6—^ 


^iVf?^  COUNTY. 


309 


his  parents,  and  his  earlier  days  were  spent  at 
school,  where  by  application  and  industry  he  acquired 
a  good  practical  education.  He  assisted  his  father 
on  the  home  farm,  and  at  his  death  took  entire 
charge  of  it,  discharging  the  duties  connected  with 
it  in  a  manner  creditable  to  himself.  In  1875  he 
erected  a  handsome  and  commodious  residence  on 
the  farm,  valued  at  $2,700,  and,  added  to  his  farm- 
ing pursuits,  does  quite  an  e.Ktensive  business  in 
stock-raising.  With  his  brothers,  Martin  and  Henry 
T.,  as  associate  partners,  he  carries  on  farming  in 
Rooks  Co.,  Kan.  They  have  five  sections  of  land  in 
Walton  Township,  Kan.,  and  are  extensive  stock- 
breeders thereon.  Mr.  Sutor  is  in  politics  a  Republi- 
can, and  understands  the  inner  workings  of  that  par- 
ty, which  he  supports  by  his  presence  and  vote. 


J'ohn  McDowell.  One  of  the  retired  farmers 
llf  of  Knox  County,  and  one  of  its  representa- 
tive and  substantial  citizens,  is  found  in  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  narration.  His  home 
lies  on  section  15,  of  Copley  Township,  and 
he  for  enterprise  and  real  strength  of  charac- 
ter, quick  foresight  and  financial  ability,  has  no  peer 
,  in  his  neighborhood. 

Mr.  McDowell  was  born  Oct.  26,  1S16,  and  his 
parents  are  John  and  Ann  (Livingston)  McDowell, 
nativesof  Scotland.  Mrs.  McDowell  died  in  her  native " 
land  in  1825,  and  Mr.  McDowell  re-married  in  1830, 
his  second  matrimonial  alliance  being  with  Eliza- 
beth McCornack,  who  died  in  Scotland  in  1836. 
There  were  by  the  first  union  four  children — Gordon, 
Mary  A.,  John  and  Elizabeth  ;  and  by  the  second, 
Jeanette,  Thomas  and  Robert.  Mr.  John  McDowell 
came  to  America  in  1839,  and  settled  on  section  16, 
Copley  Township,  Kno.x  County,  where  he  purchased 
640  acres  of  school  land,  and  there  lived  for  two 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  abandoned 
this  property,  as  the  land  did  not  come  into  market 
nor  prove  a  paying  investment.  He  next  went  on 
section  14,  where  he  purchased  160  acres,  which  he 
improved,  and  remained  there  in  their  desirable 
home  until  his  death,  in  1867. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
he  was  23  years  of  age,  lending  all  [wssible  aid  to  the 
home  work  on  the  farm,  and  gaining  as  desirable  an 
education  as  possible.    In  1842  he  went  to  Scotland, 


and  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Margaret,  daugh- 
ter of  James  and  Jane  (Heron)  Gordon.  In  the 
year  1843  ^^  returned  with  his  wife  to  America, 
coming  overland  from  Chicago  in  a  wagon,  making 
this  rough  trip  from  necessity,  as  there  was  no  other 
means  of  conveyance.  They  were  six  days  in  com- 
ing to  Knox  County,  after  which  they  settled  on  sec- 
tion 10,  and,  purchasing  80  acres,  began  what  was 
afterward  a  pleasant  home.  There  they  remained 
until  1865,  and  on  his  original  purchase  he  set  out 
trees,  fenced  and  improved  it,  cultivating  the  land, 
and  in  1851  purchased  80  acres  on  section  15,  which 
he  added  to  it.  He  owns  largely  in  landed  estates 
at  the  present  day,  being  the  possessor  of  about  700 
acres.  He  built  where  he  now  lives,  in  1865,  a 
home  which  is  the  admiration  of  that  section  of  the 
country,  handsome  and  commodious.  Its  value  ap- 
proximates $3,500,  and,  besides  a  number  of  barns, 
his  farms  are  stocked  with  the  finest  breeds  of  cat- 
tle, and  are  in  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDowell  have  a  family  often  chil- 
dren, nine  of  whom  survive;  they  are  as  follows: 
Amelia,  John,  now  deceased,  James,  Jeanette,  Dewitt, 
Isabelle,  William,  Peter,  Fredricka  and  Cora.  James  f< 
married  Alice  Swikard,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children — Arthur  and  John.  Jane  H.  is  the  wife 
of  John  McKee.  Isabelle  united  in  marriage  with  . 
James  McClymont,  and  is  the  mother  of  four  children 
—Ethel,  Frederick,  Gordon  and  Jeanette.  Peter 
is  the  husband  of  Amelia  Gehring,  and  has  one  son, 
Curtis. 

Mr.  McDowell  is  a  stanch  and  zealous  Republi- 
can, supporting  his  party  with  sentiment  and  vote, 
and  advocating  its  doctrines.  He  is  a  stirring,  active 
member  in  the  society  to  which  he  belongs,  and  has 
held  "lany  of  the  minor  offices  of  the  township ;  has 
been  Supervisor  and  School  Trustee,  taking  an  act- 
ive interest  in  educational  matters,  and  in  all  things 
relative  to  the  good  of  the  public  schools.  He  has 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace.  With  his  wife 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  they 
are  consistent  and  worthy  members  of  that  body, 
showing  forth  the  noble  principles  of  practical  Chris- 
tianity, as  taught  in  the  precepts  of  the  Savior,  in 
their  daily  lives.  He  has  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 
his  life  companion,  she  departing  this  life  Dec.  17, 
188 1,  in  the  full  and  blessed  assurance  of  a  happy 
hereafter. 

Mr.  McDowell  was  one  of  the  settlers  who  came 


310 


■Y- 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


here  at  an  early  day,  and,  although  not  among  the 
very  earliest  of  the  pioneers,  relates  that,  on  coming 
here,  the  tract  of  country  that,  under  the  skill, 
ready  foresight  and  active  execution  of  its  inhabit- 
ants, has  grown  into  a  populous  and  intelligent  com- 
munity, was  in  a  very  wild  and  unsettled  condition. 
There  were  deer  and  wolves  and  wild  animals  in 
abundance,  and  he  has  watched  from  a  compara- 
tively early  date  the  advancement  and  prosperity  of 
Knox  County,  with  the  feelings  of  those  who  put 
their  whole  souls  into  the  success  of  an  honest  enter- 
prise. In  the  year  1884  Mr.  McDowell  visited  his 
native  country.  While  there  he  traveled  all  through 
England  and  the  Continent.  Getting  homesick  after 
a  three  months'  trip,  he  returned  home.  As  an  emi- 
nently deserving  citizen  of  the  county,  we  are  pleased 
to  present  the  portrait  of  Mr.  McDowell  in  this  vol- 
ume. 

Iji-idney  L.  Wilmot.  At  the  time  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice,  in  company  with  his  par- 
ents,  first  set  foot    upon  the  soil   of  this 

county,  in  1836,  there  had  hardly  been  made 

a  settlement  in  what  is  now  Sparta  Township. 

Our  subject  may  accordingly  be  ranked  as  a 
pioneer  of  Knox  County.  For  a  period  of  50  years, 
he  has  been  connected  with  its  agricultural  develop- 
ment. He  has  witnessed  its  growth  from  the  primi- 
tive condition  to  its  wonderful  development  at  this 
time.  Mr.  Wilmot  was  born  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y., 
March  15,  1829,  his  parents  being  Amos  and  Betsey 
(Crawford)  Wilmot,  the  former  a  native  of  Chester, 
Conn.,  and  the  latter  of  Bainbridge,  N.  Y. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Wilmot  were  married  in  1828, 
and  of  their  union  ten  children  were  born  :  Sidney 
L. ;  Sarah  A.,  who  became  Mrs.  Thomas  Mansfield; 
Hannah,  the  wife  of  E.  Bennett;  Olive,  who  died 
when  two  years  of  age;  Jesse,  who  married  Eliza 
Firkins;  Stowell,  who  died  in  infancy;  Emma,  the 
wife  of  E.  H.  Taylor:  Bradley,  who  selected  Miss 
Alsada  Botsford  for  his  wife;  Rebecca,  wife  of  James 
Shull;  and  Lydia,  who  became  Mrs.  E.  J.  Rogers. 
The  parents  came  to  Illinois  as  early  as  1836,  and 
found  a  desirable  location  on  section  6,  Sparta  Town- 
ship. They  were  honorable  and  highly  respected  pio- 
neers until  their  death.  The  elder  Wilmot  proved  a 
very  enterprising  and  valuable  pioneer,  and  was  the 


*T 


first  of  those  sturdy  pilgrims  who  ventured  out  upon 
the  broad  and  fertile  prairie.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  the  early  settlements  throughout  this  section 
were  made  in  the  timber,  or  on  some  point  of  timber 
bordered  by  the  prairie.  For  many  years  it  was  gen- 
erally considered  that  prairie  land  was  valuable  only 
as  a  range  for  stock.  Even  for  20  years  after  Mr. 
Wilmot  had  ventured  out  on  the  prairies,  few  men 
ever  expected  to  live  long  enough  to  see  them  fenced. 
Amos  Wilmot  evidently  had  a  keener  vision,  and  this 
enabled  him  to  see  farther  into  the  future  than  most 
of  his  fellow  pioneers.  The  ideas  which  he  promul- 
gated, and  which  at  the  time  seemed  so  radically 
wrong,  are  now  universally  regarded  as  wise.  He 
erected  the  first  house  on  the  prairie  in  this  sectian  of 
the  county,  which  was  also  the  first  house  built  in 
Sparta  Township.  At  that  time  there  was  but  one 
house  in  Ontario  Township.  It  will  thus  be  seen 
that  he  was  truly  a  pioneer,  pushing  ahead,  opening 
up  and  making  easy  the  way  for  others.  Deer  and 
wolves  were  numerous,  and  were  often  seen  around 
the  cabins  of  the  pioneers.  The  elder  Wilmot  knew 
all  about  the  privations  and  sufferings  incident  to  the 
settlement  of  a  new  country.  He  and  his  devoted  "^ 
wife  lived  to  see  the  wonderful  transformation  in  the 
condition  of  the  country  they  found  in  its  native 
wildness.  They  both  died  in  the  same  year,  1878, 
the  former  August  28,  and  the  latter  December  26. 
Sidney  L.  remained  an  inmate  of  the  parental  home 
until  he  reached  his  majority.  In  the  meantime  he 
assisted  in  the  work  of  the  farm  and  attended  such 
schools  as  the  country  at  that  time  afforded.  In 
1850,  on  becoming  his  own  man,  he  purchased  80 
acres  of  land  on  section  5,  Sparta  Township,  which 
is  a  portion  of  his  present  splendid  farm.  He  was 
not  at  that  time  able  to  move  upon  it  and  begin  its 
improvement.  He  worked  out  by  the  month  for  six 
months,  when  he  rented  some  land,  and  during  the 
winter  he  worked  in  the  timber,  getting  out  fencing 
material  with  which  to  enclose  his  land.  By  the  year 
1858,  he  was  enabled  to  move  upon  the  place,  having 
during  that  year  secured  a  helpmeet,  in  the  person 
of  Miss  Sarah  Brown,  who  was  a  native  of  New  York. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  William  and  Phcebe  (Mor- 
ris) Brown.  Her  parents  died  when  she  was  quite 
young,  and  she  came  west  from  New  York,  with  the 
family  of  Schuyler  Goldsmith,  living  with  them  up  to 
the  date  of  her  marriage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilmot  have 
an  adopted  daughter  by  the  name  of  Ada  Hammond. 

•Jl-       ■     •    ■ 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


3»' 


She  was  married  to  William  Ely  (see  sketch  of  Mr. 
Ely)  Feb.  17,  18S3;  they  are  now  living  in  Dakota. 
Mr.  Wilraot  has  made  valuable  improvements 
ufKjn  his  farm,  and  has  295  acres  of  highly  cultivated 
land,  valued  at  $65  per  acre.  He  was  practically 
reared  in  this  county,  being  brought  here  when  a  lad 
of  seven  years  of  age,  and  has  become  one  of  its  best 
known  and  most  highly  respected  citizens.  He  had 
a  hard  and  laborious  struggle  in  the  early  years  of 
life,  and  where  many  failed,  he  has  succeded;  His 
life  has  been  marked  by  liberality  in  the  support  of 
schools  and  churches,  and  in  every  enterprise  that 
tended  to  build  up  or  better  the  community.  He  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
of  Ontario,  and  Mr.  W.  is  a  stanch  Republican. 

'ohn  H.  Wagner.  Among  the  successful 
^B^  business  men  of  Maquon  may  be  found 
"^^^  the  gentleman  whose  name  stands  at  the 
head  of  this  brief  "narration.  He  is  the  son  of 
Jesse  and  Nancy  (Whiitaker)  Wagner,  who 
were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German 
and  Irish  ancestry.  They  married  and  settled  in 
Pennsylvania,  where  they  lived  until  1840,  when  they 
came  to  Fulton  County,  and  from  thence,  in  1848, 
removed  to  Maquon  Township,  and  in  1866  settled 
in  the  pretty  and  thriving  little  village  of  Maquon,  in 
the  same  State.  They  raised  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  William,  Jacob  S.,  Mary  E.,  Fran- 
cis J.,  George  K.,  Julia  A.,  H.  and  Rebecca  C. 

John  H.  Wagner  was  born  in  Columbia  County, 
Pa.,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  June  12,  1838.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools  and 
supplemented  this  by  attendance  at  Hedding  Col- 
lege, Abingdon.  Afterward  he  attended  Knox  Col- 
lege for  a  short  period,  but  was  obliged  to  leave  on 
account  of  ill  health.  He  taught  school  in  McDon- 
ough  County  for  five  months,  and  afterward  went  to 
Chicago,  and  there  accepted  a  position  as  traveling 
agent  for  an  insurance  company  located  at  Freeport, 
111.  On  returning  to  Chicago  he  entered  the  com- 
mercial college  of  Bryant  &  Stratton  ;  afterward,  re- 
turning to  Maquon  Township,  he  engaged  as  an 
agriculturist,  which  occupation  he  followed  for  ten 
years.  In  September,  1875,  he  bought  the  hardware 
stock  of  Israel  Howel,  of  Maquon  Township,  and 


since  that  time  has  conducted  the  business.  By  fair 
and  honest  dealing  with  his  fellow  men  he  has  es- 
tablished a  good  and  constantly  increasing  trade. 
He  is  at  the  present  time  the  owner  of  210  acres  of 
fine  land  in  Maquon  and  Chestnut  Townships. 

He  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  at  Fairview, 
Fulton  Co.,  111.,  Dec.  25,  1865,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Martha  A.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sarah 
(Alcott)  Brunton,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They 
have  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  seven  children,  by 
name  as  follows  :  Eliza  J.,  William  H.,  Martha  A., 
John,  Mary  E.,  Rachel  and  Milton.  Martha  was 
born  in  McDonough  County,  March  8,  1841. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.,  of  this  notice,  are  the  parents  of 
four  living  children,  namely:  Reginald  V.,  Harry, 
Sarah  E.  and  Emma.  They  buried  two  children,  by 
name  Ida  G.  and  Warren  H.  Ida  died  when  seven 
years  of  age  and  Warren  at  the  age  of  four. 

Mr.  Wagner  has  been  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the 
village  of  Maquon  for  the  period  of  five  years.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  both  him- 
self and  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  believer  in  and  sup- 
porter of  the  principles  advocated  by  the  DemocraticTi 
party. 


eorge  F.  Niles.  Sparta  Township  has  many 
prosperous  and  well-to-do  farmers ;  men 
who  are  the  recipients  of  no  legacy,  but 
who  have  obtained  a  good  title  to  their  farms 
through  their  own  indomitable  energy  and 
perseverance.  Among  this  number  conspic- 
uously stands  the  subject  of  this  notice.  He  was 
born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  25,  1828,  and 
came  to  this  State  just  29  years  later. 

Sill  and  Lovisa  (Olmstead)  Niles,  the  parents  of 
our  subject,  were  natives  of  York  State.  The  father 
was  an  extensive  farmer  in  his  native  State,  and  of 
his  union  with  Miss  Olmstead  eight  children  were 
born,  six  of  whom  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and 
womanhood.  Both  heads  of  the  family  continued  to 
reside  in  their  native  State  until  their  demise,  his  oc- 
curring March  7,  1872,  and  hers  in  1S53. 

George  F.  Niles  lived  with  his  parents  on  the  old 
homestead  in  York  State  until  he  attained  the  age 
of  27  years,  assisting  in  the  labors  on  the  farm. 
Prior  to  this  time  he  had  received  an  elementary  ed- 


v 


r^H 


312 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ucation  in  the  common  schools  and  supplemented  the 
same  by  an  academical  course.  In  1857  he  came  to 
this  county  and  made  settlement  at  Wataga.  There 
he  purchased  a  flouring-niill,  and  in  company  with 
his  brother,  David  P.,  they  successfully  ran  the  same 
for  seven  years,  when  he  exchanged  the  mill  for  land 
in  Henry  County.  In  r862,  the  brothers  purchased 
160  acres  of  land  on  section  19,  Sparta  Township, 
and  there  the  subject  of  this  notice  lived  and  labored 
until  1867.  From  the  latter  date  until  the  year 
187 1,  they  were  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
at  Altona,  Knox  County.  In  187 1,  Mr.  Niles 
erected  a  residence  on  section  21,  of  Sparta  Town- 
ship, where  he  had  purchased  160  acres  of  good  tilla- 
ble land,  in  1866,  and  where  he  resides  at  this 
writing.  He  and  his  brother  are  the  proprietors  of 
840  acres  of  land  in  this  county,  and  11 62  acres  in 
Page  County,  Iowa.  They  are  engaged  in  feeding 
stock,  and  in  1874,  added  to  their  business  that  of 
the  breeding  of  Short-Horn  cattle,  in  which  they  have 
continued  until  this  time.  At  present  they  have  450 
head  of  that  breed  of  cattle,  which  they  value  at  ^o 
^per  head.     Mr.  Niles  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 

Our  subject  is  a  stockholder  in  the  First  and 
Second  National  Banks  at  Galesburg.  As  will  be  seen 
from  the  foregoing,  David  P.  Niles,  the  brother  of  our 
subject,  has  been  in  partnership  with  him  since  they 
first  came  West.  They  are  certainly  brothers,  whose 
interests  are  identified,  for  all  their  land,  stock,  to- 
gether with  their  homes  and  their  entire  business, 
they  own  together.  David  P.  lives  on  section  19, 
Sparta  Township.  The  success  of  these  two  gentle- 
men, as  we  have  stated,  is  not  through  being  the  re- 
cipiency of  any  legacy,  but  is  attributable  to  their own^ 
good  judgment,  energetic  action  and  active  co-opera- 
tion. 

George  F.  Niles  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Ella  J.  Wood  in  1 866.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William 
S.  and  Phylena  (Smith)  Wood,  natives  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  and  who  came  to  this  State  and 
county  in  i860,  and  made  settlement  in  Wataga.  Her 
father  was  there  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business 
for  a  time.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Niles  of  this  notice:  Charles  W.,  born  May  15, 
1867,  and  died  Jan.  16,  1883;  and  Marian  E.,  April 
8,  1873.  Their  son  Charles  was  a  kind,  obedient 
and  careful  boy,  and  always  took  a  great  delight  in 
looking  after  his  father's  interest. 

David  P.  Niles  also  joined  the  army  of  benedicts^ 


in  1870,  at  which  time  Miss  Helen  C.  Johnson  be- 
came his  wife.  He  is  likewise  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, and  a  prominent  and  respected  citizen  of  Knox 
County. 


It  esse  Wagner.  The  different  residents  of 
Knox  County  are  distinguished  for  various 
acts  of  usefulness  and  honor  reflected  back 

in  the  form  of  substantial  successes   and  ad- 

^vancement.  One  of  the  most  important  factors 
in  her  internal  machinery  is  the  subject  of  this 
personal  sketeh,  who  has  always  followed  the  voca- 
tion of  a  farmer,  but  at  the  present  time  is  passing 
the  sunset  of  life  retired  from  the  active  labor  of 
farming,  in  the  thriving  little  village  of  Maquon.  He 
has  always  shown  himself  able  and  willing  to  for- 
ward all  good  and  worthy  enterprises  calculated  to 
aid  in  the  upbuilding  of  this  section  of  country. 

Mr.  Wagner  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  spring 
of  1849,  from  Fulton  County,  111.,  purchasing  a  farm 
in  Maquon  Township,  upon  which  he  resided  until 
May,  1867,  when  the  village  of  Maquon  became  his  ■*< 
home,  and  where  he  has  since  lived  a  retired  life,  in 
the  meantime  having  disposed  of  his  farm.  Mr. 
Wagner  was  born  in  Bradford  County,  Pa.,  Feb.  3, 
r8o2.  Upon  the  removal  of  his  parents  to  Columbia 
County,  Pa.,  our  subject  was  quite  young  in  years, 
but  remaining  in  that  county  he  engaged  in  the  man- 
ufacture of  woolen  goods  for  about  16  years.  In  the 
spring  of  1840  he  left  the  Keystone  State  and  came 
to  Canton,  111.,  where  he  remained  two  years,  until 
his  removal  to  the  north  part  of  Fulton  County, 
whence  he  moved  to  Knox  County  in  1849. 

Jesse  Wagner  took  to  wife  Nancy  Whittaker,  Sept. 
28, 1839,  the  nuptials  being  celebrated  in  Columbia 
County,  Pa.  The  date  of  the  birth  of  Miss  Whit- 
taker was  July  8,  1803,  she  being  born  in  Columbia 
County.  Our  subject  and  wife  have  been  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  eight  children,  who  were  named  as  fol- 
lows :  William,  Jacob,  Mary,  Frances,  George, 
John  H.,  Harriet  and  Catherine. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  devout  and  working  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  having  been 
members  of  that  denomination  for  many  years.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Wagner  were  by  name  Jacob  and 
Elizabeth  (Minier)  Wagner,  of  German  ancestry. 
William  and  Francis  (Hazelton)  Whittaker  are  the 


RESIDENCE    OF   rvl.S.LEr."0N,5EC.23,  3ALE5BURS     TOWNSHIP. 


V.':UMER8?^VSF^LUN0^, 


■4: 


hJ^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


3«5 


names  of  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Wagner.  They  were 
residents  of  Cohimbia  County,  Pa.,  where  they  both 
passed  away. 

illiam  B.  Main.     Among  the  many  genial 
iSi   citizens  of  Abingdon,  no  one  is  more  pop- 
ular or  has  a  larger  number  of  friends  than 


Mr.  Main,  the  Ex-Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Conductor,  and  Agent  for 
C.  Aultman  &  Co.  and  the  Fairbanks  Scale  Co. 
He  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  7,  1835. 
His  parents  were  Thomas  P.  and  Laura  (.\llen) 
Main.  His  father  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y., 
of  which  State  he  remained  a  resident  till  coming  to 
Illinois.  He  was  descended  from  the  Scotch,  his  first 
ancestors  settling  in  America  being  Peter  Main,  a 
Scotchman,  who  settled  in  Connecticut  in  1680, 
and  the  mother,  born  in  the  same  county  and  State, 
and  of  English  descent. 

Mr.  Main,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  removed 
to  Chenango  County  when  four  years  of  age,  with  his 
father,  and  came  to  Knox  County  in..i857,  locating 
at  Altona,  where  he  remained  till  1862,  when  he 
went  to  Galesburg,  and  in  1879  to  Abingdon,  where 
he  was  a  farmer.  Like  all  patriotic  citizens,  when  a 
call  for  men  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  was 
made,  Mr.  Main  enlisted  in  the  three  months'  serv- 
ice, and  was  mustered  in  for  three  years  May  26, 
1861,  into  Co.  1, 17th  111.  Vol.  Inf  During  the  war 
he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Donelson, 
Shiloh,  Frederickton,  Mo.,  and  in  the  capture  of  Fort 
Henry.  He  was  taken  sick  and  honorably  discharged 
on  account  of  physical  disability  May  9,  1862,  after 
having  experienced  many  of  the  hardships  and  dan- 
gers of  the  service  during  his  brief  time  in  the  army. 
Oct.  14,  1862,  after  having  recovered  his  health,  he 
entered  the  service  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Railroad  Com- 
pany, as  brakeman,  serving  as  such  till  June,  1864, 
when  he  became  freight  conducter,  in  which  capacity 
he  remained  until.August,  1869,  when,  being  promoted 
to  the  position  of  passenger  conductor,  he  served  in 
that  capacity  until  August  22,  1879,  when  he  re- 
signed. He  was  married  Jan.  17,  1865,  in  Guilford, 
Chenango  County,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Rev.  Lyman  Sperry, 
to  Miss  Harriet  M.  Bill,  daughter  of  Warren  and 
Betsey  Bill,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county.  They 


are  the  parents  of  two  children — Carrie  E.,  born  June 
20,  1870,  and  George  W.,  born  August  19,  1875. 

On  coming  to  Abingdon  Mr.  Main  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business,  in  which  he  remained  for  three 
years,  also  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has  car- 
ried on  the  latter  ever  since.  He  was  Mayor  of  Ab- 
ingdon in  1882.  Mrs.  Main  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  he  was  High 
Priest  of  Galesburg  Masonic  Chapter,  No.  79,  and 
Master  of  Abingdon  Lodge  in  1884,  and  has  been  a 
Mason  for  20  years. 

Of  Mr.  Main's  possessions  is  a  farm  on  section  £o, 
Cedar  Township,  containing  80  acres,  which  is 
leased.  He  owns  also  the  brick  block  now  occu- 
pied by  Main  &  Burnaugh,  also  two  dwelling 
houses.  He  has  a  large  interest  in  Parsons,  Kan.,  in 
a  fine  brick  block  and  other  property.  Mr.  Main  is 
a  broad- gauged,  genial,  generous  man,  and  a  fair 
type  of  the  popular  and  e.xperienced  conductor.  As 
might  well  be  anticipated  of  one  occupying  so  promi- 
nent a  position  in  the  community,  he  is  held  in  high 
esteem,  and  has  hosts  of  warm  friends,  to  whose 
welfare  he  is  warmly  devoted,  as  they  are  to  his. 
He  is  justly  entitled  to  the  reputation  which  un- 
doubtedly is  his,  that  of  an  honorable,  enterprising 
and  useful  citizen. 


i  obert  Cummings.  .\mong  the  leading  pro- 
iilSJ  gressive  citizens  of  Knox  County,  and  the 
Cj^'-  more  solid  and  substantial  men,  may  be 
^"  quoted  the  name  of  Robert  Cummings,  who  is 
a  farmer  in  that  section  of  the  country,  de- 
voted enthusiastically  to  his  business,  and 
whose  home  lies  on  section  13,  Maquon  Township. 
Mr.  Cummings  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall  of 
1S60,  from  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.  In  Maquon 
Township  he  worked  out  for  some  months,  afterward 
making  a  settlement  in  that  township,  where  he  has 
since  resided.  His  first  purchase  of  80  acres  was  on 
section  13,  his  present  home,  and  to  which  he  has 
added  by  subsequent  purchase,  until  at  present  his 
acreage  consists  of  156 

Robert  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa., 
the  date  being  Feb.  26,  1827.  While  in  Pennsyl- 
vania he  worked  on  the  canal  for  a  period  of  ten 
years,  and  with  this  exception  he  has  always  been 


3i6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


X 


engaged  in  following  the  vocation  of  an  agriculturist. 
The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  first  married 
to  Susan  Schrum.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  John  Schrum.  They  were  of  Dutch  origin.  By 
this  marriage  Mr.  Cummings  became  the  father  of 
two  children,  viz. :  Mary  A.  and  Harriet  J.  The 
latter  died  in  infancy.  Mary  A.  is  now  living  with 
her  people.  The  demise  of  Mrs.  Cummings  occurred 
March  8,  185S.  He  was  again  married  Aug.  10, 
1862,  to  Emily  T.  Thurman,  the  ceremony  being 
celebrated  in  Salem  Township.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  Mark  and  Fannie  (  Marchant  )  Thurman,  na- 
tives of  the  Buckeye  State.  Her  parents  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Knox  County,  and  their  demise 
occurred  in  the  Township  of  Maquon.  The  father 
died  about  the  year  1846.  The  demise  of  the  mother 
occurred  in  187  i.  Mrs.  Cummings  was  the  fourth 
child  in  order  of  birth  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  she 
being  born  in  Maquon  Township  Oct.  7,  1833.  It 
maybe  here  stated  that  Mrs.  Cummings  was  married 
before  she  became  the  wife  of  our  subject.  The  gen- 
tleman to  whom  she  was  first  wedded  was  Perry  Tay- 
lor, the  marriage  occurring  in  Galesburg,  Oct.  21, 
1852.     His  demise  took  place  in  1861. 

Mr.  C.  is  a  devoted  and  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  the  son  of 
Robert  and  Mary  (Yalton)  Cummings,  natives  of  the 
Keystone  State,  where  they  resided  until  death. 


;ames  Patterson,  a  sturdy  tiller  of  the  soil, 
1^  which  vocatio.i  he  has  followed  the  major 
portion  of  his  life,  resides  on  section  25, 
Elba  Township.  He  came  to  Knox  County, 
111.,  in  April,  1857,  from  Peoria  County.  His 
first  purchase  consisted  of  160  acres  of  land, 
and  he  has  subsequently  added  to  his  possessions 
until  he  now  owns  220  acres.  He  has  improved  his 
farm  by  the  erection  of  substantial  farm  buildings, 
and  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest  fruit  farms  in 
the  township. 

Mr.  Patterson  was  born  in  Rockbridge  County, 
Va.,  Oct.  10,  1823,  and  when  ten  years  of  age  re- 
moved with  his  parents  and  Sarah  (MacCorde)  Pat- 
terson, to  Preble  County,  Ohio,  at  which  place  he 
lived    until    1849,    when    he  emigrated    to    Peoria 

' — ^y 


County,  locating  in   Brimfield  Township,  remaining 
there  until  his  advent  into  Knox  County,  in  1857. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Preble  County,  Ohio, 
Oct.  10,  1848,  to  Elizabeth  Marshall.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Rebecca  (Richey)  Marshall. 
Mrs.  P.  was  born  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  Aug.  28, 
1828,  and  has  borne  her  husband  three  children — 
Alice,  Mary  and  Etta.  Alice  is  the  wife  of  Benja- 
min F.  Pittman,  and  resides  in  Elba  Township ;  Mary 
resides  at  home,  and  Etta  is  the  wife  of  Edward 
Whiting,  and  is  also  residing  in  Elba  Township. 
They  are  tlie  parents  of  two  children — Etha  C.  and 
James  K.  Mr.  P.  served  his  township  as  Overseer 
of  Highways,  and  politically  identifies  himself  with 
the  Republican  party. 


-J3- 


-ei- 


H\ 


W^Mp,  amuel  Plummer.     Knox  County  is  dotted 

^HF    over  with  some  of  as  rich  and  productive 

ifS'^aC    farms  as  are  to  be  found  anywhere  within, 

lK    the  borders  of   the    great  Prairie  State.     On 

\      them   are  located  fine    improvements,   which 

have   been    placed    there    by    economy,   an<L 

through  energy  on  the  parts  of  the  proprietors! 

As  a  truly  representative  citizen  of  this  county,  and 

one  possessing  the  necessary  requisites  to  succeed  in^ 

agriculture,  we  take  pleasure  in  mentioning  the  name 

of  the  subject  of  this  biographical  notice. 

Mr.  Plummer,  of  this  sketch,  came  to  Knox 
County  in  the  summer  of  1851,  emigrating  from 
Fleming  County,  Ky.  The  following  summer  he 
worked  out  by  the  month  at  farming,  subsequently 
coming  to  Fulton  County,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm,  and  lived  until  1867,  when  he  sold  out 
and  purchased  140  acres  in  Maquon  Township, 
where  he  is  at  present  residing.  He  has  since  been 
a  resident  of  Maquon  Township,  and  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time  the  owner  of  131  acres  of  land,  the  greater 
portion  of  which  is  tillable.  He  was  born  in  Flem- 
ing County,  Ky.,  July  15,  1831.  His  school  privi- 
leges were  somewhat  limited,  and  he  remained  in  his 
native  county  until  185  r,  the  date  of  his  arrival  in 
this  county. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  was  married 
in  Fulton  County,  III.,  July  15,  1853,  to  Nancy 
Street,  who  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  Miss  Street,  was 
born  Nov.  28,  1815,  and  has  borne  her  husband 
three  children,  two  of  whom  are  living :  Amanda  A. 


^ 


^* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


317 


and  Minerva  A.  Emma,  the  second  child,  died  in 
infancy.  Amanda  is  the  wife  of  R.  P.  Foster,  who 
resides  in  Maquon  Township.  She  is  the  mother  of 
five  children — Albert  O.,  Samuel,  Selden,  Norman 
and  Alina.  Minerva  is  the  widow  of  Irving  Kirkiiff, 
who  died  Feb.  29,  18S4.  She  had  become  the  mother 
of  three  children — Emma  M.,  Charley  V.  and  Edith 
B.      This  lady  now  living  with  her  parents. 

Mr.  Plummer,  of  this  notice,  has  held  several  of 
the  minor  offices  of  this  township.  His  parents  were 
Jeremiah  and  Amanda  E.  (Ross)  Plummer,  who 
were  natives  respectively  of  Maryland  and  Virginia. 
They  both  died  in  Kentucky,  the  father  in  1843, 
the  mother  in  1846.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Plummer 
were  John  M.  and  Mary  (Davis)  Combs,  he  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania  and  she  of  Ireland.  They  both 
came  to  Kno.\  County  at  an  early  day  and  settled  in 
Maiiuon  Township,  where  they  died. 

sT^JIenjamin  r.  Pittman  is  a  representative  of 

-  "iLSaJi-   that  class  of  citizens  who  have  been  the 

&^r        leading    spirits    in   the    development   of 


Kno.x  County.  Mr.  Pittman  is  and  always  has 
been  an  agriculturist,  and  at  this  writing  is 
pleasantly  located  on  his  rich  and  product- 
ive farm  on  section  25,  Eloa  Township,  where  he  is 
industriously  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
calling. 

He  came  here  in  the  spring  of  1869  from  Missouri, 
and  for  a  year  worked  out  in  EH)a  Township.    At  the 
expiration  of  that  time  he  began  farming  on  his  own 
I  account.     He  received   his    place  as  a  legacy,  and 
i  since  moving  on  the  same  has  erected  a  good  set  of 
:  farm  buildings;  all  liis  land  is  in  a  good,  tillable  con- 
dition, and  he  is  enjoying  life  as  a  tiller  of  tlie  soil. 

Mr.  Pittman  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  Pa.,  Sept. 
7,  1843.      I'liere  he   received  his  education,   worked 
I  on  the  farm,  developed  into  manhood  and  lived  until 
he  was  22  years  of  age.     His  educatfon  was  supple- 
1  mented  by  a  course  at  Fulton  Institute,  in  his  native 
j  county,  and  also  at  Ramsburg  Seminary,  in  Bedford 
j  County,  Pa.,  and  Iron  City  College,  Pittsburg,   Pa.; 
I  he  is  consequently  possessed  of  more  than  a  com- 
mon-school education. 

In  August,  1861,  Mr.  Pittman  enlisted  in  the  26lh 
:  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.;  served   three  years  in  fighting  for  the 


■y*a£W%^r 


*^^was>i» 


oseph  Oberholtzer,   a   pioneer    of  Truro 
JjC'  Township,  is  the  subject  of  this  biograph- 
ical sketch.     He   is   a   resident   of  Knox 


County,  and  may  be  considered  one  of  the 
landmarks  of  this  section  of  country.  He  is 
identified  with  the  growth  of  this  portion  of  our 
State,  and  experiences  all  the  pleasure  of  those  who 
watch  the  gradual  growth  and  final  success  of  any 
pet  enterprise  in  which  they  are  personally  con- 
cerned. 

Mr.  Oberholtzer  was  born  in  Columbiana  County, 
Ohio,  May  13,  1819.  His  father,  Jacob  Oberholtzer, 
was  a  native  of  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  and  his  grand- 
father was  a  native  of  Switzerland ;  the   latter  also 


X 


Union  and  then  re-enlisted  in  the  2osth  Pa.  Vol. 
Inf.  and  served  nine  months  longer.  He  was  first 
in  the  division  under  McClellan,  then  under  Hooker 
and  Burnside;  then  with  Hooker  and  Pope,  and 
finally  under  Grant,  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness, 
and  at  Gettysburg  under  Meade.  While  in  front  of 
Petersburg,  Va.,  April  2,  1865,  he  was  struck  with  a 
piece  of  shell  and  incapacitated  for  duty  for  about 
two  years.  He  enlisted  as  private,  and  for  meritori- 
ous conduct  and  bravery  while  on  the  field  of  battle, 
was  promoted  to  Orderly  Sergeant. 

Returning  from  the  war,  our  subject  engaged  as 
merchant's  clerk,  in  Hancock,  Wasliington  Co.,  Md., 
for  over  one  year.  Abandoning  this,  he  engaged  in 
railroading  in  Wisconsin  and  Missouri,  from  which 
latter  State  he  came  here  and  made  settlement  on 
his  farm  as  stated,  and  has  since  followed  agricult- 
ural pursuits. 

Mr.  Pittman  was  married  in  Peoria,  111.,  March  10, 
1870,    to  Alice  Patterson,  daughter  of  James   and        t 
Elizabeth    Patterson,    residents   of  Elba    Township     ]  \ 
(see  sketch  of  James  Patterson).     Mrs.  Pittman  was 
born  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  Aug.   14,    1850,   and      1 
was  about  a  year  old  when  she  came  with  her  par-     ^ 
en.ts  to  this  county.     Two  children  have  been   born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pittman — Bessie  B.  and  Norma.  Mr. 
Pittman  has  held  tlie  office  of  School  Director  for  10 
years,  and  also  that  of  Overseer  of  Highways.    He  is 
a  member  of  Dan.  McCook  Post,  No.  53,  G.  A.  R., 
of  Elmwood.     In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


t- 


"      3^8 


:        rrzzz=:r 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


=Ji 


settled  in  Bucks  County,  and  spent  the  last  year  of 
his  life  there. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  county,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  Soon 
after  marriage  and  previous  to  the  War  of  1812,  he 
removed  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Columbiana  County, 
where  he  was  one  of  the  early  settlers.  There  he 
entered  timber  land  and  cleared  a  farm,  on  which  he 
lived  until  1834,  when  he  removed  to  Wayne  County, 
in  the  same  State.  Purchasing  a  farm,  he  settled  upon 
it  and  there  labored  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1847,  he  having  attained  the  age  of  80  years.  The 
maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Jacob  Oberholtzer  was  Eliza- 
beth Mellinger,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  and  died  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  several  years 
later,  at  the  age  of  nearly  So  years.  A  family  of  14 
children  grew  up  about  them,  of  whom  our  subject 
was  the  tenth  in  order  of  birth.  He  was  reared  on  a 
farm  and  remained  there  until  he  reached  the  age  of 
r8  years.  At  that  period  he  started  out  for  himself, 
and  going  to  Richland  County  served  two  years  at 
the  blacksmith's  trade.  He  then  opened  a  shop  in 
Wayne  County  and  conducted  the  business  until 
1849;  selling  out  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  staned 
with  his  wife  and  two  children  to  Illinois.  The  en- 
tire journey  was  made  overland  with  two  horses  and 
a  wagon,  and  after  a  tiresome  trip  of  20  days  they 
reached  Knox  County.  He  rented  a  house  on  sec- 
tion 34,  of  Truro  Township,  and  erected  a  log  build- 
ing, in  which  he  worked  at  his  trade.  During  the 
winter  he  bought  the  farm  which  he  still  occupies. 
He  has  continually  added  to  and  improved  his 
property,  until  he  has  one  of  the  most  attractive 
homes  in  the  county.  Commodious  and  convenient 
buildings  stand  on  the  farm,  suited  to  every  branch 
of  his  chosen  industr)-,  and  having  added  so  con- 
stantly to  his  original  acreage  he  now  owns  about 
386  acres  of  farm  land,  besides  a  tract  of  timber 
land  in  Truro  Township.  Since  the  first  winter  he 
has  devoted  his  time  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has 
been  successful  in  the  extreme. 

Mr.  Oberholtzer  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Annie  Tedrow,  April  15,  184T.  She  was  a  native  of 
Somerset  County,  Pa.,  and  was  born  Dec.  12,  1814, 
being  the  daughter  of  Reuben  and  Susan  (King)  Ted- 
row,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Oberholtzer  are  the  parents  of  five  children,  as  fol- 
lows: Louisa,  wife  of  J.  A.  Shaffer,  living  in  Truro 
Township;  O.  John  lives  in  Elba  Township;  Eliza-   I 


beth  was  married  to  O.  P.  Nelson,  who  has  a  home 
in  Truro ;  Homer  W.  lives  in  Elba  Township;  Mary 
E.  married  Benjamin  P.  Baird,  and  died  June,  1880, 
leaving  one  child  named  Newton  Baird.  Mr.  O.  is  a 
member. of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  strong 
and  devoted  in  religious  principle  and  a  useful  and 
worthy  member  of  society.  In  politics  he  was 
Democratic  until  the  war,  and  since  that  time  has 
been  a  sound  Republican. 


~:  f^f;''"  rancis  W.  Sears.  It  would  be  hard  to  find 

-_^  a  more  skillful  farmer  and  estimable  gen- 

g^Vj     -    tleman  than  he  whose  name  heads   this 

P^  sketch.     He  arrived  in  Knox  County    in  the 

«L^  fall  of  1840,  and  settled  with  his   parents  in 

\.      Henderson   Township,   where   his    father    for 

some  time  kept  a  hotel.      In   1870  he    removed  to 

Iowa,  where  he   now  resides.     Francis   was  born  in 

Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  2(,th  of  March,  1834, 

and  was  in  his  sixth  year  when    he  came   to    Knox 

County.     His  school  education  was  very  limited,  but 

he  was  a  boy  of  great  perseverance  and   purpose,  so 

that  he  is  far  better  informed  than  the  time  given  to 

his  educational  pursuits  would  indicate.     About  the 

year  1864  he  operated  a  flouring  and  saw  mill  in  the 

vicinity  of  Henderson,  which  he  ran  successfully  for 

many  years.  He  is  at  present  the  owner  of  168  acres, 

most  of  which  is  arable  land. 

He  was  first  married  in  Henderson,  on  the  20th  of 
February,  1859,  to  Helen  McKee,  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  McKee,  one  of  the  most  honorable  and  best 
known  gentlemen  in  this  district  and  for  many  miles 
around,  and  whose  biography  is  given  in  this  work. 
Mrs.  Sears  became  the  mother  of  five  children — Bur- 
dette  v.,  Maggie  B.,  Hardin  F.,  Nellie  and  Charlie 
E.  Maggie  B.  died  when  she  was  about  six  months 
old,  to  the  inexpressible  grief  of  her  parents.  Burdette 
V.  was  married  in  Nebraska,  on  the  i6th  of  Febru- 
arj',  1884,  to  Jennie  F.  Cox,  a  native  of  Indiana.  By 
the  marriage  there  were  two  children — Frank  and 
George  (twins.)  Mrs.  Sears  died  on  the  8th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1875.  He  was  again  married  in  Henderson 
Township  on  the  24th  of  August,  1876,  to  Sarah 
Martin,  daughter  of  William  and  Rosilla  (Pope)  Mar- 
tin, who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia. 
These  excellent  people  came  first  to  Knox  County  in 


'-ATZ 


LnnARy 

OF  THE 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLIN^ 


-_>v.--^;B^«rf$w: 


^/;r(Uami      /U'i'^O 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


3*1 


1856,  and  settling  in  Henderson  Township,  have  re- 
sided there  since.  The  estimable  lady,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Sears,  was  born  in  Fayette  County, 
Pa.,  on  the  12th  of  July,  1840.  By  the  marriage 
there  were  three  children,  but  only  one  now  survives, 
Thomas  W. 

Mr.  Francis  \V.  Sears  has  held  the  offices  of  School 
Director  and  Trustee.  In  politics,  is  a  very  active 
Republican,  whose  judgment  on  any  measure  affect- 
ing his  party's  good  is  generally  taken  as  sound.  He 
is  a  cool-headed,  straglit-forward  and  at  the  same  time 
very  genial  gentleman,  who  has  gathered  around 
him  a  large  circle  of  stanch  friends,  who  are  capable 
of  knowing  and  appreciating  a  good  friend  when  they 
find  him. 


on.  William  McMurtry,  deceased.  As  an 
example  of  worthy  and  industrious  man- 
hood, we  may  cite  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical narration  as  one  whose  "  deeds  so 
shine  "  that  the  lives  of  others  perforce  reflect 
them.  As  well  as  being  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable, he  was  also  one  of  the  most  prominent 
men  in  the  earliest  days  of  Henderson  Townsliip  and 
vicinity. 

Mr.  McMurtry  was  born  in  Mercer  County,  Ky., 
Feb.  20,  1801,  and  for  the  space  of  four  years  held 
the  rank  of  Lieutenant-Governor  of  Illinois.  He  re- 
moved to  Crawford  County,  Ind.,  where  he  lived 
until  1829,  and  then  came  with  his  family  to  Knox 
County,  where  he  settled  in  Henderson  Township. 
He  was  keenly  awake  to  public  needs,  and  had  an 
eye  to  the  interests  of  the  people.  Thus  his  name 
was  brought  before  them  as  a  candidate  for  the 
office  of  Lieutenant-Governor,  with  Gov.  French,  in 
1848.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Legislature  during 
the  years  1836-37-38  and  39,  and  a  member  of  the 
Senate  during  the  years  up  to  the  time  he  was  elected 
Lieutenant-Governor.  He  was  in  this  position  for 
four  years,  and  in  1862  he  was  commissioned  colonel 
of  the  io2d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the  fol- 
lowing February,  when  he  resigned  on  account  of  ill 
health,  and  returned  again  to  Henderson  Township. 
His  death,  which  occurred  April  10,  1875,  was  widely 
lamented  and  sincerely  mourned. 

He  was  married  in  Crawford  County,  Ind.,  to 
Miss  Ruth  Champion,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  the 


result  of  their  union  was  the  birth  of  five  children, 
named  as  follows:  Mary  E.,  James  C,  Nancy,  Fran- 
cis M.  and  Cynthia,  deceased.  Mrs.  McMurtry  pre- 
ceded her  husband  to  her  long  home  Feb.  10,  1864. 
She  died  in  Henderson  Township,  and  being  a  de- 
voted wife  and  mother,  and  a  kind-hearted  and 
affectionate  friend  and  neighbor,  she  was  sorely 
missed,  truly  mourned,  and  will  doubtless  be  long 
remembered. 


if-- 


/gWbraham  Rambo,  whose  jwrtrait  is  present- 
ed on  the  opposite  page,  is  one  of  the  in- 
j[|^°^™  fluential  and  wealthy  farmers  of  this  sec- 
tion. He  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall  of 
542.  from  Gallia  County,  Ohio,  with  his 
father,  and  passed  the  first  winter  in  Orange 
Township.  They  next  settled  on  section  31,  Persifer 
Township,  which  is  the  location  of  his  present  de- 
sirable and  pleasant  home. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  first  in  order  of 
birth  in  a  family  of  ten  children.  He  was  born  in 
Gallia  County,  Ohio,  Nov.  6,  1820,  and  was  22  years 
of  age  when  he  came  to  Knox  County.  His  educa- 
tion was  received  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
birthplace,  but  was  practical,  and,  by  observation 
and  attention  to  his  studies,  he  has  become  well-in- 
formed and  intelligent.  His  father  was  a  blacksmith 
by  trade,  but  Abraham  early  showed  a  predilection 
for  agricultural  pursuits,  seeing  "  sermons  in  stones, 
books  in  running  brooks,  and  good  in  everything." 
He  came  to  Persifer  Township  with  his  father  and 
mother  and  made  his  home  with  them  until  the 
death  of  both  parents.  The  date  of  his  mother's 
death  was  February,  1849,  and  that  of  his  father 
June  30,  1854. 

Mr.  Rambo  was  first  united  in  marriage  in  Persi- 
fer Township,  Jan.  15,  1844,  to  Arvilla  P.  Lindsey, 
and  they  were  the  parents  of  13  children,  viz.: 
Phebe  S.,  Charles  Q.,  David  G.,  Sophronia,  Thomas 
H.,  Almira,  Robert  E.,  VVilford  M.,  Lorena,  Minnie, 
Allen  H.,  Clarke  S.,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 
Phebe  S.,  Charles  E.,  Robert  and  Clarke  S.  are  also 
deceased.  Sophronia  is  the  wife  of  Allen  R.  Rode- 
cap,  and  resides  in  Dade,  Missouri;  Almira  is  the 
wife  of  C.  Hudson,  and  makes  her  home  in  Story 
County,  Iowa;  Lorena  is  united  in  marriage  with 
Fulton  McFarland,  and  their  home  is  in  Wasliington 
County,  Iowa;  Minnie  resides  at  home;  David  G. 

'X--         •    ■ 


t 


322 


X^NOX  COUNTY. 


N^ 


lives  in  Washington  County,  Iowa,  and  Thomas  H. 
lives  in  Taylor  County,  that  State ;  Wilford's  home 
is  in  Washington  Territory,  and  Allen  H.  lives  in 
the  State  of  Iowa.  Mrs.  Rambo  died  in  Persifer 
Townsliip  April  11,  1877.  She  was  a  most  estima- 
ble woman,  a  kindly  friend  and  an  excellent  member 
of  society. 

Mr.  Rambo  was  again  married,  in  Altona,  111.,  to 
Mrs.  Martha  (Maxey)  Parkins,  who  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky,  March  9,  1880.  She  was  the  widow  of 
L.  A.  Parkins,  who  died  in  Union  County,  Iowa, 
July  18,  1878.  Her  parents  were  James  and  Lu- 
cinda  (Madison)  Maxey,  natives  of  Hart  County, 
Ky.  They  came  to  Knox  County  in  1838,  and  set- 
tled in  Persifer  Township,  where  they  died. 

Mr.  Rambo  is  a  large  land-owner  possessing  212 
acres  in  Persifer  and  Knox  Townships.  He  has  al- 
ways united  stock-raising  with  farming,  in  which  he 
has  been  successful.  In  1877  he  purchased  the 
fine  thorough-bred  stallion  Due  li'Or/eans,  of  the 
Onarga  (111.)  Importing  Company,  at  an  expense  of 
$1,800.  This  animal  is  one  of  the  purest  bred  Nor- 
mans in  the  State,  and  he  imparts  his  peculiar  marks 
of  color  to  his  progeny.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  the 
pure-blood  imported  stallion,  Montaco,  which  he 
bought  of  Harding  &  Co  ,  Bloomington,  111.,  paying 
for  him  a  handsome  price. 

Our  subject  is  an  active  member  of  the  social  cir- 
cles in  which  he  moves.  He  has  filled  many  of  the 
offices  of  his  township,  has'ing  been  Constable,  As- 
sessor, Collector,  Highway  Commissioner,  etc.  He 
is  identified  with  the  Republican  party,  but  is  always 
ready  to  vote  for  the  man  who  will  labor  for  the  in- 
terests of  the  people,  irrespective  of  party.  Mrs. 
Rambo  is  a  highly  respected  lady  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  A  portrait  of 
Mr.  Rambo  and  a  view  of  his  elegant  residence  and 
fine  stock  are  shown  elsewhere  in  this  work. 


■-<r(^'  onas  Williamson.  Few  men  reach  the 
-tate  of  manhood  without  ambition  and 
|;^5  "-"■  hopes  common  to  human  nature,  and  with- 
^^  in  the  limits  of  Knox  County  may  be  found 
%V  numerous  members  of  the  human  family  who 
I  pursue  the  peaceful  occupation  of  farming, 
"shut  into  that  solitude  of  which  we  never  weary." 
Among  those  more  successful  in  this  one  of  the  pro- 
fessions given  to  occupy  the  hearts  and  hands  of 
-A 


man  may  be  named  Jonas  Williamson,  the  details  of 
whose  personal  history  are  herein  recorded.  His 
home  is  situated  on  section  28  of  Sparta  Township 
and  includes,  with  his  large  and  finely  cultivated 
farm,  a  handsome  house  containing  all  modern  con- 
veniences, neat  out-buildings  and  other  substantial 
improvements. 

Mr.  Williamson  was  born  Feb.  28,  1836,  in  Sweden, 
and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Margaret  (Oleson) 
Williamson,  both  of  whom  claim  the  country  named 
as  that  of  their  nativity.  They  came  to  America  in 
1850  and,  purchasing  land  amounting  to  60  acres  on 
section  26,  located  in  Sparta  Township.  Here  they 
built  a  log  cabin,  in  which  they  lived  until  1854.  In 
this  year  the  husband  and  father  died,  and  the 
mother,  who  still  survives  him,  went  to  Wataga, 
which  is  still  her  home. 

Their  family  circle  had  been  enlarged  by  the  ad- 
vent of  six  children,  by  name  William,  Jonas,  Peter, 
John,  Maggie  and  Moses.     John  was  one  of  those 
brave  soldier  boys  who,  at  the  time  of  the  breaking  " 
out  of  the  American  Rebellion,  enlisted  in  the  cause 
of  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  fought  for  his  country. 
He  continued  in  the  service  of  the  Government  one  ' 
year,  but,  to  his  great  disappointment,  was  taken  ill, 
and  securing  a  furlough  went  home  with  the  faithful 
mother  who  had  come  after  him.     Notwithstanding  ■ 
her  unwearied  care  and  devoted  attention,  he  died  in 
six  weeks  after  reaching  home,  of  that  subtle  and  de- 
ceptive destroyer,  consumption. 

Jonas,  our  subject,  was  the  second  child,  in  order 
of  birth,  in  the  family.  He  remained  at  home  until 
22  years  of  age,  and  in  this  interval  he  had  received 
a  good  common-school  education,  working  in  the 
meantime  on  the  farm.  Associating  as  partner  with 
his  brother,  he  purchased  100  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 21,  and  this  they  worked  together,  building  a 
house  and  barns  and  adding  all  necessary  improve- 
ments. Continuing  at  this  for  some  time,  he,  after  the 
lapse  of  a  few  years,  relinquished  his  claim  in  behalf 
of  his  brother  and  purchased  80  acres  on  section  29. 
This  new  farm  which  he  had  bought  he  occupied  for 
ten  years,  adding  in  the  meantime  80  acres,  situated 
on  the  contiguous  section,  sparing  no  effort,  and,  be- 
lieving that  "  a  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  forever,"  he 
made  his  home  a  delight  to  the  eye  of  the  observer, 
and  has  at  the  present  time  just  reason  for  an  honest 
pride  in  it. 

Deserting  the    ranks  of  single   blessedness,  Mr. 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


i-^l 


Williamson  took  to  wife  and  made  the  participator  of 
his  joys  and  sorrows  Miss  Christina  Anderson.  The 
fruit  of  the  Williamson  family  tree  is  two  children, 
by  name  Lottie  and  John.  The  latter  married 
Thomas  Rommel,  and  the  result  of  this  union  is 
three  children — Minnie,  Lester  and  John.  This  lat- 
ter united  in  marriage  with  Christina  Hanson  and 
resides  in  Orient,  Iowa. 

Mrs.  Christina  Williamson  died  in  the  year  1875, 
and  the  second  matrimonial  alliance  of  Mr.  William- 
son was  with  Annie  Hedburg,  who  was  born  April 
30,  1857.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  May  29, 
1879.  Her  parents  were  Mathey  and  Martha  (Mat- 
son)  Hedburg.  Her  father  came  to  .\merica  in  1857 
and  settled  in  Galesburg,  HI.  He  was  a  skillful 
tailor  by  occupation  and  at  this  he  worked  for  the 
space  of  ten  years,  when  he  moved  to  Wataga  and 
at  that  place  now  lives.  Both  parents  were  natives 
of  Sweden,  and  the  father  began  at  the  early  age  of 
12  years  to  learn  his  trade,  which  he  has  since  fol- 
lowed. 

Mr.  Willamson  is  a  man  of  much  activity  and  en- 
terprise, and  conducts  his  business  with  a  zest  and 
enjoyment  quite  enviable  to  observe.  He  is  a  dealer 
in  and  breeder  of  blooded  cattle  and  has  a  wider  un- 
derstanding of  his  business  than  have  many  others. 
He  is  in  politics  a  Republican,  but  is  liberal  in  all 
his  views.  He  is  by  religious  profession  a  member 
of  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church  in  excellent  stand- 
ing. 

— '*> -o^o-^X^^'Oto.  v»— 

<§'■!  nthony  Seward,  a  prominent  farmer  resid- 
ing on  section  16,  Truro  Township,  is  the 
eldest  son  of  Samuel  S.  and  Sarah  (Cald- 
well) Seward.  His  father,  Samuel  Seward,  is 
a  native  of  York  State  and  was  bom  in  Brown 
County  in  1826.  Samuel  Seward  was  a  son 
of  Orin  and  Mehitable  (Livermore)  Seward,  pioneers 
of  Knox  County,  where  they  settled  at  an  early  day. 
Samuel  S.  Seward,  father  of  our  subject,  was  but  a 
child  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Kno.v 
County,  where  he  attended  the  pioneer  schools  and 
assisted  his  father  in  the  duties  of  the  farm.  Mrs. 
Seward  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  John  T.  and  Mary  (Porter)  Caldwell. 
After  marriage  Mr.  S.  located  upon  section  15,  Truro 
Township,  upon  which  he  resided  for  a  few  years. 


when  he  disposed  of  his  farm  and  rented  land  for  a 
short  period  and  then  bought  a  tract  located  on 
section  16,  upon  which  he  is  at  present  residing.  He 
enclosed  and  improved  his  land  and  erected  thereon 
a  desirable  set  of  frame  buildings.  In  1882  he  left 
his  son  in  charge  of  the  farm  and  removed  to  Cedar 
County,  Mo.,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  and  is  now 
residing.  The  senior  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seward  are  the 
parents  of  si.\  children — .\nthony  (our  subject), 
John  M.,  William  H.,  Sarah  (\vife  of  J.  Fulkerson, 
who  resides  in  Cedar  County,  Mo.),  Albert  and 
Marion. 

Anthony  Seward  was  born  in  Truro  Township, 
Oct.  12,  184S.  In  his  younger  days  he  attended  the 
district  schools  and  assisted  in  the  farm  work.  He 
remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage, 
March  27,  1867,  at  which  time  Miss  Margaret  Dan- 
iels became  his  wife.  Miss  Daniels  was  born  in 
Richland  County,  Ohio. 

After  marriage  our  subject  located  on  his  father's 
farm  and  engaged  in  the  honorable  calling  of  an  ag- 
riculturist;  since  1882  he  has  managed  the  farm 
alone.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  S. — Chloe,  Ellen  Viola,  Lucius  and  Mary  E. 
In  politics,  Mr.  Seward  adheres  to  the  principles  of 
the  Greenback  party. 


jTS.  llatilda  F.  Dunlap,  a  widow  lady,  re- 

siding  on  section    19,  Cedar   Township, 

^^^  devotes  her  attention  to  farming.  She 
"^r*^^^  was  bom  in  Fleming  County,  Ky.,  March 
'r  23,  1817,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Fielding  and 
I  Margaret  Belt.  Her  father  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, Jan.  12,  1782,  while  her  mother  was  a  native 
of  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  born  Jan.  27,  1791.  This  lat- 
ter lady  was  killed  by  lightning  in  October,  1825. 
Her  father  died  in  1874,  in  the  State  of  Kentucky. 
By  this  marriage  there  were  the  following  children  : 
Jane,  John,  Matilda,  Margaret,  Joseph  and  William. 
Matilda  and  John  are  the  only  children  now  living. 
John  resides  near  Elizaville,  Fleming  Co.,  Ky. 

The  lady  whose  name  introduces  this  history  mar- 
ried Edmund  P.  Dunlap,  Dec.  22,  1836.  He  was 
born  in  Fleming  County,  Ky.,  March  24,  181 1,  and 
brought  up  on  his  father's  farm.  His  decease  took 
place  March  29,  1865,  while  residing  in  Kno.x  County. 
He  was  a  victim  of  typhoid  fever,  his  illness  lasting 


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324 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


six  months  before  he  finally  succumbed.  He  lies 
buried  in  the  Humiston  cemetery.  Mr.  Dunlap 
came  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of  1837.  He  was 
considered  one  of  the  most  industrious  and  praise- 
worthy men  of  his  community,  and  at  the  date  of  his 
demise  had  accumulated  a  very  fair  competency. 
His  father  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  and  his 
mother  in  New  Jersey.  By  the  happy  marriage  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunlap,  ten  children  were  born  to  the 
parents — Mary  J.,  Jan.  10,  1838;  Margaret  B.,  Oct. 
i3i  '839;  George  W.,  Feb.  22,  1842;  Theodore, 
Aug.  I,  1844;  Henry  P.,  Jan.  25,  1847;  William  B., 
Aug.  27,  1849;  Martha  F.,  Dec.  9,  185 1  ;  Alice  and 
Ellen,  born  Oct.  i,  1854,  were  twins;  Cornelia  A., 
December,  1857.  Of  these  children  four  are  mar- 
ried. Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  Byram,  and  four 
children  are  the  result  of  the  marriage.  William 
Dunlap  married  Miss  Ida  Latimer ;  they  are  the 
parents  of  three  children,  and  reside  in  Chestnut 
Township.  George  W.  married  Miss  Leanna  Hague, 
and  they  had  one  child.  Ann  married  Mr.  William 
A.  Latimer,  and  lives  in  Abingdon,  where  her  hus- 
band is  cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank;  by  this 
marriage  there  has  also  been  one  child. 

Mrs.  Dunlap  is  now  farming  280  acres  of  good 
land,  beside  raising  Short-horn  cattle  and  thorough- 
breds. By  political  persuasion  Mr.  Dunlap  was  a 
Democrat  of  the  stanchest  order;  liis  religious  con- 
viction was  with  the  Congregational  Church.  Here 
he  won  for  himself  the  reputation  of  a  sound  politi- 
cian and  a  good  church  member. 


;  illiam  Williamson.  A  large  number  of 
the  honest,  industrious  and  respectable 
SHT""  people  of  Knox  County  were  born  in 
S'  Sweden,  the  country  of  which  our  subject  is 
a  native.  They  came  here  without  means, 
and  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances 
began  the  fight  for  a  competency.  The  struggle 
was  a  hard  and  difficult  one,  but  they  went  to  work 
with  a  heroism  and  determination,  and  to-day  many 
of  the  most  prominent  and  well-to-do  citizens  of  the 
county  are  among  their  number.  Mr.  Williamson's 
excellent  farm  is  located  on  section  2 1  of  Sparta 
Township.  He  was  born  Oct.  10,  1833,  and  came 
to  America  with  his  parents  in  1850.      He  remained 


with  them,  however,  only  for  a  short  period  after 
their  arrival.  His  younger  days  were  passed  upon 
a  farm,  and  he  had  very  hmited  educational  advan- 
tages. 

Mr.  Williamson  came  to  Sparta  Township  im- 
mediately after  his  arrival  in  this  country,  and  en- 
gaged in  coal-digging  and  farming.  In  1853  he 
made  his  first  purchase  of  land — a  60-acre  tract  and 
part  of  the  same  place  where  he  now  lives.  He 
rented  land,  however,  for  the  following  two  years, 
when  he  erected  a  house,  16  x  24  feet,  and  what  they 
call  a  "  Kansas  stable,"  and  moved  to  his  own  place. 
Since  then  lie  has  made  several  purchases  of  land, 
until  his  present  possessions  here  number  446  acres. 
He  also  has  160  acres  in  Iowa,  a  half  interest  in  a 
brick  block  in  Moline,  111.,  and  a  half  interest  in  a 
dry  goods,  grocery,  flour  and  feed  store,  located  in 
this  block,  and,  in  company  with  his  son,  he  has  a 
dry  goods,  millinery,  fancy  goods  and  carpet  store  in 
Galesburg,  111.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  the 
Galesburg  National  Bank  and  also  in  the  Moline 
National  Bank. 

The  extraordinary  success  which  has  crowned  Mr. 
Williamson's  efforts  is  undoubtedly  attributable  to 
his  energy,  economy,  good,  practical  judgment  and 
straightforward  dealing.  The  greater  part  of  his 
wealth  has  been,  perhaps,  gained  from  the  farm. 
Eie  has  proven  himself  a  practical  farmer  of  rare 
ability.  In  1878  his  enterprise  was  displayed  by  his 
purchase  of  Short-horn  cattle  for  his  farm  use.  In 
1882  he  erected  a  fine  residence,  costing  $3,000,  and 
a  barn  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,  besides  two  smaller  build- 
ings. He  has  planted  an  orchard,  set  out  trees  to 
beautify  and  adorn  his  home  place,  and  to-day  has 
one  of  the  most  delightful  residences  in  the  county. 
He  has  upon  his  farm  two  coal  mines,  and  besides 
the  property  enumerated  above  he  owns  a  half  inter- 
est in  the  flouring  mill  at  Wataga,  and  the  store 
building  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Torley  of  that  village. 

Mr.  Williamson  was  married  Sept.  28,  1855,  to 
Miss  Catherine  Oleson,  also  a  native  of  Sweden. 
She  was  born  April  7,  1836,  and  came  to  America 
in  1849.  This  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth 
of  the  following  children  :  Mary  J.,  Joseph  H., 
Margaret  A.,  Lars  O.,  Amanda  C,  Martha  A.,  Ed- 
win P.,  George  L.,  Fredrick  and  Alvin  A.  Mary 
married  Albert  Donolson  and  became  the  mother  of 
three  children— Arthur  L.,  Elmer  W.  and  Andrew 
G.     Mrs.  Donolson  died  Feb.  5,  1885,  at  Clay  Cen- 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


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ter.  Clay  Co.,  Kan.  Her  remains  were  brought 
horae  for  interment.  Martha  died  Jan.  5,  1882  ; 
Margaret  A.  became  the  wife  of  A.  F.  Nelson,  Sept. 
3,  1885.  and  they  live  at  Mediapolis,  Iowa;  Lars  O. 
married  Mar)- C.  Swenson,  Sept.  17,  1885;  he  is  a 
merchant  at  Galesburg;  Joseph  was  bom  April  16, 
1858,  and  resides  with  his  parents,  assisting  his 
father  in  buying,  selling  and  feeding  stock 

In  political  affiliation,  Mr.  SVilliamson  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  has  held  the  office  of  Road  Commissioner 
for  nine  years,  and  since  1873  has  served  as  School 
Trustee.  Himself  and  family  belong  to  the  Swedish 
Lutheran  Church.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial and  solid  men  of  Knox  County,  and  deserves 
the  highest  commendation  for  the  remarkable  suc- 
cess he  has  made  of  life  thus  far. 


.ohn  Hoxworth.  Among  the  well-to-do 
[if  and  prosperous  farmers  of  Knox  County, 
residing  on  section  25,  Maquon  Township, 
is  the  subject  of  this  biographical  notice.  Mr. 
Hoxworth  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall  of 
1S49,  from  Vermilion  County,  111.,  with  his 
wife  and  three  children,  and  located  where  he  has 
i  since  resided.  He  first  bought  531^  acres  on  sec- 
tion 24,  to  which  he  has  added  by  subsequent  pur- 
chases until  he  now  owns  230  acres.  He  was  born 
in  Bucks  County,  Pa.,  June  5,  1819,  where  he  lived 
until  about  18  years  of  age,  assisting  his  father  in  the 
cultivation  of  the  farm,  when  they  went  from  there 
to  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  he  resided  there  until 
1847,  the  date  of  his  coming  to  this  State.  He  has 
been  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  all  his  life,  and 
has  met  with  far  more  than  ordinary  success  in  the 
prosecution  of  this,  the  most  independent  of  all 
callings. 

John  Hoxworth  was  married  in  Franklin  County, 
Ohio,  Jan.  30,  1842,  to  Rachel  Peters,  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Susan  (Beaty)  Peters,  natives  of  Virginia. 
Her  father  died  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  her 
mother  afterward  removed  to  this  county,  and  died 
in  Maquon  Township.  Her  parents'  family  con- 
sisted of  three  sons  and  one  daughter.  Mrs.  H.  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  Dec.  23,  1825,  and 
has  borne  her  husband  nine  children,  whom  they 
have  named  Sarah,  Joseph,  Lewis,  Mary  C,  Emily, 


Alice,  Milton,  Stephen  and  Charlotte  M.     Sarah  and 
Milton   are   deceased;     Joseph    married    Lydia   A.    , 
Kirkuff,  and  resides  in  Maquon  Township,  where  he 
is  engaged  in  farming,  and  of  their  union  five  chil-    1 
dren  have  been  born — Nettie,  Flora,  George,  Carl 
and  Bartlett.     Lewis  Hoxworth  has  been  twice  mar- 
ried, first  to  Dora  Leverton,  who  became  the  mother 
of  three  cliildren — Florence,   Emmett   and    Nellie. 
His  second   marriage   was  with  Mary  Barton,  and 
they  had  one  child — Harry.     Mary  C.  Hoxworth  be- 
came the  wife  of  John  D.  French,  with  whom  she  is 
residing  in  Nebraska,  and  their  family  circle  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  four  children — Milton,  Charlie, 
Clinton  and  Raymond  G.     Emily  Hoxworth  married 
John   Leverton,  and   resides  in   this  county;    their 
children  are  William,  Velma,  Maude,  Edwin,  Charlie, 
Bruce,  Stephen  and  Sylvia.    Alice  Ho.xworth  became 
the  wife  of  Henry  Street ;  they  are  living  in  Nebraska 
and  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children — Bertie, 
.Arthur,  Grace,  Gertie,  Carl  and  Georgie.     Stephen    j 
Hoxworth  married  Emma  Wilson;    they  have  one-, 
child,  Lottie  I.  E.,  and  reside  in  Nebraska.     Char-' 
lone  Hoxworth  married  Thomas  Downin,  a  resident! 
of  MaquoA  Township,  and  they  have  seven  children^ 
— Myrtle  M.,  Guy,  Claude,  Mabel,  Maude,  Jay  and! 
Alice.  I 

Mr.  John  Hoxworth  has  held  the  position  of  RoadJ  ^ 
Commissioner  and  other  minor  offices  within  the  gift    • 
of  the  people  of  his  township.     In  politics,  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  a  worthy  representative  of  the  agri- 
cultural class. 


f    .-^  .'    mma  Boydston.       One  of  the  women  em- 
.     C.  t.it  for  nobility  of  purpose  and  shrewd 

j?*i.;rv^-*  common  sense  may  be  found  in  the  sub- 
^&  ject  of  this  personal  narrative,  a  few  of  the 
Y  points  in  whose  career  are  briefly  enumerated 
\  herein.  Her  farm  is  located  on  section  8,  In- 
dian Point  Townsliip,  and  she  is  well  known  for  her 
energetic  activity  and  whole-souled  purpose.  Mrs. 
Boydston  was  born  in  Knox  County,  July  28,  1841, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Tabitha  (Boydston) 
Dawdy.  He  came  here  in  i83r,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  settlers  in  Knox  County.  Mrs.  Dawdy  was  born 
in  Barren  Co.,  Ky.,  July  8,  1809.  Nine  children 
were  bom  10  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dawdy.  She  was  united 
in  marriage  with  A.  T.  Boydston,  also  a  native  of 


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328 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


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Knox  County,  born  Aug.  31,  1838.  He  died  March 
26,  1883,  of  cancer,  after  an  illness  of  seven  years. 
He  was  a  great  sufferer,  but  to  the  last  maintained  a 
noble  patience  and  a  Christian  resignation.  He  was 
conscious  of  all  his  pain  until  near  the  last,  when  he 
passed  away  gently  as  one  falls  asleep.  Happily 
for  those  who  were  left  behind,  assurance  was  given 
that  he  died  in  the  full  faith  and  hope  of  immortality, 
and  that  to  him  had  been  spoken  the  words, "Come 
up  higher,"  which  is  a  lasting  monument  to  his 
memory  for  the  sorrowing  wife  and  four  children 
who  survive  him.  He  was  a  member  of,  and  took 
deep  interest  in,  the  success  of  the  Christian  Church 
at  Meridian,  Warren  County,  and  the  Sunday-school 
was  a  pet  interest  of  his.  He  belonged  to  the  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  to  a  Masons'  Lodge  located  at  Abing- 
don, and  took  a  keen  interest  in  public  affairs,  taking 
great  pleasure  in  reading  the  journals  of  the  day. 

Mrs.  Boydston  united  in  marriage  with  A.  T. 
Boydston  at  the  time  and  place  previously  men- 
tioned, and  the  ceremony  was  performed  by  J.  W. 
Butler,  of  the  Christian  Church.  Their  family  con- 
sists of  four  children,  as  follows  :  Anna  B.,  born  July 
S,  1864;  John  B.,  March  15,  1866;  Thomas  J., 
born  Nov.  16,  1868,  and  Mary  J.,  June  17,   1875. 

Mrs.  Boydston  has  in  her  possession  100  acres  of 
^  finely  improved  and  cultivated  land.  Anna  Belle, 
her  daughter,  united  in  marriage  with — Col.  M. 
Young,  and  they  are  living  at  the  present  time  in  this 
county.  Mr.  Boydston  took  an  interest  in  politics, 
and  was  Democratic  in  sentiment. 

—■'■*> •»»o-@\Kr^"i>*o v*— 

William  Henry  Heller.  Among  the 
||'  more  important  and  influential  business 
men  of  Abingdon,  and  noted  as  being  one 
of  the  pioneer  physicians,  is  Dr.  Heller,  a 
brief  sketch  of  whose  life  is  herein  given.  He 
can-'e  to  this  State  in  1835,  while  the  country 
was  still  new,  and  has  watched  the  West  develop 
and  "  blossom  as  the  rose." 

The  subject  of  this  personal  narration  made  his 
debut  upon  the  stage  of  life  in  Richland  Co.,  Ohio, 
now  Ashland,  May  11,  1823,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Belinda  (Van  Auken)  Heller.  His  father  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  and  was  purely  of  German  an- 
cestry and  blood,  and  his  mother  in  New  Jersey  and 
descended  from  the   Holland  Dutch.     In  the  year 


iX 


1835  they  came  to  Fulton  County,  when  William 
Henr)'  was  only  13  years  old.  He  entered  the  com- 
mon schools,  applying  himself  assiduously  to  his 
studies,  in  which  he  showed  an  unusually  deep  in- 
terest. At  the  age  of  17  he  began  the  study  of  med- 
icine at  Cuba,  Fulton  Co.,  111.,  under  Dr.  William  N. 
Cline,  a  graduate  of  Jefferson  Medical  College,  Phil- 
adelphia. Not  long  after  this,  our  young  student 
began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Cuba,  not  having 
as  yet  completed  his  medical  course.  Subsequently, 
however,  he  took  a  regular  course  at  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  from  which  he  graduated  with  a 
bright  record  in'the  class  of  1855. 

At  Cuba,  Fulton  County,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1846, 
Dr.  Heller  entered  into  connubial  relations  with 
Mary  J.,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Acker- 
son)  Mosher.  Mrs.  Heller  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Ohio,  April  9,  1827.  Her  people  were  among 
the  pioneers  of  Fulton  County,  having  come  to  that 
county  when  the  broad,  unbroken  prairies  were  cov- 
ered with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  waving  grass  and 
were  sparsely  populated,  but  few  having  come  into 
the  wilderness  up  to  the  year   1832. 

Dr.  Heller  and  wife  came  to  Abingdon  on  the  *• 
6th  of  June,  1846,  at  which  time  he  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  which  he  has  con- 
tinued with  unremitting  and  arduous  toil,  laboring  for 
the  healthfulness  and  physical  welfare  of  the  people 
about  him.  He  is  the  second  oldest  of  the  early 
physicians  of  Knox  County,  and  the  oldest  in  point 
of  years,  except  Dr.  Duncan,  of  Knoxville. 

A  tribute  to  his  personal  worth  and  his  unostenta- 
tious ability,  no  less  than  his  practical  knowledge  as 
a  physician,  has  been  rendered  him  in  the  hearty 
support  and  patronage  of  the  people  of  Abingdon. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  Rebellion  our  subject 
was  a  Douglas  Democrat,  and  at  once  took  a  pos- 
itive stand  in  favor  of  the  Unionists  ;  made  speeches 
and  helped  to  imbue  men  with  the  hearty  spirit  of 
true  patriotism,  thinking  not  only  "  principles,  not 
men,"  but  "  principles  and  men."  At  that  time  Dr. 
M.  Reece,  one  of  the  most  popular  and  intelligent 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Knox  County,  was  study- 
ing medicine  with  Dr.  Heller.  The  two  friends  de- 
cided between  themselves  that  one  or  the  other  of 
them  should  enter  the  service,  and  Dr.  Reece,  being 
the  younger,  eventually  entered  the  army  as  Surgeon 
of  an  Illinois  infantry  regiment,  where  he  did  great 
good  on  behalf  of  his  country. 


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Dr.  Heller  has  a  line  fami  in  Cedar  Township, 
consisting  of  246  acres,  and  is  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  Short-horn  cattle  quite  extensively,  owning  a 
herd  of  about  75  pure-blooded  animals.  At  a  sale 
recently  he  disposed  of  a  number  of  these,  retaining 
part  and  a  small  herd  of  horses. 

His  family  circle  has  been  enlarged  by  the  addi- 
tion of  five  sons,  named  as  follows  :  Robley  E.,  who 
niatried  Mary  Patch,  and  resides  at  Topeka,  Kan., 
and  is  an  attorney  by  profession ;  Joseph  married 
Samantha  Thurman,  and  whose  home  is  in  Osage, 
Kan.;  William  Henry  died  in  childhood,  and  John  L. 
married  Amelia  McMillen,  is  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  holds  a  position  in  the  Pension  Office;  Frank 
L.,  single,  lives  in  Meade  County,  Kan. 

As  previously  stated.  Dr.  Heller  is  a  man  of  wide 
usefulness,  activity  and  enterprise,  and  has  taken  an 
exceedingly  commendable  part  in  favor  of  Prohibi- 
tion. His  heart  and  mind  are  enlisted  in  that  cause, 
and  he  labors  with  an  earnestness  which  is  worthy 
of  good  results.  He  is  a  man  of  firm  convictions, 
large  sympathies,  and  his  hostility  to  intemperance  is 
I  as  decided  as  is  his  Christian  philanthropy  and  cour- 
'  teous  kindness.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  he  is  known  locally  as  an 
experienced  surgeon  and  a  successful  practitioner. 


^^J>^  ohn  West,  deceased,  was  formerly  a  resi- 
'^'^J',-  dent  of  Elba  Township,  occupying  a  home 
jaS'^'  on  section  35,  where,  up  to  the  date  of  his 
"wi  death,  he  was  an  energetic  tiller  of  the  soil. 
^^    Mr.  West  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  here, 

I  having  come  to  this  county  more  than  50  years 
ago,  from  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and  making  settle- 
ment in  Elba  Township,  where  he  at  first  purchased 
40  acres  of  wild,  uncultivated  prairie  land,  on  the  sec- 
tion above  named. 

On  his  arrival  in  this  county,  Mr.  West  located  on 
his  small  purchase  of  land,  and  by  push,  pluck  and 
perseverance,  he  not  only  improved  his  place,  and 
erected  a  fine  residence  thereon,  together  with  good 
and  substantial  out-buildings,  but  added  to  his  orig- 
inal purchase  700  acres,  and  at  the  date  of  his  de- 
mise owned  in  this  county  740  seres  of  good  land. 

John  West  was  born  in  Virginia,  May  3,  1809,  and 
was  but  one  year  old  when  his  parents  moved   from 


that  State  to  Ohio,  and  settled  on  the  east  fork  of  the 
Little  Miami  River.  The  parents  of  our  subject 
were  Owen  arrd  Betsy  West,  who  died  after  their  re- 
moval to  Ohio. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  Ohio,  and  there,  in  Clinton  County,  con- 
tinued to  reside,  occupied  in  the  vocation  of  a  farmer, 
until  coming  to  this  county.  He  was  married  in  Clin- 
ton County,  Ohio,  Feb.  26,  1831,  to  Elizabeth  George. 
Miss  George  was  liorn  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
June  26,  181 1.  Her  parents  were  William  and  Tab- 
itha  George. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  West  1 1  children 
have  been  born,  named  Joel,  William,  Isaac,  Han- 
nah, Rhoda,  Mary  J.,  Catherine,  Seth,  Henry,  Rachel 
and  Samantha.  In  religion,  Mr.  West  belongs  to 
the  sect  who,  under  the  leadership  of  William 
Penn,  first  made  settlement  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
who  are  known  as  Quakers.  Mr.  West  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our  subject  de- 
parted this  life  in  Elba  Township,  March  31,  f884. 
His  wife  carries  on  the  farm  and  is  the  owner  in  her 
own  name  of  240  acres  of  good  and  productive  land. 


^3= 


TT- 


€>- 


rancis  M.  Hampton.  Few  counties  of 
Illinois  contain  a  greater  proportion  of 
substantial  citizens  and  20od  men  residerit 
within  her  borders  than  Knox,  and  among 
those  who  are  of  honorable  repute  as  indus- 
trious workers  and  for  perseverance  in  well- 
doing may  be  named  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
is  a  farmer,  whose  homestead  is  located  on  section 
8,  Indian  Point  Township,  and  in  point  of  success  is 
unrivaled. 

Mr.  Hampton  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio, 
in  1839,  on  the  24th  of  December.  He  is  the  son 
of  Lawson  and  Ann  M.  (Mann)  Hampton,  natives 
of  Virginia.  The  father  was  born  May  10,  1814, 
and  died  in  February,  1868.  The  mother  was  born 
in  1 810,  and  is  still  living  in  Bloomington,  111.  She 
married  Mr.  John  Rodgers,  who  was  in  the  grocery 
business  in  the  city  of  Bloomington.  To  them  were 
Ijorn  ten  children,  as  follows  :  Francis  M.,  Dec.  25, 
1839;  Sarah  A.;  Delia  A.;  Richard,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years  ;  Jacob  W.;  Kate;  Eliza  Ann;  Jo- 


r^>L: 


u 


-^ 


330 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


V 


seph  C;  Samuel  L.;  Milton,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
one  year,  and  Ezra  F. 

Mr.  Hampton  of  this  skeich  married  Miss  Sarah 
E.  Dawdy,  Dec.  3,  i86i.  She  was  born  in  1844,  on 
the  27th  of  February,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Jeffer- 
son M.  Dawdy,  an  early  setttler  of  Indian  Point 
Township,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  12  children — 
Cassandria,  Mary  J.,  James,  John  W.,  Samuel  M., 
Sarah  E.,  Harriet,  Nancy  L.,  Emily  A.,  Addle  F. 
and  Althea. 

The  children  of  Mr.  Hampton  are  eight  in  num- 
ber— Eliza  A.,  born  March  25,  1863  ;  Lewis  J., 
Sept.  3,  i866;  Emma  L.,  Aug.  4,  1868;  Jennie  B, 
June  10,  187  I ;  Hattie  E.,  Feb.  21,  1873  ;  Jacob  W., 
May  25,  1876;  Albert  L.,  May  7,  1878,  and  Georgie, 
June  30,  1880,  who  died  May   18,  1881. 

Mr.  Hampton  has  been  successful  as  a  farmer, 
working  up  to  a  high  point  of  cultivation  his  i6o 
acres  of  land,  and  claims  to  have  been  one  of  the 
first,  if  not  the  very  first  man,  who  entered  into 
breeding  and  selling  stock  as  a  business.  He  is  a 
public  man  of  some  little  ability,  and  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge,  No.  184,  of  Abingdon.  His 
wife  belongs  to  the  Christian  Church  of  that  city, 
and  is  a  mild  and  amiable  Christian  lady.  Mr. 
Hampton  takes  some  interest  in  politics  and  outside 
workings,  and  is  a  Jackson  Democrat.  Eliza  A., 
one  of  his  daughters,  united  in  marriage  with  J.  G. 
Davis  a  short  time  since,  and  is  living  in  Cedar 
Township,  this  county.  Mr.  Hampton  claims  to  be 
an  early  settler,  although  not  a  pioneer,  as  he  came 
to  this  State  in  1854  with  his  parents,  and  located 
near  Abingdon. 


orenzo  Eowe.  The  history  of  Knox  County 
contains  the  records  of  many  men  whose 
struggles  for  prosperity  have  been  richly  re- 
warded, and  who,  after  years  of  usefulness,  find 
themselves  in  possession  of  an  abiding  place  in 
which  to  pass  their  declining  years.  Prominent 
among  these  may  be  named  the  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy, a  former  resident  of  section  18,  Sparta  Town- 
ship, who  came  to  Illinois  in  1838,  and  has  a  direct 
claim  to  the  title  of  pioneer.  He  has  watched  the 
growth  of  what  was  almost  a  wilderness  into  abustling, 


populous  section  of  country,  and  has  passed  many 
milestones  on  the  highway  of  progress  therein. 

Mr.  Rowe  was  born  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y., 
April  I,  1823,  in  the  town  of  Scipio.  His  parents  were 
Anson  and  Nancy  (Winegar)  Rowe.  Mrs.  Rowe  died 
in  the  State  of  New  York,  in  1836,  and  in  1838,  ac- 
companied by  his  family,  Mr.  Rowe  came  to  Illinois, 
where  he  settled  in  Henderson,  and  engaged  in 
blacksmithing.  He  continued  at  this  business  until 
his  death,  which  took  place  in  June,  1872,  in  Wa- 
taga. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  20  years,  when  he  began  working  out  by  the 
month.  This  he  followed  for  two  years.  Only  ordi- 
nary advantages  had  been  granted  him  in  an  educa- 
tional way,  but  he  was  fairly  well  informed.  In  1845, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  MiSS  Narcissa  Goff, 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Martha  (Ferguson)  Goff.  He  came  to  Illinois  in 
1830,  settling  in  Henderson  Township,  where  he  pur- 
chased the  place  on  which  he  lived  until  1846,  the 
year  of  his  decease.  The  mother  survived  him  30 
years,  dying  in  1876. 

The  Rowe  family  consists  of  ten  children,  as  fol-  y 
lows:  Mary  O.,  Laura  L.,  Thomas  L.,  James  L., 
Ann  M.,  Sarah  G.,  Alonzo  H.,  Anie  M.,  Hattie  E. 
and  one  died  in  infancy,  named  Frank  G.  He  pur- 
chased, in  1848,  the  place  where  he  now  lives,  which 
includes  57  acres,  to  which  he  has  added  36  acres, 
and  carries  on  general  farming.  The  principal  events 
in  the  lives  of  the  children  are  briefly  detailed  in  the 
ensuing  paragraphs :  Laura  L.  married  Frank  Pop- 
lett,  and  is  the  mother  of  two  children,  by  name  Ella 
and  Elmer;  Thomas  L.  is  the  husband  of  Maggie 
McCurdy,  and  the  father  of  three  children — Roy, 
Anie  and  Clyde;  James  L.  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Mattie  Reynolds,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children — Jennie  and  Charles;  Alonzo  H.  wed- 
ded Fannie  Riley. 

Mr.  Rowe  is  a  most  useful  member  of  society,  and 
with  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 
He  holds  the  office  of  School  Director  and  is  Over- 
seer of  the  Highways;  politically,  he  is  a  Democrat. 

When  Mr.  R'owe  first  came  to  Illinois,  and  took  up 
his  farm  in  Knox  County,  it  was. all  prairie  land,  and 
from  the  dreary  tract  of  country  on  which  he  staked 
his  boundaries  so  long  ago  he  has  evolved  his  pres- 
ent  home,  building,  fencing  and  planting  trees,  and 


4-f 


k 


LinnARY 

OF  THE 
IMIVERSITY  OF  ILUN' 


■64-^ 


±T  h 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Ill 


mg. 


submitting  to  the  inconveniences  of  that  early  day. 
often  being  obliged  to  go  as  far  as  Chicago  for  vari- 
ous articles  necessary  to  the  farm  and  household. 


eorge  Washington  Parker,  deceased,  an 
early  settler  in  Truro  Township,  was  born 
in  Hampshire  County,  Va.,  March  30, 
18 1 Q.  He  was  a  son  of  David  Parker,  but  a 
lad  of  seven  years  when  his  father  died,  and 
at  that  tender  age  obliged  to  earn  his  own  liv- 
He  lived  for  a  time  in  Pennsylvania,  and  in 
1840  removed  to  Ohio  and  located  in  Marion  County, 
where  he  found  employment  at  farming.  At  that 
place  he  met  and  married  Miss  Sallie  Morrel,  Jan. 
4,  1849.  Miss  Morrel  was  of  German  lineage  and 
born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  the  date  thereof  being 
July  3,  1824.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Rosanna  (Staley)  Morrel,  pioneers  of  Marion  County, 
the  former  a  native  of  Virginia. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Parker  rented  a  farm  in 
Marion  County,  which  he  retained  for  one  year,  and 
in  1850  started  with  a  pair  of  horses  and  a  wagon 
for  the  Prairie  State,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
one  child.  He  had  previously  visited  Knox  County, 
m  1847,  at  which  time  he  made  a  purchase  of  120 
acres  of  land  on  section  9,  Truro  Township.  Af;er 
this  purchase  Mr.  P.  returned  to  Ohio,  making  the 
round  trip  on  horseback.  A  log  cabin  and  six  acres 
of  broken  and  fenced  land  constituted  the  only  im- 
provements upon  the  farm.  Our  subject  arrived  in 
this  county  after  a  tedious  journey  of  28  days,  and 
at  once  entered  actively  and  energetically  upon  the 
task  of  improving  Iiis  farm.  He  was  still  hard  at 
work,  in  1862,  when  the  notes,  of  war  sounded 
throughout  the  land,  and  on  the  20th  of  August  of 
that  year  he  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  lozd  111.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  went  South.  He  was  honorably  discharged  at 
Gallatin,  Tenn.,  Feb.  24,  1863,  on  account  of  physi- 
cal disability.  He  never  fully  recovered  his  health, 
but  undertook  the  management  of  his  farm,  which 
he  continued  with  success.  In  1875  he  erected 
upon  his  place  a  commodious  frame  house,  also  a 
suitable  set  of  stables  and  shelter  for  stock.  He 
added  to  his  landed  estate  until  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  April  23,  1879,  he  was  the  owner  of  over  800 


acres.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  resides 
upon  the  old  homestead. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  were  blessed  by  a  family  of 
12  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to  attain  the  age  of 
man  and  womanhood.  Samuel  Parker  is  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business;  Eugene,  second  son; 
John  lives  in  Johnson  County,  Neb.;  Arthur  resides 
in  Holt  County,  Neb. ;  George  manages  the  old 
homestead  ;  Lizzie  became  the  wife  of  Charles  Wil- 
der, and  is  residing  in  Truro;  and  Emma  lives  at 
home  with  her  mother.  Mr.  Parker  was  a  Democrat 
in  political  belief,  and  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Yates  City  Lodge,  No.  448,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Both 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parker  were  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  before  coming  West. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch,  we  feel  assured, 
the  portrait  of  this  old  and  esteemed  citizen  will  be 
looked  upon  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction  by  the 
community  in  which  his  worthy  life  secured  for  him 
universal  respect  and  esteem. 


*/|ffljiilliam  Bond,  a  successful   and  well-to-do 

nmJ&Ii    agriculturist  of  Elba    Township,  residing 

iKsS;??"-'^^  on  his  fine  farm  on  section   21;,   has  been 

JiK2x>     closely  identified  with  the  agricultural  devel- 

m^ 

ivlT^      opment   and    growih   of  this    county   since 

\^  coming  here  in  the  spring  of  1854.  Mr.  Bond 
came  here  from  Peoria  County  in  1854,  and  made 
settlement  in  Elba  Township,  on  160  acres  on  sec- 
tion 25,  which  he  purch.ised  at  that  time.  He  has 
there  lived  until  this  writing  and  been  industriously 
engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  vocation.  Since 
his  first  settlement  on  his  land,  32  years  ago,  he  has 
greatly  enhanced  its  value  and  improved  its  appear- 
ance by  thorough  cultivation  and  the  erection  of 
good  buildings,  and  at  this  writing  has  a  valuable 
estate. 

William  Bond  was  born  in  Preble  County,  Ohio, 
Feb.  18,  1819,  and  there  lived  until  1852.  His 
fiither,  Kxumus  Bond,  married  Juda  Bennett,  He 
was  a  native  of  South  Carolina,  and  moved  to  Ohio 
while  young,  and  tliere  married.  He  subseiiuently 
moved  to  Randolph  County,  111.,  and  there  died. 
The  mother  died  in  Preble  County,  Ohio,  while  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  iiuile  young. 

During  the  year  1852  Mr.  Bond  moved  to   Peoria 


It* 


^lAj 


^ 


334 


■  Y. 
KNOX  COUN2  Y. 


County,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  one  child, 
made  settlement  in  Brimfield  Township,  and  there 
lived  and  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  until  com- 
ing here  and  making  settlement,  as  stated.  He  was 
married  in  the  county  of  his  nativity,  Dec.  21,  1845, 
to  Eliza  J.  Patterson.  She  was  born  Jan.  22,  1826, 
in  Tennessee,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
(McCord)  Patterson,  natives  of  Virginia.  This 
household  has  been  gladdened  by  the  birth  of  six 
children,  whom  they  have  named  Sarah  A.,  Frances, 
Ella  C,  Alice  E.,  Augusta  and  Edward  C.  Sarah 
A.  died  in  infancy ;  Frances  is  the  wife  of  William 
Pittman,  a  resident  of  Iowa,  and  they  have  seven 
children — Louis  E.,  Maude,  Alice,  William,  George 
E.,  Rosa  and  Lina  A. ;  Ella  C.  (Bond)  Barrett  is  the 
widow  of  William  Barrett,  by  whom  she  had  three 
children,  who  are  living,  and  named  Abbie,  Inez 
and  Mary ;  Alice  E.  Bond  is  the  wife  of  Marion 
Ellison,  a  resident  of  Salem  Township,  and  to  them 
two  children,  Sarah  E.  and  Albert  H.,  have  been 
born;  Augusta  and  Edward  Bond  reside  on  the  old 
homestead. 

Mr.  Bond  has  held  some  of  the  minor  offices  of 

^  his  township,  and  in  poliiics,   although   independent 

in  his  political  views,  he  claims  to  be  an  adherent  of 

the  principles  advocated   by  the  Republican   party. 

^  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 

Ciiurch. 

rs.  Jane  Stephenson.  The  lady  of  whom 
^ii'-^-'^^-  this  biography  is  written  is  the  relict  of 
fjl'v^^  '^  George  Stephenson,  deceased,  who  was 
71^^  \  born  in  Scotland,  Oct.  3t,  1799.  His  par- 
ents were  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Gordon) 
Stephenson.  They  were  the  parents  of  only 
two  children — Margaret  and  George.  The  latter 
came  to  America  in  1850,  and  settled  in  Knox 
County,  on  section  8,  of  Copley  Township.  There 
he  purchased  80  acres  of  land  and  remained  some 
months,  until  his  death,  Jan.  3,  1884.  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Annabel  McMillan,  a  native  of  Scotland, 
and  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  still 
survive  William,  Susanna,  George  (see  sketch),  Jessie 
and  Jane.  Mrs.  Stephenson  departed  this  life  in 
1862.  The  second  wife  of  Mr.  S.  was  Miss  Jane 
Allen,  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Mary  (Love)  Allen.      They  had  a  family  of  six 


?t^^. 


children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Stephenson  is  the  fourth 
child  in  order  of  birth.  She  was  married  Dec.  23, 
1863,  to  George  Stephenson,  and  of  this  union  two 
sons  were  born — John  and  Andrew.  Mrs.  Stephen- 
son, in  1862,  with  her  mother,  came  to  America. 
Her  father  had  died  in  i83i,in  his  native  land,  and 
the  mother  lived  with  her  children  until  her  death, 
in  1869,  her  decease  taking  place  in  McDonough 
County. 

Mrs.  Stephenson  still  remains  on  the  farm  with 
her  two  sons.  Andrew,  the  youngest,  attends  school 
in  the  winter.  He  is  industrious  and  works  out 
summers,  and  both  boys  are  a  great  help  and  com- 
fort to  their  lonely  mother.  John,  the  eldest  born, 
is  22  years  of  age  and  manages  the  farm,  which  he 
improves  and  cultivates  in  a  manner  worthy  of  an 
older  person.  He  is  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock 
and  grain.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican ;  he  is  an 
alert  thinker  and  a  wide-awake  young  man. 


H.  Goldsmith.  On  the  completion  of  the 
old  Military  Railroad,  which  ran  from 
Galesburg  northeast  toward  Chicago,  a 
great  deal  of  the  most  valuable  and  fertile 
farming  land  in  the  State  was  opened  up. 
Those  who  could  appreciate  the  value  of  these 
fertile  prairies  came  in  rapidly,  locating  here  and 
there  upon  a  quarter-section,  and  by  the  year  i860, 
most  of  the  land  had  been  occupied  by  actual  set- 
tlers. Among  those  who  came  in  immediately  after 
the  completion  of  the  railroad  was  Mr.  E.  H.  Gold- 
smith, to  day  one  of  the  thrifty  agriculturists  of  the 
county.  His  parents,  Schuyler  and  Catherine  E. 
(Howell)  Goldsmith,  came  to  Illinois  in  1855,  and 
settled  in  Sparta  Township,  on  section  5.  Here  the 
elder  Goldsmith  secured  a  quarter-section  of  land, 
and  improved  and  lived  upon  it  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  Feb.  18,  i86r.  His  wife  had  died 
on  Sept.  25,  1850. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  natives  of  the 
Empire  State,  having  been  born  in  Orange  County, 
where  they  were  engaged  in  the  peaceful  occupation 
of  farming.  They  had  a  family  of  seven  children,  of 
whom  our  subject  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 
He  remained  in  the  parental  home,  assisting  his 
father  in  his  agricultural  labors,  until  he  was  22  years 


i^ 


4* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


335 


of  age.  During  these  years  he  also  attended  the  dis- 
trict school  and  received  an  academical  course,  fit- 
ting himself  for  a  teacher.  In  1859,  in  Schuyler 
County,  X.  Y.,he  began  his  labors  as  a  schoolmaster, 
since  which  time  he  has  spent  most  of  his  winters, 
until  1876,  in  the  schoolroom,  and  in  the  summers 
followed  farming.  In  i860  he  secured  80  acres  of 
land  on  section  4  of  Sparta  Township.  By  diligence 
and  careful  management  he  has  since  been  enabled 
to  add  117  acres  to  his  original  purchase.  He  has 
also  for  some  time  been  rather  extensively  engaged 
in  the  stock  business.  When  he  first  secured  his 
land,  it  was  nothing  but  wild  prairie,  without  any  im-^ 
provenients.  He  has  since,  besides  erecting  good 
farm  buildings,  beautified  and  enhanced  the  value  of 
the  place  by  setting  out  trees  and  bringing  the  land 
to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  until  he  now  has  one 
of  the  most  delightful  as  well  as  valuable  homes  in 
Sparta  Township. 

Mr.  Goldsmith  was  married  on  March  8,  1859,  to 
Miss  Ann  M.,  daughter  of  William  and  Margaret 
Whiteford,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Goldsmith  have  two  children — Julia  E.  and  Edward 
W.  The  latter  is  a  student  at  Knox  College,  Gales- 
burg.  Politically,  Mr.  Goldsmith  is  a  Republican, 
and  in  their  religious  connection  the  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  Church. 


braham  W.  Meeks.     Conspicuous  among 
the  citizens  of  Knox  County,  as  noteworthy 
for  good  citizenship   as  well   as   practical 
and  stanch  manhood,  may  be  found  the  sub- 
ject of  this   personal  history,  the  main  points 
in  whose  career  are  briefly  summarized  in  the 
following  paragraphs. 

Mr.  Meeks  was  born  in  Monongahela  County, 
Va.,  March  18,  1819.  His  father,  Thomas  Meeks, 
was  a  native  of  Scotland  and  came  to  America  when 
quite  young,  locating  in  Virginia.  Here  he  grew  up 
and  when  a  young  man  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  George.  To  them  were  born  18  children, 
17  of  whom  grew  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and 
womanhood.  Our  subject  was  but  seven  years  of 
age  when  his  father  died,  but  the  mother  kept  her 
family  together  and  reared  her  children,  inculcating 
all  the  inspiration  and  good  principles  with  which  to 
lay  the  foundation  for  strong  and  true  lives,  teach- 


ing them  always  that  "  an  honest  man  is  the  noblest 
work  of  God."  Ultimately  they  showed  forth  these 
noble  principles,  and  to  them  the  home  circle  was 
too  sacred  to  be  invaded  by  any  but  those  who  re- 
spected goodness  and  morality.  One  by  one,  as 
they  attained  their  majority,  they  left  their  home 
shelter  and  went  out  into  the  great,  struggling  world. 
In  1833,  with  five  of  lier  children,  the  mother  moved 
to  Ohio  and  located  where  Abraham  grew  to  man- 
hood. This  was  in  Champaign  County,  where  he 
was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  in  1839  he  united  his  fort- 
unes and  destiny  with  those  of  Rachel  C.  A.  Rob- 
ertson, a  native  of  Preble  County,  Ohio.  In  that 
State  he  rented  land,  which  he  occupied  until  1844, 
when  he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  coming  by  wagon 
road.  Their  conveyance  consisted  of  three  horses 
and  a  covered  wagon,  and  in  November  of  that  year 
they  reached  the  ixjmt  for  which  they  started;  the 
little  family  included  himself,  wife  and  one  child. 
He  had,  besides  his  stock,  only  §33  in  money,  which 
constituted  his  total  wealth.  He  hired  a  vacant 
house  three  miles  east  of  Knoxville,  and  into  this 
humble  cabin — as  it  would  properly  be  called,  being 
built  of  logs,  chinked  with  chips  and  daubed  with 
mud,  besides  being  surmounted  with  a  ditt-and-stick 
chimney  and  having  a  shake  roof  and  puncheon 
floor — the  family  moved.  Here  the  young  couple 
lived  cozily,  despite  their  uncouth  surroundings,  and 
in  the  ensuing  fall  they  removed  t6  a  farm  a  mile 
and  a  half  east  of  Knoxville,  and  there  lived  until 
1847.  During  the  interval  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. In  1847  he  bought  a  tract  of  wild  land  of  80 
acres,  in  Knox  Township,  on  section  10,  where  he 
still  resides,  and  on  this  he  erected  a  hewed  log 
cabin.  He  then  commenced  and  improved  the  land, 
in  which  he  was  successful,  it  proving  fruitful  and 
productive.  Here  he  has  lived  continuously  since 
that  time  and  his  efforts  have  been  brilliantly  crowned 
with  success.  He  is  the  possessor,  at  the  present 
time,  of  350  acres  of  land  and  20  of  timber.  The 
remainder  is  improved  and  pasture  land. 

On  the  27th  of  November,  1857,  he  lost  his  wife 
by  death,  and  on  the  5th  of  September  i860,  remar- 
ried. His  second  wife's  maiden  name  was  Sarah 
Brooner,  and  their  wedding  took  place  Sept.  5,  1845. 
She  was  born  Oct.  15,  1822,  and  died  Oct.  8,  185  i. 
His  third  matrimonial  alliance  was  contracted  March 
4,  1852,  with  Martha  Ellen  Bomar,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Wilson  Bomar,  a  pioneer  of  Knox  Township,   and 


■i7  « 


jt 


336 


^TV'OX  COUNTY. 


she  was  born  in  Hardin  County,  Ky.,  April  25,  1830. 
By  the  first  marriage  Mr.  Meeks  had  three  children, 
now  all  deceased.  The  fruits  of  the  second  mar- 
riage were  one  daughter,  by  name  Elvira,  wife  of 
Haney  Risor,  wliose  home  is  in  Holt  County,  Neb. 
The  third  marriage  was  productive  of  the  birth  of 
seven  children,  by  name  as  follows :  Elizabeth  F., 
who  married  William  Yocum,  and  who  died  the  28th 
of  January,  1880,  aged  26  years;  James  A.,  who 
died  when  a  child  of  two  years;  Olive  C,  wife  of 
Charles  Huggins,  whose  home  is  in  Orange  Town- 
ship; John  William  married  Annie  Lessig,  and  lives 
in  Knox  Township,  and  is  a  farmer  on  section  10; 
Pierce  T.  married  Capitola  Wagner  and  lives  in 
Monona  County,  Iowa;  Daniel  E.  is  single  and  re- 
sides at  home  and  assists  in  conducting  the  farm ; 
Ira  H.  is  in  attendance  at.  the  business  college  at 
Galesburg ;  and  Luefifie  K.  resides  at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Meeks  are  consistent  and  reliable 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He 
takes  considerable  interest  in  political  matters  and 
is  a  Republican  in  sentiment  and  vote. 


fffiljilliamH.  Shumaker. 


Within   the  limits 


^St)  of  Knox  County  and  among  those  espe- 


jj^^-p  cially  noted  for  enterprise  and  energy,  may 
^  be  quoted  the  subject  of  our  biography,  a 
man  whose  untiring  perseverance  and  abil- 
ity in  financial  matters  have  brought  him  to  his 
present  prosperous  state.  William  H.  Shumaker  was 
reared  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  district 
school,  gaining  an  ordinary  education  therein  by 
close  attention  and  faithful  study.  His  present  home 
is  located  on  section  12,  Indian  Point  Township,  and 
he  is  considered  one  of  the  most  able  financiers  of 
Knox  County. 

He  was  born  March  29,  1853,  and  is  the  son  of 
John  and  Abigail  (Leigh)  Shumaker.  Both  are 
natives  of  Ohio,  and  both  are  still  living  in  this 
county.  Their  home,  at  first  so  small  and  humble, 
soon  became  crowded  by  additions  to  the  family  cir- 
cle, and  the  residence  was  soon  enlarged  to  give 
cheerful  welcome  to  the  advent  of  others  worthy  to  be 
included  in  its  sacred  precincts.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  17  children,  viz. :  Robert,  Fidelia,  Harrison, 
Sally,  Mary,  William   H.,  Charles   E.,  Clarke,  Ida, 


Niles,  James,  Theodore,  Carey,  Delia,  Cora,  Edna 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  William  H.  was  mar- 
ried Sept.  2,  1880,  to  Miss  Ella  Cashman,  who  was 
born  Sept.  28,  1858,  in  Knox  County,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  L.  J  and  Matilda  (Bond)  Cashman,  both 
natives  of  Ohio.  They  were  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren— ^EUa,  wife  of  our  subject,  and  Oscar,  single. 

Mr.  Shumaker,  of  this  narrative,  is  the  owner  of  80 
acres  of  highly-cultivated  land,  has  an  ordinarily  good 
dwelling  house,  built  five  years  since,  and  a  most  e.x- 
cellent  barn  40  x  80  feet,  in  good  condition  and  con- 
taining all  the  conveniences  desirable.  One  branch 
of  his  business  consists  of  raising  blooded  stock. 
He  owns  seven  head  of  Short  horn  cattle,  whose 
pedigrees  are  in  the  American  Herd-book ;  his 
fine  stock  mostly  averages  two  years  of  age.  He 
has  also  the  Clydesdale  horses,  which  he  keeps  for 
sale  to  breeders,  and  also  the  Poland-China  hogs,  for 
the  same  purpose.  The  homestead,  vvhich  is  known 
as  Locust  Grove  Farm,  is  situated  three  and  three- 
fourths  miles  southeast  of  Abingdon,  and  three  miles 
from  Herman.  Mr.  Shumaker  makes  a  specialty  of 
buying  and  shipping  to  Chicago  markets  the  last- 
named  class  of  stock.  He  tlius  disposes  of  about 
three  carloads  each  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shumaker  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  a  daughter,  by  name  Ada  Etiiel,  who  was  born 
Sept.  T,  1 88 1.  They  are  useful  members  of  society, 
and  ready  to  forward  any  good  and  worthy  enterprise, 
either  religious  or  social.  Politically  Mr.  S.  takes  a 
great  deal  of  interest  in  outside  affairs,  and  is  al- 
ways on  the  watch  for  every  cloud  that  darkens  the 
sky  of  the  nation.  He  is  a  Republican  in  voice  and 
vote. 


ilo  A.  McClelland,  M.  D.  The  subject  of 
this  notice  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known 
practitioners  in  Knox  County,  and  has  a 
^l^■^'^  reputation  for  skill  in  his  profession  through- 
out the  State  of  Illinois.  He  was  born  in 
Sharon,  Beaver  Co.,  Pa.,  Jan.  28,  T837.  His 
father,  Thomas  McClelland,  born  in  1809,  was 
a  native  of  Mt.  Jackson,  that  part  of  the  county 
which  at  the  present  time  is  included  within  the 
county  of  Lawrence. 

The  first  of  the  McClelland  family  to  emigrate  to 
the  United  States  was  Thomas  McClelland,  a  native 


^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

lUlVERSITY  OF  ILUNC'3 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


339 


of  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  He 
arrived  on  the  shores  of  our  Republic  about  1760, 
and  made  settlement  in  Cliester  County,  Pa.,  remov- 
ing later  to  Cumberland  County,  in  that  Slate,  where 
he  acquired  quite  a  property  in  real  estate.  Of  his 
family  of  seven  children  four  were  sons  and  three 
were  daughters.  William,  his  third  son,  was  born  in 
1780,  and  was  the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice.  He  settled  in  that  part  of  Bea- 
ver County  now  included  in  Lawrence  County,  about 
1806,  where  he  was  one  of  the  early  pioneers,  and 
where  he  married  Martha  Sharp,  in  r8o8,  by  whom 
he  had  six  sons  and  three  daughters.  His  vocation 
was  that  of  a  farmer,  and  in  the  prosecution  of  which 
he  met  with  more  than  ordinary  success.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  died  April 
4,  1848,  the  demise  of  his  wife  occurring  some  years 
later. 

Thomas  McClelland,  the  eldest  son  of  William 
and  Martha,  became  a  benedict  by  uniting  his  des- 
tiny with  that  of  Miss  Esther  Wilson,  born  in  Beaver 
County,  Pa.,  in  1808.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade, 
and  followed  his  callingin  Beaver  County  until  1S43. 
During  that  year  he  moved  to  Indiana,  and  made 
settlement  on  a  tract  of  timber  land  near  Evansville, 
which  he  improved  and  cultivated  until  1855.  Prior 
to  this  he  had  heard  such  glowing  accounts  of  the 
rich  and  productive  prairie  lands  of  Illinois  that  he 
concluded  to  emigrate  thither.  He  accordingly  sold 
his  interests  in  Indiana  and  emigrated  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling in  Livingston  County.  There  he  purchased  a 
farm,  on  which  he  lived  and  labored  until  the  date 
of  his  demise.  Of  their  union  10  children  were  born, 
eight  of  whom  lived  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and 
womanhood. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  third  in  order 
of  birth  of  his  parents'  children.  He  assisted  his 
father  on  the  farm  and  in  the  shop,  and  attended  the 
public  schools  until  he  developed  into  manhood.  Our 
subject,  when  but  a  boy,  was  an  indefatigable  reader. 
He  borrowed  books  from  whomsoever  he  could,  and 
when  time  or  opportunity  permitted  he  was  always 
found  reading,  and,  as  he  said,  to  prepare  himself  for 
the  future.  In  1857  he  taught  his  first  term  of  school 
at  Long  Point,  Livingston  Co.,  111.  In  1858  he  entered 
the  preparatory  department  of  Beloit  College,  and 
after  following  the  entire  preparatory  course  of  that 
institution,  with  a  part  of  the  scientific   course,   he 


returned  to  Illinois  and  taught  school  two  terms  at 
El  Paso,  Woodford  County,  this  State. 

At  this  period  in  the  history  of  the  life  of  our  sub- 
ject, the  late  Civil  War  had  commenced,  and  in  June, 
1862,  Dr.  McClelland  enlisted  in  Company  G,  69th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  stationed  at  Camp  Douglas  ^of 
about  four  months.  In  October  of  tlie  same  year  he 
was  discharged  on  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  en- 
listment, when  he  returned  home  and  taught  school 
during  the  following  winter  in  Livingston  County.  In 
the  spring  of  1863  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits. His  crop  being  destroyed  by  frost,  he  gave  up 
farming,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  went  to  Chicago, 
where  he  attended  the  Rush  Medical  College  four 
months,  following  which  he  came  to  Knox  County, 
locating  at  Hermon,  where  he  succeeded  Dr.  Samuel 
Wilson  in  his  practice,  and  was  thus  engaged  until 
September,  1866.  He  then  went  to  New  York  City, 
and  while  at  Bellevue  Hospital  he  attended  medical 
lectures,  and  there  graduated  in  1867.  Again  return- 
ing to  Illinois,  he  located  in  Canton,  Fulton  County,  1 
where  he  remained  six  months  and  then  moved  to 
Knoxville.  Since  1868  the  Doctor  has  been  in  act-  1 
ive  practice,  and  by  prompt  and  diligent  attention  . 
to  his  cases,  and  treating  them  with  all  the  skill  which 
years  of  study  and  practice  enabled  him  to  apply,  he 
has  met  with  signal  success.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  State  Medical  Society,  and  has  written  several 
papers  on  medico-legal  subjects  for  that  Society, 
which  have  been  published  in  its  reports,  and  also 
upon  other  subjects,  which  have  gained  for  him  a  rep- 
utation for  the  manner  in  which  he  treated  them.  A 
compilation  on  civil  malpractice,  published  in  1877, 
is  an  adopted  authority  in  both  law  and  medicine. 
The  Doctor  was  married  in  January,  i865,  to  Louisa 
J.  Bowman.  She  was  born  in  Venango  County,  Pa„ 
and  was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza  (Steach) 
Bowman.  She  died  in  June,  r88i.  The  Doctor  was 
a  second  time  married  in  July,  1882,  to  Mrs.  Lydia 
J.  Cleveland,  nee  Van  Pelt.  She  was  the  widow  of 
Oliver  Cleveland,  who  at  the  time  of  his  death  was, 
and  had  been  for  several  years  previously.  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Knox  County  Infirmary.  She  suc- 
ceeded him  to  that  position,  and  has  had  its  man- 
agement until  the  present  time.  Of  her  union  with 
Mr.  Cleveland  four  children  were  born — Lettie,  Ida, 
James  O.  and  Belle.  Mrs.  McClelland  is  a  member 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church.     Dr.    McClelland  is  a 


L 


■t  <>_± 


^^=^4^ 


340 


KJVOX  COUNTY. 


member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  Blue 
Lodge  No.  66,  Knoxville;  Rabom  Chapter,  No.  95, 
and  to  Commandery  No.  8,  of  Galesburg. 


John  Oberholtzer.  Prominent  among  the 
men  whose  names  grace  the  records  of 
Knox  County  may  be  found  those  whose 
perseverance  and  thrift  have  given  them  a 
noteworthy  place  for  the  spirit  which  always 
wins,  that  of  will  and  the  determination 
never  to  give  up.  It  is  only  through  this  spirit  that 
great  achievements  are  made,  and  the  subject  of  this 
biography  may  be  remembered  as  one  whose  heart  is 
always  strong  and  his  spirit  undaunted  in  the  battle 
of  life.  He  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Ann  (Tedrow) 
Oberholtzer;  his  home  is  situated  in  Elba  Township, 
section  15,  and  his  occupation  is  that  of  a  general 
farmer  and  stock-raiser. 

Both  his  parents  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and 
were  descended  from  the  German.  They  married 
>^  and  settled  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  where  they  lived 
until  1848.  They  then  came  to  Knox  County,  hop- 
ing to  better  their  "  fortunes  of  low  degree,"  and  set- 
tled in  Truro  Township,  where  they  now  reside. 
They  had  a  family  of  five  children — three  girls  and 
two  boys,  as  follows :  Louisa  J.,  O.  John,  Elizabeth 
J.,  Homer  W.  and  Mary  E.  Mary  is  now  deceased. 
The  subject  of  our  sketch,  O.  John,  is  at  the  pres- 
ent time  engaged  in  mixed  farming  and  stock-raising. 
He  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  May  12,  1846, 
and  was  about  two  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
came  to  Knox  County.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education  during  the  early  part  of  his  boy- 
hood, and  lived  at  home,  assisting  his  parents  on  the 
farm  until  he  was  18  years  old.  He  then  enlisted  in 
Co.  E  of  the  nth  III.  Cav.,  Jan.  20,  1865,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  When  the  war 
was  over  he  retufned  to  his  parents'  home,  remain- 
ing until  he  was  22  years  of  age,  when  he  commenced 
farming  on  his  own  account.  He  worked  at  this  for 
one  year,  and  then  married  and  settled  on  1 60  acres 
in  Truro  Township,  section  34.  On  this  place  he  re- 
mained for  five  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  pur- 
chased 320  acres  on  section  15,  in  Elba  Township, 
and  gave  his  attention  almost  wholly  to  the  raising  of 
cattle  and  horses.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  750  acres 


in  Elba  Township,  and  is  one  of  the  largest  stock- 
dealers  in  the  county.  He  handles  100  head  of  cat- 
tle annually,  30  of  horses,  and  fattens  75  head  of 
hogs. 

Mr.  Oberholtzer  was  married  at  Knoxville,  Feb. 
21,  1869,  to  Amelia  A  Smith.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  H.  and  Mary  (Almey)  Smith,  who 
were  natives  of  the  State  of  New  York.  They  came 
to  Knox  County,  and  settled  in  Elba  Township  in 
1867,  afterward  removing  to  Wataga,  where  they  at 
present  reside.  They  have  become  the  parents  of 
five  children,  as  follows :  Mary  L.,  Amelia  A.,  Will- 
iam M.,  Florence  R.  and  Emma  E.  Amelia  A.  was 
born  in  Monroe  County,  N.  Y.,  April  5,  1847.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Oberholtzer  have  six  children— Clara  E., 
Emma  A.,  Nellie  J.,  Ida  E.,  Edward  J.  and  Joseph 
W. 

Mr.  Oberholtzer  has  shown  himself  to  be  a  man  of 
public  spirit,  and  one  willing  to  benefit  the  people  in 
every  way.  He  is  a  man  of  genial,  kindly  spirit,  and 
has  held  many  of  the  common  offices.  He  was 
elected  Assessor  in  his  township  in  the  spring  of 
1880,  and  has  filled  that  office  to  this  time  with  much 
credit  to  himself  and  to  the  people  who  elected  him. 
He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1884,  and 
has  held  other  minor  offices.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Dan.  McCook  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  No.  53,  at  Elm- 
wood,  111.,  is  President  of  the  co-operative  store  at 
Yates  City,  and  also  a  stockholder  in  the  same  or- 
ganization. In  politics  he  is  independent,  and  votes 
for  measures  irrespective  of  party  whenever  opportu- 
nity affords. 


H.    Lott.      Prominent   among  the 

gf    self-made  men   and  enterprising  citizens 

^^0yf'   identified  with   Knox  County,    and   resi- 


!>     dent  within  her  borders,  may  be  found  the 


subject  of  this  sketch.  He  is  by  occupa- 
tion a  farmer,  residing  in  Salem  Township,  on 
section  12.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Steding,  Hast- 
ings Co.,  Ontario,  Canada,  March  11,  1836.  His 
father,  Wilham  Lott,  was  born  March  16,  i8ri,  and 
his  grandfather,  whose  name  was  Boltus  Lott,  was 
of  German  descent,  but  formerly  lived  near  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.  During  the  Revolution  he  went  to  Canada, 
where  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  the 
Province  of  Ontario,  and  died  at  the  age  of  94.     His 


"T* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


341 


4-^ 


maternal  grandmother  was  by  name  Simmons,  and 
was  also  from  New  York. 

The  father  of  our  subject  learned  the  wagon-mak- 
er's trade,  at  which  he  worked  for  a  number  of  years, 
discharging  his  duties  with  eminent  satisfaction.  He 
was  a  natural  mechanic  and  a  first-class  workman, 
and  after  a  very  few  years  began  business  for  him- 
self, at  Dorchester,  near  New  London.  Turning- 
lathes  were  here  put  in  and  furniture  was  manufact- 
ured, but,  removing  from  Dorchester,  he  went  to 
Sterling,  and  there  conducted  his  business  until 
1864,  when  he  went  to  Elmwood,  and  was  engaged 
in  manufacturing  washing-machines,  wooden  pumps, 
and  some  additional  small  work,  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  April  18,  1879. 

\Vm.  Lott,  Sr.,  was  three  times  married.  His  first 
wife,  the  mother  of  his  children,  was  by  name  Susan 
Morrison,  daughter  of  WiUiam  Morrison,  who  was 
born  in  St.  Catherine's,  Canada.  She  died  in  Ontario 
in  1852,  leaving  eight  children.  His  second  wife 
f  was  Keziah  Robinson,  also  of  Canada;  and  his  last 
alliance  was  with  Mary  S.  Brees,  who  now  lives  in 
1  Canton,  111. 

T      Our  subject  was  the  oldest  of  eight  children,  and 
'  when  quite  small  was  sent  by  his  father  to  attend 
I  the   toUgate    on~  the  gravel  road  between   Ingersoll 
•and  London.     He   attended  to  these  duties   about 
six  years,  and   then  entered  the  shops  and  began 
work  at  the  turning-lathe.     Becoming   proficient  in 
the  use  of  tools,  he  remained  with  his  father  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  21,  beginning  at   that   time   for 
himself.     His  sole  earthly  possessions  consisted  of  a 
suit  of  clotlies  with  empty  pockets,  but    he   found 
employment  in  a  fanning-mill  factory  near  Sterling, 
and  worked  for  Franklin   Jones,   the  proprietor,  for 
I    about  two  years.      During  this  time   he   had   saved 
I    $70  of  his  earnings,  and  had  made  12}^  fanning- 
mills  in  the  shops,  on  which   he  received  a  percent- 
age  which    amounted   in    all    to   §240.       He    next 
I    engaged  with  Mr.   Jones  to  emigrate  to  Illinois  and 
work  for  him  at  Elmwood.  which  he  did,  remaining 
i    in  his  employ  for  t\vo  years.     He  next  commenced 
business  for  himself,  near  Shintown,  wliere  he  man- 
ufactured 25  mills  the  first  year.     He  then  removed 
to  Elmwood  and  continued  his  work,  selling  his  mills 
throughout  the  country,  for  three  years.     At  the  ex- 
piration of  that  lime  he  went  to  Chillicothe,  and,  as- 
sociating with   him    as    partner  James    Hoag,   con- 
tinued with  him  a  year.      At  the  end  of  this  time  he 


bought  his  partners  interest,  selling  the  same  to  L. 
F.  Murphy.  They  remained  12  years  together  and 
then  sold  the  business  and  engaged  in  the  grain 
trade  in  the  last-named  place,  continuing  at  this  12 
years,  and  after  that  removed  to  Hoopeston,  where 
they  built  an  elevator.  After  two  years  spent  in  the 
grain  trade  at  the  latter  place,  Mr.  Lott  came  back 
to  Salem  Township  and  bought  the  farm  he  now 
owns  and  occupies.  He  is  the  possessor  of  428  acres 
of  land  in  Salem  and  Elmwood  Townships,  the 
tracts  adjoining  and  lying  within  two  counties.  His 
house  is  pleasantly  located  on  a  rise  of  ground  over- 
looking Elmwood,  Yates  City  and  Brimfield. 

Mr.  Lott  was  united  in  marriage  Aug.  13,  1861, 
with  Catherine  Van  Sickle,  who  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  April  4,  1841.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Ry- 
near  and  Jane  (Gibson)  Van  Sickle,  and  is  the 
mother  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Marshall  T., 
Ellen  A.,  Harvey  V.,  Sadie  M.  and  Trallia  M. 

In  politics  Mr.  Lott  is  a  Republican,  which  party 
he  ably  and  strongly  supports.  He  is  an  honorary 
member  of  Elmwood  Lodge,  No.  363,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  Yates  City  Chapter,  No.  98. 


illiam  Hughey.  Foremost  in  the  ranks 
of  worthy  citizens  and  enterprising  bus- 

^^.^'  iness  men  of  Abingdon  is  the  subject  of 
^>  this  personal  history  herein  spoken  of. 
4ST^  He  is  a  jeweler  and  watchmaker,  also 
dealer  in  silver-plated  ware  and  all  articles  of 
this  kind,  of  which  he  keeps  a  full  line  of  first-class 
goods. 

Mr.  Hughey  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Highland 
County,  Ohio,  Aug.  25,  1825.  His  parents  were 
Alexander  and  Hester  (Tudor)  Hughey,  and  his 
father  was  a  native  of  the  State  of  Ohio  and  the  year 
of  his  birth  was  1802.  His  mother  was  of  English 
and  Scotch  ancestry  and  entered  life  in  the  State  of 
Maryland.  They  came  to  Abingdon  in  the  fall  of 
1849,  while  the  village  was  in  a  state  of  infancy, 
and  have  lived  in  the  town  and  its  immediate  vicin- 
ity ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  one  summer 
which  was  spent  in  Iowa. 

Mr.  Hughey  followed  the  occupation  of  farming  for 
a  short  time  previous  to  his  coming  West,  and  next 
entered  a  factory  as  an  employe.      After  this  he  en- 


±^JJ 


<T_A 


4^ 


342 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


gaged  in  mercantile  pursuits,  in  which  he  continued 
until  he  emigrated  West.  On  his  arrival  in  this  part 
of  the  country  he  continued  to  work  on  the  farm  for 
a  few  years,  subsequently  going  into  the  wood-work- 
ing dejjartment  of  a  machine  shop,  where  he  re- 
mained till  1875,  at  which  time  he  went  into  his 
present  lousiness. 

His  bridal  with  Miss  Sarah  Strain  was  celebrated 
in  Highland  County,  Ohio,  Aug.  31,  1848.  Mrs. 
Hughey  was  the  daughter  of  James  and  Martha 
Strain,  and  was  born  in  the  county  in  which  she  was 
married.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Abiline,  S.  C. 
Mr.  Hughey  is  a  courleotis  and  affable  gentleman 
and  wins  friendly  regard  and  liking  from  his  numer- 
ous patrons.  He  is  wide-awake  to  public  interest 
and  is  a  Republican  in  political  sentiment,  voting 
with  that  party  wliose  doctrines  he  upholds. 


#-^ 


[Ib.ornelius  Dempsey.     One  of  the  pioneer 
I?   citizens  of  Orange  Township,  and  an  old 


4 


and  reliable  resident  of  that  section,  was 
Cornelius  Dempsey,  deceased,  the  particulars 
of  whose  personal  history  are  herein  given. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  local 
affairs.  He  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  was  for  a  number  of  years  Director  in  the  School 
District  where  he  resided.  In  addition  to  this,  he 
figured  among  the  leaders  of  a  few  people,  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who,  uniting 
their  efforts,  erected  a  church  building  on  his  farm 
and  called  it  the  Dempsey  Chapel. 

Mr.  D.,  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  in  Cumber- 
land County,  Pa.,  Oct.  31,  1804.  His  father,  James 
Dempsey,  also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  was  reared 
in  his  native  county,  and  his  grandfather,  Cornelius 
Dempsey,  Sr.,  also  lived  and  died  there.  The  father 
of  Cornelius,  Jr.,  married  in  his  native  county  Miss 
Susie  Piper,  who  came  from  Germany  in  the  year 
i8io.  He  emigrated  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  in 
Jackson  County  bought  a  tract  of  timber  land  and 
laid  out  a  farm,  which  he  worked  until  1837,  and 
then,  coming  to  Illinois,  settled  in  Orange  Township 
on  section  2.  Here  he  resided  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  Nov.  zr,  1859,  and  his  wife's  death 
took  place  Sept.  20,  1865. 

The  fruits  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dempsey 


are  as  follows;  Jonathan,  Cornelius,  Catherine, 
Annie,  James,  Isaac,  Susie  and  Polly,  five  of  whom 
survive  at  tiie  present  time.  Catherine,  widow  of 
Matteson  Maxey,  lives  near  Wataga;  Annie  has  a 
home  in  Gilson  ;  James  and  Isaac  reside  in  Oregon  ; 
and  Susie,  widow  of  Booker  Pickerel,  lives  in  Gilson. 
Cornelius,  our  subject,  was  six  years  of  age  when, 
under  the  guardianship  of  his  parents,  he  came  to 
Ohio.  He  grew  up  on  the  farm,  which  he  assisted 
his  father  to  work,  and  made  his  home  with  his  par- 
ents until  Dec.  24,  1835,  which  was  the  date  of  his 
marriage  with  Julia  A.  Brown.  Miss  Brown  was 
born  in  Meigs  County,  Ohio,  on  the  2Sth  of  March, 
1813,  and  was  the  daughter  of  John  V.  and  Margaret 
(Lowther)  Brown.  The  young  husband  had  bought 
a  farm  in  Jackson  County,  and  on  this  they  lived 
until  1837,  when,  deciding  that  they  must  have 
"  fresh  fields  and  pastures  new  "  in  which  to  labor, 
they  emigrated  to  the  then  Far  West.  The  journey 
was  made  overland  with  four  horses  and  several 
wagons,  and  the  parly,  which  was  a  merry  one,  com- 
prised the  father  and  family  of  Mr.  Dempsey,  and 
Isaac  Lott  and  family.  With  them  they  brought 
live  stock  of  various  kinds,  and  this  mode  of  travel 
gave  them  an  unobscured  view  of  the  country  to 
which  they  were  going  to  seek  their  fortunes.  Their 
trip  lasted  one  month  and  they  arrived  in  Knox 
County,  where  Mr.  D.  and  father  bought  160  acres  of 
land  on  section  2,  Orange  Township,  which  he 
worked  with  his  father  and  subsequently  added  to. 
There  was  a  double  log  cabin  on  the  place,  with  a 
sod  chimney,  and  in  this  humble  abode  they  took 
quarters  and  there  remained  for  a  few  months,  after 
which  Mr.  Dempsey  built  another  log  cabin  near  by, 
where  he  and  his  w'ife  commenced  housekeeping. 
The  market  for-the  first  few  years,  as  well  as  the  de- 
pot for  supplies,  was  at  Peoria,  45  miles  distant.  To 
his  original  property  Mr.  D.  added  land  adjoining 
him  till  at  one  time  he  was  in  possession  of  over  500 
acres.  He  erected  a  brick  house  and  a  frame  barn 
and  continued  in  his  ple.isant  home  up  to  Aug.  5, 
1883,  the  date  of  his  death. 

To  himself  and  wife  were  born  ten  children,  but 
five  only  survive,  as  follows  :  Mary,  wife  of  Kenner 
Brent,  who  lives  in  Warren  County;  Eliza,  wife  of 
Charles  Parmenter,  who  lives  in  Knoxville;  Julia, 
wife  of  John  Wilson,  whose  home  is  in  Orange 
Township  on  the  old  homestead;  Lucinda  and  Al- 
bert  C.      Mrs.    Dempsey,   with    her   two   youngest 


'-h^ll 


\ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L;;iVERSITY  OF  ILLlKCiS 


ij.f^^ 


\i/yiM^ 


i-V^^ 


:^=^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


345 


children,  lives  in  Knoxville,  to  which  town  they  re- 
moved in  December,  1883,  where  her  son  Albert  C. 
is  engaged  in  merchandising  and  has  the  best  store 
in  Knoxville.  Both  herself  and  deceased  husband 
were  consistent  and  devoted  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  and  ranked  high  in  religious 
work.  Mr.  Dempsey  was  a  class  leader  in  the 
Church,  and  in  [wUtics  of  the  Democratic  stamp. 

Riner.  Prominent  among  the 
of  influence  and  progress  who 
have  identified  themselves  as  residents  of 
Knox  County  is  the  subject  of  this  personal 
lu  history,  and  whose  home  is  in  Salem  Town- 
\  ship,  on  section  10.  He  owns  largely  in  landed 
estate,  his  possessions  being  about  equally  divided 
into  two  farms,  each  furnished  with  convenient 
frame  buildings,  and  too  acres  of  which  he  rents, 
retaining  the  remainder  himself. 

Mr.  Riner  was  born  in  Jackson  Township,  Preble 
>■  Co.,  Ohio,  Jan.  23,  1830.  His  father,  Peter  Riner, 
was  born  in  Berkeley  County,  (now)  W.  Va.,in  1801. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Jacob  Riner,  was  a 
.  native  of  Germany  and  died  in  Virginia.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  reared  in  the  State  of  Virginia, 
and,  when  a  young  man,  went  to  Ohio,  where  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Margaret  Kelly,  of  Butler 
County,  that  State.  They  lived  a  short  time  after 
marriage  in  Preble  County,  and  he  purchased  40 
acres  of  heavily  timbered  land  in  Dixon  Township. 
Clearing  this  property,  he  lived  there  seven  years, 
improving  it  all  the  time,  and  eventually  sold  out  at 
an  advanced  price,  removing  to  Jackson  Township. 
There  he  bought  80  acres  of  timber  land,  and  re- 
moving there  commenced  clearing  a  farm.  Buying 
land  adjoining,  he  continued  cultivating  and  improv- 
ing it,  living  upon  it  until  1856.  In  that  year  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Peoria  County,  buy- 
ing land  two  miles  north  of  Elmwood  and  living 
there  until  1877,  the  date  of  his  death.  His  wife 
had  died  four  years  previously,  in  1873.  They  were 
the  parents  of  12  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy; ten  lived  to  grow  to  man  and  womanhood, 
and  eight  of  them  survive  at  the  present  writing 
(1886). 

Our  subject  was  the  second  child  in  order  of  birth 


of  his  parents'  family,  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
township  and  was  reared  on  the  farm.  He  made  his 
home  with  his  parents  until  his  marriage,  which  was 
celebrated  Dec.  31,  1850.  Mrs.  Riner  was  previously 
Elizabeth  Paddock,  of  Union  County,  Ind.,  where 
she  was  born  Oct.  23,  1832.  Her  father  bore 
the  name  of  Ebenezer  Paddock,  and  was  born  in 
Butler  County,  Ohio,  Aug.  i,  1801  ;  and  her  grand- 
father, Henry  Paddock,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  her  native  county  and  a  hero  in  the  War  of  181 2, 
under  Gen.  Harrison.  Her  mother's  maiden  name 
was  Lorena  Swain,  daughter  of  John  Swain,  born  in 
Vermont,  and  she  died  Dec.  20,  1838,  aged  31  years. 
There  were  seven  brothers  and  sisters  of  Mrs.  Riner, 
five  of  whom  are  still  living. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Jacob  Riner  rented  a 
farm  in  Jackson  Township  for  one  year,  subsequently 
locating  on  80  acres  of  his  own  in  Dixon  Township, 
where  he  passed  another  year.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  he  sold  out,  buying  160  acres  in  the  same  town- 
ship, which  he  worked  for  the  same  length  of  time, 
disposing  of  it  on  his  removal  to  Illinois,  which  was 
in  1853.  They  came  by  railroad  to  Tiskilwa,  then 
hired  conveyance  to  Knox  County.  Mr.  Riper  had  *• 
the  fall  previous  visited  the  place  and  purchased 
160  acres  of  land  in  Salem  Township,  on  section  10. 
There  was  a  frame  house  in  process  of  building  and 
40  acres  of  the  land  were  plowed.  This  constituted 
the  entire  improvements  upon  the  place,  and  the 
prospect  was  somewhat  discouraging,  especially  as 
the  household  goods  shipped  by  rail  failed  to  come. 
After  an  impatient  interval  of  waiting,  he  started  in 
search  of  them,  and  eventually  found  them  in  In- 
diana and  returned  with  them.  It  had  grown  too 
late  to  put  in  a  crop,  but  he  set  immediately  about 
it  and  seeded  40  acres  with  corn,  renting  land  on 
which  he  raised  small  grains.  While  these  were 
maturing  he  worked  on  his  house,  finishing  and  im- 
proving it  and  placing  his  household  eflFects  in  it. 
In  1856  he  bought  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
3,  adjoining  his  first  purchase,  and  in  1857  he  re- 
moved to  that  place,  where  he  lived  until  1867.  In 
that  year  he  went  to  Yates  City,  built  a  residence 
and  lived  there  until  1883,  when,  in  February  of  that 
year,  he  went  back  to  the  place  he  now  lives  upon, 
which  he  had  purchased  the  January  previous.  He 
is  the  possessor  of  400  acres  of  land  and  is  consid- 
ered a  well-to-do  and  influential  man. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riner  became   the   parents  of  four 


*r 


r^Aj 


■cT_jL 


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346 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


children,  bearing  the  following  names  :  Albert,  of 
Peoria  County,  married  Miss  Dany  Tuttle,  and  they 
have  two  children — Eda  and  Jacob  C.  Riner;  Mar- 
garet Angeline,  wife  of  S.  D.  Enochs,  resides  in 
Yates  City;  they  have  three  children;  Dora  B.,  wife 
of  Martin  Thompson,  of  Yates  City  ;  and  Jacob  C, 
residing  at  home. 

Politically,  Mr.  Riner  is  a  Jeffersonian  Democrat, 
and  a  solid,  substantial  man  and  respected  citizen. 
He  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  holds  membership  with  Yates  City 
Lodge,  No.  448,  and  is  also  a  member  of  Hiram 
Chapter,  No.  98,  R.  A.  M.,  Yates  City. 

We  feel  assured  that  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Riner, 
presented  in  connection  with  this  sketch,  will  be 
looked  upon  with  pleasure  by  his  old  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances. 


Tames  A.  Shaffer,  one  of  Knox  County's 
successful  farmers,  residing  on  section  27, 
Truro  Township,  began  his  career  as  a 
farmer  in  the  year  1864,  on  an  80-acre  tract  of 
land  which  he  had  inherited  from  his  mother; 
or,  in  other  words,  the  land  had  been  purchased 
for  him  previously  with  the  money  he  had  inherited, 
and  was  at  the  time  of  purchase  valued  at  $750. 
This  farm  included  the  south  one-half  of  the  north- 
west quarter  of  section  27,  which  he  has  since  occu- 
pied. The  first  addition  made  to  it  was  the  north 
one-half  of  the  same  quarter,  which  he  purchased  on 
time.  From  the  very  first  our  subject  engaged  in  the 
breeding  of  slock,  his  favorite  being  the  Short-horn 
cattle.  He  also  deals  extensively  in  Poland-(Jhina 
hogs  and  Clydesdale  horses.  He  has  added  to  his 
acreage  from  time  to  time  until  now  he  is  the  pos- 
sessor of  820  acres  of  land,  all  of  which  is  tillable 
soil. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  brief  per- 
sonal narrative  was  born  in  Clinton  County,  Pa., 
April  15,  1841.  He  was  kept  steadily  at  school  un- 
til he  was  13  years  of  age,  when  he  began  work  with 
his  father  in  the  lumber  regions,  felling  trees  and 
squaring  timber.  Our  subject  was  15  years  of  age 
when  he  came  to  the  Prairie  State  with  his  father, 
arriving  here  May  20,  1856.  Here  he  again  took  up 
his  studies,  attending  the  common  schools  and  sup- 
plementing the  same  by  attendance  at  Hedding  Col- 


lege, Abingdon.  He  assisted  his  father  in  the  farm 
duties  until  he  had  attained  his  majority,  at  which 
time  he  worked  for  his  father  on  shares  until 
the  year  1864,  when  he  located  on  his  present  farm 
as  before  stated. 

Nov.  22,  1864,  the  marriage  of  James  Shaffer  and 
Miss  Louisa,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Annie  (Tedrow)  Oberholtzer,  was  solemnized. 
Mrs.  Shaffer  was  born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio,  July 
15,  1843,  and  was  formerly  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  Knox  County.  She  received  her  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  and  later  attended 
Hedding  College,  receiving  her  first  certificate  when 
but  a  girl  of  14  years.  She  graduated  at  St.  Mary's 
School  in  June,  1886. 

The  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shaffer  has 
been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  seven  bright  children, 
whose  names  are  as  follows:  Vesper,  Joseph  O., 
Benjamin  B.,  Annie,  Celestia,  Rosaletta,  and  James  A. 

Mr.  S.  is  a  Greenbacker,  and  is  a  stockliolder  in 
a  co-operative  store  at  Yates  City,  and  Director  in  ' 
the  company.  He  has  always  evinced  great  interest 
in  educational  matters,  and  has  served  in  the  capac- 
ity of  School  Director  in  his  district.  He  has  also 
represented  his  township  on  the  Board  of  Supervis- 
ors. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  highly  esteemed  by  all 
who  enjoy  their  acquaintance  and  friendship,  and 
Mrs.  Shaffer  is  a  woman  gifted  with  e.vtraordinary 
business  ability  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


yrs.  Martha  Seiboldt,  the  relict  of  Octa- 
vius  Seiboldt,  is  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
^  ^  graphical  sketch,  and  a  woman  of  indom- 
<  \  itable  and  persevering  energy.  She  owns 
and  manages  a  farm  of  300  acres,  on  which  she 
erected  a  fine  residence  in  1 885 ,  valued  at  $2,000. 
She  has  instituted  many  improvements  and  steadily 
worked  with  a  view  to  the  establishment  of  a  home 
worthy  of  the  pride  of  its  owner. 

The  husband  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Sweden, 
in  1824,  and  died  in  America,  at  his  home  in  Knox 
County,  111.,  in  1867,  at  the  early  age  of  43.  He 
came  to  Amerca  in  1845,  and  followed  the  sea  as 
captain  of  a  vessel  for  almost  ten  years.  In  1854  he 
came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Victoria,  and  engaged  in 


H 


■e^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


347 


cabinet-making.  He  was  thus  engaged  for  two  years, 
when  he  abandoned  the  cabinet  business,  and  after 
remaining  in  Copley  Township  for  two  years  took  a 
trip  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and,  traveling  down  in 
the  direction  of  Central  America,  was  lost  to  the  eye 
of  the  civilized  world  and  his  friends  for  about  eight 
years.  At  the  e.xpiration  of  that  length  of  time  he 
returned  to  Copley  Township  and  remained  one 
year. 

Mr.  Seiboldt  was  united  in  marriage  in  1855  with 
our  subject,  Maitha  Larson,  daughter  of  Eric  and 
Annie  (Colson)  Larson.  They  emigrated  from  Swe- 
den to  Illinois  immediately  after  this  event.  After 
the  death  of  the  father,  which  occurred  on  the  jour- 
ney, it  is  supposed  of  the  cholera,  the  family  caraeon 
and  settled  in  Copley  Township.  The  mother,  who 
still  survives,  makes  her  home  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Seiboldt,  having  reached  the  age  of  86  years. 
Mrs.  Seiboldt  has  three  children  living — John,  Sarah 
and  George;  Emma  and  Mary  are  deceased.  Mrs. 
Seiboldt  manages  her  large  farm  with  admirable  tact 
and  ability,  and  wins  golden  opinions  for  her  womanly 
courage,  her  nobility  of  purpose  and  her  strength  of 
execution.  She  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Swed- 
ish Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  useful  worker. 
In  her  younger  days  she  was  only  a  laboring  girl, 
"  working  in  Peoria  and  Galesburg  at  housework,  but, 
taking  for  her  motto  "  there  is  no  such  word  as  fail," 
she  has  succeeded  in  securing  the  possession  of  a 
home  which  will  be  a  rest  and  an  abiding  place 
throughout  her  declining  years. 


J^on.  John  Sloan.  The  annals  of  Knox 
County  would  be  incomplete  without  the 
notice  of  this  gentleman,  who  has  shown 
himself  not  only  possessed  of  high  mental  at- 
tainments, but  of  that  good  judgment,  strength 
of  character  and  unvarying  integrity  that  win 
the  respect  of  all  with  whom  he  is  connected.  He  is 
a  resident  of  Salem  Township,  and  the  citizens  of  his 
district  feel  no  small  degree  of  pride  in  his  merits, 
not  only  as  a  private  citizen,  but  as  a  ix)litician  and 
a  public  man. 

Mr.  Sloan  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  was  born  in 
County  Antrim,  Oct.  12,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of 
James  and  Mary  (Beck)  Sloan,  both  natives  of  that 


county.  The  grandfather  of  Mar)'  Beck  was  origin- 
ally from  Scotland,  and  emigrated  to  Ireland  in  the 
seventeenth  century.  The  Sloans  were  from  Scot- 
land, and  our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  county, 
obtaining  his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  neigh- 
boihood.  At  the  age  of  18,  entering  a  wholesale 
grocery  store  and  bakery,  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship and  worked  as  journeyman  for  four  years.  Aft- 
er an  interval  of  four  years,  as  stated,  he  assisted 
his  father  on  the  farm,  working  there  until  1850.  At 
that  time,  not  content  with  the  ordinary 'lot  of  the  av- 
erage young  man  in  his  country,  he  emigrated  to 
America,  setting  sail  from  Belfast  Sept.  rj,  r85o.  He 
changed  vessels  at  Liverpool  and  subsequently 
landed  at  New  Orleans,  by  way  of  which  city  he 
continued  his  journey  up  the  river  to  St.  Louis.  At 
that  place  he  took  a  packet,  and  coming  up  the  Illi- 
nois River  completed  his  trip.  Accompanied  by  a 
brother  who  had  joined  him  at  Liverpool,  they  set 
out  on  foot  for  Oquawka,  which  was  100  miles  dis- 
tant, arriving  there  Dec.  13  of  the  same  year.  Our 
subject  found  employment,  as  do  the  generality  of 
willing  workers,  and,  engaging  at  $13  per  month, 
he  labored  for  eight  months,  and  in  the  fall  of  1851 
joined  a  surveying  party,  going  out  in  the  employ  of 
the  Peoria  &  Oquawka  Railroad.  In  December, 
r85i,  he  drove  the  first  stake  east  of  the  Mississipi 
River  for  that  corporation,  and,  working  one  month  as 
chainman,  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  assist- 
ant engineer.  Remaining  with  this  company  until 
1857,  he  bought  on  section  4,  of  Salem  Township,  72 
acres,  of  land,  and  there  erected  a  house  and  com- 
menced to  cultivate  it.  He  has  added  to  his  farm 
from  time  to  rime  until  he  owns  nearly  800  acres,  of 
which  nearly  all  is  improved,  and  some  pasture.  He 
raises  the  small  grains,  and  is  interested  in  the 
breeding  of  Short-horn  cattle,  his  favorite  breed  of 
stock. 

Mr.  Sloan  was  married  June  13,  1854,  to  Sarah 
Allen,  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Hugh  and  Sarah  (Caulfield)  Allen,  the  date 
of  her  death  being  Nov.  22,  1832.  Seven  chil- 
dren have  grown  up  about  them,  three  of  whom 
they  have  now  lost  by  death ;  the  remaining  four  are 
as  follows:  Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Hensley,  of 
Yates  City;  Hugh;  Sarah,  wife  of  E.  H.  Ware,  of 
Summit;  James;  Susan,  one  of  those  deceased, 
was  born  Oct.  7,  1865,  and  died  at  the  early  age  of 
14,  just  at  the  dawn  of  womanhood,  July   27,    1879; 


nr 


4-^ 


i* 


348 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Johnnie,  born  Oct.  8,  1872,  died  July  27,  1879; 
Jessie  died  the  following  August,  aged  two  years  and 
six  months.  The  last  three  named  died  of  diph- 
theria. Mrs.  Sloan  is  a  member  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

Mr.  Sloan  has  filled  satisfactorily  a  number  of 
local  political  offices.  He  served  as  Supervisor  from 
1869  to  1878,  at  which  time  he  resigned,  having 
been  elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  He  was  on 
the  committees  on  agriculture,  horticulture  and  town- 
ship organization.  He  was  re-elected  in  1882,  and 
held  the  office  in  a  manner  reflecting  credit  upon 
him.  In  politics  he  has  been  a  Democrat  ever  since 
he  became  a  voter.-  He  is  connected  with  the  Yates 
City  Lodge,  No.  488,  Chapter  No.  98,  R.  A.  M. 
He  was  also  appointed  to  serve  on  the  building  com- 
mittee of  the  jail,  with  other  worthy  citizens  of  Knox 
County,  and  may  be  found  generally  as  having  a 
voice  and  hand  in  her  most  useful  enterprises. 

Hugh,  his  son  previously  named,  was  born  in  Sa- 

(lem  Township,  May  19,  1858,  and  unitedin  marriage 
with  Miss  Nora  Baird,  daughter  of  Demetrius  and 
Charlotte  (Wheeler)  Baird.  They  reside  in  Salem 
^Township,  and  he  is  actively  engaged  in  agricult- 
I  ural  pursuits,  his  home  being  situated  on  section  3. 
I  Mr.  Sloan  is  at  the  present  time  a  member  of  the 
■  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  is  on  the  building  com- 
mittee of  the  Court  House. 


~W\,-\t2£j2;©^@. 


i-^vSi;5(3^>v*'vwv 


l^amuel  Shives,  of  section  16,  Elba  Town- 
ship, came  to  Knox  County  in  April,  1851, 
|[^<3r  '"  from  Fulton  County,  Pa.  He  was  a  single 
man  at  the  time,  and  worked  by  the  month 
several  years  for  farmers  and  at  other  occupa- 
tions. This  continued  for  about  11  years.  In 
1873,  he  purchased  40  acres  of  land  in  Elba  Town- 
ship, on  section  16,  and  went  to  work  on  this.  He 
has  continued  to  live  there  until  this  time,  and  now 
owns  120  acres  of  land  acquired  by  o<;casional  addi- 
tions to  the  original  40 ;  part  of  this  acreage  is 
tillable. 

Mr.  Shives  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  Pa.,  Jan. 
16,  1825.  He  lived  there  until  185 1,  wlieu  he  came 
to  Knox  County,  where  he  was  married  in  Knoxville, 
Jan.  16,  1866.  He  was  the  husband  of  a  lady  by 
name  Martha  Kightlinger,  daughter  of  Jacob  and 


Marion  (Berfield)  Kightlinger,  both  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania. They  reside  in  Yates  City.  Mrs.  Shives 
was  born  in  Elba  Township,  Jan.  14,  1844.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shives  have  four  children — Flora  E.,  Ma- 
rion R.,  John  D.  and  Mabel  M.  Flora  Estella  died 
Oct.  23,  1879,  when  eight  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Shives  has  been  quite  a  prominent  man  in  his 
community,  and  has  assisted  in  matters  educational 
and  otherwise.  He  is  a  clear  thinker  and  an  active 
worker,  and  has  been  School  Director  15  years.  He 
has  been  Collector  of  the  township  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Democrat.  His  par- 
ents, John  and  Susan  ^Miller)  Shives,  were  natives 
of  Fulton  County,  Pa. 

-^ ^^ ^ 


\  obert  Shelton,  a  retired  farmer  and  a  resi- 

i    dent  of  Yates  City,  is  the  subject  of  this 

li^(^P'"  biographical  notice.  He  was  a  native  of 
Ivfet^  England,  being  born  in  Rutlandshire.  His 
father  was  a  laboring  man,  and  while  still 
small  Robert  was  put  to  work.  When  he  was 
nine  years  of  age  he  was  hired  out  to  a  farmer,  and 
remained  with  him  forfour  years,  receiving  two  pence 
per  day  for  his  labor.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  en- 
gaged with  a  traveling  clergyman,  and  while  with  him 
visited  various  parts  of  England  and  Wales.  After 
two  years  he  resumed  farming,  receiving  50  shillings 
the  first  year,  and  70  during  the  ensuing  four  years. 
He  then  engaged  as  teamster,  and  finding  it  a  bus- 
iness that  paid  fairly  well,  he  continued  in  it  until 
1840,  and  from  that  time  until  1850  was  employed 
as  foreman  on  a  farm. 

On  the  8th  day  of  May  of  that  year,  he  set  sail 
from  Liverpool  with  his  wife  and  two  children,  land- 
ing at  New  York  City  on  the  8th  of  June.  He  then 
proceeded  via  the  Hudson  River  and  Erie  Canal  to 
Buffalo,  where  he  was  obliged  to  remain  for  a  time  on 
account  of  sickness  in  the  family.  This  was  a  heavy 
drain  upon  his  finances,  but,  resuming  his  journey,  the 
party  arrived  at  Toledo,  went  thence  to  Hillsdale, 
Mich.,  and  there  he  hired  a  conveyance,  and  the 
tourists  were  taken  to  La  Grange,  Ind.  There  he  had 
friends,  became  hopeful  and  gained  a  foothold  in  the 
world,  and  after  battling  with  fever  and  ague  for  a  time 
he  procured  work  on  a  railroad  in  Indiana  and  Mich- 
igan.    Working  there  for  one  year,  he  removed  to 


t 


Residence  of  Jas.J.  Eldridge.Sec.  5.  PersiferTownshi  p. 


LIBRARY 
■  OF  THE 
L.;iVERSlTY  OF  ILUNC.^ 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


35 1 


Illinois  and  found  employment  on  the  I.  C.  R.  R. 
He  next  took  a  contract  on  the  Bureau  Valley  R.  R., 
but  was  financially  unfortunate,  and  concluded  to 
resume  agricultural  pursuits.  Coming  to  Knox 
County  with  three  pairs  of  horses,  and  the  meager  sum 
of  $25  in  money,  he  bought  160  acres  of  wild  land  on 
section  13,  of  Elba  Township,  paying  but  §10  down. 
There  was  no  house  for  the  little  family,  and  hollow- 
ing out  a  strawstack,  he  provided  a  place  of  refuge 
for  his  wife  and  children  until  he  could  build  a 
shanty  for  them  with  ,lumber  drawn  from  Bureau 
County.  Selling  two  of  his  teams,  with  the  proceeds 
he  purchased  farm  implements,  and  began  work  on 
the  ground  all  unbroken  before  him,  His  earnest 
efforts  were  crowned  with  good  results,  and  he  was  able 
from  time  to  time  to  make  payments  on  his  farm  until 
he  stood  free  from  debt.  The  family  continued  in 
the  impromptu  dwelling,  whicli  seemed  so  comforta- 
ble in  the  days  when  they  were  roughing  it,  but  one 
year.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  built  a  frame 
house,  16x24,  ^nd  one  and  one-half  stories  high. 
He  has  since  added  to  this  and  erected  neat  build- 
ings, which  stand  on  the  farm  in  good  condition, 
^  while  his  land  is  highly  cultivated  and  productive. 
Adding  from  time  to  time  to  his  estates,  he  is  to-day 
the  owner  of  340  acres  in  Elba  Township. 

Desiring  a  change,  Mr.  Shelton  left  his  son  in 
charge  of  the  farm  and  removed  to  Yates  City.  In 
1881,  he  took  up  a  tract  of  land  in  Butler  County, 
Neb.,  remaining  upon  it  from  early  spring  to  Novem- 
ber, and  in  the  interval  erecting  a  house  and  tilling 
100  acres  of  the  land.  In  the  autumn,  he  rented  it, 
and  returned  to  Yates  City,  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
three  residences  and  a  store  there.  Mrs.  S.  was  for- 
merly Mary  Jackson,  a  native  of  Rutlandshire,  Eng., 
born  Sept.  6,  1815.  Their  union  has  been  blest  with 
five  children,  as  follows :  Martha,  wife  of  Jesse  R. 
Hill,  lives  in  Butler  County,  Neb.;  Mary,  Mrs.  G. 
W.  Rogers,  resides  in  Dakota;  Isaac  lives  in  Elba 
Township;  Annie  married  A.  J.  Kightlinger,  of  Yates 
City ;  and  Francis  R.  is  in  Elba  Township, 

Mr.  Shelton  is  eminently  a  self-made  man  and  an 
example  to  any  American  youth.  He  has  shown  to 
the  world  that  honest  effort,  united  with  a  strong  en- 
deavor to  breast  the  waves  of  difficulty,  cannot  fail  if 
faithfully  continued  and  wortliily  exerted.  Any  boy 
with  the  blessings  of  good  hei.lth  and  this  life  before 
him,  with  the  advantages  of  free  schools,  can  win. 
Nor  need  he  despair,  be  he  ever  so  restricted  finan-  I 

■  -^ 


cially.  With  the  countless  examples  of  good  men  of 
noble  lives  constantly  bet'ore  him,  let  him  believe  that 
we  "can  make  our  lives  sublime." 


•— *--H<#^>^>^- 


Severin,  merchant,  and  one  of  the  firm 
•  '^i  .'  1  Severin  &  Christover,  of  Victoria,  is  one 
■  '  of  the  most  enterprising  business  men  and 
active  workers  resident  within  the  borders  of 
%  Knox  County.  His  keen  and  ready  foresight, 
j  unfailing  energy  and  active  disposition  of  all 
difficulties  that  fall  in  his  way  have  gained  him 
victory  over  obstacles  thai  others  might  have  found 
unsurmountable. 

Mr.  Severin  came  to  this  place  in  1865,  but  was 
born  in  Sweden,  .April  14,  1839,  and  is  the  son  of 
Nels  E.  and  Sigried  (Larson)  Severin,  both  of  Sweden. 
The  husband  held  many  important  offices,  and  was 
elected  Juryman  nine  terms,  of  three  years  each. 
He  was  a  soldier  in  the  war  against  Russia,  and,  as 
is  the  case  in  Sweden,  he  had  his  name  changed 
from  Erickson  to  Severin.  He  developed  consider- 
able ability  as  an  orator,  often  pleading  cases  in  court. 
He  died  in  his  own  land  in  1846;  his  wife  Jan.  28, 
1881.  Lars  Erickson  was  the  father  of  Mrs.  Severin. 
He  was  a  farmer,  owning  a  place  in  Bollnas,  Paris, 
Safversta  Village.  He  was  elected  to  the  old  Con- 
gress, and  there  represented  the  farmers'  interests. 
He  was  elected  four  terms,  and  each  term  was  from 
one  to  five  years ;  he  was  also  elected  Juryman  and 
"  Harads  Domaren,"  meaning  a  wise  judge,  and  was 
appointed  one  of  the  committee  to  receive  the  prince, 
afterward  King  Carl  Johan  XIV. 

Lars  Erickson  was  loved  and  respected  by  his  peo- 
ple, and  his  loss  was  widely  felt  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  about  1831.  Our  subject,  the 
grandson  of  Lars  Erickson,  was  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  children,  and  his  early  days  were  spent  at 
school  and  on  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  21,  he  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  and  followed  the  same 
until  he  left  his  native  land  to  seek  a  home  in  Amer- 
ica, in  1865.  After  reaching  New  York  he  came  to 
Victoria,  Knox  Co.,  111.,  wiiere  he  worked  on  a  farm 
until  1867.  He  then  engaged  in  clerking  for  Robin- 
son &  Sons,  at  Victoria,  and  there  continued  for 
three  years.  He  then  engaged  with  C.  M.  Ewing 
and  remained  with  hira  two  years,  at  the  end  of 


eX-^ 


3SZ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-^^^^ 


^* 


which  time  he  went  into  the  same  business  with 
Homer  Gains,  remaining  until  1880.  Purchasing, 
with  David  Larson,  the  stock  and  mill  of  Mr.  Gains, 
he  conducted  the  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Severin  &  Larson  until  1882,  when  Larson  sold  out 
his  interest  to  William  Christover,  and  the  business 
has  since  been  conducted  under  the  title  of  Sevenn 
&  Christover.  They  handle  dry  goods,  clothing,  hats, 
caps,  groceries,  notions  and  so  forth,  and  by  their  up- 
rightness of  character  and  genuine  devotion  to  bus- 
iness have  won  the  respect  and  confidence  of  a  wide 
circle,  which  grants  them  a  hearty  patronage. 

Mr.  Severin  was  married  to  Miss  Matilda  Swan- 
son,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  a  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Christina  Swanson.  They  came  to  America  in 
1858,  and,  settling  in  Galesburg,  remained  eight 
years.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Her.ry  County  and 
rented  a  farm  for  eight  years,  and  after  that  bought  a 
farm  in  Lynn  Township.  It  included  12  acres,  and 
he  continued  to  live  there  until  May  13,  1884, 
when  his  death  took  place.  The  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing and  is  in  Galva  at  the  home  of  her  youngest  son. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Severin  have  a  family  of  four  sons — 
7  Theodore,  born  March  20,  1867  ;  Bismark,born  Nov. 
13,  1870;  Oscar,  Jan.  17,  (874,  and  Eric,  Jan.  12, 
1876. 

Mr.  Severin  is  politically  Independent,  but  holds 
large  and  liberal  beliefs  and  votes  for  principle,  not 
party.  His  home  is  on  Union  street,  is  desirable 
and  attractive,  and  he  with  his  family  attends  the 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to  which  they 
are  united. 


lohn  C.  Parsons,  of  Henderson  Township, 
is  one  of  the  representative  farmers  and 
substantial  men  of  his  community  and  is 
located  on  section  25.  He  is  the  son  of  John 
jt  P.  and  Lucia  M.  (Siillman)  Parsons.  In  our 
biography  of  Mr.  John  P.  Parsons  we  have 
given  brief  memoranda  of  the  family  history  of  our 
subject.  He  was  born  in  Henderson  Township  on 
the  1 2th  of  September,  1856,  was  educated  at  the 
common  schools,  and,  as  a  boy,  showed  himself  an 
apt  pupil  and  devoted  to  his  studies.  He  has  al- 
ways been  a  resident  of  Knox  County.  He  remained 
at  home  up  to  1882,  when  he  took  charge  of  the 
farm   on   which   he   now   lives.      He   was    married 


within  his  own  township  Dec.  25,  1884,  to  Julia  A. 
Noble,  this  lady  being  a  native  of  Venango  Co.,  Pa., 
where  she  was  born  on  the  7th  of  June,  1861.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  Mark  Noble,  of  Henderson  Town- 
ship, whose  history  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  Album. 
She  is  a  lady  of  great  amiability  of  character  and  has 
a  large  circle  of  friendly  acquaintances. 


^f^!;OTrj»>~'w<vv 


■^^-w  «n*a£ar©^^ 


r^harles  A.  Stetson,  a  popular  dry  goods 
lif  merchant  of  Yates  City,  is  the  subject  of 
this  personal  notice,  and  may  be  counted 
as  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  solid  men 
of  Knox  County.  His  fair  dealing  with  his 
patrons  and  his  affable  courtesy  of  manner 
have  entitled  him  to  a  high  place  among  the  bus- 
iness men  ot  this  section. 

Mr.  Stetson  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y., 
May  4,  1840.  His  father,  John  Stetson,  of  the  same 
county,  was  born  Jan.  11,  1805,  and  his  grandfather 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut.  The  maiden  name  of 
our  subject's  mother  was  Eliza  Robinson,  of  Otsego 
County.  His  father,  who  was  engaged  in  mercan- 
tile business  when  he  was  a  young  man  in  Otsego 
County,  gave  his  name  to  the  village  in  which  he 
lived,  and  it  was  called  StelsonviUe.  Continuing 
there  until  1855  or  1856,  he  sold  out  and  came  to 
Illinois,  settling  at  Farmington.  There  he  engaged 
in  business,  and,  having  previously  purchased  a  build- 
ing, he  took  as  associate  partner  his  son  David  R., 
put  in  a  general  stock  and  superintended  the  bus- 
iness until  1870.  He  now  lives  in  Farmington,  hav- 
ing retired  from  active  labor. 

Mr.  Stetson  was  three  times  married,  and  is  the 
father  of  seven  children,  all  born  by  the  first  mar- 
riage, as  follows :  George,  who  lives  at  Storm  Lake, 
Iowa,  where  for  a  few  years  he  was  engaged  in  a 
wholesale  grocery  store,  and  also  owns  largely  in  real 
estate  in  that  vicinity ;  David  R.,  now  of  Lincoln, 
Neb.,  is  engaged  in  the  grain  trade;  Fannie,  widow  of 
Dr.  John  Gregory,  residmg  in  Farmington  ;  Ann,  wife 
of  La  Salle  Yates,  a  merchant  at  that  place  ;  Charles 
.\.,  our  subject;  J.  Lee  Stetson,  who  lives  at  Pawnee 
Rock,  Kan.,  engaged  in  agriculture;  Mary  Jane,  the 
eldest  child,  who  died  in  New  York  State,  at  the  age 
of  25. 

Our  subject  received   his  education  in  the  district 


J 


"Y  3* 


r-" 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


353 


schools  of  Otsego  County  and  the  public  schools  of 
Farmiiigton.  He  clerked  for  his  father  and  brother 
at  times  until  he  attained  the  age  of  21,  and  after 
that  for  his  brother  in-law,  La  Salle  Yates,  of  Farni- 
ington,  for  one  year.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time 
they  became  partners,  and  thus  remained,  conduct- 
ing the  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Yates  & 
Stetson,  until  1865.  At  that  date  Mr.  Charles  Stet- 
son bought  Mr.  Yates'  interest,  and  remained  there 
until  1869,  continuing  the  business  alone.  He  then 
removed  his  stock  to  Yates  City,  and  adding  to  it  he 
erected  the  building  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He 
was  married  May  8,  1862,  to  Amanda  Caldwell,  of 
Salem  Township.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William 
and  Sarah  (Lindsay)  Caldwell,  pioneers  of  Knox 
County,  and  was  born  in  Salem  Township,  Sept.  t8, 
1843.  Two  children  are  the  result  of  this  union 
— Helen  and  Lindsay.  Mr.  Stetson  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  his  wife  and  daughter  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  ranks  high  as 
a  business  man  and  is  well  respected  by  the  entire 
community  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

-S -o+o-^^y^^^^-o^o. <<- — 

^mith  Bhea,  Postmaster  at  Yates  City,  is  a 
-m\  native  of  Ohio  and  was  born  in  Preble 
imc'  County,  Feb.  14,  1820.  His  father,  Jehu 
'  '1*'^  S.  Rhea,  was  born  near  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and 
his  father,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Robert 
Rhea,  is  supposed  to  have  been  descended 
from  the  sons  of  Erin.  The  grandfather  distinguished 
himself  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, and  also  rendered  valuable  service  in  the  War 
of  18 [2.  At  the  battle  of  Horse-Shoe  Bend  he  was 
thrown  from  his  horse,  and  as  the  result  was  a  crip- 
ple the  remainder  of  his  days.  He  followed  the 
calling  of  an  agriculturist  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  Tennessee. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Jehu  S.,  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Tennessee,  and  was  there  married  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Smith,  a  native  of  North  Carolina.  After 
marriage  he  removed  to  Ohio,  locating  in  Butler 
County,  at  which  place  he  tarried  for  one  year.  In 
181 6  he  made  Preble  County  his  home,  where  he 
was  among  the  early  settlers.  There  he  purchased 
a  tract  of  timber  land,  which,  through  diligent  toil, 
was  cleared  and  transformed  into  a  beautiful  farm. 


Upon  this  farm  he  lived  until  1836,  when,  disposing 
of  his  place,  he  removed  to  Adams  County,  Ind. 
There  he  again  purchased  timber  land,  cleared  a 
part  of  it  and  carried  on  farming  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent  for  four  years,  when  he  accepted  an  offer  to 
sell  the  same,  and  returned  to  Ohio,  again  settling 
in  Preble  County,  where  he  purchased  a  small  farm. 
In  1842  he  again  emigrated  to  Indiana,  in  search  of 
a  desirable  location  on  the  Wabash  River,  where  he 
was  taken  ill  and  died.  His  wife  had  preceded  him 
to  the  better  land  a  few  years  earlier,  her  demise  oc- 
curring in  Ohio.  The  parental  family  consisted  of 
ten  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  fifth  in 
order  of  birth. 

Smith  Rhea  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
the  household  was  broken  up  by  the  death  of  his 
parents,  after  which  time  he  made  his  home  with  an 
elder  brother  and  sister,  working  about  upon  various 
farms  in  the  county  until  his  marriage,  in  1845.  The 
lady  of  his  choice  was  Miss  Amanda  J.  Shook, 
daughter  of  Aaron  and  Elizabeth  (Ix)ng)  Shook. 
Our  subject,  after  his  marriage,  engaged  as  a  tiller  of 
the  soil  upon  rented  land,  and  successfully  contin- 
ued the  same  for  five  years,  when,  in  1849,  he  came  ^ 
to  the  Prairie  State,  locating  in  Peoria  County,  at  i 
which  place  he  again  rented  land  and  pursued  farm- 
ing for  two  years.  We  next  find  him  in  Marshall 
County,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  nine  miles 
northwest  of  Lacon.  In  1862  he  sold  his  farm  and 
removed  to  Yates  City,  and  there  embarked  in  the 
mercantile  business  in  company  with  his  brother, 
Elias  B.,  with  whom  he  continued  for  three  years, 
when  he  engaged  in  carpenter  work  and  continued 
the  same  until  January,  1S7  r.  He  then  clerked  in 
the  drug  store  of  Dr.  Hensley,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained until  the  spring  of  1885.  In  September  of 
that  year  he  received  his  commission  as  Postmaster. 
Mr  Rhea  had  the  misfortue  to  lose  his  faithful 
companion  in  September,  1861.  Slie  had  become 
the  mother  of  four  children  :  Robert  C.  lives  in 
Seward  County,  Neb.,  and  is  engaged  in  farming; 
Margaret  A.  is  the  wife  of  Abram  Sherman,  of  Te- 
cumseh.  Neb. ;  Mar)'  E.  lives  in  Peoria ;  and  Jane 
Maria  is  the  wife  of  George  A.  Starrett,  and  they  re- 
side at  Toulon,  III. 

Mr.  Rhea  was  a  second  time  married,  to  Mrs. 
Hannah  M.  (Plummer)  Sweney,  the  ceremony  being 
celebrated  Feb.  16,  1864.  She  is  a  native  of  the 
Hoosier  State,  the  date  of  her  birth  being  July  20 


-1-^ 


\ 


r^ 


354 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1835.  Mrs.  Rhea  is  the  daughter  of  John  Wesley 
and  Matilda  (Randall)  Plummer.  She  is  the  relict 
of  Benjamin  Sweney,  by  whom  she  had  one  child — 
a  son,  B.  Franklin,  born  in  Peoria  and  now  living  in 
Humboldt,  Neb. 

In  politics  our  subject  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of 
the  Democratic  party,  with  which  party  he  casts  his 
vote  whenever  opportunity  offers.  He  is  a  promi- 
nent member  of  Yates  City  Lodge,  No.  448,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  He  represented  his  townsliip  in  the  capacity 
of  Collector  for  a  term  of  three  years,  and  was  Town- 
ship Clerk  and  Assessor  one  terra.  He  has  also 
been  a  member  of  the  City  Council.  All  these  offices 
Mr.  Rhea  has  filled  in  a  manner  reflecting  credit 
ujxjn  himself  and  conferring  benefit  upon  the  com- 
munity at  large. 

^■ 

^^i|l'braham.  M.  Warfel.  As  a  representative  of 
~  l|r  the  agricultural  class  in  this  county,  and  a 
100  gentleman  who  has  accumulated  what  he 
has  of  this  world's  goods  by  individual  effort, 
and  not  as  the  recipient  of  any  legacy,  we  take 
pleasure  in  giving  prominence  in  this  notice  to 
the  name  of  Mr.  Warfel.  This  gentleman  came  to 
this  county  in  April,  1869,  from  Hamilton  County, 
Ind.,  and  on  arrival  here  purchased  a  water  mill  on 
what  is  known  as  French  Creek,  in  Elba  Township. 
He  operated  that  mill  for  some  si.x  years,  when  he 
tore  it  down  and  erected  a  steam  mill  at  Summit,  and 
carried  on  the  milting  business  at  that  place  for  four 
and  one-half  years,  when,  in  1879,  liis  mill  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire. 

After  the  loss  of  his  property,  Mr.  Warfel  moved 
to  Maquon,  and  in  the  winter  of  1879-80,  erected  the 
mill  which  he  is  at  present  running.  It  has  a  capac- 
ity of  50  barrels  per  day,  and  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
business  Mr.  Warfel  is  meeting  with  far  more  than 
ordinary  success.  In  1885,  he  put  in  a  full  roller 
process  in  his  mill,  and  is  doing  a  fine  and  constantly 
increasing  business.  In  the  fall  of  1880,  Mr.  Warfel 
took  in  partnerihip  his  two  sons,  Amos  and  Aaron; 
the  inill  property  is  owned  and  the  business  is  con- 
ducted by  Warfel  &  Sons. 

Abraham  M.  Warfel  was  born  in  Livingston  County, 

Pa.,  Aug.  21,  1820.     He  was  reared  to  manhood  on 

the  farm  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  common 

school.     He  continued  to  reside  in  his  native  county 

'A 


until  he  was  45  years  of  age.  Early  in  life  he  learned 
the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  followed  for  a  liveli- 
hood for  30  years  or  more.  In  1865,  he  returned  to 
Hamilton  County,  Ind.,  and  was  there  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  for  about  four  years  and  until  he 
moved  to  this  county. 

Mr.  Warfel  was  married  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa., 
March  25,  1841,  to  Miss  Fannie  Maynard,  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,.  They  have  had  three  children — 
Ephraim,  Lydia  and  Fannie.  Ephraim  is  engaged  in 
running  the  Acme  Mills,  at  Galesburg;  Lydia  became 
the  wife  of  John  Leonard,  and  lives  in  Pennsylvania; 
Fannie  married  Frederick  Leonard,  and  also  resides 
in  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Warfel  died  in  Lancaster 
County,  Pa.,  Nov.  9,  1848,  and  our  subject  was  again 
married  in  the  same  county,  Nov.  23,  1849,  to  Mag- 
delina  Overdorf,  a  native  of  that  State.  Of  the  lat- 
ter union  five  children  have  been  born — Amanda, 
Amos,  Adeline,  Aaron  and  Sarah.  Amanda  died  in 
infancy;  Amos  married  Emma  D.  Phillips  and  re- 
sides in  Maquon ;  Adeline  is  the  wife  of  Franklin  ' 
Brocklehurst ;  Aaron  married  Louisa  Moorhouse  and 
is  residing  in  Ipava;  Sarah  lives  at  home. 

Mr.  Warfel  was  elected  President  of  the  village  in  lf< 
the  spring  of  1885.  While  living  in  Pennsylvania,  he 
was  Township  Clerk  fourteen  years,  and  also  As- 
sessor and  School  Director.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  to 
which  denomination  Mr.  Warfel  has  belonged  for  up- 
ward of  46  years.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
His  parents  were  Jacob  and  Rebecca  (Marks)  War- 
fel, natives  of  Pennsylvania,  and  both  died  in  Lan- 
caster County,  in  that  State. 


ndrew  Bradbury,  one  of  the  early  pioneers 

Ije^^^  of    Knox    County,    was    born    in    Brown 

HlJ^  County,  Ohio,  June  6,  1819,  and  is  the  son  of 

Moses  and  .-Vgnes  (Hunt)  Bradbury.    In  1829, 


5./J 


with  his  parents,  he  came  to  Indian  Point 
Township,  where  they  located  upon  a  farm  and 
shared  with  their  pioneer  companions  the  vicissitudes 
incident  to  the  settlement  of  a  new  country.  Our 
subject  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  had  at- 
tained the  age  of  25  years,  when  he  engaged  in  car- 
penter work,  and  also  in  merchandising  at  Abingdon. 
Oct.  17,   1844,  Mr.  Bradbury  took  to  wife  Sarah, 


V 


ifr 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
L. DIVERSITY  OF  ILLIKi 


'^irrv.  0M/tQ^aJiZ^ 


4= 


n^^^'^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


359 


the  accomplished  and  amiable  daughter  of  Dr. 
Lemuel  and  Cynthia  Brunson.  Miss  Brunson  was 
born  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  Oct.  12,  1825,  and  is 
a  worthy  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Mr.  B.  in  his  [wlitical  views  is  independent. 

Lemuel  Bradbury,  father  of  our  subject,  was  in 
the  War  of  iSi  2.  He  entered  the  service  as  a  drum- 
mer boy  when  but  a  lad,  and  received  several  pro- 
motions until  he  was  made  lieutenant.  He  served 
through  the  war,  and  was  lioiiorably  discharged.  He 
received  a  wound  in  the  hip,  for  which  he  drew  a 
pension  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

illiam  Swigart,  banker,  resident  in   Haw 

y^SK    Creek  Township,  came  to  Knox   County 

'""^^Ji^       in  November,  1852,  from  Marion  County, 

!,'  Ohio,  residing  at  Maquon  for  a  short  time. 

In   March,    1853,  he  moved  to  Haw  Creek 

Township,  wliich  place  he  has  since  made  his 

home.     He  was    born  in   Pickaway   County,  Ohio, 

,Aug.  15,  1822,  and  was  an  infant  of  six  months  when 

j  this  parents  removed  to  Marion  County,  Ohio,  and  at 

I   which  place  he  resided  until  he  was  30  years  of  age. 

,He  may  truly   be  considered  a  self-made   man    in 

1   every  sense  the  word  implies. 

Mr.  Swigart  spent  his  early  life  until  he  was  25 
years  old  in  making  rails  and  clearing  land,  after- 
ward being  engaged  in  the  independent  calling  of 
farming  until  his  arrival  in  Kno.x  County.  His  first 
purchase  consisted  of  160  acres,  located  on  section 
18,  Maquon  Township,  which  he  soon  afterward  dis- 
posed of  at  a  very  great  profit,  having  paid  for  the 
land  originally  S2°°>  a"^  ^^"^  ''^^  improvements 
thereon  was  enabled  to  sell  the  same  for  Sz.ooo- 
Our  subject  has  been  engaged  in  the  real  estate  bus- 
iness continuously  since  his  arrival  here,  and  is  at 
present  the  owner  often  farms  in  Maquon  and  Haw 
Creek  Townships,  aggregating  upward  of  1,500  acres. 
In  1878  he  erected  a  fine  brick  residence  upon  his 
place  in  Haw  Creek  Township,  the  location  being 
contiguous  to  the  depot. 

William  Swigart  was  first  married  in  Wyandot 
County,  Ohio,  Oct.  21,  1S47.  The  name  of  his  wife 
was  Eliza  J.  McHenry,  daughter  of  John  and  Har- 
riet (King)  McHenry.  Miss  McHenry's  parents 
were  natives  of  Ohio,  and  came  to  Knox  County  in 


1856,  making  a  settlement  in  Haw  Creek  Township, 
where  the  father  has  since  resided,  the  mother's  de- 
mise occurring  about  1S84. 

The  issue  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  has  been 
as  follows:  John,  Jane,  Daniel  and  .Alonzo  ;  the  latter 
was  about  18  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death; 
John  resides  in  Haw  Creek  Township  and  is  the  hus- 
band of  Miss  Morse ;  Jane  became  the  wife  of  O.  D. 
Cook,  and  they  reside  in  Haw  Creek  Township ; 
Daniel  took  to  wife  Jane  Stringham,  and  they  make 
their  home  in  Maquon  village.  He  carries  on  the 
lumber  business  for  his  father.  The  wife  and  mother 
departed  this  life  Jan.  23,  1861. 

Our  subject  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance 
in  Haw  Creek  Township,  March,  1862,  at  which  time 
Susanna  Ste>vart  became  his  wife.  They  have  been 
blessed  by  a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom  we  give 
the  following  brief  memoranda  :  Elizabeth,  George, 
Lincoln,  Sarah,  Mary  and  Eliza.  George  and  Eliza 
deceased ;  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  Charles 
Hartsook,  and  they  are  residents  of  Scott  County, 
Kan.;  Lincoln  resides  in  Kansas;  Sarah  is  the  wife 
of  F.  C.  Bearmore,  and  they  are  at  present  residing 
at  Maquon;  Mary  resides  at  home.  Their  home  < 
circle  was  saddened  by  the  death  of  the  mother, 
which  occurred  Feb.  18,  1875. 

Mr.  Swigart  was  the  third  time  married  in  Haw 
Creek  Township,  May  17,  1876,  to  Elizabeth  Bull, 
daughter  of  Walter  and  Elizabeth  Bull.  In  1854  her 
parents  came  to  Knox  County  and  made  settlement 
in  Haw  Creek  Township,  and  resided  there  until  their 
demise.  Our  s-ibject  has  held  the  office  of  Super- 
visor and  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  has  been  honored 
with  many  other  offices  within  the  gift  of  the  people. 

He  is  a  member  in  high  standing  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  having  taken  the  thirty-secoaid  degree. 
He  belongs  to  the  Peoria  Consistory,  S.  P.  R.  S.,  32, 
and  is  also  identified  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  is  a 
charter  member  of  his  Consistory,  A.  A.  S.  Rite. 

He  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the  principles  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  by  name  David 
and  Elizabeth  (Conrad)  Swigart,  natives  of  Lancas- 
ter County,  Pa.,  and  Greenbrier  County,  Va.,  respect- 
ively. The  grandparents  of  our  subject,  with  their 
family,  emigrated  to  Ohio,  where  the  parents  of  Mr. 
Swigart  were  married  and  settled  in  Pickaway 
County.  Subsequently  they  removed  to  Marion 
County,  same  State.     In  1848  they  came  to  DeWitt 


-^ 


lA^ 


■A    »■ 


360 


■V. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


-- 


County,  111.,  where  the  father  engaged  in  the  peace- 
ful calling  of  a  farmer,  though  not  exclusively,  until 
their  demise  in  that  county.  They  had  been  blessed 
with  a  family  of  1 1  children,  bearing  the  names  of 
Matilda,  Sarah,  William,  John,  Jacob,  George,  Eliza- 
beth, Mary  J.,  Benjamin,  Jemima  and  Eliza.  In  the 
year  1878  our  subject  formed  a  partnership  with  J. 
B.  Boynton,  under  the  style  of  William  Swigart  &  Co., 
for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  grocery  business. 
Mr.  S.  is  still  connected  with  this  firm,  and  in  1881 
engaged  in  the  banking  business,  and  also  in  the 
lumber  trade.  Besides  his  extensive  acreage  of  farm 
land,  he  is  also  the  owner  of  valuable  village  property. 
Mr.  Swigart's  portrait  will  be  found  among  the  il- 
lustrations in  this  volume. 


••o*o..@^<vie)-o+o" 


H.  Harrison.  Among  Knox  County  citi- 
\  zens  of  noteworthy  repute  and  substantial 
worth  of  ciiaracter  stands  the  subject  of 
this  brief  personal  history,  whom  we  take  pleas- 
ure in  citing  as  an  example  of  worthy  industry 
and  honest  labor.  His  home  is  situated  on 
Isection  24,  of  Copley  Township.  He  has  an  exten- 
sive interest  in  landed  estates  and  is  engaged  in  rais- 
ing and  breeding  fine  stock,  at  which  he  is  unusually 
successful.  His  barns,  out-buildings  and  other  late 
improvements  are  as  convenient  and  well-finished  as 
any  in  the  county.  His  residence  is  neat  and  hand- 
some, and  his  homestead  includes  378  acres  of  land. 
Mr.  Harrison  is  the  son  of  Alfred  and  Margaret 
(Cherington)  Harrison,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio. 
Their  family  included  seven  children,  as  follows: 
Betsey,  William,  Wesley,  Mary  A.,  Jacob  H.,  Delilah 
and  Margaret.  Mrs.  Harrison  died  in  Ohio,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1846,  and  the  father  came  to  Illinois  in  1855, 
with  his  family,  and  settled  in  Copley  Township  Uec. 
24  of  that  year,  and  there  he  remained  until  removed 
by  death,  Jan.  11,  1865. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  while  a  young  man 
and  attained  the  age  of  22  years  before  leaving  the 
parental  roof.  He  was  of  much  help  and  comfort  to 
his  father,  who  missed  sorely  his  strength  and  counsel 
when  he  was  gone.  In  the  interval  between  youth 
and  early  manhood,  he  had  attended  the  district 
school,  and  with  a  heritage  of  intelligence  and  perse- 


verance made  the  best  possible  use  of  his  time  until 
he  became  a  well-informed  young  man. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Harrison,  feeling  himself  called  upon 
to  defend  his  country's  honor  with  his  strong  right 
arm,  and  feeling  that  indeed  "humanity  with  all  its 
fears,  with  all  the  hopes  of  future  years,  was  hanging 
breathless  on  her  fate,"  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  36th  111. 
Vol.  Inf,  and  went  forth  to  fight  for  the  flag. 
He  figured  actively  in  the  battles  at  Spring  Hill, 
Franklin  and  Nashville, and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  the  close  of  the  service.  When  he  came  back  to 
Illinois,  he  settled  on  the  farm  which  he  has  since 
conducted  to  its  improvement  and  the  satisfaction  of 
every  one  concerned.  At  the  present  time  his  affairs 
are  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  he  values  the  land 
at  $45  per  acre. 

Mr.  Harrison  joined  the  army  of  benedicts  the  i8th 
of  December,  1884,  being  admitted  to  their  ranks  by 
the  fair  hand  of  Wilmetta  Levalley,  the  daughter  of 
George  C.  and  Eliza  (Miles)  Levalley,  natives  of  New 
York  and  Indiana.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  1852, 
settling  in  Henderson  Township.  There  they  re- 
mained for  a  short  time  and  then  came  to  Copley 
Township,  where  the  father  still  lives  on  section  24. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison  have  one  child,  a  son,  by 
name  Paul  J. 

Mr.  Harrison  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has 
held  many  of  the  local  offices  of  his  section;  he  has 
been  Road  Commissioner,  and  may  be  counted  as 
one  of  the  most  reliable  men  of  the  entire  section.  He 
belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  which  be- 
lief he  supports  financially  and  by  profession. 


f  ¥^1|  eter  Lacy.  The  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice  is  a  general  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
Jfj|S5^  and  an  extensive  land-owner.  He  ranks 
li-J  *^'8'^  among  the  influential  men  and  substan- 
l/i      tial  citizens  of  Knox  County,  no  less  for  his 


'it 

financial  ability  and  industry  than  for  native 

worth  and  goodness.  His  home  is  located  on  sec- 
tion 6,  of  Haw  Creek  Township,  and  includes  a  neat 
frame  dwelling-house  two  stories  high,  which  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,500.  He  has  also  two  barns, 
double  corncribs,  and  all  needed  out-buildings,  com- 
modious   and    convenient.     He  may   justly  feel   an 


^e4^^ 


KATOX  COUNTY. 


36' 


honest  pride  in  his  homestead,  which  compares  favor- 
ably with  any  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Lacy  was  born  in  CUnton  County,  Ohio,  Nov. 
27,  1830,  and  has  passed  the  first  milestone  half- 
way on  a  century's  journey,  but  is  yet  hale  and 
hearty,  as  the  result  of  well-spent  years  of  temper- 
ance and  prudence.  He  is  the  son  of  Enos  L.  and 
Sarah  (Wright)  Lacy.  Enos  Lacy  was  a  native  of 
West  Virginia,  and  a  farmer.  In  company  with  his 
parents  he  removed  from  Virginia  to  Ohio,  in  1810, 
when  only  four  years  of  age,  where  he  lived  out  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  dying  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio, 
in  1881,  at  the  advanced  age  of  74  years.  His  wife, 
the  mother  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
died  on  the  homestead,  in  that  State,  about  the  year 
1865.  The  father,  Peter  Lacy,  was  a  prominent  man 
in  his  county,  and  had  been  honored  with  all  the  posi- 
tions of  trust  in  his  home  section. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  emigrated  to  Knox 
County  in  the  fall  of  1855,  with  his  wife  and  her  par 
ents.  They  came  overland  with  teams,  bringing 
provisions.  Immediately  before  coming  he  united 
his  fortunes  with  those  of  Lucinda  Woodmansee, 
Sept.  24,  1855.  She  is  the  daughter  of  George  and 
Eliza  (Holcraft)  Woodmansee.  (See  sketch  of  her 
father.) 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Lacy  was  by  birth  a  Pennsyl- 
vanian,  and  her  mother  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  in 
which  State  Lucinda  was  born  Dec.  27,  1835. 
The  fruit  of  her  union  with  Mr.  Lacy  has  been  six 
children,  named  as  follows:  Sarah  L.,  born  Aug.  4, 
1856,  is  the  wife  of  A.  T.  Steele,  and  lives  in  Persi- 
fer  Township;  George  L.,  born  Feb.  21,  1858,  is 
married  to  Olive  L.  Russell,  and  they  are  living  in 
Haw  Creek  Township;  Laura  B.,born  Dec.  21, 186 1, 
is  the  wife  of  Edward  H.  McElwin,  and  resides  in 
Orange  Township;  Jaretta  J.,  born  Oct.  9,  1862,  is 
the  wife  of  A.  W.  Young,  and  resides  in  Haw  Creek 
Township;  Charles  A.  was  born  June  22,  1866; 
Enos  R.,  July  24,  1873  ;  these  reside  at  home. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  one  of  a 
family  of  three  children,  all  boys ;  his  brothers  are 
Joshua  and  Elijah,  who  still  survive.  The  three 
have  14  children,  all  living  but  one.  They  have 
14  grandchildren,  who  are  all  living.  Mr.  Lacy  has 
held  the  following  offices  in  the  county,  and  has  been 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  four  years;  Township  Su- 
pervisor twice,  Township  Clerk  two  terms  and  Road 
Commissioner  one  term.      He  owns  340   acres  pf 


land,  1 20  of  it  located  on  section  6,  and  160  on  sec- 
tion 21.  These  first  two  tracts  are  in  Haw  Creek 
Township,  and  40  acres  lie  in  Persifer  Township, 
while  21  are  in  Orange,  all  being  in  Knox  County. 
His  farm  and  its  buildings  have  been  improved  and 
modernized  in  every  way,  and  during  his  declining 
years  he  will  have  no  need  to  look  forward  with  anx- 
ious forebodings  for  the  future. 

It  would  be  a  good  thing  if  every  American  youth, 
looking  at  this  industrious  and  worthy  life,  could  as- 
sure himself  that  youth  is  the  seedtime  and  that 
"  men  are  only  boys  grown  tall ;"  and  that,  if  they 
would  rest  from  their  labors  after  the  heat  and  burden 
of  the  day,  they  must  improve  the  shining  hours  of 
the  present,  knowing  that  "  the  night  cometh  when 
no  man  can  labor."  Both  Mr.  Lacy  and  wife  are 
enrolled  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  embrace  the  doctrines  of  the  Christian  faith, 
laying  them  up  in  their  hearts  and  reducing  them  to 
practice  in  their  lives.  Mr.  L.  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  Pacific  Lodge,  No.  400,  Knox- 
ville.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  in  sentiment 
and  vote. 


obert  Kay  is  among  the  well-to-do  and  pop-^ 
ular  agriculturists,  who  early  in  life  en- 
gaged energetically  in  the  labor  incident  to 
the  cultivation  of  the  farm,  and  whose  efforts 
have  been  crowned  with  success,  thus  ena- 
bling him  to  pass  the  sunset  of  life  in  peace 
and  quiet  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  8,  Salem 
Township. 

Mr.  Kay  was  born  in  Lancashire,  England,  Sept. 
5,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of  Richard  and  Ann  fTutlow) 
Kay,  both  natives  of  Lancashire.  His  father  was  a 
farmer  and  followed  that  vocation  in  his  native  land 
until  1849,  at  which  time  he  came  to  America  in 
search  of  a  location  for  a  home.  He  came  imme- 
diately to  Illinois,  and  located  at  Peoria,  where  he 
succeeded  in  finding  employment.  At  that  place  he 
remained  for  a  short  time  and  then  came  to  Knox 
County  to  purchase  a  home.  He  settled  in  Maquon 
Township,  and  sent  for  his  family,  whom  he  had  left 
in  England.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Knox 
County  until  his  death,  which  occurred  at  Yates  City 
in  1865.  His  widow  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Wood,  a  resident  of  that  place.    The  union  gf 


•H^ 


362 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


the  senior  Mr.  Kay  and  wife  was  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  1 1  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
ninth  in  order  of  birth. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  we  place  at  the  head 
of  this  sketch  was  but  nine  years  of  age  when  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Kno.x;  County.  He  spent 
his  boyhood  days  upon  his  father's  farm,  assisting  in 
the  duties  thereon  and  attending  the  district  schools. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  until  the  fall  of  1864, 
when  he  enlisted  in  the  77th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  went 
South  to  New  Orleans,  where  he  served  his  counlr}' 
faithfully  and  well  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Early 
in  the  year  1865,  he  was  transferred  to  the  i.^oth 
Regiment,  and  was  with  it  until  he  received  an  hon- 
orable discharge  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  when  he 
returned  home.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  engaged 
in  farming  upon  rented  land  on  his  own  account,  but  in 
1877  he  purchased  his  present  fine  farm,  consisting 
of  200  acres. 

December  25,   1867,   Mr.  Kay  was  united  in  the 

holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Miss  Samamha  West, 

daughter  of  John  K.  and  Elizabeth  (George)  West. 

i-^Mr.  and  Mrs.  West  were  pioneers  of  Knox  County, 

(where  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Kay,  was  born  Sept.  14, 
1852.  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kay,  seven 
children  were  born  and  named  as  follows  :  Savilla 
B.,  Elizabeth  W.,  Luana  A.,  Flora  M.,  Lewis  W., 
Emma  Ruth  and  Nellie  M.  Savilla  B.  is  the  wife  of 
William  Thurman,  and  they  are  residents  of  Elba 
Township. 

Mr.  K.  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the  principles  advocat- 
ed by  the  Republican  party,  for  which  he  casts  his 
vote  whenever  opportunity  offers. 


*^:^5S-,zra   W.  Tucker,  one   of   Kno.x   County's 
;■  ^^£-.^      iiost    prominent   and   respected   farmers, 
^^'         and  a  resident  on  section  26,  Truro  Town- 
-^   ship,  was  born  in  Peoria  County,  111.,  Jan.  4, 
I      1839.     He   IS    the    son   of  John  and  Eleanor 
i      (Metcalf)  Tucker,  pioneers  of  Peoria.  Our  sub- 
ject was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educatedin  the  pioneer 
school,  receiving  his  first  instruction  in  a  log  school- 
house  furnished  with  slab  benches.     He    remained 
at  home  with  his   parents  until  the  date  of  his  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Kate   Mundy,  Oct.   22,    1S60.     She 
was  born  in  Elba  Township. 
After  his  marriage  Mr.  Tucker  removed  to  Truro 


Township,  and  purchased  the  place  where  he  now 
lives.  He  is  the  owner  of  no  acres  of  excellent 
and  improved  land,  upon  which  he  is  engaged  in  the 
breeding  of  stock  and  raising  of  cereals.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Tucker  became  the  parents  of  si.\  children — 
Nellie,  Samuel  B.,  Mamie,  Lettie,  Barbara  and 
Thomas.     Mrs.  T.  died  in  1875. 

The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  occurred  Feb. 
28,  1877,  when  he  was  joined  in  the  holy  bonds  of 
matrimony  with  Elizabeth  Dugan.  She  was  born  in 
Ayrshire,  Scotland,  and  is  the  daughter  of  James 
and  Elizabeth  (McMurry)  Dugan  Her  father  died 
in  Scotland,  and  she  came  with  her  mother  to  the 
United  States  in  1855.  The  first  marriage  of  Mrs. 
Tucker  was  with  Uriah  Underwood,  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, who  died  in  the  service  of  the  United 
States  in  1865.  By  this  union  two  children  were 
born  to  them — William  H.  and  Mary  E.  Mrs.  T.  is 
a  devoted  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


eon  A.   Townsend,  Supervisor  of  Chestnut 

Township,   a    prominent,    successful    mer- 

T*iW  "  chant  and  worthy  citizen,  is  the  suDject  of 
;L  -this  brief  biographical  sketch.  He  was  born  in 
IT)  Fulton  County,  Oct.  13,  1854,  and  is  the  son  of 
\  Robert  and  Rachel  (Terry)  Townsend,  the 
former  born  in  1820,  in  the  State  of  New  York-,  and 
the  latter  in  Chestnut  Township,  Kno.x  County,  111., 
Nov.  29,  1837.  They  united  hand  and  heart  for  the 
work  of  life.  May  4,  1853,  and  about  their  humble 
hearthstone,  as  time  progressed,  came  seven  childish 
faces  with  names  as  follows:  Leon  A.,  born  Oct  14, 
1854;  Hettie,  Sept.  2,  1857;  Harry  F.,  March  8, 
1859;  Fanny,  Jan.  30,  1861;  Grace,  Dec.  26,  1863  ; 
Grant,  May  16,  1867  ;  and  Lillie,  Feb.  19,  1870. 

Mr.  Leon  Townsend  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds 
of  matrimony  with  Miss  Tina  Woods,  May  15,  1877. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  D.  C.  Woods,  a  native  of  New 
York  State,  and  Christina  (McGowan)  Woods,  of 
Scotland,  whom  he  married  May  5,  1853.  Soon  after 
this  event  they  took  up  their  residence  in  Avon,  Ful- 
ton Co.,  111.,  and  as  time  progressed,  the  home  circle 
was  enlarged  by  the  advent  of  three  children — Tina, 
Lou  and  Ernest.  Later,  Tina  became  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Leon  Townsend,  and  Lou  consented  to  grace  the 


/.J 


\ 


RESIDENCE    OF    M  RS  .  L  .  B  .  BROWN  , SEC.  13,  WALN  UT    GROVE    TOWNSHIP. 


OF  THE 

l:iivers»ty  of  ilun^^ 


■^^ 


i:nox  county. 


3<5S 


home  of  Mr.  William  Bliss,  of  Swan  Creek,  Warren 
Co.,  111. 

In  the  Townsend  home  two  olive  branches  grace 
the  parent  tree,  by  name  Lora,  born  April  ii,  1878; 
and  Nellie,  Nov.  2r,  1881.  Mr.  Townsend,  of  this 
notice,  was  elected  to  his  present  office  as  Supervisor 
of  Chestnut  Township,  on  the  Republican  ticket,  in 
iSSi,by  a  large  majority.  He  lias  discharged  the 
duties  incideiit  to  this  office  in  a  manner  reflecting 
credit  to  himself  and  with  profit  to  his  electors.  His 
last  election  occurred  in  April,  1886,  About  his  place 
of  business  center  many  of  the  interests  of  the  town 
in  which  he  lives,  and  associated  with  him  in  the 
mercantile  business  is  his  father,  R.  W.  To.vnsend, 
in  Avon,  Fulton  County.  Their  stock  of  merchan- 
dise includes  dry  goods,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes, 
hats,  caps,  hardware,  queensware  and  ready-made 
clothing,  and  their  stock  is  estimated  at  about  ^6,000. 
In  connection  with  this  they  carry  on  an  additional 
branch  of  industry,  buying  and  pressing  hay  for  ship- 
ping purposes,  and  yearly  turning  it  into  the  Eastern 
market,  averaging  250  tons. 

Mr.  Townsend  was  appointed  Postmaster  in  1879, 
during  Hayes'  administration.  He  is  popular  among 
his  neighbors  and  a  useful  member  of  the  community  ; 
is  in  good  and  regular  standing  in  Hermon  Lodge, 
No.  585,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was  sent  as  representative 
to  the  Grand  Lodge  at  Springfield,  which  office  he 
holds  this  year.  He  is  interested  in  matters  relative 
to  the  welfare  of  his  country,  wide  awake  to  the  po- 
litical situation,  and  well  posted  in  the  working  of  the 
heads  of  the  nation.  He  is  a  believer  in  and  a 
supporter  of  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Repub- 
lican party.  Mrs.  Townsend  is  a  member  of  the 
Universalist  Church. 

-^S ••o»o-@^^®-o** <.r— 

7^^^;j  olomon  R.  Sloan,  a  retired  farmer  and  resi- 
^^^^"~  dent  of  Summit,  was  born  in  County  Derry, 
'  :,  't'^  Ireland,  in  1824,  and  is  the  son  of  William 
and  Fannie  (Campbell)  Sloan.  He  was  reared 
on  a  farm  in  his  native  county,  and  made  his 
home  with  his  parents  until  20  years  of  age, 
when  he  emigrated  to  America.  He  set  sail  from  Liv- 
erpool in  the  month  of  May,  and  landed  at  Philadel- 
phia on  the  8th  day  of  July,  where  he  engaged  as  a 
contractor,  tearing  down  and  moving  buildings,  also  in 


it 


digging  cellars.  He  remained  in  Philadelphia  ten 
years,  and  in  1854  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in 
Knox  County,  renting  land  in  Salem  Township, 
where  he  remained  for  four  years,  and  then  returned 
to  Philadelphia  and  lived  until  1868.  Soon  thereaft- 
er, Mr.  Sloan  returned  to  Salem  Township  and  locat- 
ed on  section  5,  remaining  there  for  four  years,  at  the 
expiration  of  which  time  lie  disi>osed  of  his  land  and 
purchased  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  7,  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  until  1883.  He  then  rented 
his  farm  and  purchased  the  place  he  now  owns  and 
occupies  at  Summit. 

Our  subject  was  married  May  31,  1850,  to  Ro- 
sanna  Macaulay.  She  was  born  in  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  in  1834,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Jane  (Lapslay)  Macaulay.  She  came  to  .\merica  in 
1846.  Four  children  have  clustered  around  the 
liearthstone  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sloan:  Nivens  S. 
lives  at  Johnson,  Neb. ;  Rosr.nna  is  the  wife  of  C.  H. 
Wedmier,  and  they  reside  at  Summit;  Fannie  J.  and 
Thomas  N.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sloan  are  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  polities  Mr. 
S.  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  casts  his  vote  for  that 
party  whenever  opportunity  oflTcrs. 

ark  Noble.  This  gentleman  is  an  exten- 
sive farmer,  residing  on  section  36  of 
^'^  Henderson  Township.  He  emigrated  to 
this  couiity  in  1868,  settling  the  following 
"■'*  February  in  Galesburg.  He  returned,  however, 
to  Henderson  Township,  where  he  purchased 
240  acres  of  very  desirable  land  on  sections  35  and 
36,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home.  His  land  is 
of  excellent  quality  and  every  acre  tillable.  He  has 
13  head  of  horses  and  45  head  of  cattle,  and  fattens 
upwards  of  100  head  of  hogs  annually.  He  was 
born  in  Venango  County,  Pa.,  on  the  22d  of  January, 
1826.  He  lived  in  his  native  county  until  he  was 
40  years  old,  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and 
the  lumber  business. 

In  his  younger  days  he  was  ardently  devoted  to 
hunting  and  fishing,  and  looks  back  with  pride  to 
those  days  of  trial  and  skill.  On  leaving  Pennsyl- 
vania he  removed  to  Livingston  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
located  in  the  Genesee  Valley,  where  he  purchased 
a  farm  from  Col.  Honsford.     He  lived  in  that  county 


366 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


three  years,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  came  to 
Knox  County,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

On  Oct.  12,  1852,  in  Clarion  County,  Pa.,  he  mar- 
ried Lydia  Zellars,  who  was  a  native  of  that  county, 
born  Feb.  4,  1830.  By  this  propitious  union  there 
were  ten  children — Susan  I.,  John  B.,  Eva  E.,  Julia 
A.,  Harley  G.,  Mark,  Hattie  M.,  Jessie  B.  and  Fran- 
cis D.     One  died  in  infancy. 

Susan  I.  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Shepnrd  and  is 
now  a  resident  of  Peoria.  John  B.  married  AUie 
Morrison  and  resides  in  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa;  they 
have  two  children — Maud  and  Fern.  Julia  is  the 
wife  of  J.  C.  Parsons  and  resides  in  Henderson 
Township.     All  the  other  children  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Noble,  while  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania,  held 
the  office  of  Constable  and  Collector,  and  since  his 
residence  in  Kno.x  County  has  been  School  Director 
and  Pathmaster. 

His  parents  were  Mark  and  Susan  (Bush)  Noble, 
natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York  respectively. 
The  father  first  settled  in  York  State  and  subse- 
quently removed  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he  died. 
His  wife's  parents  were  John  and  Elizabeth  (Kessler) 
Zellars,  natives  of  Switzerland  and  Germany  respect- 
ively. They  died  in  Venango  County,  Pa.,  her 
father  being  within  two  days  of  100  years  old. 

Mr.  Mark  Noble  is  a  substantial  Republican  and 
a  thoroughly  representative  man.  In  politics  his 
thoroughness  and  adhesion  to  principle  have  won 
him  the  respect  and  trust  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


^avid  Hannah,  living  on  section  7,  Elba 
|.  Township,  is  the  subject  of  this  biograph- 
_^  "^  ical  notice.  He  is  the  son  of  Jane  and 
Xj«<  Sarah  (McKinney)  Hannah,  natives  of  Scot- 
land and  Indiana  respectively.  They  were 
married  and  settled  in  Elba  Township,  where 
he  died  March  19,  1852  The  wife  survives  him 
and  is  the  mother  of  six  children — Catherine,  Will- 
iam C,  James  R.,  David,  Mary  and  John  T.  David 
was  born  in  Elba  Township,  Oct.  12,  1847. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  has  lived  in  Elba  Town- 
ship since  Oct.  12,  1847,  ^''1^  ''''6  exception  of  two 
years  spent  in  Iowa  and  two  in  Missouri  when  he 
was  quite  young.     He  has  received  a  common-school 


education  and  has  always  been  engaged  in  agricult- 


ural pursuits.  He  was  married  in  Haw  Creek 
Township,  Feb.  6,  1873,  to  Miss  Olive  E.  Harsh- 
berger,  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Mary  (Housh) 
Harshberger,  natives  of  Ohio  and  IlHnois,  of  German 
ancestry.  They  reside  in  Haw  Creek  Township. 
The  family  consisted  of  seven  children,  viz. :  Lenora, 
Alice,  Olive  E.,  Delmer,  May  and  Ednor ;  a  daugh- 
ter, Amanda,  is  deceased.  Olive  E.  (Mrs.  Hannah) 
was  born  in  Haw  Creek  Township,  May  27,  1853. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  children,  viz. :  Harry  C,  Olive  P.,  Icel  G.  and 
Delle  L.  In  politics,  Mr.  Hannah  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  he  upholds  that  party  with  all  the  zeal 
in  his  power.  Mr.  H.  is  the  owner  of  325  acres  of 
land,  much  of  which  is  in  a  tillable  condition.  He 
is  engaged  quite  busily  in  buying  and  raising  stock, 
and  in  this  particular  hne  of  business  he  is  exceed- 
ingly successful. 

-• — ^^oo<>e=^  '— 

fhomas  Smith.  Among  the  well-to-do  and 
successful  citizens  of  this  magnificent 
county,  in  industrial  pursuits,  may  beV| 
counted  the  subject  of  this  narrative.  He 
conducts  a  farm  situated  on  section  15,  of 
Rio  Township,  and  is  known  to  one  and  all  aS' 
an  energetic  and  wide-awake  man,  and  one  that  is 
master  of  his  calling. 

Mr.  Smith  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall  of 
1855,  from  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  settling  in  his 
present  location,  the  purchase  having  been  made 
two  years  previously.  Since  that  time  Mr.  Smith  has 
made  all  modern  improvements,  erected  a  set  of 
commodious  and  handsome  farm  buildings,  and  is 
now  the  owner  of  2031^  acres  of  land,  200  of  which 
is  fertile  and  highly  productive. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  England,  Aug.  rst.  1826, 
and  came  to  America  when  a  lad  of  16  years.  He 
attained  the  age  of  manhood  while  a  resident  of 
New  York.  While  in  Oneida  County  he  worked 
in  a  cotton  factory,  and  in  Lewis  County  on  his  fath- 
er's farm.  About  this  time  he  went  to  Nantucket, 
Mass.,  where  he  embarked  on  a  whaling  vessel,  and 
this  voyage  lasted  three  years.  During  this  time  he 
met  with  several  narrow  escapes,  but  finally  returned 
safe  and  sound  to  his  home.  During  the  voyage  Mr. 
Smith  encircled  the  world,  stopping  at  the  various 
ports,     He  passed  through  Behring's  Straits  into  the 


±~ 


t 


«4i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


367 


Arctic  Ocean,  where  he  remained  for  four  months.  ! 
During  the  three  years'  voyage  Mr.  Smith  only  slept 
off  the  vessel  two  nights.  Going  again  to  Oneida 
County,  he  engaged  for  the  second  time  in  a  cotton 
factory,  and  there  worked  two  years,  at  the  expira- 
tion of  which  time  he  removed  to  Knox  County.  His 
first  matrimonial  connection  occurred  in  Lewis 
County,  in  1847,  with  Miss  Mary  Marsden,  who  was 
a  native  of  England.  To  them  were  born  one  child, 
Thomas  W.,  who  is  married  and  has  one  little  girl, 
Ruth  E.  He  married  Miss  Alice  Carr,  of  Osceola, 
N.  Y.  His  home  is  in  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.,  at 
which  place  Mrs.  Smith  departed  this  life  in  the 
spring  of  1850. 

After  an  interval  of  four  years    Mr.    Smith  was 
again    married    in    Oneida   County,   celebrating  his 
nuptials   Oct.   ist,   r854,  and  Emily    Andrews,   nee 
Lawrence,  was  his  chosen  bride.     She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Kelly)   Lawrence,  natives 
of  Massachusetts   and  York   State  respectively,  and 
j'was    a  relict   of    Winfield    S.    Andrews,  who   died 
|in  Moravia,  Cayuga  Co.  N.  Y.,  March  14,  1852.    By 
I  that  marriage  were  born  two  children,  Georgiana  and 
>Irvin  S.,  the  former  of  whom   is  the  wife  of  William 
Doyle,  who  resides  in  Stuart,  Iowa.     She   has  been 
the  mother  of  two  children,  both   of  whom  are  de- 
•ceased.     Irvin  married  Miss  Mary  Victory,  daughter 
'  of  Ellas  Victory,  Esq.,  of  Rio  Township,  and  lives  in 
the  vicinity  of  David  City,  Neb.,  and  is  the  father  of 
five  children,  as  follows :      Adelbert    L.,    Edward, 
Jessie,  Fred,  and  Ninia  May. 

Mrs.  Smith,  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Coop- 
erstown,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  29,  1826,  and  to 
herself  and  her  husband  has  come  one  child,  Mary 
Ella,  who  lived  to  reach  the  age  of  16  years,  and 
died  in  the  early  bloom  of  girlhood,  and  the  date  of 
the  sad  event  was  June  loth,  1875.  Mr.  S.  has  not 
only  been  prosperous  in  business,  but  useful  in  the 
community  as  a  worker  in  public  affairs.  Both  him- 
I  self  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  and  takes 
a  lively  interest  in  the  success  of  the  party. 

Mr.  Smith,  in  the  summer  of  1883,  indulged  in 
a'  visit  to  his  native  country,  England,  where  his 
parents,  William  and  Ellen  (Thorp)  Smith,  natives 
of  that  country,  resided  until  their  emigration  to 
America,  in  1842,  stopping  first  in  Oneida  County, 
then  in  Lewis  County,  X.  Y.  On  leaving  New  York 
they  came  to  Knox  County,  settling,  in  185  i,  in  Rio 


Township,  where  they  contentedly  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  their  days,  the  mother  dying  in  1856, 
the  father  in  1872. 


^> 


ifnderson  Barnett,  now  residing  in  Knox- 
\,  ville,  was  born  in  Randolph  Township, 
Montgomery  Co.,  Ohio,  the  19th  of  Febru- 
ary, 181 1.  Like  most  retiring  disjx)sitions  and 
ives,  the  even  tenor  of  whose  way  influences 
and  interests,  without  in  any  measure  impor- 
tuning the  time  and  surroundings  in  which  they  are 
cast,  that  of  Mr.  Barnett  affords  a  striking  illustra- 
tion. In  disposition  his  father  was  not  unlike  him  in 
this  particular. 

The  latter  gentleman's  name  was  John  Barnett,  a 
narive  of  Goochland  County,  Va.,  where  he  was  born 
on  the  i6th  day  of  June,  1778.  The  father  of  John 
was  Arthenathas  Barnett,  a  Virginian  of  prominence, 
who  emigrated  with  his  family  into  that  State,  after- 
ward settling  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  where  he  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming.  Here  he  resided 
until  his  death.  The  father  of  Mr.  Barnett  grew  to 
manhood  in  his  native  county,  being  brought  up  on 
his  father's  farm  until  his  marriage  with  Elizabeth 
Hutchins.  This  lady  was  born  in  Goochland  County, 
Va.,  April  15th,  1782.  Her  husband  emigrated 
to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Montgomery  County,  he  be- 
ing one  of  the  earliest  of  its  settlers.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  three  children,  and  his  only 
worldly  possessions  on  his  arrival  in  Montgomery 
County  were  eighty-three  dollars  in  money.  Purchas- 
ing 80  acres  of  land  on  time,  he  built  a  log  cabin  for 
himself  and  family,  and  immediately  commenced 
farm  improvements.  Here  he  continued  to  reside 
until  1838,  when  he  sold  his  farm  and  removed  to 
Indiana,  settling  in  Fountain  County,  and  buying  an 
improved  farm.  After  residing  here  a  few  years  he 
took  up  his  residence  in  Fulton  County,  and  died 
October  7th,  1854,  his  wife  having  died  on  the 
i6th  of  December,  1850. 

They  were  both  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends, 
but  toward  the  close  of  her  life  Mrs.  B.  became  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  By  this 
marriage  were  12  children,  ir  of  whom  grew  to  man 
and  womanhood.    Two  of  these,  however,  Isaac  and 


■e4 


*4 


368 


~     .  Y. 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


our  subject,  are  the  only  members  of  the  family  now 
living. 

Mr.  Barnett  was  the  seventh  child,  and  attained 
to  his  manhood  in  his  native  county.  During  his 
boyhood  he  assisted  his  father  in  clearing  the  farm, 
and  to  obtain  an  education  availed  himself  of  such  op- 
portunities as  were  presented  at  the  time  and  under 
trying  circumstances.  Having  finally  fitted  himself 
for  the  position  of  teacher,  he  obtained  an  engage- 
ment in  this  capacity,  which  he  united  with  farming 
operations.  He  describes  the  schoolhouse  as  built 
of  logs,  with  a  puncheon  floor  and  with  wooden 
hinges  on  which  to  hang  the  door.  With  these  crud- 
ities and  a  few  slab  benches  the  furniture  of  the 
schoolhouse  was  complete.  At  first  he  received  a 
salary  of  only  ten  dollars  per  month,  out  ofwiiich  he 
was  to  board  himself 

On  the  loth  of  May,  1852,  he  married  Mrs.  Mar- 
garet Mason,  a  native  of  Montgomery  County, 
Ohio,  wliere  she  was  born  Sept.  29,  18T5.  She  was 
'the  daughter  of  William  and  Nancy  (Huey)  Mason, 
natives  of  Virginia,  who  settled  in  Ohio,  while  that 
State  was  yet  a  Territory.  At  the  time  of  this  mar- 
-^riage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnett  located  on  his  father's 
farm,  where  they  lived  contentedly  until  1837,  when 
they  started  with  a  pair  of  horses  and  wagon,  and 
proceeded  on  their  journey  westward,  bringing  with 
them  a  portion  of  their  household  goods.  On  their 
westward  journey  they- camped  as  best  they  could, 
and  after  enduring  no  little  hardship  arrived  in  Kno.x 
County  August  25  of  that  year.  He  had  previously 
purchased  land  on  section  10,  in  what  is  now  Orange 
Township.  Here  he  built  a  log  cabin.  During  the 
following  winter  he  taught  the  second  term  of  school 
in  Orange  Township,  and  several  subsequent  terms 
in  different  pans  of  the  county. 

He  was  elected  one  of  the  first  members  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  in  Orange  Township,  in  which  ca- 
pacity he  served  for  six  years,  when  in  1846  he 
was  appointed  Treasurer,  and  served  continuously 
in  this  office  daring  his  residence  in  this  township.  For 
12  years  he  filled  the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
an  office  which  he  held  with  credit  to  himself  and  jus- 
tice to  others.  At  onetime  he  was  compelled  to  sell 
40  acres  of  his  land  in  order  to  purchase  stock 
with  which  to  make  a  fresh  start  in  life.  He  next  im- 
proved and  fenced  120  acres  of  land,  erected  a  brick 
dwelling  and  suitable  barn,  and  planted  fruit  trees  of 
different  varieties.    This  residence  he  occupied  until 


1822,  when  he  moved  to  Knoxville,  where  he  now 
lives. 

These  excellent  people  have  ten  children  now  liv- 
ing: Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry  Allen,  lives  in  Ne- 
maha County,  Kan.;  Nancy,  wife  of  Thomas  Colwell, 
resides  in  Coffey  County,  Kan  ;  Celia,  wife  of  Riley 
Lawrence,  and  lives  at  Gilson,  Knox  County;  Alex- 
ander, who  lives  in  Taylor  County,  Iowa;  Louisa 
Jane,  wife  of  J.  W.  Dennis,  resides  in  Johnson  County, 
Kan.;  Irene,  wife  of  Milton  Dennis,  lives  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Kan.;  Alice,  wife  of  Henry  Turner,  who 
resides  in  Taylor  County,  Iowa;  Clara,  wife  of  M.  W. 
Redd,  resides  in  Johnson  County,  Neb.;  Albert,  living 
in  Holt  County,  Neb.,  and  Warren  W.,  who  has  set- 
tled in  Coffey  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Barnett  is  prominent  in  his  community  as  a 
theological  student,  and  is  an  earnest  inquirer  and 
commentator  in  Biblical  matters.  His  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  a  lady  remarkable  for 
her  devotion  to  every  good  cause,  and  earnestness 
in  promoting  the  principles  of  sund  religion.  In 
politics  Mr.  B.  was  first  a  Whig,  but  on  the  organi- 
zation of  the  Republican  party  he  became  identified 
with  it. 

illiam  Mount,  whose  farm  is  located  on 
section  20,  Cedar  Township,  was  born  in 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  Sept.  23,  r824. 
He  is  the  son  of  Ralph  and  Lucy  (Barber) 
Mount,  who  were  themselves  natives  of  the 
State  of  New  Jersey.  The  father  was  born  in 
1790,  and  died  in  1875,  in  Knox  County,  111.  The 
mother  was  born  in  1791  and  died  in  1825,  in  War- 
ren County,  Ohio.  The  family  came  to  Ohio  in 
1804,  the  marriage  of  his  parents  taking  place  in 
i8ri.  In  all  they  had  five  children — Thomas,  Nancy, 
Susan,  William  and  Samuel.  The  latter  died  in  in- 
fancy. William,  the  youngest  and  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Mahon,  Feb.  6, 
i85r.  She  was  a  native  of  Greenbrier  County,  W. 
Va.,  and  born  Feb.  6,  1827,  her  parents  being  Rob- 
ert and  Mary  (Groton)  McMahon.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1S03,  his  decease  taking 
place  July  20,  185 1,  in  Knox  County,  111.  Her 
mother  was  born  in  Virginia  in  1805,  and  died  in 
1832,  in   the  same  State.       By  the  marriage  there 


-t 


LI3RARV 
OF  THE 
L'.'IIVERSITY  Of  ILUN: 


Residence  OF  F.  H.  Peterson,  Sec.  a,  OrangeTownship. 


t 


' v^=^ 

KAOX  COUNTY. 


37 « 


were  four  children — Mary  E.,  Margaret,  Franklin 
and  Washington. 

By  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mount  there  are 
seven  children — Robert,  born  in  November,  185  i; 
James,  Aug.  23,  1853;  George,  Feb.  14,  1857  ;  Lucy, 
April,  1859;  Jimniie,  Oct.  16,  1862;  Lillie,  Aug.  14, 
1866;  and  David,  who  died  in  infancy.  James 
Mount  died  Dec.  12,  1880.  Lucy  died  Sept.  21, 
1879;  Jimmie,  Sept,  27,  1879.  James  married  Miss 
Mary  E.  Mendenhall.  This  lady  died  Oct.  14,  1881, 
leaving  no  children  by  her  marriage.  Mr.  Mount 
farms  130  acres  of  prime  land,  which  is  considered 
in  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  In  1870  he 
erected  a  fine  two-story  house,  and  a  desirable  barn, 
28x36  feet,  to  which  he  has  put  an  addition  of  i8 
feet  since  first  building.  Mrs.  Mount  is  member  of 
the  Congregational  Church,  while  Mr.  Mount  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  body.  As  a  ix)li- 
tician  he  is  a  prominent  Democrat. 

At  present  he  is  devoting  his  attention  to  the 
breeding  of  PoUed-Angus  cattle.  Among  his  slock 
he  has  three  thoroughbreds,  one  of  which  cost  him 
$600  cash.  This  is  a  male,  three  years  old,  and 
weighs  1,450  pounds.  The  cow  is  of  the  same  age 
and  origin  and  is  worth  a  similar  sum.  He  recently 
sold  a  one-year-old  male  for  $400,  which  is  from 
prime  stock.  He  is  of  opinion  that  the  Angus  breed 
is  the  best  adapted  to  this  country,  they  being  of  a 
very  hardy  nature. 

Mr.  Mount  is  in  ever)-  sense  of  the  word  a  gen- 
tleman, straightfonvard  and  ever  ready  to  e.xtend  a 
helping  hand  in  any  good  cause.  He  has  a  host  of 
solid  friends,  who  consider  him  in  the  light  of  an  ex- 
cellent host,  and  will  doubtless  remember  him  into 
the  far  future. 


'<«aei2/S-^'*— ^^^ 


P — >./gi~a.OT»»v. 


HUBk  ^^*™  Newbanks,  of  Cedar  Township,  has 
*"**  followed  the  calling  of  a  stone  and  brick 
mason  and  plasterer  for  more  than  40 
years,  until  within  the  last  15  years,  during 
which  time  he  has  identified  himself  with 
farming.  He  is  the  possessor  of  190  acres  of 
land,  160  acres  of  which  are  situated  in  Warren 
County,  the  remaining  30  being  within  section  29, 
Cedar  Township.     On  the  latter  30  acres  he  has  a 


very  fine  residence,  and  a  substantial  dwelling-house 
on  his  land  in  Warren  County,  two  miles  southwest 
from  the  city  of  Monmouth. 

Mr.  Newbanks  was  born  in  County  Tyrone,  Ire- 
land, Dec.  25,  1822,  and  was  consequently  a  Christ- 
mas gift  to  his  parents.  He  came  to  America  in 
1845,  landing  at  New  York  City,  October  10,  where 
he  remained  until  1855  and  then  came  to  Warren 
County,  where  he  bought  the  land  before  referred  to. 
This  formerly  belonged  to  A.  T.  Stewart,  of  New 
York  City,  who  was  even  at  that  date  one  of  the 
largest  dry  goods  dealers  in  the  United  States.  In 
exchange  for  this  land,  Mr.  Newbanks  traded  a  house 
and  lot  in  New  York  City  with  Mr.  Stewart,  the  lat- 
ter giving  him  $1,000  cash,  together  with  the  i6o 
acres. 

Mr.  Newbanks  married  Miss  Margaret  Reynolds, 
in  1843,  she  being  a  native  of  County  Antrim,  Ire- 
land. This  good  lady  and  excellent  mother  died  the 
20th  of  May,  1858.  By  their  union  there  were  five 
children — Robert,  Samuel,  William,  John  and  Mar- 
garet J.  Samuel  died  in  infancy.  On  the  26th  of 
July,  1868,  Mr.  Newbanks  was  again  married,  this 
time  to  Elizabeth  Ingram,  a  native  of  Clear  Creek  ^ 
Township,  Ashland  County,  Ohio.  Her  birth  took 
place  on  Aug.  20,  1839,  and  she  remained  with  her 
parents  until  her  29th  year.  She  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  Galesburg,  in  the  fall  of  1856,  when  in  her 
1 6th  year.  Her  parents  were  James  and  Margaret 
(Buchan)  Ingram,  both  natives  of  Scotland.  In  that 
countryher  father  was  born,  in  Invernesshire,  in  the 
year  1814.  He  is  still  living  and  resides  in  Ring- 
gold County,  Iowa.  His  wife,  a  lady  of  estimable 
character,  was  born  Nov.  12,  1819,  in  Aberdeenshire, 
Scotland,  and  they  were  married  July  20,  1837,  the 
ceremony  taking  place  in  Ohio.  By  this  marriage 
there  were  eight  children— Elizabeth  Matthews,  Jane, 
Susan,  John,  Jatnes,  Helen  L.,  Harriet  G.  and  James 
R.  The  parents  of  this  good  lady  were  Old-School 
Presbyterians,  and  her  father  was  by  calling  a  stone 
mason.  The  present  family  are  members  of  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church,  where  they  are  both 
held  in  high  esteem.  In  politics,  Mr.  Newbanks  is 
a  firm  Republican. 

.\mong  the  farm  stock  of  Mr.  Newbanks  are  to  be 
found  two  head  of  Galloway  cattle,  the  male  of  which 
is  two  years  old.  In  the  near  future  Mr.  N.  expects 
to  turn  his  attention  more  particularly  to  the  breed- 
ing of  this  class  of  stock.     These  good  people,  being 


-H- 


f4- 


■^ 


37  » 


KNOX  CO  UNI  Y. 


X 


childless,  have  adopted  a  little  girl  named  Harriet 
Elizabeth.  She  came  to  their  house  when  only  four 
weeks  old.  The  only  daughter  and  youngest  mem- 
ber of  Mr.  Newbanks'  family  by  his  first  wife  is 
Margaret  Jane.  She  was  born  in  Burlington,  Iowa, 
May  20,  1855,  and  married  William  Cooper,  Feb.  18, 
1875.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  native  of  Ireland,  being  born 
in  County  Tyrone,  Dec.  25,  1S50,  and  is  now  resid- 
ing in  Monmouth  Township.  By  this  happy  mar- 
riage there  are  three  children — Charles  P.,  born  May 
4,  1876;  Maggie  May,  born  Jan.  29,  1880,  and 
Lillie  M.,  Aug.  4,  1882.  Mr.  Cooper  is  a  stone 
.mason,  but  also  possesses  40  acres  of  fine  land  in 
Warren  County,  and  160  acres  more  or  less  im- 
proved, in  Wilson  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  Newbanks  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of 
the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  In  his  lodge  he  is  considered  a 
Mason  of  good  judgment  and  a  lover  of  the  fraternity, 
and  a  man  whose  sympathies  are  always  on  the  side 
of  every  good  cause.  It  is  a  satisfaction  to  the  pub- 
lishers to  be  able  to  present  a  view  of  this  gentle- 
man's home  in  this  volume. 


Ijjj  eter  Gordon.  Kno.x  County  is  the  abiding 
15;  place  of  many  citizens  who,  for  innate  worth 
feSi^  and  native  force  of  character,  are  a  credit 
to  her,  and  prominent  among  these  may  be 
found  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write,  a  re- 
tired farmer,  living  on  section  12,  of  Copley 
Township.  He  stands  high  in  the  community  as  a 
man  of  solid  and  substantial  character,  and  holds  dif- 
ferent offices  in  his  township,  having  been  Road  Com- 
missioner for  some  length  of  time,  and  is  a  School 
Director,  laboring  faithfully  in  the  interests  of  educa- 
tion. 

Mr.  Gordon  was  born  in  Creetown,  Scotland,  May 
19,  1819.  His  parents  were  James  and  Jane  (Her- 
on) Gordon,  both  of  Scotland.  They  were  farmers 
by  occupation,  and  their  family  consisted  of  four 
children — Peter,  Margaret,  Alex,  and  David.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Gordon  died  in  1854  and  1857  respectively. 
The  subject  of  our  narrative  spent  the  years  of  his 
life  up  to  his  majority  on  the  home  farm,  and  at- 
tended school.  In  1840  he  emigrated  to  America  with 
the  high  hopes  and  eager  ambition  of  early  youth, 
with  the  one  idea  of  making  himself  a  name  and  a 


home.  Landing  in  New  York,  he  came  by  the  way 
of  the  lakes  to  Chicago.  Frojii  that  city  he  came  to 
Knox  County  and  settled  on  section  10,  of  Copley 
Township.  Here  he  purchased  40  acres  of  prairie 
land,  on  which  he  built  a  log  house  16x20  feet,  and 
there  lived  for  six  years.  To  his  first  purchase  he 
added  by  degrees  560  acres,  and  continued  to  reside 
on  this  until  1885.  He  has  at  the  present  time  890 
acres  of  land,  and  has  given  to  his  four  children  160 
acres  each.  In  1885  he  built  a  handsome  residence 
in  Victoria,  where  he  now  lives. 

He  was  married  March  i,  1845,  to  Mary  Ann  Mc- 
Dowell Tait,  who  was  born  Jan.  24,  1814.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Anna  (Livingston)  Mc- 
Dowell, natives  of  Scotland.  Her  father  came  to 
America  in  1839,  and  settled  in  Copley  Township,  on 
section  14.  In  1867  he  died,  the  mother  having  pre- 
ceded him  in  1824,  taking  her  departure  from  this 
life  in  Scotland. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  have  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  are  living — James,  Elizabeth  M.,' 
Alexander  H.  and  .^Ibinus  N.  James  married  Mar- 
garet McQuarrie;  Elizabeth  M.  is  the  wife  of 
William  Robson,  and  is  the  mother  of  one  child,V: 
named  Percy  E. ;  Alexander  is  the  husband  of  Mary 
Olmsted,  and  they  have  four  children,  as  follows: 
Arthur,  Lizzie  E.,  John  H.  and  James  P.;  Albinus 
N.  married  Miss  Emma  Smith,  who  has  borne  him 
two  children — Peter  T.  and  Leroy  S. 

Mrs.  Gordon  by  her  first  marriage  had  a  family  of 
four  sons,  namely,  John,  William  F.,  Peter  G.  and 
Houston  P.  These  have  all  acted  nobly  in  defense 
of  their  country,  enlisting  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
in  1862,  and  giving  all  they  had  to  give  in  that  noble 
cause.  Peter  G.,  who  had  become  Lieutenant,  was 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Nashville  ;  John  was  wounded 
at  Dallas  and  died  at  Chattanooga,  from  the  effects  of 
his  wounds;  the  other  two  returned  to  their  home 
when  the  war  was  over,  with  gratitude  for  the  boon 
of  their  lives,  but  with  sadness  for  the  two  who  had 
perished  in  the  great  struggle  which  robbed  so  many 
households  of  husband  or  father,  brother  or  son. 
The  four  brothers  all  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  89th  111.  Vol. 
Inf  ;  Col.  Hotchkiss  was  the  commander. 

Mr.  William  Tait,  the  deceased  husband  of  Mrs. 
Gordon,  died  in  1S43,  at  his  home  on  section  16,  in 
Copley  Township.  William  Tait,  Jr.,  is  a  physician 
at  Galesburg,  and  was  married  to  Miss  RhodaSperry, 
a  native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.     To  them  have 


\ 


<-h 


JS'NOX  COUNTY. 


^-^ 


373 


been  born  two  children,  both  living — May  J.  and 
Margaret  M.  Houston  P.  united  in  wedlock  with  Mary 
Levalley,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  one  child — Annie  J. 

Mr.  Gordon  is  Repulilican  in  politics  and  an  im- 
portant factor  in  his  community,  and,  with  his  wife,  is 
a  working  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


harles  W.  Harrison.  Standing  out  in  bold 

relief  on   the  records  of  Kno.v  County  is 

the  name  of  our  subject,  who  is  a  farmer, 

residing  on  section  i,  Copley  Township,  and 

fwho,  for  enterprise  and  energy,  has  no  supe- 
rior. Possessed  of  that  "  push"  which  is  the 
larger  element  in  the  success  of  a  life,  he  has  made 
his  way  despite  many  drawbacks,  and  stands  high 
above  the  trivial  crosses  and  losses  of  the  world. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  born  in  Ohio,  May  i6,  1837. 
His  parents,  Alfred  and  Margaret  (Cherington)  Har- 
rison, were  natives  of  Virginia  and  Ohio  respectively. 
They  were  engaged  in  tiie  retired  and  peaceful  vo- 
cation of  farming,  "shut  in  from  the  world  outside," 
and  to  their  home  came  seven  children,  our  subject 
being  the  third  in  order  of  birth.  He  remained  at 
home  until  the  age  of  27,  working  on  the  farm  and 
attending  school.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  of 
Col.  A.  C.  Harding's  regiment  of  Illinois  Volunteers, 
which  was  afterward  commanded  by  Col.  Smith, 
now  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Kno.v  County, 
and  was  in  the  army  three  years.  He  was  engaged 
in  the  second  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  and  was  Com- 
missary Sergeant  of  Co.  K,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
his  term  of  service  was  honorably  discharged.  He 
came  to  Illinois  with  his  father  in  1855,  and  settled 
in  Copley  Township,  on  section  24,  where  the  latter 
died  in  1866.     His  mother  died  in  Ohio  in  1846. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Charles  W.  returned  to 
Illinois  and  lived  on  the  old  homestead  until  1868. 
He  then  purchased  the  farm  of  t6o  acres  where  he 
now  lives,  and  in  1869  moved  onto  the  same.  This 
he  has  improved  and  cultivated,  fencing  and  modern- 
izing and  making  it  convenient  and  desirable.  In 
1869  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Kllen 
Knapp,  a  native  of  Copley  Township,  and  to  them 
were  born  two  children — Charles  C.  and  Kliza  N. 
Mrs.  Harrison  died  in  April,  187  i,  and  Mr.  Har- 


rison contracted  a  second  marriage,  Nov.  8,  iJS^, 
with  Miss  Laura  L.  Hankins,  daughter  of  Jeremiah 
and  Polly  A.  (O'Neil)  Hankins.  She  was  born  in  Mc- 
Donough  County.  Her  parents  were  natives  of 
Indiana  and  Kentucky,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1835, 
settling  in  Brown  County.  The  father  engaged  in 
the  lottery  business  and  employed  a  large  number 
of  men  ;  as  it  was  the  first  enterprise  of  the  kind  in 
that  section,  it  created  something  of  a  "  boom."  He 
finally  sold  out  his  business  and  moved  to  Mercer 
County,  where  he  entered  upon  mercantile  pursuits 
and  was  thus  engaged  for  two  years.  He  next  went 
to  Galva,  where  he  engaged  in  hardware  business, 
and  in  1871  went  to  Macomb,  and  pursued  the  same 
calling  in  which  he  had  been  engaged  at  Galva.  He 
still  resides  at  Macomb,  where  he  is  a  leading  bus- 
iness man  and  a  substantial  citizen. 

Mrs.  Harrison  taught  school  eight  years.  She 
was  a  graduate  of  the  class  of  1866  at  Galva.  Mr. 
Harrison,  in  politics,  is  a  Republican,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Road  Commissioner  in  the  town  where 
he  lives.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  useful  and  con- 
sistent members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
the  doctrines  of  which  faith  they  zealously  uphold, 
having  gained  possession  of  the  "  pearl  of  great 
price."  By  his  marriage  with  his  second  wife  Mr. 
Harrison  has  had  one  child,  named  Bertha. 


#-# 


^3f'  dwin  G.  Deuel.  Prominent  among  the 
^^G  practical  farmers  and  worthy  citizens  of 
'■if^^^^  Knox  County  may  be  named  the  subject  of 
°'  "  this  biographical  notice,  who  is  a  resident  of 
Salem  Township.  His  home  lies  on  section 
20,  and  his  success  in  the  vocation  he  has 
adopted  has  been  most  flattering.  He  has  erected 
a  fine  set  of  frame  buildings  upon  his  farm,  furnished 
with  all  modern  conveniences,  and  has  beautified 
the  residence  grounds  with  trees  and  shrubbery. 

Mr.  Deuel  was  born  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  Nov.  18, 
1843.  His  father,  Joseph  E.  Deuel,  is  a  native  of 
New  York  State.  The  latter  was  a  pioneer  of  Ful- 
ton County,  coming  as  early  as  1837  to  this  part  of 
the  State,  and  later  locating  in  Salem  Township, 
Knox  County,  in  1840.  There  he  lived  until  1868, 
when  he  returned  to  Fulton  County  and  remained 
until  1883.     At  that  date  he  removed   to  California, 


"T 


:^A^ 


--a 


374 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


settling  at  Santa  Anna,  Los  Angeles  County.  He  has 
a  small  fruit  farui  in  that  Slate,  but  lives  a  retired  life, 
enjoying  the  results  of  past  years  of  labor.  Mrs.  Deuel 
was  Clarissa  Porter,  a  native  of  New  York  State. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  made  his  home  with  his 
parents  until  he  attained  to  years  of  discretion,  at- 
tending the  district  school  and  working  on  the  farm. 
He  thus  gained  a  fairly  good  and  practical  educa- 
tion. He  was  united  in  marriage  Feb.  i,  1 871,  to 
Mrs.  Salome  Hoijpins,  nee  Skeels,  who  was  born  in 
Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  2,  1842,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Alanson  and  Naomi  (Phillips)  Skeels. 
After  their  marriage  they  located  on  the  farm  he  now 
occupies  and  owns,  and  to  which  he  has  bent  every 
endeavor  to  make  it  a  bright  and  handsome  abiding 
place.  Evidences  of  his  thrift  are  seen  on  every 
hand,  and  he  has  proven  himself  an  industrious  and 
wortliy  citizen.  He  is  an  active  member  of  Farming- 
ton  Lodge,  No.  192,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  politically  he  is 
a  Democrat  in  sentiment,  and  supports  and  votes 
with  that  party. 

A  view  of  the  beautiful  home  of  Mr.  Deuel  is  given 
in  connection  with  this  biography. 


I 


^l^^l  osiah  Nelson  One  of  the  old  pioneers  of 
'H^^jf-  Knox  County,  who  yet  lives  to  tell  of  the 
ll^^i^trials  and  hardships  through  which  the  early 
settler  passed  while  attempting  to  establish  a 
home  for  himself  and  family  in  this  county,  is 
Josiah  Nelson.  He  came  here  in  March,  1838, 
from  Louisiana,  and  made  settlement  on  section  2, 
Elba  Township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  Thus  we 
see  that  for  nearly  50  years  Mr.  Nelson  has  lived 
in  Elba  Township,  and  we  further  state  that  during 
this  lengthy  period  of  time  he  has  been  closely  iden- 
tified with  the  agricultural  development  of  that  por- 
tion of  the  county.  Mr.  Nelson  is  the  owner  of 
nearly  600  acres  of  productive  land  in  Elba  Town- 
ship, and  in  his  chosen  vocation  has  met  with  that 
success  which  energy  and  perseverance,  backed  up 
by  good  judgment,  are  sure  to  bring. 

Josiah  Nelson  was  born  in  Huntingdon  County, 
Pa.,  June  25,  181 6,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Catherine  (Homniar)  Nelson.  The  father  was  of 
Irish  descent,  and  the  mother  of  German  ancestry. 
He  was  born  at  Valley  Forge,  in  1772,  and  distinctly 


recollected  seeing  George  Washington  while  he  was 
encamped  with  his  army  at   Valley  Forge,  in    1778. 
Both  the  parents  lived  and  died   in   Pennsylvania. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  Mr.  Nelson  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  War  of  the   Revolution,  and  was  from 
Hesse-Cassel,   Germany.     After  his   arrival  in  this 
country,  and  learning  the  true  cause  of  the  rebellion 
of  the  colonies  against  Great  Britian,  he  abandoned 
the  army.     He  was  an  educated  man — in  fact,  was 
fresh  from  the  college  in  his  native  State.     He  en- 
tered the  ministry  and  preached  during  the  remainder 
of  his  life.      He  died  in  Huntingdon   County,  Pa. 
When  our  subject  was  12  years  of  age  he  began  work- 
ing in  the  iron  mines  in  his  native  State,  and  con- 
tinued to  labor  in  them  during  tlie  remainder  of  the 
time  that  he  was  a  resident  of  that  State.     From 
there  he  went  to  West  Virginia,  where  he  engaged  in 
the   same  occupation  at  which   he   had  labored  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  also  in  boating  on  the  Ohio  River. 
The  hard  times  and  stress  of  money  matters  during 
the  panic  of  1837  led  Mr.  Nelson  to  go  to  Louisiana," 
where    he   w-as   occupied    in    getting   out   wood  for 
steamers   which   plied    the   Mississippi    River,   and 
where  he  remained  from  that  fall  until  the  spring  of^ 
1838.     He  fell  in  with  a  Kentuckian  by  the  name  of 
McLaughlin,  who  told  liim  that  money  was  plenty  in 
Illinois,  which  was  not  the  case  in  Louisiana,  and  he  J 
was    therefore    induced    to   leave  Louisiana  for  the 
Prairie  State.     He  made  his  way  to  this  county  and 
settled,  as  stated,  in  Elba  Township. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  at  Kno.xville,  June  i, 
1841,  to  Margaret  King,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary 
(Tucker)  King,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  father 
died  in  Peoria  County,  this  State,  and  her  mother  in 
Elba  Township,  Feb.  16,  1869.  Mrs.  Nelson  was 
born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  March  15,  1819, 
and  has  borne  her  husband  eight  children,  who  are 
named  Mary,  Caroline,  John  H.,  Jane  T.,  OHver  P., 
George  W.,  Martha  A.  and  William  W.  John  ac- 
cidently  shot  himself  in  March,  1867,  the  wound 
causing  his  death.  Mr.  Nelson,  during  the  years  he 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  county,  has  held  the 
office  of  Highway  Commissioner,  and  in  politics  is 
identified  with  the  Republican  party.  Of  the  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson,  Mary  became  the 
wife  of  John  Tucker,  a  resident  of  Peoria  County, 
and  their  household  has  been  gladdened  by  the  birth 
of  nine  children,  named  Emma,  Margaret,  Dolly  A., 
John  A.,  Minnie,  Clem,  Caroline,  Celia  and  Elmer. 


OF  THE 
L.IIVERSITY  OF  ILLINr-j 


Residence    of    W"    G00LD,5ec.14    SALEM   TOWNshtp. 


f 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


377 


Caroline  Nelson,  wife  of  P.  V.  R.  Dafoe,  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Nebraska,  and  their  two  children  are  Albert 
and  Frank.  Jane  T.  married  Elida  Parish,  who  is  a 
resident  of  Iowa,  and  they  have  become  the  parents 
of  nine  children— John  M.,  Dora  B.,  Peter  J.,  Min- 
nie, Mary,  George,  Etta,  Bertha  and  Elmer  A. 
Oliver  P.  Nelson  selected  as  his  companion  in  life 
Elizabeth  J.  Oberholtzer,  and  they  live  in  Truro 
Township  and  have  five  children,  namely,  Josiah, 
Nellie  M.,  Lloyd,  Louisa  J.  and  Nettie  A.  George 
W.  Nelson  and  Miss  Lucy  J.  Cole  became  life  part- 
ners and  are  living  in  Elba  Township,  their  union 
hanng  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children — 
John,  Etta,  ^Largaret,  Nora  and  Addie.  Martha  A. 
Nelson  and  Frank  Cole  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds 
of  matrimony,  and  live  on  a  farm  in  Truro  Township, 
their  household  having  been  increased  by  the  birth 
of  three  children, named  Mary  A.,  Maud  and  Lemuel. 
William  W.  Nelson  is  a  resident  of  Elba  Township, 
unmarried,  and  is  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in 
the  village  of  Eugene.  Harry  Nelson  married  Emma 
Tucker,  and  they  have  one  son,  which  makes  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  wife  great-grand- 
parents. 


.  James  C.  McMurtry  is  a  prominent  res- 

,^    ident  of  Kno.x  County,  on   section   3,   of 

.'•  Jsy  "^     Henderson  Township.    He  first  came  with 

rhis  parents  to  Knox  County  in  tSzg,  they 
ha\-ing  previously  resided  in  Crawford  Count} , 
Ind.,  where  the  subject  of  this  history  was  bom, 
Feb.  3,  of  the  same  year.  (See  sketch  of  Hon.  Wm. 
McMurtry.)  Since  the  time  referred  to,  with  the 
e.xception  of  the  period  he  spent  in  a'tending  school, 
he  has  been  a  continuous  resident  of  this  township 
Up  to  his  18th  year  he  resided  at  his  father's  home, 
when  he  went  to  Galesburg  and  attended  Kno.x  Col- 
lege for  three  years,  and  then  proceeded  to  Schenec 
tady,  N.  Y.,  and  attended  the  Union  College  for  one 
year.  He  first  graduated  in  1852,  when  he  succeeded 
in  securing  his  diploma.  Returning  to  Knox  County, 
he  re-commenced  his  medical  studies  under  the  di- 
rection of  Dr.  Joseph  Henderson,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained three  years,  attending,  in  the  interim.  Rush 
Medical  College,  in  Chicago.  At  this  institution  he 
subsequently  graduated,  doing  great  credit  to  his  own 


efforts  and  the  careful  teaching  of  his  preceptors. 
Returning  to  Henderson  Township,  he  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  has  successfully 
pursued  since  the  date  referred  to. 

•■\side  from  his  profession,  he  has  a  very  desirable 
farm  of  330  acres,  three-fourths  of  which  is  tillable 
land.  In  Warren  County,  111.,  on  the  9th  of  June, 
1855,  the  Doctor  manied  Miss  Caroline  Nelson,  of 
Attica,  N.  Y.  Her  birthday  occurred  on  March  20, 
1835.  By  this  marriage  there  have  been  five  children 
— James  W.,  Franklin  H.,  Susan  H.,  Caroline  and 
Mary.  To  the  great  grief  of  his  parents,  Franklin 
died  when  he  was  five  years  old;  James  W.  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Peoria,  111. ;  and  the  other  children  are  at- 
tending college  at  Galesburg.  The  subject  of  our 
history  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
whom  the  brethren  hold  in  the  highest  esteem.  He 
belongs  to  Hiiam  Lodge,  No.  26,  at  Henderson,  of 
which  he  has  been  Master  for  twenty-two  years ;  to 
Horeb  Chapter,  No.  4,  and  Galesburg  Commandery, 
No.  8. 

Politically  he  has  always  identified  himself  with  the 
Republican  party,  by  whose  principles  he  has  stood 
firmly  through  its  varjing  fortunes  and  solid  suc- 
cesses. He  is  also  Grand  Marshal  of  the  Masonic 
Grand  Lodge,  a  post  he  has  held  for  several  years. 
In  his  Chapter  he  has  held  all  of  the  different  offices, 
includmg  also  that  of  Grand  High  Priest  of  Illinois,  in 
1878.  He  is  also  a  member  of  Henderson  Lodge, 
No.  156,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  has  from  time  to  time  held 
all  the  offices  of  that  Lodge. 

.Apart  from  the  standing  the  Doctor's  family  have 
always  maintained  in  Knox  County,  his  own  charac- 
ter and  geniality  of  disposition  have  been  sufficient  to 
win  to  his  side  the  good  fellowship  and  universal 
commendation  of  the  communities  in  which  it  has  been 
his  lot  to  move.  The  Doctor  is  what  is  known  as  "  a 
jolly  good  fellow  "  and  a  thorough  gentleman. 


lUiam  H.  FarseU.  .Among  those  who  have 
made  agriculture  their   vocation  through 
life,  and  who  through  their  own  indomita- 
^y    ble  energ>-  and  perseverance  have  succeeded 
in    their   calling,  is   the    gentleman    whose 
name  heads  this  notice.     Mr.   Parsell  came  to 
this  county  in  the  spring  of   1867,  from    Peoria 
County,  this  State,  and  made  settlement  on  section 


378 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


¥ 


35,  Elba  Township.  There  he  purchased  So  acres  of 
uncultivated  land,  and  has  subsequently  added 
thereto  an  additional  40  acres.  This  land  he  has 
brought  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  has  a  good, 
substantial  residence  upon  it,  and  is  meeting  with  far 
more  than  ordinary  success  in  his  independent  call- 
ing. 

Mr.  Parsell  was  born  in  Elm  wood  Township, 
Peoria  County,  this  State,  March  13,  1841.  He  re- 
ceived an  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  county,  and  there  lived  and  labored  on  the 
farm,  developing  into  manhood.  He  continued  to  re- 
side in  his  native  county  until  coming  here,  with  tlie 
exception  of  the  three  years  he  spent  in  fighting  for 
the  Union.  He  enlisted  at  the  very  beginning  of  the 
late  Civil  War.  in  September,  1861,  in  Co.  B,  8th 
Mo.  Inf.,  and  for  three  years  did  valiant  service  for 
his  country.  In  May,  1862,  while  before  Corinth,  he 
received  a  wound  in  the  left  leg,  in  consequence 
of  which  he  was  detached  to  do  duty  at  the  military 
post-office,  at  Fort  Pickering.  He  returned  to  his 
regiment  just  prior  to  the  battle  of  Mission  Ridge, 
and  while  participating  in  the  same  received  another 
wound,  in  the  thigh,  by  a  piece  of  shell  striking  him, 
and  consequently,  being  incapacitated  for  service,  he 
received  an  honorable  discharge  Sept.  21,   1864. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Parsell  took  place  at  Gales- 
burg,  Nov.  22,  1865,  at  which  time  Miss  Caroline, 
the  intelligent  and  accomplished  daughter  of  Squire 
J.  and  Mary  (Pugh)  Dixon,  natives  of  Ohio,  became 
his  wife.  Her  parents  emigrated  from  the  latter 
State  to  Peoria  County  in  1850,  and  there  her  father 
died  Feb.  18,  1851.  Her  mother  still  survives. 
Their  union  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  children 
— Emeline,  Caroline,  Elizabeth,  Harrison  and  Riley. 
Mrs.  Parsell  was  born  in  Preble  Co  ,  Ohio,  Sept.  15, 
1844,  and  was  only  six  years  of  age  when  her  par- 
ents moved  to  Peoria  County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parsell  have  had  three  children — Har- 
lan B.,  Albert  and  Lura.  Albert  died  of  diphtheria, 
June  I,  1883,  when  13  years  of  age.  Both  heads  of 
the  family  are  members  of  the  Universalist  Church, 
and  in  politics  Mr.  Parsell  is  a  stanch  Republican. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Joseph  and  Heitie 
A.  (Ralston)  Parsell,  natives  of  Hamilton  County, 
Ohio.  They  moved  to  Peoria  County,  this  State,  in 
1839,  and  made  settlement  in  what  is  now  Elmwood 
Township,  where  the  good  mother  and  loving  wife 
died  April  17,  1850.     The   father  died  at   the   resi- 


dence of  Walter  Bailey,  in  this  county,  Jan.  13, 1880. 
The  children  were  11  in  number,  and  named  James, 
Susan,  Eliza  A.,  George,  John  R.,  Richard,  Harriet 
L.,  Joseph,  William  R.,  Sarah  J.,  Garret  H.  and  Het- 
tie  H.  The  subject  of  this  notice  has  passed  the  en- 
tire years  of  his  life  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  is 
still  following  that  vocation  on  his  fine  place  on  sec- 
tion 35,  and  meeting  with  success. 

A  view  of  Mr.  Parsell's  home  and  its  surroundings 
will  be  found  among  our  illustrations. 

lexander  O.  Donason.     The  gentleman  of 
whose  life  we  give  a  brief  sketch  in  the  fol- 
lowing biography  was  a  farmer  on  section 
10,   Maquon   Township,   where   he   met  with 
success   in  the   prosecution  of  the  same  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  Oct.  6,  1880. 
Alex.  O.  came  to  Knox  County   with   his   grand- 
parents when  he  was  about  six  years  of  age,  emigrat- 
ing from  Belmont  County,  Ohio.     His  grandfather, 
whose  name  was  Alfred  P.  Weeden,  located  in  Haw 
Creek  Township,  our  subject  continuing  to  make  his  J 
home  with  him  until  he  attained  the  age  of  12  years,  t 
at  which  time  he  engaged  to  work  by  the  month  for 
Benona  Simpkins  for  seven  years. 

From  the  date  of  our  subject's  arrival,  in  1840,  in 
Knox  County,  until  the  period  of  his  demise — with 
the  exception  of  one  year  spent  in  Ohio — he  resided 
in  this  county.  He  was  born  in  Belmont  County, 
Ohio,  Oct.  10,  1834.  His  first  purchase  of  land  was 
made  in  Maquon  Township,  consisting  of  80  acres 
located  on  section  10.  Upon  this  place  he  erected 
a  good  and  substantial  brick  dwelling,  accompanied 
by  necessary  and  convenient  out-buildings,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  was  the  proprietor  of  400  acres 
of  prime  land,  320  of  which  was  under  a  most  excel- 
lent state  of  cultivation. 

Alexander  O.  Donason  took  to  wife  in  Maquon 
Township,  March  ir,  1S55,  Miss  Ann  M.,  daughter 
of  Nathan  and  Calista  (Loomis)  Barbero,  who  were 
natives  of  New  York.  (Mrs.  D.  is  a  sister  of  the  wife 
of  J.  M.  McGirr.  See  sketch.)  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  D.  came  to  Knox  County  in  1839  and  settled  in 
Maquon,  where  they  resided  until  the  father's  death, 
Jan.  I,  1885.  The  mother  still  survives  him  (see 
sketch).  They  had  a  family  of  four  children — Ann 
M.,   Lodema,  Henry  and  John  J.     Mrs.   Donason 


'-h.!^ 


-. k    % 


t> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


379 


was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  June  9,  1833, 
and  she  is  the  mother  of  seven  children,  namely  : 
Nathan,  Jack,  Calista  G.,  Charles,  Fred,  Frank  and 
Katie.  Jack  Donason  married  Minnie  Sylvester, 
and  they  live  in  Nebraska  ;  Charles  married  Ada  D. 
Simpkins,  and  their  home  is  in  Maqiron  Township; 
Calista  G.  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Love,  and  they  re- 
side in  Maquon  Township ;  she  has  borne  her  hus- 
band three  children — Florence,  Lodema  and  John- 
nie, of  whom  Florence  and  Lodema  are  deceased. 

Mr.  D.  of  this  notice  died  at  Eureka  Springs,  Ark., 
where  he  had  gone  for  his  health,  Oct.  6,  i88o.  He 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
being  a  member  of  Maquon  Lodge,  No.  530. 

Mr.  Donason  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion, which  was  supplemented  by  a  term  at  Lombard 
University,  Galesburg.  He  served  his  township  as 
Supervisor  and  also  held  several  minor  offices.  In 
his  ixjlitical  views  he  took  sides  with  the  Greenback 
party.  He  was  a  good  neighbor  and  his  loss  was 
felt  by  the  community  in  which  he  had  taken  such 
an  active  part  to  further  the  growth  and  development 
of  his  township. 


4-^ 


-  fi^SenJaniin  Brooks  ShaflFer  is  a  retired  citi- 
;-  LS3^  zen  of  Yates  City,  and  figures  prominently 
^r  S^r^  among  the  men  of  substantial   worth    in 

T'  Kno-\  County.  He  was  born  in  Lycoming 
County,  Pa.,  Oct.  5,  1814,  and  his  father, 
James  Shaffer,  was  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
Our  subject's  grandfather,  Henry  Shaffer,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Germany.  He  was  in  his  17th  year  when,  unac- 
companied with  his  parents,  he  came  to  America  and 
settled  in  New  Jersey.  There  he  learned  the  trade 
of  a  tanner,  which  he  followed  for  a  number  of  years, 
removing  to  Lycoming  County,  Pa.,  about  1800,  rent- 
ing land  and  engaging  in  farming.  Previous  to  the  War 
of  18 1 2,  he  visited  the  State  of  Ohio,  where  he  bought 
a  tract  of  land  in  Delaware  County,  and  as  it  possessed 
a  stream  which  promised  abundant  water  power,  he 
erected  a  grist-mill  on  it,  which  was  one  of  the  first 
in  that  section.  His  sons  had  made  the  first  im- 
provements previous  to  the  War  of  1812,  but  he  did 
not  move  with  his  family  until  after  its  close.  Ac- 
cumulating a  large  property,  which  he  modernized 
and  improved,  he  made  it  his  home  until  called  away 
-^ 


by  death.  He  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife,  grand- 
mother of  our  subject,  being  Mary  Miller,  of  German 
descent  and  American  birth.  She  died  in  Lycoming 
County,  Pa.,  prior  to  the  removal  to  Ohio. 

The  father  of  B.  B.  Shaffer  was  a  boy  in  liis  teens 
when  his  patents  removed  to  Pennsylvania.  Prior 
to  the  War  of  1812,  he  in  company  with  an  older 
brother,  William  by  name,  went  to  Ohio  to  improve 
tlie  father's  property,  making  all  those  alterations 
previously  s|X)ken  of.  While  there  he  served  in  the 
war,  being  one  of  a  party  of  eight  that  went  down  the 
river  to  carry  important  dispatches  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison. He  figured  in  the  battle  of  Ft.  Meigs,  and  was 
active  in  some  im|wrtant  engagements  in  the  strug- 
gle. L)  1813,  he  returned  to  Pennsylvania  and 
lx)ught  land  in  what  is  now  Clinton  County,  which  he 
engaged  in  clearing  and  cultivating.  He  remained 
in  that  section  of  country  until  his  demise.  The 
father  there  built  two  mills,  a  grist  and  saw  mill;  the 
first  was  a  good  one  and  is  still  in  operation.  t 

The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Margaret  Brooks,  1  ! 
of  Bucks  County,  Pa.     Her  father,  Benjamin  Brooks,  I 
was  an  Englishman  ;  also  an  early  settler  in  Lycom-  | 
ing  County.     James  Shaffer  was  the  father  of  a  fara-  ^ 
ily  of  15  children,  ten  sons  and  five  daughters,  all  of 
wliom  married  and  reared  families,  and  nine  of  whom 
are  still  living. 

Our  subject  was  the  fourth  child  and  third  son  in 
this  family.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
county,  working  on  the  farm  during  the  summer  sea- 
son and  lumbering  the  remainder  of  the  year.  He 
was  married  Nov.  6,  1838,  to  Elizabeth  Caldwell,  of 
the  same  county,  and  remained  a  resident  of  Clinton 
County  until  1856,  when  he  came  to  Illinois.  Pur- 
chasing 160  acres  in  Truro  Township,  he  began  its 
cultivation,  adding,  in  the  meantime,  to  his  first  pur- 
chase on  section  27,  until  he  became  the  owner  ot 
640  acres  of  land.  Living  there  until  1870,  he  re- 
moved to  Yates  City,  where  he  bought  the  residence 
he  now  occupies. 

Mrs.  Sliaffer  departed  this  life  in  May,  1849,  leav- 
ing four  children  as  follows:  William,  deceased; 
James  A.,  who  lives  in  Truro  Township  (see  sketch)  ; 
Sarah  J.,  wife  of  Finley  Westfall,  who  resides  in 
Yates  City;  and  Franklin,  living  at  Summit.  Mr.  S. 
was  re-married  June  6,  1853,  to  Phoebe  Hess,  of 
Clinton  County,  of  German  and  English  extraction. 
Having  lost  her  by  death,  his  last  matrimonial  alli- 
ance was  consummated  May  4,  1873,  with  Mary  J., 


C-J 


^> 


380 


XJV^OX  COUNTY. 


daughter  of  William  and  Mary  Hale  (Mann)  Darby, 
of  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.  The  date  of  her  birth  was 
July  25,  1827.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont, 
and  her  mother  was  born  in  Orford,  N.  H.,  and  be- 
longed to  the  families  of  Mann  and  Hale,  whose 
names  are  prominently  connected  with  the  history  of 
New  England.  This  was  Mrs.  Shaffer's  third  mar- 
riage. She  first  became  a  wife  Feb.  25,  1850,  uniting 
with  Cornelius  T.  Bradley,  who  died  Oct.  16,  1851. 
Her  second  alliance,  with  M.  L.  Knowlton  Huso,  was 
celebrated  Feb.  21,  1853,  in  Fulton  County,  111.;  he 
died  at  Elmwood.  Mrs.  Shaffer,  in  religious  belief, 
is  a  Congregationalist,  of  which  church  she  is  a  mem- 
ber, and  her  husband  is  a  Methodist.  On  her 
mother's  side  her  great-grandfalher  was  a  native  of 
Massachusetts,  and  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Orford, 
to  which  place  he  removed  from  Massachusetts  in 
early  times,  both  he  and  wife  riding  one  horse,  after 
the  manner  of  those  times.  He  was  a  man  of  fine 
endowments.  Of  this  union  there  were  born  12  sons 
'  and  three  daughters,  who  were  an  honor  and  credit 
to  their  parents,  becoming  worthy  men  and  women, 
some  of  them  adopting  professions.  The  family  was 
originally  from  County  Kent,  England,  and  came  over 
at  an  early  period,  priortothe  Revolution.  Politically 
he  was  a  Democrat,  but  now  he  is  a  Greenbacker 
and  Prohibitionist. 


■*3=H=«i 


et- 


lamesM.  Foster.  There  are  many  success- 
if  ful  and  well-to-do  farmers  in  Knox  County, 
and  Maquon  Township  certainly  has  its 
quota.  Among  those  who  have  attained  suc- 
jt  cess  in  life  through  perseverance  and  deter- 
mination is  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  residing 
on  section  28,  Maquon  Township,  where  he  is  fol- 
lowing his  chosen  vocation,  agriculture.  He  came 
from  Fulton  County,  in  March,  1833,  settling  in  Ma- 
quon Township  where  he  purchased  a  tract  of  land 
and  upon  which  he  has  since  resided.  He  is  at  the 
present  time  proprietor  of  180  acres  of  improved  and 
valuable  land.  Mr.  Foster  came  to  Fulton  County  in 
September,  1830.  He  served  during  the  Black  Hawk 
War  in  the  command  of  Gen.  Stillman,  and  un- 
der Capt.  Asa  F.  Ball.     He  is  one  of  the  first  set- 


tlers in  this  township,  only  four  others  having  pre- 
ceded him. 

James  M.  Foster,  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  in 
Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  Jan.  2,  1808,  and  when  he 
was  about  six  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to 
Indiana,  where  he  lived  until  September,  1830.  In 
that  year  he  came  to  Fulton  County,  remaining  there 
until  his  removal  to  Knox  County. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Maquon  Township  on 
June  13,  1841,  to  Eliza  Combs,  a  native  of  Ohio. 
She  bore  her  husband  two  children — Henry  C.  and 
Harriet.  The  latter  was  the  wife  of  J.  E.  Foster, 
and  a  resident  of  Maquon  Township,  until  her  death, 
which  occurred  March  25,  187  i.  Henry  C,  now  a 
resident  of  lona,  married  Mary  F.  Osborne,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  five  children — Hattie,  Eliza 
M.,  Elizabeth,  Rosa  L.  and  William  H.  The  first 
wife  of  our  subject  died  March  25,  1847.  He  was 
again  married  Sept.  17,  1848,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Miss  Louisa  Roads,  who  was  born  in  High- 
land County,  Ohio,  March  n,  1826.  They  have  ' 
been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  named  as 
follows :  Barbara  E.,  John  M.,  Harvey,  Carey  A., 
James  M.,  Jr.,  and  lambia.  Barbara  is  the  wife  ofV| 
A.  J.  Suadley,  and  they  reside  in  Maquon  Town- 
ship (see  sketch).  John  M.  married  Martha  A.  Tay- 
lor, and  resides  in  Nebraska.  They  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  the  two  elder  being  Everton  M.  and 
Myrtie  M.  Harvey  resides  in  Maquon  Township. 
Carey  married  Alice  P.  Dolton,  and  they  are  at  pres- 
ent residing  in  Missouri.  Four  children  have  come 
to  brighten  their  family  circle,  the  three  elder  being 
■  Verniece  E.,  Eddie  L.  and  Minnie  V.  I.  James  M., 
Jr.,  took  to  wife  Julia  L.  Hunter,  and  they  are  re- 
siding in  Maquon  Township.  One  child,  Althea  M., 
has  blessed  their  union.  lambia  Foster  resides  at 
home. 

Mr.  Foster  has  been  Supervisor  of  this  township, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors. 
He  has  also  been  honored  by  the  offices  of  School 
Trustee  and  Director  and  Highway  Commissioner. 
Mrs.  Foster  is  a  devoted  and  consistent  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics  our 
subject  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Foster  of  this  notice,  Zebulon 
and  Elizabeth  (Wingate)  Foster,  were  natives  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey  respectively.  They  were 
married  and  settled  in  Ohio,  removing  thence  to  In- 
diana, where  the  mother  died.    The  father  of  our 


OF  THE 
i::!VERSITY  OF  ILUN7J3 


m:/L.  /^  ^<u^^m^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


383 


subject  died  in  Fulton  County,  111.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Foster  were  Philip  and  Barbara  A.  Roads,  na- 
tives of  Virginia  and  Ohio  respectively.  After  mar- 
riage they  settled  iij  Ohio,  subsequently  coming  to 
Knox  County,  emigrating  a  few  years  later  to  Kan- 
sas, in  which  State  they  both  died. 


iHlliam  Snider.     Among  the  self-made  men 

^_     of  Kno.x  County,  who  have  accumulated 

if^5>^  what  they  have  of  this  world's  goods  bytheir 
l^i^>  own  energy  and  perseverance,  is  the  subject 
Iv^       of  this   notice.       He   is  and  has  been  since 


J  '  his  residence  here  closely  identified  with  the 
agricultural  development  of  the  county,  and  his  suc- 
cess as  a  financier  is  attested  by  the  handsome  com- 
petency of  which  he  is  the  possessor. 

Mr.  Snider  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio, 
Nov.  4,  1835,  and  is  a  son  of  Abram  and  Elizabeth 
(Myers)  Snider.  His  parents  were  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  were  of  German  descent.  William  was 
orphaned  by  the  death  of  his  parents,  which  occurred 
in  1848,  by  cholera,  in  the  latter  part  of  August  and 
first  of  September,  when  1 1  years  of  age,  and  was 
brought  up  to  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  the  home 
of  strangers.  He  received  such  education  as  was  to 
be  acquired  in  the  common  schools  of  the  locality  at 
that  time,  and  there  he  developed  into  manhood. 
September  14,  1856,  he  became  a  benedict  by  unit- 
ing his  destiny  with  that  of  Miss  Angelina  C.  Har- 
vey, a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Leming) 
Harvey,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county  as  him- 
self. The  same  year,  in  company  with  his  bride,  he 
left  Ohio  for  the  rich  prairie  lands  "of  Illinois,  making 
the  trip  overland  by  team,  and  arrived  at  Abingdon 
October  17,  of  that  year.  He  immediately  engaged 
in  his  chosen  vocation,  farming,  in  Chestnut  Town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  80  acres  of  land,  20  of 
which  was  timber,  and  continued  to  follow  that  call- 
ing in  the  locality  named,  until  the  spring  of  1864, 
when  he  moved  into  the  city  of  Abingdon.  Prior  to 
this,  however,  in  1862,  he  engaged  in  the  stock  bus- 
iness and  has  made  that  one  of  the  main  branches  of 
his  vocation  in  life,  having  handled  as  high  as 
150  cars  of  stock  a  year.  In  this  branch  there  is 
probably  no  other  gentleman  in  Kno.\  County  who 
has  done  more  business  than  he,  and  in  which  he 


still  continues.  Like  many  others,  Mr.  Snider  came 
to  the  county  in  straitened  circumstances,  but, 
although  poor  in  [wcket,  he  was  rich  in  energy  and 
perseverance.  Mr.  Snider  is  the  proprietor  of  a  fine 
farm  of  256  acres  of  land,  under  an  advanced  state 
of  cultivation,  located  one  mile  east  of  Abingdon,  in 
Indian  Point  Township,  and  another  four  miles 
southeast,  consisting  of  160  acres,  making  in  all  416 
acres.  He  is  an  energetic,  shrewd,  business  man, 
and  is  an  acknowledged  authority  on  live-stock.  Mr. 
Snider  i\as  made  his  residence  in  Abingdon  since 
1875,  from  which  place  he  superintends  the  cultiva- 
tion of  his  farms,  and  where  he  is  one  of  the  leading, 
representative  citizens.  In  (xilitics  he  votes  with  the 
Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  County 
Central  Committee.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Snider  joined  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  in  1864,  of  which  society  he  is  a  member 
at  this  writing. 

There   were   eight  children  in  the  family  of  the 
elder  Snider,  all  of  whom  are  living.    All  but  one  are  , 
married  and  have  families,  and  all  live  in  Ohio. 


•^\n/\u-nulSlQf%^^ 


.^,5!.'OT7r»v. -v/w^ 


P.  Parsons,  deceased  Nov.  4,  187  i ,  arrived 
t  with  liis  wife  and  one  child  in  Kno.x  Coun- 
ty and  first  took  up  his  residence  in  Knox- 
ville,  where  he  remained  six  months.  Removing 
subsequently  to  Henderson  Township,  he  lived 
here,  with  the  exception  of  15  months,  up  to 
the  date  of  his  death.  During  the  short  period 
named  he  resided  in  Galesburg.  His  farm  consisted 
of  189  acres  of  good  land,  which  he  always  took  a 
special  pride  in,  directing  his  farm  operations  per- 
sonally. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Parsons  with  Lucia  M.  Still- 
rnan  took  place  in  Carthage,  Hancock  Co.,  111.,  on 
the  (oth  of  September,  1844.  She  was  born  in 
Litchfield,  Conn.,  June  2,  1827,  and  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Jason  and  Harriet  (Seymour)  Stillman,  and 
was  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  three :  Frances  M. 
became  the  wife  of  Lester  Russell,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased ;  she  was  again  married  to  Franklin  Neff, 
who  is  also  deceased;  by  the  latter  marriage  six 
children  were  born.  Charles  married  Elizabeth 
NefT,  and  they  have  a  large  family  of  children.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Parsons  were  natives  of  Connecticut 


^-1- 


--f- 


384 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  of  English  origin.  The  father  died  in  1839,  in 
New  York  State.  The  demise  of  the  mother  oc- 
curred about  1865,  in  the  Territory  of  Utah. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parsons  were  the  parents  of  six 
children — Hattie  L.,  Jennie  M.,  Lucia  M.,  John  C, 
Annie  and  Mary  E.  Hattie  L.  is  the  wife  of  David 
Coe,  and  resides  in  Dayton,  Cass  Co.,  Mo.;  by  this 
marriage  there  are  four  children — Charles,  Tillie, 
John  and  Robert.  Jennie  M.  is  now  the  widow  of 
Moses  E.  Coe,  and  resides  in  Kankakee,  111. ;  Mr. 
Coe  died  on  the  8th  of  October,  1879,  leaving  one 
child — Frederick  E.  Lucia  M.  Parsons  became  the 
wife  of  Charles  E.  Redfield  and  lives  in  Galesburg 
Township;  she  has  three  children — Minnie  '  J., 
Charles  and  Chester.  John  C.  resides  in  Hender- 
son Township  and  his  biography  is  given  in  another 
place;  Annie  resides  in  Galesburg;  Mar)-  E.  is  the 
wife  of  William  X.  Simpson,  and  resides  at  Mt. 
Pleasant,  Iowa;  they  liave  one  child — Ruth  M. 

Mr.  Parsons'  birthplace  was  in  Massachusetts, 
and  he  was  born  Dec.  25,  1823  (see  sketch  of  Frank- 
lin Parsons  for  family  history).  His  quiet  but  use- 
ful life  and  genial  disjxjsiiion  won  for  him  a  lasting 
and  kindly  remembrance  on  the  part  of  those  who 
knew  and  had  dealings  with  him. 

We  are  pleased  to  be  able  to  present  his  pleasant 
countenance  among  the  portraits  of  other  esteemed 
citizens  of  Knox  County. 


j^oseph  Clesson,  one  of  Knox  County's  re- 
spected citizens  and  well-to  do  farmers, 
residing  on  section  26,  Elba  Township,  was 
bom  in  Deerfield,  Mass.,  Sept.  7,  1818.  Mr. 
yi  Clesson  is  a  son  of  Joseph  and  Mehitabel 
\  (Stebbins)  Clesson,  natives  of  Massachusetts. 
The  parents  came  to  Shelby  County,  this  State,  away 
back  in  1837,  and  there  lived  until  theirdeath.  Their 
children  were  nine  in  number,  and  Joseph  was  the 
second  in  order  of  birth. 

Joseph  Clesson  carae  to  this  State  with  his  parents 
and  lived  with  ihem  in  Shelby  County,  until  his  re- 
moval to  Peoria  County.  He  resided  in  the  latter 
county  two  years,  when  he  moved  here,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1855  made  settlement  in  Elba  Township, 
on  the  place  where  is  at  present  residing.  His  life 
has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  he  is 


at  present  the  owner  of  80  acres  of  good  and  pro- 
ductive land,  on  which  he  has  erected  a  comfortable 
residence,  and  in  the  prosecution  of  his  most  inde- 
pendent of  all  callings  is  meeting  with  success. 

Mr.  Clesson  was  married  in  Shelby  County,  this 
State,  in  1839,  to  Miss  Mary  Humphrey.  She  bore 
him  one  child — Mary — who  died  when  two  years  of 
age.  Mr.  Clesson 's  wife  died  in  this  county,  and 
in  1843  he  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance 
with  Miss  Elizabeth  Humphrey,  sister  of  his  former 
wife,  and  a  native  of  Ohio.  Of  the  latter  union,  four 
children  have  been  bom,  named  Melvina  J.,  Barbara 
A.,  Nancy  E.  and  Joseph  H. ;  the  latter  is  deceased. 
Melvina  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Patterson,  a  farmer  of 
Elba  Township;  Barbara  A.  married  Joseph  J. 
Matthews,  who  is  engaged  in  famiing  in  Salem 
Township;  Nancy  became  Mrs.  Albertus  S.  Codding 
and  resides  in  Victoria  Township. 

Mrs.  Clesson  died  in  Peoria  County,  Feb.  i,  1853, 
and  our  subject  was  again  married  in  Lowell,  Mass., 
March  25,  1855,  to  HepsiaCarr,a  native  of  Deering, 
N.  H.,  and  bom  Feb.  22,  1815.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cles- 
son have  an  adopted  son — Melva  W.  Clesson.  Our 
subject  has  held  some  of  the  minor  ofiBces  of  his  < 
county,  and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his 
wife  are-  believers  in  the  tenets  of  the  Universalis! 
Church. 


,ervin  Hale  Pease,  one  of  Knox  County's 
1^^^   retired  farmers,  residing  upon  section  20, 


^f; 


J  <' 


Salem  Township,   was    born    in   Starks- 


■\  boro,  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,  Aug.  12,  i8r4.  His 
^  father,  Obed  Pease,  was  born  in  Weston,  Wind- 
I  sor  Co.,  Vt.,  1787.  The  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, Ezekiel  Pease,  was  a  native  of  the  Nutmeg 
State,  and  a  descendant  of  Capt.  John  Pease,  who 
hailed  from  Wales,  and  upon  arrival  in  America  set- 
tled in  Massachusetts.  Our  subject's  grandfather  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Windsor  and  Addison 
Counties.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Friends,  and  died  in  Starksboro,  where  his  remains 
now  lie  at  rest. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  town.  He  was  reared  a  Quaker,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  Quaker  schools.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Lydia  Lamos,  a  native  of  New 
Hampshire.  After  his  marriage  he  located  upon  a 
fami  which  he  fell  heir  to  at  the  death  of  his  father, . 


^LXl 


-^ 


'.r-*?- 


f^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  conlinued  to  reside  there  until  1839,  when  he 
sold  out,  and,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  five  chil- 
dren, came  to  Illinois.  He  had  visited  Knox  County 
the  year  previous,  and  made  a  purchase  of  land  on 
section  7,  now  included  in  Salem  Township.  The 
journey  thither  was  quite  round-about.  He  took  a 
boat  on  Lake  Champlain,  thence  via  Champlain  Ca- 
nal to  Troy,  thence  via  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  then  by 
the  way  of  the  lakes  to  Cleveland,  across  the  State  of 
Ohio  to  the  river,  and  by  way  of  the  Ohio,  Missis- 
sippi and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Peoria.  After  purchasing 
his  land  he  returned  to  Vermont,  making  his  journey 
in  part  on  horseback,  and  the  remainder  in  a  sleigh. 
In  the  spring  of  1839  he  started  with  team  and  wagon 
overland  to  Knox  County,  and  located  on  the  f.-.nn 
he  had  purchased  the  year  previous,  living  there  until 
his  demise  in  1845.  His  beloved  wife  joined  him  in 
the  land  of  the  hereafter  Nov.  25,  1863. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  the  second 
child  and  eldest  son  of  his  parents'  family.  He  grew 
to  manhood  in  his  native  town,  and  was  reared  in  that 
most  independent  of  all  callings,  agriculture.  He  also 
received  his  education  in  the  Quaker  schools.  In 
1838  he  came  to  Illinois  in  search  of  a  location,  ac- 
companied by  Philemon  Stilson.  They  made  the  en- 
tire journey  overland.  He  spent  the  winter  in  Salem 
Township,  and  in  the  following  spring  returned  to 
Vermont,  where,  Oct.  31,  1842,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Lucinda  M.  Atwood.  Miss  Atwood  was  a 
native  of  Starksboro,  Vt.,  and  was  born  Nov.  9, 
1 82 1.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Alnion  and  Amanda 
(Taylor)  Atwood.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Monk- 
ton,  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,  and  is  the  son  of  Paul  Atwood, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Addison  County. 

Mr.  Pease,  our  subject,  previous  to  his  marriage, 
had  the  misfortune  to  lose  that  most  indispensable 
of  the  senses,  eyesight,  and  in  consequence  became 
a  lecturer.  His  discourses  were  usually  in  behalf  of 
temperance,  being  delivered  in  various  portions  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  lecturing  in  Vermont, 
New  Hampshire,  Massachusetts,  New  York,  Maine 
and  Canada.  Previous  to  1846,  on  the  2d  day  of 
April,  he  started,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  for  Illi- 
nois. The  journey  was  made  overland  in  a  carriage, 
his  wife  assuming  the  responsible  iKJsition  of  driver. 
This  journey  occupied  tliree  months,  as  Mr.  Pease 
delivered  lectures  at  various  cities  along  the  route. 
In  the  autumn  of  1846  he  purchased  80  acres  of  land 
located  on  section  20,  Salem  Township,  to  which  they 


removed  the  following  year.  Our  subject  continued 
in  the  lecture  field,  doing  effective  work,  for  several 
years. 

Mr.  Pease  has  dealt  in  real  estate  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent  for  many  years,  always  with  success,  and 
is  at  present  owner  of  700  acres  of  good  land,  all  of 
which  is  located  in  Salem  Township.  He  still  occu- 
pies the  old  homestead,  known  far  and  wide  as 
"  Pease  Hill."  There  he  resides,  surrounded  by  all 
the  comforts  of  an  Eastern  home. 

He  has  held  several  public  positions,  among  them 
that  of  School  Director  and  Superintendent;  he  has 
also  been  a  member  of  the  Grand  Jury  and  Super- 
visor. Since  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party 
he  has  always  voted  that  ticket. 

Four  children  have  blessed  the  union  of  our  sub- 
ject and  wife,  whose  names  are  as  follows:  Melissa 
L.;  Alberta  L.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  12  years; 
Amanda  and  Flora ;  all  deceased  in  infancy,  with  the 
exception  of  Amanda,  who  became  the  wife  of  Leroy 
Thompson,  and  died  Oct.  4,  1880,  at  the  age  of  23 
years ;  she  left  one  child,  who  died  in  early  infancy. 
Our  subject  has  always  kept  apace  with  the  current 
events  of  the  day,  and  but  few  men  are  better  ix)sted 
than  he.  He  has  filled  many  ix>sitions  of  trust,  and 
has  represented  his  Township  on  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors. 


X  ohn  W.  Jarvis.     Among  the  more  influen- 


'^l^^iL"  113'  citizens  of  Abingdon,  who  are  promi- 
^i'v'  \\e.x\X  for  usefulness  in  the  community,  may 
k0£  be  found  the  subject  of  this  narration.  He  has, 
^f  since  the  year  1883,  held  the  office  of  Justice  of 
y*  the  Peace,  to  which  he  was  elected  by  the  peo- 
ple of  his  community,  who  saw  in  him  a  man  fitted 
by  educition  and  principle  to  dispense  justice.  Pre- 
vious to  his  election,  he  had  been  employed  at  his 
trade,  that  of  shoemaker,  with  the  e.xception  of  three 
years,  during  which  interval  he  served  as  Collector 
of  Cedar  Township.  At  the  time  of  his  election  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  he  was  apjwinted  Town  Clerk, 
which  office  he  filled  advantageously  and  agreeably 
to  all  concerned. 

Mr.  Jarvis  was  born  in  Cecil  County,  Md.,  in 
1833,  and  in  younger  manhood  entered  the  conjugal 
slate  with  Sarah  R.  Way,  daughter  of  Isaac  and  Sa- 
rah Way,  and  whose  birthplace  was  in  the  State  of 


'J^L 


386 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


■♦— Hl-^ 


Maryland.  Their  nuptials  were  celebrated  in  that 
State,  April  24,  1856.  Mr.  Jarvis  is  the  son  of  Wal- 
ter and  Ann  (Allen)  Jarvis,  in  whose  care  he  went 
to  Hartford  County,  Md.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  three  years  of  age.  He  was  reared  in  that  county 
to  manhood.  He  entered  in  business  for  hiniself,work- 
ing  at  his  trade  until  1863,  at  which  time  he  came  to 
Abingdon,  his  present  home.  His  father  came  to 
Knox  County  in  1856,  and  moved  to  Iowa  and  there 
died,  in  March,  1882. 

Two  children  have  been  added  to  the  home  of  Mr. 
Jarvis,  viz.:  Mary  F.  and  Charles  W.,  the  eldest  of 
whom  was  born  in  Maryland,  the  younger  in  Abing- 
don. On  coming  to  Abingdon,  our  subject  engaged 
for  a  time  at  his  trade,  following  it  for  some  time,  or 
until  his  appointment  to  his  present  ofifice,  as  previ- 
ously stated. 

He  is  a  strong  Republican  in  political  sentiment 
and  is  largely  interested  in  public  and  private  affairs 
of  State.  His  wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  of  Abingdon. 


I 


[homas  E.  Jones  is  senior  member  of  the 
^  firm  of  T.  E.  Jones  &  Sons,  of  Oneida, 
r*  popular  dealers  in  meats,  stock,  etc.  He 
came  to  this  city  in  1858  and  established  his 
present  business,  which  he  has  successfully 
conducted.  His  sons,  in  connection  with  him, 
have  operated  also  in  grain  and  lumber  for  some  time 
in  this  place,  in  which  they  arc  yet  engaged.  One 
of  them  is  connected  with  Metcalf  Bros',  hardware 
firm. 

Thomas  E.  Jones  was  born  on  Long  Island,  N. 
Y.,  in  or  about  the  year  1806,  and  is  of  American 
parentage  and  of  English  descent.  His  father,  Pe- 
ter Jones,  who  was  a  farmer,  took  his  family  to  Onei- 
da County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died ;  the  mother,  Ann 
(Walker)  Jones,  closing  her  life  in  the  same  place. 
She  died  when  Thomas  was  but  seven  years  of  age, 
he  being  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  including 
six  sons,  and  he  lived  at  home  with  his  father,  who 
was  re-married,  until  he  was  of  age,  having  received 
a  good  common-school  education.  Arriving  at  his 
majority,  he  entered  upon  the  occupation  of  a  farmer, 


at  which  he  continued  for  12  years  in  Oneida  County, 
afterward  becoming  a  stock  or  cattle  dealer  and  run- 
ning a  packing  house  in  Ulica.  In  this  latter  call- 
ing he  has  been  engaged  almost  ever  since,  doing 
business  for  many  years  on  an  extensive  scale.  His 
fair  dealing  with  the  public  and  his  sterling  honesty 
have  given  him  a  widespread  reputation  in  Knox 
County,  by  the  people  of  which  he  is  highly  re- 
spected. 

His  industry  and  strict  attention  to  business  and 
his  upright  character  have  secured  him  a  fair  com- 
petency. His  sons  are  personally  interested  in  the 
advancing  of  their  joint  interests.  Some  of  his  cap- 
ital is  invested  in  the  West. 

Before  leaving  the  State  of  New  York  he  was  mar- 
ried in  Herkimer  County,  during  the  year  1844,  to 
Julia  A.  Leonard;  her  parents  being  farmers,  for- 
merly removed  thence  from  Massachusetts,  where  she 
was  born.  Her  father,  Moses  Leonard,  was  a  sol- 
dier in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  lived  to  attain 
a  ripe  old  age  and  was  a  prominent  and  respected 
citizen.  Both  himself  and  wife  died  in  the  county  of 
Herkimer. 

Mrs.  Jones  was  the  mother  of  seven  children,  all 
of  wjiom  were  living  at  the  time  of  her  decease,  Nov. 
II,  1876.  Of  these,  Caroline  F.  is  at  home;  Char- 
lotte and  Cornelia  (twins),  the  former  the  wife  of  E. 
R.  Proty,  a  grocery  dealer,  born  and  brought  up  in 
Oneida;  the  latter,  Cornelia,  is  an  artist  and  is  at 
the  head  of  the  art  department  in  the  Female  Semi- 
nary at  Galesburg,  where  she  is  reputed  to  be  highly 
talented ;  Charles  L.  is  married  and  resides  in  Hast- 
ings, Neb.,  where  he  owns  and  operates  a  stock 
ranch  ;  Arthur,  also  married,  is  a  hardware  merchant 
of  Oneida;  William  H.,  married,  is  a  stock-dealer  in 
Holdridge,  Neb. ;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Chase, 
who  resides  in  Georgetown,  Colo.,  Mr.  Chase  being 
surveyor  of  the  gold  and  silver  mines  in  that  region. 
Three  of  the  daughters  were  school  teachers,  a  profes- 
sion which  they  adorned  and  in  which  they  were  re- 
markably successful.  Mr.  Jones  was  formerly  a 
member  of  the  Republican  party,  but  nftw  votes  with 
and  advocates  the  party  of  Temperance.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  were  members  of  the  Congregational 
Churcli  at  Oneida,  as  he  still  is,  and  while  the  snows 
of  many  winters  rest  on  the  white  locks  encircling 
his  brow,  the  light  reflected  from  the  long  years  of 
a  well-spent  life  brightens  and  cheers  his  pathway 
to  a  better  land,  while  the  loving  reverence  of  chil- 


V 


Residence  of  S.  H. STUCK EY,  secs.  l  a.  2  ,  walnut  grove  township. 


OF  THE 
U-nVERSlTV  OF  ILU''     ' 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


% 


389 


dren  and  the  respect  of  his  fellow  citizens,  with  the 
blessed  faith  of  the  Gospel,  are  the  comfort  and  sol- 
ace of  his  declining  years. 


>ary  A.  Roberson.  The  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice,  whose  home  is  situ- 
ated on  section  17,  Indian  Point  Town- 
71-i^  '  >  ship,  is  the  widow  of  James  Roberson,  de- 
ceased. She  is  a  lady  whose  strength  of  charac- 
ter and  nobleness  of  purpose  have  borne  heron- 
ward,  though  oftentimes  she  has  felt  the  heavy  hand 
of  affliction.  James  Roberson,  her  late  husband,  was 
born  Feb.  8,  182 1, in  Barren  County,  Ky. 

When  but  9  years  of  age  he  came  with  his  mother 
to  Woodford  County,  111.  In  1836  they  came  to 
Knox,  and  settled  at  Knowille,  meeting  Miss  Mary 
A.  Smith,  who  was  born  in  Hart  County,  Ky.,  Dec. 
20,  1841,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Margaret  (Bishop) 
Smith;  he  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  Feb.  15,  1806, 
and  died  May  8,  1879,  in  Alexander  County, 
111.,  and  she  March  23,  1804,  and  died  April  20, 
1878;  they  were  married  in  1825.  The  Smith 
family  settled  in  St.   Augustine,  111.,  in  1850. 

The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Mrs.  Roberson  of  this 
writing  number,  with  her,  11  children,  as  follows: 
Hugh  P.,  Oct.  II,  1825;  John  B.,  born  March  15, 
1827;  Sarah  J,  May  31,   1829;  James  M.,  March 

24,  1830;  WiUiam  M.,  May  11,  1832;  Newton,  born 
May  7,  1834;  Richard  H.,  Feb.  12,  1836;  Ignatius 
M.,  Jan.  18,  1839,  and  Rachel  E.,  June  14,  1840 
Amanda,  born  Dec.  7,  1843. 

The  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  deceased  Mr.  Rob- 
erson are  as  follows:  John,  born  Dec.  17,  1814; 
Nancy,  May  21,  181 7;  Eliza,  March  26,  1818;  James, 
Feb.  28,  1821  ;  William,  Dec.  7,  1823;  Tliomas,  Feb. 

25,  1829.     These  constituted  the  family  circle. 

Mr.  Roberson  carried  a  surveyor's  chain  to  lay  out 
the  road  from  St.  Augustine  by  way  of  Abingdon  to 
Knoxville.  He  had  at  the  date  of  his  death  168 
acres  of  land,  and  had  built  thereon  a  nice,  neat 
dwelling-house,  with  convenient  out-buildings.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  public  matters,  and  was 
Democratic  in  principle  and  sentiment.  His  father 
was  also  a  Democrat. 

He  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Smith,  Sept.  24,  1857. 
_  They  have  been  the  parents  of  seven  children  :  Will- 


iam P.,  born  May  28,  i860;  Luna  F.,  April  19,  1861; 
Louisa  M.,  July  13,  1862  ;  James  E.,  Jan.  7,  1864; 
Marion,  April  2,  1S65,  who  died  April  9,  1865  ;  John 
T.,  March  19,  1866,  and  Clarence  W.,  June  27, 
1870. 

Mr.  Roberson  died  Oct.  31,  1881.  He  was  a  highly 
respected  citizen  and  a  good  neighbor.  His  death  was 
widely  mourned,  as  he  had  been  always  noteworthy 
for  a  quiet,  peaceable  life  and  highest  integrity.  He 
was  an  affectionate  husband  and  father,  and  was 
never  so  happy  as  when  in  his  quiet  home  circle.  He 
departed  in  the  full  faith  and  assurance  of  that 
blessed  hope  in  the  bright  hereafter.  "  Oh,  grave, 
where  is  thy  victory  ?" 

Mrs  Roberson  does  common  fanning,  and  has 
succeeded  well  in  her  unusual  venture.  Siie  has  an 
interesting  family  of  sons  and  daughters,  three' of 
whom,  with  their  mother,  are  consistent  members, 
living  beautiful  and  devoted  lives  as  Christians, 
under  the  faith  of  the  Christian  Church.  They  take 
an  active  interest  in  the  Sunday-school,  and  are  1 
workers  in  all  good  and  worthy  enterprises. 


^ 


;|li|^j|ff' ames  H.  Nicholson.  Throughout  the  en- 
jl^SlJc  tire  county  of  Knox  one  may  see  some  of 
IS  ''  the  best  farms  to  be  found  in  any  section 
'€'2.  of  the  State.  A  few  short  years  ago  these  pro- 
Y    ductive   and  fertile  lands,  with  such   magnifi- 

\  cent  improvements  uiwn  them,  were  but  an 
uncultivated  tract  of  prairie  land.  It  has  required 
untold  energy  and  perseverance  to  bring  the  county 
to  its  present  agricultural  condition.  Not  alone  to 
the  agriculturist,  however,  is  the  advancement  of 
Knox  County  due,  for  the  business  men  and  men  of 
means  have  done  their  share  toward  its  upbuilding. 
As  a  represenative  of  both  classes  the  name  of  James 
H.  Nicholson  stands  prominently  in  the  foreground. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  the  son  of  Nicho- 
las and  Mary  (Washburn)  Nicholson,  who  were 
natives  of  Canada  and  Connecticut  respectively. 
They  were  married  and  settled  in  what  was  then 
Middletown,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  and  after- 
ward removed  to  Allegany  County,  on  the  Genesee 
River,  that  State,  where  their  lives  terminated. 
Tiiey  were  of  Irish  and  American  ancestry  respect- 
ively.    The   great-grandfather  of  our   subject   was 


■^  ►"TJ 


390 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


++ 


stolen  from  Ireland  by  a  ship  captain,  and  brought 
to  Canada.  Our  subject's  parents  had  six  children 
— Edward,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  James  H.,  Hannah 
and  Abel  S. 

James  H.  Nicholson  and  his  brother,  Abel  S.,  are 
the  only  surviving  members  of  his  parents'  children. 
James  H.  was  born  on  what  was  known  as  the 
"  Hasbrouck  Farm,"  located  in  Middletown,  Dela- 
ware Co.,  N.  Y  ,  Aug.  8,  1808.  His  early  life  was 
spent  on  a  farm,  and  his  early  education  was  re- 
ceived by  attending  the  common  schools  during  the 
winter  season,  he  continuing  at  his  labors  on  the  farm 
during  the  summer.  When  he  was  14  years  of  age 
he  left  the  parental  homestead  and  went  to  Philadel- 
phia with  an  acquaintance  of  his  father,  and  remained 
there  for  one  year,  occupying  his  time  meanwhile  by 
attending  school.  Returning  to  the  old  home,  he  re- 
sided with  his  parents  until  20  years  of  age,  when  his 
father  removed  to  Allegany  County,  that  State,  and 
left  our  subject  and  a  cousin  in  charge  of  the  old  farm 
in  Delaware  County,  which  they  rented  and  culti- 
vated for  five  years.  There  was  a  saw-mill  on  the 
farm,  which  they  operated  during  the  fall  and  spring. 
Daring  the  spring  of  the  fourth  year  af'.er  his  parents 
had  left  the  farm,  our  subject  went  to  Pliihidelphia 
with  lumber,  and  during  his  absence  the  liouse  where 
''  he  and  his  cousin  lived  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and 
our  subject  lost  all  his  clothing  and  household  goods. 
He  was  not  easily  discouraged,  and  soon  had  a  small 
shanty  on  the  farm,  but  only  remained  there  for  a 
few  months,  when  he  removed  to  Allegany  County, 
where  his  parents  lived",  and  there  purchased  himself 
a  farm.  He  was  occupied  in  the  latter  county  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  and  lumbering  for  several  years, 
and  in  1842  came  west  to  Knox  County,  where  he 
located  in  Elba  Township,  on  a  tract  of  60  acres  on 
section  25,  then  known  as  Spoon  River  Precinct, 
which  he  had  purchased  two  years  previous,  in  1840. 
He  bought  the  land  before  he  had  seen  it,  and  on 
his  arrival  here  found  there  was  no  house  within  two 
miles  of  him.  He  nevertheless  had  faith  in  the  fut- 
ure development  of  the  country,  and  began  to  im- 
prove his  land  as  opportunity  would  permit,  and 
worked  out  for  nearly  two  years  by  the  month.  At 
the  expiration  of  this  time  he  turned  his  entire  atten- 
tion to  the  cultivation  of  his  land.  .  In  1846  he 
erected  a  residence  on  the  place  and  occupied  the 
same  until  the  fall  of  1876,  when  he  removed  to  his 
present  fine  residence,  which  was  completed  at  that 


time,  and  here  he  is  living  at  the  present  writing. 
His  farm  consists  of  320  acres,  all  of  which,  with  the 
exception  of  20  acres,  is  under  an  advanced  state  of 
cultivation. 

Mr.  Nicholson  was  first  married  in  Allegany 
County,  Nov.  24,  1834,  to  Sophia  Franklin,  born  in 
Allegany  County,  N.  Y.,  March  10,  1808.  She  bore 
our  subject  one  child,  which  died  the  same  day  that 
its  mother  passed  to  tlie  land  of  the  hereafter,  Nov. 
12,  1835.  The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  took 
place  March  24,  1850,  in  Elba  Township,  and  the 
lady  was  Miss  Catherine  King,  born  in  Richland 
County,  Oliio,  Sept.  i,  1826.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  (Tucker)  King;  they  were  natives 
of  Ireland.  She  has  borne  our  subject  one  child — ■ 
Mary  S.,  who  became  the  wife  of  Charles  D.  North, 
and  to  them  were  born  five  children — Adah  C,  Ralph 
N.,  Earl  J.,  Carl  C.  and  Harold  E.;  the  latter  is  a 
farmer  on  section  25. 

Mr.  Nicholson  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  holds  membership  with  Yates  City  Lodge,  ' 
No.  448,  A  F.  &  A.  M.  In  tlie  summer  of  1883  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  W.  P.  Parker  and  L.  F. 
Waterman,  for  the  purpose  of  conducting  a  banking  ^ 
business  at  Yates  City.  He  is  also  one  of  the  stock- 
holders in  the  co-operative  store  at  that  place,  and  is 
connected  with  the  Eureka  Insurance  Company,  of 
Elba  Township.  In  politics  he  votes  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Andrew 
Jackson,  in  1828.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Super- 
visor for  a  number  of  years,  was  Treasurer  15  years, 
Justice  of  the  Peace  5  years.  Assessor  i  year,  and 
held  all  four  of  those  offices  at  the  same  time.  He 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Universalist  Church. 


saac  Morgan.  Standing  on  section  8,  of 
Chestnut  Township,  is  the  residence  of  an 
old  veteran  of  the  late  war,  the  subject  of 
this  historical  narrative,  who  enlisted  with  the 
30th  Reg.  111.  Vol.  Inf ,  the  date  of  his  enlist- 
ment being  1863,  and  the  commander  Col. 
Rhodes,  of  Macoupin  County,  111.  He  belonged  to 
the  2d  Brigade,  2d  Division  of  the  17th  Corps  of  the 
Army  of  the  Tennessee,  and  fought  in  the  second 
battle  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  at  Wyse's  Fork,  near 
Kingston,  N.  C,  and  also  took  part  in  several  minor 
engagements.     He  was  finally  detailed  to  do  guard 


-% 


¥ 


^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


391 


duty,  having  received  no  serious  wounds,  but  the 
hardships  through  which  he  passed,  the  long  marches, 
hunger  and  exposure  to  inclement  weather  combined, 
made  deep  inroads  ujxjn  his  physical  constitution, 
and  to-day  he  suffers  their  effects. 

Mr.  Morgan  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ind., 
Nov.  6,  1826,  and  in  1853  came  to  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois. He  was  united  in  wedlock  in  1S53,  with  Miss 
Ann  Eliza  Barber,  also  a  native  of  Indiana,  born  April 
29,  1S34.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  are  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  as  follows:  Margaret  J.,  Augustus, 
Weaver,  Martha  A.,  John  VV.,  Octava,  Mehitabel, 
Eli  F.,  Robert  M.;  two  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Morgan  is  the  possessor  of  150  acres  of  excel- 
lent land,  upon  which  is  situated  his  comfortable 
residence.  He  is  in  delicate  health,  but  draws  a 
pension  of  $16  per  ir.onth  from  the  Government.  He 
received  an  honorable  discharge  from  the  army  June 
18,  1S65,  and  was  mustered  out  of  service  at  Camp 
Butler,  111.  He  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Post 
No.  58,  at  Abingdon,  and  is  a  close  adherent  to  the 
principles  supported  by  the  Republican  party,  always 
voting  the  straight  ticket  of  that  body. 


1  ahlon  McGirr.  Everywhere  throughout 
-  boundaries  of  Knox  County,  look 
!.ich  way  you  will  from  the  center,  one 


j-:^  \  can  behold  some  of  the  finest  farms  to  be 
'!'     found  in  any  township  in  this   State.     But  a 

I  few  years  ag~,  where  now  we  see  these  beauti- 
ful farms  and  splendid  improvements,  there  was  but 
one  broad,  uncultivated  tract  of  prairie  land.  The 
wonderful  advancement  which  the  county  has  made 
during  the  last  50  years  is,  therefore,  mainly  due  to 
the  agricultural  class.  As  a  representative  of  this 
class,  and  a  large  land-owner  as  well  as  res|>ected 
and  honored  citizen  and  energetic  follower  of  his 
chosen  vocation,  we  take  pleasure  in  mentioning  the 
name  of  Mr.  McGirr,  who  resides  on  section  12, 
Maquon  Township. 

Our  subject  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  spring 
of  185 1,  from  Washington  County,  Ohio,  making  set- 
tlement in  the  village  of  Maquon,  where  he  resided 
until  the  spring  of  1858,  when  he  located  on  his 
present  fine  farm,  where  he  has  since  resided.  He 
first  purchased  80  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  made 


-H- 


his  home,  and  he  is  now  the  proprietor  of  427  acres 
of  land,  the  greater  part  of  which  is  under  a  high 
stale  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  McGirr  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio,  the 
date  thereof  being  June  20,  tS2S.  He  was  about  13 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  emigrated  to  Wash- 
ington County.  He  had  learned  the  trade  of  a 
blacksmith  in  his  earlier  years,  which  occupation  he 
followed  during  his  residence  in  Ohio,  but  on  his 
arrival  in  Illinois  he  took  up  the  trade  of  a  carpenter 
until  his  settlement  on  his  present  fine  farm. 

On  May  12,  1853,  at  Maquon,  Mr.  McGirr  was 
married  to  Sarah  L.  Barbero.  She  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Allen,  York  State,  April  30,  1835,  and  was 
nearly  five  years  of  age  when  she  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  Knox  County. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGirr  have  been  born  six  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Thomas  L.,  Rosa  L.,  Nathan 
Henry,  William  L.,  Freddie  B.  and  Mary  L.  Freddie 
died  when  ten  years  of  age;  Thomas  L.  is  a  lawyer, 
residing  in  Maquon;  Rosa  became  the  wife  of 
Charles  Nesbet,  and  they  are  at  present  residing  at 
Chase  County,  Kan.;  Nathan  H.  is  a  blacksmith 
and  resident  of  Maquon  (see  sketch);  William  L.  "^ 
and  Mary  L.  still  reside  \x\x>n  the  old  home  farm. 

Mr.  M.  has  held  many  of  the  minor  offices  of  his 
township,  and  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  His 
parents  were  Thomas  and  Ann  (Wildman)  McGirr, 
natives  of  Maryland  and  Virginia  respectively.  They 
passed  the  greater  portion  of  their  married  life  in 
Ohio,  where  the  father  still  survives,  the  mother 
dying  in  1S72.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  M.,  Nathan 
and  Calista  (Loomis)  Barbero,  were  natives  of  York 
State,  and  came  to  Knox  County  about  the  year  1841. 
Mr.  Barbero  died  at  Maquon  on  the  ist  day  of 
January,  1885;  his  wife,  still  surviving  him,  resides 
at  that  place. 

^ #^ ^ 


if"^^^  ilbert  S.  Snow.     Foremost  in  the  ranks  of 

lk.5<a)^    influential  citizens  and  prominent  farmers 

•^jS^^    may   be    found    Gilbert    S.  Snow,    whose 

'^^   name    stands  at   the    head  of  this    personal 

T"      sketch,  and  the  main   [toints  of  whose  career 

*       are   herein    recorded.       He   is   an    agreeable 

neiglil)or  with  much  heart,  and  a  kindly  disposed  man, 

while  his  skill  at  his  profession,  his  go-ahead  disposi- 


u 


r<^ 


392 


JsTJVOX  COUNTY. 


I 


tion  and  energetic  industry,  have  made  him  what  he 
is  to-day  financially. 

Mr.  Snow  came  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of 
1857,  from  Williams  County,  Ohio,  and  in  the  follow- 
ing autumn  went  to  Neosho  Valley,  Kan.,  where  he 
resided  almost  two  years.  He  returned  to  Knox 
County  in  June,  18159,  which  he  has  since  made  his 
home.  He  settled  in  Rio  Township,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1864  bought  40  acres,  lying  in  section  18, 
upon  which  he  erected  the  buildings  that  now  con- 
stitute his  home  property.  He  is  at  present  the 
owner  of  130  acres,  nearly  all  tillable  land. 

Mr.  Snow  was  born  in  Cattaraugus  County,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  10,  1833.  His  school  privileges  were  limited, 
and  he  often  felt  the  stress  of  untoward  circum- 
stances. When  he  was  almost  two  years  old  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Crawford  County,  Pa.,  where  Mr. 
Snow  spent  about  10  years  of  his  life  and  then  went 
to  Williams  County,  Ohio.  In  this  place  he  lived 
till  he  came  to  Knox  County,  which  was  in  1857. 
His  parents  were  Sylvester  and  Polly  (Reed)  Snow, 
and  natives  of  New  York.  On  the  paternal  side  Mr. 
Snow  is  of  French  and  English  origin,  and  on  tlie 
maternal  of  German-English.  He  is  the  ninth  in 
order  of  birth  of  a  family  of  10  children  ;  eight  boys 
and  two  girls,  all  of  whom  reached  the  age  of  man 
and  womanhood. 

Mr.  Snow  married  in  the  city  of  Knoxville,  Aug. 
30,  1862,  Martlia  M.  Sperry,  daughter  of  Moses 
and  Sally  (Chaffee)  Sperry,  natives  of  New  York. 
Mrs.  Snow  was  the  sixth  child  in  order  of  birth 
and  the  only  daughter.  She  was  born  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  Aug.  29,  1846. 

The  fruit  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Snow  has 
been  the  birth  of  four  children — Celia  L.,  Sylvester 
C,  William  D.  and  Edna  I.  Sylvester  died  when 
only  one  and  one-half  years  old,  at  just  the  sweet 
and  winning  stage  of  babyhood,  when  the  childish 
hands  have  taken  firm  hold  of  the  heart-strings  of  the 
family.  He  was  deeply  mourned  by  parents,  broth- 
ers and  sisters.  All  the  children  are  at  home 
under  the  parental  roof,  the  family  being  among  the 
most  happy  and  united. 

Mr.  Snow  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  is  Secretary  of  Horeb  Chapter,  No.  4,  now  serv- 
ing his  tenth  term.  He  is  also  Worshipful  Master  of 
Rio  Lodge,  No.  685,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  takes  an 
interest  in  educational  matters,  and  is  one  of  the 
best  men  the  county  possesses  in  that  direction.    He 


has  been  School  Director  and  Trustee,  and  also  labors 
in  many  public  ways.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Com- 
missioner of  Highways,  and  in  politics  is  independ- 
ent. In  religious  belief  both  himself  and  wife  are 
believers  of  the  Universalist  faith. 

S^lmer  H.  West,  attorney  at  law,  at  Yates 
City,  was  born  in  Elba  Township,  Knox 
County,  Feb.  11,  1861.  He  is  the  eldest 
-5^  son  of  William  G.  and  Elizabeth  (Ouderkirk) 
West  (see  sketch)  His  early  education  was 
acquired  in  the  district  schools,  which  he  com- 
menced to  attend  when  he  was  ten  years  of  age.  In 
1878  lie  entered  the  Yates  City  school,  which  he  at- 
tended for  eight  months.  Then,  in  the  autumn  of 
1879,  he  entered  Monmouth  College,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  12  months.  Feb.  11,  1881,  our  subject 
entered  Lombard  University,  at  Galesburg,  gradu-  . 
ating  from  that  institution  with  the  degree  of  A.  B. 
in  the  class  of  1882,  and  receiving  the  Master's  de- 
gree in  1885.  Subsequently  he  read  law  in  the  of- , 
fice  of  McKenzie  &  Calkins,  at  Galesburg,  until  fall, 
and  in  November  of  the  same  year  entered  the  Law 
Department  of  Michigan  University,  at  Ann  Arbor,  _ 
Mich.  Jan.  29,  1883,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
the  Michigan  Courts.  Mr.  West  was  examined  and 
admitted  to  practice  before  the  Supreme  Court  of 
that  State  Feb.  24,  1883. 

In  March,  1883,  Mr.  West  was  obliged  to  return 
home  on  account  of  illness,  and,  in  June  of  the  same 
year,  was  admitted  to  practice  before  the  Supreme 
Court  of  Illinois.  In  January,  1884,  he  opened  an 
office  at  Yates  City,  where  he  has  successfully  fol- 
lowed his  profession  since  that  time.  In  the  spring 
of  1885  he  engaged  in  the  sale  of  agricultural  imple- 
ments, and  in  September,  of  the  same  year,  opened  a 
hardware  store,  where  he  is  doing  a  thriving  business. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  embellishes  this  brief 
personal  sketch  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Brew- 
ster. This  event  took  place  Feb.  24,  1885.  Miss 
Brewster  was  born  in  Pike  County,  111.,  Oct.  24, 
1863.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Charles  T.  and  Mel- 
vina  Brewster,  the  former  of  whom  is  a  native  of  the 
Empire  State,  the  latter  of  Indiana.  They  were  early 
settlers  in  Pike  County,  Illinois. 

Our  subject  is  a  prominent  member  of  Yates  City 


L^JT 


i 


OF  THE 
L  IIVERSIiy  Of  ILLIN' 


'^^^J-mA^  yO^-oAf^ 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


395 


Lodge,  No.  44S,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  also  Yates  City 
Lodge,  No.  370,  L  0.  O.  F.,  and  of  Knox  Encamp- 
ment No.  163,  L  O.  O.  P.,  of  Elmwood. 

Elmer  H.  West  is  one  of  Knox  County's  most 
promising  young  lawyers,  and  we  have  no  hesitancy 
in  bespeaking  for  him  a  future  of  unparalleled  success 
and  happiness. 


-^>-:>r^^cvt^^:><'^-.- 


ilbert  Swart  is  a  farmer  of  undisputed 
^  success  and  prosperity,  resident  on  section 
■wivip"^  ir,  Kno.\  Township,  and  is  one  of  the 
^/f  >  county's  most  able  men  and  representative 
citizens.  He  was  born  in  Virginia,  in  Fred- 
erick County,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1812. 
His  father,  also  named  Gilbert  Swart,  was  a  native 
of  that  State,  being  born  in  Loudon  County,  on  the 
farm  afterward  owned  and  occupied  by  President 
Monroe.  He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  but  for 
some  years  was  the  proprietor  of  a  hotel  in  connec- 
tion with  the  farm. 

In  1829  he  removed  to  Ohio  and  setiled  in  Mus- 
kingum County,  where  he  died  in  March,  1830.  His 
wife  had  died  in  18 18,  and  our  subject  was  but  six 
years  of  age  at  her  death.  He  made  his  home  with 
his  father  and  brother-in-law  in  Virginia  until  1829. 
After  his  father's  death  he  started  out  to  see  the 
world  and  gain  a  livelihood  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow, 
and  soon  afterward  found  employment  in  Mus- 
kingum County,  where  he  worked  for  a  farmer  at 
$7  per  month.  He  was  thrifty  and  prudent,  and  by 
economy  accumulated  sufficient  funds  to  purchase 
80  acres  of  land  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio.  This, 
however,  he  sold  in  1S34,  thinking  to  better  himself, 
and  went  to  La  Grange  County,  Ind.,  where  he  en- 
tered land  amounting  to  80  acres.  He  then  en- 
gaged as  a  farm  hand  for  one  year,  after  which  he 
returned  to  Ohio  and  worked  until  1836. 

From  there  he  went  to  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  farming,  remaining  there  for  six 
years  and  giving  the  verj-  best  of  satisfaction.  He 
next  went  to  Madison  County,  where  he  had  pre- 
viously bought  timber  land,  and  cleared  the  farm, 
improving  it  until,  in  1864,  he  sold  it  and  removed  to 
Knox  County,  buying  160  acres  there.  This  was 
situated  on  sections   11,   13  and  14.     He  has  since 


bought  other  land,  so  that  he  now  owns  240  acres, 
each  of  his  farms  being  on  section  11. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  Feb.  8,  1838,  to  Al- 
cinda  McG.)naha.  Nineteen  months  after  their 
happy  marriage  the  wife  passed  away  from  earth, 
having  enjoyed  so  short  a  period  of  matrimonial 
felicity,  and  leaving  a  bereaved  husband  with  an 
only  son,  Notley,  who  died  also,  his  demise  taking 
place  May  1,1880.  His  second  marriage  occurred 
Nov.  14,  1841,  with  Lydia  A.  Dunn.  She  was  born 
in  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  June  23,  1820.  Nine  chil- 
dren were  the  result  of  the  latter  union,  five  of  whom 
are  living.  His  second  wife  died  Dec.  9,  1883. 
Mr.  Swart  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  is 
an  active  religious  worker,  and  in  {X)litics  has  been 
an  old-line  Whig  and  is  no>v  a  live  Democrat. 

It  is  a  satisfaction  to  the  publishers  to  be  able  to 
present  the  portrait  of  this  worthy  citizen  in  connec- 
tion with  this  sketch. 


f  eorge  W.  Kennedy,  Of  those  who  have  < 
resided  in  this  county  for  more  than  35 
'^\is~  years  and  who  have,  during  the  time  they 
'^  have  resided  here,  been  closely  identified  with  , 
its  agricultural  des'elopment,  is  the  subject  of 
this  brief  notice.  Mr.  Kennedy  came  to  this 
county  with  his  parents,  in  June,  1848,  and  located 
with  them  in  Salem  Township,  where  the  father  died 
Feb.  3,  18S4.  His  mother  died  while  he  was  yet 
young.  They  were  natives  of  Tennessee  and  came 
to  Indiana  soon  after  they  were  married,  and  there 
the  family  remained  until  they  came  to  this  county. 
The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Rush 
County,  Ind.,  Jan.  29,  1833,  and  was  there  a  resi- 
dent until  he  was  14  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he 
came  to  this  State  with  his  father,  and  his  par- 
ents stopped  in  Peoria  County  for  one  year.  His 
early  education  was  received  in  the  common  schools, 
and  he  lived  with  his  parents  in  Salem  Township, 
this  county,  until  1858.  In  September  of  the  latter 
year  our  subject  moved  to  Ellja  Township,  where  he 
rented  land  for  several  years,  and  has  since  that 
time  been  a  resident  of  the  same  and  actively  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  now  the  owner 
of  480  acres  of  good  farm  land,  the  major  portion  of 
it  being  under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.     He 


!Jt!^ 


! 


396 


■  V. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


has  erected  on  his  place  a  good  residence  and  sub- 
stantial outbuildings,  and  his  farm  presents  an 
appearance  characteristic  of  the  energy  and  perse- 
verance of  its  proprietor. 

Mr.  Kennedy  was  married  in  Salem  Township, 
Nov.  I,  1857,  to  Miss  Eliza  Darnell,  a  native  of  this 
county.  Their  union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 
eight  children — Dorothy  C,  Daniel  W.,  William  A. 
S.,  Mary  E.,  Rosa  M.,  Charles,  Clara  R.  and  Martha 
E.  Of  the  children  named,  Daniel  W.,  William  A. 
and  Mary  E.  are  deceased  ;  Dorothy  is  the  wife  of 
Andrew  Reddin,  a  farmer,  of  Elba  Township,  and 
they  have  one  child — Bessie  M. 

Mr.  Kennedy  has  held  the  offices  of  .School  Di- 
rector and  Overseer  of  Highways.  In  politics  he  is 
a  supporter  ot  and  a  believer  in  the  principles  ad- 
vocated by  the  Democratic  party,  and  seldom  fails 
to  cast  his  vote  for  the  same  when  opportunity 
affords. 

We  take  pleasure  in  presenting  on  another  page  a 
'  view  of  the  comfortable  homestead  of  Mr.  Kennedy 
and  his  family. 

ouis  r.  Fredricks  is  a  farmer  on  section  34 
of  Henderson  Township.  He  came  from 
Sweden   with  his  parents,  Charles  J.  and 

Lottie  Fredricks,  in  July  of  the  year  1857,  and 
J^S      settled  in  Knox  County,  Galesburg  being  his 

chosen  home  for  the  time.  For  about  three 
years  he  resided  here,  and  then  came  to  settle  in 
Henderson  Township,  where  he  has  lived  up  to  the 
present  date,  with  the  exception  of  a  four  years'  stay 
in  Sparta.  He  has  always  been  engaged  in  farming 
and  stock-raising,  and  shows  a  practical  judgment  in 
his  occupation  not  often  equaled.  His  farm  consists 
of  249  well-improved  acres. 

He  was  born  in  his  native  Sweden  on  July  10, 
1843,  and  resided  there  until  he  was  14  years  old 
before  emigrating  to  America.  His  marriage  in  Al- 
tona  with  Mary  Nelson  was  celebrated  on  April  17, 
1871.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mar- 
garet Nelson,  and  was  a  native  of  Sweden,  born  on 
Nov.  20,  1838.  By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fredricks  there  are  two  children — Minnie  E.  and 
Emma  J.,  who  have  been  the  delight  and  chief  in- 
terest of  their  parents' lives.      Mr.  F.  has  held  the 


offices  of  School  Director  and  District  Overseer  of 
Highways,  places  of  trust  in  which  he  has  shown 
care  and  ability.  Tliis  gentleman  and  his  wife  are 
very  prominent  members  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church. 

As  a  Republican  in  politics  he  takes  a  very  earnest 
interest  in  all  measures  affecting  the  good  of  his  party. 
When  Mr.  Fredricks  began  life  he  had  but  little  of 
this  world's  goods,  but  by  industry  and  economy  he 
has  acquired  a  competency.  A  view  of  his  pleasant 
home  is  given  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 


fe.achel  L.  Tucker  is  one  of  Knox  County's 

I  progressive  and  practical  farmers,  resident 
^'^^  on  section  35,  Truro  Township,  and  one  of 
the  oldest  settlers  in  this  section  of  country. 
His  success  in  his  chosen  line  of  industry,  no 
less  than  his  personal  attributes,  have  won  him 
a  high  place  in  the  opinions  of  friends  and  neighbors. 
Mr.  Tucker  was  born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio, 
Aug.  17,  1824.  His  father,  John  Tucker,  was  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania,  born  in  1799.  His  grand- 
father, also  John  Tucker  by  name,  was  born  in  Scot- 
land, and  came  to  America  when  a  young  man.  He 
first  located  in  Virginia,  and  removing  from  there 
settled  in  Pennsylvania,  from  which  State  he  removed 
to  Ohio,  spending  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  Rich- 
land County,  that  State. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  but  18  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio,  in  1817,  and  be- 
came pioneers.  He  was  there  united  in  marriage 
with  Eleanor  Metcalf,  a  native  of  Richland  County 
and  a  daughter  of  Vachel  and  Lucinda  (Green) 
Metcalf.  Mr.  Tucker's  father  had  given  him  80 
acres  of  land  in  Richland  County,  and  he  located 
there  at  the  time  of  his  marriage,  remaining  until 
1834,  when,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren, he  started  for  the  then  "  Far  West."  The 
journey  was  made  across  the  country  with  five  horses 
and  three  wagons,  Illinois  being  the  point  of  destina- 
tion. Adopting  the  mode  of  other  emigrants,  they 
cooked  and  camped  by  the  way,  and  arrived  in  Pe- 
oria County  Oct.  12  of  that  year.  Mr.  Tucker 
bought  a  claim  in  township  10,  east  3  north,  and 
with  his  family  moved  into  a  small  log  structure  which 
stood  on  the  claim.     That  tract  of  land  is  now  in- 


%r 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


397 


eluded  in  Brimfield  Township,  Peoria  County,  and 
with  all  the  energy  and  hope  which  almost  univers- 
ally inspired  the  early  settlers  in  their  struggles  and 
privations,  Mr.  Tucker  began  the  improvement  and 
cultivation  of  his  land.  When  the  Government  had 
decided  that  it  was  ready  to  dispose  of  it,  he  entered 
his  land  at  the  Quincy  land  sale,  and  upon  it  soon 
erected  a  neat  and  handsome  brick  residence. 
There  are  also  other  convenient  buildings,  including 
a  frame  barn,  with  all  the  surrounding  comforts  that 
laste  suggests  and  an  ingenious  hand  supplies  in  the 
founding  of  that  noblest  of  all  human  possessions — a 
home.  John  Tucker  was  removed  to  a  better  land 
in  the  prime  and  vigor  of  life,  in  June,  1850,  being 
but  5 1  years  of  age.  His  wife  survived  him  20  years, 
dying  in  1S70. 

Our  subject  is  the  third  child  in  order  of  birth  of 
his  parents'  children,  and  was  ten  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  Peoria  County  with  them,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood,  reared  on  the  farm.  He  lived  un- 
der the  parental  roof  until  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
which  event  was  celebrated  May  3,  1849,  with  Miss 
Jane  Tucker,  also  a  native  of  Richland  County,  Ohio, 
born  Sept.  10,  1830.  She  was  not  only  a  kind  and 
agreeable  companion,  but  a  brave  and  true-hearted 
womai.,  who  cheered  and  strengthened  her  husband 
in  the  undertaking  of  any  difficult  enterprise.  About 
two  months  after  their  bridal  he  located  on  the  place 
he  now  owns,  and  although  it  was  wild  prairie  land 
without  improvements,  the  pair  were  in  no  way  dis- 
mayed. Their  united  energy  and  purpose  gave  them 
courage  to  attempt,  the  will  to  execute,  and  the  hap- 
piness succeeding.  Mr.  Tucker  is  now  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  men  in  the  county.  His  land  is 
fruitful,  well-cultivated  and  carefully  improved.  A 
set  of  convenient  frame  buildings  tends  to  make  it 
one  of  the  neatest  and  most  attractive  homesteads  in 
this  vicinity.  He  has  planted  fruit  and  shade  trees, 
and  has  added  to  his  landed  possessions  until  he  has 
440  acres  devoted  to  agriculture,  and  120  acres  of 
timber. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tucker  has  been 
brightened  by  the  birth  of  seven  children — John  A., 
Sydney  E.,  Martha  E.,  Henr)-  C,  Dora  B.,  Etta  M. 
and  Burt  A.  John  A.  married  Lilly  Love,  and  they 
have  three  children — Seth  Clay,  Leto  J.,  Myrtle  Al- 
bertie ;  Sydney  E.  married  Columbus  Black  ;  Henry 
C.  married  Nettie  Earl,  they  have  four  children — 
Allen    W.,   Laura   Belle,   Clarence,   William    Otis; 


Martha  E.,  wife  of  Den  Eagan,  lives  in  Elba  Town- 
ship; Dora  married  William  Stewart,  and  lives  in  Ne- 
braska, and  Ella,  wife  of  Fred  C.  Cole,  resides  in 
Kansas.  The  sons  are  all  residents  of  Truro  Town- 
ship. 

In  politics  Mr.  Tucker  is  a  strong  Republican,  and 
his  first  vote  was  cast  for  Henry  Clay  for  President. 


■-^fjtbner  Vickery.  In  this  biographical  sketch 
.ire  cited  tlie  details  of  the  personal  history 
of  Abner  Vickery,  a  retired  contractor  and 
builder,  of  Abingdon,  and  a  worthy  man  of  un- 
tarnished reputation.  He  is  contemplated  by 
his  neighbors  as  a  skillful  workman  in  his  par- 
ticular line  of  labor.  He  was  born  in  Fountain 
County,  Ind.,  Oct.  12,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  Daniel 
and  Elizabeth  (McClure)  Vickery.  The  father  was 
born  in  New  York  State,  and  the  mother  in  Ohio. 
His  mother  died  when  Abner  was  but  five  years  of 
age,  and  his  father  died  in  1842.  His  marriage  took 
place  Feb.  13,  185  i,  and  his  nuptials  were  celebrated 
in  the  State  of  Indiana.  Miss  Nancy  E.,  daughter 
of  William  Epperson,  became  his  wife  at  that  time 
and  place,  and  together  the  young  folks  set  forth  , 
unitedly  to  fight  the  battle  of  life.  Mrs.  Vickery 
was  born  in  Fountain  County,  Ind.,  Feb.  19,  1833, 
and  has  added  to  the  home  circle  eight  children, 
three  of  whom  survive,  the  others  died  in  infancy. 
The  names  of  the  former  are  as  follows :  Delia, 
widow  of  George  Heaton,  who  was  killed  in  Texas  in 
1878.  She  lives  with  her  father,  and  has  one  child, 
Fay  Heaton.  Luella  and  Adah.  On  the  ist  day 
of  March,  1884,  Mrs.  Vickery  passed  from  this  life  to 
the  great  hereafter,  leaving  her  husband  and  three 
surviving  children  to  mourn  her  loss. 

He  was  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  and  had  to 
make  his  way  alone  and  unaided.  He  had  worked 
and  learned  to  handle  tools  with  his  father,  who  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  after  the  latter's  death  he 
continued  to  work  at  the  carpentering  business,  and 
followed  it  up  until  the  last  few  years.  His  education 
was  limited  to  a  few  months  in  the  winter  at  the  pio- 
neer school. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  the  subject  of  this  notice 
moved  from  Indiana  to  the  State  of  Illinois;  located 
in  Chestnut  Township,  where  he  bought  land  and 


*-' 


398 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


t 


raised  three  crops,  after  which  time  he  removed  to 
Abingdon,  where  he  engaged  at  his  trade,  that  of  a 
carpenter,  which  he  learned  in  Indiana.  At  this 
he  worked  continuously  for. 35  years,  and  is  known 
by  all  to  be  a  first-class  workman.  He  is  a  man 
quite  popular  in  his  neighborhood  ;  has  been  Alder- 
man five  times,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Mayor 
three  terras.  He  takes  an  interest  in  educational 
matters,  working  for  the  good  of  the  community,  and 
is  at  the  present  time  School  Treasurer  of  Indian 
Point  Township.  His  attention  to  religious  matters  is 
marked.  He  is  a  member  ot  the  Christian  Church  and 
lives  a  conscientious  and  consistent  life.  Politically 
he  is  a  Democrat,  and  had  something  of  a  reputation 
as  a  veteran  in  the  Mexican  War.  He  was  in  tlie 
5th  Ind.  regiment,  Co.  C,  under  Capt.  Robert 
Evans,  Col.  James  Lane,  enlisting  in  the  fall  of  1847, 
where  he  served  until  August,  1848,  showing  a 
noble  and  patriotic  heroism,  and  a  courageous  deter- 
mination to  battle  for  "  the  land  of  the  free  and  the 
home  of  the  brave."  The  command  was  under 
Gen.  Scott,  and  they  marched  through  to  the  capital, 
where  they  remained  for  five  months. 


\  ohn  Kriegh,  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
34,  of  Kno.x  Township,  is  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  sketch,  the  points  in 
whose  personal  history  are  herein  given.  The 
subject  is  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  was  born 
three  miles  from  Clear  Spring,  in  Washington 
County,  Jan.  5,  1822.  His  father,  Philip  by  name, 
came  of  a  line  of  old  German  ancestors,  and  claims 
the  same  county  as  his  birthplace.  The  mother, 
whose  name  was  Mary  Kline,  also  of  Washington 
County,  was  born  in  a  house  that  stood  on  the  State 
line,  one-half  of  it  being  in  each  State.  Her  pa- 
rentage was  also  German. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  had  reached  the  age  of 
two  years  at  the  death  of  his  father,  who  passed  from 
hfe  leaving  the  mother  with  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren. The  widow  continued  to  live  on  the  farm 
which  her  father  had  owned,  and,  nine  years  after  the 
death  of  her  husband,  remarried.  The  elder  brother 
took  charge  of  the  farm,  and  John  remained  with 
him  until  he  reached  manhood.  In  the  fall  of  1849 
he  rented  a  farm  one  mile  from  the  old  homestead, 


bought  the  slock  and  commenced  his  career  on  his 
own  responsibility.  On  April  15,  1850,  he  united  in 
marriage  with  Margaret  Hays,  of  Franklin  County, 
Pa.,  who  was  born  Nov.  5,  1824,  and  is  the  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Mary  (McCune)  Hays,  the  former  a 
native  of  Cumberland  County,  and  the  latter  of 
Dauphin  County,  Pa.  Thty  were  farmers  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  until  their 
death.  The  young  couple  located  on  the  farm  he 
had  rented,  where  they  resided  until  the  spring  of 
1854,  then  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Knox 
County,  arriving  here  May  15th;  they  made  the  trip 
overland  in  wagons;  their  company  composed  21 
persons — four  teams  and  a  carriage — -neighbors  and 
relatives.  The  first  surnmer  of  their  stay  in  this 
State,  Mr.  Kriegh  rented  land,  and  the  same  year 
bought  the  place  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies. 
On  the  farm  stood  a  small  frame  house  and  the  land 
was  fenced,  and  these  constituted  the  entire  improve- 
ments. He  has  since  that  time  planted  hedge  almost 
entirely  around  the  whole  property;  has  subdivided  ' 
the  land  with  fences  and  erected  a  substantial  resi- 
dence and  convenient  barn  and  out-buildings.  His 
home,  in  which  he  justly  takes  pride,  is  a  most  at-V 
tractive  and  desirable  one. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kriegli  have  had  born  to  them 
seven  children,  by  name  as  follows:  Mary,  William, 
John,  Margaret,  Ida,  David  and  Alice.  William 
married  Martha  Woodmansee,  and  they  have  two 
children,  a  son  and  daughter;  they  live  in  Orange 
Township,  and  are  engaged  in  farmmg.  John  mar- 
ried Eva  Allen;  they  have  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  and  reside  in  Jefferson  County,  Iowa, 
where  he  is  also  a  farmer.  Those  unmarried  reside 
at  home.  Margaret,  the  fourth  child  in  order  of 
birth,  entered  the  world  Dec.  23,  1857, and  died  May 
8,  1885,  in  the  prime  of  her  early  womanhood,  being 
but  27  years  of  age.  She  had  been  married  a  little 
over  a  year  to  Henry  Hill,  of  Orange  Township.  She 
left  one  daughter,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine 
months.  Mrs.  Kriegh  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Knoxville.  The  family  are  highly 
respected  in  the  section  where  they  live,  as  they 
possess  qualities  calculated  to  win  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  who  know  them. 

Mr.  Kriegh 's  first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for 
Henry  Clay,  and  he  joined  the  Republican  party  at 
its  organization.  Until  1872,  he  was  a  stanch  Re- 
publican in  principle,  but  voted  for  Greeley  at  that 


4-^ 


V 


RESIDENCE    OF     D  .  C  .  H  U  R  LB  UTT  ,  5  EC  .  17.  ELBA   TOWN  SHIP. 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
l.;iVERGi7Y  OF  ILLW: 


^^ 


:^^ 


I^JVOX  COUNTY. 


time,  and  has   since  voiced  the  sentiments  of  and 
voted  with  the  Democratic  party. 

In  his  farming  operations  lie  is  devoted  to  what 
may  be  termed  mixed  husbandry — raising  both  stock 
and  grain.  He  has  been  reasonably  successful,  and 
has  always  been  a  good  liver.  He  has  raised  his 
family  with  care  and  has  given  his  children  the 
benefit  of  a  good  education.  A  view  of  Mr.  Kriegh's 
residence  is  shown  in  this  Album. 

.^^>^-.^ 


ruman  H.  Boe  of  Indian  Point  Township, 
was  born  in  New'  York,  May  rp,  1839.  He 
is  the  son  of  Silas  and  Mary  (Barber)  Roe, 
both  natives  of  New  York  State,  who  emigrat- 
ed to  Illinois  early  in  1840,  and  is  one  of  a 
family  of  nine  brothers  and  sisters,  as  follows  : 
Daniel,  Mary  A.,  Jerusha,  PUima,  Elizabeth,  Martin 
E.,  Laura  and  Martha. 

Mr.  Roe,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married 
Sept.  22,  1864,  while  in  the  full  vigor  of  his  early 
>»manhood,  to  Miss  Lucinda,  daughter  of  Richard  and 
Nancy  (Mount)  Stephens.  Her  father  was  born  in 
the  State  of  New  Jersey,  Aug.  4,  1791,  and  May  5, 
1834,  married  Miss  Mount,  who  was  born  in  the  year 
1819,  and  who  still  survives  him.  Productive  of  this 
last  union  was  the  birth  of  eight  children — Samuel, 
Harrison,  Louisa,  Mary  S.,  Robert,  Lucinda,  Martha 
and  Ephraim. 

Mr.  Roe,  soon  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late 
Civil  War,  enlisted  in  the  ist  Illinois  Cavalry,  under 
the  command  of  Capt.  J.  B.  Smith  and  Col.  Mar- 
shall, June  21,  1861,  and  was  mustered  into  active 
service  on  the  9th  day  of  the  ensuing  month.  The 
only  general  engagement  in  which  he  took  part  was 
at  Lexington,  Mo.  His  regiment  being  in  pursuit  of 
Gen.  Price,  they  followed  him  through  Missouri, 
then  from  Sedalia,  the  point  reached  in  that  State, 
to  Lexington,  Mo.,  where  their  capture  by  Price  took 
place.  Not  long  after  this  a  discharge  was  granted 
him,  also  to  the  whole  regiment,  and  all  returning 
home  remained  three  months.  Following  this,  he  re- 
turned to  the  army.  During  his  experience  as  a  sol- 
dier, he  narrowly  escaped  being  wounded  a  number 
of  times,  once  having  the  spur  shot  from  his  boot- 
heel.  He  served  his  country  faithfully  and  with  pa- 
triotic zeal,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge,   July 


26,  1862.  Owing  to  the  lack  of  proper  wording  in 
the  parole  granted  by  Gen.  Price,  which  should  have 
been,  "Not  to  take  up  arms  against  the  Confederate 
States  until  regularly  e.\changed"was  not  in  the  parole 
proiier,  consequently,  when  they  returned  to  re-enter 
their  services,  about  three  months  later,  this  dis- 
crepancy was  discovered,  and  Gen.  Curtis  ordered 
the  1st  Cavalry  back  to  St.  Louis,  where  it  was 
discharged  at  the  date  mentioned. 

Mr.  Roe  is  at  the  present  time  in  possession  of  110 
acres  of  finely  cultivated  land,  on  which  stands  an 
attractive  dwelling,  which  was  erected  in  1883,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,000.  Their  family  circle  contains  five  chil- 
dren—Oliver L.,  born  Sept.  24,  1865;  Charles  W., 
March  1,  1867;  Perry  E.,  Aug.  10,  1869;  Eva  I., 
Oct.  ir,  1871;  and  Flora  E.,  June  24,  1884.  His 
finances  are  in  a  flourishing  and  satisfactory  state, 
and  he  is  actively  engaged  in  the  raising  of  cereals,  at 
which  branch  of  his  vocation  he  has  been  markedly 
successful.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  earnest  and 
devoted  members  of  the  Christian  Church,  connected 
with  the  congregation  at  St.  Augustine,  111.  He  has 
been  School  Director  in  his  home  district  for  the  past 
13  years,  which  he  has  filled  acceptably  to  the  com- 
munity at  large.  Politically,  he  entertains  Republi- 
can views. 


illiam  A.  Smith.  As  a  representative  cit- 
j^    izen  of  the  agricultural  class,  and   a  gen- 

_,  tleman  of  sterling  worth  and  integrity,  we 

.'Jv^>  take  pleasure  in  giving  the  following  brief 
mention  of  the  facts  regarding  the  life  of 
William  A.  Smith.  He  is  at  present  residing  on 
his  fine  farm  on  section  14,  where  he  is  following  the 
vocation  of  farming. 

He  came  to  Knox  County  with  his  parents  in  the 
spring  of  185  1,  emigrating  from  Hancock  Co.,  Ind. 
They  made  settlement  in  Salem  Township,  subse- 
quently removing  to  Fulton  County,  where  they  re- 
sided until  the  death  of  the  father.  The  mother 
still  survives  and  lives  in  Farmington  County. 

William  A.  Smith  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Indi- 
ana County,  Pa.,  Nov.  10,  1839,  and  had  attained  the 
age  of  1 1  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
Salem  Township,  in  the  year  185  i,  as  before  stated. 
He  received  a  common-school  education,  and  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  enlisted  in  the  103d  111. 


^^ 


4h^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  his  country  faithfully  and  well 
for  three  years.  He  enlisted  as  a  private  and  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  Sergeant.  At  the  siege 
of  Atlanta  he  was  struck  with  a  piece  of  shell  on  the 
hip,  but  was  only  slightly  wounded.  On  receiving 
his  discharge  he  returned  to  Fulton  County,  at  which 
place  he  remained  until  the  spring  of  1872,  when  he 
bought  130  acres  of  land  on  section  14,  Maquon 
Township,  upon  which  he  settled  and  where  he  at 
present  resides.  Upon  his  place  he  has  erected  a 
fine  set  of  farm  buildings,  and  is  now  the  owner  of 
an  extensive  tract  of  land  consisting  of  483  acres, 
the  greater  portion  of  which  i%  tillable. 

Mr.  William  A.  Smith,  the  subject  of  this  brief 
mention,  was  united  in  marriage  in  Fulton  County, 
111.,  Sept.  28,  1866,  to  Sarah  Pinegar,  the  daughter  of 
Andrew  and  Matilda  (Merchant)  Pinegar,  natives  of 
Tennessee  and  Ohio  respectively.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Smith  died  in  Fulton  County,  where  her  par- 
ents had  made  early  settlement.  Her  mother  is 
still  surviving.  Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in  Fulton  Co., 
111.,  Sept.  15,  1848,  and  by  her  union  with  Mr.  Smith 
has  become  the  happy  mother  of  eight  children.  The 
record  is  as  follows:  Harry  A.,  Charles  W.,  Ora  A., 
Carl,  Florence  M.,  Ellen  M.,  Roy  W.  and  Lester  VV. 
Florence  died  when  about  one  and  one-half  years 
old. 

Mr.  Smith,  in  politics,  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party.  His  parents 
were  Elijah  and  Susan  M.  (Brown)  Smith,  natives  of 
the  States  of  Kentucky  and  Pennsylvania. 


iVjarry  H.  SchrcBder  is  a  merchant,  residing 
h.  within  Henderson  Township.  He  is  the 
son  of  Henry  F.  and  Mary  (Stohl)  SchrcE- 
der,  who  were  both  natives  of  Germany.  They 
first  came  to  Knox  County  from  New  York 
State,  and  for  a  short  period  lived  in  Galesburg 
before  removing  to  Henderson,  where  they  engaged 
in  the  cabinet  and  undertaking  business,  which  they 
followed  up  to  1873,  when  the  father  became  inter- 
ested in  mercantile  pursuits.  In  this  business  he  con- 
tinued until  April,  1884,  when  he  sold  out  and  retired. 
Mr.  Schroeder,  Sr.,  died  on  the  i6tli  of  October, 
1885.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  still  sur- 
vives her  husband. 

Harry  H.  was  born  in  Henderson,  on  the  nth  of 


September,  1857.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
until  he  was  15  years  old,  but  subsequently,  in  1880, 
became  a  student  at  the  business  college  at  Daven- 
port, where  he  graduated.  Then,  learning  telegraphy, 
he  entered  the  employ  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Company,  as  operator  and  agent, 
for  two  years.  Proceeding  to  Quincy,  111.,  he  contin- 
ued in  the  service  of  the  same  company  as  Assistant 
Ticket  Agent,  for  18  months.  He  then  went  to  St. 
Louis,  and  took  a  clerkship  in  a  freight  office,  where 
he  remained  until  August,  1885,  when  he  returned 
to  Henderson.  In  September  (of  the  same  year)  he 
opened  tlie  store  of  dry  goods  and  groceries,  which  he 
now  operates,  and  is  doing  a  very  satisfactory  bus- 
iness. He  is  among  the  representative  and 
prosperous  merchants  of  his  township.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican,  and  one  in  whom  that  party  may 
place  the  highest  confidence. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Postmaster  of  Hen- 
derson, from  1873  to  1884,  the  duties  of  which  office 
he  most  creditably  discharged. 

-^ o*o..@JA«A@.«>^.. -V—  ^ 

*# 

''<i|SI:    olomon  Wood  Rogers  is  an  old  settler  of 

fii:i:       Knox  County,  and  farmer  on   section  16,  , 
,      •  Salem  Township.     He  was  born  March  5, 

'^il\\J^,  1S19,  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio.  His  father, 
W  Edward  Rogers,  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
j  an  early  settler  in  the  county  in  which  our 
subject  was  born,  locating  there  about  i8ii.  An  un- 
cle of  the  mother  of  our  subject,  John  Robinson,  to- 
gether with  his  wife,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
Indians,  and  by  them  was  taken  to  Ohio.  After  a 
few  months'  captivity,  he  made  his  escape,  and,  re- 
turning to  Virginia,  raised  a  company,  went  back  to 
Ohio  and  secured  his  wife.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, Edward  Rogers,  was  a  member  of  this  party, 
and  it  was  while  on  this  raid  that  the  different  mem- 
bers determined  to  settle  in  Ohio. 

Edward  Rogers  secured  a  tract  of  timber  land  in 
Ohio,  upon  which  he  remained  until  182 1.  Dispos- 
ing of  this  property,  he  returned  to  Harrison  County, 
Va.,  remaining  there  until  the  spring  of  1838,  the  date 
of  his  removal  with  his  wife  and  six  children  to  the 
Prairie  State.  They  came  via  the  West  Fork  of  the 
Monongahela  River  to  Pittsburg,  on  a  flatboat  built  for 
the  occasion.     At  the  latter  place  they  were  trans- 


T" 


\ 


•f4r:^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


*>• 


403 


ferred  to  a  steamer,  and  came  via  the  Ohio,  Missis- 
sippi and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Peoria,  thence  to  Canton. 
At  the  latter  place  he  rented  a   tract  of  land,  upon 
which  he  remained  until  1845.     Removing  with   his 
family  to  Knox  Ojunty,  he  again  rented  for  a  period 
of  six  years.     His  son,   the  subject  of  this  notice, 
meanwhile  entered  a  claim  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  16,  now  in  Salem  Township,  and  while  liv- 
ing upon    the  rented   property  Loth  the  father  and 
son  were  improving  the  farm  on  section  16,  to  which 
they  moved  in  1848.     The  death  of  ELdward  Rogers 
occurred  Dec.  22,  1866.     The  maiden   name  of  the 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Elizabeth  Wood,  a  native 
of  Virginia.     Her  death  occurred  in  1849.  The  chil- 
dren born   to  the   senior  Mr.  Rogers  and  wife  were 
ten  in  number,  only  two  of  whom  are  living — S.  W., 
our  subject,    and  a  sister,  Elizabeth,  relict  of  Robert 
Dennis,  who  lives  with  her  son  at  Maquon. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  an  infant  of  two 
j      years  when  his  parents  removed  to  Virginia,  and  was 
1  r    19  years  old  when  they  emigrated  to  Illinois.  He  had 
i  I    always  remained  at  home,  with   the  exception  of  a 
j   few  months  at  a  time,  until  the  death  of  his  father. 
J4   After  coming  to  Illinois,  he  waB  engaged  at  various 
1    employments,  and  in  1842-43  was  occupied  in  chop- 
j    ping  wood  and  teaming  near  the  Illinois  River.     He 
I  ',   had  saved  a  sufficiency  of  his  earnings  to  enable  him, 
I     in  1 845 ,  to  enter  the  tract  of  land  which  he  now  owns 
I      and  occupies.     He  did  not,  however,  settle  upon  this 
'      until   three   years  later.     In  the  meantime  he  had 
erected  a  log  cabin,  together  with  a  few  other  im- 
provements, and  in   1848  installed  his  parents  and 
I     one  sister  in  the  cabin.  Since  that  lime  he  has  made 
great  improvements  upon  his  farm,  having  erected  a 
1     substantial  set  of  frame  buildings,  enclosed  his  entire 
I     acreage  and   placed   the  same   under  a  fine  state  of 
I     cultivation.     He  has  earned  the  reputation  of  being 
I     one  of  Knox  County's  most  industrious  fanners,  and 
1     this,  together  with  his  good  judgment,  has  made  him 
I     successful.      Mr.   Rogers   has  added  from   time  to 
time  to  his  acreage,  until  he  is  at  this  wriung  the 
possessor  of  520  acres  of  fine  land,  all  of  which  is  lo- 
cated in  Salem  Township. 
i         S.  W.  Rogers  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance,  April 
15,  1S50,  with  Jerusha,  daughter  of  Silas  and  Eliza- 
beth   (Terr))  Hand.      She   was   born   in   Highland 
County,  Ohio.  Sept.  28,  1828.     Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  New  Jersey  and  Virginia  respectively. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rogers  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 


dren^— Sophia  E.,  William  H  ,  Millard  F.,  Solomon 
W.  and  Franklin  G.  Mr.  R.  was  formerly  a  Whig, 
but  upon  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  has  cast  his  vote  for  that  party 
since  that  time.  In  matters  of  religion  he  is  liberal, 
and  believes  in  doing  to  others  as  he  would  have 
them  do  unto  him. 


j^ilUUiam  G.  West.     Noteworthy  among  the 
«Sb.W    practical  and  progressive  farmers  of  Knox 


County,  as  a  man  of  substantial  worth  and 
ability,  is  the  subject  of  this  personal  history. 
He  is  a  resident  of  Salem  Township,  and 
his  home  is  situated  on  section  3.  His  pleasant 
residence,  which  he  began  to  build  in  1883,  is  a 
commodious  frame  structure  of  modern  style,  and 
may  be  considered  one  of  the  most  attractive  in  the 
county.  He  is  an  e.Ktensive  land-owner,  possessing 
542  acres  of  land  in  this  county.  The  family  is  of 
English  ancestry  on  both  paternal  and  maternal 
sides.  ^ 

Our  subject  w.is  born  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  ji 
Oct.  16,  1833,  and  his  father,  John  West,  was  also  a 
native  of  the  same  town  and  county,  being  born 
May  3,  1809.  His  first  .American  ancestor  was  Owen 
West,  brother  to  the  father  of  Benjamin  West,  the 
celebrated  artist.  He  was  lx)rn  in  London,  England, 
in  1729,  and  came  to  America  in  1761,  settling  in 
Georgia.  He  was  extremely  opposed  to  slavery  and 
labored  in  behalf  of  tlie  downtrodden  and  oppressed. 
He  once  assisted  a  slave  to  escape,  and,  well  know- 
ing the  sentiment  prevailing  in  those  days,  removed 
to  Virginia  for  personal  safely.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  War,  and  died  in  Virginia  in  1803. 
His  son  Owen,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born 
four  miles  from  London,  in  1756,  and  was  five  years 
of  age  when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  .America, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  married  in  Georgia 
and  removed  from  that  State  to  Virginia,  and  thence 
to  Ohio,  where  he  was  an  early  settler,  locating  on 
the  farm  which  he  cultivated  and  improved  until  his 
death. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  county,  and  there  married  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  William  and  Tabitha  George,  who  was  born  June 
26,  1811,  in  Highland  County,  Ohio.     Coming  into 


■^^ 


404 


j?:j^ox  county. 


possession  of  part  of  the  old  homestead  in  Park 
Township,  he  accepted  it  and  made  it  his  home  until 
1845.  At  that  date  he  concluded  to  try  life  in  the 
West,  in  common  with  many  others  believing  he 
could  better  his  condition.  Caution  bein?  one  of  his 
personal  attributes,  he  did  not  at  first  dispose  of  his 
farm,  but  rented  it,  believing  it  possible  he  might  be 
glad  to  return  to  it.  Accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
six  children,  and  supplied  with  provisions  for  their 
journey,  he  proceeded  to  the  Ohio  River  and  took 
passage  on  a  steamer,  traveling  to  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois via  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to 
Copperas  Creek  Landing.  The  water  was  low  and 
the  journey  almost  interminable,  four  weeks  having 
passed  before  they  arrived  at  their  destination. 
Their  provisions  ran  low,  and  they  suffered  all  the 
inconveniences  of  a  compulsory  extension  of  the  time 
they  had  allotted  for  their  trip.  Hiring  a  conveyance, 
they  went  overland  to  Knox  County.  Rentmg  a  log 
cabin  at  Taylor's  Grove,  they  spent  the  winter,  and 
in  the  spring  rented  a  farm  on  section  4  of  Salem 
Township,  staying  one  year.  They  ne.xt  bought  40 
acres  of  land  in  Elba  Township,  and  removed  thither 
in  the  spring  of  1S47.  During  the  winter  of  1847-48, 
his  own  house  constituting  the  school  building,  he 
taught  the  children  of  the  neighborhood.  In  the 
spring  he  went  across  the  country  to  Ohio,  and, 
selling  his  home,  returned  with  the  proceeds,  all  in 
silver,  amounting  to  $2,500,  which  he  placed  in  a 
beegum  and  brought  to  his  home.  His  first  pur- 
chase after  his  arrival  was  80  acres  of  land  situated 
on  the  same  section  of  which  he  was  partial  owner, 
and,  adding  to  this  another  piece  of  property,  he 
found  himself  the  possessor  of  about  1,000  acres  of 
land.  He  next  erected  a  brick  house  and  frame  barn 
on  his  first-purcliased  land,  and  continued  to  improve 
his  property  up  to  the  date  of  his  death,  which  took 
-place  March  31,  1884.  His  widow  still  lives  on  the 
old  homestead. 

Mr.  West  and  wife  were  the  parents  of  a  family  of 
II  children,  six  of  whom  grew  to  man  and  woman's 
estate  :  Joel  died  at  the  age  of  22  from  blood-poison- 
ing, having  been  bitten  by  a  snake;  Isaac  N.  is  de- 
ceased (see  sketch)  ;  William  G.,  the  subject  of  this 
no^tice ;  Rhoda,  wife  of  William  S.  Kleckner,  resides 
in  Elba  Township;  Henry  G.  lives  at  Jacksonville, 
111.,  and  Samantha  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Kay,  whose 
home  is  in  Salem  Township. 

William  G.  West  celebrated  his  12th  birthday  dur- 


ing the  time  included  in  his  trip  to  Knox  County. 
He  attained  to  years  of  understanding  in  Elba  Town- 
ship; was  educated  in  the  common  schools  estab- 
lished by  the  pioneers,  and  remained  at  home  until 
the  date  of  his  marriage.  He  united  in  the  bonds 
of  wedlock  April  5,  i860,  with  Elizabeth  Ouderkirk, 
of  Michigan,  who  was  born  April  14,  1837,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  Richard  and  Amanda  (Perkins)  Ou- 
derkirk, natives  of  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.  Her  par- 
ents came  to  Illinois  in  1845  and  settled  in  Maquon, 
where  the  mother  died  Jan.  31,  1851,  and  the  father 
in  Ringgold  County,  Iowa  Jan.  15,  1874.  Three 
children  were  born  of  the  union  of  William  G.  West 
and  his  wife,  to  wit:  Elmer  H.,  Feb.  11,  186 1,  the 
husband  of  Anna  M.  Brewster,  of  Pike  County,  111., 
is  at  present  engaged  in  hardware  business  at  Yates 
City,  and  is  an  enterprising  business  man,  with  a  fair 
patronage  and  a  wide  circle  of  friends;  Flora  M.  and 
Luella  I.  are  the  two  remaining  children. 

Our  subject  at  the  time  of  marriage  located  on  sec- 
tion 34,  Elba  Township,  where  he  lived  until  1865. 
He  next  removed  to  section  33,  remaining  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  the  place  he  now  calls  home.  In 
that  year  he  commenced  improvements  as  previously^ 
stated,  and  has  now  become  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
handsomest  homes  in  the  county,  is  a  wealthy  and 
influential  man  and  a  substantial  citizen.  He  was  , 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  for  eight  or 
nine  terms,  is  Republican  in  politics  and  liberal  in 
religious  matters.  A  view  of  his  fine  homestead  is 
given  in  this  Album. 

-*>> •■o*o..@JX®-'>*<' V— 

enry  C.  Tucker,  one  of  Knox  County's 
11^'  prominent  farmers,  resides  on  section  35, 
Truro  Township,  and  was  born  in  the  same 
township  in  which  he  is  at  present  residing, 
Nov.  9,  1855.  His  parents  were  Vachel  and 
Jane  Tucker  (see  sketch).  He,  like  most  farm- 
ers' sons,  was  reared  upon  the  home  farm,  and  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  public  schools,  remaining 
at  home  until  his  marriage  with  Miss  Nettie  Earl, 
which  occurred  Sept.  25,  1879.  Miss  Earl  was  born 
in  Douglas  County,  111.,  Nov.  29,  1861,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Lizzie  (Bailey)  Earl,  both 
natives  of  Illinois. 

The    happy  union  of   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tucker  has 


-«^ 


¥ 


Residence  or    J.  M.  A.  Miller,  Sec.  1.,  Walnut  Grove  Townshi  p. 


OF  THE 
t.llVERSffY  OF  ILLW^^ 


A 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


407 


4-- 


been  productive  of  four  children — Walker,  Laura  B., 
Clarence  and  Otis.  At  the  time  of  their  marriage 
Mr.  Tucker  and  wife  settled  upon  their  pleasant  farm, 
which  has  been  made  comfortable  by  the  erection  of 
a  desirable  house  and  numerous  other  improvements. 
Mr.  Tucker  is  one  of  the  energetic  young  men  of  his 
township,  and  we  bespeak  for  him  a  successful 
future. 


i^'ames  M.  Corey,  one  of  the  progressive  and 
practical  farmers  of  Kno.x  County,  and  a 
.  ,^  resident  on  section  3,  of  Salem  Township, 

^^  is  the  subject  of  this  historical  sketch.  He  is 
^r  a  man  who  has  a  strong  interest  in  matters 
Y  relative  to  the  public  good,  has  held  the  office 
of  Township  Clerk,  and  represented  the  people  of  his 
township  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors. 

Mr.  C.  was  born  in  Jaffrey,  Cheshire  Co.,  N.  H., 
.  Aug.  22,  1828,  and  his  father,  David  Corey,  of  Maine, 
was  born  Feb.  28,  1790.  His  father,  Stephen  Corey, 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  emigrated  from  that 
j  State  in  1797,  to  Cheshire  County,  N.  H  ,  and  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  there.  The  father  of  our 
subject  united  in  marriage  Dec.  29,  1817,  with  Betsey 
Winship,  and  purchased  a  farm  in  Jaffrey  soon  after, 
,  where  they  resided  until  1864,  when  he  came  to 
Knox  County  and  made  his  home  with  his  son,  James 
M.,  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in  May,  1871. 
His  wife,  who  survived  hira,  died  in  April,  1876.  To 
them  were  born  si.x  children,  three  of  whom  survive, 
as  follows  :  John  C,  who  lives  in  Florida;  David, of 
Salem  Township,  and  our  subject,  the  youngest  child. 
Mr.  James  Corey  spent  his  younger  days  in  the 
district  schools  and  worked  on  the  farm,  continuing 
to  improve  himself  as  a  scholar.  He  was  afterward 
allowed  to  attend  the  Millville  Academy  about  six 
terms.  He  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  he 
reached  the  age  of  22,  when  he  started  out  to  seek 
his  fortune.  Proceeding  to  the  State  of  Delaware,  he 
engaged  in  teaching  for  four  months  at  St.  George, 
then  associated  himself  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  David,  and  the  two  began  business  as  butch- 
ers. They  thus  continued  one  year,  then  bought  a 
farm  in  Kent  County,  Md.,  and,  taking  up  agricultural 
pursuits,  followed  the  same  until  1S57.  Disposing 
of  this  property  at  private  sale  and  their  stock  at 
public  auction,  they  removed  to  Knox  County,  lo- 

'fi 


eating  in  Salem  Township,  where  they  rented  land 
for  three  years.  They  then  went  to  Yates  City  and 
opened  a  grocer)-  store,  which  was  patronized  well 
for  about  one  year.  They  then  bought  the  only 
hotel  there,  in  1859,  remaining  in  it  three  years, 
when  our  subject  bought  the  farm  which  has  since 
been  his  home.  The  brothers  dissolved  partnership 
in  1882.  The  farm  of  Mr.  Corey  is  well  improved, 
with  a  good  set  of  neat  and  convenient  buildings, 
among  them  a  large  frame  barn.  There  are  also 
shade  and  ornamental  trees,  and  the  home  bears  evi- 
dence of  its  owner's  thrift,  prudence  and  energy.  In 
addition  to  his  farming  pursuits  he  raises  the  cereals 
and  breeds  and  sells  blooded  stock. 

Mr.  Corey  was  united  in  marriage  Jan.  20,  1855, 
with  Martha  English,  of  Chester  County,  Pa.,  who 
was  born  Nov.  11,  1834.  Two  children  are  the  re- 
sult of  this  union — Ximena,  wife  of  Robert  J.  Mc- 
Keighan,  of  Salem  Township,  and  Ella  E.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Corey  are  members  in  good  and  regular  stand- 
ing in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  while  Mr.  C.  be- 
longs to  the  Yates  City  Lodge,  No.  448,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M  In  politics  he  is  Republican,  supporting  strongly 
the  principles  of  that  party.  He  is  a  man  of  solid  < 
integrity  and  sterling  worth,  and  is  reckoned  one  of 
the  best  men  within  the  limits  of  Knox  County. 

tugh  A.  Kelly,  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
jiiag^^  15,  Cedar  Township,  is  a  native  of  Augusta 
1^  County,  W.  Va.,  and  reared  in  Greenbrier 
County,  Feb.  26,  18 13.  He  came  to  Fulton  Co., 
III.,  in  1833,  where  he  remained  from  Novem- 
ber until  the  following  April,  when  he  moved 
to  Cedar  Township.  His  father,  James,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  his  parents  were  from  Ireland. 
James  Kelly,  the  father,  died  in  1819.  He  married 
Miss  Jane  (Hulit)  Kelly,  also  of  Irish  extraction. 
This  lady  died  in  1843,  but  had  become  the  mother 
of  four  children — Hugh  A.,  Nancy,  Sarah  and  James. 
The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  biography 
married  Miss  Catherine  Castle,  Dec.  13,  1832,  and 
her  death  took  place  March  24,  i88r.  Thjy  had  no 
children.  Mrs.  Kelly's  parents  were  of  German  and 
Irish  extraction,  and  of  their  family  there  is  one 
sister  living. 

Mr.  Kelly  may  be  counted  as  one  among  the  old- 


^^ 


-^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


est  pioneers  of  this  township.  Altogether  he  has 
been  Supervisor  of  the  township  for  three  terms,  as 
well  as  School  Director  for  the  last  twenty  years.  He 
is  one  among  the  foremost  members  of  his  lodge  in 
the  ancient  craft  of  Masonry.  He  was  first  made 
a  Mason  in  1861,  in  Abingdon  Lodge,  No.  185.  Mr. 
Kelly  has  240  acres  of  improved  land,  on  which  he 
erected  a  fine  dwelling  in  1865.  He  is  one  among 
the  prominent  breeders  of  Short-horn  cattle,  and  his 
horses  are  all  good  grades.  He  has  devoted  his  life 
to  farming  and  stock-raising,  and  has  been  quite  suc- 
cessful in  the  accumulation  of  property.  He  is  re- 
garded as  one  of  Cedar  Township's  most  thrifty  and 
enterprising  farmers.  His  farm  ranks  high  among 
tlie  many  excellent  ones  of  this  splendid  county.  He 
is  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  as  was  also  his  wife,  who  took  an  active  part 
in  the  good  of  that  Christian  organization.  In  poli- 
tics he  favors  Democracy,  and  by  that  party  is  con- 
sidered one  of  its  best  friends. 

-^ ^>A^ V- 


|fe.trawther  Givens.  It  is  well  known  that 
Knox  County  takes  a  front  rank  among  the 
leading  counties  of  the  Prairie  State.  En- 
terprise, wealth  and  refined  taste  are  displayed 
throughout  its  borders.  There  are  located  here 
many  of  the  leading  men  of  the  State,  who 
have  more  than  a  local  reputation,  and  classed  among 
the  representative  men  of  the  county  is  Mr.  Strawther 
Givens.  He  is  following  the  quiet  pursuit  of  farm 
life  in  Cedar  Township,  his  residence  being  located 
on  section  32.  He  is  also  devoting  considerable  time 
and  money  in  breeding  Shorthorn  cattle  and  Nor- 
man and  roadster  horses.  He  was  born  in  Monroe 
County,  Ind.,  near  Bloomingfon,  May  23,  1843,  and  is 
a  son  of  Thales  H.  and  Julia  (Carter)  Givens.  He 
came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  in  1854,  the  family 
settling  in  McDonough  County,  near  the  Hancock 
County  line.  He  and  the  elder  Givens  engaged  in 
farming  and  stock-raising,  and  became  one  of  the  best 
known  and  most  highly  respected  men  in  all  that 
section. 

Strawther  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in  McDon- 
ough County,  receiving  his  primary  education  in  the 
district  schools  of  the  neighborhood  ;  subsequently  he 
attended  the  State  University,  and  also  took  a  bus- 


iness course  at  the  Commercial  College  at  Burling- 
ton, Iowa,  and  was  graduated  in  i860.  Shortly  after 
leaving  school  he  was  united  in  marriage  at  Blan- 
dinsville,  111.,  Dec.  25,  1862,  with  Miss  Mary  Hus- 
ton, daughter  of  John  Huston,  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  and  most  prominent  citizens  of  that  county. 
Mrs.  Givens  was  born  in  Blandinsville,  Feb.  1 1, 
1844,  and  was  reared  in  her  native  county.  She  has 
become  the  mother  of  four  children,  three  daughters 
and  a  son  :  Anna  is  the  wife  of  Will  A.  Thomas,  of 
Kinsley,  Kan.;  Laura  and  Lucy  are  twins;  the 
former  is  the  wife  of  Alfred  Ryden,  a  farmer  near 
Abingdon  ;  Lucy  is  the  wife  of  George  Foltz,  also  re- 
siding near  that  city;  Thales  H.,  the  son,  is  residing 
with  his  parents. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Givens  embarked  in  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising  in  Hancock  and  McDonough 
Counties,  meeting  with  quite  flattering  success.  He 
remained  there  until  March,  1870,  when  he  came  to 
Abingdon  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business.  He 
continued  in  this  branch  of  the  mercantile  trade  until 
1873,  when  he  closed  out  and  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  father  and  J.  M.  Dawdy,  and  established 
the  Union  Bank  at  Abingdon,  which  was  the  pioneer 
banking-house  of  that  city.  The  business  was  con- 
ducted under  the  firm  name  of  Givens,  Dawdy  &  Co. 
until  1878,  since  which  time  it  has  been  known  as 
the  Union  Bank.  Of  this  institution,  Strawther  Giv- 
ens is  President ;  F.  P.  Foltz,  Vice-President ;  and 
T.  E.  Givens,  Cashier.  This  is  a  private  banking- 
house  and  one  of  the  ablest  of  its  kind  in  the  State  ; 
transacts  a  general  banking  business,  and  enjoys  the 
entire  confidence  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Givens  is  a  gentleman  of  considerable  enter- 
prise, and  usually  successful  in  every  undertaking. 
He  is  a  man  of  good  judgment,  conservative,  and  yet, 
at  the  same  time,  not  so  slow  as  to  let  opportunities 
slip  by  without  taking  advantage  of  them.  He  has 
a  highly  improved  farm  of  120  acres,  situated  on  sec- 
tion 32,  in  Cedar  Township,  and  lying  adjacent  to  the 
west  line  of  the  city  of  Abingdon,  and  known  as  the 
Maple  Grove  Farm.  It  was  the  old  homestead 
where  his  father  settled  in  1865.  In  1879,  he  pur- 
chased a  small  herd  of  thoroughbred  Short-horn  cat- 
tle and  commenced  the  breeding  of  that  kind  of 
stock.  Since  that  time  he  has  sold  upward  of  f  too,- 
000  worth  of  pure-bred  Short-horns.  His  herd  num- 
bers from  50  to  75  head,  and  consists  of  such  fami- 
lies  as  the  Kirklevington,  Barringtons,  Roan   Duch- 


i^ 


-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


409 


ess,  Acorabs,  Long  Marys,  Phyllis,  etc.  He  has 
made  exhibitions  of  his  herd  at  Minneapolis,  Chi- 
cago and  local  and  district  fairs  with  flattering  suc- 
cess. At  Minneaix)lis  he  took  the  first  premium  on 
young  herds  and  the  second  on  large  herds.  At  Chi- 
cago and  other  fairs  he  has  won  his  share  of  the  hon- 
ors. In  addition  to  his  herd  of  Short-horns,  Mr. 
Givens  has  some  very  fine  specimens  of  horses,  con- 
sisting of  grade  Normans  and  roadsters. 

Maple  Grove  Farm  is  one  of  the  most  complete  in 
its  apix)intments  of  any  in  this  county.  His  res- 
idence is  elegant  and  capacious,  while  his  stock  build- 
ings are  both  commodious  and  tasty,  and  are 
constructed  after  the  most  modern  plan.  The  mag- 
nificent display  of  fine  cattle  and  horses  to  be  seen 
here  is  an  interesting  feature  of  this  model  farm. 

In  political  faith  Mr.  Givens  is  a  Democrat,  and  has 
been  prominently  identified  with  that  party  for  many 
years.  He  was  a  delegate  to  the  last  National  Demo- 
cratic Convention,  where  he  had  the  honor  of  helping 
to  nominate  the  successful  candidate  of  that  cam- 
paign. He  has  served  three  terms  as  Alderman  of 
Abingdon,  always  giving  his  time  freely  to  advance 
ever)-  interest  of  a  public  and  beneficial  nature.  He 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the  advancement 
of  Democratic  principles,  and  has  been  active  in  the 
campaigns  both  for  the  success  of  the  National, 
State  and  countv  tickets. 


^"HOi^ohn  W.  Wood,  hardware  merchant  of  Yates 
j^jjjT  City,  111.,  a  prosperous  and  progressive  cit- 
^>iP  '        izen,  is  the  subject  of  this  personal  sketch. 
%^    Previously   the  business  was  conducted   with 
It     S.  S.  Stone  as  associate  partner,  from  1877  to 
I      1S79,  when  Mr.  Wood  purchased  his  partner's 
interest  and  conducted  the  business  alone  until  De- 
cember, 1883,  when  he  took  his  son  into  the  store  as 
partner;  the  firm  is  now  John  W.  Wood  &  Son. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Mason  County,  Ky.,  July 
18,  1827.  His  father,  William  Wood,  was  a  native 
of  Kentucky.  Ixarn  in  the  same  county.  His  grand- 
father, Jesse  Wood,  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  his 
great-grandfather,  Christopher  Wood,  was  originally 
from  England,  and  came  to  America  previous  to  the 
Revolution,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation.    He  was  a  minister  of  that  denomination, 


and  one  of  the  Kentucky  pioneers.  He  was  the  first 
Baptist  minister  of  that  State,  and  with  his  family 
resided  in  Daniel  Boone's  fort  in  Mason  County.  He 
built  the  first  grist-mill  in  Kentucky,  which  was  lo- 
cated on  Lee's  Creek,  built  of  stone  and  wood,  and 
furnished  with  two  sets  of  stone  buhrs.  The  stone 
part  of  the  mill  is  still  standing,  and  is  preserved  as  a 
relic  in  Mason  County.  It  is  situated  five  or  six 
miles  from  Maysville.  Christopher  Wood  and  Jesse, 
his  son,  were  both  in  the  fort  built  by  Simon  Kenton 
and  Daniel  Boone,  as  mentioned  above. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  county,  learning  the  carpenter's  trade  when 
young  and  later  becoming  an  engineer.  In  that  ca- 
pacity he  was  employed  for  about  30  years  on  a  river 
steamer,  thus  visiting  the  diflferent  trading  posts  on 
the  Illinois  and  Mississippi  Rivers  long  before  the 
country  was  settled  by  white  men.  He  died  in  Ma- 
son County,  Ky.,  Dec.  25,  1853.  His  marriage  was 
with  Ann  Field,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Char- 
lotte (Stark)  Shelton,  of  Virginia.  Thomas  Shel- 
ton,  the  maternal  grandfather,  was  an  officer  of  the 
Government,  and  arrested  Aaron  Burr  after  he  had 
conspired  against  it.  To  the  parents  of  W.  Wood  «v 
were  born  seven  children,  of  whom  our  subject  was 
third  in  order  of  birth.  He  lived  in  Mason  County 
until  he  attained  the  age  of  16  years,  when  he  went 
to  Pike  County,  Ohio,  engaging  in  a  blacksmith  shop. 
There  he  served  four  years ;  he  then  returned  to  Ma- 
son County  and  obtained  employment  at  his  trade  in 
a  railroad  shop,  working  for  the  Lexington  &  Mays- 
ville Railroad.  With  them  he  continued  for  one  year, 
then  went  to  New  Orleans  for  one  season,  visiting 
Vicksburg  and  Memphis,  and  in  1853  came  to  Balti- 
more, Md.,  as  agent  for  a  patent  right.  In  the  fall 
of  the  same  year  he  went  to  New  Orleans  and  traded 
in  Northern  produce  until  the  spring  of  1854.  In 
March  of  that  year  he  went  back  to  his  old  home, 
and  on  April  6  entered  the  State  of  Iowa,  traveled 
over  its  unsettled  plains  until  the  following  May, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois,  spent  one  month  in  Fulton 
County,  then,  coming  to  Knox  County,  opened  a 
blacksmith  shop  in  Maquon  Township,  and  did  gen- 
eral work  for  five  years. 

Mr.  Wood  was  united  in  marriage  in  1859,  with 
Emma  Ruth  Kay,  a  native  of  England,  born  in  Lan- 
cashire. Accompanied  by  his  bride,  he  returned  to 
Fulton  County  and  opened  a  shop,  where  he  worked 
at  blacksmithing  for  eight  years,  and  in  September, 


«t^^ 


410 


KNOX  COUN2  Y. 


1867,  came  to  Yates  City,  again  establishing  himself 
at  his  trade,  and  continued  thus  until  1877,  when  he 
engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  still 
continues. 

Mr.  Wood  has  two  children  living,  who  bear  the 
following  names:  John  W.,  with  whom  he  is  associ- 
ated in  business,  was  born  in  November,  1852,  mar- 
ried Mary  Balcom,  of  New  Yoik  State;  Lula  V.,  born 
July  16,  1868,  became  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Dixon,  and 
lives  in  Yates  City.  Mr.  Wood  is  a  member  of  Yates 
City  Lodge,  No.  370,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  in  politics  is  a 
Prohibitionist,  supporting  that  party  by  e.xample  and 
vote. 


1;  le  Anderson.      The  little  kingdom  of  Nor- 
way  has  contributed  her  quota  of  sturdy, 
energetic  men  who  have   done   their  part 
toward  the  development  of  this   country.     In 
Sparta  Township  that  country  is  well    repre- 
sented,   and  as  one  of  the  representatives  of 
that  country,  and   in   fact  we  might  say,  one  of  the 
liToremost  men  in  the  county,  is  the  subject  of  this 

[notice. 
Ole  Anderson,  who  is  at  present  residing  on  his 
fine  farm  on  section  12,  Sparta  Township,  was  born 
in  Norway,  in  1820.  His  parents  were  Andrew  and 
Harriet  (Christian)  Olaf  Anderson,  natives  of  that 
country.  Our  subject  lived  there  with  his  parents 
until  16  years  of  age,  after  which  he  worked  out  for 
four  years.  His  ambitious  spirit  at  this  age  of  life 
prompted  him  to  engage  in  other  than  hard  labor, 
and  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  buying  and  selling 
of  stock,  which  he  followed  for  four  years.  In  1846 
he  purchased  a  farm  in  his  native  country  and  for 
three  years  was  occupied  in  its  cultivation.  He  then 
sold  his  place,  and,  expecting  to  better  his  financial 
condition  in  the  land  beyond  the  salty  waters  of  the 
Atlantic,  he  concluded  to  emigrate.  He  set  sail  for 
this  country,  and  in  1849,  after  disembarking  at  an 
Eastern  seaport,  he  came  almost  directly  to  this 
county.  On  arriving  here,  his  funds  being  exhausted, 
he  commenced  work  for  Mr.  B.  Leighton.  He  re- 
mained with  the  latter  gentleman  but  a  short  time 
when  he  purchased  80  acres  of  land,  and  once  more 
engaged  in  farming. 

The  judgment  of  Mr.  Anderson,  on    first   coming 
to  the  country,  was  that  the  broad,  uncultivated  prai- 


rie lands  were  not  only  productive,  but  would  in  a 
short  time  rapidly  increase  in  value.  He  conse- 
quently has  been  engaged  in  the  buying  and  selling 
of  land  ever  since  he  came  here,  together  with  the 
raising  of  stock.  At  the  present  time  he  is  the  pro- 
proprietor  of  1,400  acres  of  land  in  the  State,  and 
on  his  fine  farm,  on  section  12,  has  some  splendid 
improvements,  his  residence  and  Lam  costing  him 
about  ^5,000.  On  his  home  farm  he  has  a  herd  of 
about  180  head  of  cattle,  150  head  of  hogs  and  30 
head  of  horses.  In  addition  to  his  real  possessions  in 
this  State  he  owns  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Texas, 
which  he  is  improving.  His  Texas  land  amounts  to 
12,500  acres,  which  he  intends  to  make  a  stock 
ranch.  It  is  all  under  fence,  and  2,500  of  it  joins  the 
town  of  Big  Springs. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  took  place  in  Norway. 
A  short  time  after  coming  to  this  State  his  wife  died 
of  cholera;  she  lies  buried  at  Ottawa.  By  their  union 
one  child  was  born — Mary,  now  Mrs.  H.  Mitchell. 
The  second  matrimonial  alliance  of  Mr.  Anderson 
was  with  Betsey  Anderson,  born  in  Norway.  The 
issue  of  the  latter  union  was  1 1  children,  named  Wil- 
lie, Henry,  Andrew,  Alfred,  Christian,  Arthur,  Har- 
riet, Annie,  Jennie,  Sophia  and  Emil. 

Ole  Anderson  is  a  self  made  man  in  every  sense 
the  word  implies.  His  motto  has  always  been,  "Never 
put  off  until  to-morrow  what  can  be  done  to-day." 
He  is  independent  in  politics,  and  has  held  the 
office  of  Roadmaster  and  School  Trustee,  and  is  one 
of  the  well-known  and  respected  citizens  as  well  as 
an  energetic  and  successful  farmer  of  Sparta  Town- 
ship. 


elson  Cunningham,  one  of  Knox  County's 

^  successful  farmers,  and  a  gentleman  who 
has  followed  that  vocation  more  or  less  all 
of  his  life,  is  at  present  residing  upon  section 
'1^  21,  Salem  Township.  Mr.  Cunningham  was 
born  in  Indiana  County,  Pa.,  Jan.  7,  1834.  His 
father  was  Joseph  Cunningham,  born  in  August, 
1808,  in  the  same  county.  His  father,  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  Thomas  Cunningham,  also  a  native  of 
the  Keystone  State. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  State  and  was  there  married  to  Sarah  Harbi- 
son.    He  purchased  a  farm  in  Indiana  County  and 


Residence  of  Alexander       shannon  .bec.ii, Henderson  Township. 


Residence    of     JOHNC.    J  0  H  N  50  N  ,  sec  .  1  ,  KNOX  township. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L.,;VERSITY  OF  ILUNCS 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


:--> 


413 


there  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  He  also 
purchased  land  in  Westmoreland  County,  in  the 
same  State,  remaining  there  until  1865,  when  he  dis- 
posed of  his  farm  and  came  to  Knox  County,  locat- 
ing in  Salem  Township.  In  this  township  he 
purchased  land  situated  on  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  21,  upon  which  he  resided  until  Oct.  28, 
1873,  when  he  died.  The  parental  family  consisted 
of  five  children,  two  now  surviving,  with  whom  his 
widow  resides.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the 
eldest  of  the  family.  His  brother,  Thomas,  now  lives 
in  Johnson  County,  Kan. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  State, 
and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Westmoreland 
County  in  1854,  remaining  at  home  until  1857.  Nel- 
son Cunningham,  in  March,  1857,  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Elizabeth  Buchanan,  who  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Pa.  After  marriage  Mr. 
C.  rented  land  until  1864,  when  he  purchased  a 
farm  in  Westmoreland  County.  In  1865  he  had 
an  opportunity  to  sell  out  at  an  advanced  price, 
which  he  did.  Soon  after  he  came  to  Illinois  and 
^  located  in  Peoria  County,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm,  on  which  he  resided  one  year.  This  he  sold 
and  removed  to  Elba  Township,  remaining  there  for 
eight  years.  After  the  death  of  his  fatlier  he  re- 
moved to  the  old  homestead,  which  he  farmed  and 
improved.  He  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  stock  and  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  They  are 
the  parents  of  five  children  living :  John  T.  is  in 
Vermont,  Fulton  County;  Ed.  F.  is  a  teacher  in 
Yates  City;  Jennie  M.  is  also  a  teacher;  and  the 
others  are  Sadie  and  Flora.  Two  died  in  infancy. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  Yates  City.  In  politics  Mr.  C.  affiliates 
with  the  Republican  party. 

>dinund  fiussell.  There  were  a  few  sturdy 
pioneers  to  be  found  here  and  there 
throughout  Kno.x  County  as  early  as  1837, 
but  the  number  was  few.  The  great  railroads 
that  opened  up  this  fair  section,  and  made  it 
possible  to  be  cultivated  as  a  garden,  had  not 
yet  been  planned  nor  dreamed  of  by  those  of  the  most 
vivid  imagination.     Among   the    number  of  these 


hardy  people,  to  whom  the  present  generation  owe  so 
much,  was  Mr.  Edmund  Russell,  Sr.  He  was  a  native 
of  Chautauijua  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Weed.  They  settled  there  and  remained 
for  a  time,  but  soon  removed  to  Gallia  County,  Ohio. 
In  the  autumn  of  1837  they  came  to  this  county,  and 
located  on  section  31,  where  they  passed  the  remain- 
der of  their  lives,  and  upon  which  section  our  sub- 
ject continues  to  reside.  The  wife  and  mother  was 
the  first  to  be  called  to  the  future  world,  her  demise 
occurring  June  11,  1877.  Mr.  Russell  survived  until 
Dec.  27,  1884.  To  this  union  were  born  1 1  children 
— Chas.  M.,  David,  Lusenia,  William,  George  W., 
Louisa,  Mary  J.,  Edmund,  Lucretia  M.,  Olive  A. 
and  Melissa  D. 

Edmund  Russell,  our  subject,  was  born  in  Gallia 
County,  Ohio,  Nov.  15,  1836,  and  was  an  infant  of  a 
year  old  when  he  was  brought  to  Kno.v  County  by 
iiis  parents.  Here  he  grew  up  to  manhood,  receiv- 
ing a  good  common-school  education,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  make  his  home  in  Persifer  Township,  with 
the  exception  of  six  years  passed  in  Oregon  and 
Idaho.  He  has  devoted  his  time  while  in  Knox 
County  to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  to-day  is  the 
owner  of  a  good  farm  of  127  acres,  100  of  which  are 
tillable.  He  has  taken  no  little  interest  in  the  pub- 
lic affairs  of  the  township,  and  has  served  as  Road 
Commissioner,  Scliool  Director  and  Overseer  of 
Highways.  In  his  political  connection  he  is  identi- 
fied witli  the  Republican  party. 

Mr.  Russell  was  united  in  marriage  at  Knoxville, 
April  6,  1875,  with  Miss  Emma  Risor,  daughter  of 
William  and  Sarah  (Lawrence)  Risor,  natives  of 
Ohio.  They  were  also  early  pioneers  of  Knox 
County,  having  settled  in  Knoxville  as  early  as  1839, 
where  they  at  present  reside.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  namely  :  Caroline,  Samuel  B., 
Ann,  Haney,  Emma,  Ella  and  Ada.  Mrs.  Russell 
was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth  of  the  family,  and  was 
born  in  Orange  Township,  Jan.  13,  1851.  Almond 
C,  the  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell,  was  born 
Oct.  2,  1879. 

The  following  family  record,  180  years  old,  was 
furnished  by  Mr.   Ed.  Russell : 

Joseph  and  Mary  Russell,  both  natives  of  Massa- 
chusetts; no  record  of  their  age,  marriage  or  deatii. 
William,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Russell,  born  at 
Dartmouth  or  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Oct.  20,  1706, 
and  died  March  6,  1793,  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y. 


1 


-H- 


^1- 


r*" 


414 


XATOX  COUNTY. 


in  the  87  th  year  of  his  age.  Elizabeth,  his  wife,  died 
in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  aged  67  years.  Samuel 
Russell,  son  of  William  and  Elizabeth  Russell,  born 
in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  June  10,  1736,  and  died 
at  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  5,  1824,  aged  88 
years;  Margaret  his  wife,  died  in  1829,  at  the  age  of 
84  years.  William,  their  first  son,  born  Jan.  27, 
1773,  in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  married  Patience 
Duel,  Feb.  13,  1794;  she  died  in  Knox  County,  111., 
June  23,  1 841,  in  the  73d  year  of  her  age;  he  was 
married  the  second  time  when  he  was  80  years  old. 
He  died  in  the  city  of  Galesburg,  111.,  Oct.  17,  1856, 
in  the  85 th  year  of  his  age.  At  the  time  of  his  death 
he  was  as  smart  and  spry  as  a  man  of  40,  and  could 
walk  18  or  20  miles  in  a  day.  He  was  standing  on 
the  railroad  track  in  Galesburg,  when  an  engine 
ran  over  him  and  killed  him  almost  instantly.  The 
old  grandfather  was  a  strange  old  man,  and  our  sub- 
ject states  that  he  saw  him  dig  and  wall  up  his  own 
grave  and  cut  and  letter  his  own  tombstone.  He 
also  helped  him  erect  his  tombstone  at  his  grave, 
several  years  before  he  died. 


alter  Bailey.  Among  the  suocessful  farm- 
ers of  Elba  Township  is  the  gentleman 
sj5/> —   whose  name  heads  this   notice,  and  who 

;>  resides  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  26.  He 
came  to  this  county  in  October,  1849,  from 

Delaware  County,  Ohio,  and  some  few  years 
later  purchased  the  160  acres  of  land  where  he  is  at 
present  residing.  He  has  subsequently  increased  his 
landed  interest,  and  at  this  writing  is  the  owner  of 
860  acres,  80  of  which  are  timber.  On  his  fine  place 
he  erected  a  good  residence  in  1871,  barn  and  other 
necessary  out-buildings,  and  the  farm  is  indicative  of 
that  push  and  energy  characteristic  of  its  proprietor. 
Mr.  Bailey  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  9,  1827,  and  is  the  son  of  James  and  Eve  (Kitts) 
Bailey.  They  were  natives  of  St.  Lawrence  County, 
N.  Y.  James  Bailey  was  a  farmer,  surveyor  and 
mechanic,  and  was  engaged  in  various  other  occupa- 
tions, but  farming  was  his  chief  business  in  life. 
When  he  was  ten  years  of  age  his  parents  removed  to 
Ohio,  and  there  lived  until  tliey  came  to  Galva,  in 
Henry  County,  where  the  good  mother  and  loving 
wife  passed  away,  Sept.  11,  1873.     The  father  after- 


:J 


ward  returned  to  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  where  his 
demise  occurred  in  June,  1875.  Walter,  however, 
came  direct  to  Knox  County  from  Ohio. 

Walter  Bailey  was  married  in  Elmwood  Township, 
Peoria  County,  this  State,  Feb.  14,  1855,  to  Harriet 
L.  Parsell,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Hetty  A.  (Ralston) 
Parsell.  Her  parents  came  to  Fulton  County,  111., 
from  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  and  lived  in  the  former 
county  for  about  one  year.  In  1840  they  moved  to 
Elmwood  Township,  Peoria  County,  where  the  mother 
died  April  17,  1850.  The  father  was  again  married, 
and  in  1864  removed  to  the  village  of  Elmwood,  that 
county,  where  he  lived  for  11  years,  and  imtil  1875, 
when  he  came  to  Elba  Township  and  lived  with  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Bailey,  of  this  notice,  until  Jan.  3, 
1880,  the  date  of  his  demise. 

Mrs.  Bailey  was  born  in  Sycamore  Township,  Ham- 
ilton Co.,  Ohio,  July  30,  1835,  and  has  borne  her 
husband  five  children,  named  Edith  A.,  Lura  D., 
Bertha  B.,  Addie  G.  and  Nena  H.  Edith  is  the  wife 
of  W.  D.  Ware,  a  resident  of  Summit,  111.,  and 
to  them  three  children  have  been  l)orn — Catherine 
S.,  Winfield  B.  and  Edna  D. ;  Lura  married  George 
F.  Hughes,  who  lives  at  Table  Grove,  Fulton  Co 
111.  The  remaining  children  reside  at  home.  Mr. 
Bailey  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  four 
years,  and  also  various  school  offices  within  the  gift  , 
of  the  people  of  his  township.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  and  active  Republican.  When  Mr.  B.  came 
here,  his  land  was  uncultivated  and  the  improve- 
ments now  to  be  seen  are  due  to  his  own  thrift  and 
energy.  He  had  but  little  means,  and  what  he  now 
possesses  has  been  the  accummulation  of  his  own  toil 
and  economy. 

*^'^^'~  * ' ' — » — "p^^    *  ^*-»— j^v^^ 

rohn  R.  Smith.  One  of  the  successful 
farmers  and  respected  citizens  whose  in- 
terests have  been  identified  with  this  coun- 
ty since  1850,  and  who  is  at  present  residing  on 
^r  section  34,  Sparta  Township,  where  he  is  act- 
ively  engaged  in  tlie  honorable  calling  which 
he  has  chosen,  is  the  subject  of  this  notice.  Mr. 
Smith  was  born  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  April  17, 
1829.  His  parents,  Stephen  and  Hannah  (Rannells) 
Smith,  were  likewise  natives  of  that  State,  the  former 
being  born  in  1806,  and  the  latter  in  1808.  The 
mother  died  in  her  native  State  in   1848.      Seven 


*+^ 


-4: 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4'S 


children  were  born  of  the  parents'  union,  all  of  whom 
lived  to  attain  the  age  of  maturity.  They  were  John 
R.,  Elizabeth,  Mary  L.,  William,  Stephen,  Nancy  and 
Sarah  E.,  and  all  are  yet  living,  except  Elizabeth, 
Mary  L.  and  William. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Smith  came  to  this  State  in 
1850,  and  made  settlement  on  section  31,  Sparta 
Township,  where  he  purchased  80  acres  of  land,  and 
there  lived,  engaged  in  its  improvement  and  cultiva- 
tion, until  1858.  He  then  went  to  Fremont,  Iowa, 
where  he  lived  until  his  death,  in  1878.  His  son, 
John  R.,  of  whom  we  write,  was  an  inmate  of  the 
parental  household  until  he  was  22  years  of  age.  He 
was  reared  on  the  farm,  received  a  rudimentary  edu- 
cation in  the  common  schools  and  supplemented  the 
same  by  attendance  in  the  Academical  Depart"ient 
of  Kno.K  College.  He  was  the  first  pupil  to  recite  a 
lesson  in  anatomy,  physiology  and  hygiene  in  the 
Illinois  Liberal  Institute,  now  known  as  Lombard 
University,  which  was  i.i  1852.  Prof.  P.  R.  Kendall 
was  then  President  of  this  institution. 

Mr.  Smith  was  an  industrious  scholar  and  soon 
fitted  himself  for  a  teacher.  In  185 1,  he  taught  his 
first  term  of  school,  and  continued  in  that  vocation 
until  he  had  taught  15  terms.  He  was  married 
April  9,  1856,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Conlee,  a  native  of 
Putnam  County,  111.,  and  a  daughter  of  Levi  and 
Jane  (Gillock)  Conlee.  Her  parents  were  natives  of 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia  respectively.  They 
came  to  this  State  in  i  S30,  and  made  settlement  in 
Tazewell  County,  where  the  father  died  in  1S70,  and 
the  mother  in  1864.  Mr.  Smith,  after  his  marriage 
with  Miss  Conlee,  erected  a  residence  in  Wataga 
village,  where  he  resided  for  one  year,  engaged  in 
teaching.  In  April,  1857,  he  purchased  tlie  farm  on 
which  he  is  at  present  residing,  moved  on  it  with  his 
family  and  engaged  actively  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  has  there  lived  until  the  present  time.  His 
place  consists  of  106  acres,  and  he  has  erected  a 
good  residence  thereon,  together  with  substantial  out- 
buildings, and  has  the  land  under  an  advanced  state 
of  cultivation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  taken  into 
their  household  three  orphan  children.  The  eldest 
is  Amanda  Smith,  and  the  other  two  Olive  and  Sid- 
ney H.  Munden,  twins. 

In  politics  Mr.  Smith  votes  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  is  liberal  in  his  religious  views,  being  a 
member  of  no  denomination.  He  has  held  tlie  office 
of  School  Director  and  Road  Commissioner,  and  is 


one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Kno.x  Co.  Mutual  Fire 
and  Lightning  Insurance  Co.  He  is  also  among 
tlie  first  gentlemen  who  introduced  Short-horn  cattle 
into  this  part  of  Sparta  Township.  Mr.  Smith  is  a 
great  reader,  is  the  [assessor  of  a  fine  library,  thor- 
oughly posted  on  all  the  issues  of  the  day,  and  is 
a  worthy  representative  of  the  agricultural  class  of 
Sparta  Township.  The  publishers  of  this  Album 
take  pleasure  in  presenting  a  view  of  the  house  of  Mr. 
Smith,  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 

lames  W.  Crane,  one  of  the  most  influential 
and  best  known  farmers  of  Ontario  Town- 
ship, residing  on  section  32,  came  to  this 
county  during  the  year  1837,  in  the  month  of 
June.  He  was  at  that  time  a  child  of  nine 
years;  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y., 
April  20,  1828,  his  father  being  a  native  of  Connec- 
ticut, a  resident  of  New  England,  and  of  English  an- 
cestry. The  family  dates  back  to  some  time  in  the 
16th  century,  and  was  first  represented  in  this  coun- 
try by  three  brothers,  who  came  from  England.  The 
family  took  great  interest  in  agricultural  pursuits. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Crane,  of  this  notice,  was  married 
to  Harriet  Hall,  also  a  native  of  Connecticut.  Im- 
mediately after  their  marriage  they  removed  to 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  James  was  the  fourth  child, 
and  the  second  son  of  the  family,  consisting  of  six 
children.  His  parents  came  to  this  county,  as  be- 
fore stated,  in  June,  1837,  settling  near  Ontario,  on  a 
farm.  The  land  consisted  of  unbroken  prairie,  on 
which  place  the  father  lived  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1848.  The  mother  died  in 
1854.  They  were  active,  industrious,  energetic  peo- 
ple, ix)ssessed  of  a  fair  amount  of  this  world's  goods. 
Mr.  Crane  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
Knox  County,  remaining  at  home  till  the  death  of 
his  father.  He  was  married  in  Ontario  Township, 
Ma\  29,  1854,  to  Miss  Cornelia  L.  Wetmore.  She 
was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  8,  1836. 
Her  parents  lived  and  died  in  the  Empire  State,  the 
father  having  been  a  successful  merchant  there.  The 
daughter,  Cornelia,  was  a  young  lady  of  high  attain- 
ments and  many  personal  attractions,  and  came  to 
the  State  of  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Knox  County 
about  two  years  before  her   marriage.     She  is   the 


u 


^^ 


416 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


mother  of  three  children  :  Henry,  the  eldest,  married 
Miss  Carrie  Stickney,  and  resides  in  Ontario  Town- 
ship, on  a  farm;  Frank,  the  second  son,  lives  in 
Red  River  Valley,  Dak.;  Carl,  the  youngest,  lives  at 
home. 

Immediately  after  marriage  Mr.  Crane  began 
farming,  making  a  purchase  of  160  acres  of  land, 
upon  which  he  settled  and  where  he  resides  at  the 
present  time.  He  has  been  successful  as  a  farmer, 
and  now  owns  240  acres  of  land  in  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  His  home  and  surrounding  farm  build- 
ings are  considered  among  the  finest  in  the  township. 
He  is  successful  as  a  stock-raiser. 

Mrs.  Crane  is  a  working  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church.     Mr.  Crane  is  independent  in  politics. 


>andiville  Neely.  Among  the  prominent 
citizens  we  find  Mr.  Mandiville  Neely,  a 
farmer  residing  on  sections  29  and  30,  of 
Sparta  Township,  and  one  on  whom  the  sun 
of  prosperity  has  freely  shone.  His  untiring 
struggle  for  success  has  met  with  ample  re- 
ward, and  he  is  now  the  possessor  of  a  home  of  peace 
and  plenty,  and  Kno.x  County  has  no  better  repre- 
sentative citizen.  Mr.  Neely  was  born  in  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.,  April  3,  1830,  and  is  the  son  of  James 
and  Sabina  (Arnold)  Neely,  natives  of  New  York. 
They  came  from  Cayuga  County  to  Illinois  in 
183S,  settled  in  Knox  County,  and  in  1847  again 
moved  from  Henderson  Township  to  Sparta,  where 
they  now  live  on  section  30. 

Mandiville  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
Feb.  20.,  1853,  working  on  the  farm  and  attending 
the  common  school.  He  then  took  a  pleasure  trip 
to  California,  choosing  the  route  via  the  Island  of 
Jamaica  and  thence  to  Greytown,  up  the  river  to 
Del  Norte,  to  Lake  Nicaragua,  which  he  crossed, 
entering  Virgin  Bay.  Crossing  the  Isthmus  of  Pana- 
ma, he  reached  San  Juan,  and  from  there  went  to 
San  Francisco.  Like  many  others,  he  was  in  search 
of  gold,  and  so  sanguine  were  his  expectations  that 
nothing  would  have  seemed  unreasonable.  Althougli 
not  quite  equal  to  the  fabled  Midas,  he  was  still  suc- 
cessful in  his  enterprise,  and  returned  home  in  high 
spirits.     On  his  return  he  worked  for  his  father  for 


four  years;  then  in  1861  his  happiness  was  crowned 
by  winning  a  good  wife. 

His  bride's  maiden  name  was  Jennie  A.  Arm- 
strong. She  was  an  English  girl,  and  their  nuptials 
were  celebrated  April  23,  1861.  In  1862  he  pur- 
chased a  farm  situated  on  section  19,  consisting  of  80 
acres.  Here  the  young  couple  lived  one  year,  then 
sold  out  and  moved  to  Wataga.  With  the  enterprise 
which  has  characterized  his  career  he  engaged  in 
buying  grain  on  commission  ;  this  business  he  con- 
tinued but  eight  months.  In  November,  1865,  he  pur- 
chased 80  acres  in  Clover  Township,  Henry  County. 
On  this  he  moved  and  devoted  the  subsequent  ten 
years  to  its  cultivation.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  sold  the  place  and  moved  to  his  present  home. 
Here  he  carries  on  mixed  farming. 

The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neely  consists  of  four 
sons,  by  name  Fred.  A.,  born  Feb.  20,  1863;  he  is 
running  an  engine  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Railroad.  Will- 
iam M.,  born  Jan.  2.  1867.  Bertrand  J.,  born  March 
19,  1869.  Mortimer  D.,  born  Nov.  5,  1872.  The 
three  latter  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Neely  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  an  act- 
ive, wide-awake  man.     While  in   Henry   County  he-j" 
was  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket  as  Supervisor 
of  Clover  Township.     After  his  term  expired  he  was 
again  elected  to  fill  the  same  [XDsition. 


loyd  F.  Wertman,  banker,  of  Yates  City, 
and  one  of  Knox  County's  most  able  and 
worthy  citizens,  is  the  subject  of  this  per- 
sonal sketch.  He  stands  high  in  the  com- 
munity of  which  he  is  a  member,  not  only  as  a 
man  of  influence,  but  of  sterling  integrity.  He 
is  essentially  a  self-made  man  and  is  an  instance 
of  what  may  be  attained  by  the  average  youth  of 
America  by  a  life  of  courage,  self-denial  and  enter- 
prise. 

Mr.  W.  was  born  in  Bloomsburg,  Pa.,  Nov.  7, 
1845.  His  father,  Elias  Wertman,  was  born  in  the 
same  State,  Feb.  3,  1809.  The  grandfather  was 
Daniel  Wertman,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  was 
born  in  1788,  and  died  in  New  York  State.  His 
great-grandfather,  Michael  Wertman,  was  born  in 
1742,  in  Northampton  County,  Pa.  The  maiden 
name  of  our  subject's  mother  was  Mary  Kistler,  of 
Lehigh   County,    Pa.      The    maternal    great-grand- 


4^- 


I* 


LIBRARY 

......       O""  TME 

I-  '.'VERSITY  OFILLir 


^.JC.JO^U.^ 


-H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


419 


mother  was  an  Everett,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who 
came  of  the  old  Puritan  stock.  She  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  when  quite  young,  in  which  State  she 
was  a  pioneer,  and  where  she  lived  to  a  good  old 
age.  It  is  said  that  she  made  a  journey  of  150  miles 
on  horseback,  unaccompanied,  at  the  age  of  80  years, 
carrying  a  child  with  her  on  her  lap. 

Mr.  Wertman's  father  learned  the  tanner's  trade, 
continuing  at  it  a  time  in  Columbia  County,  Pa.,  and 
in  1843  engaged  in  mercantile  business   in  Blooms- 
burg.     Prosecuting  his  vocation  there  a  few  years, 
he    removed   to  Rohrsburg,  and   continued  in   the 
same  business  until  1863.     At  that  date  he  sold  out 
and  came  West,  settling  in  Persifer  Township,  Kno.\ 
County.     He  there  rented   a  farm   for  three  years, 
and  at  the  close  of  that  time  bought  a  farm  in  Elba 
Township,  and,  removing  there,  engaged  in  agricult- 
ure, which  he  pursued   up   to  the  date  of  his  wife's 
death.     Since  then  he  has  made   his  home  with  his 
son  Lloyd. 
|-       Eight  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.,  five 
I  of  whom  are  living :     Daniel  is  a  resident  of  Pitls- 
1  burg.  Pa. ;  Sarah,  wife  of  S.  L.  Finney,  a  merchant, 
><  lives  at  Milton,  Pa.;   Mary  E.  is  the  wife  of  Samuel 
Chester,  a  farmer,  of  Lenox,  Iowa ;  Lloyd,  our  sub- 
ject ;  Martha,  wife  of   J.  A.  Wilson,  is  a  resident  of 
,  Galesburg,  111. ;  and  Charles,  deceased  ;  two  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  Lloyd  F.  Wertman  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  county,  receiving  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools.  This  was  supplemented  by  two 
years'  attendance  at  Orangeville  Academy  and  two 
at  Missionary  Institute,  Selin's  Grove,  Pa.  He  de- 
veloped considerable  taste  for  mercantile  pursuits, 
and  e.xhibited  exceptionally  bright  and  keen  faculties 
and  the  power  of  concentration  and  application  to 
his  studies.  When  not  at  school  he  assisted  his 
father  in  ihe  store.  He  came  with  him,  in  1864,  to 
Kno.x  County,  and  engaged  in  farming  with  him, 
continuing  in  that  branch  of  industry  until  his  mar- 
riage, which  occurred  Jan.  11,  1870,  choosing  for  his 
life's  companion  IsabcUe  J.  Oberholtzer,  of  Elba 
Township.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Mar- 
tha (Tucker)  Oberholtzer,  and  was  born  Nov.  22, 
1848.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  are  the  parents  of  four 
children,  namely  :  Mary,  Martha  Leora,  Maud  S. 
and  Xorma. 

He  then  rented  a  farm  of  120  acres  in  Elba  Town- 
ship for  three  years.     At  the  close  of  that  period  he 


removed  to  his  father's  farm,  renting  it  until  he 
bought  on  the  same  section  (16),  in  Elba  Township. 
In  1878  he  hired  his  farm  work  done  and  accepted 
a  book-keeper's  position  in  the  co-operative  store  in 
Yates  City.  In  1880  he  rented  his  farm  and  re- 
moved his  family  to  Yates  City,  where  he  continued 
until  Aug.  12,  1880,  when  he  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  J.  H.  Nicholson  &  Co.,  bankers,  and  was 
elected  Cashier.  This  position  he  has  since  held, 
performing  creditably  all  the  duties  incident  to  it. 

In  politics  Mr.  W.  is  a  Republican,  and  holds 
strong  and  worthy  ideas  regarding  principle  rather 
than  party.  He  has  filled  the  office  of  Township 
Clerk,  in  Elba,  for  ten  years,  that  of  Collector  for  two 
years,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors, and  represented  Salem  Township  for  two 
years  He  takes  a  hearty  interest  in  education  and 
progress,  and  has  been  for  some  time  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  City  Schools. 


-*sui2/%^^r'~m 


1^4— ».^|^)(OTJ»v. 


:  .'?'!  u.'h  M.  Mitchell.  This  gentleman  is  one 
-  :  >  '■  1  the  wealthy  farmers  of  Knox  County,  but 
■^,^'  has  now  retired  from  that  occupation  and  , 
ih  lives  at  Oneida.  He  came  to  this  county  dur- 
i  ing  the  fall  of  1864,  and  at  first  took  up  his 
I  residence  in  the  town  of  Sparta,  one  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Wataga,  where  he 
lived  until  187  i,  when  he  removed  to  Ontario  Town- 
ship and  became  the  possessor  of  600  acres  of  good 
land.  Previously  he  had  purchased  300  acres  in 
Sparta  Township,  where  he  had  resided  from  1864  to 
187  I,  his  Ontario  Township  farm  being  a  portion  of 
section  23.  He  still  holds  the  Sparta  property,  hav- 
ing gradually  increased  it  until  it  now  reaches  560 
acres  of  well-improved  and  fertile  land.  He  has  also 
a  good  residence  in  Oneida. 

On  the  2Sth  of  May,  1820,  Mr.  Mitchell  was  born 
in  Harrison  County,  Ohio.  He  is  the  son  of  John 
Mitchell,  an  Ohio  farmer,  who  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Washington  County,  Pa.  He  afterward 
married,  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  Miss  Margaret 
McGee,  a  native  of  that  county.  Mrs.  Mitchell,  as 
well  as  her  husband,  was  of  Irish  descent.  Both 
parents  early  settled  in  Harrison  County,  in  fact, 
while  that  district  was  yet  an  unbroken  and  heavily 


--* 


^ 


420 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


timbered  forest.  Here,  amidst  the  native  wilds,  they 
gradually  improved  a  farm,  and  on  this  lived  until 
both  passed  away,  leaving  a  family  of  11  children. 
Mr.  Mitchell  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  18 12. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  the  fifth  child  in 
order  of  birtli  in  the  above-named  family.  Hugh  M. 
lived  at  home  until  his  24th  year,  when,  on  March 
19,  1844,  Miss  Nancy  Nash  became  his  wife.  This 
amiable  lady  was  born  in  the  same  county  on  the  9th 
of  August,  1820.  Her  parents  were  Pennsylvania 
farmers,  who  settled  in  Harrison  County  while  Mrs. 
Mitchell  was  still  a  child,  and  under  whose  care  and 
guidance  she  lived  until  her  marriage.  Both  her 
parents  passed  away  in  the  vicinity  where  they 
originally  settled.  Mrs.  Mitchell  was  the  third  in 
order  of  birth  of  a  family  of  seven  cliildren,  consist- 
ing of  two  boys  and  five  girls,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. Six  children  have  been  born  to  the  Mitchell 
family,  all  sons  but  one.  Two  of  these,  a  son  and  a 
daughter,  are  deceased.  John  R.  resides  on  a  farm 
in  Ontario  Township;  Samuel  P.  follows  the  profes- 
sion of  loan  and  insurance  agent,  is  married  and  re- 
sides at  Columbus,  Kan.;  Hugh  Parks  is  also  married, 
and  engaged  in  farming  in  Gage  County,  Neb.,  while 
J.  Calvin  is  editor  of  the  Keithsburg  Times.  Mr. 
Mitchell  has  given  his  children  excellent  educational 
advantages,  all  of  them,  except  John,  having  at- 
tended the  colleges  at  Galesburg  and  Monmouth. 
In  their  religious  belief,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell  are 
Presbyterians. 

Starting  in  an  humble  way  on  40  acres  of  very 
broken,  hilly  land,  by  dint  of  courage  and  persever- 
ance Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mitchell  saved  enough  from  the 
proceeds  of  this  farm  to  enable  them  to  buy  a  large 
farm,  to  which  they  moved  in  1847.  Being  success- 
ful in  this  venture,  they  decided,  in  1853,  on  a  new 
enterprise,  that  of  keeping  a  country  tavern  in  con- 
nection with  the  farm.  To  this  farm  belonged  a 
small  village,  called  Cassville.  Here  he  held  the 
office  of  Postmaster  As  there  was  no  line  of  travel 
except  overland,  the  tavern,  in  connection  with  the 
farm,  proved  a  remunera'.ive  business;  but,  desiring 
to  turn  his  whole  attention  to  farming,  Mr.  M.  de- 
cided to  remove  his  family  to  Illinois.  He  came  to 
Knox  County  in  the  fall  of  1864,  as  above  stated. 
Feeling  the  decrepitude  of  age  and  hard  farm  life 
coming  on  and  having  educated  both  his  sons,  both 
at  school  and  in  the  art  of  farming,  he  decided  to 
leave  the  management  of  the  farms  to  them,  and  re- 


tired to  the  village  on  the  handsome  competency  left 
him. 

Mr.  M.  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  man 
whose  character  has  ever  been  associated  with  the 
conscious  rectitude  noticeable  to  those  who  know  him 
or  have  been  connected  with  him  in  business  trans- 
actions. His  convictions  regarding  duty  are  firm, 
and  his  integrity  widely  acknowledged.  In  the 
building  up  of  his  adopted  State,  he  has  faithfully 
performed  all  of  a  citizen's  part,  and  displayed  a 
sturdy  interest  in  whatever  seemed  to  contribute  to 
the  general  good. 

To  crown  an  old  age  already  honored,  this  gentle- 
man has  seen  his  children  grow  up  and  enter  suc- 
cessfully upon  life's  stage,  while  the  warm  wishes  of 
innumerable  friends  will  no  doubt  continue  to  render 
the  remainder  of  his  life  a  source  of  undiminished 
happiness.  His  portrait,  as  one  of  the  most  es- 
teemed citizens  of  the  county,  is  given  in  connection 
with  this  sketch. 


S;b,harles  H.  Nelson,  Esq.,  is  a  prominent 
il|||^^!a  lawyer  and  farmer  residing  at  Henderson. 
3lii?» '*'  He  came  to  Knox  County  in  1843,  from 
Beaver  County,  Pa.,  and  settled  in  his  pres- 
ent location.  He  has  here  established  a  most 
desirable  home  and  has  interesting  occupation 
in  the  joint  pursuits  of  agriculture  and  law.  He  was 
born  in  Munson,  Mass,  on  the  2d  of  June,  1830,  and 
when  only  two  years  old  emigrated  with  his  parents 
to  Western  New  York,  and  thence  to  Pennsylvania. 
Here  they  lived  until  1843,  when  they  came  to  Knox 
County.  His  mother's  decease  took  place  in  Penn- 
sylvania, his  father  dying  later  in  Henderson  Town- 
ship. Receiving  only  a  common-school  education, 
and  being  much  devoted  to  books,  he  gave  a  great 
many  of  his  private  hours  to  the  study  of  various 
worthy  subjects. 

Mr.  Nelson,  while  employed  in  a  store  in  Hender- 
son, was  so  anxious  to  make  a  success  of  his  contem- 
plated profession  that  between  times  he  would  study 
law  with  an  energy  that  often  surprised  himself  Dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1862  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
in  Chicago,  and  for  several  years  devoted  himself  to 
the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Henderson.  He 
has  a  well-tilled  farm  of  about  300  acres,  to  which 
he   has  given   special  attention    and  which    shows 


ws       ♦ 


i 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


^^^ 


the  result  of  intelligent  labor.  He  was  married  in 
Henderson  on  the  8th  of  November,  1882,  to  Miss 
Ruth  A.  Cook,  the  daughter  of  James  and  Mary 
(Chaffee)  Cook,  both  natives  of  Ohio.  They  came  to 
Knox  County  in  1861,  where  the  mother  died  in  1864. 
The  father  still  survives,  and  is  a  gentleman  who  has 
gathered  around  him  a  wide  circle  of  substantial 
friends.  Mrs.  Nelson  was  born  in  Trumbull  County, 
Ohio,  June  6,  1843. 

The  subject  of  this  history  has  held  the  office  of 
Supervisor  and  School  Trustee  for  some  years.  He 
is  one  of  the  very  prominent  men  of  his  township  and 
county,  in  whom  a  great  number  have  occasion  to 
place  the  utmost  confidence,  while  his  advice  on  mat- 
ters outside  and  apart  from  law  is  sought  after  by  a 
large  class  of  the  community.  Politically  his  sympa- 
thies are  entirely  with  the  Democratic  party,  and  on 
all  measures  affecting  it  he  keeps  himself  constantly 
posted. 


^smuel  Rankin.  Knox  County  claims 
many  enterprising  and  industrious  men, 
whose  characters  hold  the  elements  of 
worthy  citizens  and  residents,  and  of  whom 
she  may  justly  be  proud.  Among  these  may 
be  cited  Samuel  Rankin,  a  farmer  living  on 
section  2,  of  Henderson  Township,  whose  claim  to  a 
high  place  among  the  aforementioned  gentlemen  is 
undisputed.  His  enterprise,  both  as  a  man  and  citi- 
zen, is  commendably  large,  and  prosperity  has 
crowned  the  honest  endeavors  which  he  has  put 
forth  with  success. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  notice  came  to  Knox 
County  in  January,  1875,  from  Henry  County,  111. 
He  settled  in  Henderson  Township,  on  the  section 
above  named,  and  there  purchased  200  acres,  which 
he  has  since  cultivated  and  improved,  and  there  built 
up  a  home.  At  the  present  day  he  is  in  possession 
of  2S0  acres  of  land,  most  of  it  extremely  fertile  and 
productive. 

Mr.  Rankin  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Pa., 
March  10,  1844,  in  which  section  of  the  country  he 
passed  the  time  till  he  reached  the  age  of  19  years, 
teaching  school  several  terms.  With  an  eager  desire 
to  "  Go  West,  young  man,"  he  took  the  advice  of  the 
immortal  Greeley,  and  set  his  face  toward  the  occi- 
dental regions,  landing  at  Denver,  where  he  engaged 


in  teaming,  and  shortly  after  returned  to  Knox 
County,  where  he  remained  almost  one  year.  He 
then  returned  to  his  native  home  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  remained  about  one  year.  While  in  Knox 
County  he  met  and  married  Miss  Mary  D.  Hender- 
son. From  Pennsylvania  he  moved  with  his  wife  to 
Henry  County,  111.,  where  they  remained  seven  years. 
Not  liking  his  place,  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  his 
present  home.  Mrs.  Rankin  was  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Hannah  (Dunlap)  Henderson.  They 
were  natives  of  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  and  emigrated 
to  Knox  County  in  1855,  and  settled  on  the  farm 
where  Mr.  R.  now  lives.  The  demise  of  the  mother 
occurred  in  1869,  and  that  of  the  father  on  Jan.  13, 
1873.  Mrs.  Rankin  was  third  in  order  of  birth 
of  a  family  of  seven  children.  She  was  born  in  Fay- 
ette County,  Pa.,  Aug.  25,  1842. 

Resulting  from  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rankin 
is  the  birth  of  five  children,  as  follows:  Thomas  A., 
William  F.,  Minnie  E.,  Samuel  S.  and  Horace  A. 
Thomas  A.  died  at  the  age  of  18  months,  at  a  period' 
when  he  had  endeared  all  hearts  to  him  by  the  inno- 
cent glee  of  infancy. 

Mr.  Rankin,  of  this  notice,  is  a  stirring  business^; 
man,  both  in  matters  relative  to  public  and  private 
good.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  his 
township  three  years,  and  of  Assessor  two  years,  and 
has  reflected  honor  and  credit  upon  himself  and 
his  constituents.  He  is  identified  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party,  although  his  principles  are  of  the 
broad  class  that  look  to  the  man  more  than  to  the 
party. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  William  and  Eliza 
(Junk)  Rankin,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father 
died  in  the  spring  of  1877,  and  his  wife,  who  still 
survives  him,  resides  in  Fayette  County,  Pa.  Mr. 
Rankin  is  of  Scotch  Irish  descent. 


®J^)/OTS*v.'Wv>. 


~v'W-'v«jfiC£r®^'» 


ob  B.  Sargeant.  As  a  representative  citi- 
zen of  the  agricultural  class  of  Knox 
County,  and  a  gentleman  whose  sterling 
worth  and  integrity,  we  take  pleasure  in  giving 
the  few  following  facts  regarding,  is  Job  B. 
Sargeant.  His  fine  farm  is  on  section  12, 
Maquon  Township,  where  he  is  industriously  en- 
gaged in  its  cultivation.     His  parents,  Theodore  and 


^ 


•e4; 


4-*' 


422 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


Rachel  (Brown)  Sargeant,  are  natives  of  Maine  and 
Virginia  respectively.  The  father  was  in  the  War  of 
18 1 2,  and  also  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  They  were 
married  Nov.  5,  1824,  and  made  settlement  in  Ful- 
ton County,  111.,  where  they  passed  the  remainder  of 
their  lives,  dying  in  Farraington,  111.,  the  father  on 
July  15,  187  I,  and  the  mother  July  17,  1881.  Their 
family  consisted  of  ten  children,  five  of  whom  sur- 
vive. The  record  is  as  follows :  Lydia,  Daniel  B., 
Job  B.,  Sarah  E.,  Joel,  Mary  A.,  Charles  and  Abra- 
ham, and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 

Job  B.  was  born  in  Farmington,  111.,  Oct.  11,  1834. 
His  education  was  somewhat  limited,  being  confined 
to  the  common  schools  of  his  district.  He  passed 
his  early  life  in  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm  until 
he  came  to  his  majority,  at  which  time  he  rented  a 
farm  in  Fulton,  and  also  one  in  Peoria  County,  and 
operated  these  until  his  removal  to  Knox  County,  in 
Feb.,  1868.  Before  his  arrival  in  Knox  County  he 
purchased  160  acres  on  section  12,  Maquon  Town- 
ship, upon  which  he  settled,  and  is  residing  at  the 
present  time.  He  has  improved  the  farm  by  erect- 
ing convenient  and  substantial  buildings,  and  is  now 
the  possessor  of  320  acres  of  finely  improved  land, 
270  of  which  is  under  excellent  cultivation. 

Mr.  Sargeant  was  married  in  Farraington,  111.,  Oct. 
25,  1855,  10  Miss  Annie  Cook,  daughter  of  John  and 
Frances  (Brakefield)  Cook.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  England,  and  there  Ihey  were  married. 
They  emigrated  to  America  in  the  year  1845,  first 
making  a  settlement  in  York  State,  and  seven  years 
later  came  to  Fulton  County,  111.,  where  her  father 
followed  the  vocation  of  a  farmer.  He  died  at  Farm- 
ington, III.,  April  28,  18157,  his  wife  dying  at  the 
same  place  Feb.  11,  1868.  They  had  been  blessed 
by  a  family  of  ten  children,  six  of  whom  grew  to  the 
age  of  man  and  womanhood,  and  are  as  follows : 
Ann,  Charlotte,  Francis,  John,  Harriet  M.,  Martha 
H.,  Alfred,  Mary  E.  sjnd  two  infants,  deceased. 

Mrs.  Sargeant  was  born  in  England,  March  24, 
1835,  and  was  nine  years  of  age  when  she  came  to 
the  United  States.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  were  the  parents 
of  four  children,  named  Ella  M.,  Charles  T.,  Frank- 
lin W.  and  John  E.  Ella  died  Dec.  11,  1857,  when 
about  one  year  old.  Charles  married  Elizabeth 
Foster,  and  they  are  at  present  residing  in  Maquon 
Township;  Edgar  C.  is  their  only  child.  Franklin  and 
John  still  reside  upon  the  old  farm. 

Mr.  Sargeant  has  been    School  Director,   and    in 


-H- 


politics  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party.  He 
is  one  of  the  solid  and  substantial  men  of  the  place, 
and  his  wife  is  one  of  the  most  amiable  and  intelli- 
gent women  of  the  community. 


^3= 


ei- 


_j  Cochrun,    deceased,  a   pioneer  of 

of  1837,  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Ohio,  Aug.  27,  1809.  He  was  a 
S^  son  of  Simon  and  Margaret  Cochrun,  natives 
!j^  of  Virginia.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  a 
1  farm  and  received  the  advantages  of  a  com- 
mon-school education,  and  at  an  early  age  was  ap- 
prenticed to  the  blacksmith  trade.  He  united  with 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  1825  ;  and  was 
married  in  his  native  county  Aug.  22,  1833,  to  Miss 
Nancy  I.  Cannon.  He  emigrated  to  Knox  County 
in  October,  r837,  locating  at  Abingdon.  Here  he 
engaged  in  blacksmithing  for  a  time,  and  in  1867 
entered  the  drug  business  in  Murray,  Iowa. 

Mr.   Cochrun   was  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
held  many  of  the  local  offices,  among  them  those  of>< 
School    Director,   Assessor    and    Postmaster.       His 
death  occurred  in  July,  1884.     His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him.     The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  consisted. 
of  four  children. 


.}.-., 


!.on.  H.  P.  Wood.  This  gentleman,  whose 
commercial  transactions  have  borne  so  im- 
portant a  part  in  his  community,  occupies 
the  position  of  banker  and  merchant,  and  is 
closely  identified  with  most  of  the  business  in- 
terests of  Wataga.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  the 
spring  of  1856.  He  had  previously  resided  at  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  though  a  native  of  Vermont,  having  been 
born  there  Sept.  12,  1818.  His  parents,  notable  for 
their  general  good  sense  and  integrity  in  the  com- 
munity with  whom  they  held  intercourse,  were  Will- 
iam and  Hannah  (Parish)  Wood.  Originally  they 
came  from  Connecticut  and  Brookfield,  Vermont. 
Wm.  Wood  was  born  in  Lanesboro,  Berkshire 
County,  Mass.,  Aug.  24,  1790,  and  died  at  Westford, 
Vt.,  April  5,  1845,  in  the  55th  year  of  his  age.  Han- 
nah Parish,  his  wife,  and  mother  of  Hon.  H.  P. 
Wood,  was  born  in  the  town  of  Brookfield,  Orange 


\ 


Residence  of  Mrs.  M.S.Lowry,  Sec  I6.  CedarTownship. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

i::'.VERSlTY  OF  ILUHC13 


^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


425 


4^H 


Co.,  Vt.,  March  7,  1795,  and  died  at  the  residence  of 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Goodhue,  in  New  Lisbon,  Wis., 
in  August,  1SS3,  in  the  SSth  year  of  her  age.  Her 
remains  were  taken  to  Vermont  and  buried  by  the 
side  of  her  husband,  in  the  old  cemeterj'  at  VVestford 
Hollow,  so  called,  near  where  our  subject  resided 
until  he  moved  to  Boston,  Mass.,  in  tlie  year  1851. 
They  were  tlie  parents  of  ten  children,  of  whom  five 
are  living  at  this  time,  H.  P.  being  the  second  one  of 
the  number.  His  first  wife,  Hannah  M.  Bowman, 
was  born  in  Binghamton,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  3, 
1820,  died  at  Wataga,  Knox  Co.,  111.,  Oct.  7,  1872,  in 
the  53d  year  of  her  age.  They  were  married  at  West- 
ford,  Vt.,  Sept.  28,  1841,  and  had  two  children — a  son, 
Wm.  H.,  who  has  been  engaged  in  business  witli  him 
since  1868  at  Wataga;  and  a  daughter,  Emma  J., 
both  of  whom  are  living  at  this  time.  His  second  wife, 
Mrs.  Mahiah  (Phelps)  Watkins,  daughter  of  Warren 
Phelps,  and  widow  of  Henry  Watkins,  was  born  in 
Enfield,  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y.,  May  14,  1834,  and 
with  her  parents  moved  to  this  county  and  State  in 
1856.  They  were  married  at  Wataga,  Kno.\  Co.,  111., 
Jan.  I,  1876.  Her  father,  Warren  Plielps,  was  born 
in  the  State  of  New  York  in  1787,  where  he  lived  un- 
til he  moved  to  Knox  County,  111.,  in  1856.  He 
died  in  1859  in  the  7  2d  year  of  his  age.  H.  P. 
Wood,  when  living  in  Vermont,  was  engaged  in  mer- 
cantile, tanning  and  currying  and  farming  business ; 
when  in  Boston,  Mass.,  in  the  produce  and  commis- 
sion business;  since  living  in  this  county  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  and  farming  business.  He 
has  been  Township  School  Treasurer  for  the  last 
25  years. 

The  elder  Mr.  Wood  followed  the  calling  ot  leather 
manufacturer  and  merchant  in  Westford,  Vt.,  and 
followed  this  business  for  more  than  thirty  years, 
when,  in  1840,  his  health  failing,  he  retired,  leaving 
his  affairs  in  the  hands  of  his  two  sons,  Wm.  S.  and 
Hannibal  P.,  who  continued  their  father's  business 
for  ten  years.  The  father,  dying  in  Vermont  in  1855, 
was  lost  to  many  friends  who  not  only  admired  but 
were  benefited  by  his  direct  and  honest  dealing.  He 
was  one  of  the  old-time  Whigs,  and  prominently 
showed  his  leanings  in  the  politics  of  the  hour  and 
sociology  of  the  period.  For  a  con.siderable  time  he 
was  Assistant  Judge  of  the  County  Court,  as  well  as 
an  untiring  representative  in  the  Legislative  Assem- 
bly. Identified  to  a  very  large  extent  with  the  various 
and  prominent  interests  of  his  county  and  State,  he 


was  sought  after  when  his  advice  was  needed  or  his 
judgment  considered  necessary  in  the  direction  of  af- 
fairs. Being  a  self-made  man,  he  attracted  the  no- 
tice of  such  as  look  below  the  surface  when  seeking 
the  cliaracteristics  of  strong  minds,  and  accordingly 
the  earnest  inquirer  after  aid  in  any  one  direction 
readily  found  in  him  the  right  man.  He,  by  reason 
of  his  liberality  in  assisting  others  and  the  expense  of 
rearing  a  large  family,  did  not  become  possessed  of 
a  large  estate.  He  was  a  foremost  member  in  the 
Congregational  Church. 

The  gentleman  whose  biography  forms  the  chief 
item  of  interest  in  this  sketch  remained  at  his  home 
until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  ig  years,  when  his 
father's  business  fell  to  the  care  of  himself  and 
brother.  This  he  actively  engaged  in  until  lie  was 
29  years  old,  his  academical  training  at  this  period 
being  of  great  assistance  to  him. 

Proceeding  to  Boston  in  1850,  Mr.  Wood  bscame 
a  leading  member  of  the  produce  commission  bus- 
iness, in  which  capacity  he  met  with  more  or  less  1 
success  for  five  years,  when  in  the  spring  of  1856  he 
removed  to  Wataga,  Knox  Co.,  111.  Here  he  pur-  1 
chased  real  estate  to  some  extent,  at  the  same  time 
acquired  an  interest  in  a  store  with  a  Mr.  Babcock, 
where  he  remained  until  1862,  when  he  purchased 
and  added  to  his  own  interest  that  of  Mr.  Babcock. 
At  this  juncture  his  brother,  Wm.  S.,  became  his 
partner,  and  the  business  flourished  under  their  com- 
bined efforts  until  the  year  1868,  when  Wm.  S.  re- 
sold his  interest  in  favor  of  his  brother.  Since  the 
latter  date  the  firm  has  been  conducted  under  the 
name  of  H.  P.  Wood  &  Co.  At  the  present  date 
Mr.  Wood  includes  in  his  business  callings  banking, 
as  well  as  other  mercantile  interests,  these  having 
been  combined  since  1862.  His  possessions  include 
some  excellent  farm  land,  store,  tenement  houses 
and  other  property.  Being  returned  to  the  Legisla- 
ture in  1881-2,  he  has  shown  rare  aptitude  in  the 
capacity  of  adviser  and  representative.  Apart  from 
the  honor  shown  him  by  his  constituents,  he  has  held 
the  [josition  of  Postmaster  from  1864  to  1867,  be- 
sides creditably  filling  various  other  offices  of  the 
township.  From  1872  to  1875  he  served  as  Super- 
visor. 

By  religious  persuasion  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  be- 
long to  the  Congregational  Church,  a  community 
among  whom  both  these  good  people  have  won  great 
respect  through  their  sterling  qualities.   The  church 


e4-^ 


i 


rH^ 


426 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


counts  in  its  membership  some  of  the  best  and  most 
substantial  families  of  Knox  County. 

Wherever  the  cause  of  good  is  likely  to  claim  an 
adherent,  Mr.  Wood  and  his  wife  are  found  in  readi- 
ness to  render  the  necessary  aid.  Through  his  di- 
recting agency  the  church  to  which  he  now  belongs 
exercises  an  influence  more  than  in  proportion  to  its 
wealth  and  the  number  of  its  members. 

In  the  interest  of  the  county  and  State  Mr.  W.  is 
considered  a  sound  economist  and  practical  finan- 
cier, and  in  whatever  official  capacity  he  is  likely  to 
be  placed  in  the  future,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  his 
influence  will  prove  worthy  of  commendation. 

■  A     I. 


-\ — r^^ 

S'llf  ames  R.  Catterton.  The  gentleman  whose 
name  we  give  in  connection  with  this  no- 
tice came  to  Knox  County  in  1854,  from 
Lawrence  County,  111.,  and  settled  in  Truro 
Township,  where  he  lived  for  something  over  a 
year,  and  then  moved  lo  Elba  Township. 
X  There  he  purchased  200  acres  of  land  on  section  8, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  has  erected  a  fine  res- 
idence on  his  farm  to  take  the  place  of  one  which 
was  destroyed  by  fire  Dec.  6,  1882.  At  this  writing 
he  is  the  owner  of  203  acres,  120  of  which  is  under  an 
advanced  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Catterton  was  born  in  Bullitt  County,  Ky.,  Aug. 
19,  1 819.  In  1820,  when  he  was  quite  young,  his  par- 
ents moved  to  Lawrence  County,  111.,  and  settled  on 
the  Wabash  River,  where  our  subject  lived  until  he 
came  to  this  county.  His  early  life  was  spent  in  at- 
tending the  common  schools,  and  working  at  shoe- 
making  and  harness-making,  which  he  followed  for  a 
livelihood  until  ^fier  reaching  maturity.  He  then  en- 
gaged in  the  vocation  of  an  agriculturist.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1848,  Mr.  Catterton  entered  the  regular  army,  en- 
listing in  the  3d  U.  S.  Dragoons,  and  served  in  the 
Mexican  War  till  July  of  the  same  year,  when  the  war 
ceased  and  he  was  discharged  at  Jefferson  Barracks, 
Mo.,  nothing  of  importance  occurring  during  his  en- 
listment. 

Mr.  Catterton  was  married  in  Lawrence  County,  111., 
Feb.  18,  T849,  to  Sarah  A.  Organ,  daughter  of  Daniel 
A.  and  Lucinda  (Rowland)  Organ,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  Kentucky  respectively.  Her  father  was  a 
Captain  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  in  1832.     Her  par- 


ents settled  in  Lawrence  County,  III.,  where  her 
father  followed  farming  and  where  both  parents  died. 
They  had  three  children  who  lived  to  attain  the  age 
of  man  and  womanhood,  and  were  named  Sarah,  Mary 
J.  and  John  P.  Sarah  A.,  the  wife  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Lawrence  County,  III.,  Sept.  28,  1830, 
and  has  borne  her  husband  (Mr.  Catterton)  seven 
children,  of  whom  three  survive,  namely  :  Aurora  A., 
Mary  F.  and  Lura  B. ;  the  deceased  are  Sylvester, 
Martha  J.,  Sarah  A.  and  Edward  M.  Aurora  is  the 
wife  of  Samuel  McKee,  a  farmer  who  resides  in  Sum- 
mit, 111.,  and  they  have  three  children — Adam  E., 
Samuel  G.  and  James  C. ;  Mary  Catterton  is  the  wife 
of  John  H.  Johnson,  a  druggist,  and  resides  in 
London  Mills,  Fulton  County ;  they  have  one  child — 
Stella  F. ;  Lura  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Norton,  a  farmer 
of  Elba  Township,  and  their  daughter's  name  is 
Meda  Rosalia,  born  Sept.  r3,  1885. 

The  Organ  family  were  originally  from  England. 
Enoch  Organ,  the  grandfaiherof  Mrs.  Catterton,  was 
born  in  Virginia,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the 
Revolution.  Mr.  Catterton 's  ancestry  is  Scotch,  and 
his  grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Rev- 
olution. Dilar  F.  Catterton,  the  father  of  tlie  sub-V 
ject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  18 12, 
serving  five  years;  a  portion  of  the  time  he  was  in  the 
command  under  Gen.  Harrison  and  was  in  Jackson's 
army  in  the  South,  and  at  New  Orleans  when  the 
English  army  was  defeated. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Catterton  were  Dilar  F.  and 
Anna  (Robinson)  Catterton,  natives  of  Maryland  and 
Kentucky  respectively.  They  were  married  and  set- 
tled in  the  latter  State,  from  whence  they  removed  to 
Lawrence  County,  111.,  where  the  father  followed  the 
trade  of  a  shoemaker,  and  where  both  parents  re- 
sided until  their  demise ;  the  mother  died  about 
1832,  and  the  father  in  1867.  Six  children  were  born 
to  them,  named  John,  Nancy,  James,  Mary,  Mar- 
tha and  Isaac. 

James  Catterton  has  been  Overseer  of  Highways 
and  School  Director  in  his  township,  and  is  a  re- 
spected and  lionored  citizen  of  the  same. 

He  enlisted,  in  July,  r862,  in  Co.  H,  of  the  io2d 
III.  Vol.  Inf ,  and  served  his  country  faithfully  and 
well  until  July  7,  r865.  He  enlisted  as  a  private,  and 
in  November,  1862,  met  with  a  serious  accident  near 
Green  River,  Ky.,  by  a  mule  falling  upon  him.  This 
injury  incapacitated  him  from  active  duty  until  the 
fall  of  1863.     He  was  detached  and  assigned  to  the 


he      i 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


427 


2d  Bat.  of  Invalids  or  Veteran  Reserve,  and  was  dis- 
charged at  Rock  Island,  111.,  at  the  date  above  men- 
tioned, when  he  returned  to  this  county  and  once 
more  entered  upon  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  life.  He 
and  his  wife,  together  with  their  children,  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church.  In  politics  Mr.  Cat- 
terton  is  a  stanch  and  active  Republican. 

A    view  of  the   fine    residence  of   Mr.  Catterton 
appears  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 


4h. 


ohn  W.  Games  is  among  the  oldest  of  the 
settlers   now    residing   in    Knoxville.     He 
was  born  near  Staunton,  Augusta  Co.,  Va., 
on  the  2  2d  of  May,  1808.  His  father,  Abraham 
Carnes,  was  a  native  of  the  North  of  Ireland 
and  originally  of  Scottish  descent.     His  ances- 
tors emigrated  from  Ireland  during  the  religious  wars, 
■    his  father  arriving  in  this  country  while  yet  a  young 
•  man.     He   located    in   Virginia    and   married   Miss 
\  Elizabeth  Thompson,  a  native  of  Augusta  County, 
i  -that  State.     In  18 10  he  removed  with  his  wife  and 
>f  six  children   to  Ohio,  and  settled  in   Knox  County, 
which  he  had  previously  visited.  He  was  for  a  short 
time  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  181 2,  and  fought  against 
the  Indians  at  Upper  Sandusky,  Ohio.  He  remained 
in  Knox  County  until  18 16,  when  he  again  set  out  to 
go  farther  westward.  Traveling  toward  the  Musking- 
um River,  he  there  purchased  a  boat  and  proceeded 
down  the  Ohio  River  until   he   reached  Henderson, 
Ky.,  a  district  then   known  as  The  Yellow   Banks. 
Subsequently  his  fatlier  bought   a   house  and   claim 
near  the  Wabasli  River,  Vincennes,  from  which   he 
afterward  moved  to  Illinois  and  selected   a  location, 
where  for  a  time  he  lived  with  hisrfamily,  but  in  the 
following  summer  moved  to  that  part  of  Crawford  now 
known  as  Lawrence  County.  This  was  in  September, 
181 6,  at  a  period  when  Illinois  was  as  yet  a  Terri- 
tory.    Employing  himself  in  stock-raising  and  strictly 
adhering  to  business,  he  became   prominent  among 
his  neighbors,  and  was  finally  chosen  to  many  offices 
of  trust.     Twice  he  represented  his  district  in   the 
State  Legislature,  where,  for  firmness  as  a  iwlitician, 
he  became  the  general   remark  of  the  Assembly  ;  it 
was  through  his  efforts  that   Lawrence  County  was 
formed  and  so  named.     At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
was  still  a  member  of  that  body.     His  demise  took 
place  in  1824.  Subsequently,  his  widow  died  in  Mor- 

-x 


gan  County,  By  this  marriage  there  were  ten  chil- 
dren, the  subject  of  this  biography  being  the  sixth 
and  only  one  living.  He  was  two  years  old  when  his 
parents  came  to  Ohio,  and  he  had  only  reached  his 
eighth  year  when  they  removed  to  the  Territory  of 
Illinois.  In  Lawrence  County  he  grew  to  manhood, 
and  when  17  years  old  entered  upon  an  apjjrentice- 
ship  of  four  years  to  the  tailoring  trade,  at  which  he 
worked  until  the  spring  of  1830,  when  he  undertook 
a  trip  on  a  flatboat,  loaded  with  produce,  and  bound 
for  New  Orleans.  He  made  a  second  trip  the  next 
year,  and  in  1831  re.noved  to  Jacksonville,  Morgan 
County,  where  he  opened  a  tailor  shop  and  continued 
in  business  up  to  1836.  He  then  sold  out  the  con- 
cern and  came  to  Knoxville,  where  he  opened  a  dry 
goods  and  grocery  store  in  company  with  John  Eads. 
In  tliis  branch  of  business  he  continued  to  operate 
successfully  until  rSyg.  For  the  last  few  years  he 
traded  in  clothing  and  gents'  furnishing  goods,  giving 
general  satisfaction  to  a  large  number  of  appreciative 
customers.  Since  1879  he  has  lived  in  retirement, 
giving  his  entire  attention  to  private  interests  and 
participating  in  the  good  work  whicli  his  position  en- 
tails upon  him. 

On  the  8th  of  October,  r834  Mr.  Carnes  married 
Eleanor  York,  a  native  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  born  July 
28th,  1817,  and  whose  demise  took  place  the  8th  of 
August,  1851.  This  exemi)lary  mother  left  three  chil- 
dren to  mourn  her  loss.  Of  the  two  surviving,  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  John  Brewer,  residing  in  Monmouth, 
and  a  druggist  doing  a  thriving  business;  Sarah 
Elizabeth  married  O.  A.  Barnhart,  and  lives  in  Rock 
Island.  Mr.  Carnes  was  married  the  second  time  on 
the  7lh  of  September,  1857,  the  lady  being  Sarah 
Zook,  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  March  6,  i8t9, 
by  whom  he  had  one  child — John  Z. 

In  |)olitics  Mr.  Carnes  was  originally  of  the  Whig 
school  and  a  supporter  of  Henry  Clay.  He,  however, 
as  years  advanced,  became  a  member  of  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

illiam  Corbin,  a  retired  farmer,  and  one 
of  the  influential  and  wealthy  citizens  resi- 
j4,^p       dent  of  Yates  City,  near  the  city   limits, 
'''  was  born    in  Culpeper  County,  Va.,  Jan.  5, 
1809.    His  father,  also  named  William  Corbin, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  was  born   March 
10,  1785.     The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 


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428 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


bore  the  same  name,  and  was  of  English  descent. 
He  was  identified  with  the  dying  struggles  of  the 
Revolutionarj'  War.  The  maternal  grandfather  was 
Elisha  Anderson,  also  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  of 
Irish  descent,  and  likewise  a  hero  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  The  father  of  William  Corbin,  Sr.,  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  departed  this  life  in  Mus- 
kingum County,  Ohio. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812,  and  although  seriously  wounded  in  one  of 
the  battles  thereof  distinguished  himself  for  his  innate 
bravery  and  manly  courage,  and  came  out  of  the  vari- 
ous engagements  in  which  he  participated  with  fly- 
ing colors.  He  was  under  Col.  Shackelford,  whose 
son  in  later  years  captured  the  rebel  Gen.  Morgan. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Culpeper  County,  Va., 
to  Susan  Anderson,  a  native  of  the  same  county,  and 
born  in  1790.  In  i8t5,  he  removed  to  Charleston, 
where  he  passed  two  years,  removed  to  Ohio,  and 
settled  in  Muskingum  County,  being  one  of  the  earli- 
est settlers  of  that  section.  Purchasing  a  tract  of 
timber,  on  which  stood  a  dilapidated  building,  he 
had  a  part  of  the  land  cleared  and  sold  it  at  an  ad- 
vanced price.  He  then  purchased  another  tract  of 
timber,  which  he  cleared  partially  and  also  sold. 
Repeating  this  e.xperiment  several  times,  he  found 
that  it  paid  measurably  well,  and  was  deeply  en- 
gaged in  these  business  ventures  until  the  year  1867, 
when  he  died,  in  the  full  \ngor  of  manhood.  The 
first  wife  of  Mr.  Corbin  departed  this  life  in  1821, 
and  he  re-married,  his  second  choice  being  Margaret 
Lewis,  a  native  of  Ohio,  who  died  in  1877.  By  the 
first  marriage  there  were  six  children,  and  seven 
by  the  second.  Our  subject  was  the  second  child  in 
the  order  of  birth  by  the  first  marriage,  and  is  the 
sole  survivor.  He  was  but  eight  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  removed  to  Ohio,  and  grew  to  manhood 
in  Muskingum  County,  assisting  his  father  in  clear- 
ing the  different  farms  and  remaining  with  him  up  to 
the  time  of  his  marriage. 

William  Corbin  began  for  himself  on  rented  land, 
in  the  county  in  which  he  had  chosen  his  life  com- 
panion, and  where  he  remained  until  1836.  On  the 
4th  of  October  of  that  year,  accompanied  by  his  wife 
and  one  child,  he  started  with  two  pairs  of  horses  and 
two  wagons  to  Illinois.  Arriving  at  their  destination, 
Farmington.  Nov.  5,  they  passed  the  first  night  with 
a  brother-in-law,  near  Farmington,  and  the  following 
day  visited  Kno.x  County.    Liking  the  appearance  of 


the  country,  and  for  the  added  reason  that  his  brother 
Anderson,  had  settled  there  previously, they  remained, 
first  setting  foot  on  Knox  County  soil  one  lovely 
Sabbath  morning.  The  following  day  he  went  out 
gunning,  killing  his  first  deer,  and  on  the  following 
day  attended  election  in  Peoria  County,  voting  for 
Gen.  W.  H.  Harrison  for  President.  Associating 
with  his  brother,  they  built  a  cabin,  sharing  the  ex- 
pense, on  the  site  of  what  is  now  Yates  City,  and  here 
spent  the  winter.  Meat  was  plenty,  as  they  easily 
secured  game,  but  breadstuffs  were  scarce,  and  dur- 
ing the  winter  he  one  day  went  in  search  of  flour  or 
wheat,  driving  several  miles  below  Canton.  He  was 
disappointed,  however,  and  on  his  return  was  glad  to 
purchase  corn,  which  he  had  gromid  at  the  mill  be- 
low that  city.  On  his  return  trip  he  was  caught  in  a 
blizzard,  which  his  horses  refused  to  face,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  put  up  for  the  night,  as  otherwise  he 
would  probably  have  perished  on  the  prairie.  The 
following  spring  he  rented  the  farm  where  the 
village  of  Elmwood  stands.  This  he  kept  under  culti-  . 
vation  for  one  year,  then  bought  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  11,  in  what  is  now  Salem  Township,  and  in- 
cluded in  Yates  City.  The  land  was  wild  at  the 
time  he  bought  it  and  only  one  house  in  sight.  He 
built  a  small  frame  house  and  bravely  began  the  im- 
provement of  his  possessions,  breaking  the  first  land 
lying  within  the  city  limits  in  r838.  Remaining  un- 
til 1844,  he  sold  out  and  engaged  in  the  manufact- 
ure of  brick  two  years,  then  purchased  a  tract  of  wild 
prairie  land  lying  on  section  21,  of  the  same  town- 
ship. On  this  last  estate  he  built  a  frame  house, 
cultivating  and  fencing  a  part  of  the  land,  upon 
which  he  resided  for  two  years,  then  exchanged  for 
land  lying  on  section  23,  of  this  township.  His  lat- 
ter purchase  included  but  80  acres  of  plowed  land, 
and  there  he  erected  a  set  of  frame  buildings,  planted 
an  orchard,  enclosed  all  the  homestead,  and  there 
lived  until  1867.  In  November  of  that  year  he  moved 
to  the  place  he  now  occupies.  Several  years  pre- 
vious to  this  he  had  opened  a  coal  bank  and  stone 
quarry  on  his  farm,  which  two  branches  of  business 
he  superintended,  working  the  farm  with  hired  help. 
After  coming  to  town  he  superintended  the  coal 
works  and  attended  to  the  improvement  of  his  other 
property  in  the  village.  He  was  a  wide-awake  and 
energetic  business  man,  and  his  time  was  fully  occu- 
pied with  his  duties. 

Mr.  Corbin  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife 


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L.::vERsiTy  of  illin' 


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431 


being  Rachel  McGinnis,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  a  daughter  of  Johnson  and  Jane  McGinnis.  She 
died  in  1840,  leaving  four  children — Marj'  E.,  wife 
of  William  Gould,  of  Salem  Township;  Charlotte, 
widow  of  Abner  Arrasmith,  whose  home  is  in  John- 
son County,  Kan.;  Susan  J.,  who  married  Edwin  R. 
Gooding,  and  who  lives  in  the  same  county  and 
State;  and  Rachel.  His  second  marriage  took  place 
June  17, 1842,  with  Lucinda  Tabor,  who  was  born  in 
Richland  County,  Ohio,  May  26,  1825.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Philip  and  Elizabeth  (Newman)  Tabor, 
her  father  being  a  native  of  New  York  State  and  her 
mother  of  Virginia.  Four  children  were  born  to  this 
marriage — Elizabeth,  wife  of  Thomas  N.  Hancock, 
who  resides  in  Johnson  County,  Kan. ;  and  Sophia 
A.,  wife  of  G.  W.  Goodring,  who  lives  in  Sumner 
County.  Kan.;  two  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Corbin  was 
the  seventh  voter  who  located  in  Salem  Township, 
and  has  been  a  Republican  since  the  formation  of 
that  party.  Mr.  Tabor,  Mrs.  Corbin's  father,  was  a 
pioneer  in  Knox  County,  coming  as  early  as  1838, 
and  locating  in  Salem  Township.  He  died  here 
July  8,  1868;  the  mother  died  March  20,  1876,  in 
f**  Lucas  County,  Iowa. 


ijS'jJjoanerges  Ely.  .\mong  the  large  land- 
^fcS4?   owners  of  Knox  County,  resident  at  Wa- 

I'Wc^  taga,  and  a  gentleman  who  is  respected 
^®*  for  his  sterling  worth  and  integrity,  is  the 
'*  subject  of  this  short  biographical  notice. 
What  Mr.  Ely  has  of  this  world's  goods  has 
not  been  obtained  through  the  recipiency  of  any 
legacy,  but  has  been  acquired  through  liis  own  in- 
domitable energy  and  perseverance,  coupled  with 
the  active  co-operation  of  his  wife  and  children. 

Mr.  Ely  was  born  Dec.  2t,  1821,  in  Claiborne 
County,  East  Tennessee.  His  parents  were  Solo- 
mon and  Rachel  (Turner)  Ely,  natives  of  that  State, 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  1834,  settling  in  Macon 
County,  where  the  father  purchased  a  farm  and 
where  the  two  good  old  people  lived  until  called  to 
their  home  beyond.  Their  family  of  children  were 
II  in  number,  named  as  follows  :  Gideon,  Achsah, 
Abigail,  Philologus,  Oliver,  Minerva,  Susanna,  Da- 
rius, Abimelech  and  Augustus  W.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Ely  was  of  German  descent  and  a  great  Bible 
reader,  and  gave  most  of  his  children  biblical  names. 


Mr.  Ely  of  this  notice  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth  of  his  parents'  children.  He  received  a  com- 
mon-school education  and  lived  with  the  old  folks 
until  he  attained  his  majority.  From  the  age  of  16 
years  until  he  became  his  own  man,  he  worked  out 
out  by  the  month  to  assist  in  the  maintenance  of  the 
family,  the  remuneration  for  his  services  being  ap- 
plied by  his  father  toward  the  payment  of  a  farm. 
On  reaching  manhood,  and  starting  out  in  the  world 
to  do  for  himself,  all  he  asked  or  all  that  he  received 
from  his  parents  was  a  "  God  bless  you."  Leaving 
the  old  homestead  where  he  had  spent  so  many 
pleasant  days,  he  went  forth  to  fight  against  the 
trials  of  life,  and,  until  he  arrived  at  the  age  of  29 
years,  he  worked  out  by  the  month.  Nevertheless, 
when  25  years  of  age,  he  came  to  this  county  and 
purchased  120  acres  of  land  near  the  village  of  Wa- 
taga,  but,  having  an  insufficiency  of  means  to  im- 
prove it,  continued  to  work  for  others  until  1848,  to 
procure  means  for  the  erection  of  a  house  upon  his 
land.  The  time  came  when  he  was  enabled  to  put 
up  his  little  frame  building,  and  onto  this  tract  of 
land  he  moved  and  engaged  energetically  in  its  cul- 
tivation and  improvement,  and  there  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  his  present  handsome  competency.  He 
has  subsequently  added  to  his  original  purchase 
from  time  to  time,  until  he  is  at  present  the  proprie- 
tor of  650  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land  under 
an  exceedingly  high  state  of  cultivation  and  valued, 
every  acre  of  it,  at  $70.  The  buildings  upon  his 
place  cost  him  about  $8,000,  and  there  he  lives,  sur- 
rounded by  a  loving  and  happy  family,  retired  from 
active  labor  and  enjoying  the  accumulations  of  an 
honorable  past. 

Mr.  Ely,  Nov.  3,  1S50,  joined  the  army  of  bene- 
dicts and  increased  the  happiness  of  his  life  by  mar- 
rying Miss  Mary  Duval.  She  is  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  T.  C.  Duval  (see  sketch),  and  the  house- 
hold has  been  brightened  by  the  birtli  of  three  chil- 
dren, whom  the  parents  have  named  Nancy  A.,  Ella 
and  William.  The  firstborn  became  the  wife  of 
John  H.  DeiViing,  and  is  enjoying  a  happy  life  with 
him  at  Wataga;  Ella  married  Samuel  Temple  and 
has  borne  him  one  son — Howard  ;  they  live  in  South- 
west Kansas ;  William  L.  Ely  united  his  destiny 
with  Ada  Willraott,  and  is  a  resident  of  Traill  County, 
Dak. 

Politically,  Mr.  Ely  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 
He   has   held  the  office  of  Street  Commissioner  for 


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432 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


two  years.  As  will  be  seen  from  the  perusal  of  this 
notice,  success  has  attended  him  in  all  his  efforts, 
and  he  is  respected  and  honored  for  what  he  has 
been  as  well  as  what  he  is. 

We  are  pleased  to  be  able  to  present  the  portrait 
of  this  excellent  and  representative  citizen  of  Knox 
County. 


U.  Wetmore,  one  of  the  prominent  and 
successful  farmeis  and  highly  respected  cit- 
izens of  Ontario  Township,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 30,  is  the  subject  of  this  notice.  He  was 
born  in  Rio  Township,  Feb.  17,  1844,  and  is  a 
son  of  Isaac  M.  Wetmore,  a  miller  and  mer- 
chant for  some  years,  and  later  a  farmer,  after  com- 
ing to  Illinois  in  September,  1836,  from  Whitesboio, 
Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born.  He  first  lo- 
cated in  Rio  Township,  and  in  the  spring  of  1845 
settled  in  Ontario  Township,  when  it  contained  only  a 
sparse  and  scattered  population,  the  prairie  being 
mostly  an  unbroken  waste,  and  the  advantages  of 
civilized  life  of  a  very  primitive  character.  The 
father  built,  in  1845,  ^  remarkably  fine  house  of  solid 
black-walnut,  which  is  yet  in  an  excellent  state  of 
preservation  and  repair,  and  when  built  was  the  best 
dwelling  in  the  township.  This  brave  pioneer,  after 
nobly  doing  his  part  in  laying  the  foundations  of  a 
great  commonwealth,  and  witnessing  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  changes  and  progress  in  the  world's 
history,  died  May  12,  1881,  aged  72  years.  The 
mother,  formerly  Mary  L.  Morse,  a  native  of  Her- 
kimer County,  N.  Y.,  died  in  September,  1866,  at  her 
home  in  this  township,  aged  about  56  years. 

Mr.  Isaac  U.  Wetmore  was  the  youngest  son  and 
sixth  child  of  a  family  of  eight  children.  He  was  ed- 
ucated in  his  township  and  in  the  preparatory  depart- 
ment of  Knox  College,  Galesburg,  otherwise  having 
resided  at  home  on  his  father's  farm  ever  since  his 
birth.  He  was  married  in  Ontario  Township,  Sept. 
8,  1867,  to  Miss  Adeline  Case,  a  native  of  Marcellus, 
N.  Y.,  where  she  was  born  Dec.  24,  1847,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  Erastus  and  Ann  M.  Case.  The 
father  was  a  traveling  salesman  during  most  of  his 
lifetime,  and  both  parents  were  natives  of  the  East; 
the  former  of  New  England  ancestry,  and  the 
mother,  whose  family  name  was  Swift,  being  of  direct 
English  descent.     Her  ancestors  came  from  Essex 


County,  England,  in  1630,  William  Case  being  the 
first  of  the  family  of  whom  any  account  is  preserved. 
The  Wetmore  family,  on  the  other  hand,  settled  in 
the  west  of  England  in  1635. 

Mrs.  Wetmore  came  to  Illinois  in  September,  1867, 
having  been  a  teacher  in  Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
taught  some  time  in  Ontario  Township  after  coming 
West.  She  is  the  mother  of  five  children — Nellie  E., 
Carrie  A.,  Rose  M.,  Fannie  A.  and  Freddie  I.  ;  the 
last  two  being  twins.  Since  their  marriage  Mr.  W. 
has  resided  on  the  old  homestead,  which  he  now  owns, 
a  well  located  and  splendidly  improved  farm,  con- 
sisting of  220  acres.  They  are  both  leading,  active 
members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  of  which  denomina- 
tion Mr.  W.  is  a  Deacon,  and  for  many  years  has 
been  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school.  In  pol- 
itics he  is  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  Republican 
party,  as  was  his  father  before  him.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  also  an  active  Abolitionist,  taking  a 
prominent  part  in  the  Anti-Slavery  agitation,  and  as- 
sisting as  "  engineer  "  in  the  piloting  of  many  a  poor ' 
slave  over  the  "  Underground  Railroad  "  to  freedom. 
He  inherited  the  rugged  character  of  his  father  be-  [ 
fore  him,  gauging  his  duty  by  the  lofty  principles"* 
which  guided  that  father  through  a  long  and  success- 
ful life,  and  with  him  there  was  no  such  thing  as  a 
compromise  with  any  private  wrong  or  pu'olic  immor- 
ality. He  passed  away  after  he  had  achieved  many 
successes  in  life's  battles,  and  it  would  be  well  for 
the  community  and  State  if  such  as  he  had  been 
more  frequently  called  into  public  affairs,  leaving 
more  of  the  self-seeking  professionals  at  home. 

:,on.  Zelotes  Cooley  by  profession  is  an  at- 
torney at  law,  and  has  a  very  extensive 
practice  from  a  large  number  of  first-class 
clients.  He  was  born  in  East  Windsor,  Conn., 
on  Nov.  10,  1808,  his  father  being  Aaron  Cooley, 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  by  trade  a 
carpenter.  The  latter,  removing  to  Glastonbury  in 
1816,  continued  to  pursue  his  trade  with  marked  suc- 
cess for  some  years.  Later  in  life,  however,  he  fol- 
lowed coasting  on  the  Connecticut  River,  and  died 
at  Glastonbury  in  the  year  1829. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mr.  Cooley's  mother  was 
Chloe  Bid  well.  She  was  born  in  East  Windsor,  and 
died  at  the   same   place  as   her  husband,  about   the 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


433 


year  1875.  Through  this  marriage  there  were  four 
children — Zelotes  being  the  the  eldest;  Charlotte, 
who  died  in  1882;  Frederick,  in  1884 ;  and  Loring, 
who  departed  this  life  in  1840. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  is  the  only  surviving 
child  of  Aaron  Cooley's  family.  At  the  early  age  of 
eight  years,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Glaston- 
bury, and  until  his  tenth  year  showed  a  ready  apti- 
tude in  the  acquirement  of  knowledge.  As  it  is  truly 
said  "the  boy  is  ofttimes  father  to  the  man,"  no 
more  striking  instance  of  this  could  well  be  found 
than  in  the  lad  Zelotes. 

At  the  close  of  his  sixteenth  year,  he  proceeded  to 
Hartford  to  learn  his  father's  original  trade  of  carpen- 
ter and  joiner,  and  subsequently  he  was  to  be  found 
busily  engaged  at  work  in  Westfield,  Mass.  At 
Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  we  find  him,  later  on,  in  the 
grocery  business,  which  he  successfully  pursued. 
Here  he  remained  until  September,  1837.  Travel- 
ing next  to  Philadelphia,  and  then  via  canal  and  rail 
to  Pittsburg,  from  thence  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the 
Mississippi  River  and  through  Illinois,  he  reached 
LaGrange,  and  from  thence  proceeded  to  walk  to 
Quincy,  which  pedestrian  journey  occupied  him  four 
days.  Again,  however,  he  started  out,  this  time  for 
Macomb,  in  company  with  Alvah  Wheeler.  Our 
travelers  succeeded  in  riding  20  miles,  then  the  res- 
olution was  taken  to  walk  the  remainder  of  the  jour- 
ney to  Carthage.  At  the  Court  House  in  Carthage, 
they  secured  employment  for  the  winter  season,  but 
in  the  spring  of  1838  came  to  Knox  County.  Be- 
coming partner  with  Mr.  Wheeler,  the  firm  secured 
the  contract  to  build  a  Court  House  in  Knoxville, 
from  plans  and  specifications  drawn  by  Mr.  Cooley's 
own  pencil.  This  work  was  completed  during  the 
fall  of  1839,  and  our  subject  continued  in  the  calling 
of  contractor  and  builder  down  to  the  year  1846. 
The  Court  House  which  they  erected  is  the  one  still 
standing  in  Knoxville. 

In  the  summer  of  1846  Mr.  Cooley  was  appointed 
by  the  County  Commissioners  Treasurer  of  the 
county.  In  1847  he  was  elected  County  Clerk,  which 
position  he  filled  with  honor  to  himself  and  satisfac- 
tion to  others,  up  to  the  ist  of  December,  r857,from 
,  which  period  he  has  devoted  his  entire  attention  to 
the  practice  of  law  and  private  affairs. 

In  December,  1833,  Mr.  Cooley  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Julia  A.  Hanks,  whose  birthplace 
was  Lyme,  Conn.     Four  children  were  born  to  Mr. 


Cooley  and  wife  ;  two  only  of  these  are  living — Ella, 
wife  of  David  W.  Bradshaw,  residing  in  Galesburg; 
and  Jennie,  wife  of  Sam'l  L.  Charles,  whose  residence 
is  in  Aurora. 

Mrs.  Julia  A.  Cooley  died  in  1868.  She  was  a  wo- 
man of  rare  qualities  of  mind,  and  those  who  enjoyed 
her  acquaintance  are  ever  ready  to  testify  of  her  be- 
nevolence and  charity  as  exercised  toward  the  needy 
and  distressed. 

From  a  political  standpoint,  Mr.  Cooley  has  al- 
ways been  considered  practical  in  his  methods  and 
thorough  in  his  manner  of  dealing  with  questions 
of  moment.  The  readiness  of  his  intellectual 
foresight  has  induced  those  who  know  him  to  place 
the  utmost  confidence  in  his  decisions,  whether  these 
pertain  to  legal  or  political  matters.  His  honesty  of 
purpose  stands  out  prominently  in  his  daily  inter- 
course with  men,  a  quality  which  has  been  largely 
supplemented  and  sustained  by  his  early  training.  To 
this  latter  he  owes  much  of  the  successor  his  life.  In 
politics  he  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 


^^Jobias  Woods.     Only    a  brief  summary   of 
^K    the  lives  of  many  of  the  residents  of  Knox 

r""*  County  is  given  in  these  records,  but  they 
go  to  show  their  claim  to  genuine  manhood, 
^     citizenship,  and  an  honored  place  among  the 

I  active  workers  of  life.  Among  these  none  is 
better  fitted  to  draw  forth  approbation  than  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch,  whose  home  is  situated  in  the 
thriving  little  village  of  Maquon,  and  who  is  retired 
from  the  active  labors  of  farm  life. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  James  and  Cath- 
erine (Sarver)  Woods,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. The  father  was  of  Scotch-Irisli  and  the 
mother  of  Dutch  ancestry.  Their  family  consisted  of 
eight  children,  bearing  the  names  of  John,  James, 
Fannie,  Tobias,  Catherine,  Sarah,  Mary  and  Joseph. 

Tobias  Woods  was  born  in  Allegheny  County,  Pa., 
Oct.  27,  1820.  He  remained  at  that  place  until  he 
had  attained  the  age  of  majority,  when  he  removed 
to  Venango  County.  Pa.,  at  which  place  he  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1867.  While  there  he  engaged  in 
different  occupations,  his  chief  business  being  that  of 
an  agriculturist.  The  spring  of  the  year  1867  was 
the  date  of  his  arrival  in  Knox  County;  he  came 
hither  with  his  parents'  family,  making  settlement  in 


4^- 


X: 


Hr 


■^ 


434 


K^OX  COUNTY. 


Chestnut  Township.  He  afterward  rented  a  farm 
for  the  period  of  two  years,  subsequently  purchasing 
1 20  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  resided  until  1882, 
when  he  made  his  final  move  to  the  village  of  Ma- 
quon.     He  is  the  owner  of  1 17  acres  of  tillable  land. 

Mr.  Woods  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  J.  Hender- 
son, in  Venansio  County,  Pa.,  Oct.  31,  1850.  She  is 
the  aimable  daughter  of  Charles  and  Mary  (Simcox) 
Henderson.  The  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland  and 
the  mother  of  Pennsylvania.  The  family  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Henderson  consists  of  nine  children.  The 
record  is  as  follows :  Shadrach,  Margaret,  Robert, 
Archie,  William,  Johnnie,  Mary  J.,  Eleanor  and 
Nancy. 

Mrs.  Woods,  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  in  Ve- 
nango County,  Pa.,  Aug.  29,  1829.  She  has  borne 
her  husband  nine  children,  namely:  James,  Charles, 
Frances  M.,  Tobias,  Jr.,  Henderson,  Harvey,  Kate, 
John  and  Robert.  Charles  Woods  married  Jose- 
phine Roberts,  and  they  are  at  present  residing  in 
Nebraska;  Frank  H.  is  the  name  of  their  only  son. 
The  other  members  of  the  family  are  residing  at 
,  home.  In  politics  our  subject  is  a  firm  adherent  to 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 


ji-  ichard  P.  Poster  is  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers in  Maquon  Township,  and  a  gentle- 
man highly  respected  as  a  citizen  and 
farmer,  and  is  at  present  residing  on  his 
homestead,  located  on  section  33.  He  is  the 
son  of  Richard  and  Nancy  (Shrives)  Foster, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  came  to  Knox  County 
in  1852,  settling  in  Maquon  Township,  where  he  has 
since  lived,  engaged  in  the  independent  caUing  of  an 
agriculttirist.  Here  the  wife  and  mother  died.  They 
had  been  blest  with  1 1  children,  two  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  Those  living  are  Emanuel,  Elvira,  Sylves- 
ter, Wealthy,  Charity,  James  M.,  Asenath,  Richard 
P.  and  Samantha. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Highland 
County,  Ohio,  June  22,  1842,  and  was  nine  years  of 
age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Knox  County.  He 
had  received  a  common-school  education,  and  since 
that  time  has  been  engaged  in  agriculture.  He  was 
united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  at  Knoxville, 
Jan.  20,  1872,  with  Amanda  E.,  daughter  of  Samuel 


and  Nancy  Plummer(see  sketch  of  Samuel  Plummer). 
Mrs.  Foster  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  111.,  July  26, 
1854,  and  has  borne  her  husband  five  children, 
namely:  Albert  O.,  Samuel  B.,  Selden  G.,  Norman 
and  Lena  A. 

Mr.  Foster  has  been  School  Director  of  his  town- 
ship, and  politically  votes  with  the  Democratic  party. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  successful  stock-raisers  of  his 
township  and  keeps  a  herd  of  40  cattle  and  25  head 
of  horses,  and  fattens  from  50  to  75  head  of  hogs  an- 
nually. He  is  the  owner  of  160  acres  of  prime  land, 
the  major  portion  of  which  is  tillable.  He  is  one  of 
Kno.x  County's  solid  and  substantial  men. 


V.  B.  Carley.  Lying  within  the  limits  of 
Knox  County  are  many  beautiful  and 
homelike  farms,  owned  by  those  men  who 
only  by  diligent  perseverance  and  untiring 
energy  have  won  their  homes.  Among  these,  > 
conspicuous  as  being  a  substantial  man  and  a 
good  citizen,  may  be  found  the  subject  of  this  histor- 
ical notice,  whose  handsome  home  lies  on  section  5,>< 
of  Sparta  Township.  He  is  characterized  for  his 
thrift  and  prudence,  no  less  than  his  ability  as  a  finan- 
cier, and  may  be  pointed  out  to  the  coming  gener- 
ation as  an  example  worthy  of  imitation. 

Mr.  Carley  was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  4,  1819,  and  his  parents  were  Brookins  and  Ra- 
chel (Bennett)  Carley.  They  were  natives  of  New 
York  State,  wliere  the  father  was  proprietor  of  a  ho- 
tel. He  departed  this  life  in  Schoharie  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  1853;  the  mother  passed  to  the  life  beyond 
from  Tompkins  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1865.  To  them 
were  given  seven  children,  all  of  whom  lived  to 
reach  man  and  womanhood.  They  were  named  as 
follows:  Eliza,  now  Mrs.  Lanphere;  James  V.  R.; 
David  W.;  Mary,  Abraham,  Helen  and  Adelia.  The 
deceased  are  Adelia,  Abraham,  Helen  and  Mary. 
James  V.  R.,  of  this  narrative,  was  the  second  child 
in  order  of  birth  and  remained  at  home  after  his 
father's  death.  He  then,  with  his  sister  Eliza,  whose 
capability  proved  to  be  remarkable,  took  charge  of 
the  bereaved  little  family,  sent  them  to  school  and 
cared  for  them  until  they  reached  years  of  maturity. 
Each  and  all  are  possessed  of  intelligence  and  tal- 
ent and  reflect  credit  upon  the  brave  pair  who  took 
such  a  responsibility  upon  their  young  shoulders.  All 


t- 


V 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


437 


the  daughters  became  teachers,  and  two  of  the  broth- 
ers have  adopted  the  medical  profession. 

James,  our  subject,  entered  upon  the  life  of  a  ped- 
agogue at  the  age  of  22  and  followed  it  for  five  years. 
In  1846  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miranda 
Phelps,  and  the  result  of  this  union  was  two  chil- 
dren— Elnora  and  Warren  M.,  which  latter  died  at 
the  age  of  three  years.  Elnoia  became  Mrs.  Gad- 
dis,  and  departed  this  life  iu  1882,  at  the  age  of  35. 
Mrs.  Carley  died  in  the  year  1863.  Soon  after  his 
marriage  Mr.  Carley  and  his  sister  Eliza  provided  a 
home  for  their  aged  mother,  so  that  she  was  enabled  to 
pass  her  declining  years  without  care  or  anxiety. 

The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Carley  was  with  Mary 
Armstrong,  in  1864,  and  the  result  of  their  union 
was  three  children,  two  of  whom  survive — Lester  E. 
and  James  M.  Ozro  W.  died  in  1870.  The  sec- 
ond Mrs.  Carley  was  born  in  Cumberland  County, 
Eng.,  March  29,  1840,  and  died  in  1872.  His  third 
wife's  maiden  name  was  Clara  E.  Wicks,  and  five 
children  have  been  born  to  them — Edna  E.,  Jay  V. 
R.,  Arthur  B.,  Mabel  and  Clara  E. 

Mr.  Carley  came  to  Illinois  in  1850  and  settled 
where  he  now  lives,  purchasing  77  acres  of  land.  He 
afterward  sold  25  acres  of  it,  and  to  the  52  he  has 
since  added  108^^  acres.  Since  conii.  g  here  he  has 
made  all  modern  improvements,  building  a  house  and 
barn  and  setting  out  trees,  until  be  may  be  pardoned 
for  taking  a  just  pride  in  his  beautiful  surroundings. 
He  values  his  land  at  $75  per  acre,  and  it  is  fruitful 
and  productive  in  the  e.xtreme. 

In  politics  Mr.  Carley  is  a  firm  Republican,  advo- 
cating and  voting  for  the  doctrines  of  that  organiza- 
tion. With  his  two  sons,  Lester  E.  and  James  M., 
he  belongs  to  the  Congregational  Church,  living  out 
the  principles  of  a  noble  Christian  faith. 


^^^Cohn  H.  Kimler.  As  a  representative  of  the 
energetic  portion  of  the  agricultural  class 
of  this  county,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
deserves  mention.  He  is  pleasantly  located  on 
his  fine  farm  of  195  acres  of  rich  and  productive 
land  on  section  i,  Elba  Township,  and  is  there 
industriously  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  inde- 
pendent calling  and  meeting  with  success. 

Mr.  Kimler  came  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of 


1852,  from  Tazewell  County,  this  State,  and  has 
since  been  closely  identified  with  its  agricultural  de- 
velopment. On  his  arrival  here  he  first  made  set- 
tlement in  Truro  Township,  and  there  resided  for 
about  four  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to 
Iowa.  In  the  latter  State  he  resided  for  a  little  over 
si.x  years,  then  returned  to  this  county  and  purchased 
the  farm  on  which  he  is  at  present  residing,  and 
where  he  has  since  lived. 

John  H.  Kimler  was  born  in  Montgomery  County, 
Ind.,  Dec.  2,  1824;  the  name  of  his  father  was  Evan 
Kimler;  the  maiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Love 
Walker.  He  lived  in  his  native  county  until  liis  re- 
moval to  Tazewell  County,  in  1850.  He  lived  in  the 
latter  county  for  two  years  and  then  came  to  Knox 
County,  and  his  entire  life  has  been  passed  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  Mr.  Kimler  was  married  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  Ind.,  June  17,  1847,  to  Mary  J. 
Lane,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  they  have  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  12  children  and  their  house- 
hold saddened  by  the  death  of  six.  Those  living  are  ' 
Benjamin  F.,  Douglas,  Evan,  Walker,  Otis  L.  and 
Preston;  tlie  deceased  are  Viola,  Marena,  Mary  E  , 
Marilla,  Lillian  and  Percy. 

Mr.  Kimler  has  held  the  office  of  Road  Commis- 
sioner, and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church. 


--^--^^^i^^l^^^^iy^k^^-^^ 


-^l^vjV} 


fl.t_  C.  Maxwell.  Among  the  representative 
men  and  noteworthy  citizens  of  Knox 
fl'-^"  '  "^  County  may  be  found  the  subject  of  this 
jjr'  notice,  whose  farm  is  located  on  section  14,  in 
^F  Sparta  Township.  He  is  eminently  worthy  of 
V  notice  for  his  facility  in  business  and  his  ability 
in  his  chosen  vocation.  He  occupies  a  worthy  pwsi- 
tion  in  his  community,  and  has  held  many  of  the  local 
offices.  He  has  been  Overseer  of  Highways,  and  is 
a  helpful  man  in  his  township.  He  is  somewhat  in- 
terested in  educational  matters,  and  has  been  School 
Director  for  some  years. 

Mr.  Ma.xwell  was  born  in  Knox  County,  May  10, 
1849.  His  parents  are  Robert  and  Sarah  (Maxwell) 
Maxwell,  both  natives  of  Indiana,  who,  while  yet 
children,  came  to  Illinois  with  their  parents,  who  set- 
tled in  Clay  County,  and  subsequently,  in  1845,  came 
to  Knox  County,   when  they  settled   in  Henderson 


4^ 


O: 


— x> 


438 


JS:ArOX  COUNTY. 


Township.  At  present  they  live  in  Union  County, 
Iowa,  where  he  moved  in  1873.  He  has  followed 
school  teaching  combined  with  his  agricultural  pur- 
suits, with  the  exception  of  three  years  which  he 
spent  in  the  army  To  them  has  been  born  a  family 
of  five  children,  as  follows:  Eva,  Joseph  C,  Josie, 
Maud  and  William. 

Mr.  Maxwell  of  this  sketch  remained  under  the 
parental  roof  until  he  reached  the  estate  of  manhood, 
attending  school  and  assisting  on  the  farm.  On 
reaching  his  majority  he  rented  a  farm  in  Henderson 
Township  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  until 
1874.  He  then  purchased  280  acres  in  the  State  of 
Iowa,  on  which  he  lived  for  three  years.  Prosperity 
crowned  his  efforts,  and  with  the  proceeds  of  this 
venture  he  returned  to  Illinois,  where  he  settled  in 
Sparta  Township,  purchasing  130  acres  of  land.  At 
the  present  time  he  has  a  farm  of  180  acres  in  Hen- 
derson Township  and  an  interest  in  160  acres  in 
Iowa;  on  this  last  he  carries  on  stock  raising,  breed- 
ing and  selling. 

Mr.  Maxwell  was  united  in  marriage  in  1869,  with 
Miss  Eliza  Duval,  a  native  of  Knox  County  and  a 
daughter  of  Barryman  and  Mary  (Wilkins)  Duval. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maxwell  have  been  given  four  chil- 
dren, by  name  Lula,  Seth,  Nattie  and  Willie. 


fohn  Norris,  retired  farmer,  residing  on  sec- 
tion I,  Salem  Township,  Knox  Co.,  111., 
was  born  in  Coshocton  County,  Ohio,  Dec. 
23,  1816.  He  is  a  son  of  John  Norris,  Sr.,  a 
^C  native  of  Maryland,  having  been  born  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Potomac  River,  in  1788.  His 
grandfather,  William  Norris,  was  also  a  native  of 
Maryland  and  of  English  descent.  About  the  year 
1804,  William  Norris  emigrated  to  Ohio  with  his  fam- 
ily, locating  in  Coshocton  County,  where  he  was 
among  the  early  settlers.  He  purchased  a  tract  of 
timber  land  and  made  extensive  improvement  upon 
it,  remaining  there  the  rest  of  his  days.  He  married 
Margaret  Potto,  who  was  also  a  native  of  Maryland. 
John  Norris,  father  of  our  subject,  was  but  a  lad 
of  16  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  the 
Buckeye  State.  At  that  place  he  met  and  married 
Elizabeth  Elson,  a  native  of  Brooke  County,  W.  Va. 
He  also   purchased  a  tract   of  timber  land,  upon 


which  he  remained  until  1830,  at  that  time  removing 
to  that  part  of  Marion  now  included  in  Crawford 
County.  Here  he  secured  a  tract  of  timber  land  and 
remained  there  until  his  death,  in  1854.  His  wife  pre- 
ceded him  to  the  better  land,  having  died  in  1839. 
After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  married  to  Rebecca  Crainer,  but  enjoyed  only 
a  few  years  of  married  life,  both  dying  of  that  dread 
disease,  cholera,  which  swept  over  the  country  in 
1854. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  fourth  child  and 
third  son  of  his  parents'  family,  and  was  14  years  of 
age  when,  with  his  parents,  he  came  to  Marion 
County.  At  that  place  his  time  was  occupied  in 
working  on  the  farm  and  in  acquiring  a  good  educa- 
tion. He  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  July 
20,  1844,  the  date  of  his  marriage  with  Susan  Mary 
Arbuckle.  She  was  born  in  Muskingum  County, 
Ohio,  Sept.  3,  1821,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Stewart)  Arbuckle,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. There  were  eight  children  of  the  Arbuckle 
family,  and  five  grew  to  man  and  womanhood.  At 
the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  Norris  rented  land  in 
Crawford  County,  and  remained  there  until  the  year 
1848,  when,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren, he  started  overland  with  a  team  and  covered 
wagon  for  Illinois.  After  a  tedious  journey  of  18 
days  they  arrived  at  Peoria,  where  they  made  their 
home  with  friends,  at  Prospect  Hill,  four  miles  north 
of  Peoria,  until  the  March  following,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Ohio  with  his  family.  Mrs.  Norris  was 
taken  sick,  and  the  physician  advised  a  return  to 
Ohio  on  account  of  her  health.  The  route  this  time 
was  via  the  river  to  Cincinnati  and  thence  via  rail- 
road to  Crawford  County.  In  June  of  the  same  year 
they  again  started  with  their  team  for  Iowa,  visiting 
Louisa,  Washington,  Jefferson  and  other  counties. 
The  prospects  seeming  very  poor  in  that  State,  Mr. 
Norris  returned  after  a  few  weeks  to  Knox  County, 
landing  here  with  only  ten  cents  in  his  pocket,  to- 
gether with  a  pair  of  horses  and  a  wagon.  Upon 
arrival  in  this  county  he  engaged  in  teaming  between 
Abingdon  and  Peoria,  receiving  for  the  same  $1  per 
trip  in  cash  and  the  balance  in  trade.  He  continued 
in  that  occupation  until  the  spring  following,  when 
he  rented  a  farm  in  Salem  Township  and  commenced 
his  career  as  agriculturist.  He  continued  to  rent 
land  until  1854,  when  he  purchased  80  acres  on  the 
west    half  of  the    southwest   quarter  of  section   i. 


Hy" 


\ 


¥> 


-H 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^> 


439 


Upon  this  place  he  erected  a  dwelling  and  remained 
there  engaged  in  its  improvement  until  1865.  At 
that  date  he  disposed  of  this  property  and  purchased 
a  farm  in  Elba  Townsliip,  and  lived  upon  it  for  one 
year.  He  then  purchased  the  place  he  now  owns 
and  occupies.  Our  subject  removed  to  Yates  City 
in  1876,  where  he  purchased  village  property,  resid- 
ing there  until  1880,  when  he  returned  to  his  farm. 
His  land  is  located  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion I,  and  is  one  of  the  most  finely  improved  and 
best  cultivated  farms  in  the  township. 

The  children  born  to  the  union  of  John  Norris  and 
Miss  Arbuckle  are  eight  in  number,  and  named 
James  B.,  Elizabeth  T.,  wife  of  D.  Kelly,  of  Florida; 
William  V.,  a  farmer  residing  in  Adams  County, 
Iowa;  Thomas  A.  is  dead;  Samuel  Frank  resides  at 
home;  J.  Alva  is  a  medical  student;  E.  Bell,  still  at 
home;  Ada  L.,  wife  of  Dr.  Royce,  of  Yates  City. 
Thomas  A.  Norris  was  born  June  25,  185  i,  and  died 
June  5,  1 87  I.  Frank  married  Miss  Nellie  Robinson, 
and  they  have  two  children,  whose  names  are  Nellie 
Pearl  and  Happ  F. 

Mr.  Norris,  of  whom  we  write,  cast  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  for  Gen.  Harrison,  in  1840,  but  has  been 
a  Republican  since  1856.  Mrs.  Norris  was  formerly 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  in  Ohio,  and  in  1850 
taught  the  district  school  at  her  home  in  Salem 
Township.  In  religion  Mr.  Norris  is  liberal  in  his 
views. 


WW§\^  illiam  Best,  retired  harness-maker,  was 
,  o^^^'.j  was  born  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa.,  June 
"';,  -^  ''-'■  20,  1824.  He  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and 
iVi?'  Jane  (Morris)  Best.  He  learned  his  trade  in 
^iVf^  Pennsylvania  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1854, 
I  settling  in  Galesburg,  and  for  the  following  three 
years  engaged  in  farming.  He  then  quit  the  tilling 
of  the  soil  and  opened  a  shop  for  the  manufacture  of 
harness.  He  had  the  misfortune  to  suffer  the  loss  of 
his  establishment  by  fire,  and  in  1861  we  find  him 
opening  a  new  shop  at  Abingdon,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  24  years,  from  1861  10  1885. 

Mr.  Best  was  married  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa., 
Feb.  19,  1857,  Miss  Elizabeth  Reener  being  the  lady 
of  his  choice.  She  was  a  daughter  of  John  Reener, 
and  was  a  native  of  the  county  in  which  she  was 
married.     They  have  been  blest  with  five  children,   I 

. • -K 


two  of  whom  were  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  three  in 
Illinois.  The  record  is  as  follows  :  Sarah  J. ;  John 
K.  married  Jennie  Barns  and  lives  at  Helena,  M.  T.; 
Myron  H.  became  the  husband  of  Orpha  Forreston, 
and  they  reside  at  Abingdon ;  William  N.  is  a  resi- 
dent of  Helena;  and  Lemuel  N.  resides  at  Abing- 
don. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Best  are  members  of  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  politics  Mr. 
B.  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the  Republican  party. 


.'; 'Tp  Ni'.avid  Warner. 


In  the  fall  of  1857,  when 
!i|i^M£l.i>  Kno.x  County  had  made  a  pleasant  little 
3|^^  ^  start  and  when  a  few  small  dwelling- 
TOV  houses  had  begun  to  rise  in  and  about  section 
X  S  in  Elba  Township,  prominent  among  those 
i  who  made  settlement  was  the  subject  of  this 
historical  sketch,  who  came  from  Indiana  County, 
Pa.,  and  settled  in  Elba  Township,  wliere  he  pur- 
chased 50  acres  of  land.  He  has  added  to  his 
original  purchase  until  he  now  owns  105  acres,  80  of 
which  are  tillable  and  finely  cultivated. 

Mr.  Warner  was  born  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa., 
April  19,  1819,  and  lived  in  Pennsylvania  until  he 
came  to  Kno.x  County.  For  13  years  he  engaged  in 
teaching  school  and  carding  wool  while  living  there, 
and  since  coming  to  Knox  County  has  given  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits,  and  has  taught 
school  17  winters  besides.  During  his  entire  life  he 
has  taught  30  winters. 

He  was  married  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa.,  Aug. 
28,  1844,  to  Nancy  A.  Wells,  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Mary  (Rareigh)  Wells,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
They  had  a  family  of  nine  children,  five  of  whom 
were  boys  and  four  girls.  Mrs.  W.  was  the  si.xth 
child  in  order  of  birth;  she  was  born  in  Indiana 
County,  Pa.,  Oct.  ii,  1823.  Having  no  children, 
they  have  reared,  cared  for  and  instructed  three 
children  out  of  other  families,  believing  in  the  prom- 
ise that  "  whoso  careth  for  one  of  these,  my  little 
ones,  shall  be  remembered  of  the  Father,  which  is  in 
Heaven."  They  are  Agnes  D.  Wright,  who  is  now 
the  wife  of  Rev.  William  Parker,  and  who  resides  in 
Kansas;  John  W.  Farster,  who  resides  in  York 
County,  Neb.;  and  George  Massie,  who  resides  near 
Toulon,  Stark  County,  111. 

Mr.  Warner  has  held  the  office  of  Assessor,  School 
Trustee,  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  School  Treasurer. 


e-- 


440 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Warner  are  congenial  and  consistent 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  full  and 
regular  standing,  and  believe  in  and  live  forth  the 
true  principles  of  a  noble  religion.  He  has  been 
Elder  in  the  church  for  some  30  years.  In  politics 
he  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party,  in  the 
workings  and  beliefs  of  which  organization  he  is  an 
honest  factor. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Jacob  and  Jane 
(Walker)  Warner,  who  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  were  of  Dutch  descent  as  well  as  some  slight 
admixture  of  Irish  blood.  They  pursued  the  peace- 
ful vocation  of  farming,  honoring  themselves  in 
that  branch  of  labor.  They  continued  on  the  farm 
in  the  State  where  they  had  labored,  and  died  and 
were  buried  within  its  borders. 


Ti^p^dwin  Calkins,  deceased.  To  the  early  pio- 
^^jj    neers  of  this  county  is  due  far  more  credit 


f 

than  can  be  given  in  a  short  biographical 
notice.  For  this  reason  we  cannot  enumerate  in 
these  sketches  all  the  trials  through  which  they 
passed  in  making  early  settlement  here,  for,  as 
a  general  thing,  their  trials  were  similar,  as  likewise 
the  obstacles  they  overcame,  and  we  more  fully  refer 
to  them  in  the  historical  part  of  this  work.  Among 
the  early  comers  was  the  subject  of  this  notice,  who 
to-day  is  passing  the  sunset  of  life  retired  from  act- 
ive labor,  on  his  fine  place  on  section  2,  Sparta 
Township,  he  having  tirst  made  settlement  here   in 

1837- 

Mr.  Calkins  was  born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  23,  18  r  I.  His  father  was  Elijah,  and  his  mother 
Philena  (Coleman)  Calkins ;  the  former  a  native  of 
New  York  and  the  latter  of  Connecticut.  The  father 
of  Mr.  Calkins  made  a  visit  to  this  country  prior  to 
1837,  and  during  his  stay  here  purchased  160  acres 
of  land  for  his  children,  when  he  returned  to  New 
York  and  there  lived  until  1857,  when  he  came  back 
to  this  county;  some  of  iiis  children  having  preceded 
him. 

Edwin  Calkins  was  reared  to  the  honorable  call- 
ing of  a  farmer  in  New  York  State,  there  received  his 
education  and  lived  with  his  parents,  engaged  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  until  1837.  At  that  early  day 
in  the  history  of  this  county,  he  became  a  resident  of 


it,  settling  on  the  r6o  acres  which  his  father  had  pre- 
viously purchased,  and  which  was  located  in  what  is 
now  Sparta  Township.  His  parents  had  nine  chil- 
dren, who  were  named  Charles,  Edwin,  Polly  M., 
Cynthia,  Anson,  Wilshire,  Allen,  Newton  and  Myra. 
Prior  to  his  removal  to  this  county,  Edwin  Calkins 
had  learned  the  trade  of  a  carpenter,  and  worked  at 
the  same  in  his  native  State  for  five  years.  Since 
coming  here  in  1837,  he  continued  to  reside  on  the 
identical  tract  of  land  which  his  father  purchased  50 
years  ago,  and  there,  for  49  years,  he  has  lived  and 
labored  at  his  chosen  profession.  Wliat  a  wonderful 
change  he  has  witnessed!  Then,  the  lands  were  un- 
cultivated, and  the  broad  prairies  on  which  we  to-day 
see  such  magnificent  farms  were  hardly  deemed 
worth  settling  upon,  and  even  the  woodlands  were 
sparsely  settled.  To-day  every  acre  is  enclosed,  and 
here  are  to  be  found  some  of  the  finest  homesteads 
in  the  State.  True,  the  old  pioneers  passed  through 
many  trials  and  encountered  many  obstacles,  but 
they  were  rewarded;  many  of  them  by  goodly  pos- 
sessions, and  those  who  did  not  accumulate  largely 
experienced  satisfaction  in  watching  the  develop- 
ment of  the  county,  and  of  this  number  is  Edwin 
Calkins. 

Prior  to  his  coming  here,  Mr.  Calkins  concluded 
that  it  would  be  better  for  him  to  undergo  the  "  terri- 
ble ordeal  "  of  becoming  a  benedict,  to  the  end  that 
he  might  have  a  companion  to  share  with  him  his 
successes — for  he  never  dreamed  of  reverses  in  this 
undeveloped  country.  Consequently,  on  July  20, 
1836,  he  was  married  to  Harriet  E.  Parker,  a  native 
of  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  who  accompanied  him 
hither,  and  lived  with  him  as  his  faithful  companion 
until  Nov.  5,  187  i,  the  date  of  her  demise.  Of  their 
union  five  children  were  born — Frederick,  Edwin  J., 
Aurilla,  Amasa  C.  and  Harriet  B.  Aurilla  married 
Harvey  Bishop,  and  they  have  two  children — Frede- 
rick and  Harry;  Frederick  P.  Calkins  united  his  des- 
tiny with  Emma  Higgins,  and  to  them  five  children 
have  been  born — Milton,  Edith,  Dale,  Herbert  and 
Hartley  ;  Judson  Calkins  married  Salinda  Green,  and 
they  have  three  children — Charles,  Bertha  and  Hen- 
rietta; and  he  died  Feb.  11,  1882;  Amasa  C.  mar- 
ried Miss  VanVleet,  and  their  children  are  Edith,  Ar- 
thur and  Mabel;  Harriet  Calkins  married  Tilman 
Lumpkin,  and  they  have  one  child — Inez. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  after  coming  here  and 
purchasing  land,  as  stated,  for  his  children,  returned 


i 


OF  THE 
i:!IVERSITY  OF  ILLIN' 


crr.^~-^ 


*t 


.  -     ..v. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


X 


443 


to  New  York  and  lived  there  until  r8s7,  when  he 
came  back  here  and  resided  with  his  son-in-law,  Mr. 
Robbins,  until  his  death,  which  took  place  May  2, 
1857.  His  wife  lived  until  Aug.  5,  1878.  Edwin 
Calkins,  our  subject,  in  politics  voted  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  Religiously,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church.  He  held  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector, and  was  one  of  the  respected  and  honored  cit- 
zens  of  Kno.x  County. 


R  udge  Bobert  L.  Hannaman.  No  county 
in  the  State  can  boast  of  a  better  class  of 
citizens  in  all  the  different  departments  of 
„  life  than  Knox  County,  whether  of  business 
Jt  men,  agriculturists,  mechanics,  or  the  profes- 
\  sions.  Probably  no  other  gentleman  in  the 
county  has  a  greater  number  of  friends  or  is  more 
widely  known  than  Robert  L.  Hannaman,  who  is 
passing  the  sunset  of  life  in  peace  and  quiet  retire- 
ment at  his  home  in  Knoxville.  His  record  has 
been  an  honorable  one,  and  of  the  many  hundreds 
who  have  been  associated  with  him  in  the  develop- 
ment of  this  county  and  in  connection  with  its  his- 
tory none  can  whisper  of  a  dishonorable  act  and 
rightly  impute  it  to  him.  Mr.  Hannaman  was  born 
30  miles  above  Portsmouth,  on  the  Scioto  River,  in 
Scioto  County,  Ohio,  Sept.  5,  1803,  and  his  father, 
John  Hannaman,  was  born  in  Cherry  Valley,  N.  Y., 
Feb.  15,  1760. 

The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mr.  Hannaman, 
Christopher  Hannaman,  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
the  patronymic  in  the  "  Faderland "  was  spelled 
Hahnemann.  The  grandfather  was  married  in  his 
native  country,  and  soon  afterward  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  locating  at  Ch'jrry  Valley^  N.  Y., 
where  he  resided  for  a  time,  when  he  removed  to 
Virginia,  and  there  lived,  near  Wheeling,  until  his 
death.  The  father  of  our  subject  went  to  Virginia 
with  his  parents  and  there  grew  to  manhood.  He 
was  married  to  Susanna  Beebe,  who  was  born  on  the 
shores  of  Maryland,  June  rr,  177 1.  Late  in  the 
last  century  they  emigrated  to  that  part  of  the  Span- 
ish possessions  now  included  within  the  State  of 
Illinois,  being  induced  to  come  here  by  a  proclama- 
tion issued  by  the  Spanish  Government,  offering  a 
tract  of  land  to  all  svho   would   make  actual   settle- 


ment thereon.  He  located  near  the  Mississippi 
River.  It  was  a  sickly  locality  in  which  he  settled, 
and,  two  of  his  children  dying  there,  he  decided  to 
emigrate.  He  accordingly  removed  to  Kentucky, 
in  consequence  of  which  removal  he  lost  the  title  to 
his  land  and  the  benefit  of  the  improvements  he  had 
made  thereon.  In  1798-99  he  left  Kentucky  and 
took  up  a  residence  in  the  then  Territory  of  Ohio, 
becoming  a  pioneer  of  the  Scioto  Valley.  He  bought 
a  tract  of  timber  land  near  the  mouth  of  Camp 
Creek,  on  which  he  located  with  his  family,  and  there 
lived  and  labored,  occupied  in  the  improvement  of 
his  place,  until  i8i  i.  During  this  year  he  sold  his 
farm  and  moved  to  Fayette  County,  where,  three 
miles  from  the  county  seat,  he  purchased  a  farm,  on 
which  he  lived  for  six  years.  Selling  this  land,  he 
moved  to  Union  County,  where  he  purchased  a  tract 
of  lieavy  timber  land  and  improved  another  farm. 
In  1823  he  sold  this  farm  and  moved  to  Indiana, 
locating  in  Hamilton  County,  where  he  again  pur- 
chased land  and  entered  upon  his  chosen  vocation. 
Of  this  tract  he  cleared  too  acres  and  there  lived 
until  1830.  In  that  year  he  sold  his  landed  in- 
terests in  Indiana  and  rame  to  the  Prairie  State,  set-  f< 
tling  in  Livingston  County,  where  he  "  took  up " 
Government  land,  on  which  he  continued  to  re- 
side until  Nov.  15,  1832,  the  date  of  his  demise.  His 
wife  died  in  Knoxville  ten  years  later,  April  2,  1842. 
They  were  the  parents  of  14  children,  12  of  which 
large  family  grew  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and 
womanhood. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  tenth  in  order 
of  birth  of  his  parents'  large  family  of  children,  and 
made  his  home  with  them  until  he  was  19  years  of 
age.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  When  he  was  16  years  of  age  he 
studied  surveying  with  Rev.  Moses  Hinkel,  near 
Springfield,  Ohio.  During  the  winter  seasons  he 
taught  school  and  in  the  summer  worked  on  the 
farm.  He  then  went  to  Indiana  and  was  there  en- 
gaged in  surveying  the  subdivisions  of  the  sections 
in  Marion  and  Hamilton  Counties.  He  was  a  resi- 
dent of  the  latter  county  when  it  was  organized,  and 
as  a  candidate  of  the  Whig  party  >vas  elected  its  first 
Recorder,  before  attaining  his  20th  year. 

.Mr.  Hannaman  was  married  in  Union  County, 
Ohio,  March  6,  1823,  to  Hannah  Plummer,  born  in 
Massachusetts,  Feb.  6,  1803.  She  was  a  daughter 
of  Asa  and    Deborah    Plummer.     Directly  after  his 


4-^ 


X 


f4: 


444 


■  Y. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


marriage,  he  returned  with  his  bride  to  Hamilton 
County,  Indiana,  where  he  entered  upon  the  duties 
of  the  office  to  which  he  had  been  elected.  His 
father  gave  him  30  acres  of  timber  land  and  built  a 
log  house  upon  it,  in  which  the  young  couple  began 
their  first  housekeeping.  In  the  winter  of  1824-25 
our  subject  taught  school  near  his  log  cabin  in  Ham- 
ilton County.  His  trials  in  life  began  early,  for  two 
years  after  his  marriage,  in  1825,  his  house  with  all 
its  contents  was  destroyed  by  fire,  together  with  all 
the  county  records  of  which  he  was  custodian.  He 
was  thus  robbed  of  all  his  possessions  except  his  ax 
and  his  wife's  spinning-wheel,  these  not  being  in  the 
house,  and  with  these  they  again  began  life  anew. 
The  following  sumirer  he  rebuilt  his  cabin  and  there 
lived  until  the  spring  of  1826,  when  he  sold  out,  and, 
having  been  appointed  Sheriff  of  Hamilton  County 
by  Gov.  Ray,  he  moved  to  Noblesville,  the  county 
seat  of  that  county.  His  commission  was  dated 
Nov.  15,  1825.  The  following  year  he  was  elected 
County  Surveyor  and  for  ten  years  served  in  that 
capacity.  The  duties  of  that  office,  however,  were 
chiefly  performed  by  a  deputy,  and  our  subject  in 
the  meantime  taught  school.  He  also  spent  some 
time  reading  medicine,  with  the  intention  of  practic- 
ing, but  changed  his  mind  and  engaged  in  the  study 
of  law.  After  following  up  the  latter  study  for  three 
years,  Nov.  13,  1830,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

In  1831,  Mr.  Hannaman  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Jeremiah  Leming,  and 
they  embarked  in  the  mercantile  trade  at  Nobles- 
ville, and  successfully  conducted  the  same  for  two 
years,  when  the  partnership  was  dissolved  and  our 
subject  continued  the  business  alone  for  one  year. 
He  then  took  into  partnership  Deacons  Stoops  and 
Malery,  and  they  continued  to  do  an  excellent  bus- 
iness for  two  years,  when,  on  account  of  President 
Jackson's  action  in  withdrawing  the  funds  of  the 
United  States  Government  from  the  United  States 
Bank,  in  1833,  the  partnership  was  dissolved.  In 
1834  Mr.  Hannaman  was  elected  to  the  Legislature 
and  served  two  terms.  In  1836  he  came  to  this 
State,  locating  at  Knoxville,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business,  and  was  thus  occupied  for 
six  years. 

In  October,  1837,  our  subject  was  appointed 
Master  in  Chancery  by  Judge  Ralston,  which  posi- 
tion he  held  several  years.  He  was  elected  Probate 
Judge  for  a  term  of  four  years,  at   the  expiration  of 


which  time  he  was  re-elected.  In  1844  he  was 
nominated  and  placed  on  the  Whig  ticket — which 
party  had  sprung  into  existence  from  the  withdrawal 
of  the  Government  funds  from  the  United  States 
Banks — for  the  Legislature,  the  main  issue  at  that 
time  being  the  annexation  of  Texas.  Mr.  Hanna- 
man opposed  this  and  was  defeated  by  45  votes. 
At  the  close  of  the  canvass  he  formed  a  partnership 
with  his  successful  opponent,  Julius  Manning,  in  the 
practice  of  law,  which  copartnership  existed  until 
185 1,  when  Mr.  Manning  was  elected  Attorney  and 
Mr.  Hannaman  Secretary  of  the  Peoria  &  Oquawka 
Railroad  Company.  At  the  close  of  his  connection 
with  that  company  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his 
profession,  and  at  different  times  was  associated  with 
T.  J.  Hale,  Clayton  Hale,  George  Kretsinger  and 
F.  A.  Willoughby. 

In  1873  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hannaman  celebrated  their 
golden  wedding,  at  which  time  there  was  a  family  re- 
union, which  proved  a  most  pleasant   and  enjoyable 
occasion.     His   wife  died  three  years  later,  Jan.  24,  i 
1876.     She  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  1830, 
but  on   their  removal  to  Knoxville   united  with  the  [ 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  denomination  ■= 
she  was  an  active,  working  member. 

In  1835  Mr.  Hannaman,  in  company  with  F.  B. 
Cogswell,  started  on  horseback  to  explore  the  west-  J 
ern  country.  They  visited  t'lint  Hills,  now  Burling- 
ton, Iowa,  where  they  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
Black  Hawk,  who  was  at  that  time  temporarily 
camped  near  Builington.  Oquawka  was  then  called 
"  Lower  Yellow  Banks,"  and  New  Boston  "  Upper 
Yellow  Banks." 

Of  the  1 1  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanna- 
man, three  survive :  William  T.  lives  at  Cherry- 
vale,  Montgomery  Co.,  Kan. ;  Ella  is  the  wife  of 
Capt.  R.  R.  Harding,  of  Chicago;  and  George  L.  is 
a  resident  of  Galesburg,  where  he  has  served  as  Cir- 
cuit Clerk  for  12  years.  Mr.  Hannaman  was  the 
second  time  married,  Nov.  26,  1879,  to  Mrs.  Susie 
A.  Corwin  (jiee  Shaw).  She  was  born  in  Windsor, 
Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  Feb.  8,  1835,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Seth  and  Elizabeth  (Barrett)  Shaw.  Her  father  was  a 
native  of  Massachusetts  and  her  mother  of  Vennont. 
Mrs.  Hannaman  was  first  married  to  Rev.  James 
Corwin,  a  native  of  Pendenleton  District,  South  Car- 
olina, and  was  licensed  as  a  preacher  in  the  Method- 
ist Church  when  30  years  of  age.  He  was  sent  to 
California,    in    1849,  as   a   missionary,  crossing  the 


t 


t 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


445 


\ 


plains  to  that  State.  He  was  a  pioneer  of  that 
church  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  was  present  at  the 
organization  of  the  California  Conference.  He  trav- 
eled  over  a  great  part  of  the  State  in  the  cause  of 
Christianity,  and  was  extensively  known  and  uni- 
versally respected.  He  served  as  Presiding  Elder 
for  seven  years.     His  death  occurred  Dec.   i,  1876. 

Mr.  Hannaman  has  been  a  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  since  he  was  16  years  of 
age,  and  joined  the  church  at  Kno.wille  at  the  same 
time  «nth  his  «nfe,  on  their  arrival  here.  He  was 
connected  with  the  Sabbath-school  at  Knoxville  for 
49  years,  and  gave  his  services  about  20  years  as 
Superintendent,  and  10  or  15  years  as  Secretary  and 
Treasurer.  He  resigned  these  positions  in  the  spring 
of  1885.  He  is  now  Trustee  in  the  church  and  was 
for  many  years  Steward. 

A  portrait  of  Judge  Hannaman  appears  on  another 
page. 

-€^^- — ^ 


^enry  Frailey.  This  worthy  gentleman  oc- 
cupies a  farm  on  section  8,  in  Cedar  Town- 

I  ship,  a. id  was  born  in  Armstrong  County, 

m    Pa.,  Nov.  22,   1832.     Here  he  was  raised  and 

,  lived  until  his  20th  year.  His  father's  na"ie 
was  John  Frailey,  a  prominent  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania, who  died  at  the  age  of  63  in  the  year  1859. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Garry,  also  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State,  who  died  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  65. 
They  are  both  buried  in  the  State  referred  to,  and 
by  their  union  had  si.x  children — John,  George  and 
William  (twins),  Margaret,  Elizabeth  and  Henry. 

Mr.  Frailey,  our  subject,  married  Miss  .Artimitia 
Kays,  on  the  6th  of  March,  1861.  This  good  lady 
was  bom  Feb.  24,  1840,  in  Cedar  Township,  this 
county.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Eliza- 
beth (Bracken)  Kays,  both  natives  of  Kentucky. 
Her  father's  birth  occurred  April  11,  1804,  and  her 
mother  was  born  in  1807  and  died  Jan.  5,  1870. 
They  were  the  parents  of  12  children,  viz.  :  William 
A.,  Mary,  James,  Nancy  J.,  Henry,  Abigail,  Artimi- 
tia, Delia  A.,  Jackson,  George,  Francis  and  Charles. 
Of  eight  children,  Mr.  Frailey  has  six  living — John 
A.,  born  Nov.  17,  1862;  Mar)'  E.,  June  5,  1865  ;  Lil- 
lie  v..  May  28,  1869;  Chadie,  Aug.  26,  1873; 
George,  April  15,  1876;  and  Willie  F.,  Feb.  4,  1880. 


These  children  form  a  most  interesting  family  and 
are  a  great  comfort  to  their  parents. 

In  1858  Mr.  Frailey  entered  Illinois  and  worked 
on  a  farm  by  the  month  for  three  years.  At  the 
close  of  that  lime  his  marriage  look  place,  and  in 
1866  he  purchased  80  acres  of  good  land,  to  which 
he  has  since  added  other  lots,  amounting  in  all  to 
166  acres.  In  the  year  1875  he  erected  for  himself 
a  very  desirable  dwelling-house. 

This  gentleman  and  his  wife  are  respected  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  while  in 
politics  he  has  always  represented  the  interests  of 
ihe  Republican  party.  Before  closing,  it  is  only 
right  to  mention  that  Mr.  Frailey  has  two  interesting 
grandchildren — Harrison  A.  L.  and  George  Frailey. 


iVj^f  m5.  illiam  C.  Koons,  the  Clerk  of  Henderson 
'kS^l^  Township,  has  a  neatly  cultivated  farm 
\^^n^  on  section  15.     He  is  the   son  of  Felix 

and  .Agnes  (Reagan)  Koons,  natives  re  ^ 
spectively  of  Kentucky  and  Pennsylvania.  ' 
Mr.  Koons,  Sr.,  was  one  of  the  very  early  set- 
tlers of  Kno.x  County,  arriving  here  in  1835.  His 
decease  took  place  in  the  township  named  in  1874, 
his  wife  dying  in  the  same  township  April  4,  1867. 
There  were  four  children  by  the  marriage,  of  whom 
William  was  the  eldest.  The  dace  of  his  birth  was 
June  12,  1857,  since  which  he  has  been  a  constant 
resident  of  the  county  and  devoted  himself  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  stock-raising.  In  the  latter  he 
has  succeeded  in  producing  some  fine  strains  of 
cattle. 

Mr.  Koons  married  Miss  Ella  Martin  in  Wataga, 
111.,  Sept.  18,  1879.  This  good  lady  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Drusilla  Martin,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Virginia.  Her  birth  took  place  in 
Warren  County,  111.,  on  the  29th  of  August,  186 1. 
By  our  subject's  marriage  there  have  been  three  chil- 
dren born — Georgia,  Clarence  and  Daniel. 

Mr.  K.  was  elected  Clerk  of  Henderson  Township 
in  the  spring  of  1885,  and  in  this  office  has  given 
universal  satisfaction.  His  farm  in  all  consists  of 
87  acres,  57  of  which  are  in  the  fullest  sense  fertile 
and  very  tillable  land. 

As  a  Republican  in  politics  he  has   always  dis- 


M* 


X* 


446 


JCJVOX  COUNTY. 


played  the  warmest  interest  in  the  good  of  his  party, 
and  allows  no  incident  affecting  Republicanism  to 
pass  without  noticing  its  good  or  evil  effect  on  the 
future  of  the  country. 


P.  DeLong.  Among  the  numerous  well- 
to-do  farmers  of  Sparta  Township  is  the 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  no- 
tice, and  who  resides  on  his  fine  farm  on 
section  31.  He  is  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  having  been  born  in  Addison 
County,  Vt.,  June  14,  1826.  The  parents  of  Mr.  De- 
Long,  Julius  and  Juliua  (Sandford)  DeLong,  were 
likewise  natives  of  Vermont.  The  father  was  an  early 
emigrant  to  this  State,  having  moved  here  in  1836^ 
and  passed  the  winter  of  that  year  at  Henderson 
Grove.  In  1837  he  purchased  72  acres  of  land  on 
the  section  above  named,  and  moved  onto  the  same  in 

•  January,  1838.  It  must  be  recollected  that  this  was 
at  a  time  when  there  had  been  but  little  settlement 
made  in  the  county,  and  consequently  the  land  on 

•'which  Julius  DeLong  settled  was  in  its  original  con- 
dition. He  nevertheless  began  the  work  of  its  im- 
provement, and  there  lived  and  labored,  encountering 

I  many  obstacles, but  overcoming  them,  until  his  death, 
in  1870  ;  that  of  his  good  wife  taking  place  six  months 
later.  They  were  the  parents  of  three  children-^ 
Marshall  P.,  Mary  A.  and  Harriet  T. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  the  only  son  of  his 
parents,  always  resided  on  the  farm,  and  received  his 
education  in  the  common  schools  and  Knox  Academy. 
On  the  death  of  his  parents  he  came  into  possession 
of  the  old  liomestead  on  section  31,  where  he  has 
since  lived,  and  has  continued  to  follow  his  chosen 
vocation  until  the  present  time.  He  has  added  to 
the'  original  purchase  of  his  father,  until  at  present 
his  farm  consists  of  102  acres,  with  a  good  residence 
and  substantial  out-buildings,  and  the  land  is  under 
an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  In  1849,  Mr.  De- 
Long  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  A. 
Harding,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  a  daughter  of 
Jones  and  Mary  (Rowley)  Harding,  likewise  natives 
of  that  State.  Her  parents  came  to  Knox  County  in 
1837,  and  settled  near  Galesburg.  Mrs.  Harding 
died  in  Galesburg  in  1848.  Her  father  is  yet  living 
and  resides  with  the  subject  of  this  notice. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  DeLong  have  three  children — Mary, 


Harriet  and  Walter.  Mary  married  Charles  Neely, 
and  they  have  three  children — Arthur  M.,  Walter  D. 
and  Cora  A.;  the  family  reside  in  Sparta  Township; 
Harriet  DeLong  married  A.  W.  Hastie,  and  they  also 
have  three  children — Walter,  Warren  and  Irma,  and 
the  family  reside  in  Deadwood,  Dak. ;  little  Irma  has 
lately  died. 

Mr.  DeLong,  in  his  political  opinions,  coincides 
with  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  25  years,  having  been  elected  to  that  position  in 
i86r.  He  is  at  present  Postmaster  at  Centre  Point, 
and  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  Sparta 
Township  in  the  days  tliat  are  past  and  gone.  He 
was  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Agricultural  Board  of 
Knox  County  for  several  years,  and  was  for  three 
years  President  of  the  Society.  He  has  recently 
been  appointed  to  the  Superintendency  of  the  Knox 
County  Almshouse.  Mr.  DeLong  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  First  Church  at  Galesburg,  and  as  a 
representative  citizen  of  the  agricultural  class  of 
Knox  County,  Mr.  DeLong  occupies  a  high  position. 

^1    :      ::g^J#C^:      :    i^ 


^red.  Ehrenhart,  of  the  firm  of  Pister  & 
Ehrenhart,  was  born  in  Germany,  March  7. 
1 861.  His  parents  were  Michael  and  Susan 
(Lentz)  Ehrenhart,  who  were  natives  of  the 
same  country.  The  mother  died  in  Germany 
in  1863,  and  the  father  came  to  America  in 
1865,  settling  at  Galesburg  with  a  family  of  eight 
children. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  left  home  at  the  early  age 
of  five  years,  going  to  live  with  an  uncle,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  ten  years,  and  then  went  with  a  Mr. 
Pister  to  learn  the  art  of  painting,  at  which  he  worked 
three  years.  He  then  went  into  partnership  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Pister,  in  the  manufactur- 
ing of  tile  at  Abingdon,  continuing  for  five  years  in 
that  business.  They  sold  out  and  came  to  Wataga, 
where  they  engaged  in  the  same  business. 

Mr.  Ehrenhart  was  married  in  1883,  to  Miss  Lutie 
Churchill,  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Churchill  of  Wataga. 
A  little  son,  Georgie,  and  another  little  son,  Freddie, 
brighten  the  home  of  these  enterprising  parents. 

Mr.  Ehrenhart  is  a  Democrat  politically,  and  with 
his  wife  belongs  to  the  Congregational  Church.  Hav- 


*f 


i* 


K^OX  COUNTY. 


449 


ing  been  early  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  and 
taught  the  value  of  indiistr)-  and  economy  in  that  best 
of  schools,  experience,  he  has  profited  by  the  same, 
growing  up  into  manhood  with  a  strong,  self-reliant 
character,  being  already,  though  young  in  years,  one 
of  the  representative  men  of  the  county,  a  useful 
and  valuable  citizen. 


Karnes  M.  Cool,  a  resident  of  Yates  City  and 
one  of  Knox  County's  able  and  worthy  cit- 
izens, is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
has,  in  time  past,  proven  himself  worthy  of  a 
jt  strong  claim  to  public  notice  and  esteem,  and 
identified  with  the  growth  of  this  section  of 
the  country.  Mr.  Cool  was  born  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  Nov.  5,  1821.  His  father,  William  Cool,  was 
a  native  of  West  Virginia,  and  his  grandfather,  John 
Cool,  of  German  ancestry  and  probably  birth.  The 
patronymic  is  sometimes  spelled  Kr.hl.  Our  sub- 
ject's grandfather  removed  to  Ohio  from  Virginia, 
and  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Highland 
County.  He  bought  timber  land  there,  a  part 
of  which  now  lies  in  the  city  of  Greenfield,  but  was 
a  blacksmith  by  trade,  at  which  vocation  he  con- 
tinued until  he  engaged  in  farming  pursuits,  which 
he  kept  up  until  the  date  of  his  death. 

The  father  of  J.  M.  Cool,  when  quite  young,  re- 
moved to  Highland  County,  and  when  a  young  man 
to  Fayette  County,  where  he  served  an  apprentice- 
ship, learning  the  trade  of  a  hatter.  Completing 
that,  and  having  served  out  his  lime,  he  established 
himself  in  the  business  at  Greenfield,  conducting 
the  same  for  some  years.  He  then  removed  to 
Rainsboro,  Highland  County,  taking  his  business  to 
that  place  and  continuing  it  until  his  death,  in  1866. 

The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  motlier  was 
Alice  Ware,  of  Higliland  County,  daughter  of  Hugh 
and  Rebecca  (Hanson)  Ware,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. She  died  in  Greenfield,  Ohio,  in  183 1,  leav- 
ing five  children.  Of  these  our  subject  was  the 
eldest  child,  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  hatter  that 
he  might  acquire  more  self-dependence.  He  fol- 
lowed it  until  1847,  'hen  rented  land  in  Highland 
County  for  three  years,  and  in  1850  removed  to  Ross 
County,  where  he  rented  land  until  1854.  Accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  two  children,  he  in  that  year 


started  for  Illinois  with  a  pair  of  horses  and  a  cov- 
ered wagon.  He  made  the  entire  journey  overland, 
and  finally  located  at  Shir.town  and  spent  the  winter 
there.  In  1855  he  rented  a  farm  of  W.  K.  Ware  for 
three  years,  then  bought  a  quarter  of  section  9, 
Salem  Township.  It  was  raw,  uncultivated  prairie 
land,  but  he  immediately  built  a  house  and  began  to 
improve  it,  and  soon  had  the  property  all  fenced. 
On  this  he  erected  a  good  set  of  frame  buildings, 
and  in  1S85  rented  the  farm  and  removed  to  Yates 
City,  where  he  now  lives  retired. 

He  was  united  in   marriage  with  Sarah   S.  Stout, 
Nov.    23,    1848.       She    was    originally   of    Fayette 
County,  born   May  29,  1828,  and  was  a  daughter  of 
Peter  and    Nancy    (Eyre)    Stout.     Her   father   was 
born   in  Tennessee  and  her  mother  was  from  Vir- 
ginia.    Three  children  were  the  result  of  this  union 
— Peter  A.,  living  in  Rock  Island;   Alice  E.  A.,  wife 
of  David   Enociis,  whose   home   is   in  Shenandoah, 
Iowa;  and    Delia  Josephine.     Mr.    and    Mrs.   Cool 
and  all  the  children  are  united  with  the  Methodist  ] 
Episcopal  Church,  and  Mr.  C.  is  a  Class  Leader  in  ' 
the  organization,  besides  being  Steward  and  Trustee.  1 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  active,  earnest  Christians, 
and  carry  into  their  daily  lives  the  strength  and  help 
of  a  pure  and   undefiled   religion.     Their  only  son, 
Peter  A.,  is  a  minister  of  the  Methodist   Episcopal  ' 
denomination,  and  is   Presiding   Elder  of  the  Rock 
Island  District. 

Politically,  Mr.  Cool  was  formerly  a  Whig,  but 
joined  the  Republican  party  at  its  formation,  and 
votes  the  straight  ticket,  upholding  his  party  princi- 
ples witii  a  vigorous  and  energetic  spirit. 


I' liver  Ellison,  a  farmer,  of  Salem  Township, 
resident  on  section  i,  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton County,  Md.,  Oct.  26,  1806.  His  father, 
Peter  Ellison,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
was  born  Aug.  17,  i79t,  of  English  lineage. 
His  mother  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Polly 
Molter.  She  was  a  native  of  Dauphin  County,  Pa., 
and  of  German  ancestry. 

Peter  Ellison  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  fol- 
lowed the  same  until  1816,  at  which  time  he  moved 
to  that  portion  of  Bedford  now  in  Fulton  County, 
Pa.     There  he  secured  a  farm,  upon  which   were 


^ 


^ 


45° 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


located  a  grist  and  saw  mill,  and  which  he  operated 
a  few  years,  when  his  property  was  entirely  destroyed 
by  fire.  But  he  was  not  the  man  to  give  up,  and 
soon  resumed  his  trade.  About  the  year  1830  Mr. 
Ellison  removed  to  McConiiellsburg,  renting  a  large 
farm  at  that  place,  which,  with  the  assistance  of  his 
three  sons,  he  operated  with  considerable  success  for 
three  years.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time,  the 
father  of  our  subject  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his 
wife,  and  in  consequence,  March  6,  1839,  he  re- 
turned to  his  former  home,  where  he  spent  the  re- 
mainder of  his  da)s,  his  death  occurring  Nov.  13, 
1845. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  learned  the 
trade  of  shoemaker  when  quite  young,  but  manifested 
a  preference  for  milling,  and  upon  attaining  the 
proper  age  he  assisted  in  the  mill  until  his  father 
rented  the  same,  when  he  engaged  in  farming 

Aug.  25,  1846,  Oliver  Ellison  was  united  in  the 
holy  bonds  of  matrimony  with  Miss  Sarah  Truax. 
She  was  born  April  12,  182F,  in  Bedford  County, 
Pa.,  and  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Rachel 
(Pittman)  Truax,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her 
parents  were  of  English  descent.  Her  paternal 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Revolu- 
tion. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Ellison  located  upon  the  old 
homestead  and  remained  there  for  12  consecutive 
years;  then,  in  1858,  he  removed  to  Knox  County, 
and  located  in  Salem  Township.  Here  he  secured 
40  acres  of  desirable  land  on  section  i,  of  which  a 
few  acres  were  broken.  This  property  our  subject 
had  spared  no  effort  to  improve.  He  had  beautified 
his  place  as  well  as  increased  its  value  by  the  setting 
out  of  trees  and  shrubbery  of  various  kinds  and  the 
erection  of  all  necessary  farm  buildings.  To  his 
original  purchase  he  had  added  40  acres,  which  to- 
day is  under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  He 
is  now  dead. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellison  was  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  one  child,  whom  they  named  Marion. 
He  was  born  Feb.  28,  1853,  in  the  Keystone  State. 
This  son  chose  for  his  life  companion  Alice,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Eliza  Bond.  Marion  resides  on 
section  2,  Salem  Township.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, named  Eliza  and  Herman. 

Our  subject,  with  his  wife,  was  a  member  of  the 
New-School  Baptist  Church.  In  politics  he  was  a 
stanch  Democrat,  having  cast  his  first  presidential 


-^ 


vote  for  Andrew  Jackson.  Marion  is  also  a  Demo- 
crat. William  Truax,  father  of  Mrs.  Ellison,  was  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812. 


-vMJiCTS-K^— ^H 


W:—,.^^%(mTsv. 


i  Sra|'t  athan  A.  Howe.     Beside  being  one  of  the 


l^^ji  prominent  farmers  and  active  citizens  of 
?, A'^^  his  county,  Mr.  Howe  is  the  Collector  of 
%\^  Henderson  Township,  for  1886.  He  came  to 
"^X  Knoxville  in  r840,  when  he  was  only  two  years 
;^  old,  his  parents  coming  from  Ohio  and  settling 
in  Knox  Township  about  the  ist  of  November.  They 
subsequently  came  to  Log  City,  in  Henderson  Town- 
ship, when  the  Galesburg  colony  first  settled  in  and 
around  that  vicinity.  He  received  a  good  common- 
school  education  and  proved  himself  a  young  man 
of  quiet  disposition  and  well-balanced  judgment. 
His  father  was  a  mason  by  trade,  which  later  on 
was  followed  by  his  son,  our  subject,  for  several 
years.  Mr.  Howe  had  not  served  a  regular  appren- 
ticeship to  his  father's  business,  but  was  naturally  aV 
good  workman. 

He  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio,  Aug.  17 
1838.  His  parents  were  Aaron  and  Sarah  (Helsie)  1 
Howe,  who  were  natives  respectively  of  New  York 
and  Ohio.  In  1863  they  removed  to  Taylor  County, 
Iowa,  where  the  mother  died  two  months  later.  Mr. 
Howe,  Sr.,  still  resides  in  Taylor  County.  There 
were  ten  children  born  to  the  marriage,  of  whom 
Lathan  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  On  the  tgth 
of  February,  1861,  his  marriage  took  place,  in  Knox- 
ville, 111.,  with  Miss  Narcissa  Roundtree,  a  native  of 
Henderson  Township,  born  Jan.  16,  1839.  Her 
parents  were  John  D.  and  Docia  (Fuqua)  Round- 
tree,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Virginia.  When  they 
came  to  Knox  County,  in  1831,  they  settled  in  Hen- 
derson Township,  where  the  father  died  Aug.  3, 
1849.  Mrs.  Roundtree  still  survives  and  has  at- 
tained to  her  83d  year.  She  now  resides  in  Kansas 
with  her  son  William.  By  the  marriage  there  were 
II  children,  of  whom  Mrs.  Howe  was  the  ninth  in 
order  of  birth. 

By  the  happy  union  of  our  subject  and  Miss  Round- 
tree,  one  very  interesting  little  boy,  George  A.,  has 
been  born.  Mr.  H.  is  the  owner  of  94  acres  of 
highly  improved  land.     He  and  his  wife  are  active 


*t 


KNOX  COUNTY.    • 


45 » 


members   of  the  Christian  Church,  in  which  they 
Stand  in  high  favor  with  the  community. 

Politically,  our  subject  is  a  fervid  Republican  and 
strong  supporter  of  that  party's  principles.  No 
measure  likely  to  promote  his  party's  good  escapes 
his  notice,  and  he  is  accordingly  looked  up  to  by 
politicians  of  his  township. 


jhomas  L.  Long,  dry  goods  merchant  at 
Yates  City,  was  born  in  Onondaga  County, 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  3,  1S24.  He  is  the  son  of 
Nehemiah  and  Sarah  (Rouse)  Long.  Thomas 
L.  was  a  lad  of  two  and  a  half  years  when  his 
father  died.  He  remained  at  home  until 
seven  years  of  age,  and  then  went  to  live  with  a 
neighbor,  assisting  upon  the  farm  and  attending  the 
common  schools.  At  17  years  of  age  he  engaged 
with  a  farmer  in  Pompey,  receiving  for  the  same 
$100  and  board  for  the  year's  service.  The  three 
succeeding  years  he  spent  at  work  in  Gaines,  Orleans 
County. 

Upon  emigrating  to  Illinois,  in  December,  1845, 
he  stopped  for  awhile  at  Chicago,  where  he  engaged 
with  Frink,  Walker  &  Co.,  as  stage  driver.  This  oc- 
cupation he  continued  for  four  years,  when  he  was 
appointed  Road  Agent  by  the  Ohio  Stage  Company, 
with  headquarters  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  and  Indian- 
apolis. He  remained  in  the  employ  of  this  company 
for  three  years,  and  in  1S52  lie  located  upon  a  farm 
in  Jersey  County,  111.,  where  he  had  purchased  land 
two  miles  northwest  of  Jerseyville.  Upon  this  place 
he  resided  for  two  years,  when  he  secured  a  farm  on 
section  16,  Salem  Township.  The  only  improve- 
ments upon  the  farm  were  a  few  acres  broken  and 
fenced  and  a  small  house.  There  he  engaged  in 
fanning  until  1865,  when  he  rented  his  farm  and  re- 
moved to  Yates  City,  and  for  two  years  was  engaged 
in  the  grocery  business.  Disposing  of  this,  we  next 
find  him  in  Kansas,  whither  he  had  gone  to  settle 
the  estate  of  a  deceased  brother-in-law,  residing  in 
Johnson  County.  He  remained  in  that  State  for  22 
nx>nths,  and  upon  returning  to  Illinois  agam  became 
a  tiller  of  the  soil.  In  1875  he  again  rented  his 
farm  and  went  to  Yates  City.  Mr.  I>Dng  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  co-operative  store,  in  which  he 
was  clerk  for  three  years.     He  engaged   in  business 


for  himself  in  1879,  opening  a  dry  goods  and  notion 
store,  and  has  continued  in  that  business  until  the 
present  time. 

Emily  Jarboe  was  the  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of 
our  subject,  to  whom  he  was  married  Nov.  16,  1852. 
She  was  born  in  Ohio  and  is  a  daughter  of  Philip 
and  Catherine  (Collins)  Jarboe.  Our  subject  and 
wife  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  living — James 
L.,  born  in  Jersey  C'ounty;  and  Inez  S.,  born  in 
Knox  County,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools. 
Politically,  Mr.  L.  votes  the  Republican  ticket,  and 
has  held  the  offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Road 
Commissioner,  Constable  and  Police  Magistrate. 
His  son,  James  L.,is  a  conductor  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.,  and  has  been  in  the  employ  of  that  company 
about  1 2  years. 


[aver  Gehring.  Prominent  among  the  self- 
made  men  of  Knox  County,  who  started  with 
nothing  except  their  own  indomitable  per- 
severance and  energy,  and  who  have  made  a  ' 
financial  success  in  life,  and  who  were  born  in  j] 
the  great  Empire  of  Germany,  is  the  gentleman  | 
whose  name  heads  this  biographical  sketch,  who  is  J  ■ 
living  on  his  farm  on  section  13,  Sparta  Township. 
Mr.  Gehring  was  born  Feb.  9,  1825,  his  parents  being 
Bennet  and  Elizabeth  (Closman)  Gehring,  likewise 
natives  of  the  "  Faderland."  His  father  was  a  farmer 
in  the  old  country,  and  there  raised  a  family  of  nine 
children,  five  of  whom  are  living,  namely,  Joseph, 
Anthony,  Xaver,  Barbara  and  Caroline.  Joseph  and 
Barbara  yet  continue  to  reside  in  their  native  land, 
and  there  the  father  died  in  1857,  and  the  mother  in 
1842.  Xaver  Gehring  was  an  inmate  of  the  parental 
household  until  he  was  18,  having  in  the  meantime 
received  an  education  in  the  common  schools.  On 
leaving  home  he  worked  out  for  two  years,  when  he 
was  drafted  into  the  German  army  and  served  his 
country  for  three  and  a  half  years. 

In  1849,  Mr.  Gehring,  hoping  to  better  his  finan- 
cial condition,  set  sail  for  the  United  States,  arriving 
in  safely  at  New  York.  In  the  latter  State,  for  four 
and  a  half  years,  he  worked  out  by  the  month  at 
whatever  lalxjr  he  could  procure  that  would  bring 
him  in  a  fair  remuneration.  In  1854,  he  came  to 
this  State  and  settled  on  the  identical  place  on  which 


452 


KNOX  CO  UNI  Y. 


he  at  present  resides.  He  purchased,  on  coming  to 
the  county,  815  acres  of  land,  and  has  followed  the 
vocation  of  a  farmer  until  the  present  time,  meeting 
with  success. 

Mr.  Gehring  was  married  in  1853,  just  prior  to  his 
coming  to  this  county,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hemminger, 
and  their  family  circle  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 
three  children — Joseph,  Henry  and  Amelia.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  in  1878,  and  Mr.  Gehring 
formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance  in  1879,  at 
which  lime  Mrs.  Mary  Stephenson,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  William  Leighton,  became  the  wife.  She 
had  a  family  of  five  children  by  her  former  marriage 
— William,  George,  James,  Isabell  and  Helen.  Po- 
litically, Mr.  Gehring  is  a  Republican.  He  has  held 
the  office  of  School  Director  for  15  years,  and  is  one 
of  the  large  land-owners,  successful  farmers,  and 
honored  and  respected  citizens  of  Knox  County. 


"liver  Stream.  Prominent  among  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  and  men  of  solid  worth 
resident  within  the  boundaries  of  Kno.x 
County  may  be  named  the  subject  of  this 
biography.     His  home  is  situated  on  section 

t  28,  in  Sparta  Township,  and  he  follows  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  moved  onto  his  present 
farm  in  1855,  since  which  tmie  he  has  devoted  him- 
self to  the  tillage  of  the  soil. 

Mr.  Stream  was  born  in  Sweden,  Dec.  4,  1833, 
and  his  parents  were  Olaf  and  Betsey  (Isaacson) 
Stream.  This  couple  were  natives  of  Sweden,  and 
the  father,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Swedish  army, 
served  his  country  25  years.  After  this  heroic  life  of 
labor  he  ended  his  days  in  1880.  The  mother  de- 
parted this  life  in  1844,  36  years  previous.  To  them 
was  born  a  family  of  seven  children. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  the  fourth  child  in 
order  of  birth,  and  continued  at  hoine  until  18  years 
of  age.  His  youth  was  spent  on  the  farm  and  in  the 
forests,  and,  being  a  persevering  worker,  he  received 
but  a  limited  education.  After  reaching  the  age  of 
18,  he  engaged  with  different  farmers,  working  on 
various  farms  until  he  came  to  America  in  1855. 
From  the  city  of  New  York,  in  which  he  landed,  he 
came  West  to  Illinois,  and,  selecting  Knox  County  as 


his  location,  settled  at  Wataga.  Here  he  worked 
one  year  on  a  farm  and  then  engaged  in  coal  mining, 
which  he  followed  for  nine  years.  At  the  expiration 
of  this  time  he  rented  the  place  on  which  he  now 
lives,  and  of  which  he  is  now  the  owner.  The  farm 
includes  1 1 2  acres,  on  which  he  carries  on  mixed 
fanning,  but  mostly  stock-raising,  with  a  beautiful 
residence  and  other  buildings.  Although  he  had  no 
school  education  whatever,  he  has  learned  to  read 
and  write  both  the  Swedish  and  English  languages, 
and  speaks  English  as  well  as  his  mother  tongue. 

In  July,  1855,  a  few  days  before  he  left  his  native 
country  for  America,  he  united  his  fortunes  with  those 
of  Miss  Margaret  Donaldson,  and  this  couple  have 
six  children  living,  by  name  John,  Mary,  Frank,  Al- 
bert, Olive  and  Willie.  Mrs.  Stream  died  on  the 
22d  of  July,  187  1,  and  on  the  13th  of  February,  1872, 
he  remarried,  this  time  Mrs.  Martha  Johnson.  Mrs. 
Johnson  was  married  the  first  time  to  Gabriel  John- 
son, on  the  14th  of  September,  1855.  By  him  she 
has  four  children,  three  of  whom  survive — Albert  E., 
William  F.  and  Franklin  E.  Mr.  Johnson  departed 
this  life  in  1864.  Previous  to  this,  in  1855,  he  had 
purchased  the  place  where  Mr.  Stream  now  lives. 
He  was  politically  a  Republican,  and  was  an  active 
Christian,  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  to  which  he  was  united  by  profession 
of  faith.  He  emigrated  to  America  in  1849,  and  at 
this  time  was  attacked  with  gold  fever,  which  proved 
the  destruction  of  so  many,  and  went  with  countless 
others  to  California.  Here  he  engaged  in  the  mines, 
but,  contrary  to  his  expectations,  found  no  El  Dorado. 
Returning  home,  in  the  year  1851,  he  engaged  in 
carpentering,  to  which  he  added  farm  work,  until  he 
moved  onto  the  place  he  had  purchased.  This  move 
was  made  in  the  year  1856,  and  he  continued  there 
until  his  death. 

The  parents  of  Mri^tream  are  Lars  and  Catherine 
(Peterson)  Oleson,  natives  of  Sweden.  In  August, 
1849,  they  removed  to  America  with  their  family, 
consisting  of  three  boys  and  two  girls  (one  of  the  boys 
died  on  the  sea),  and  located  in  Illinois,  stopping  at 
Victoria,  Knox  County,  only  one  month.  They  then 
made  a  purchase  of  20  acres  of  land,  on  section  13, 
in  Sparta  Township.  They  afterward  added  30  or  40 
acres  thereto,  and  lived  on  the  same  until  the  father's 
death,  in  1863,  while  the  mother's  de;th  occurred  in 
November,  1868.  They  were  the  parents  of  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  Mrs.  Stream  was  the  oldest,  and  their 


*t* 


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LIBRARY 
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UBRARY 

OF  THE 

L-.lVERSiTY  OF  ILUH" 


A 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


457 


youngest  son,  William,  died  from  a  wound  inflicted 
by  a  rebel  bullet  at  Goldsboro,  March  26,  1865. 
Mrs.  Stream  is  the  mother  by  her  last  marriage  of 
one  child,  by  name  Carrie. 

Mr.  Stream  is  one  of  the  most  useful  men  in  the 
community,  and  figures  actively  in  local  affairs.  He 
belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows'  fraternity  of  Wataga, 
and  with  his  wife  and  one  daughter,  Olive,  worships 
in  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  that 
city.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  in  politics,  and 
supports  the  doctrines  of  that  party  by  voice  and 
vote. 


srael  Turner.  Prominent  among  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county  who  have  been  iden- 
tified with  its  agricultural  development  ever 
since  their  first  arrival  here  is  the  subject  of 
this  biographical  notice.  He  has  acquired  a 
goodlv  portion  of  this  world's  goods  through  his 
own  perseverance  and  energy  alone.  Coming  here 
away  back  in  the  '30s,  and  having  endured  all  the 
trials  and  privations  incident  to  the  making  of  a  set- 
tlement in  a  new  and  undeveloped  country,  living 
here  until  the  present  writing,  and  having  met  wiih 
success,  he  certainly  deserves  more  than  a  passing 
notice  in  the  biographical  department  of  this  work. 
The  trials  through  which  he  passed  were  identical 
with  those  of  many  others  who  first  made  settlement 
here,  and  which  we  speak  of  more  fully  in  another 
part  of  this  work. 

Israel  Turner,  who  is  passing  the  sunset  of  life  on 
his  fine  farm  on  section  32,  Orange  Township,  where 
his  years  have  been  spent  since  coming  to  the  county 
in  that  most  independent  of  all  callings,  farming,  was 
born  in  Chester  County,  Pa.,  March  22,  1812.  He  is 
the  son  ot  Henry  and  Susanna  (Halderraan)  Turner, 
natives  of  the  Keystone  State  and  of  German  ances- 
try. The  father  was  born  April  2,  1790,  and  the 
mother  May  18,  1781.  They  were  married  when 
the  father  was  but  19  years  of  age,  and  the  vocation 
of  the  former  was  that  of  a  stone  mason.  Our  sub- 
ject enjoyed  no  educational  advantages,  except  such 
as  were  afforded  by  the  district  schools.  He  con- 
tinued to  reside  in  the  parental  household  until  1838, 
when,  hoping  to  better  his  financial  condition  in  life, 
he  started  for  the  West,  making  his  location  in  this 


^^ 


county.  Prior  to  this  time,  however,  he  hired  out  as 
a  boat  hand,  when  16  years  of  age,  and  was  thus  oc- 
cupied for  three  years,  when  he  engaged  to  learn  the 
brick  mason  and  stone  cutter's  trade,  following  the 
same  until  he  came  to  Knox  County.  Prior  to  com- 
ing here,  however,  he  was  engaged  in  the  erection  of 
bridges  on  the  Schuylkill  Canal,  and  also  for  the 
Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  Company. 

On  Mr.  Turner's  arrival  in  this  county,  he  was  so 
favorably  impressed  with  the  lay  of  the  land  and  its 
productiveness  that  he  concluded  to  make  it  his 
permanent  abiding  place.  He  immediately  entered 
240  acres  of  land,  and  in  1840  settled  on  the  same, 
a  portion  of  it  being  located  on  section  32,  Orange 
Township,  where  he  is  at  present  residing.  At  the 
date  of  his  settlement  the  land  was  in  a  wild  condi- 
tion, none  of  it  ever  having  brightened  a  plowshare, 
but  Mr.  Turner  had  faith  in  the  future  development 
of  the  country,  and  engaged  energetically  in  the  cul- 
tivation and  improvement  of  his  land.  There  he  con- 
tinued to  live  and  labor  until  Feb.  13,  1844,  when, 
coming  to  the  conclusion  that  a  helpmate  was  neces- 
sary to  enjoy  the  competency  which  he  considered  at 
that  time  he  had  acquired,  namely,  a  good  title  to  his 
land,  he  joined  the  army  of  benedicts  by  uniting 
himself  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lucinda  E.  Ham- 
mond. She  is  the  daughter  of  George  and  Elinor 
(Taylor)  Hammond,  and  was  born  in  Sidney,  Ken- 
nebec Co.,  Me.,  Feb.  5,  1826.  Her  mother  came  to 
Galesburg,  111.,  in  1843. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  Turner  and  Miss  Hammond 
II  children  have  been  born — Elizabeth  E.,  Oct.  9, 
1844;  she  became  the  wife  of  Michael  Enwright, 
April  14,  1865,  and  they  live  in  Akron,  Colo.,  and 
have  become  the  parents  of  three  children,  one  of 
whom  is  deceased.  Henry  W.  Turner  was  born  May 
4,  1846,  and  still  enjoys  a  life  of  single  blessedness; 
Hamilton  J.,  born  June  10,  1848,  married  .Anna  R. 
Grimm,  and  lives  in  Orange  Township,  having  be- 
come the  father  of  four  children;  Israel  F.  was  born 
Sept.  21,  1850,  and  took  to  wife  Anna  E.  Howerter, 
with  whom  he  is  residing  in  Orange  Township; 
Anna  E.,  born  Jan.  r,  1853,  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  A  Howerter;  they  have  an  adopted  child  and 
reside  in  Fulton  County.  Isaac  P.,  born  Oct.  2, 
1855,  died  Oct.  I,  1876;  Willoughby  F.,  born  April 
I,  1858,  died  Jan.  26,  1877.  Abraham  L.  Turner, 
born  Jan.  i6,'  1861,  joined  heart  and  hand  with 
Hattie  C.  Haynes,  Nov.  2,  1882,  and  they  became 

Jt-  


■4- 


t 


45  8 


Ji:ArOX  COUNTY. 


the  parents  of  two  children,  who  are  deceased  ;  they 
live  in  Akron,  Colo.  Elnora  C.  was  born  March  i, 
1864,  and  departed  this  life  May  2,  1885;  Lenora 
A.,  born  March  i,  1864,  is  a  twin  sister  of  Elnora; 
Otis  Grant  was  born  Feb.  6,  1867. 

Israel  Turner  is  respected  for  his  sterling  worth 
and  integrity,  and  no  man  can  point  to  a  page  of  his 
life's  history  which  is  darkened  by  a  wrong  act 
against  his  fellow  man.  Those  who  know  him  will 
testify  that  he  was  never  known  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to 
true  charity,  and  was  always  willing  and  ready  to 
enter  into  any  and  all  enterprises  which  were  for  the 
good  of  the  community  in  which  he  lived.  His  suc- 
cess in  his  chosen  vocation  is  attributable  to  his  own 
energy  and  perseverance,  coupled  with  the  active  co- 
operation of  his  good  helpmate.  Since  making  set- 
tlement here  he  has,  on  two  or  three  occasions, 
visited  his  native  State.  He  has  also  walked  the 
streets  of  the  capital  of  the  nation,  and  traveled 
through  the  Canadas  and  many  of  our  Western 
States.  He  commenced  life  a  poor  boy,  with  nothing 
but  an  abundance  of  determination  and  enterprise, 
and  has  worked  his  way  up  on  the  ladder  round  by 
^  round,  until  he  has  reached  his  present  prominent 
position  in  the  community.  In  liis  younger  days  he 
drove  horses  on  thetowpath  along  tlie  Schuylkill  and 
Union  Canal,  and  was  afterward  Captain  of  a  boat 
on  the  same.  This  was  prior  to  attaining  his  20th 
year,  after  which  he  learned  the  trade  of  his  father 
and  was  thus  engaged  for  a  considerable  length  of 
time.  He  cut  stone  for  the  foundation  of  the  First 
Congregational  Church  of  Galesburg,  in  1843,  and 
also  helped  to  finish  the  stone  for  the  old  Seminary, 
which  stood  on  the  public  square  where  the  Union 
Hotel  now  stands.  He  also  assisted  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  the  stone  and  mason  work  of  many  other 
structures,  which  now  adorn  the  busy  and  thriving 
city  of  Galesburg. 

Mr.  Turner  is  at  this  writing  the  proprietor  of  1,030 
acres  of  land,  950  of  which  are  located  in  Orange 
Township,  40  in  Chestnut  Township,  and  40  in 
Cedar  Township,  all  the  remainder  being  under 
fence  except  80  acres  of  tinxber.  Mr.  Turner  has  five 
dwellings,  together  with  barns,  granaries,  hay-sheds 
and  everything  requisite  to  the  carrying  on  of  agri- 
culture in  a  first-class  manner.  He  has  at  his  home 
a  good  residence,  erected  in  1843.  The  interior  is 
finished  in  hardwoods  of  different  kinds,  and  the 
structure  aids  materially  in  beautifying  the  farm. 


Our  subject  and  his  wife  have  lived  together  for 
upward  of  43  years  in  this  township,  working  hand 
in  hand,  with  but  one  interest  in  common.  They 
have  reared  a  large  family,  and  in  their  declining 
years  occupy  a  pleasant  home,  where  plenty  sits  in 
the  lap  of  contentment  and  happiness  is  found  by  the 
family  hearthstone.  They  occupy  a  high  position 
among  the  citizens  not  only  of  Orange  Township,  but 
of  Knox  County.  They  are  members  of  the  Mission- 
ary Baptist  Church,  and  politically  Mr.  Turner  is  a 
Republican. 

We  take  pleasure  in  presenting,  in  this  volume, 
portraits  of  this  excellent  couple. 


fhomas  O'Brien.  One  of  the  residents  of 
Knox  County  noteworthy  for  good  citizen- 
^  ship  and  excellent  traits  of  character  may 
be  found  in  the  person  of  our  subject,  the  par- 
tial details  of  whose  history  are  here  given. 
He  is  a  farmer,  located  on  section  36,  Sparta 
Township,  and  holds  the  position  of  Roadmaster  in  ^ 
his  neighborhood.  He  is  also  interested  in  educa- 
tional matters  and  has  held  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector since  1884. 

Mr.  O'Brien  was  born  Dec.  23,  1833,  in  Ireland. 
His  parents  were  Patrick  and  Margaret  (Fitzgerald) 
O'Brien,  both  natives  of  Ireland.  Their  family  in- 
cluded three  children,  as  follows  :  Annie,  James  and 
Thomas.  The  latter  remained  at  home  until  he  had 
attained  his  majority,  attending  the  common  schools 
and  working  on  the  farm.  In  1854  he  left  his  native 
land  and  came  to  America,  that  free  land  known  to 
every  foreigner  as  the  paradise  of  liberty,  where  ev- 
ery man  is  his  own  monarch.  He  landed  in  New 
York  and  sought  employment,  which  he  obtained, 
working  on  a  farm  for  two  months.  He  then  went 
to  Massachusetts,  and  worked  two  years  in  the  city 
of  Taunton.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  fired  with  the 
restless  ambition  of  youth,  he  sailed  for  Australia, 
where  he  worked  for  three  years  and  three  months  in 
the  gold  mines.  In  1859  he  returned  to  his  native 
country  to  marry  the  wife  of  his  choice.  Here  he  re- 
mained two  months,  and  together  the  pair,  who  had 
been  made  one  May  19,  i860,  emigrated  to  New 
York.  From  that  city  they  came  to  Illinois,  settling 
on  section  35,  in  Knox  County.     Here  Mr.  O'Brien 


<4-^>— • 


i 


--4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


purchased  42  acres  of  land,  and  cultivated  and  lived 
on  the  same  ten  years.  On  section  36  he  erected  a 
large  and  handsome  house,  which  is  attractive  and 
desirable  to  the  passer-by,  and  at  the  present  lime  he 
is  in  possession  of  350  acres  of  land,  higlily  culti- 
vated. 

Mr.  O'Brien  has  a  family  of  eight  children,  all  liv- 
ing, to  wit :  Richard,  John,  Maggie,  James,  Minnie, 
Thomas,  Edward  and  Johanna.  Mr.  O'Brien  is  a 
substantial  and  worthy  member  of  society,  and  with 
his  family  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  of  Wataga.  He  values  his  land  at  $35  per 
acre,  and  is  an  example  of  the  truth  that  "  all  things 
yield  to  him  who  fears  not  anything." 


esse  Chandler.     Kno.x  County  can  boast  of 


well-to-do   and  successful    farmers, 
and   business    men ;  men  who 


^Bi^BJi    many 

■/  >-J  merchants 

t.O"  .  .  .  , 

have    acquired    a   sufficiency  of  this    world  s 


f 


goods  through  their  own  individual  exertions 
"y  and  not  by  being  the  recipients  of  any  legacy. 
Among  this  number  is  Jesse  Chandler,  who  at  pres- 
ent is  living  in  quiet  retirement  at  Abingdon.  He 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  county  since  1869.  Penn- 
sylvania was  where  he  first  saw  the  light  of  day, 
having  been  born  in  Fayette  County,  in  that  State, 
and  brought  up  in  Green  County. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Chandler  were  Whitfield  and 
Sarah  (Neal)  Chandler.  His  father  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia and  was  a  direct  descendant  of  the  Welsh,  and 
his  mother,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  was  of  Irish  de- 
scent. Their  son,  Jesse,  of  whom  we  write,  first  en- 
gaged in  the  vocation  of  farming  in  his  native  State, 
but,  being  imbued  with  a  desire  lo  better  his  financial 
condition,  packed  his  carpet-sack,  came  to  this  State, 
and  located  in  McDonough  County,  settling  there  in 
1844.  Previous  to  this,  in  Green  County,  Pa.,  on  the 
20th  day  of  September,  1832,  he  proposed  to  Miss 
Rachel,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Justus  Wright, 
that  their  lives  should  be  united  for  the  remainder  of 
their  years,  which  proposition  she  readily  accepted, 
and  they  became  man  and  wife.  She  was  born  in 
the  county  in  which  they  were  married,  and  bore  her 
husband  seven  children  previous  to  their  emigration 
from  that  State — four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
After  coming  to  this  State  she  presented  him  with 


t 


45  9 


seven  more  children — five  sons  and  two  daughters. 
?21izabeth  is  the  wife  of  Dawson  Nichols,  a  resident 
of  the  State  of  California;  George  W.  is  a  farmer  in 
Henderson  County,  his  wife's  maiden  name  being 
Hester  Retzer ;  Sarah  J.  married  J.  W.  Paul,  who 
lives  in  Taylor  County,  Iowa;  J.  T.  married  Sarah 
I.ovitte  and  lives  in  Henderson  County,  111. ;  Morris 
R.  took  for  his  life  partner  Louisa  Webster,  and  is  also 
a  farmer  of  Taylor  County,  Iowa;  Benson  F.  mar- 
ried Corelius  Lovitte,  and  is  likewise  a  farmer  and 
stock-raiser  in  Taylor  County  ;  Isaiah  died  when  he 
was  one  year  of  age  ;  Mary  Ann  became  the  wife  of 
Levi  Greeson,  a  resident  of  Keokuk  County,  Iowa; 
O.  E.  married  Dr.  R.  Sutton,  who  is  now  a  farmer 
and  stock-grower  in  Page  County,  Iowa;  Jonathan 
J.  and  Mary  Scott  were  united  in  marriage,  and  re- 
side on  a  farm  in  Fremont  County,  Iowa ;  Dawson 
died  at  the  age  of  2%  years  ;  Albert  died  when  ten 
years  old  ;  Nevada  A.  is  the  wife  of  J.  B.  Reed,  a  resi- 
dent of  Sumner  County,  Kan. ;  Justus  R.  took  for  his 
life  partner  Emma  Lotzs,  and  they  reside  in  Des 
Moines,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Chandler,  of  this  sketch,  continued  to  follow 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer  in  McDonough  County, 
until  1846,  when  he  removed  to  LaHarpe  Township, 
Hancock  County,  and  was  there  engaged  in  stock- 
raising,  feeding  and  farming,  and  also  largely  inter- 
ested in  stock  shipping  and  dealing.  Since  living  in 
the  State  he  has  bought,  improved  and  sold  several 
farms,  and  at  one  time  was  the  proprietor  of  Soo  acres 
of  land. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Chandler  removed  to  Henderson 
County,  this  State,  where  he  continued  in  the  same 
vocation  which  he  had  followed  all  his  life,  until 
1S69.  During  this  year  he  came  to  Abingdon,  hav- 
ing sold  his  farm,  and  for  seven  years  retired  from 
the  active  labors  of  life.  During  the  years  of  retire- 
ment he  traveled  in  California,  Washington  Territory, 
New  Mexico  and  Colorado,  in  fact  all  over  the  West. 
In  1876  he  engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Abing- 
don with  his  son,  which  he  prosecuted  with  signal 
success  until  1881. 

Mr.  Chandler  lost  his  first  wife  Nov.  22,  i860,  in 
Henderson  County,  111.,  and  in  1873,  at  Abingdon,  he 
chose  for  his  second  companion  in  life  Mrs.  Lucinda 
Evans.  They  lived  together  as  man  and  wife  until 
April  20,  1885,  the  date  of  her  demise.  Mr.  Chand- 
ler is  a  member  of  the  Protestant  Methodist  Church, 
to  which  denomination   his   two  companions   in  life 


e4 


i* 


460 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


belonged.  Politically  he  wasa  Democrat  until  1848, 
when  he  gave  up  politics  for  eight  years,  but 
on  the  birth  of  the  Republican  party,  in  1856,  he 
joined  its  ranks,  voted  for  Fremont,  and  has  since 
continued  to  vote  and  work  for  the  success  of  that 
party. 


aeob  Booth.  The  social  status  of  any  sec- 
^  tion  of  the  country  depends  largely  upon 
those  men  resident  within  it.  Knox  County 
has  grown  not  only  populous  and  pleasant  to 
view,  but  she  contains  rare  intellectual  and 
educational  advantages,  and  reflects  credit 
upon  those  who  have  figured  in  her  history.  One  of 
the  representative  citizens  and  wealthy  and  success- 
ful farmers  of  Maquon  Township  is  found  living  on 
section  15,  in  the  person  of  Jacob  Booth,  as  one  of 
her  best  and  most  important  factors. 

(Mr.  Booth  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  spring  of 
1844,  from  Sangamon   County,   III.,    and  soon  after 
leaving  that  county  made  a  settlement  at  Uniontown, 
^'Salem  Township,  where  he  carried  on  the  joint  bus- 

Iiness  of  blacksmith  and  wagon-maker  for  a  period  of 
15  years.  During  this  time  he  was  in  Springfield 
two  years  in  the  same  business  with  his  brother.  His 
next  move  was  made  to  Iowa  County,  Iowa,  at  which 
place  he  purchased  a  farm  and  remained  upon  it  for 
seven  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  disposed 
of  the  same,  and  in  1855  returned  to  Knox  County, 
and  in  Maquon  Township  made  a  purcliase  of  90 
acres  of  land  located  on  section  15,  upon  which  he 
is  livingat  the  present  time.  Previous  to  this  he  spent 
two  years  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Maquon,  in  partnership  with  Nelson  Downey. 
He  has  improved  his  farm  by  the  erection  of  a  desir- 
able residence  and  suitable  out-buildings  and  barns, 
and  by  additional  purchase  has  become  the  owner  of 
200  acres  of  highly  improved  and  cultivated  land. 
Jacob  Booth  was  born  in  Maine  June  i,  1821.  When 
he  had  attained  the  age  of  15  years,  he  emigrated 
with  his  parents  to  Licking  County,  Ohio,  remaining 
there  until  his  removal  to  Sangamon  County,  111.,  in 
1839.  In  the  latter  county  he  followed  the  trade  of 
wagon-maker  and  blacksmith.  In  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship, Oct.  29,  1844,  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Melinda,  the  daughter  of  George  P.  and  Betsie 
Housh.     Miss  Housh  was  born  in  Washington  Coun- 


ty, Ind.,  and  on  June  9,  1859,  she  died  in  Maquon 
Township. 

Oct.  29,  1869,  our  subject  was  again  united  in  mar- 
riage, this  time  with  Edith  Martin,  daughter  of  Mar- 
tin and  Lucinda  (Childress)  Martin,  natives  of 
Virginia.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Booth  died  at  St. 
Joseph,  Mo.,  Sept.  16,  1844.  His  widow  still  sur- 
vives him,  and  is  residing  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  B. 
of  this  notice,  at  the  advanced  age  of  82  years;  she 
was  born  in  1804.  Mrs  Booth  was  born  in  Green 
County,  Ky.,  Feb.  20,  1837, and  is  the  seventh  in  order 
of  birth  of  a  family  of  ten  children.  Our  subject 
and  wife  have  adopted  a  child  who  bears  the  name 
of  Frank.  Mr.  B.  is  the  incumbent  of  the  office  of 
School  Director,  and  politically  advocates  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  are  Isaac  and  Mary 
(Grinnell)  Booth,  natives  of  Penobscot,  Me.,  at 
which  place  the  mother  died  April  12,  1836.  The 
father  afterward  came  to  Ohio,  and  subsequently  to 
Sangamon  County,  111.,  where  his  death  occurred 
April  30,  1852.  The  result  of  their  union  was  the 
birth  of  12  children,  of  whom  Mr.  Booth  was  the 
fifth  in  the  order  of  birth. 

A  view  of  the  comfortable  home  of  Mr.  Booth  is 
given  in  this  volume. 


^PPWliilliam  E.  Morse.     Among  the  early  set- 

iia\(i  (in  ...         r. 

I^^HIf    tiers  and  distniguished  citizens  of  Sparta 
^^^  *  Township  is  the  subject  of  this   sketch, 
^^^     who  was  born  in  Washington  County,  Ohio, 
■^/{^J        Feb.  16,  1833.     His  parents  were  Eusebius 
\j    and  Matilda  (White)  Morse,  who  were  natives 
of  Vermont  and  Ohio  respectively,  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1837,  with  a   family  of  four  children,  settling 
in  Warren  County,  seven   miles  northwest  of  Gales- 
burg,  where  the  father  purchased  160  acres  of  prairie 
and  40  acres  of  timber  land,  remaining  on  the  same 
until  1855,  then  moved  to  Henderson  County  and 
purchased   210  acres,  there   remaining  on  the  same 
until    1865.     He   then    moved   to  Oneida    and  pur- 
chased a  house  and  lot,  where  he  is  now  living.    His 
wife  died  in  1847. 

Mr.  Morse,  of  whom  this  biography  is  written,  re- 
mained at  home  until  18  years  of  age,  receiving  an 
academical  education  and  assisting  his  father  on  the 


I 


v\ 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


463 


<>-¥ 


farm.  Leaving  home,  he  worked  out  by  the  month 
for  two  years,  and  in  1853  went  to  Oregon,  working 
on  a  farm  and  in  a  mill  for  18  months.  In  1855  he 
went  to  Northern  California,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  mining,  and  remained  until  1859,  when 
he  returned  to  the  States,  coming  to  Henderson 
County,  111.,  and  engaging  in  farming.  He  purchased 
40  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  remained  for  three 
years,  when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  80  acres 
where  he  now  resides.  This  land  was  unimproved, 
except  partly  broken  and  fenced,  but  since  he  came 
on  the  place  he  has  built  a  good  house  and  fine  barn, 
and  has  a  beautiful  grove,  thus  adorning  one  the  best 
farms  in  the  county. 

Having  settled  down  to  regular  business,  and  feel- 
ing the  importance  of  some  one  to  enjoy  with  him  the 
competency  which  he  had  already  secured,  in  i860 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Fink, 
daughter  of  Elijah  and  Catherine  (Townsend)  Fink, 
who  were  natives  of  New  York  and  came  to  Illinois 
in  1840,  settling  in  Maquon.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morse 
have  a  family  of  seven  children,  namely :  Laura  D., 
Rose  M.,  Ralph  E.,  Kate  A.,  Perse  A.,  Martha  E. 
and  Phillip  W. 

In  addition  to  having  secured  a  comfortable  home, 
Mr.  Morse  has  also  won  the  confidence  and  respect 
^  of  his  fellow  citizens  in  more  than  an  ordinary  de- 
gree, and  is  in  all  respects  one  of  the  representative 
men  of  this  county.  Politically  Mr.  Morse  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  in  whatever  relation  duty  calls  a  good 
citizen  to  act  Mr.  Morse  is  always  to  be  found. 


■•o+o-g>X^^..ofo~ 


H.  Best  &  O.  D.  Harris.     This  firm  was 

organized  March  5,1885, as  manufacturers 

.;    -        of  and  dealers  in   harness,  saddles  and 

,  IX      '.   horse-furnishing  goods.     Five  men  are  em- 

X    P'oyed  m  their  establishment  as  mechanics,  and 

•      they   handle  everything  in    their  line.     They 

carry  an  average  stock  of  S'. 000,  and   have   a  large 

custom.     The  business  was   started  in  1861,  by  Mr. 

William    Best,   who   conducted   it    successfully  till 

March,  1885,  when  he  sold  out  to  the  present  firm. 

M.  H.  Best,  of  this  firm,  was  born  in  Kno.\  County, 

and  has  been  a  resident  of  Abingdon  since  186 1.   He 

was  married  June  23, 1885,  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  to  Miss 


Orpha   Florentine,   daughter  of  James   Florentine. 
She  was  born  in  Grand  Haven,  Mich. 

Mr.  O.  D.  Harris  was  born  in  Hancock  County, 
and  came  to  this  county  in  1863.,  having  made  a 
permanent  residence  here  since  that  time.  Their  es- 
tablishment is  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  city, 
and  is  conducted  with  such  fairness  and  enterprise 
as  gives  general  satisfaction  to  many  customers.  The 
proprietors  are  among  the  most  public-spirited  citi- 
zens of  the  town,  and  deserve  credit  no  less  than 
patronage  for  conducting  a  business  which  not  only 
assists  others  to  employment,  but  is  a  benefit  to  the 
entire  community. 


|i«\i;  eter  S.  Nelson  is  a  prominent  farmer  and 
l^^^l  the  Assessor  of  Henderson  Township,  lo- 
fll'^  cated  on  section  20,  and  possessing  a  well- 
fcj  cultivated  farm.  He  first  came  to  Knox 
jlj^     County  in  June,  1854,  having  previously  re-  1 

sided  in  Chicago  for  one  year  after  liis  arrival 
from  Sweden.  In  the  old  country  he  had  occupied 
himself  with  farm  work  and  had  become  skillful  in  "> 
his  calling.  After  his  arrival  in  Galesburg  in  1S54, 
he  for  a  short  time  made  that  place  his  home,  when 
he  proceeded  to  Cameron,  in  Warren  County,  and  • 
worked  at  basket-making.  Here  he  remained  one 
year  and  then  took  up  his  location  in  Knoxville, 
where  he  worked  for  one  season  at  his  trade,  and 
from  thence  proceeded  to  Bishop  Hill,  in  Henry 
County,  where  he  remained  two  months. 

We  ne.xt  find  Mr.  Nelson  in  Henderson  Grove, 
Knox  County,  where  he  was  occupied  for  two  years 
cutting  timber  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  lumber 
business.  Having  saved  about  %2,oo,  he  went  to 
Minnesota  and  bought  a  claim  of  160  acres.  Here 
he  remained  for  about  one  year,  but  not  succeeding 
in  obtaining  employment,  and  his  means  falling  short, 
he  was  able  to  pay  for  but  80  acres  of  the  land  pur- 
chased. He  now  decided  upon  returning  to  Illinois, 
and  working  so  as  10  obtain  more  money.  He  soon 
returned  to  Minnesota  and  managed  to  hold  his  land 
for  fifteen  years,  when  he  sold  it  without  much  profit 
through  the  operation.  Returning  to  Knox  County 
about  the  year  1 860,  he  again  engaged  in  farming,  at 
which  he  became  successful.  Continuing  at  this 
occupation  for  five  years,  he  went  to  Altona  in  1865, 
and  engaged  in  the  grain  and  milling  business,  and 


r.-r 


¥ 


A 


t* 


464 


Jir/VOX  COUNTY. 


ill  about  two  years  lost  all  his  money,  amounting  to 
$7,500  We  next  find  him  in  Bureau  County,  TIL, 
where  he  commenced  ditching,  in  the  employment 
of  the  county,  and  in  one  season  recovered  $3,500 
from  his  contracts.  Returning  then  to  Henderson 
Grove,  he  settled  there,  and  is  now  the  owner  of  154 
acres  in  Knox  County  and  125  in  Warren  County. 
The  most  of  this  is  tillable  land,  and  on  the  farm 
which  he  occupies  he  has  erected  a  suitable  dwelling- 
house  and  farm  buildings. 

Mr.  Nelson  is  one  of  those  hardworking,  whole- 
souled,  generous  men,  who,  by  their  self-reliance  and 
industr)',  have  shaped  their  own  fortunes  and  helped 
to  build  up  the  country  of  which  they  are  citizens.  He 
has  twice  visited  his  native  Sweden,  once  in  1867, 
and  again  in  1877.  On  sailing  to  Europe  the  second 
time  he  was  in  the  same  vessel  with  Gen.  Grant, 
and  had  many  interesting  talks  with  the  "Old  Com- 
mander." He  remained  in  Sweden  with  his  family 
several  months. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  rsth  of  July,  1835, 
and  received  a  good  common-school  education  in 
his  native  country,  and  was  pursuing  his  studies  the 
winter  before  coming  to  America.  He  was  married 
in  Chicago,  March  14,  1863,  to  Nellie  Gibson,  also  a 
native  of  Sweden,  born  March  14,  1842.  By  this 
union  there  were  eight  children — Charles  A.,  Frank 
E.,  George  B.,  Hattie  A.,  Noble  M.,  Lillie  E.,  George 
B.  and  Hattie.  The  first  George  B.  and  Hattie  A. 
are  deceased ;  Charles  A.  is  married  to  Kate  Peter- 
son, and  is  a  resident  of  Galesburg.  While  living  in 
Altona,  Mr.  Nelson  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  the  duties  of  which  he  performed  with  exem- 
plary efficiency.  During  the  spring  of  1885,  he  was 
elected  Assessor  of  Henderson  Township.  His  pol- 
itics are  Republican,  and  he  is  an  uncompromising 
and  firm  advocate  of  that  party's  interests. 

This  notice  ought  not  to  close  without  recording 
the  fact  that  Mrs.  Nelson's  parents  came  to  America 
in  1853,  and  at  present  reside  in  New  Windsor,  Mer- 
cer Co.,  111.  Our  subject  has  constructed  a  very 
fine  artificial  pond  on  his  farm,  which  is  well  stocked 
with  German  carp.  He  is  a  wide-awake,  progressive 
farmer,  and  possesses  a  fine  hbrar)'.  His  motto  is, 
"  duty  first  and  other  good  things  will  follow."  He 
is  one  of  the  best  informed  and  most  highly  respected 
citizens  of  this  township. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Nelson  came  to  this  country 
in   1854,  and  settled  in  this  county.     They  departed 


from  this  world — the  mother  in   1865,  the   father  in 
1866.     They  are  both  buried  at  Knoxville. 

We  take  pleasure  in  presenting  a  view  of  the  resi- 
dence of  Mr.  Nelson,  in  this  volume. 


••o^-@^J><^^fQ)..o*o. < 


aeob   Lehman,  a  resident   of  Yates    City 
and  a  native  of  Ohio,  was  born  in  Ashland 
a>^  County   Dec.   26,    1836,  and  is  the  son  of 

John  and  Sarah  (Oberholtzer)  Lehman.  His 
father  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  his 
mother  of  Ohio.  The  father,  who  died  in 
1848,  owned  a  farm  in  Ashland  County,  and  upon 
this  homestead  the  widow  still  lives. 

Our  subject  was  but  12  years  of  age  when  his 
father  died,  leaving  to  the  bereaved  mother  the  care 
of  a  family  of  eight  children,  Jacob  being  the  third 
in  order  of  birth.  With  that  characteristic  nobility 
of  purpose  seen  in  so  many  mothers,  who,  bereft  of 
their  natural  protectors,  face  the  world  and  fearlessly 
keep  their  little  band  together,  Jacob's  mother  drew 
close  about  her  the  ties  of  affection  in  her  family  and 
worked  for  and  with  them.  Together  the  children 
grew  to  man  and  womanhood,  and  one  by  one  went 
out  into  the  world,  as  they  reached  maturity,  to  care 
for  themselves. 

Our  subject  made  his  home  with  his  mother  until 
the  age  of  18,  wlien,  impatient  to  work  for  himself, 
and  make  a  name,  a  home  and  a  future,  he  took  the 
advice  of  Horace  Greeley  which  has  been  literally 
obeyed  by  so  many  young  men,  and  came  West  to 
grow  up  with  the  country.  Locating  in  Knox 
County,  111.,  he  worked  on  a  farm,  receiving  but  $16 
per  month.  Many  young  men,  but  more  especially 
those  of  the  present  day,  would  consider  their  pros- 
pects very  poor  indeed  on  such  a  pittance,  but  with 
the  energy,  hope  and  perseverance  that  character- 
ized the  youth  of  that  day,  our  young  friend,  in  1855, 
commenced  for  himself,  working  by  the  month  in 
Elba  and  Truro  Townships,  and  after  one  year  and 
a  half  engaged  in  farming  on  rented  land,  in  which  he 
met  with  moderate  success,  proving  the  truth  that 
"God  helps  those  who  help  themselves."  In  the 
spring  of  i860  he  bought  a  breaking  team,  and  dur- 
ing the  season  for  such  labor  he  engaged  almost  ex- 
clusively in   that  occupation.      Every   autumn   he 


-h- 


ll 


.Y-- 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


-^-X^ 


465 


followed  thrashing,  assisting  the  farmers  throughout 
his  neighborhood. 

In  September,  i86r,  came  the  country's  call  to  the 
heart  of  every  brave  man  and  worthy  citizen,  and 
obeying  the  voice  that  said  "  go  forth,"  Mr.  Lehman 
enlisted  under  the  banner  of  his  country,  ready  to 
devote  every  energ)'  "  for  God  and  home  and  native 
land."  He  entered  Co.  G,  8th  Reg.  Mo.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  faithfully  served  until  August,  1863,  when  he 
was  honorably  discharged  with  the  reputation  of 
courage  and  fidelity.  He  was  in  many  active  and 
important  engagements,  figuring  in  the  struggles  at 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  Shiloh,  or  Pittsburg 
Landing,  the  siege  of  Corinth,  and  the  first  battle  of 
Vicksburg  and  Arkansas  Post.  In  the  latter  battle 
he  received  a  serious  wound  in  the  right  forearm, 
which  incapacitated  him  for  service,  and  he  was  dis- 
charged at  Lawson  Hospital,  St.  Louis,  in  August, 
1863.  In  consequence  of  the  wound  his  arm  is  dis- 
abled for  life.  On  his  return  home  he  was  able  to 
do  nothing  whatever  until  the  following  spring,  when 
he  accepted  an  agency  for  the  Fire  and  Tornado  In- 
surance Company,  of  Freeport,  III.  He  was  con- 
nected with  this  company  throughout  the  summer, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1865  bought  a  team  and  went 
back  to  his  old  occupation,  that  of  breaking  wild 
land  and  thrashing.  In  the  spring  of  1867  he  located 
on  a  farm  situated  on  section  9,  Elba  Township, 
which  he  had  previously  purchased,  and  took  up 
agricultural  pursuits,  at  which  he  continued  until 
1869.  Then  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  section  2 
of  the  same  township,  where  he  remained  until  1881, 
after  which  he  bought  the  place  he  now  occupies. 
His  home  farm  is  within  the  corporation  of  Yates 
City.  He  is  also  the  owner  of  80  acres  of  farm  land 
elsewhere. 

Mr.  Lehman  entered  the  bonds  of  wedlock  Feb.  4, 
1869,  with  Jennie  Ralston,  who  was  born  in  West- 
moreland County,  Pa.,  Sept.  22,  1843,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Samuel  and  Jane  (Buchanan)  Ralston. 
To  them  have  been  born  two  children — William  Gil- 
bert and  Bertha  S.  Mrs.  L.  is  a  woman  of  kind, 
moral  and  religious  bearing  and  character,  and  is 
united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  as  a  memb'erof 
that  organization.  Pursuing  the  path  of  duty,  she 
shows  forth  the  e.xample  of  a  true  and  pure  life  to 
her  husband  and  children  as  found  in  the  life  of  our 
Lord  and  Savior. 

Mr.   Lehman  is  in   politics  a   Republican,  strong 


and  decided.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  Stephen  A. 
Douglas,  in  i860,  but  in  1864  he  voted  for  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Dan  McCook  Post, 
G.  k.  R.,  located  at  Elmwood,  111. 

lexander  Gehring.  Foremost  in  the  ranks 
of  wealtliy  and  substantial  men  and  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Knox  County  stands  the  sub- 
ject of  our  biography.  He  is  a  farmer  whose 
desirable  and  attractive  home  is  located  on 
section  33,  of  Sparta  Township.  He  may  be 
called  in  a  great  measure  a  self-made  man,  as  he 
worked  his  way  industriously  and  ambitiously,  from 
the  age  of  13  up  to  the  present  prosperous  and  en- 
joyable position  in  life  which  he  now  fills. 

Mr.  Gehring  was  born  Dec.  i,  1844,  '"  Baden, 
Germany,  and  is  the  son  of  Anthony  and  Mary 
(Moser)  Gehring.  They  were  natives  of  Germany. 
Anthony  Gehring  was  born  March  12,  1824,  and 
Mary  (Moser)  Gehring  was  born  June  24,  1824.  In 
1857  they  emigrated  to  America,  and,  coming  to  Illi- 
nois, then  known  as  the  "  Far  West,"  settled  in  Knox 
County,  on  section  14.  At  this  place  they  purchased 
40  acres  of  land,  which  they  occupied  and  cultivated 
until  1873,  at  which  time  they  added  100  acres  to 
the  original  homestead.  He  moved  into  Oneida  vil- 
lage, prosperity  having  crowned  his  effort  toward 
success,  and  purchased  a  house  and  two  lots,  where 
he  is  now  living  a  retired  life.  Two  of  their  pleasant 
little  family  of  three  children  now  survive — our  sub- 
ject and  Martin. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  active  labor  at  the 
age  of  13,  as  previously  stated.  He  worked  by  the 
month  until  he  reached  the  age  of  20,  having  in  this 
interval  received  an  ordinary  common-school  educa- 
tian.  He  rented  a  farm  on  section  13,  Sparta  Town- 
ship, which  he  worked  until  one  year  later,  when  he 
rented  one  on  section  28.  Here  he  remained  one 
year,  and  they  rented  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
lives,  including  90  acres.  His  wife  will  inherit  this 
homestead  at  her  mother's  death. 

Mr.  Gehring  was  united  in  marriage  in  1867,  with 
Miss  Jcrusha,  daughter  of  Ira  and  Caroline  (Stewart) 
Squires.  Mrs.  Gehring  was  a  native  of  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  born  Aug.  r,  1847.  Her 
father  was  born  June  21,  1822,  and  died  May  6, 
1850.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gehring  have  a  family  of  four 


4-^ 


466 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


children,  by  name  as  follows  :  Mary  A.,  who  was  born 
Oct.  29,  187 1  ;  Sarah  L.,  born  Oct.  9,  1874;  Carrie 
L.,  born  April  7,  1877,  and  Ira  A.,  born  Dec.  15, 
1879.  Mr.  Gehring  is  a  live  man  in  public  affairs, 
and  holds  the  office  of  School  Director.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics,  watching  with  vivid  interest 
the  affairs  of  the  nation.  He  is  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which  he  is 
Steward  and  Trustee,  and  has  a  word  of  cordial 
sympathy  and  courteous  kindness  for  one  and  all. 
Both  himself  and  wife  are  popular  and  pleasant  peo- 
ple. She  is  a  member  of  the  same  church  to  which 
her  husband  belongs. 


ev.  Joseph  Smith  Gumming,   D.   D.,  the 

President  of  Hedding  College,  who  holds  a 

M|"(^r^"  high  rank  in  the  Methodist  denomination, 
and  who  was  elected  to  his  present  office 
June  7,  1882,  is  the  gentleman  of  whom  this 
brief  biographical  notice  is  written.  Dr. 
^  Cumming  was  born  in  Abingdon,  Va.,  April  28,  1832, 
and  his  parents  were  William  C.  and  Maria  (Patton) 
Cumming,  both  natives  of  Virginia.  His  father  claims 
Scotch  blood,  and  his  mother  a  direct  line  of  Scotch 
and  French  progenitors.  In  the  year  1835  they  re- 
moved to  the  city  of  Peoria,  then  a  small  village.  The 
profession  of  the  father,  that  of  a  minister,  called  him 
to  reside  in  various  towns  in  Central  Illinois.  He 
still  lives  in  that  city,  having  reached,  after  a  life  of 
large  usefulness  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  the  ripe 
age  of  87,  but  has  been  superannuated  for  a  number 
of  years.     His  wife  has  reached  78  years. 

The  subject  of  whom  we  write  was  educated  at 
Rock  River  Seminary,  Mt.  Morris,  111.,  and  was  or- 
dained for  the  Christian  ministry  in  September,  1853, 
entering  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination,  in 
which  he  has  since  labored  as  a  pastor  2 1  years  in 
the  Central  lUmois  Conference.  He  was  eight  years 
Presiding  Elder,  and  in  1880  came  to  Abingdon  as 
pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in  which 
position  he  continued  for  two  years.  He  has  served 
as  President  of  Hedding  College  for  four  years,  and 
has  faithfully  labored  for  the  moral  and  spiritual  good 
of  the  community  in  which  he  lives. 

July  15,  1852,  he  took  to  his  heart  and  home  as  a 
life  companion  Margaret  Reed,  daughter  of  John  and 


Elizabeth  Maris,  who  has  proven  a  lovely  and  congen- 
ial friend  and  counselor.  Mrs.  Cumming  was  born 
near  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  is  the  mother  of  six  chil- 
dren, one  son  and  five  daughters,  viz. :  Frank  H., 
married  Elizabeth  Mann,  and  is  pastor  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  of  Bushnell,  111.,  and  his 
happy  home  circle  includes  two  buds  on  the  parent 
stock.  The  daughters  of  the  house  of  Cumming  are 
as  follows;  Belle,  wife  of  Frank  P.  Gilbert,  of  Mon- 
mouth; Eva,  Augusta  J.,  Minette  and  Fannie  L. 

Politically,  Dr.  Cumming  has  always  voted  the  Re- 
publican ticket  until  the  election  of  1884,  at  which 
lime  he  voted  with  the  Prohibitionists. 

Dr.  Cumming  is  a  man  of  superior  ability  and 
high  scholarly  attainments,  and  has  proven  a  most 
popular  minister  as  well  as  successful  and  efficient 
President  of  the  college.  Under  his  able  manage- 
ment it  has  grown  strong  and  prosperous,  and  the 
cloud  that  darkened  its  financial  sky  has  been  almost 
swept  away.  He  has  traveled  expressly  in  the  inter- 
est of  this  institution,  and  has  worked  untiringly  to 
secure  funds  wherewith  to  clear  it  from  indebtedness. 
The  citizens  of  Abingdon,  and  indeed  all  in  the  ad- 
jacent country  who  are  interested  in  the  college, 
unite  in  commending  Dr.  Cumming  for  his  arduous 
labors  in  its  behalf. 

T?ndrew  J.  Swadley,  a  well-to-do  and  suc- 
f  cessful  farmer,  residing  upon  his  fine  farm, 
^  located  upon  section  22,  Maquon  Town- 
ship, came  to  Knox  County  in  the  winter  of 
7,  from  Fulton  County,  111.,  remaining  at 
home  with  his  parents  until  1869,  when  he 
was  married  and  made  settlement  in  Maquon  Town- 
ship, where  he  has  since  lived.  He  is  the  proprietor 
of  80  acres  of  most  excellent  land,  the  major  portion 
of  which  is  tillable. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Warwick  County,  Ind., 
Feb.  4,  1842.  He  emigrated  with  his  parents  to 
Fulton  County,  about  the  year  1850,  at  wliich  place 
they  remained  until  their  removal  to  Knox  County, 
seven  years  later,  as  before  stated.  Mr.  S.  was  mar- 
ried in  Knoxville,  Jan.  7,  1869,  to  Barbara,  daughter 
of  James  M.  and  Louisa  (Roads)  Foster.  (See 
sketch  of  James  M.  Foster.)  Mrs.  S.  was  born  in 
Knox  County,  111.,  June  23,  1849,  and  has  become 
the  mother  of  one  child — a  daughter,  Ettie  L. 


^-+ 


X 


imRARy 

OF  THE 
irilVERSITY  OF  ILLIf''*'l 


yU^^^-^  cU-uuiXu^ 


■e-^ 


--1- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


469 


Mr.  Swadley  has  held  the  position  of  School  Di- 
rector and  in  politics  affiliates  with  the  Democratic 
party.  His  parents  were  James  and  Catherine  (Fos- 
ter) Swadley,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  came 
to  Knox  County  in  the  winter  of  1857,  settling  in 
Maquon  Township,  where  they  passed  the  remainder 
of  their  lives. 


)Oses  Wheeler.  This  gentleman,  whose 
biography  and  portrait  assist  to  embellish 
^Jf^^  '  ''^^  history  of  Knox  County,  follows  the 
/(^  \  vocation  of  an   agriculturist  on    section  6, 

i"     Elba  Township,  and  is  meeting  with  well-mer- 

)  ited  success.  He  came  to  this  county  in  March 
1858,  from  Peoria  County,  this  State,  and  purchased 
97  acres  of  land  on  the  section  where  he  is  at  present 
residing.  He  is  one  of  the  prosperous,  successful 
and  intelligent  farmers  of  this  county. 

The  first  years  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Wheeler  in  Elba 
Township  were  attended  with  numerous  trials  and 
hardships,  but  he  did  not  yield,  however,  to  dis- 
couragements that  would  have  dismayed  many  a 
man,  but,  assisted  by  his  loving  wife,  he  became  suc- 
cessful in  his  undertakings,  and  to-day  enjoys  the 
fruits  of  his  labor,  although  the  partner  of  his  early 
years  has  been  called  to  the  better  land. 

Moses  Wheeler  was  born  in  Bradford  County,  Pa., 
Sept.  27,  1810.  He  lived  in  his  native  county  until 
1820,  then  moved  with  his  parents  to  Tioga  County, 
and  lived  there  until  1845.  Prior  to  his  removal 
here  he  had  been  a  resident  of  Bradford  County  for 
12  years.  He  is  a  self-made  man  in  every  sense  of 
the  word,  and  as  his  school  privileges  were  of  neces- 
sity somewhat  limited,  his  education  was  more  of  a 
practical  nature,  mostly  acquired  on  the  farm. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1857,  Mr.  Wheeler  came  to 
this  State,  remaining  for  the  most  part  in  Peoria 
County,  until  the  following  spring,  although  in  the 
meantime  he  traveled  quite  extensively  in  different 
Stales,  looking  for  a  location.  Yxo\\\  Peoria  County 
he  came  to  Knox,  and,  after  viewing  the  rich  and 
productive  prairie  lands,  concluded  to  make  this  his 
home.  Acting  upon  this  conclusion,  he  selected  the 
charming  tract  of  land  in  Elba  Township  upon 
which  he  is  at  present  located.  There  were  a  few 
acres   broken    and     a     small     log  house     on     the 


premises.  Mr.  Wheeler  immediately  began  the 
laborious  task  of  its  improvement  and  cultivation, 
and  it  is  supplied  with  all  the  conveniences  and 
appliances  for  modern  and  systematic  farming.  Upon 
it  he  has  erected  a  fine  residence,  together  with  neces- 
sary out-buildings,  and  his  farm  of  267  acres  is  now 
second  to  none  in  the  county  for  productiveness  and 
beauty. 

Mr.  Wheeler  was  married  in  Tioga  County,  May 
I,  1826,  to  Cynthia  A.  Walker.  Her  parents  were 
natives  of  New  Hampshire,  but  removed  from  that 
State  to  Tioga  County,  Pa.,  where  they  died.  Miss 
Walker  was  born  in  New  Hampshire,  May  2,  1812, 
and  has  borne  her  husband  six  children — Julia  E., 
Lydia  M.,  Charlotte  M.,  Jane  W.,  Norris  S.  and 
Laura  A.;  of  these  Jane  and  Norris  are  deceased. 
Julia  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Potts,  a  farmer  of  Elba 
Township;  Lydia  married  W.  T.  Kinyon,  a  resident 
of  Kansas ;  Charlotte  became  the  happy  wife  of  L. 
\.  Lawrence,  and  they  live  in  Yates  City,  this  State; 
Jane  married  Jerome  Curtis,  and  at  the  time  of  her' 
demise,  which  occurred  March  26,  1878,  she  lived  in 
Creston,  Iowa;  Norris  was  a  farmer  of  Truro  Town- 
ship, and  there  died  of  heart  disease;  while  riding  ^ 
with  a  companion  he  fell  backward  in  the  buggy  and 
instantly  expired,  his  death  occurring  Nov.  8,  1880; 
Laura  married  Jacob  M.  Oberhollzer,  and  lives  on- 
the  farm  of  our  subject.  The  wife  and  mother  died 
in  Elba  Township,  May  4,  1880.  Mr.  Wheeler  has 
held  some  of  the  minor  offices  in  the  township,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church,  as  likewise  was 
his  wife.  In  ix)litics,  he  votes  with  the  Republican 
party,  and  by  his  voice  and  his  vote  encourages  every 
enterprise  which  tends  to  the  benefit  and  advance- 
ment of  liis  community. 


illiam  Caldwell.  Among  the  more  promi- 
nent citizens  of  Knox  County,  whose  names 
are  identified  with  its  growth,  may  be  found 
%  that  of  our  subject,  who  was  a  pioneer  of 
Salem  Township,  coming  originally  from  Penn- 
sylvania, where  he  was  born  in  Mercer 
County.  He  is  a  man  well  known  and  highly  re- 
spected, and  figured  prominently  in  the  early  history 
of  this  section  of  the  country. 

The  brother  of  our  subject,  Dr.  Samuel   Caldwell, 
deceased,  was  a  pioneer  physician  and   early  settler 


^-^ 


■H^ 


^' 


470 


£-Arox  county: 


of  that  part  of  Illinois  now  known  as  Farmington. 
His  works  of  mercy  and  attention  to  the  health  inter- 
ests of  the  older  residents  were  confined  principally 
to  that  part  of  Fulton  County.  William  came  origin- 
ally from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  to  settle  the 
estate  of  his  brother,  Dr.  Samuel  Caldwell,  who  died 
previous  to  1840,  and  while  here  was  so  pleased 
with  the  appearance  of  the  country  that  he  decided 
upon  it  as  a  permanent  home.  On  his  return  to 
the  East  he  sold  out,  and  in  1842  moved  to  Knox 
County,  locating  in  township  9,  now  known  as  Salem. 
There  he  purchased  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
27,  and  improved  and  cultivated  it  until  he  was  in 
possession  of  one  of  the  best  farms  in  that  section. 
In  1854  he  sold  it  and  went  to  Farmington,  engaging 
in  mercantile  business,  at  which  he  continued  for 
five  or  six  years.  In  i860,  in  common  with  many 
others,  he  went  to  seek  his  fortune  at  Pike's  Peak, 
being  absent  about  a  year,  after  which  he  returned, 
and  in  1862,  under  the  administration  of  Abraham 
Lincoln,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  at  Farming- 
ton.  This  office  he  held  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned  until  September,  1865. 

William  Caldwell  married  Miss  Sarah  Lindsay, 
who  was  born  in  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  and  they  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follows  :  Samuel, 
the  eldest  son,  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  enlisted 
in  the  Union  service  on  the  day  after  the  firing  on 
Fort  Sumter;  this  was  an  act  of  unswerving  loyalty 
on  his  part,  no  call  as  yet  having  been  issued  by  the 
Government  for  troops.  He  was  a  private  in  the  8th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  when  mustered  into  service,  but  his 
bravery  soon  afterward  caused  his  promotion  to  the 
rank  of  Captain.  He  served  in  the  Western  Divis- 
ion of  the  army  and  took  part  in  all  the  more  impor- 
tant battles  of  tlie  Mississippi  River,  being  also  with 
Banks  in  his  Red  River  expedition.  He  continued 
in  the  service  with  undaunted  courage,  serving  a 
portion  of  the  time  on  Gen.  Oglesby's  staff,  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the  service 
with  honors.  At  the  battle  of  Arkansas  Post  his 
bravery  was  made  the  subject  of  a  special  order  by 
Qen.  Banks.  After  his  return  from  the  war  he  lo-- 
cated  in  Peoria,  and  formed  a  law  partnership  with 
his  brother-in-law,  Leslie  Robinson,  and  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature.  During  its  session  he  was  at- 
tacked with  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs  and  died.  Mrs. 
Caldwell  still  lives  at  Peoria.  Lindsay,  the  second 
son,  enlisted  in  1862  in  the  8th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  no 


less  than  his  brother  was  distinguished  for  bravery 
and  courage.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Shiloh,  Champion  Hills,  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Vicksburg  and  other  important  struggles ;  he  died 
while  in  the  service  at  Vicksburg,  in  1863.  Joseph  lives 
at  Stuart,  Guthrie  County,  Iowa;  Lewis  R.,  whose 
activity,  attention  to  and  ability  for  business  win  for 
him  a  high  place  in  mercantile  circles,  was  proprie- 
tor of  the  first  hardware  store  in  Yates  City,  and  af- 
terward entered  as  associate  partner  with  George 
Stetson,  founding  the  bank  in  Farmington  ;  he  died 
in  Rushville,  111.,  in  1880.  Elizabeth  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Levi  Scales,  and  died  at  Leadville,  Colo. 
Amanda  became  the  wife  of  C.  A.  Stetson  (see 
sketch). 

Mrs.  Caldwell  died  in  Salem  Township,  and  Mr. 
C,  who  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  is 
by  the  last  marriage  father  of  two  children — Annie 
and  Mary. 


rs.  Martha  Heed.     The  lady  whose  name 

stands  at  the  head  of  this    notice,  and  a 

fe^''"  summary  of  whose  life   is   herein   given, 

Wi\\X^  owns  a  home  on  section  16,  in  Sparta 
•'F'  Township,  and  is  one  of  the  best  known  and 
I  most  energetic  women  of  Knox  County.  She 
is  the  widow  of  James  D.  Reed,  deceased,  who 
was  born  June  27,  1825,  at  Frankfort,  Ky.  He 
came  to  Illinois  with  his  parents  when  a  child,  and 
they  settled  at  Henderson  Grove,  Knox  County, 
where  they  pursued  the  occupation  of  farming. 

On  attaining  the  age  of  22  years,  Mr.  Reed  left  his 
home,  in  which  he  had  continued  up  to  this  date, 
and  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mjrtha, 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Nancy  (Shumate)  Duval. 
She  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  their  marriage 
was  celebrated  Aug.  22,  1847.  Eight  children  were 
the  result  of  this  marriage,  named  Nancy  E.,  Helen 
M.,  Sarah  E.,  Francis  A.,  Rosella  A.,  Polly  E.,  Al- 
bert I.  and  Dora  E.  Mr.  Reed  departed  this  life 
Dec.  8,  1883. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  with  Miss  Duval,  Mr. 
Reed  rented  a  farm  at  Henderson  Grove,  which  he 
purchased  in  1850,  containing  40  acres.  To  this  he 
added  16  acres  and  afterward  40.  Since  that,  Mrs. 
Reed  has  had  80  acres  given  her  as  a  present  by  her 
father.     This  lies  in  Sparta  Township,  on  section  10. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


471 


Since  the  deatli  of  her  husband  the  widow  continues 
to  carry  on  her  home  farm. 

Mrs.  Reed  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  in 
good  and  regular  standing,  and  has  characterized 
her  life  with  keen  foresight,  good  financial  ability  and 
native  force  and  energ)-.  Mr.  Reed  was  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  worshiping  under  the  doc- 
trines of  faith  as  represented  by  that  organization. 
He  was  a  liberal-minded  man  in  regard  to  questions 
of  religion  or  in  public  matters.  He  was  extremely 
fond  of  home,  domestic  in  tastes  and  a  kind  husband 
and  father.  Politically  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  be- 
lieved strongly  in  placing  "  the  risht  man  in  the  right 
place." 

Mrs.  Reed  was  born  April  27,  1831,  and  her 
daughters  married  as  follows :  Nancy  E.  was  united 
with  Dr.  Chas.  Babcock,  and  to  them  one  daughter 
has  been  born,  by  name  Grace;  Helen  M.  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  .\ndress,  and  the  mother  of  five  children — 
Mamie,  Warren,  Fannie,  Edith  and  James;  Sarah  E. 
married  Robert  Langloss,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children,  named  Fred,  and  Martha. 


(f-H* 


^J^l:<;  ames  W.  Davis  is  one  of  the  respected  and 
tySyir  honored  citizens  of  this  county,  and  a  well- 
^^O'^  lo-do  farmer  of  Maquon  Township,  resid- 
?ii  ing  on  section  16.  He  came  here  in  June, 
^\_  18371  3.nd  consequently  is  one  of  the  pioneer 
I  settlers.  Living  here  since  that  date  continu- 
ously, and  having  been  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  that  long  period  of  time,  he  must  certainly 
be  acknowledged  as  one  who  has  contributed  his  full 
allotment  to  the  agricultural  development  of  the 
county.  He  came  here  with  his  parents,  Joshua  and 
Martha  (Walter)  Davis,  from  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  when  eight  years  of  age.  They  settled  in  Ma- 
quon Township,  where  our  subject  has  since  lived, 
and  where  the  mother  died,  Oct.  12,  188 1.  They 
were  the  parents  of  two  children — James  W.  and 
Martha  E.     The  latter  died  in  1865. 

James  W.  Davis  was  born  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  Nov.  10,  1828.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  common  schools,  and  has  devoted  his  life  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  and  his  father  are  the 
owners  of  830  acres  of  land,  and  in  this  independent 
calling  Mr.  D.  is  meeting  with  that  success  which 
energy  and  perseverance  are  sure  to  bring. .  ^ 


Mr.  Davis  was  married  in  Haw  Creek  Township, 
Sept.  13,  1855,  to  Caroline  Pickrel,  daughter  of  Jesse 
and  Rosanna  (Joiinson)  Pickrel.  Her  parents  were 
among  the  pioneers  of  the  county.  They  came  here 
in  1839,  and  settled  in  Haw  Creek  Township,  where 
her  father  died  Dec.  27,  1881.  Her  mother  is  still 
living.  Of  their  union  nine  phildren  were  born, 
named  as  follows  :  Sarah,  Caroline,  Anna,  Melissa, 
Jackson,  Jesse,  Milton,  Rosetta  and  Douglas.  Caro- 
line was  born  in  Athens  County,  Ohio,  Dec.  23,  1838, 
and  continued  to  reside  with  her  parents  until  her 
marriage  with  the  subject  of  this  notice.  Mr.  Davis 
has  held  the  office  of  Road  Commissioner  and  School 
Trustee,  and  in  politics  votes  ivith  the  Republican 
party. 

^  yis.  ij  mc      : 

ames  Cook,  a  retired  farmer,  living  on  sec- 
tion 1 5,  in  Copley  Township,  was  born  in 
Ro.xburyshire,  Scotland,  Oct.  22,  i8i6,  and 
is  one  of  Knox  County's  highly  esteemed  and 
^r  respected  citizens.  He  is  the  son  of  Robert 
^  and  Jenette  (Locky)  Cook,  who  were  natives  of 
Scotland.  The  parents  had  a  family  of  three  sons 
and  six  daughters,  as  follows:  Jane,  Agnes,  Mar- 
garet, William,  Jenette,  Mary,  James,  Elizabeth  and 
Robert.  They  were  farmers,  and  died  in  their  na- 
tive land. 

Our  subject  was  the  seventh  child  in  order  of  birth, 
and  remained  at  home  until  1 9  years  of  age.  He 
assisted  on  the  farm  and  attended  school  until  1839, 
when  he  came  to  America.  Landing  at  New  York, 
he  went  to  Buffalo,  and  when  he  reached  that  city  he 
had  only  two  dollars  i  money,  and  was  a  stranger  in 
a  strange  land.  He  then  crossed  over  into  C'anada 
and  worked  there  at  different  places,  until  he  had 
earned  $30.  He  then  went  into  Ohio  and  settled  in 
Ross  County,  near  Chillicothe,  and  remained  in  the 
employ  of  a  gentleman  residing  there  for  six  years. 
From  there  he  went  over  the  Allegheny  Mountains 
with  a  number  of  dioves  of  cattle  to  New  York  and 
Philadelphia,  and  came  to  Illinois  July  6,  1S45.  He 
made  his  first  purchase  of  land  near  Rochester,  Knox 
County,  which  consisted  of  120  acres,  and  which  he 
kept  two  years  and  then  sold,  afterward  making  a 
purchase  of  80  acres,  upon  which  he  now  lives.  He 
has  since  added  to  the  same  until  his  possessions  in- 
I.  chide '765  acres,  and  he  has  made  very  fine  improve- 


,=< 


f 


4-4- 


472 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ments  on  his  farm,  cultivating  the  land,  setting  out 
trees,  building  house,  barns  and  fences,  and  to-day 
he  has  one  of  the  most  attractive  homes  in  the  town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Cook  was  married  March  3,  1853,  to  Miss 
Agnes  Stine,  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  who  came  to 
America  in  185  r,  and  who  is  the  daughter  of  Andrew 
and  Margaret  (Carr)  Stine,  also  natives  of  Scotland. 
They  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  including  Will- 
iam, Mary,  Isabelle,  Jenette,  Margaret,  Agnes,  John 
and  Andrew.    The  parents  died  in  their  native  home. 

Mr.  Cook  had  a  family  of  six  children,  all  living — 
Isabelle,  William,  Jenette,  Margaret,  Mary  A.  and 
Agnes.  Isabelle  united  in  marriage  with  Nathan 
Millroy,  and  is  the  mother  of  two  children — Mary 
and  an  infant  unnamed;  Mary  A.  married  Houston 
Tate. 

Mr.  Cook  is  a  Republican  and  now  holds  the 
office  of  Trustee  in  the  schools,  that  of  Road  Com- 
missioner and  other  minor  offices,  and  is  one  of  the 
ft)est  and  most  solid  men  of  the  community.  His 
Iwife  and  himself  both  belong  to  the  Presbyterian 
IChurch.  He  is  strictly  a  self-made  man,  and  is  now 
Jenjoying  the  fruits  of  his  labors. 


^/■a;^ariton  Miles  Lawrence,  extensive  dealer 
.ijl^li^  and  shipper  of  live  stock,  residing  in  Yates 
g|^  "^     City,    was     born    at    Monkton,    Addison 

f  County,  Vt.,  April  17,1848.  He  was  the  third 
son  in  order  of  birth  of  the  children  of  Milton 
'  and  Sylvia  (Atwood)  Lawrence  (see  sketch). 
Our  subject  was  but  a  lad  of  12  years,  when,  in  com- 
pany with  his  parents,  he  came  to  Knox  County,  set- 
tling in  Elba  Township.  There  he  attended  the 
district  schools  and  made  his  home  with  his  parents 
until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  July  9,  1873.  The 
lady  of  his  choice  was  Emma  Beeson,  born  in  Elm- 
wood,  Peoria  County,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Israel 
and  Rebecca  Beeson.  Immediately  after  his  mar- 
riage Mr.  L.  began  farming  in  company  with  his 
brother.  This  partnership  was  dissolved  in  1877, 
when  our  subject  purchased  Mr.  Beesons  interest  in 
the  property,  which  was  located  on  section  28,  Elba 
Township.  He  continued  to  reside  on  the  farm,  en- 
gaged in  the  breeding  of  graded  stock,  until  1883,  at 
which  time  he  removed  to  Peoria.  At  the  latter  place 


Mr.  L.  embarked  in  the  commission  business,  which 
he  continued  for  one  year,  when  he  removed  to  Yates 
City,  and  there  became  interested  in  buying  and 
shipping  stock,  which  he  successfully  pursued  up  to 
the  date  of  this  writing  (1886).  The  union  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lawrence  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
one  child,  a  son,  upon  whom  they  bestowed  the  name 
of  Lester.  The  entire  family  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 

^§  jfbram  Wolf,  a  farmer  residing  on  section  17, 
Truro  Township,  was  born  in  Bradford 
1^*  County,  Pa.,  Feb.  i,  1826.  His  father, 
William  Wolf,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State, 
and  his  father,  Michael  Wolf,  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  who 
came  to  .\merica  and  settled  in  Bradford  County, 
where  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

William  Wolf  was  reared  as  a  farmer  in  his  native 
county,  and  was  there  married  to  Miss  Sarah  Dan,  a 
native  of  Connecticut.  In  1837,  in  company  with 
his  wife  and  nine  children,  he  started  overland  with 
wagons.  They  stopped  in  Athens  County  Ohio,  where 
Mr.  Wolf,  the  following  summer,  engaged  in  farming, 
and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  pursued  the  journey 
to  Illinois,  and  located  in  Tazewell  County,  spending 
the  winter  there.  In  the  spring  of  1838,  he  emigrated 
to  the  then  Territory  of  Iowa,  and  located  about  seven 
miles  from  Iowa  City,  and  there  entered  a  claim, 
built  a  log  house  with  puncheon  floor  and  shake  roof, 
the  shakes  being  held  on  with  poles.  A  dirt-and-stick 
chimney  completed  the  edifice.  In  the  fall  of  that 
year  he  sold  his  property  for  the  sum  of  S400  and 
came  to  Peoria  County  and  rented  a  farm  near 
French  Grove,  occupying  it  for  three  years.  He  next 
removed  to  Truro  Township  and  purchased  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  27,  at  that  time  an  unbroken 
tract  of  prairie  land,  but  which,  through  the  industry 
and  energy  of  its  proprietor,  has  been  transformed  into 
one  of  the  pleasantest  farms  in  the  county.  Mr.  W. 
erected  the  first  frame  house  in  this  section  of  coun- 
try. After  dispKJsing  of  his  farm,  he  removed  to  Ben- 
ton County,  Iowa,  and  there  purchased  a  farm, 
passing  the  remainder  of  his  life  at  that  place.  His 
widow,  who  survives  him,  is  passing  the  sunset  of  life 
with  her  beloved  son,  James  Wolf,  near  Vinton, 
Iowa.     The  family  consisted  of  12  children,  eight  of 


^ 


€4: 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


475 


whom  still  survive,  our  subject  being  the  fifth  child  in 
order  of  birth.  At  the  age  of  1 1  years  he  accompa- 
nied his  parents  to  Illinois,  where  he  assisted  his 
father  on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  schools. 
Mr.  Wolf  was  married  Sept.  29,  1844,  to  Miss 
Louisa  Seward.  She  was  born  in  Broome  Count)-, 
N.  Y.,  June  30,  1829,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Orin 
and  Mahetable  (Livermore)  Seward,  pioneers  of 
Kno.v  County.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  and  the  mother  was  from  the  Bay  State. 

Soon  after  marriage  our  subject  rented  land  for  a 
short  time,  and  then  purchased  40  acres  on  section 
16,  Truro  Township.  Upon  this  land  he  erected  a 
log  cabin,  planted  an  orchard,  and  later  bought  a 
frame  house,  which  he  moved  onto  his  place.  In 
1866  he  disposed  of  his  farm  and  purchased  the 
place  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He  has  improved 
his  farm  by  the  erection  of  substantial  necessary  farm 
buildings,  and  by  setting  out  fruit,  shade  and  orna- 
mental trees.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wolf  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics 
our  subject  casts  his  vote  for  the  Republican  party. 
'The  following  are  the  names  of  their  children  :  Eliz- 
^abeth,  Alvin,  Permelia,  Hepsey,  Nelson  L.,  Millie, 
and  Cornelia,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years. 


ames  Allen,  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
and  most  successful  farmers  of  Chestnut 
Township,  owning  a  large  and  finely-culti- 
vated farm  of  200  acres,  situated  on  section  4, 
is  the  subject  of  this  personal  history.  He  is 
'  engaged  not  only  in  farming,  but  in  the  raising 
of  Short-horn  cattle  and  Poland-China  hogs,  and 
owns  a  blooded  bull  five  years  old,  weighing  2,000 
lb.,  by  name  "Judge  Willetts." 

Mr.  Allen  entered  life  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind., 
April  19,  1825.  He  is  the  son  of  Josiah  and  Jane  W. 
(McDowell)  Allen,  nauves  of  Kentucky,  in  which 
State  they  were  wedded,  removing  to  Indiana  in 
1810.  From  that  State  they  emigrated  to  Illinois  in 
1838,  at  which  time  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a 
boy  of  13  years.  The  mother  departed  this  life  in  the 
year  1852,  and  his  father  in  1863.  Of  this  matri- 
monial alliance  there  were  born  nine  children,  si.x 
girls  and  three  boys,  namely:  Rosana,  who  married 
John  Moore,  and  lives  in  the  State  of  Indiana;  Mar- 


garet, wife  of  Alkana  Moore,  resident  of  Knoxville, 
III.;  Sarah  married  Jonathan  Minor,  both  deceased; 
William  took  to  wife  America  A.  Maxey,  and  lives  in 
Orange  Township;  Nancy  married  John  Carico,  a 
resident  of  Bureau  County,  III.,  and  is  deceased; 
Matilda  married  Alfred  Carico,  and  lives  in  the  State 
of  Iowa;  James  espoused  Miss  Sarah  M.  Bragg,  and 
lives  in  Chestnut  Township;  John  married  Miss 
Lydia  Eperson,  and  lives  in  Bureau  County,  III.; 
Mary  N.  died  at  the  early  age  of  16  years. 

Mr.  Allen  the  elder  settled  in  Orange  Township  in 
1838.  James  remained  at  home  on  his  father's 
place  until  after  his  marriage,  when  he  purchased 
land  in  1862  on  section  4.  in  Cliestnut  Township,  and 
where  he  has  since  remained. 

Mr.  Allen  of  this  notice,  early  in  manhood,  took  to 
wife  Miss  Sarah  M.  Bragg,  March  16,  1848.  She  was 
born  Nov.  30,  1828;  she  is  the  daughter  of  Elias  and 
Mary  (Bryant)  Bragg,  natives  of  Virginia,  who  came 
to  Illinois  in  1836.  They  settled  in  Orange  Township, 
and  two  years  later  moved  to  Chestnut  Township. 
Her  father  was  born  in  September,  1784,  and  departed 
this  life  Jan.  20,  1861,  in  the  Stale  of  Illinois.  He  i 
was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  181 2.  The  date  of  her  " 
mother's  birth  was  1789,  and  she  closed  her  eyes  to  1 
this  e.vistence  Sept.  14,  1865.  Both  she  and  her  hus- 
band were  of  English  and  Scottish  lineage,  and  uix)n 
them  were  bestowed  15  children,  viz. :  Jane,  wife  of 
Benjamin  McCort;  James,  who  wedded  Nancy  M. 
Carter;  Elizabeth,  who  wedded  a  Mr.  Moore;  Mary, 
wife  of  E.  Hall;  .\bner,  who  formed  a  matrimonial 
alliance  with  Miss  Julia  Carpenter;  Frances,  who 
married  Mr.  John  Hendricks;  John,  husband  of  Miss 
Sarah  Hurley;  Harriet,  wife  of  D.  Mooers ;  Matthew 
died  at  the  early  age  of  18  years;  Mark,  at  the  time 
of  the  California  gold  fever,  went  to  that  State  and 
no  word  has  been  received  from  him  for  a  number  of 
years;  Joseph  married  Miss  Nancy  Heppenstall ; 
Sarah,  wife  of  James  Allen,  of  this  sketch;  Eliza 
died  at  the  early  age  of  five  years;  Andrew,  in  in- 
fancy, was  removed  from  earth,  and  there  was  an  in- 
fant unnamed. 

About  the  parental  hearth  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen 
have  grown  up  three  children,  although  seven  were 
born  to  them — Francis,  born  Aug.  24,  1847  ;  Harry, 
Sept.  30,  1851 ;  Darius,  Sept.  7,  1855  ;  Julius,  born 
.\ug.  20,  1864;  James,  Sept.  7,  1867  ;  Frank,  Sept. 
1872.  Four  children  of  the  family  were  deceased  in 
infancy,  viz. :  Harry,  Darius  and  two  unnamed. 
■*■ 


^^^^4> 


476 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


■^ 


Although  the  possessor  of  a  handsome  property, 
Mr.  Allen  has  suffered  loss  through  the  agency  of 
fire,  being  once  burned  out,  at  which  time  all  the 
family  records  were  destroyed,  and  also  the  records 
of  his  farm  ;  the  entire  detriment  to  his  possessions  he 
estimated  at  $2,000.  He  began  work  in  this  section 
of  the  county  in  186 1,  since  wliich  time  he  has  been 
remarkably  successful  in  his  particular  line  of  labor. 
He  is  in  character  moral  and  upright,  and  his  wife 
is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church.  His 
parents  were,  politically,  of  the  old-line  Whigs,  but 
Mr.  Allen  is  Democratic  in  sentiment  and  belief. 


;ber  Goddard.  The  subject  of  tliis  notice  is 
a  retired  farmer,  spending  the  sunset  of  his 
life  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  handsome  com- 
5S.  petency  acquired  through  years  of  honest  toil, 
in  the  thriving  little  village  of  Wataga.  He 
was  born  in  Lancaster,  Worcester  Co.,  Mass., 
July  8,  1813,  his  parents  being  Eber  and  Lucy 
(Johnson)  Goddard,  natives  of  that  State.  His 
father  was  a  tailor  by  trade  and  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  the  Revolution.  Both  parents  died  in  Massa- 
chusetts, the  father  May  3,  1835,  and  the  mother  in 
1852. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  an  inmate  of  the 
parental  household  until  the  demise  of  his  parents. 
During  his  younger  days  he  worked  on  his  fatlier's 
farm  and  attended  the  common  schools,  and  was 
also  occupied  in  a  saw-mill.  We  next  hear  of  him 
in  Lawrence,  Kan.,  where  he  remained  two  months, 
whence  he  removed  to  Center  Ridge,  Mercer  County, 
this  State.  There  he  was  engaged  in  buying  and 
selling  land,  but  after  three  months'  residence  there 
came  to  this  county  and  made  settlement  in  Rio 
Township,  on  a  farm  of  160  acres,  which  he  pur- 
chased and  where  he  lived  for  nine  years,  actively 
engaged  in  its  cultivation  and  improvement.  He 
then  sold  his  farm  and  moved  to  Sparta  Townshi[), 
where  he  purchased  100  acres  located  on  sections 
4  and  1;,  and  was  a  resident  thereon  until  1881,  with 
the  exception  of  three  years  which  he  passed  in 
Oneida.  In  1881  he  came  to  Wataga,  and  here 
purchased  a  residence  and  lot,  which  has  consti- 
tuted his  home  ever  since. 

Mr.  Goddard  was  married  on  the   2d  of  .March  ,-v- 


1841,  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Burditt,  the  intelligent  and 
accomplished  daughter  of  James  and  Lucinda 
(Trowbridge)  Burditt,  natives  of  Massachusetts. 
Mrs.  Goddard  was  born  Oct.  20,  1817,  in  Massachu- 
setts, and  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of  a  family 
of  ten  children;  three  besides  Mrs.  G.  are  living: 
Abidan  K.  lives  in  Kansas;  James  R.  lives  in  Mas- 
sachusetts; Alfred  L.  resides  in  the  same  State. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  G.  are  both  deceased,  the  father 
living  to  the  advanced  age  of  93  years,  passing  into 
the  other  world  while  living  in  Massachusetts.  He 
was  born,  and  lived  and  died  on  the  old  homestead 
in  the  town  of  Leominster,  his  demise  taking  place 
June  I,  1884.  The  mother  died  April  23,  1818. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  G.  was  married  three  times,  the 
second  wife  being  Mary  T.  Reed,  born  Jan.  20, 
1793,  married  May  27,  1819,  died  Dec.  15,  1826. 
The  third,  Mrs.  Polly  Woods,  nee  Smith,  was  born 
April  It,  1796,  married  June  28,  1827,  died  April  i, 
1871.  She  bore  her  husband  three  children,  two  of  « 
whom  are  living:  Artemus  W.,  born  March  30,  1842, 
is  at  this  time  living  in  Lima,  Peru,  South  America.  I 
He  took  to  wife  Miss  Rosaura  Rubio,  a  native  of  Peru,v< 
born  in  November,  185 1.  They  have  five  children — 
Charles  Florence,  born  Nov.  7,  1878;  Maria  Louise, 
Nov.  23,  1880;  .\rthur  Rudolph,  April  14,  1882; 
Eugene  A.,  June  2,  1884  ;  M.  Rosa,  Sept.  15,  1885  ; 
Maria  L.  and  Eugene  A.  are  deceased.  Lucy  M.  God- 
dard became  the  wife  of  A.  S.  Fitch.  She  was  born 
July  26,  1843.  <')f  their  union  there  is  no  issue,  but 
they  have  an  adopted  daughter — Addie  S. — who  was 
born  Oct.  2,  1871.  Mr.  Fitch  died  March  23,  1882. 
He  was  the  only  son  of  Luther  and  Ann  (Harvey) 
Fitch,  who  were  among  the  oldest  settlers  in  Knox 
County,  coming  from  New  York  Mills,  Oneida  Co., 
N.  Y.,  in  1840;  they  settled  in  Rio  Township.  He 
enlisted  in  the  83d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  1862,  and  was 
at  the  second  battle  of  Fort  Donelson.  He  received 
an  honorable  discharge  in  1865.  He  was  born  July 
19,  1836.  Charles  A.  Goddard  was  born  May  6, 
1850,  and  died  Dec.  21,  1882.  He  was  married 
Oct.  6,  1874,  to  May  L.  Hyde,  and  they  have  two 
children — May,  born  June  7,  1875;  and  Jessie  M., 
born  Aug.  4,  1877. 

Mr.  Goddard  of  this  notice,  politically,  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Repub- 
lican party.     What   he  has  of  this  world's  goods  he 
has  made  himself. 
,      Artamus  W.,  who  is    now  in   South  America,    is 


*i 


KtfOX  CO  UN  TV. 


477 


chief  engineer  of  one  of  the  railroad  lines  in  Peru. 
He  has  held  the  positions  of  Superintendent,  Master 
Mechanic,  and  other  places  of  trust.  In  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  enlist  in  the 
service  of  his  countr)-.  He  enlisted  in  the  ist  111. 
Cav.,  Co.  D,  Capt.  Smith.  He  was  with  Col.  Mulli- 
gan and  was  captured  at  Lexington,  Mo.  He  was 
paroied  and  went  again  into  the  nth  111.  Cav.,  un- 
der Col.  Bob  Ingersoll,  and  participated  in  the  battle 
of  Corinth,  after  which  he  took  sick  and  came  home. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  not  been  exchanged,  so  he 
left  the  service  and  went  to  Massachusetts,  and 
commenced  to  learn  his  trade  of  machinist.  He 
again  enlisted,  in  the  3d  Mass.  Cav.  Regt.,  and 
went  to  Hilton  Head,  S.  C.  He  was  mustered  out 
at   Richmond,  Va.,  in  1865. 


■^3= 


=€1- 


Y~nr 


■^^harles  Pister,  of  the  firm  of  Charles  Pis- 
"''  ter  &  Co.,  of  Wataga,  is  among  the  great 
number  of  people  from  Germany  who  have 
^  ^  found  homes  in  and  contributed  to  the  pros- 
?  ?  perity  of  the  county  and  State  of  their  adop- 
tion. He  was  born  in  Rhine  Beverian, 
Germany,  Jan.  28,  1841.  His  parents  were  Jacob 
and  Catherine  (Hoffman)  Pister,  natives  of  the  same 
country.  The  father  was  by  trade  a  tailor,  but  fol- 
lowed this  only  a  short  time,  when  he  engaged  in  the 
vineyard  business,  which  he  pursued  through  life. 
He  died  Nov.  20,  1853;  the  mother  Aug.  20,  1857. 

Their  family  was  composed  of  12  children,  ten 
sons  and  two  daughters.  Three  of  the  brothers  came 
to  America— George,  Jacob  and  Charles — settling  in 
Illinois.  George  and  Jacob  died  in  this  county  in 
1 868  and  1881  respectively.  Charles,  the  subject  of 
this  biography,  remained  at  home  with  his  parents 
until  13  years  of  age,  when  he  went  out  to  learn 
fresco  painting,  working  at  the  same  in  Germany  un- 
til 28  years  of  age.  He  then  came  to  America  in 
i86g,  and  settled  in  Knox  County,  worked  at  his 
trade  in  Abingdon  and  Galesburg  eight  years,  when 
he  engaged  with  F.  P.  Foltz  in  the  tile  business  at 
the  former  place,  where  he  continued  until  1883. 

Selling  out  his  interest  to  Mr.  Foltz,  in  the  year 
above  named,  Mr.  Pister  came  to  Wataga,  where  he 
opened  a  tile  manufactorj-,  which  is  now  run  by  a 
40  horse-power  engine,  turning  out  tile  to  the  extent 


of  about  $6,000  per  annum,  and  employing  ten  men. 
He  also  manufactures  brick  and  paving,  and  has  a 
good  house  and  lot  in  the  village  of  Wataga. 

Realizing,  as  many  enterprising  young  men  have 
previously  done,  that  it  is  not  good  for  man  to  be 
alone,  Mr.  Pister  was  united  in  marriage  Feb.  12, 
1874,  with  Miss  Amelia  Ehrenhart,  a  native  of  his 
own  country.  This  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, namely:  Charles,  Amelia,  Fred,  Katie,  Linna, 
Bertha  and  Frank. 


C  ohn  Ennis,  a  retired  farmer,  is  a  resident  of 
i^^ML  Knox  County,  whose  home  lies  on  section 
/ftSg  I,  in  Salem  Township.     He   was   born  in 

?!-Z    Oneida     County,     N.    Y ,    June     24,    1806, 

t  and  his  grandfather,  John  Ennis,  was  a  na- 
tive of  England.  The  father  of  our  subject, 
Michael  Ennis,  was  an  early  settler  in  Oneida 
County. 

John  Ennis,  Jr.,  grew  to  manhood  and  was  reared 
on  his  father's  farm,  receiving  his  early  education  in 
the  common  schools,  but  later  attending  Clinton  Col- 
lege and  Whitesboro  .Academy.  At  the  age  of  19  he 
commenced  teaching  and  continued  at  this  occupa- 
tion for  about  eight  months  of  the  year,  while  the  re- 
mainder he  devoted  to  lumbering  in  Oneida  County. 
In  1828,  having  saved  sufficient  means  to  do  so,  he 
made  a  [lurchase  of  land  in  Verona  Township.  His 
marriage  occurring  about  this  time,  he  located  on  land 
purchased  previously,  where  he  lived  until  1846,  and, 
having  sold  it,  resolved  to  emigrate  to  Illinois.  He 
started  in  the  month  of  May,  coming  via  the  Erie 
Canal  and  the  lakes  to  Chicago.  At  that  city  he  en- 
gaged a  team  to  carry  himself,  wife  and  eight  children 
overland  to  Peoria  County,  and,  renting  a  house  in 
Newburg,  he  started  to  seek  a  location.  The  fol- 
lowing June  Mr.  Ennis  bought  160  acres  of  wild 
land  on  section  i,  Salem  Township,  and  in  October 
of  that  year  80  more  on  the  same  section,  ujxjn  which 
the  family  settled.  He  continued  to  buy  land  from 
time  to  time  until  he  owned  1,000  acres.  His  resi- 
dence stands  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  i, 
on  the  land  he  first  purchased.  He  is  well  known 
as  a  man  of  superior  education  as  well  as  of  energy 
and  enterprise,  and  was  fortunate  in  securing  a  wife 


rH^ 


478 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


in  all  ways  worthy  of  him  in  native  ability  and  intel- 
ligence. 

Mr.  Ennis  was  married  Sept.  27,  1828,  to  Sally 
Loomis,  who  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  Jan. 
29,  1807,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Sally 
(Higby)  Loomis.  Her  father  is  a  native  of  Connec- 
ticut, and  her  mother  of  New  York.  Her  grandpar- 
ents, on  both  sides,  were  pioneers  of  the  latter  State. 
Twelve  children  were  born  to  Mrs.  Ennis'  parents, 
seven  of  whom  are  living,  as  follows :  Celestia,  wife 
of  Chas.  Kennedy,  of  Missouri;  Calista,  wife  of 
Geo.  Parsel,  resident  of  Cass  County,  Neb. ;  Sarah  A., 
wife  of  La  Fayette  Rowley,  of  Idaho  Ter. ;  Elizabeth 
married  Albertus  Bartholomew,  and  her  home  is  in 
Peoria  County  ;  Nathaniel  S.  lives  in  Peoria  County  ; 
Jabez  A.  lives  on  the  homestead ;  Emma,  wife 
of  Lewis  Farmer,  lives  in  Kansas;  Edward  was 
a  soldier  in  the  33d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  lost  his  life  at 
Shiloh.  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bartholomew  is  the  mother 
of  six  children,  as  follows  :  John  B.,  Orrie  Y.,  Lura  H., 
Charles  A.,  Carrie  Maud,  Bessie  Alice.  John  B. 
married  Miss  Luella  Moore,  of  Oskaloosa,  Iowa,  and 
has  one  child,  named  Albertus  F.  Ennis.  Our  sub- 
^   ject  was  a  soldier,  serving  in  the  47th  111.  Vol.  Inf. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  are  faithful  working  Chris- 
tians. Mr.  Ennis  has  been  for  some  time  Class 
Leader,  and  also  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday- 
school.  Politically  he  was  a  Democrat,  but  joined 
the  Republican  p.irty  at  its  formation,  and,  being  an 
enlightened,  wide-awake  citizen,  with  strong  and  de- 
cided opinions,  is  an  acquisition  to  the  county  as  a 
politician. 

Jabez  A.  Ennis,  the  youngest  son,  who  now  man- 
ages the  homestead  for  his  father,  was  born  in  Verona 
Township,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  29,  1845.  He 
was  but  an  infant  when  his  parents  came  to  Knox 
County,  and  in  that  section  grew  to  manhood,  being 
reared  on  the  farm.  He  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  district  schools,  in  the  high  school  at  Elm- 
wood  and  in  the  business  college  at  Peoria.  In  1867 
he  went  on  a  Western  trip  with  a  pair  of  horses  and 
a  light  wagon,  to  Lincoln,  Neb.,  returning  through 
Kansas  and  Missouri,  and  arrived  here  about  two 
months  from  the  day  he  started  out.  He  married 
Sept.  12,  187 1,  Susan  E.  Bishop,  of  Schuylkill 
County,  Pa.,  who  was  born  Feb.  23,  1850,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Richard  and  Elizabeth  (Brewer)  Bishop, 
natives  of  England.     Immediately    after  their    mar- 


riage the  couple  settled  down  on  the  homestead,  the 
management  of  which  has  been  entirely  in  J.  A.  En- 
nis' hands  ever  since.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republi- 
can, is  a  faithful  worker,  energetic  and  industrious, 
and  bears  a  good  reputation  both  in  private  and  pub- 
lic circles.  He  is  the  father  of  seven  children — 
John  A.,  Susan  E.,  Eva  M.,  Cora  E.,  Oriel  R.  and 
J.  Earl. 

^^^Sk  homas  Murdoch  is  a  farmer,  residing  on 
section  26,  of  Cedar  Township,  and  was 
born  in  Merrittstown,  Pa.,  March  24,  1812. 
He  is  the  son  of  Walter  and  Sarah  (Bivens) 
Murdoch.  His  father,  Walter,  was  of  English 
descent,  and,  emigrating  to  this  country  in 
1780,  resolved  on  settling  here.  He  died  in  1825, 
having  arrived  here  in  his  thirteenth  year,  alone  and 
unbefriended.  He  first  landed  in  New  York  City, 
and  then  proceeded  to  Pennsylvania.  While  yet  a 
little  boy  he  worked  his  way  onward  and  upward,, 
educating  himself,  until  finally,  graduating  with  the 
first  honors,  he  was  enabled  to  become  a  school  teach- 
er, a  profession  which  he  followed  during  his  naturaL 
life.  His  decease  took  place  within  six  miles  of  Gal- 
lipolis,  Ohio,  where  he  moved  in  18 15  and  settled  in 
Gallia  County.  Miss  Sarah  Bivens,  who  became  his 
wife,  was  born  in  1775,  and  died  about  1820,  her 
death  taking  place  in  Ohio.  By  the  union  there  were 
eight  children — John,  WilUam,  Patrick,  Eliza,  Maria, 
Covington,  Emma  and  Sally.  Two  died  in  infancy. 
The  gentleman  whose  name  occurs  above  married 
Miss  Mary  Cave,  on  Aug.  24,  1834.  This  lady  was 
born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  May  17,  1810,  being  de 
scended  of  an  old  French  family.  Her  parents  (Mr 
and  Mrs.  Cave)  had  seven  children — Nancy,  Eliz 
abeth,  Thomas,  William,  Joseph,  Benjamin  and  Dor- 
cas. Mr.  Murdoch  himself  has  had  five  children, 
three  dead  and  two  living.  Those  deceased  are 
Joseph,  Thomas  and  Nancy.  Those  living  are 
Purley  and  Sallie  A.  Purley  married  Miss  Louisa 
Dechant,  Dec.  18,  1867  ;  they  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  Charlie  A.,  born  Nov.  5,  1869.  Sallie  A.  mar- 
ried Miles  Morris,  and  is  now  living  in  Iowa.  There 
was  one  child  born  to  this  union,  named  Charles 
Henry  Morris.  Mr.  Morris  bought  400  acres  of  un- 
improved land,  which  he  has  improved. 

Our  subject  came  to  Illinois,  Oct.  28,  1842.    He  is 
the  owner  of  200  acres  of  prime  land,  on  which   is 


lA^ll 


\ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

t.;iVERSiTY  OF  ILUK?'3 


KSOX  COUNTY. 


481 


erected  a  very  fine  dwelling-house.  In  politics  this 
genlleman  is  Deniocratic,  while  by  religious  persua- 
sion he  and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Christian  Church. 
The  home  of  the  family  is  always  open  to  friends,  of 
whom  Mr.  Murdoch  can  boast  a  great  numl)er. 


rames  McKeighan.  The  subject  of  this 
''-  sketch,  whose  portrait  appears  on  the  oppo- 
site page,  was  bom  in  Artifarrel,  County 
Antrim,  Ireland.  June  9, 1803,  and  was  the  sec- 
ond son  in  a  family  of  11  children,  consisting  of 
nine  boys  and  three  girls.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Lillie  (Gault)  McKeighan,  and  the  names 
of  their  children  are  as  follows :  John;  Mary  and 
Esther,  twins ;  James,  Alexander;  William,  a  son 
whodied  in  infancy;  Samuel,  Robert,  Daniel,  Nancy 
and  Matthew.  John,  the  oldest  son,  left  home  when 
a  young  man,  with  the  intention  of  removing  to  Aus- 
tralia, but  is  lost  sight  of,  never  having  been  heard 
from  since.  Mary  united  in  marriage  with  a  Mr. 
Patterson,  and  died  a  few  years  ago  in  Philadelphia. 
>i  Esther  married  Robert  Moore  ;  is  now  a  widow  living 
with  her  son,  Stuart  Moore,  near  Toulon,  111.  Alex- 
ander died  at  his  home  near  Farmington,  in  June, 
1878,  of  paralysis.  William,  who  was  never  married, 
died  at  the  old  home  in  Ireland  about  two  years  ago, 
and  Samuel  at  his  home  in  Farmington,  in  1S60. 
Robert  is  a  wealthy  fanner,  who  has  retired  from 
active  life  and  resides  in  Toulon,  111.  Daniel  died 
over  30  years  since  of  heart  disease,  dropping  dead 
in  the  streets  of  Philadelphia.  Nancy  married  Will- 
iam Farley,  and  is  now  a  widow,  living  on  her  farm 
north  of  Toulon.  Matthew,  the  youngest,  is  living  in 
the  State  of  Missouri. 

Our  subject  at  an  early  age  became  a  linen  weaver 
and  worked  at  that  trade  until  1835,  when  he  left 
his  native  land,  bidding  adieu  to  parents,  home  and 
kindred,  and  arrived  in  the  spring  of  the  year  at 
Philadelphia.  He  brought  with  him  no  fortune  but 
his  inborn  integrity,  sound  judgment,  perseverance 
and  willing  hands.  He  was  32  years  of  age  at  that 
time,  with  meritorious  traits  of  character  firmly 
grounded,  and  he  entered  at  once  in  the  new  coun- 
try upon  the  task  of  winning  a  home.  Remaining  in 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  until  the  fall  of  1838, 
he  came  West  and  settled  at  Farmington,  Fulton 
County,  this  State,  working  for  the  home  he  coveted. 


and  in  a  few  years  was  in  possession  of  a  farm.  He 
then,  in  the  fall  of  1847,  returned  to  Ireland,  where 
he  married  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  and 
Rachel  (Cunningham)  Cunningham,  in  1848,  who 
survives  him,  and  who  mourns  the  loss  of  a  faithful 
companion  and  an  affectionate  and  true-hearted 
husband. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  McKeighan  returned 
to  America,  accompanied  by  his  bride,  and  located 
in  Fulton  County  and  remained  there  until  1855. 
His  property  consisted  of  80  acres  of  land  in  Farm- 
ington Township,  on  which  was  erected  a  log  house. 
.At  the  time  he  located  in  Knox  County,  this  had 
been  replaced  by  a  neat  frame  house  and  many  im- 
provements— so  many,  that  his  farm  sold  for  S30  per 
acre.  He  next  purchased  160  acres  of  raw  prairie 
land  on  section  22  of  Salem  Township,  and  from  it 
has  developed  under  the  skillful  hand  of  the  hus- 
bandman a  splendid  farm,  known  as  Willow  Row. 
He  was  a  resident  of  this  place  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  was  well  known  as  a  pioneer  and  early 
worker  in  both  Fulton  and  Knox  Counties.  Asso- 
ciated with  Henry  Andrews  and  Michael  McMahon, 
both  residents  of  Fulton  County,  he  assisted  in  grad- 
ing the  first  railroad  ever  attempted  to  be  built  in  the 
State.  He  endured  all  the  hardships  incident  to  that 
day.  His  first  fence  was  built  of  sod,  and  was  still 
doing  duty  as  late  as  the  spring  of  1849.  James 
McKeighan  ranked  high  among  the  most  successful 
and  practical  farmers  of  Illinois,  and  had  grown 
wealthy  and  influential  by  actual  labor,  and  in  his 
later  days  he  deeded  large  tracts  of  fine  farming  land 
I  to  his  children.  His  family  consisted  of  two  boys  and 
i  four  girls,  of  whom  two  died  in  childhood,  and  were 
buried  within  a  week  of  one  another.  The  others 
are  R.  J.  McKeighan;  Rachel,  oldest  daughter,  still 
at  home;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  R.  R.  Steck; 
and  Emma,  the  youngest  daughter,  also  residing 
under  the  parental  roof. 

In  addition  to  his  farming  pursuits,  our  subject 
'    was  a  successful  raiser  of  fine  stock,  in  which  he 
'    took  a  deep  interest.     In  politics  he  was  originally 
a  Whig,  but  on  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party 
entered  its  ranks,  upholding  and  adhering  to  its  prin- 
ciples to  the  date  of  his  death.     He  was  a  man  of 
deep  and  earnest  patriotism,  and  his  affection  for  the 
country  of  his  adoption  was  equaled  only  by  his  in- 
terest in  and  devotion  to  his  religion.      During  the 
I   Civil  War  he  never  lost  faith  in  the  final  triumph  of 

■*' •    ■ 


V 


482 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4 


right  and  justice,  and  he  had  no  sympathy  with  those 
who  plotted  for  the  downfall  of  the  country.  He  was 
a  consistent  and  zealous  member  of  the  Old  School 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  sprang  from  the  old  Scotch- 
Irish  stock  known  as  Covenanters.  With  but  three 
fellow-workers — John  and  Matthew  Simpson,  and 
Mrs.  Oliver  Smith — he  assisted  in  organizing  the  first 
Presbyterian"  Church  of  Farmington,  in  which  he 
was  an  active  member,  giving  $1,200  toward  the 
building  qf  the  new  house  of  worship.  Later  he 
presented  the  church  society  of  Yates  City  with  a 
house  and  lot  for  a  parsonage,  he  having  changed  his 
membership  from  the  former  to  the  latter  place.  He 
was  ever  charitable  and  helpful  to  those  in  need, 
contributing  liberally  toward  the  support  of  all  moral 
and  religious  undertakings,  and  his  sound  judgment 
and  executive  ability  rendered  him  a  valuable  addi- 
tion to  the  building  committe-i  of  the  Farmington 
church.  Both  himself  and  wife  were  noted  for  their 
hospitality  and  kindness,  and  no  one  who  knew  him 
ever  doubted  but  that  his  honesty  of  character  and 
hearty  religious  principles  entered  into  every  relation 
of  Hfe.  Toward  his  own  countrymen  he  was  es- 
pecially kind,  and  many  have  cause  to  remember  his 
welcome  on  coming  to  America  as  strangers  in  a 
strange  land.  He  died  Nov.  15,  1S85,  and  his 
burial  services  took  place  from  his  late  residence  on 
the  17th.  The  services  were  conducted  by  Rev. 
Henning,  who  rendered  to  him  a  generous  meed  of 
praise,  well  knowing  that  his  virtues  have  builded 
him  a  monument  in  the  liearts  of  the  people,  out- 
lasting and  enduring  beyond  all  earthly  structures. 
His  call  home  came  one  quiet  Sabbath 'evening,  and 
he  entered  the  land  of  the  Redeemed,  just  as  the  day 
was  closing.  "  Blessed  are  they  that  die  in  the 
Lord." 

"  Life's  duties  done,  as  .^inks  the  day, 

Light  from  its  load  the  spirit  flie"s; 
While  heaven  and  earth  combine  to  say 

•  How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies." "' 


losiah   J.   Cochran,  dealer   in   staple  and 

fancy  groceries,    glass  and  crockery  ware, 

provisions,   wood    and    coal,    established 

_       business  in  Abingdon  in   1872.     Mr.  Cochran 

jC     was  born  m  Highland  County,  Ohio,  Sept.  6  ^ 

\       1836,  and  is  the  son   of  Andrew  and  Nancy 

(Cannon)  Cochran,  natives  of  the  same  State.     Our 


subject  came  to  Abingdon,  Knox  Co.,  with  his  par- 
ents, in  October,  1837,  and  has  continued  to  reside  in 
this  place  since  that  time.  He  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and  enlisted  Aug.  11,  1862,  in  Co. 
I,  83d  Vol.  Inf ;  was  promoted  to  Sergeant  and  mus- 
tered out  of  service  July  7,  1865.  His  regiment  was 
in  Gen.  Thompson's  corps,  was  mounted  part  of  the 
time  and  doing  much  skirmish  duty  with  guerrillas, 
participating  in  the  second  battle  of  Fort  Donelson. 
After  his  return  to  Knox  County,  our  subject  fol- 
lowed the  carpenter's  trade  for  two  years,  then  was 
employed  as  clerk  for  F.  P.  Foltz  for  eight  years, 
subsequently  embarking  in  his  present  business.  He 
selected  for  his  life  companion  Miss  M.  J.  Shoop,  of 
Abingdon,  and  the  result  of  this  union  was  the 
birth  of  eight  children,  four  sons  and  four  daughters, 
of  whom  the  record  is  as  follows  :  Lucia  M.,  born 
Aug.  13,  1S61,  became  the  wife  of  Chas.  F.  Coy  and 
they  reside  in  California;  Fannie  M.,  born  April  4, 
1866;  Arthur  F.,  Nov.  20,  1867  ;  Carrie  B.,  Dec.  20, 
1869;  George  A.,  Sept.  22,  1872;  Fred.  W.,  May  4, 
1874;  Josiah  H.,  Aug.  15,  1876;  and  Mary  J.,  Feb. 
6,  1880.  Mrs.  Cochran  died  April  24,  1881.  She 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  of  which  denomination  Mr.  C.  is  also  a  mem- 
ber. Politically  he  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  is  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  Post  No.  58. 


'^^^^-  ^'  -^dams.  Among  the  well-to-do  and 
^g^JI^  successful  farmers  of  Sparta  Township  who 
Jjlfe^  have  succeeded  in  their  chosen  vocation 
5(!}a  without  being  the  recipient  of  any  legacy,  but 
W  by  their  own  energy  and  perseverance,  is  the 
1  subject  of  this  notice.  He  is  pleasantly  sit- 
uated on  his  fine  farm  on  section  4,  in  the  township 
named,  and  there  continues  to  follow  the  vocation  of 
his  life,  meeting  with  success  in  that  calling.  Mr. 
Adams  has  spent  all  the  years  of  his  life  in  this 
county,  having  been  born  here  on  the  7th  of  March, 
1842.  His  father  was  James  and  his  mother  Sarah 
(Miller)  Adams,  natives  of  South  Carolina.  They 
came  to  this  county  in  1841  and  made  settlement 
in  Rio  Township,  on  80  acres  of  uncultivated  land, 
which  he  diligently  cultivated  and  improved  until 
his  death,  in  1879,  his  good  wife  having  preceded 
him  to  the  land  beyond  in  1847.  Their  family  of 
children,  who  lived  to  attain   the  age  of  man  and 


•JKT. 


^ 


^e4^ 


KNOX  county: 


!?Jh- 


483 


womanhood,  were  eight  in  number,  namely :  Wil- 
son (see  sketch) ;  William  D.  P.,  now  in  Oregon ; 
he  married  Liicina  Loveridge  and  went  to  that  Ter- 
ritor)-  in  the  spring  of  1865,  making  the  trip  over- 
land. John  T.  (see  sketch);  A.  F.  (our  subject). 
Phelps  R.,  now  residing  in  Santa  Cruz,  Cal.;  he  is  a 
preacher  in  the  Congregational  Church,  and  married 
Agnes  Hommon,  of  Knox  County;  they  have  four 
children.  Caroline  married  Thomas  Woodman,  and 
is  deceased.  Lucinda,  deceased,  married  Joshua 
Whiteleather.  Sarah  became  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Nash 
and  resides  in  Mercer  County  ;  they  are  the  parents 
of  three  children. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  one  of  the  first  set- 
tlers on  the  unbroken  prairie  land,  at  that  time  be- 
lieved to  be  unproductive.  The  family  lived  in  the 
primitive  log  cabin  of  that  day,  and  the  appearance 
of  their  domicile  remained  practically  unchanged  for 
20  years.  The  father  was  a  man  of  energy  and 
push,  and  strictly  temperate.  He  e.\perienced  all 
the  trials  and  privations  incident  to  the  early  settle- 
ment of  a  new  country,  and  lived  to  see  Knox  Gjunty 
develop  from  its  primitive  condition  to  one  of  the 
best  and  most  productive  counties  in  the  Prairie 
Sute. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  lived  at  home,  assisting 
on  the  farm  and  thereby  aiding  in  the  maintenance 
of  the  family,  until  20  years  of  his  life  had  passed. 
In  the  common  schools  he  received  his  education, 
and  after  lea\nng  home  he  moved  to  Sparta  Town- 
ship, and  rented  a  farm  and  was  occupied  in  its 
cultivation  until  the  news  flashed  across  the  conti- 
nent that  rebel  shot  and  shell  had  been  thundered 
against  the  walls  of  Sumter,  when  he  enlisted  in 
defense  of  the  rights  for  which  his  forefathers  had 
fought.  He  joined  Co.  B,  138th  111.  Vol.  Inf,  and 
was  in  the  service  of  his  country  for  five  months. 
ReceiNnng  an  honorable  discharge,  he  returned 
home,  doffed  his  uniform,  laid  aside  his  accouter- 
ments  of  war,  and  entered  upon  the  peaceful  pur- 
suits of  life.  He  purchased  50  acres  of  land,  and 
lived  on  the  same,  together  with  a  younger  brother, 
until  1880.  He  then  sold  it  and  purchased  the  farm 
on  which  he  is  at  present  residing  and  which  con- 
sists of  98  acres.  This  farm  was  originally  entered 
by  his  uncle,  Reuben  Robbins,  who  lived  on  it  until 
1863,  when  he  sold  it,  and  our  subject  purchased  it 
as  before  stated. 

Mr.  Adams  was  united  in  marriage  in  1867,  with 


Miss  Elizabeth  Woolworth,  a  daughter  of  Newell 
Woolwonh,  of  York  State.  She  was  the  third  in 
order  of  birih  of  a  family  of  four,  vix,:  Reuben  W., 
J.  G.  B.,  Elizabeth  M.  and  Marj'  L.  They  all  arrived 
at  the  age  of  man  and  womanhood.  The  father 
passed  away  in  1870;  the  mother  is  still  living  in 
York  State. 

Mr.  .Adams  is  a  Republican  in  political  sentiment, 
and  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Second  Ad- 
vent Church,  and,  as  a  representative  of  the  agri- 
cultural class,  he  is  the  peer  of  its  best  and  worthiest. 
Two  children,  boys,  complete  their  family — Birney 
W.  and  Fred  C.  Adams. 


;>ary  J.  Boydston.     The  subject  of  the  bi- 
ographical sketch  given  below  is   known 


■^^  . 


in  Knox  County  as  a  lady  of  genial  and 
pleasant  disposition  and  as  an  active  and  in-      1 
dustrious  woman.     Her  home  is  situated  on  \ 
section  20,  of  Indian  Point  Township,  where  she 
is  nobly  battling  with  life's  realities  alone,  the  com-  I 
panion  of  her  life  being  taken.     She  has  nobly  shown  "< 
her -capability  to  cope  with  the  world  single-handed. 

The  deceased  husband,  John  J.  Boydston,  was  j 
born  in  Woodford  County.  III.,  Jan.  4, 1831,  and  died  J  1 
Sept.  2,  1882.  His  parents  were  from  Kentucky,  but  * 
were  of  Scotch  ancestry  and  blood.  When  John  was  I 
five  or  six  years  of  age,  his  parents  removed  to  Knox 
County,  and  settled  in  Indian  Point  Township.  At 
the  age  of  17,  he  experienced  a  change  of  heart  and 
joined  the  Christian  Church,  enrolling  his  name  upon 
the  church  books,  and  enlisting  under  the  banner  of 
Christ  Jesus.  He  was  warm-hearted  and  impulsive, 
deeply  interested  in  the  work,  and  he  took  an  active 
part  in  the  Sunday-school  and  also  in  the  church.  As 
he  grew  up,  he  filled  various  offices  and  was  Deacon 
in  that  body  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  note- 
worthy as  an  enterprising  man.  and  an  energetic, 
hard-working  citizen,  and  was  beloved  by  all  for  his 
sympathetic  gentleness  and  kindly  courtesy.  He  was 
widely  mourned  at  tfie  time  of  his  death,  which  took 
place  in  the  State  of  Texas,  where  he  had  gone  to 
visit  a  sick  brother.  His  remains  were,  however, 
brought  to  his  home  in  Knox  County,  by  his  faithful 
wife,  and  buried  from  that  place,  attended  by  a  large 
concourse  of  people. 

On  Dec.  19,  1850,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 


r 


484 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Miss  Mary  J.  Dawdy,  daughter  of  John  and  Sarah 
(Boydston)  Dawdy.  Her  father  was  born  in  1802, 
and  died  at  the  age  of  76.  Mr.  Boydston  had  filled 
the  office  of  Supervisor  of  Indian  Point  Township, 
with  honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  the  people.  The 
union  has  been  blessed  by  a  son  and  daughter,  the 
son  being  Thomas  Boydston. 

Thomas  M.  was  born  Oct.  6,  1853,  united  in  hand 
and  heart  with  Miss  Kate  P.  Morrison,  Sept.  i, 
1880.  She  was  born  Oct.  29,  i860.  Thena  Belle 
was  born  October  6,  1858,  and  died  March  12, 
1863.  She  was  a  bright  and  interesting  child  of  five 
years,  and  her  loss  was  a  severe  blow  to  her  parents. 

Mrs.  Boydston,  of  this  writing,  was  born  Nov.  22, 
1831,  in  Woodford  County,  111.  She  united  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  has  shown  forth  the  beauties 
of  consistent  Christianity  throughout  her  entire  life 
since  that  time.  Her  name  was  enrolled  on  the 
church  books  at  Abingdon  in  1848.  She  had  one 
sister,  now  Mrs.  A.  T.  Robinson,  living  in  the  same 

(township,  and  ten  half-brothers  and  sisters.  Her 
father  and  mother  were  members  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  active  workers  in  all  public  enter- 
I  prises.  He  was  something  of  a  politician  and  was 
I  Democratic  in  politics. 

I  Mr.  Thomas  M.,  the  son,  has  one  daughter, 
*  a  sweet  little  girl  of  two  years,  by  name  Nana 
Pearl,  who  was  born  Dec.  11,  1884.  Thomas 
Boydston  has  in  possession  160  acres  of  finely  culti- 
vated land,  and  all  common  grades  of  cattle.  He 
does  a  general  fanning  business  and  is  quite  success- 
ful. Mrs.  Boydston  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church.  Mr.  Boydston  is  moderately  interested  in 
public  affairs,  and  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 


4 


[Wl^aciel  B.  Sargent,  a  prominent  farmer  liv- 
5Sw  ing  on  section  15,  Salem  Township,  is  one 
of  Knox  County's  most  energetic  and  in- 
dustrious citizens,  well  known  and  highly  re- 
spected for  his  native  ability  and  moral  worth. 
He  was  born  in  Farmington,  Fulton  County,  III, 
Aug.  12,  1832.  His  father,  Theodore  Sargent,  was  a 
native  of  the  State  of  Maine,  born  Dec.  24,  1795. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  by  name  Charles 
Sargent,  spent  his  latter  days  in  the  same  State. 
Theodore  Sargent  remained   under   the   parental 


roof  until  1813,  and  at  that  time  enlisted,  in  the 
month  of  April,  as  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  Capt. 
Prescott  commanding.  He  served  along  the  line  from 
Montreal  to  Detroit,  remaining  in  the  army  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  then  discharged  at  the 
last-named  city,  receiving  for  his  services  160  acres  of 
land  in  Fulton  County,  valued  at  that  time  at  $1.25 
per  acre.  In  18 19,  accompanied  by  two  others,  he 
started  for  Illinois,  proceeding  from  Detroit  to  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.,  thence  in  a  skiff  down  the  Wabash 
River  to  Vincennes,  and  from  there  across  the  State 
of  Illinois.  Reaching  St.  Louis,  he  proceeded  to  Ft. 
Clark,  now  Peoria,  and  remained  there  until  1822. 
He  had  in  the  meantime  visited  Fulton  County,  and, 
finding  that  section  of  country  to  be  one  of  the  finest 
agricultural  regions  in  the  State,  concluded  to  locate 
there.  Accordingly  he  went  to  the  land-office  at 
Vandalia  and  obtained  a  list  of  all  the  Government 
land  in  Fulton  County,  but  by  some  mistake  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  27,  in  township  7  north, 
range  4  east,  now  included  in  the  town  of  Canton, 
was  given  in  this  list  as  unentered  land.  He  decided 
to  preempt  it,  and  erected  a  log  cabin  north  of  the 
present  site  of  the  High  School  building,  breaking  his 
land  and  thus  becoming  the  first  settler  in  Canton. 
He  was  a  single  man  at  this  time,  and  tiring  of  lack 
of  companionship  and  inspiration,  no  less  than  of  the 
inconvenience  of  boarding  himself,  he  employed  a 
blacksmith  named  Hughland  to  occupy  his  cabin, 
continue  his  vocation  as  a  blacksmith  and  give  him 
a  home  in  his  family.  Mr.  Hughland  was  a  manu- 
facturer of  cowbells  and  did  the  first  work  of  that 
kind  in  the  county. 

In  the  year  1824,  Isaac  Swan  appeared  upon  the 
scene,  showing  to  Sargent  a  militar)-  title  to  the  land 
that  he  had  settled  upon.  Our  subject  made  no  re- 
sistance of  any  kind,  but  immediately  vacated,  leav- 
ing Swan  in  possession.  Swan  was  accompanied  by 
his  brother-in-law,  Nathan  Jones,  who  owned  a  quar- 
ter of  section  34,  and  by  mutual  agreement,  Jones' 
land  being  covered  with  timber  and  Swan's  entirely 
deficient  in  that  respect,  they  divided  equally,  Swan 
taking  the  north  half  of  the  Jones  quarter-section  and 
Jones  in  turn  taking  the  south  half  of  Swan's.  The 
latter  foresaw  a  fine  location  for  a  town,  and  proposed 
founding  one  on  the  west  40  acres  of  their  prairie 
tract.  To  this,  however,  Jones  would  not  assent,  but 
a  Mr.  Kinney,  living  on  section  27,  joined  him  in  the 
enterprise  and   108  lots  were  platted.     Kinney  re 


I* 


RESlDENCEOrD.B.SARGENT.SEC.  15.   SalIM  TOWNSHIP. 


LIQRARY 

OF  THE 

UnjVERSiTY  OF  ILUH"  . 


--§- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


487 


niained  but  a  short  time  half  owner  of  Canton,  as 
John  Q)leman,  Sr.,  confronted  him  with  a  title  to  his 
land,  and,  ousting  him,  took  possession  of  his  quarter. 
No  little  controversy  arose  regarding  the  first  street, 
named  Adelphi. 

The  first  couple  married  in  Canton  was  Theodore 
Sargent,  the  father  of  our  subject,  and  Miss  Rachel 
Brown,  a  native  of  Virginia  ;  the  date  of  their  nup- 
tials was  Nov.  24,  1824.  The  marriage  occurred  in 
the  cabin  of  Daniel  Brown,  father  of  the  bride,  and, 
as  was  common  in  those  early  days  of  hospitality  and 
neighborly  feeling,  everyone  in  the  vicinity  assembled 
to  witness  the  ceremony.  Although  small,  the  house 
was  not  nearly  filled,  and  thus  the  population  of  that 
section  was  shown  to  be  far  from  large.  The  bridal 
dress  was  of  linen  homespun,  and  a  three  cornered 
handkerchief  was  arranged  about  the  bride's  neck, 
while  her  feet  were  incased  in  moccasins;  the  groom 
also  wore  moccasins,  and  was  attired  in  linsey, 
colored  with  butternut  bark.  Many  of  the  guests 
were  similarly  attired ;  they  sat  upon  puncheon 
benches,  and  gave  undivided  attention  to  the  cere- 
mony which  joined  the  pair  for  life,  the  same  being 
performed  by  Capt.  Barnes,  County  Commissioner. 
When  it  was  completed,  the  bride's  father,  producing 
a  noggin  of  whisky  and  a  new  tin  cup,  proceeded  to 
pledge  the  bride  with  the  assembled  company.  It 
was  considered  a  select  ai>d  aristocratic  affair.  The 
guests  were  merry,  not  to  say  hilarious,  and  songs 
and  anecdotes  were  the  order  of  the  day. 

On  leaving  his  land  Mr.  Sargent  went  to  Farm- 
ington,  in  which  section  of  the  country  he  was  a  pio- 
neer. During  the  Winnebago  troubles  he  was  an 
officer  under  Gen.  Dodge,  having  been  appointed  by 
Gov.  Reynolds,  and  during  the  Black  Hawk  war  he 
was  lieutenant  of  a  militia  company.  After  Still- 
man's  defeat,  an  order  came  for  seven  men  from  the 
Canton  company.  He  at  once  musiered  the  com- 
pany in  front  of  Childs  &  Stillman's  store  and  read 
the  requisition,  calling  upon  those  who  would  volunteer 
to  fall  into  the  ranksj  but  not  a  man  obeyed.  He  was 
equal,  however,  to  the  emergency,  and,  going  into  a 
store,  bought  two  gallons  of  whisky,  which  seemed  at 
that  time  to  be  the  only  medium  of  persuasion,  and 
passed  it  down  the  ranks,  treating  every  man. 
"  Boys,"  he  reasoned,  "  we  are  compelled  to  have  the 
services  of  seven  men ;  one  of  two  evils  must  be 
chosen,  either  fall  in  or  I  shall  be  obliged  to  draft 
you.     You  who  will  go,  declare  yourselves."     Either 


the  liquor,  the  threat,  or  both,  had  the  desired  effect, 
as  nine  men  immediately  announced  their  willing- 
ness, and  the  reijuired  number  was  obtained.  When 
peace  was  declared  Mr.  Sargent  settled  down  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  his  field  of  labor  lying  in  the 
vicinity  of  Farmington,  where  he  continued  until  his 
death,  which  took  place  July  15,  187  i. 

The  wife  of  Theodore  Sargent  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, Nov.  15,  1803,  and  died  July  17,  1881.  Of 
their  union  there  were  born  eight  children,  five  now 
living,  who  bear  names  as  follows:  Lydia  A.,  wife  of 
George  W.  Fawcett,  of  Ray  County,  Mo.;  Daniel  B.; 
Job  B  ,  now  living  in  Maquon  Township;  Sarah  K., 
married  to  Thomas  McCann,  of  Richmond,  Mo.;  and 
Joel  B.,  resident  of  Wataga,  Kno.x  County. 

Daniel  B.  Sargent  was  the  fourth  child  in  order  of 
birth  in  his  father's  family  and  was  reared  on  the 
farm,  receiving  his  education  in  the  pioneer  school 
and  making  his  home  under  the  parental  roof  up  to 
the  date  of  his  marriage,  Oct.  8,  1854,  at  which  time 
he  was  united  with  Mary  J.  Brassfield,  born  March  ' 
13,  1837,  in  Parke  County,  Ind.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Rutli  (Freeman)  Brassfield,  both 
natives  of  North  Carolina.  They  located  in  Peoria  ■ 
County,  near  the  town  of  Dunlap,  where  they  lived 
for  two  years,  then  removed  to  Fulton  County  and 
remained  there  until  1852.  At  that  date  they  went  • 
to  Knox  County  and  settled  in  .Salem  Township. 
Her  father  departed  this  life  in  1837,  but  her  mother 
survives  him,  and  at  the  present  time  lives  in  Dun- 
lap,  Peoria  County.  One  child  only  was  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Sargent — Devillo  Sargent;  he  married 
Nettie  Gould,  and  they  have  two  children — Ethel 
and  Mary  Elzina. 

Mr.  Sargent  lived  on  his  father's  homestead  in 
Farmington  for  one  year,  then  purchased  land  on 
section  15  of  Salem  Township,  in  April,  1856.  The 
land  was  wild,  unimproved  prairie,  and  presented 
not  only  a  large  field  of  labor,  but  a  cheerless  appear- 
ance. The  pioneer  spirit  was  strong,  however,  in  the 
bosoms  of  the  early  settlers,  and,  undismayed,  he 
proceeded  to  build  a  small  frame  house  on  the  place, 
and  began  the  cultivation  of  his  land,  upon  which  he 
raised  small  crops  that  year.  They  have  occupied 
this  home  since  that  time,  rebuilding  and  adding  to 
the  house,  erecting  a  large  barn  and  other  farm  build- 
ings, and  beautifying  the  immediate  grounds  about  the 
dwelling  with  ornamental  shrubs  and  sliade  trees. 
By  subsequent  purchases  Mr.  Sargent  has  become 


-H- 


a 


^=-H^ 


488 


XJVOX  COUN7  Y. 


the  owner  of  about  480  acres,  40  of  which  lie  in 
Salem  Township.  In  politics  Mr.  Sargent  has  been 
a  Republican.  The  view  of  Mr.  Sargent's  fine  resi- 
dence which  we  give  on  another  page  greatly  assists 
in  embellishing  this  published  history  of  Knox 
County. 


athew  Buffum  is  one  of  the  practical  and 
progressive  farmers  of  Knox  County,  resi- 
f  iivittp?-''^  dent  in  Salem  Township,  where  his  home- 
y  R  \  stead  is  located,  on  section  20.  He  is  of 
English  lineage,  his  early  ancestors  being  one 
of  two  brothers,  Quakers,  who,  to  enjoy  their 
own  religion,  emigrated  to  America  from  England, 
and  thus  escaped  the  persecution  imposed  on  ac- 
count of  their  religious  belief.  They  located  in  Con- 
necticut, and  all  the  members  of  the  family  remained 
in  the  Society  of  Friends  until  the  generation  of  our 
subject's  grandfather.  His  name  was  Stephen  Buf- 
><  fum,  and  he  married  outside  the  Quaker  communion. 
He  was  not  especially  identified  with  that  particular 
religious  organization,  but  always  wore  the  garb  of 
the  Friends.  In  1826  he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  lo- 
cating in  Fairview  Township,  Fulton  County,  where 
he  was  identified  with  the  pioneers  of  that  section. 
He  next  removed  to  Lewistown,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio, 
Nov.  20,  1 83 1.  His  father,  Stephen  S.  Buffum,  Jr., 
was  a  native  of  Vermont,  where  he  was  born  in 
Addison  County,  in  1802.  When  but  12  years  of 
age  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  in  Ashta- 
bula County,  in  which  place  he  grew  to  manhood. 
He  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Esther 
Mann,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  born  Feb.  26,  1811. 
She  was  a  descendent  of  Capt.  Richard  Mann,  of 
England,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Scituate, 
Mass.  At  the  time  of  marriage  Mr.  Buffum  settled 
on  land  which  he  had  purchased  in  Ashtabula 
County,  Ohio.  There  was  a  saw-mill  on  the  farm, 
and  he  engaged  in  the  cultivation  of  the  ground,  fol- 
lowing his  agricultural  pursuits  until  1836,  when  he 
emigrated  to  Illinois.  He  traveled  on  horseback  to 
Knox  County  after  he  entered  this  State,  and  took 
up  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  20,  in  1857,  in 


what  is  now  Salem  Township.  Upon  this  there  was 
a  log  house  and  small  frame  barn.  All  the  improve- 
ments that  are  now  here  Mr.  B.  has  made  since  re- 
siding here.  He  is  engaged  in  mixed  farming  and 
stock-raising.  Mr.  Buffum  is  among  the  pioneers  of 
the  county.  A  half  century  has  fled  by  since  first  he 
made  his  home  here ;  then  the  country  was  one  vast, 
unbroken  plain,  stretching  far  away  to  Chicago  on 
the  north,  to  which  place  the  old  settlers,  including 
Mr.  B.'s  father,  hauled  their  grain.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Buffum's  arrival,  his  father-in-law  followed  him  with 
his  family  in  charge,  they  making  the  journey  over- 
land. The  family  moved  into  the  log  house  which 
was  there,  and  he  commenced  farming  operations. 
He  worked  with  oxen,  and  in  a  few  years  had  the 
entire  quarter  under  cultivation.  In  185 1,  he  re- 
moved to  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  20,  where 
he  erected  a  brick  house  and  a  frame  barn.  There 
he  lived  until  1858,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  en- 
gaged in  buying  grain  at  Yates  City,  and  later  entered 
the  mercantile  business.  At  this  he  engaged  for  sev-  " 
eral  years,  his  death  occurring  Feb.  6,  187 1.  His 
wife  departed  this  life  in  the  year  T847,  leaving  a 
family  of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to  man 
and  womanhood.  His  second  wife,  to  whom  he  was 
united  in  marriage  April  ir,  1850,  was  Diantha  L. 
At  wood,  who  was  born  at  Starksboro,  Vt.,  and  to 
them  has  been  born  one  child — Eva  D.  Mrs.  Buf- 
fum and  her  daughter  reside  in  Yates  City. 

Our  subject  was  the  second  child  in  order  of  birth 
in  his  father's  family,  and  was  five  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  Knox  County  with  his  parents.  There 
he  grew  to  manhood,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
attended  school  in  Maquon  Township,  that  being  his 
first  educational  opportunity.  In  the  early  settle- 
ment of  the  county  there  were  no  schools,  and  the 
one  he  attended  was  two  miles  distant,  but  he  was 
industrious  and  attended  faithfully  to  his  books  and 
thus  received  a  fair  education.  He  has  always  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits,  in  which  he  has  been 
very  successful. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Lydia  M.  Jobes, 
Feb.  25,  1864,  who  was  born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  21,  1844,  and  is  the  daughter  of  James  and 
Jenette  { Candee )  Jobes.  He  settled  on  the  old 
homestead,  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  He 
owns  other  land,  having  in  all  about  233  acres  highly 
cultivated.     The  home  farm  is  supplied  with  good 


i^ 


:jh- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


489 


frame  buildings,  which  he  has  erected  and  fitted  up 
with  all  modern  conveniences. 

Politically,  Mr.  B.  is  a  Greenbacker,  and  is   wide- 
awake to  the  interests  of  the  public. 


^i  ^^^Uiba    H.    Adams.     Everywhere  throughout 


•m^    as 

\  ly  in 

I     where 


the  boundaries  of  Knox  County,  look  which 
-J  TJ-  ^  way  you  will  from  its  center,  one  can  see 
^    "      s  fine  farms  as  are  to  be  found  in  any  coun- 
the  State.     But  a  few   short  years   ago, 
now  we   behold    beautiful    houses    and 
splendid  improvements,  it  was  all  one  broad,  uncul- 
tivated tract  of  prairie  land.     It  is  therefore  to  the 
agricultural  class  mainly  that  the  wonderful  advance- 
ment which  the  county  has  made  during  the  last  50 
years   is   due.      As    a   representative   of  the   class 
spoken  of  and  a  large  land-owner  in  the  county,  as 
.  well  as  a  respected  and  honored  citizen  and  energetic 
■   follower  in  his  chosen   vocation,  we  take  pleasure  in 
I   mentioning  the  name  of  Mr.  Adams,  who  resides  on 
^  section  17,  of  Elba  Township. 

I       Ziba  H.  Adams  is  the  son  of  Hazard   and  Eliza- 

I   beth  (Wort)  Adams,  natives   of  the  New  England 

I  '.  States.     The   parents    settled    in    Ohio,    where    the 

!     father  followed  the  calling  of  farmer  and  where  both 

heads  of  the  family  died.     The  children  were  nine 

in    number,  and   Ziba  was    the    third   in  order   of 

1     birth.     He  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Sept. 

20,  1820. 

Ziba  Adams  was  quite  young  when  his  parents  re- 
moved from  Pennsylvania  to  Ohio.  There  he  lived, 
attending  the  common  schools,  developing  into  man- 
hood and  working  on  the  farm  until  about  1846. 
I  He  then  came  to  this  county  and  made  a  settlement 
in  Persifer  Township,  where  he  was  occupied  in  ag- 
ricultural pursuits  for  about  eight  years.  From  the 
I  latter  township  he  moved  to  Elba  and  settled  on  a 
tract  of  land  on  section  17,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  He  is  the  proprietor  of  746}^  acres  of 
land  in  this  county,  and  on  his  home  farm  has  a  fine 
residence,  barn  and  other  necessary  out-buildings, 
and  surrounded  by  a  happy  family  he  is  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  a  laborious  and  honorable  past. 

Mr.  Adams  was  married  in  Persifer  Township, 
April  8,  1847,  to  Delilah  Gullet,  daughter  of  Joshua 
and  Barbara  (Housh)  GuUett,  natives  of  North  Car- 


olina and  Kentucky  respectively.  Her  parents  came 
to  this  county  in  1844,  and  first  made  settlement  in 
Maquon  Township,  from  whence  they  removed  to 
Persifer  Township,  where  their  lives  on  earth  were 
ended.  They  had  seven  children,  and  Mrs.  Adams 
of  this  notice  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth.  She 
was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Ind.,Dec.  17, 1835,  and 
their  children  have  likewise  been  seven  in  number, 
named  Barbara  E.,  Mary  A.,  Angeline,  Villa  M.,  John 
A.,  Austin  and  Clara  M.  Angeline  died  when  four 
years  of  age ;  Barbara  is  the  wife  of  Enoch  Dalton, 
a  farmer  of  Elba  Township ;  Mary  married  Henry 
j  Perkins,  a  resident  of  Nebraska;  Villa  became  Mrs. 
Jacob  Gray,  and  resides  in  Maquon  Township;  John, 
Austin  and  Clara  live  on  the  old  homestead.  Mr. 
Adams  has  held  the  office  of  Constable  eight  years, 
and  also  other  minor  offices.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stanch  and  active  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of  far 
more  than  ordinary  ability  as  an  agriculturist,  and 
what  he  has  of  this  world's  goods  he  has  acquired 
through  his  own  perseverance  and  not  as  the  recipi- 
ent of  any  legacy. 


^ -v«aja£?®^«'^^^T»®i-a^72r>%« -w^N. 


vj!ntv>s5^. 


■.  Lemuel  C.  Brunson.  deceased,  a  pio- 
neer physician  of  Abingdon,  was  born  Nov. 
'If  ■  16,  1796,  in  Vermont.  He  received  his 
'^~K  education  in  his  native  State,  and  was  there 
^  married,  July  14,  1823,  to  Miss  Cynthia  Esty. 
i  Mr.  Esty  was  also  a  native  of  the  Green  Mount- 
ain State.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they  removed 
to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  where  Dr.  B.  engaged  in  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  Two  children  were  born  of 
this  marriage,  named  Sarah  and  Esty.  The  former 
is  the  wife  of  Andrew  Bradbury,  of  Abingdon  ;  Esty 
Brunson  took  to  wife  Martha  Stevens,  of  Galesburg, 
and  they  are  now  residing  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal.  The 
demise  of  Mrs.  Brunson  occurred  in  Portage  County, 
June  10,  1827.  In  that  county  the  Doctor  was  again 
married,  Feb.  10,  182S,  to  Elizabeth  Ferris.  There 
they  resided  until  1836,  the  date  of  their  advent  into 
Abingdon,  this  county.  Here  Dr.  B.  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  in  the  surrounding  country,  and 
was  a  popular  and  successful  physician. 

'I'hree  children  were  born  of  the  second  marriage 
of  Mr.  Brunson.  all  of  whom  lived  to  attain  the  age 
of  manhood  and  womanhood.  Cynthia,  relict  of 
Elijah  I'aul,  resides  in  Colorado;  Anson  married  in 


■^-^ 


t 


490 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  from  there  went  to  Los  Ange- 
les, Cal.,  where  he  is  Superior  Judge.  Mary  became 
the  wife  of  Richard  Davis,  a  division  freight  agent  of 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  residing  at  Galesburg.  Dr. 
B.  and  wife  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  His  death  occurred  Oct.  18,  1876,  at 
Abingdon.  Mrs.  B.  died  April  25,  1854.  Dr.  Brun- 
son  was  one  of  the  early  practitioners  of  Abingdon, 
and  in  those  pioneer  days,  when  travel  throughout 
the  central  part  of  the  State  was  made  with  difficulty, 
he  was  to  be  found  by  the  side  of  patients  for  many 
miles  around.  His  practice  was  not  only  an  exten- 
sive one,  but  his  success  as  a  physician  warranted 
his  being  called  so  frequently  and  to  such  great  dis- 
tances. 


homas  Woodmansee.  One  of  the  leading 
farmers  and  representative  citizens  of  Knox 
Township  is  herein  named,  and  the  princi- 
pal points  in  his  life  histor)'  are  niade  the  sub- 
stance of  this  biography.  His  handsome  home 
includes  a  substantial  farmhouse,  with  neat 
and  commodious  out-buildings,  and  he  has  planted 
a  large  number  of  ornamental  shade-trees.  His 
home  farm  includes  120  acres  of  the  ver}-  best  land 
in  the  county. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  born  in  Clinton 
County,  Ohio,  March  2,  1832,  and  is  the  oldest  of  the 
children  of  George  and  Eliza  (Holcraft)  Woodmansee 
(see  sketch).  His  boyish  years  were  passed  in  the 
place  of  his  birth,  and  he  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  Quite  early  in  life,  Aug.  18,  1853,  he  took 
to  wife  Miss  Elizabeth  Howard,  a  native  of  Clinton 
County,  Ohio,  born  July  29,  1834.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Elisha  P.  and  Mahala  (Brown)  Howard. 
Elisha  T.  Howard,  Sr.,  was  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Mary  (Smith)  Howard.  They  reared  a  family  of 
nine  children  to  man  and  womanhood.  Joseph 
Howard  died  when  his  son  Elisha  T.  was  eight  years 
old,  and  his  father,  Gordon  Howard,  was  a  native  of 
Ireland.  His  wife's  name  was  Elizabeth,  and  they 
emigrated  to  America  prior  to  the  Revolutionary 
War.  He  was  a  soldier  in  that  memorable  conflict, 
and  first  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  in  Greene  County, 
about  the  year  1810,  removing  with  his  family  to 
Clinton  County,  Ohio,  where  he  became  a  farmer 
and  lived  to  the  extreme  old  age  of  97  years.     His 


wife  died  when  she  was  about  50  years  old.  They 
had  but  one  child — Joseph  Howard,  the  grandfather 
of  Mrs.  Woodmansee.  Two  of  Mrs.  W.'s  uncles, 
the  eldest  and  the  youngest  brothers  of  her  father, 
were  on  board  a  steamer  on  the  Mississippi  River, 
between  St.  Louis  and  Cairo,  when  the  boat  was 
blown  up  and  they  were  both  killed. 

Mr.  Howard  was  elected  Associate  Judge  of  De 
Kalb  County  and  held  the  office  for  several  years. 
While  residing  in  Ohio  he  was  Lieutenant-Colonel  of 
the  militia,  and  was  always  a  leadmg  man  in  public 
affairs,  not  only  in  Ohio,  but  in  Missouri.  At  the 
breaking  out  of  the  late  Rebellion  he  promptly  vol- 
unteered in  aid  of  the  Union  cause,  raised  a  com- 
pany of  cavalry  in  De  Kalb  County,  and  was  elected 
Captain.  The  hard  marches  and  exposure  incident 
to  camp  life  so  told  upon  his  health  that  he  was 
stricken  down  with  disease,  and  while  the  army  was 
stationed  at  Springfield,  Mo.,  he  died,  in  September, 
1862,  in  camp.  He  left  a  widow  and  two  children — 
Mrs.  Woodmansee  and  one  son,  George  Howard, 
now  a  resident  of  St.  Joseph,  Mo.  He  was  also  a 
soldier  in  the  late  war.  The  maiden  name  of  Mrs. 
Howard,  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Woodmansee,  was  Ma-  ^ 
hala  Brown.  She  was  the  daughter  of  James  and 
Polly  Brown.  James  Brown  was  a  native  of  the 
New  England  States  and  when  a  boy  removed  to 
Kentucky  with  his  parents.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  after  his  marriage  moved  to 
Clinton  County,  Ohio,  where  he  and  his  wife  con- 
tinued to  reside  up  to  the  date  of  their  demise.  Mrs. 
Howard  is  now  living  in  Stewartville.  She  subse- 
quently married  William  D.  Totten,  and  with  her 
husband  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Elisha  T.  Howard,  Jr.,  was  a  farmer,  born  in 
Clinton  County,  Ohio,  Aug.  15,  i8r5.  In  1855  he 
sold  his  property  there  and  came  to  Knox  County, 
the  same  year  with  Mr.  Woodmansee.  He  spent 
the  winter  with  his  family  in  Abingdon,  and  moved 
to  his  farm  in  DeKalb  County,  Mo.,  which  is  situated 
on  the  line  of  the  Hannibal  &  St.  Jo  Railroad, 
and  he  engaged  in  agriculture  and  stock-raising. 
Stewartville,  now  quite  a  flourishing  place,  was  laid 
out  on  a  portion  of  his  farm.  He  owned  a  large 
tract  of  land.  In  politics  Mr.  Howard  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat. 

Mrs.  Woodmansee  has  presided  over  her  husband's 
home  with  grace  and  dignity,  and  has  borne  him  four 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living  :     S.   Frances  is 


!Jeir 


\ 


i^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


493 


the  wife  of  John  Scott ;  they  reside  with  her  grand- 
parents and  carry  on  the  farm.  Martha  O.  and 
Nellie  May  are  the  remaining  children.  Martha  O. 
married  William  Kriegh  ;  they  live  in  Orange  Town- 
ship, following  farming  pursuits,  and  have  two  chil- 
dren— Charlie  and  Lelia  May.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Woodmansee  are  useful  and  respected  members  of 
the  neighborhood  in  which  they  live,  and  are  con- 
nected with  the  Methodist  Church  at  Kno.wille,  of 
which  he  has  been  for  many  years  Steward  and 
Trustee.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  lost  one  child,  a  son, 
by  name  Grafton  H.,  wlio  died  at  the  age  of  a  year 
and  a  half. 

Mr.  W.  has  watched  the  advance  of  political  inter- 
ests for  some  time,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Fre  • 
mont.  He  is  a  Republican  and  is  a  live  man,  both 
physically  and  mentally.  He  has  for  some  time 
held  the  office  of  Assistant  Supervisor,  and  has 
figured  prominently  in  educational  matters.  He  has 
held  the  position  of  Township  Trustee  20  years. 

Mr.  Woodmansee  has  been  engaged  in  the  breed- 
ing of  Short- horn  cattle  about  three  years.  A  view 
of  the  family  residence  is  given  on  another  page. 


^amuel  Mather,  from  the  early  history  of  the 
county  until  his  decease,  was  a  respected 
and  honored  citizen  of  Knox  County  and  a 
successful  farmer  of  Orange  Township.  He 
resided  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  24,  where 
he  followed  the  independent  calling  of  an  agri- 
culturist, until  the  date  of  his  demise.  He  was  born 
on  a  day  dear  to  the  hearts  of  every  American  citizen 
on  account  of  its  being  the  anniversary  of  the  birth  of 
the  "Father  of  his  Country,"  Feb.  22,  1828.  He 
was  born  in  Maryland,  and  was  the  son  of  Samuel 
and  Eliza  (Wiley)  Mather.  He  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Illinois  in  1834,  and  settled  in  Orange  Town 
ship,  they  being  among  its  earliest  pioneers. 

Samuel  Mather  was  married  to  Margaret  Allen 
Jan.  4,  1849.  She  was  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Nancy  (Wilkins)  Allen.  Her  father  was  a  native  of 
Indiana  and  her  mother  of  Pennsylvania,  and  she 
was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  in  1830.  Samuel 
and  Margaret  Mather  lived  and  labored  with  but  one 


interest  in  common,  and  that  the  welfare  of  their  fam- 
ily, until  his  demise,  Aug.  9,  1875.  His  remains  lie 
buried  in  the  Mather  Cemetery  in  Orange  Township. 
His  good  wife  still  survives  him,  and  together  with 
her  children  carries  on  the  farm  on  the  old  home- 
stead. Eight  children  were  born  of  their  union — 
Richard  A.,  .April  6,  1850;  Eliza  J.,  a  Christmas  gift 
to  her  parents  in  1853;  Hester  A.,  Dec.  11,  1854; 
Robert  H.,  Nov.  3,  1856;  Nancy  E.,  Jan.  16,  1859; 
Mary,  June  29,  1864,  died  Aug.  lo,  1866;  Francis 
was  born  Aug.  29,  1865,  and  John  April  16,  1867. 
Richard  A.  married  Miss  Mary  Norman,  and  resides 
in  Norton  County,  Kan.;  their  children  are  named 
Daisy  and  Florence;  by  a  former  marriage  with 
Mary  Lown,  deceased,  there  were  two  children, 
named  Laura  and  Aminda  Mather,  who  are  staying 
with  their  grandmother.  Eliza  J.  married  James 
Dugger,  a  resident  of  Orange  Township  and  a 
farmer;  they  have  three  children,  named  Samuel, 
Albert  and  Addie.  Nancy  E.  married  William  Snell, 
a  farmer  in  Persifer  Township;  they  have  three  chil- 
dren— George,  Jennie  and  Willie. 

Tlie  widow  of  Samuel  Mather  owns  90  acres  of 
good  and  productive  land,  all  of  it  under  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  cultivation,  with  the  exception  of 
eight  acres,  which  is  young  timber.  She  has  a  good 
frame  dwelling  on  her  place  and  a  fine  frame  barn, 
and  is  carrying  on  her  farming  operations  intelligently 
and  prosperously.  Religiously,  Mrs.  Mather  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as  like- 
wise was  her  husband.  In  politics  Mr.  Mather  was 
a  Republican,  and  was  held  in  great  honor  for  his 
sterling  worth  and  integrity. 

Four  brothers  of  Samuel  Mather — Joseph,  Lewis, 
David  and  James — were  soldiers  in  the  late  war. 
Joseph  and  Lewis  died  in  the  service;  the  first- 
named  was  a  member  of  Co.  D,  7th  111.  Cav. 


•w\/U\.v\tJ2fij2/©^@*« 


®i.a<3W»»»"v\/w 


liter  H.  Clark,  the  proprietor  and  editor 
of  tlie  Argus,  which  paper  he  purchased 
,.,_  in  1882,  is  the  subject  of  this  personal 
i>  notice  (see  sketch  of  the  paper  in  the  history 
of  the  county).  Mr.  Clark  first  opened  his 
eyes  uiron  this  world  Feb.  19,  1846,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Abingdon.  Here  he  grew  from  childhood 
to  boyhood,  and,  entering  Abingdon    College,   was 


ZLKl 


4,  i    ' 


494 


JTNOX  COUNTY. 


N^ 


there  educated,  taking  a  scientific  course,  graduating 
from  that  institution  in  1866.  Subsequently  the  hon- 
orary degree  of  B.  A.  was  conferred  upon  him,  and, 
having  completed  his  studies  in  this  college,  he  be- 
gan the  study  of  law,  gaining  admission  to  the  bar  in 
1873.  Entering  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Abingdon,  he  has  since  continued,  meeting  with 
unquestioned  success. 

He  entered  the  nuptial  state  June  15,  1868,  his 
companion  in  the  venture  being  Miss  Mary  A. 
Adams,  of  Leavenworth,  Kan.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  John  C.  and  Mary  Adams,  and  was  born  in 
Franklin,  Pa.,  in  1850.  This  union  has  been  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  three  children — Addie  M.,  Lottie  M. 
and  Alice  L.,  which  completes  their  pleasant  home 
circle.  Mr.  Clark  is  strongly  interested  in  local 
politics  as  well  as  public  affairs,  and  supports  the 
Anti-Monopolist  doctrines,  as  upheld  by  that  party. 

rs.  Elizabeth  Byram.  Two  miles  south 
and  one  mile  west  of  the  little  city  of 
Abingdon,  and  on  section  7,  Indian  Point 
■  \  Township,  is  situated  the  beautiful  and  well- 
known  Hickory  Grove  Farm.  This  valuable 
farm  consists  of  429  acres  and  is  surrounded  on 
all  sides,  except  the  north,  by  beautiful  groves  of 
hickory  timber.  This  is  where  Edward  and  Eliz- 
abeth (Campbell)  Byram  settled  in  1850,  and  com- 
menced to  prepare  a  suitable  location  for  their 
future  home.  They  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  by 
strict  attention  to  their  duties  and  earnest  and  ener- 
getic efforts  they  had  soon  accumulated  a  fair  com- 
petency. Soon,  however,  a  misfortune  befell  them  in 
the  falling  health  of  Mr.  Byram.  After  the  first  year 
he  was  not  only  unable  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  the 
farm,  but  even  to  look  after  the  business  in  a  general 
way.  His  wife,  however,  cheerfully  assisted  him  in 
their  enterprises,  and  soon  developed  rare  ability  as 
a  manager.  On  Oct.  7,  1858,  Mr.  Byram  died,  leav- 
ing six  children  and  a  devoted  wife  to  mourn  their 
loss.  For  the  brief  period  he  had  lived  in  the  com- 
munity, he  had  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  all  of 
those  who  knew  him.  He  was  born  in  Highland 
County,  Ohio,  on  March  11,  18 19.  He  was  the  son 
of  Edward  and  Rachel  (Gibson)  Byram.  The  fam- 
ily were  old  settlers   in   Virginia,  and  removed  from 


there  to  Kentucky,  where  they  were  pioneers,  and 
from  there  removed  to  Ohio,  where  they  were  also 
early  settlers.  They  belonged  to  the  pioneer  race  ot 
people. 

When  Mr.  Byram  came  West,  in  1850,  he  pur- 
chased 300  acres  of  land  on  section  7,  of  Indian 
Point  Township,  where  he  made  his  home,  and  where 
his  widow  has  continued  to  live  until  the  present. 
The  present  improvements  were  made  in  1857. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Byram  the  entire  duties  of 
the  management  of  the  homestead  and  carrying  on 
the  business  thus  inaugurated  by  her  husband  fell 
upon  Mrs.  Byram.  She  proved  amply  able  to  cope 
with  every  undertaking,  and  has  displayed  excep- 
tionally rare  ability  as  a  lady  of  business.  She  has 
embarked  in  enterprises,  and  successfully  carried 
them  out,  that  would  tax  the  business  capacity  of 
many  of  the  shrewdest  of  far-seeing  men.  The  re- 
sults of  her  labors  since  are  the  best  evidence  of  her 
ability  as  well  as  the  highest  commendation  of  her  as 
a  lady  and  a  mother.  In  1863,  Mrs.  Byram  pur- 
chased a  small  herd  of  Short-horn  cattle  in  Kentucky. 
These  were  driven  to  her  Hickory  Grove  Farm  by 
her  brother,  who  remained  with  her  until  his  death,  k^ 
some  years  afterward.  For  years  she  devoted  con- 
siderable attention  to  stock-raising,  meeting  with  un- 
usual success.  Her  name  has  become  familiar  among 
the  circles  of  the  leading  stock-raisers  of  the  country. 

Gettmg  tired  of  the  hard  labor  incident  to  carrying 
on  such  an  extensive  business  as  she  had,  and  feel- 
ing that  at  last  she  had  put  in  store  a  competency 
for  her  declining  years,  Mrs.  Byram  concluded  to 
dispose  of  her  thorough-bred  stock.  She  therefore 
made  sales  in  1865,  the  last  occurring  in  October. 
She  at  present  has  retired  and  rented  her  farm,  and 
proposes  to  take  the  world  easy  the  remainder  of  her 
days. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Byram  was  born  in  Bourbon  Coun- 
ty, Ky.,  on  what  is  called  Old  Cane  Ridge,  Sept.  27, 
182 1.  Her  marriage  with  Mr.  Byram  occurred  Feb. 
22,  1843.  Her  parents  were  Lewis  and  Elizabeth 
(Wallace)  Campbell.  The  former  was  born  Oct.  27, 
1790,  and  died  in  Kentucky  of  cholera,  in  1849. 
Elizabeth  Wallace,  his  wife,  was  born  in  1799,  and 
died  May  17,  1885.  They  were  married  in  r8i8,  in 
Bourbon  County,  Ky.  The  Wallace  family  were 
originally  from  Virginia,  and  of  Scotch  ancestry.  To 
them  were  born  six  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy.    William    W.    Campbell,  a  brother  of  Mrs. 


I 


t 


. — X- . 

XJVOX  COUNTY. 


495 


<Hr 


Byram,  died  in  Knox  County,  111.,  in  1876.  Eliza- 
beth was  the  next  in  order  of  birth  in  the  family, 
then  came  James,  and  John  H.,  who  died  aged  16 
years.  Margaret  died  at  the  age  of  14,  and  one  died 
in  infancy. 

There  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Byram  six  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  following  is  a  record  :  William  W., 
born  Jan.  27,  1844,  married  Miss  Margaret  Duntap 
of  this  county,  and  lives  in  Indian  Point  Township. 
Joseph  H.,  born  July  3,  1S46,  married  Miss  Mollie 
Wood,  of  Cambridge,  Henry  County,  111.,  and  lives 
in  Nebraska,  engaged  in  farming;  Eve  was  born  Oct. 
7.  1S48,  became  the  wife  of  Chenault  Todd  and  re- 
sides in  Howard  Co.,  Mo.;  .\ddie  was  born  April  15, 
185  I,  and  married  John  W.  Moore,  of  Adams  County, 
111.;  Carrie  A.  was  born  .\ug.  26,  1S53;  Edward, 
Nov.  13,  1857,  married  Miss  Dora  Lincoln,  and  lives 
in  Warren  County,  111.  Mrs.  Byram  is  a  member  of 
the  Christian  Church  of  Abingdon,  of  which  church 
Mr.  Byram  was  also  a  member.  Politically  he  was 
a  Republican  from  the  organization  of  that  party  unril 
his  death.  He  was  a  gentleman  who  possessed  firm 
.  and  decided  opinions,  both  in  religious  and  political 

"  matters. 

1 

t  Sp|i  J.  Cox  is  one  of  the  most  extensive  farm- 
%  L&J'?  ers  and  stock-raisers  of  Knox  County.  He 
S,^r^  lives  on  section  16,  Ontario  Township,  of 
viia  which  place  he  is  a  native,  having  been  born 
on  section  21,  Jan.  i,  1849.  His  father,  James 
R.  Cox,  was  a  former  resident  of  Somerton, 
Somersetshire,  England,  at  which  place  he  lived 
for  a  number  of  years  and  was  there  married  to  Em- 
ma Pittard.  She  was  likewise  a  native  of  the  same 
shire  and  both  were  of  direct  English  parentage. 
Six  children  were  the  result  of  this  union  ;  two  died 
while  the  parents  lived  in  England,  and  one  in  this 
countr)-.  Their  first  permanent  location  was  in  On- 
tario Township,  where  they  lived  a  number  of  years. 
They  afterward  decided  to  change,  and  removed  to 
Oneida;  there  the  mother  died  Sept.  24,  1884,  at  the 
age  of  67  years.  The  father,  who  still  survives,  lives 
at  Oneida  and  is  69  years  old.  He  devotes  his  time 
largely  to  improving  his  farm  of  200  acres. 

Mr.  Cox  was  the  first  child  born  to  his  parents  in 
this  country.     When  he  reached  ihe  age  of  seven 


! 


years,  his  father  purchased  an  80-acre  farm  on  sec- 
tion 28,  in  this  township,  upon  which  he  lived  for  14 
years.  He  afterward  purchased  and  lived  on  160 
acres  in  Sparta  Township,  which  the  father  now  owns. 
When  he  was  19  years  of  age,  up  to  which  time  he 
had  remained  at  home,  Mr.  Cox  received  an  acci- 
dental shot  in  the  hand,  which  disabled  him  for  some 
months,  during  which  time  he  was  at  Hartford, 
Conn.  Returning  one  year  later,  he  established  him- 
self in  business — having  learned  the  trade  of  butcher 
while  at  Hartford.  He  continued  in  this  branch  of 
trade  for  some  length  of  time,  then  abandoned  it  and 
invested  in  40  acres  of  land  and  began  to  farm. 
This  was  on  section  16,  at  which  place  he  still  lives, 
owning  160  acres  of  well-cultivated  land,  on  section 
15,  adjoining  the  home  place.  All  of  his  landed 
property  is  in  a  fine  condition,  the  result  of  unflag- 
ging energy,  industry  and  slrict  attention  to  bus- 
iness. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Cox  with  Elizabeth  J.  West 
took  place  in  Galesburg,  Sept.  3,  1873.  His  wife  • 
was  born  in  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  June  17,  1849. 
She  came  to  Illinois  in  187  i  under  the  protection  of 
her  brother,  lived  in  Wood  hull  and  Galesburg  for  -<,' 
some  time,  serving  in  the  capacity  of  nurse,  for  which 
position  she  was  admirably  adapted.  She  is  the 
mother  of  three  children — Arthur  B.,  Stewart  J.  and 
one  deceased.  Mrs.  Cox  is  enrolled  as  a  memberof 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  is  a  useful  and  acrive 
worker  in  all  enterprises  of  usefulness.  Mr.  Cox  is 
wide-awake  to  the  public  interest  and  holds  the  posi- 
tion of  Poundmaster  for  the  township,  which  office 
he  has  retained  for  12  years.  In  politics  he  is  a  libe- 
ral Republican.  Aug.  14,  1882,  Mr.  Cox  met  with 
a  severe  loss  by  fire,  having  two  barns,  a  granary, 
corncrib,  wagon-shed,  tools  and  65  tons  of  hay  de- 
stroyed, entailing  a  loss  of  $2,000. 


r.  A.  S.  Slater.  The  busy  community  in 
,^  which  is  located  the  thriving  village  of 
Wataga  has  its  quota  of  business  and  pro- 
fessional men  as  well  as  agriculturists.  Among 
the  former  class  none  bear  a  more  prominent 
position  in  their  profession  than  the  subject  of 
this  notice.  He  was  born  in  Springfield,  111.,  March 
23,  1 840.  His  parents  were  Samuel  D.,  also  a  physi- 
cian, and  Amanda  M.  (Stafford)  Slater.    They  were 


A' 


-^ 


u 


496 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


P 


natives  of  Connecticut  and  New  York  respectively. 
The  father  came  to  this  State  in  181 8,  and  the 
mother  in  1837,  and  their  marriage  occurred  in 
Springfield,  in  1838.  The  father  studied  medicine  al 
Louisville,  Ky.,  where,  after  graduating,  he  engaged 
in  practice,  and  from  whence  he  removed  to  Sanga- 
mon and  Knox  Counties,  and  continued  the  prac- 
tice in  the  latter  county  until  his  death,  which 
was  caused  by  an  accident  on  the  cars  at  Galesburg, 
in  1870,  he  having  attained  the  venerable  age  of  70 
years.  The  mother  still  survives  and  resides  at 
Galesburg.  Of  the  parents'  union  seven  children 
were  born,  and  the  subject  of  this  notice  is  the  third 
in  order  of  birth. 

Dr.  Slater  of  this  notice  remained  with  his  parents 
until  close  upon  his  majority,  in  the  meantime  hav- 
ing graduated  from  Lombard  University,  at  Gales- 
burg, when  20  years  of  age.  He  commenced  the 
study  of  materia  medica  in  1855,  with  his  father,  and 
was  also  under  the  instruction  of  Dr.  M.  K.  Taylor, 
and  developed  in  the  study  rapidly.  He  was  with 
the  Doctor  two  years,  and  finally  graduated  at  Keo- 
kuk, Iowa.  Soon  after  receiving  his  diploma,  during 
the  late  Civil  War,  Dr.  Slater  commenced  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  in  the  army,  acting  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  surgeon  in  the  Union  Army.  He  first 
enlisted  as  a  Hospital  Steward,  in  i86r,  and  acted 
in  that  capacity  until  1 864,  when  he  joined  the  reg- 
ular army  and  was  promoted  to  Assistant  Surgeon. 
In  the  latter  capacity  Dr.  Slater  continued  to  act, 
performing  many  difficult  operations  and  receiving 
many  encomiums  for  his  skill  as  a  surgeon,  until  De- 
cember, 1866,  when  he  was  mustered  out  of  service. 
While  the  Doctor  was  in  the  service  he  passed 
through  a  great  many  engagements.  The  principal 
ones  were  Shiloh,  Corinth,  Island  No.  10,  the  siege 
of  Vicksburg,  Champion  Hills,  Lookout  Mountain 
and  all  the  battles  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta.  At 
the  battle  of  Champion  Hills  he  received  a  wound  in 
the  foot,  and  at  Corinth  was  shot  through  the  arm. 

Returning  from  the  field  of  strife  and  carnage,  he 
settled  at  Galesburg,  and  in  company  with  his  father 
engaged  in  practice.  For  two  years  this  partnership 
continued,  when  by  mutual  consent  it  was  dissolved, 
and  Dr.  Slater  of  this  notice  moved  to  Wataga. 
There  he  at  once  entered  actively  and  energetically 
upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  has 
continued  since  his  first  coming  there  in  1868.  By 
carefully   diagnosing  his  cases    and    treating   them 


^ 


with  all  the  skill  that  years  of  study  and  practice 
have  brought  him,  the  Doctor  is  meeting  with  far 
more  than  ordinary  success.  In  addition  to  his  prac- 
tice he  was  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  and  con- 
tinued the  same  until  1885,  when  he  sold  his  stock 
and  store.  The  Doctor  for  ten  years  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  Coroner,  giving  entire  satisfaction  to  all 
concerned. 

In  June,  1868,  on  the  eve  of  moving  to  Wataga, 
Dr.  Slater  concluded  to  join  the  army  of  the  bene- 
dicts, and  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah 
Lee.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Joel  Lee,  a  native  of 
this  county,  and  has  borne  her  husband  three  chil- 
dren, whom  they  have  named  Richard  L.,  Harry  A. 
and  Mary  B. 

Politically,  Dr.  Slater  votes  with  the  Republican 
party.  In  his  social  life  he  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Universalis! 
Church,  at  Galesburg.  The  Doctor  has  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  Mayor  of  Wataga,  for  four  terms,  and  has  ' 
also  been  Alderman  for  12  years.  This  is  sufficient 
of  itself  to  demonstrate  the  truthfulness  of  the  asser- 
tion made  above  in  regard  to  his  prominence  as  a^ 
citizen. 

^1  eorge  O.  Broadfield,  furniture  dealer  at 
Yates  City,  is  a  native  of  England,  and 
was  born  at  Siourport,  Worcestershire, 
June  22,  1849.  He  is  the  son  of  Edward  H. 
and  Mary  A.  (Rowley)  Broadfield,  both  na- 
tives of  the  same  shire.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  a  merchant  in  high  standing  in  Stourport, 
but  spent  the  sunset  of  his  life  in  retirement  at  Man- 
chester, where  his  demise  occurred  in  1882,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  82  years.  The  mother  followed  her 
husband  to  the  better  land  the  succeeding  year.  Of 
this  congenial  union  there  were  eight  children,  three 
of  whom,  including  the  subject,  came  to  America; 
Edward  and  John  Broadfield  both  residing  in  Elba 
Township. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  at  home  with 
his  parents  until  14  years  old,  his  time  being  spent  in 
attending  the  common  schools,  after  which  he  went  to 
Manchester,  and  lived  with  a  brother  one  year.  He 
then  apprenticed  himself  to  learn  house-painting,  for 
five  years.  This  completed,  he  did  job-work  for 
eight  months,  after  which  he  set  sail  from  Liverpool 


% 


~v 


4^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


497 


to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  New  World.  After  a  voy- 
age of  18  days  he  landed  at  New  York,  from  whence 
he  came  directly  to  Yates  City  and  engaged  with  his 
brother  in  the  furniture  business,  remaining  with  him 
for  one  year.  He  then  resumed  his  trade  as  house- 
painter,  and  follo\«d  this  for  three  years.  Next  we 
find  him  at  Creston,  Iowa,  where  he  opened  a  shop, 
with  a  view  to  carrying  on  his  trade.  After  eight 
months  of  more  than  ordinary  success  he  returned 
to  Yates  City,  and,  in  company  with  J.  Coykendall, 
bought  a  stock  of  furniture  of  J.  W.  Fo.x.  This  part- 
nership lasted  for  one  year,  when  Mr.  Broadfield  con- 
cluded to  try  his  forune  in  the  West.  He  accord- 
ingly sold  out  and  went  to  Pueblo,  Colorado.  Failing 
to  find  employment  there,  he  next  went  to  Denver, 
from  thence  to  Colorado  Springs,  where  he  worked  at 
his  trade  for  nine  months,  and  at  the  expiration  of 
this  time  returned  to  Yates  City. 

In  1882,  overcome  with  a  desire  to  visit  his  boy- 
hood home,  Mr.  Broadfield,  in  company  with  some 
friends,  crossed  the  Atlantic.  While  there  they  vis- 
ited many  places  of  interest,  traveling  somo  900 
miles  thiough  the  picturesque  portions  of  that  country 
on  tricycles.  After  a  stay  of  eight  months  he  took 
passage  on  the  ocean  Steamer  Servia,  for  the  United 
States,  and  landed  in  New  York  after  a  journey  of  17 
days.  Upon  his  arrival  in  his  adopted  country  he 
at  once  proceeded  to  Yates  City.  In  1885,  he  again 
embarked  in  the  furniture  business,  which  he  is  to- 
day carrying  on  with  success.  Mr.  Broadfield  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in 
politics  a  firm  Democrat  and  always  ready  to  pro- 
mote any  enterprise  calculated  to  forward  and  benefit 
his  party. 


if  illiam  A.  Lee,  Jr.,  is  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  6,  Sparta  Township,  where  he  was 
bom  March  5,  1858.  His  parents  are 
^^>  WiUiam  A.  and  Betsey  (Knowles)  Lee,  na- 
il'^N  tives  of  New  York,  and  came  to  this  State  in 
1846,  settling  at  Galesburg.  The  subject  of  this 
notice  lived  with  the  old  folks  until  19  years  of 
age,  and  received  a  good  collegiate  education  as  well 
as  a  thorough  business  training.  In  1874  he  settled 
on  the  place  where  he  now  is,  having  received  80 
acres  of  land  from  his  father.  In  1882  he  purchased 
an  additional  80  adjoining  his  legacy,  and  in  1884 


purchased  r6o  acres  in  Mercer  County.  The  latter 
tract  he  rents,  and  is  engaged  in  the  cultivation  and 
improvement  of  the  160  in  Sparta  Township. 

Mr.  Lee  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  Sept.  9, 
1880,  with  Miss  Jannie  Patterson,  the  intelligent  and 
accomplislied  daughter  of  William  S.  and  Matilda 
(Miller)  Patterson,  natives  of  Ohio  and  Michigan  re- 
spectively. Her  parents  came  to  this  State  previous 
to  their  marriage,  that  event  occurring  Sept.  30, 
1834.  Their  family  comprised  four  children — Ed- 
win W.,  Clara  E.,  Jannie  M.  and  Frederick  .\.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lee  have  two  children — Freddie  P.  and 
Bessie. 

Mr.  Lee  is  a  Republican  in  his  political  belief  and 
never  fails  to  cast  his  vote  wiih  that  party  when  op- 
portunity affords.  He  and  his  wife  attend  the  Con- 
gregational Church.  She  is  an  accomplished  lady, 
having  received  her  education  at  St.  Mary's  School, 
Knoxville.  Mr.  Lee  is  one  of  the  young  men  of  Sparta 
Township  who  in  his  chosen  vocation  as  an  agricult- 
urist is  the  peer  of  any  in  his  community.  1 


raneis   Murdoch,  Mayor   of  the   city   of 

Oneida,  and  junior  member  of  the  bank- 

'■'  ing  firm  of  Anderson  &  Murdoch,  not  only 

,.  lids  a  position  of  trust,  but  fills  a  post  where- 

:jki^  m  financial  ability  and  commercial  tact  are  in- 

{  dispensable.  This  gentleman  is  the  son  of 
Thomas  D.  and  Jenetie  (Struthers)  Murdoch,  both 
of  whom  are  natives  of  Ayrshire,  Scotland.  De- 
scended from  a  long  line  of  Scottish  ancestry  the 
mother's  maiden  name,  Struthers,  has  a  history  of  its 
own.  Her  father  was  a  farmer  in  Scotland  down  to 
the  year  1852,  at  which  date  the  family,  including  two 
sons  and  three  daughters,  arrived  in  this  country. 
Francis  was  the  eldest  son. 

The  parents  having  settled  on  a  farm  in  Trumbull 
County,  Ohio,  occupied  a  respectable  position  among 
their  neighbors  in  that  section  of  the  country.  Subse- 
quently they  removed  to  Knox  County,  111.,  and  in 
June,  1857,  bought  a  farm  in  Sparta  Township, 
where  Mr.  Murdoch's  parents  resided  until  a  very 
few  years  ago,  when  the  family  removed  to  Oneida, 
where  they  have  since  lived  in  peaceful  retirement. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  now  in  his  76th  year,  is 
still  an  active  adherent  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  a  man  whose  personal  worth  and  character  have 


i 


■•^-4— ^ 


I 


=^==4-> 


498 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


won  the  open  esteem  of  friends  and  the  secret  re- 
spect of  foes.  The  mother,  a  noble  woman  among 
her  kind,  died  at  her  home  in  this  vicinity  on  Jan. 
17,  1883,  full  of  years,  and  lovingly  enshrined  in  the 
hearts  of  friends  and  children.  She  was  born  Jan. 
28,  1812,  and  was  a  Presbyterian  by  religious  profes- 
sion. Not  long  after  her  death,  which  was  crowned 
by  a  life  of  generous  deeds,  her  beloved  son  James 
followed  her  into  a  better  land,  on  the  23d  of  May, 
1884,  leaving  one  child,  Thomas  D.  Murdoch,  Jr. 
The  remaining  children  of  these  parents  in  the  order 
of  their  ages  are  Mary,  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools,  which  position  she  has  held  witli  credit  for 
many  years;  Jenette,  the  wife  of  D.  R.  Howey,  at 
present  a  farmer  in  Decatur  County,  Kan.,  and  Ag- 
nes, wife  of  J.  C.  Hurst,  of  Oneida. 

When  his  father  first  came  to  Knox  County,  Mr. 
Francis  Murdoch  was  in  his  15th  year.  At  the  age 
of  26  he  made  his  first  purchase  of  land,  and  assidu- 
ously engaged  in  farming,  to  which  his  time  was  given 
exclusively  up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage,  Feb.  i, 
187  I,  when  Miss  Alta  Wheeler,  a  native  of  Kno.x- 
ville,  became  his  wife.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Alva  and  Jerusha  Wheeler,  tlie  family  name  of  her 
mother  being  Stevens,  who  with  her  husband  num- 
bered among  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  county.  In 
the  year  1837  they  settled  at  Knoxville,  and  in  the 
building  of  the  Court  House  in  1838,  the  family  took 
a  leading  interest,  the  structure  itself  being  the  first 
of  any  consequence  erected  in  the  county.  Mr. 
Wheeler  was  considered  one  of  the  most  successful 
mechanics  of  his  time.  His  death  took  place  during 
the  winter  of  1874.  Mrs.  Wheeler  still  survives,  and 
lives  with  a  daughter  in  Texas.  The  first  wife  of 
Mr.  Murdoch  died  at  her  home  in  Oneida,  on  the 
20th  of  April,  1875.  This  lady  was  identified  in 
many  particulars,  both  socially  and  religiously,  with 
this  place.  For  many  years  she  was  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  universally 
beloved  for  her  many  graces  of  character  and  up- 
right life. 

Mr.  Murdoch  was  for  a  second  time  married  in 
Oneida,  June  20th,  1877,  to  Miss  Mary  Ellis,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  (Jacobus)  Ellis, 
who  were  early  settlers  on  the  land  adjoining  Farm- 
ington.  The  father  was  an  old  Mississippi'  River 
boatman,  who  after  his  marriage  settled  in  Farming- 
ton,  but  in  tlie  winter  of  1870-71  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  Oneida,  where  he  died  in  or  about  the  yea^^ 


1873,  while  still  in  possession  of  the  old  homestead. 
The  present  Mrs.  Murdoch  was  born  near  Farming- 
ton,  and  educated  partly  in  this  place,  but  largely  at 
Galesburg,  111.,  until  the  dale  of  her  marriage.  She 
is  now  the  mother  of  three  interesting  children — 
Myrtle,  Alta  and  Maude.  ^ 

Mr.  Murdoch  continued  to  farm  until  tlie  fall  of 
1873,  when  he  decided  to  come  to  town  and  engage 
in  private  banking.  He  operated  in  this  manner  up 
to  the  date  of  his  consolidation  of  interests  with  Mr. 
Anderson,  which  took  place  in  June,  1877,  since 
which  date  the  partnership  has  continued  with  mu- 
tual profit  to  both  gentlemen. 

Mr.  Murdoch's  first  election  to  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men of  that  city  took  place  in  1880,  whicli  position 
he  held  for  four  years,  when  he  was  elected  Mayor, 
a  position  which  he  still  retains.  He  is  the  owner  of 
a  farm  of  60  acres,  well  improved  and  lying  within 
Sparta  Township,  and  in  proximity  to  the  Ontario 
Township  line,  within  which  line  Mrs.  Murdoch  is, 
in  her  own  right,  owner  of  80  acres  of  well-improved  ' 
land.  The  city  property  of  Mr.  M.,  besides  that  al 
ready  named,  consists  of  a  good  residence. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  are  both  attendants  of  the  Pres-  ** 
byterian  Church.  He  is  now,  and  likely  long  to  re- 
main, an  earnest  advocate  of  Republicanism.  He  is 
a  man  of  strong  character,  and  ever  ready  to  do  and 
dare  whatever  duty  devolves  upon  him.  In  business 
he  is  successful  and  possesses  the  confidence  of  those 
with  whom  he  deals. 

Mr.  Murdoch  is  a  member  of  Oneida  Lodge,  No. 
337,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Oneida  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  No. 
173 ;  Galesburg  Commandery  K.  T.,  No.  8,  and  Ori- 
ental Consistory,  Chicago,  111.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  Oneida  Lodge,  No.  228, 1.  O.  O.  F. 


oseph  B.  Armstrong.  In  the  person  of 
the  above-named  gentleman  may  be  found 
one  of  the  leading  and  most  successful 
farmers  of  Knox  County.  He  ranks  high  in 
his  own  county,  and  his  home  farm  is  situated 
on  section  20,  Ontario  Township.  On  coming 
to  this  county,  which  he  did  in  the  spring  of  1849,  he 
settled  in  Sparta  Township,  under  the  guardianship 
of  his  parents,  both  English  by  birth,  who  left  their 
hoine,  emigrating  to  the  United  States  in  1847. 
Joseph  B.  was  born  in  Cumberland  County,  England 


M 


!^^^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


499 


Sept.  7,  1831,  and  his  father  was  born  in  the  same 
c»u.nty  in  the  year  180S,  and  there  grew  to  manhood, 
and  was  of  English  ancestry.  He  wedded  Mary  B. 
Bewese,  in  the  year  1829;  she  was  born  in  Cumber- 
land County,  England,  in  December,  18 10. 

Nine  children  were  the  fruit  of  this  family  tree,  of 
which  Joseph  was  the  eldest,  and  his  brothers  and 
sisters  respectively  as  follows :  Frances,  wife  of  Ly- 
man \V.  Lamphere,  a  farmer,  is  living  in    Missouri ; 
John  C.  first  married    Mary  Heath,  now   deceased; 
his  second  marriage  was  with   Jennie  Davis;  their 
home  is  in  Jackson  County,  Kan.,  and  he  is  also  a 
farmer;  Mary  is  deceased;  Jennie,  wife  of  Mandi- 
ville  Neely,  is  living  in  Sparta  Township  on  a  farm  ; 
Roger  died  in  Kansas  in  the  year  i860;  Thomas  is 
deceased ;  William  is  a  merchant,  resident  of  Teire 
Haute,   Ind.,    a   man  of  fine   business   ability  and 
repute;  and  lastly,  Kate,  wife  of  Charles  JcUiff,  of 
Oneida.     With  the  exception    of  two   born    in  this 
countr)',  the  above-mentioned  all  claim   sunny   En- 
gland as  their  birthplace.      Joseph  was  15  years  of 
age  at  the  lime    his    parents   came   to   the  United 
States.     He  sought  the  Prairie  State  and  settled  on 
a  farm  in  Sparta  Township,  which  his  father  worked, 
and  to  which  he  added  improvements,  first  40  acres, 
and  latterly  to  a  second  purchase  of  80  acres.     This 
property  remains  in  the  family.     Its  original  owner, 
Joseph's  sire,  passed  from  this  life  at  his  home  Oct. 
19,  I S74,  just  before  attaining  his  67th  birthday.    His 
widow,  still  surviving  and  aged  76,  is  a  member  of 
the  Jelliff  household,  the  home  of  her  daughter  Kate. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  work- 
ing the  farm  until  his  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Brown, 
at  her  home,  Feb.  23,  1854.     Mrs.  Armstrong  was 
born  in    Henderson  Tow^nship,  Oct.  7,  1834.     She 
was  the  daughter  of  Wilson  and  Julia  (Smith)  Brown, 
the  former  of  Kentucky,  who  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Julia  Smith,  which  terminated  eventually  in  mar- 
riage.    Mr.  Brown  and  his  bride  took  up  their  abode 
in  Kno.\  County,  settling  at  a  point  known  as   Hen- 
derson Grove.    Here  they  purchased  land  consisting 
of  timber  and  prairie,  almost  wholly  uncultivated  and 
unimproved.    By  their  hearty  and  united  efforts  they 
succeeded,  beyond  their  most    sanguine    hopes,   in 
founding  a   home.     The   farm    soon    exhibited   the 
effect  of  their  labor,  and  "  blossomed  as  the  rose," 
proving  both  comfortable  and  beautiful,  as  the  result 
of  their  unremitting  toil,  and  bounteously  enriching 
their  stores.     Among  other  valuable  additions  to  his 


homestead  was  the  first  orchard  in  the  county,  which 
grew  and  flourished  remarkably.  Bringing  the  seeds 
from  Indiana,  from  which  he  raised  his  young  trees, 
he  transplanted  these,  and  claimed  as  his  own  enter- 
prise what  afterward  proved  a  profitable  source  of 
income,  resulting  from  the  bountiful  bearing  of  the 
trees.  While  Mrs.  .Armstrong  was  yet  a  young  girl, 
her  mother  was  snatched  away  by  death,  leaving  six 
orphaned  children,  of  which  family  Elizabeth  was 
the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 

The  children  who  have  sprung  up  about  the 
family  hearthstone  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Armstrong  are 
five  in  number,  named  James  L.,  who  lives  at  home, 
the  help  and  comfort  of  the  parents' declining  years  ; 
he  was  born  Nov.  29,  1855  ;  associated  with  his  father, 
he  works  the  home  place,  and  is  his  constant  com- 
panion. George  W.,  born  May  20,  1862,  is  also  a 
home  boy.  Lillian  O.,  l)orn  Oct.  16,  1867,  educated 
in  Knox  College,  of  Galesburg,  is  a  bright,  intelligent 
young  lady,  occupying  a  wide  sphere  of  usefulness 
as  a  public  school  teacher.  Kate  E.,  her  next 
younger  sister,  opened  her  eyes  on  things  of  earth 
Aug.  27,'  1868;  she  is  a  finely  educated  and  jwpular 
girl,  and  claims  Knox  College  as  her  Alma  Mater  'j 
also.  Edwin  R.  is  the  youngest,  having  been  born  ' 
Oct.  21,  1872.  All  are  most  agreeable  young  people 
and  helpful  members  of  the  social  circle  in  the  home 
neighborhood.  The  family  worships  under  Congre- 
gational articles  of  faith. 

Mr.  Armstrong,  as  will  be  seen,  from  a  minute  be- 
ginning branched  out  boldly  and  largely  on  every 
hand  from  his  main  enterprise,  and  his  little  home- 
stead, so  humbly  commenced  in  the  year  1859,  now 
includes  '200  acres,  finely  located  and  well  improved. 
Upon  them  is  erected  a  handsome  and  commodious 
house,  while  the  barns  and  adjoining  out-buildings 
are  models  of  taste  and  convenience. 

^ ^-^ ^ 


Ikharles  Markham.  Among  the  principal 
men  of  Knox  County  who  are  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  one  of  the  most 
energetic  and  persevering  of  her  citizens,  may 
be  found  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  the  main 
points  in  whose  hfe  history  are  given.  Mr. 
Markham  came  to  Knox  County  in  1839,  at  which 
tiine  he  was  a  child  of  six  years,  and  since  that  time 
has    passed    the   intervening   years    in    Henderson 


4-" 


500 


^iVC^  COUNTY. 


Township.-  He  resides  on  a  farm  situated  on  section 
13,  and  has  all  his  life  engaged  in  farming  pursuits 
and  the  raising  of  stock.  At  the  present  time  Ire  is 
the  owner  of  380  acres  of  land,  60  of  which  are  tim- 
ber, and  to  this  he  has  added  many  modern  improve- 
ments and  cultivated  the  soil  until  he  now  posseses 
a  desirable  and  good  home. 

Mr.  Markliam  was  born  in  La  Porte  County,  Ind., 
April  I,  1833.  His  early  education  was  received  in 
the  public  schools,  and  he  gave  sufficient  attention  to 
his  studies,  so  that  he  is  to-day  above  the  average  in 
the  possession  of  general  information.  He  is  quite  an 
inveterate  reader,  and  has  a  good  idea  of  outside  af- 
fairs. He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  pins  his 
faith  to  tliat  party.  Religiously  he  is  an  honest  and 
worthy  member  of  the  Christian  Cnurch. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Horace  and  Es- 
ther (Lake)  Markham,  natives  of  Vermont  and  Ken- 
tucky respectively.  They  came  to  Knox  County  in 
1839,  and  settled  in  Henderson  Township,  and  there 
'  continued  to  reside  until  released  by  death  from  this 
world  of  care  and  weariness.  The  father  was  buried 
in  that  section  of  country,  his  death  occurring  May 
I     7.  1875,  and  the  mother  lies  beside  him. 


"iX 


»«^ 

lyron  S.  West,  one  of  the  well-known  pio- 
}j?  neers  and  highly  respected  and  successful 
^  0^^  farmers  of  this  county,  residing  in  Oneida, 
''l»'^  was  born  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  10, 
1829.  The  parents  of  Mr.  West,  Nehemiah 
and  Catharine  (Neely)  West,  were  also  na- 
tives of  New  York.  They  were  early  settlers  in  this 
county,  and  Nehemiah  was  one  of  five  who  laid  out 
the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Galesburg,  a  colony 
haying  been  formed  at  Whitestown,  Oneida  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  for  that  purpose.  He.  with  his  family,  continued 
to  reside  at  Galesburg  until  1847,  at  which  time  his 
demise  occurred.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1836, 
when  the  hand  of  civilization  was  hardly  visible,  but 
he  had  great  faith  in  the  future  development  of  the 
country,  and  daring  the  x  i  years  he  was  a  resident 
of  the  county  witnessed  a  most  wonderful  change. 
His  wife  survived  him  until  r88i,  when  she  died  at 
her  home  in  Galesburg.  She  was  born  in  the  year 
1800,  as  likewise  was  her  husband. 
Byron  S.  West,  of  whom  we  write,  was  but  a  child 


when  his  parents  came  to  this  county,  and  here  he 
has  lived  until  the  present  time.  He  continued  to 
reside  at  home,  attending  the  common  schools  and 
assisting  his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm,  until 
his  father's  death.  He  was  the  eldest  son  of  his  par- 
ems'  family  and  at  the  demise  of  his  father  was  17 
years  of  age.  At  this  age  in  life  the  responsibility  of 
conducting  the  old  homestead  devolved  upon  him, 
which  he  did  with  no  small  degree  of  success  for 
some  years  prior  to  operating  on  his  owr  account. 
His  first  adventure  in  business  for  himself  was  in  the 
formation  of  a  partnership  for  the  purpose  of  platting 
a  village,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  Oneida,  from 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  where  most  of  the  settlers 
formerly  lived,  the  firm  style  of  which  was  Camp  & 
West.  Before  the  present  site  of  Oneida  City  was 
laid  out,  and  before  a  furrow  had  been  turned  upon 
the  uncultivated  prairies  surrounding  that  locality, 
and  just  after  the  railroad  survey  had  been  made, 
the  firm  of  Camp  &  West  was  formed.  They  pur- 
chased 480  acres  of  land,  which  embraced  the  west 
half  of  section  36  and  r6o  acres  of  the  east  half  of 
section  35,  and  immediately  platted  the  city  of 
Oneida,  the  date  being  July  25,  1855,  and  which  was 
located  on  the  land  described.  Subsequently  the 
plat  was  enlarged,  until  it  at  present  embraces  about 
one  square  mile.  In  the  fall  of  X854,  Camp  &  West 
built  a  hotel  at  Oneida,  which,  up  to  the  present  time, 
is  the  largest  frame  building  in  the  city.  They  after- 
ward engaged  in  the  grain  and  lumber  business  at 
that  place,  which  they  continued  to  follow,  with  signal 
success,  for  iS  months,  and  during  the  same  time  ran 
their  hotel  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Camp. 

After  Mr.  West  disengaged  himself  from  the  grain 
and  lumber  trade,  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricult- 
ure, and  has  since  been  occupied  in  that  vocation. 
He  has  a  line  farm  of  160  acres  of  good  land  under 
an  advanced  state  of  cultivation,  and  all  lying  within 
the  city  limits  of  Oneida.  His  residence  is  located 
on  the  corner  of  Pine  and  Knox  streets,  which  is  one 
of  the  most  desirable  in  the  city. 

Mr.  West  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Russell,  Sept.  X9,  X855,  at  Galesburg.  She  was  born 
near  Columbus,  Franklin  Co.,  Ohio,  Oct.  31,  1834. 
Her  parents,  S.  S.  and  Ellen  (Bowen)  Russell,  were 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Baltimore,  Md.,  respectively,  and 
of  English  and  Irish  descent.  Her  father  was  a 
merchant,  and  her  grandfather  on  her  mother's  side, 
who  was  also  a  native  of  Maryland,  was  a  captain  in 


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LIBRARY 

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KNOX   COUNTY. 


^-1- 


SOS 


the  War  of  1812.  Mrs.  West  came  to  this  State  with 
her  parents  when  17  years  old,  and  located  with  them 
in  this  county.  Her  father  is  at  present  residing  in 
Oneida,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  grocery  business. 
(See  sketch.) 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  West  six  children 
were  born,  five  of  whom  are  living.  The  children 
have  all  received  a  good  education  and  are  accom- 
plished and  moderately  well-to-do  in  life.  Two  are 
married — Fred  and  Ellen.  Fred  married  Ellen 
West  (no  relation),  and  at  present  is  in  the  employ 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  with  which  he  has  been 
for  the  past  four  years.  Ellen  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  J.  Kapius,  who  is  at  present  residing  at 
Marengo,  McHenry  County,  this  State,  where  he  is 
engaged  as  foreman  in  a  tinshop.  Katie  and  Grace 
are  liighly  accomplished  and  intelligent  young  ladies, 
and  reside  with  their  parents  at  Oneida ;  also  Sarah, 
who  is  the  younger,  born  May  21,  1875. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  West,  together  with  their  three  old- 
est children,  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  With  the  exception  of  three  years,  Mr. 
West  has  held  the  office  of  Assessor  of  Ontario  Town- 
?ship  since  1856.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  done  much  for  the  city  of  Oneida  and  the  agri- 
cultural advancement  of  Ontario  Township,  and  is 
truly  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of  that  town- 
ship as  well  as  of  Knox  County. 


r"^ 


pon.  Henry  Arms,  one  of  the  most  widely 
^pKj  and  favorably  known  citizens  of  Knox 
County,  formerly  a  farmer,  but  now  living  in 
retirement  at  Knoxville,  is  a  native  of  Conway, 
Franklin  County,  Mass.,  where  he  was  born 
Jan.  29,  1808.  His  father,  Henry  Arms,  was 
born  in  Deerfield,  Mass.,  July  i,  1769.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  Consider  Arms,  a  descend- 
ant of  William  Arms,  of  English  extraction.  The 
elder  Arms,  of  England,  was  a  direct  ancestor  of 
Hon.  Sir  Henry,  the  living  representative  of  the  line, 
being  of  the  fourth  generation.  The  grandfather  of 
Henry  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  the  town  of 
Conway.  As  a  matter  of  interest  and  deserving  of 
notice  we  extract  the  following  from  an  address  de- 
livered by  Rev.  Chas.  B.  Rice,  at  the  celebration 
'A 


of  the  centennial  of  the  organization  of  the  town, 
June  19,  1867:  "At  the  first  town  meeting,  held 
Aug.  24,  1767,  a  list  of  the  first  officers  is  given,  in 
which  it  is  shown  that  Consider  Arms  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  first  Board  of  Selectmen  and  Assess- 
ors, and  was  also  ai)pointed  Town  Treasurer.  He 
was  chosen  Moderator  and  elected  Town  Clerk  at 
the  same  meeting.  As  a  chosen  representative  for  the 
township,  he,  in  the  Colonial  Legislature,  represented 
the  true  interests  of  the  electors."  He  was  mainly  a 
land-iiolder  and  devoted  his  attention  to  agricultural 
pursuits.  His  remains  .ire  at  rest  in  the  village  cem- 
etery. 

Mr.  Arms'  father  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native 
town,  where  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  up 
to  the  date  of  his  death,  May  17,  1848.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Experience  Gates,  who  was 
born  in  the  town  of  Conway,  in  April,  1775,  and  was 
also  of  English  descent.  Twelve  children  were  the 
result  of  this  union.  The  death  of  the  mother  took 
place  Dec.  30,  1844.  Henry,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch,  was  the  fifth  child  and  remained  with  his 
parents  until  his  17th  year,  when  he  was  apprenticed 
to  the  tanning  arid  shoemaking  trade,  working  at  the  !• 
former  in  the  warmer  months,  and  at  shoemaking 
during  the  winter,  at  his  shoj),  which  was  situated  in 
the  town  of  Colerain.  In  this  combined  business  he 
served  a  four  years'  apprenticeship  and  then  pursued 
journeyman  work  up  to  1831,  when  he  went  to  North 
Carolina  and  engaged  in  peddling  dry  goods  in  Lincoln 
County  until  1839,  the  time  of  his  arrival  in  Knox- 
ville, when  he  commenced  in  trade  here,  and  contin- 
ued the  same  up  to  the  winter  of  1845,  when  he  sold 
out. 

In  1843  Henry  Arms  was  elected  County  Treas- 
urer, in  which  office  he  continued  three  years,  his 
duty  being  also  to  assess  the  county.  In  1846  he 
was  induced  by  his  friends  to  resign  this  office  and 
become  the  Whig  candidate  for  Sheriff,  to  which  of- 
fice he  was  elected  and  re-elected  in  1848.  In  1850 
he  was  elected  to  represent  Knox  County  in  the  lower 
house  of  the  State  Legislature.  Since  that  time  he 
has  served  as  Mayor  of  Knoxville,  and  is  one  of  the 
leading  Aldermen.  Since  the  organization  of  the 
County  Agricultural  Board  he  has  taken  an  active 
part  in  all  of  its  deliberations,  and  has  been  Presi- 
dent of  that  Board,  a  post  which  he  most  creditably 
held.  He  was  formerly  of  the  Whig  school  of  poli- 
tics, but  became  a  Republican  at  the  organization  of 


4; 


So6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


that  party,  the  principles  of  which  he  strenuously  ad- 
heres to  at  the  present  day. 

In  June,  1839,  Mr.  Arms  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Lucy  Hamilton,  of  Conway,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass., 
where  she  was  born  July  24,  1817.  By  this  union 
there  were  three  children — Spencer  D.,  born  April  4, 
1840,  and  dying  in  October  of  the  same  year;  Martha 
H.,  born  Aug.  18,  1843,  and  the  wife  of  Albert  B. 
Mann,  living  in  Woodson  County,  Kan.;  Henry  W., 
born  Oct.  3,  1850,  resides  in  Knoxville.  Mrs.  Arms 
died  Sept.  14,  1884.  She  was  a  most  estimable  lady, 
rarely  gifted,  and  was  a  true  and  devoted  wife  and  an 
affectionate  mother. 

Mr.  Arms  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  since 
1839,  and  is  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  Galesburg  Town- 
ship, including  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
24.  He  purchased  this  when  in  its  primitive  state, 
and  has  personally  superintended  all  the  improve- 
ments since  made.  At  present  he  rents  the  farm 
and  holds  an  interest  in  the  slock.  He  is  a  gentle- 
man of  genial  temperament  and  good  practical  judg- 
ment, who  includes  among  his  acquaintances  many 
substantial  friends. 

The  portraits  of  Mr.  Arms  and  his  late  wife  appear 
elsewhere  in  this  work,  and  we  trust  will  be  viewed 
with  pleasure  by  the  old  pioneers  yet  remaining  who 
shared  with  the  subject  of  this  sketch  the  vicissi- 
tudes incident  to  the  early  settlement  of  the  Prairie 
State. 


fe.  K.  Beale,  one  of  the  progressive  and  in- 
fluential farmers  of  Knox  County,  whose 
home  is  on  section  29,  Salem  Township,  is 
the  subject  of  this  biography.  He  is  success- 
ful in  his  chosen  field  of  labor,  and  is  widely 
known  and  highly  respected  for  his  sterling 
His  mechanical  ability  is  marked,  as  is 
shown  by  his  neat  residence,  which,  with  its  surround- 
ings, has  been  finished  by  his  own  hand. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Juniata  County,  Pa.,  Jan. 
8,  r835.  His  father,  George  Beale,  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  and  born  in  1799.  He  was  by  occu- 
pation a  farmer  in  the  county  where  our  subject  was 
born.  There  he  lived  until  1837,  when  he  went  to 
Ohio,  and,  purchasing  a  farm,  located  in  Wayne 
County.  There  he  lived  until  1844,  at  which  time  he 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Peoria  County.  The 


worth. 


journey  was  made  overland  with  five  horses  and  two 
wagons,  and  they  brought  with  them  the  household 
goods.  Cooking  and  camping  by  the  way,  they  sub- 
sequently reached  the  point  of  destination,  Trivoli, 
where  the  husband  and  father  purchased  land.  On 
this  was  erected  a  log  cabin,  and  the  land  was  broken 
and  fenced.  There  the  family  lived  four  years  in 
this  primitive  structure,  after  which  the  father  erected 
a  frame  house  and  barn  and  otherwise  improved  the 
place.  There  he  made  his  home  up  to  the  date  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  Feb.  20,  1881. 

The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Catherine  Kerr. 
She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  departed  this  life 
about  1 85 1.  There  were  13  children  born  to  this 
union,  eight  of  whom  grew  to  man  and  womanhood. 
Our  subject  was  the  eighth  child  in  order  of  birth, 
and  was  but  one  and  one-half  years  of  age  when  his 
parents  came  to  Oliio.  There  he  grew  to  manhood, 
reared  on  the  farm  until  he  attained  the  age  of  16 
years.  At  that  age  he  commenced  to  learn  the  black- 
smith's trade  at  Smithville,  Ohio,  serving  there  about 
two  years.  He  left  this  branch  of  business  in  1853, 
to  accompany  his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  on  his  ar- 
rival engaged  at  journeyman  work  in  Eugene,  Knox 
County.  From  there  he  went  to  Farmington,  where  he 
labored  one  and  one-half  years,  after  which  he  went 
back  to  Ohio,  opening  a  shop  at  Cedar  Valley. 

He  was  married  one  year  later  in  Wayne  County, 
Ohio,  March  2r,  1861,  to  Catherine  Flory,  who  was 
born  in  Wayne  County,  Ohio.  Purchasing  a  house 
and  lot  in  Lattisburg,  Ohio,  he  opened  a  shop  for 
himself  and  worked  at  his  trade  for  the  space  of 
four  years.  He  then  sold  out  and  bought  a  shop  two 
miles  from  the  town,  in  which  he  continued  in  the 
same  business  until  1872,  in  which  year  he  returned 
to  Illinois.  Locating  at  Farmington,  he  remained 
until  September  of  that  year  and  then  bought  25 
acres  of  land  on  section  29,  Salem  Township,  and  be- 
came a  resident  of  Knox  County.  Here  he  conducted 
his  business  until  1881,  when,  having  purchased 
other  land,  he  concluded  to  abandon  his  trade  en- 
tirely, and  devote  his  time  to  farming.  In  i88r  his 
house  was  burned,  but  he  immediately  built  the 
house  which  he  now  occupies,  and  otherwise  has  been 
well  prospered.  He  is  successful  in  the  raising  of 
stock  and  grain. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beale  had  eight  children — Mary  D., 
Curtis  P.,  Minerva,  Jennetta,  Nancy  E.,  William  Mc- 
Coy, Freddie,  Jessie  and  Myrtle.     In  politics  Mr.  B. 


tjr 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


507 


\ 


is  Democratic,  stanch  and  strong.  He  is  pleasantly 
situated,  and  his  social  relations  are  of  the  most 
agreeable  charaeter.  He  has  shown  that  "  patience 
and  perseverance,  in  time,  accomplish  much." 

an  Bensselaer  Smith.  Among  the  citizens 
of  noteworthy  repute  and  substantial  worth 
of  character  stands  the  subject  of  this  brief 
personal  history,  whom  we  take  pleasure  in  cit- 
ing as  an  example  of  worthy  industr)'  and  earnest 
labor.  His  home  is  situated  on  section  10,  in 
Maquon  Township.  His  barns,  out-buildings  and 
other  improvements  are  as  convenient  and  well-fin- 
ished as  any  in  the  county.  His  residence  is  neat 
and  handsome,  and  his  farm  consists  of  130  acres. 

In  April,  1836,  he  came  from  Fulton  County,  111., 
to  Knox  County,  locating  in  Chestnut  Township, 
where  he  resided  for  about  eight  years.  After  dis- 
posing of  his  land  in  that  township  he  returned  to 
Fulton  County  and  rented  a  farm  and  continued  on 
the  same  for  a  period  of  five  years.  Subsequently  he 
came  to  Salem  Township,  Knox  County,  and  for  two 
years  was  the  renter  of  a  farm.  His  first  purchase 
here  consisted  of  86  acres,  located  on  section  10, 
Maquon  Township,  his  present  fine  farm.  By  sub- 
sequent purchase  he  has  added  to  his  landed  interest 
until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  130  acres  of  improved 
land,  the  major  portion  of  which  is  tillable. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in  Windham 
County,  Vt.,  Nov.  18,  1806.  When  our  subject  was 
only  six  years  old  his  parents  moved  to  Cortland 
County,  N.  Y.  There  he  remained  until  he  had  at- 
tained the  age  of  maturity  when  he  went  to  try  his 
fortune  in  the  Keystone  State,  remaining  there  for 
seven  years,  and  six  years  later  came  to  Fulton 
Count)-,  in  this  State,  and  seven  years  later  to  Knox. 
While  residing  in  New  York  he  learned  the  trades  of 
tanner,  currier  and  shoemaker,  but  on  his  arrival  in 
the  Prairie  State  he  has  followed  the  honorable 
and  peaceful  calling  of  farming.  Mr.  Van  Rens- 
selaer Smith  was  united  in  marriage  in  Susquehanna 
Count)',  Pa.;  this  event  being  solemnized  Feb.  13, 
1831,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  .Angeline 
Catlin.  Miss  C.  was  born  in  the  county  and  State  in 
which  she  was  married,  Jan.  3,  1812.  The  issue  of 
this   marriage   has  been    the  birth  of  11   children, 


six  of  whom  are  living,  viz. :  Mary,  De  Witt, 
Albert,  Louisa,  Erastus  and  Charlie.  The  deceased 
children  all  died  young,  with  the  exception  of  one, 
Dora,  who  was  the  wife  of  Michael  Moorehead ;  she 
became  the  mother  of  five  children.  Mary  Smith  be- 
came the  wife  of  Henry  Humphreys,  a  resident  of 
Topeka,  Kan.;  Albert  Smith  took  to  wife  Lottie  Hill, 
and  Maquon  Township  is  their  present  home  ;  Louisa 
is  the  devoted  wife  of  Thomas  F.  Lowman,  they  also 
reside  in  Maquon  Township;  Erastus  is  also  a  resi- 
dent of  that  township;  Charles  became  the  husband 
"of  Lesta  Day  and  they  reside  in  Maquon  Township. 
The  parents  of  Mr.  Smith  of  this  sketch  were  James 
and  Elizabeth  (Jacobs)  Smith,  natives  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  and  of  Dutch  and  English  ancestry. 
The  death  of  the  mother  took  place  in  New  York 
State,  while  the  father  died  in  Knox  County.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Smith  were  Erastus  and  Polly 
(Wright)  Cadin,  natives  of  the  Nutmeg  State.  Polit- 
ically -Mr.  S.  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party. 

— ^v o*o-(c5>»^^@-o*o. <,— 

jtoseph  Shearer,  deceased,  was  one  of  the 
re^pected  and  honored  citizens  of  this 
""•"  county  and  a  well-to-do  and  successful  , 
merchant  of  Maquon.  He  was  born  in  Arm- 
strong County,  Pa.,  Jan.  20,  i84t.  From 
Armstrong  County,  Pa.,  he  removed  to  Ohio, 
and  from  there  to  this  county  in  i860,  and  made  a 
settlement  in  Haw  Creek  Township,  where  he  Uved 
until  1867.  He  then  moved  to  Maquon  Township 
and  the  village  of  that  name,  and  there  formed  a 
partnership  with  his  brother  Gabriel,  under  the  firm 
name  of  Shearer  Bros.  Soon,  however,  Mr.  Shearer 
of  this  notice  bought  out  his  brother's  interest  and 
carried  on  the  business  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred Aug.  31,  1883. 

Mr.  Shearer  was  married  in  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship, March  13,  1863,  to  Lucinda  J.,  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Jane  C.  (Guthrie)  Johnson,  of  Welsh  and 
German  ancestr)-  respectively.  Her  parents  had  two 
children — Lucinda  J.  and  Henry.  Lucinda  J.  is  the 
only  one  who  survives  of  her  parents'  children,  and 
was  born  in  Williams  County,  Ohio,  Oct.  14,  1846, 
and  was  15  years  of  age  when  she  came  with  her  par- 
ents to  this  county. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shearer  has  been  blest 


fr 


Jyl 


^: 


-— ^ 


508 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


by  the  birth  of  five  children — Clara  M.,  Jennie  B., 
Essie  A.,  Cora  V.  and  Henry  M.  Clara  is  the  wife 
of  S.  C.  Dennis,  who  resides  in  Maquon  and  has 
borne  him  one  child — Edward  J. ;  Essie  Shearer  mar- 
ried Decatur  Rambo,  a  resident  of  Orange  Township, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  the  calling  of  a  farmer. 

Since  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Shearer  car- 
ries on  the  business  which  he  left  at  Maquon.  It  is 
that  of  general  hardware  and  merchandise,  and  by 
strict  attention  to  business  and  fair  and  honest  deal- 
ing with  her  patrons  Mrs.  S.  is  losing  none  of  the 
trade  which  her  husband  established.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  1.  O.  O.  F.  In  politics  he  voted  with 
the  Republican  party. 


|^\  eorge  W.  Simpklns.  Among  the  respected 
citizens  and  well-to-do  farmers  of  this 
county,  who  have  made  what  they  have  of 
this  world's  goods,  not  having  been  the  recipi- 
ents of  any  legacy,  is  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical notice.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Simpkins 
were  Horatio  and  Mary  (Rice)  Simpkins,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  In  that  State  the  parents  were  mar- 
ried and  lived  until  1836,  when  they  came  to  this 
county  and  settled  on  Spoon  River,  three  miles  east 
of  Maquon  village,  and  there  the  father  followed 
farming  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  removed  to 
Salem  Township,  wliere  the  demise  of  both  parents 
occurred.  They  had  11  children,. who  grew  to  the 
age  of  man  and  womanhood,  and  whose  names  are 
Margaret,  Noah,  Rachel,  John,  Hiram,  William, 
Elizabetli,  George  W.,  Horatio,  Jesse  and  Anna  M. 

George  W.  Simpkins  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
Dec.  17,  1831,  and  was  about  five  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  emigrated  to  this  county,  where  he  has 
lived  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  spent 
in  Iowa,  and  one  year  in  Ford  County,  this  State.  He 
is  engaged  in  agriculture,  in  which  he  has  met  with 
far  more  than  ordinary  success.  He  is  at  the  pres- 
ent writing  the  proprietor  of  317  acres  of  ground, 
the  major  portion  of  which  is  in  a  good  tillable  con- 
dition. 

Mr.  Simpkins  was  married  in  Haw  Creek  Town  ship, 
April  7,  1849,  to  Mary  McCoy,  daughter  of  David 
and  Anna  (Donaldson)  McCoy.  Her  parents  came 
to  this  county  in  the  spring  of  1806  and  made  settle- 


ment in  Maquon  Township.  They  afterward  re- 
moved to  Haw  Creek  Township,  and  thence  to  Iowa, 
where  her  father  died.  The  mother  returned  to  this 
county  and  died  in  Maquon  village.  Of  their  union 
II  children  were  born — -Richard,  Allen,  Margaret, 
.Andrew,  Mary,  Francis,  Lewis,  David,  Marion  and 
Betsy,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Simpkins 
was  born  in  Virginia,  May  22, 1824,  and  is  the  mother 
of  four  children — Andrew,  Anna,  Nathan  and  Will- 
iam H.  Andrew  married  Lydia  Thiel,  and  is  a 
farmer  in  Maquon  Township;  they  have  six  children 
— George  W.,  Frederick,  Clara,  Henry,  Lovina  and 
Gertie;  Anna  married  David  Baroni,  and  resides  in 
Chestnut  Township ;  they  have  two  children — Nathan 
and  Fredrick;  Nathan  married  Mary  J.  Winchell,  by 
whom  he  has  three  children — Susan,  Blanche  and 
Charlie  C;  William  H.  Simpkins  married  Jessie  Simp- 
son, and  is  a  resident  of  Chestnut  Township,  and 
they  have  one  child — Clarence. 

Mr.  Geo.  W.  Simpkins  has   been   School  Director 
in  his  township,  and  in  politics  votes  with  the  Dem-  ' 
ocratic  party. 


W.  Hulse,  residing  on  section  5,  in  Sparta 
Townsliip,  will  be  found  the  subject  of  this 
ft's.\a-\  historical  notice,  who  may  be  well  consid- 
f  Vwf  ered  one  of  the  most  substantial  men  of  Knox 
County.  In  native  worth  and  ability  he  has 
no  superior,  and  his  success  in  his  chosen 
field  of  labor  redounds  to  his  credit.  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  1862  and  settled  on  the  homestead  he  now 
occupies,  purchasing,  as  a  foundation  for  his  future 
home,  80  acres.  He  has  since  added  30  acres,  do- 
ing general  farming  and  improving  and  cultivating 
his  farm,  which  he  values  at  ^75  per  acre.  His  la- 
bors have  been  blest  and  profuse  benefits  have  been 
his  portion  as  a  result  of  his  exertions. 

Mr.  Hulse  was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
Jan.  55,  1826,  and  his  parents,  Benjamin  F.  and 
Clarissa  (Wade)  Hulse,  were  natives  of  that  county. 
They  lived  on  a  dairy  farm  which  they  owned  in  that 
State,  and  conducted  both  branches  of  the  business, 
to  their  mutual  profit.  The  father  died  in  1870, 
passing  from  earth  to  the  great  Beyond,  from  the  farm 
where  he  first  saw  the  light  of  day;  his  wife  had 
preceded  him  to  the  land  of  the  hereafter  in  1841. 


'^'" 


1^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


509 


They  had  a  family  of  1 2  children,  ten  of  whom  still 
live. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  the  fifth 
child  in  order  of  birth,  and  reached  bachelorhood  be- 
fore lea%-ing  the  parental  roof,  being  33  years  of  age. 
He  received  a  common-school  education,  and  on 
leaving  home  rented  a  farm  for  two  years.  In  1862 
he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  the  place  he  now 
owns.  Here  he  began  the  pursuits  in  which  he  has 
since  engaged  with  such  gratifying  success. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hulse  with  Mary  E.  Brooks 
took  place  in  January,  1859.  She  was  bom  Sept. 
22,  1836,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Oscar  Y.  and 
Mary  E.  (Mapes)  Brooks,  who  had  a  family  of  ten 
children,  three  of  whom  are  still  living.  The  father 
died  in  1872  and  the  mother  in  1853.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hulse  have  si.x  children,  all  living,  as  follows :  Ab- 
bie  L.,  Mary  A.,  now  Mrs.  John  Kelley ;  Hattie 
A.,  Susie  S.,  John  D.  and  Richard  W.  Mr.  Hulse 
takes  a  place  in  the  foremost  rank  of  busy  workers 
in  the  county,  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  may, 
indeed,  be  said  to  be  "  diligent  in  business,  fervent  in 
spirit,  ser\'ing  the  Lx)rd,"  and,  with  his  wife  and  three 
children,  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church  of  Ontario,  and  one  of  its  stanchest 
supporters. 


"7-^ 


€S- 


William  H.  Beeson,  member  of  the  firm  of 
Beeson  .Sc  Son,  manufacturers  of  brick  and 
^^-^  tile  at  Yates  City,  was  born  in  Highland 
^r  County,  Ohio,  Oct.  28,  1834.  His  father, 
Henry  Beeson,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
county,  while  his  grandfather,  also  Henrj-  Bee- 
son by  name,  was  originally  from  North  Caro- 
lina. He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Highland 
County,  Ohio,  and  was  by  occupation  a  farmer, 
spending  the  last  years  of  his  life  in  the  county  whose 
growth  he  had  so  attentively  watched. 

Henry  Beeson,  father  of  Wm.  H.,  was  married  in 
Highland  County  to  Elizabeth  Beeson,  a  native  of 
that  county.  He  had  learned  the  trade  of  millwright 
in  his  younger  days,  and  after  marriage  bought  a  grist 
and  saw  mill  in  Highland  County,  continuing  in  the 
business  until  1836,  when  he  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
and  settled  on  the  north  line  of  Fulton  County.  This 
was  wild  land,  and  upon  it  he  erected  a  saw-mill,  the 


first  in  that  section  of  the  coun'ry.  There  he  lived, 
operating  his  business  for  four  or  five  years.  Then, 
selling  out,  he  bought  a  farm  near  Fairview,  and  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits  the  remainder  of  his 
days,  which  terminated  in  1847.  His  wife  survived 
him  for  several  years,  and  took  a  keen  interest  in  the 
advancement  of  their  children,  of  whom  there  were 
four,  our  subject  being  the  eldest. 

William  H.  Beeson  was  but  13  years  of  age  when 
his  father  died,  but  was  extremely  self-dependent 
and  brave,  and  starting  out  from  his  home  he  com- 
menced to  earn  his  own  living.  His  first  work  was  a 
two  months'  situation,  during  which  time  he  drove 
a  team,  breaking  prairie  land,  and  only  received  $5, 
which  he  was  cora|>elled  to  take  out  in  merchandise 
from  the  store.  After  that  he  sought  and  accepted 
such  employment  as  seemed  to  pay  best,  usually 
farming,  bnt  occasionally  working  in  a  brickyard.  In 
1855  he  commenced  in  business  for  himself  by  open- 
ing a  brickyard  at  Uniontown,  in  which  he  continued 
for  two  seasons.  He  was  next  engaged  in  farming, 
remaining  in  that  pursuit  until  1862,  when,  fired 
with  the  spirit  that  took  the  noblest  and  most  cour- 
ageous men  from  their  homes,  he  enlisted  under  the  - 
banner  of  his  country  Aug.  10  of  that  year.  He  was  1 
mustered  into  Co.  G,  83d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  joined  the 
regiment  at  Monmouth,  went  South  and  there  united  J 
with  the  .Army  of  the  Cumberland.  He  served  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  one  of  the  best  and  most  uncom- 
plaining and  worthy  soldiers  in  the  Union  army,  and 
did  garrisron  duty  at  Clarksville  and  Nashville, 
Tenn.,  for  some  months  during  the  last  year  of  his 
service.  He  was  mustered  out  at  Nashville, Tenn.,  with 
the  regiment,  and  went  to  Yates  City,  III.,  beating 
with  him  the  full  consciousness  of  duty  done.  Soon 
after  his  arrival  he  returned  to  his  old  employment 
of  brickmaking,  at  which  he  continued  for  one  year. 
His  next  move  was  to  Macjuon,  where  he  opened  a 
vard  on  his  own  account  and  received  a  hearty  and 
united  patronage  up  to  the  year  1875,  at  which  time 
he  added  lilemaking  to  his  business.  In  1882  he 
came  to  Yates  City  and  established  himself,  and  is 
now  one  of  its  most  prosperous  business  men. 

Of  the  children  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Beeson, 
Hamrick  lives  in  Seward,  Xeb.,  .Alfred  died  in  infan- 
cy, and  the  two  remaining  are  Porter  and  Pearl.  Por- 
ter is  associated  with  his  father  in  business,  and  was 
born  Jan.  18,  1862.  He  was  married  Jan.  18,  1883, 
to  Miss   Elizabeth  Meeks,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 


^lkl 


a^ 


510 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


Minerva  Meeks.  To  them  has  been  born  one  child, 
named  Edward  P.  Beeson.  Politically  they  are  Re- 
publicans. 


!,harles  Carlton  is  one  of  the  prominent 
citizens  and  active  merchants  of  Oneida, 
dealing  in  groceries,  etc.  He  came  to  Onei- 

1^    da   in    1867,   and    first    engaged  witli   J.  B. 

^^  Conyers,  now  deceased,  as  his  bank  cashier 
and  manager  of  his  mercantile  establishment) 
then  at  this  place.  He  was  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  C. 
till  187  I,  when  he  established  a  grocery  store,  which 
he  still  carries  on.  One  year  of  this  period,  1873,  he 
acted  as  bookkeeper  and  cashier  for  Mr.  J.  N.  Con- 
ger, who  was  the  owner  of  the  bank  at  this  place,  and 
extensively  engaged  in  cattle-buying,  etc.;  otherwise 
he  has  devoted  his  whole  time  to  his  present  bus- 
iness. 

He  was  born  in  London,  England,  May  n,  1842, 
and  was  the  only  child  of  Charles  Carlton  ;  the  maid- 
en name  of  his  mother  being  Shekle,  the  latter  dying 
X  when  her  son  was  only  five  years  old.  Both  parents 
were  natives  of  England  and  of  pure  English  blood. 
The  father  kept  a  public  house  known  as  "  Duke  of 
Wellington  "  tavern,  located  near  the  "  Government 
Building,"  which  proved  to  be  a  very  profitable  bus- 
iness, and  enriched  the  family.  The  father  died  in 
August,  1863,  at  the  age  of  67  years.  His  father 
sent  Charles  at  the  age  of  six  years  to  France  to  be 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Guyenne, where  he  acquired 
a  fine  education  in  the  French  language,  returning 
to  London  in  1856,  taking  up  his  residence  with  an 
uncle,  James  Jackson.  He  kept  the  "  Hyde  Park 
Hotel "  and  acted  as  clerk  for  a  commission  mer- 
chant named  John  Newton,  a  dealer  in  fine  Prussian 
wines,  staying  with  him  ten  months,  when  he  became 
keeper  of  the  policy-books  for  the  Mitre  Life  Insur- 
ance Company  for  one  year. 

In  November,  1858,  he  sailed  for  the  United 
States,  landing  in  Portland,  Me.,  in  the  same  month, 
^oing  thence  to  Toronto,  Canada,  and  afterward  to 
Chicago.  In  February,  1859,  he  went  to  Loda,  Iro- 
quois Co.,  111.  At  that  place  he  enlisted  in  the  Union 
Aimy,  believing  it  to  be  his  duty  to  assist  in  pre- 
serving the  government  of  his  adopted  country,  en- 
listing July  30,  1861,  in  Co.  G,  42d  111.  Vol.  Inf.^ 
Capt.  W.  H.  Booner,  of  the  Cumberland  Army,  un- 


der Gen.  Sherman.  He  was  soon  after  made  Ser- 
geant Major  of  the  regiment,  just  before  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga,  in  1863;  afterward  he  became  First 
Lieutenant  of  his  own  company,  "  G,"'  and  held  the 
position  until  1866,  when  he  was  honorably  dis- 
charged, together  with  his  regiment,  at  Port  Lavaca, 
Texas,  in  January  of  that  year.  During  his  military 
service  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Farmington, 
Stone  River,  Chickamauga,  Mission  Ridge,  Buzzard's 
Roost,  Resaca,  New  Hope  Church,  Kenesaw  Mount- 
ain, Peach  Tree  Creek,  Atlanta,  Jonesboro  and  the 
sanguinary  battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville.  Brave- 
ly sharing  all  the  dangers  and  perils  of  these  con- 
flicts, he  passed  through  them  all  unscathed,  and, 
except  the  freezing  of  a  limb  while  on  picket  in  1861, 
and  the  usual  hardships  of  the  war,  escaped  unhurt. 
Receiving  his  discharge  at  Port  Lavaca,  he  went  to 
Chicago  and  engaged  one  year  as  clerk  for  Mr.  J.  M. 
Loomis,  a  hat  dealer  on  Clark  street,  from  whence 
he  came  to  Oneida,  and  was  engaged  as  above  nar- 
rated. In  1868,  feeling  a  natural  desire  to  revisit 
the  scenes  of  his  youth,  and  other  places,  he  made  a 
tour  of  Europe,  visiting  France,  Germany,  Switzer- 
land and  Old  England,  leaving  America  in  June  and 
returning  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

Reverting  to  his  early  history  again,  he  was  mar- 
ried Aug.  2,  1869,  in  Oneida,  to  Miss  Josephine  L. 
Bowers,  who  was  born  at  Quincy,  111.,  in  May,  1847, 
where  she  was  raised  and  educated,  being  the  daugh- 
ter of  I.  L.  Bowers.  Her  father  was  a  most  accom- 
plished musician,  his  skill  and  taste  in  which  fine  art 
he  seems  to  have  transmitted  to  the  daughter,  of 
whom  it  is  said  that  she  is  one  of  the  most  accom- 
plished in  instrumental  music  in  Knox  County,  or  in 
the  city  of  Oneida.  Her  father  died  in  New  Orleans 
in  1872.  This  happy  family  is  blessed  not  only  by 
the  accomplished  wife  and  cultured  husband,  but 
also  by  two  charming  daughters,  whose  presence  and 
goodness  brighten  still  more  the  refined  home. 
Miss  Helen,  the  eldest,  was  born  July  16,  1870,  and 
Miss  Katie,  November  24,  1 871,  and  both,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  splendid  home  culture  bestowed  by  the 
cultivated  mother,  have  been  well  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Oneida,  and,  as  might  well  be  ex- 
pected, are  favorites  in  society,  which  they  adorn. 
Mrs.  C.  has  been  a  teacher  of  music,  is  organist  for 
the  Congregational  Church  of  this  place,  although 
herself  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Society,  her  hus- 
band holding  a  membership  in  the  former  society,  of 


J 


"T^ 


V 


which  he  is  clerk.  He  also  holds  the  office  of  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  is  Notary  Public  ;  in  politics  he  is 
a  Horace  Greeley  Democrat,  not  believing  in  party 
servitude,  but  in  choosing  and  supporting  principles 
which  commend  themselves  to  his  judgment  as  best 
calculated  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the  country  and 
of  the  people. 

Yet  in  the  very  prime  of  his  manhood,  very  few 
men  have  led  a  more  eventful  life,  passed  through 
more  dangers,  or  had  a  move  varied  e.xperience  in 
life  than  Mr.  Carlton.  Left  without  the  tender  care 
of  a  mother  at  an  early  age ;  passing  the  years  of  his 
boyhood  among  strangers  in  a  foreign  land;  meeting 
for  years  the  dangers  and  privations  of  war,  exposed 
to  all  the  trying  temptations  of  great  cities  and  of 
business,  through  all  vicissitudes  he  maintained  his 
integrity  and  his  honor,  whether  a  student,  merchant, 
soldier  or  citizen,  and  in  his  mature  years  is  found 
always  at  the  post  of  duty,  a  blessing  to  his  family, 
a  Christian  and  a  most  useful  member  of  the  com- 
munity. That  a  larger  sphere  of  usefulness  awaits 
him  there  can  be  no  doubt. 

,,>, o*o-@JA><^@-o4o.. <r^- 

oseph  Harris,  deceased.  Among  the  early 
settlers  of  Kno.x  County,  whose  industry 
and  enterprise  have  contributed  lo  its  de- 
velopment and  growth,  Joseph  Harris,  now 
deceased,  is  worthy  of  honorable  mention  and 
remembrance.  He  was  born  in  Montgomery 
County,  Ohio,  at  Centreville,  April  17,  1827,  and  was 
the  son  of  James  and  Rebecca  C.  (Jennings)  Harris. 
He  was  raised  in  his  native  State  and  came  to  this 
county  in  1853,  buying  land  in  Elba  Township,  and 
was  engaged  in  farming  there  until  1869,  when  he 
moved  to  Abingdon  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile 
business,  still,  however,  retai  ing  his  farm.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  carrying  on  of  farming  operations,  he  was 
also  moderately  engaged  in  the  growing  of  cattle. 
He  continued  in  the  mercantile  business  up  to  within 
a  short  time  of  his  decease,  which  occurred  April 
2o,  1883. 

Mr.  Harris  was  married  Sept.  19,  1854,  at  Roch- 
ester, Illinois,  to  Miss  Matilda  C.  Hart,  daughter  of 
Finney  and  Jane  (Quinn)  Hart.  Mrs.  H.  was  born 
near  Eaton,  Preble  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  6,  1829.  Of  this 
union  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter,  were  born. 


both  residing  with  their  mother  at  Abingdon  :  Mary 
E.,  the  daughter,  having  been  born  April  i,  1856,  and 
Israel  J.  Oct.  24,  1857. 

Mr.  Harris  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1856-7, 
and  was  Trustee  of  Abingdon  College  several  years. 
Politically,  he  acted  with  the  Republican  party,  but 
was  not  a  strong  partisan.  He  and  wife  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Christian  Church,  as  are  also  the  present 
members  of  the  family.  The  son,  Israel,  now  car- 
ries on  the  farm  and  is  a  stock-grower.  His  father, 
Mr.  Harris,  of  whom  this  is  a  biography,  was  of  En- 
glish descent,  and  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Harris  were 
natives  of  Georgia.  The  family  is  one  of  the  most 
respected  in  the  county  and  among  its  most  useful 
and  valuable  people. 

ohn  Taylor.  It  is  clearly  apparent  that 
the  subject  of  this  biography  may  be 
named  among  those  who  have  by  industry 
and  perseverance  made  their  way  in  the  world. 
%Z  He  is  a  farmer,  whose  estate  lies  on  section  22 
I  of  Sparta  Township.  Mr.  Taylor  was  born  in 
Lancashire,  England,  on  Aug.  8,  1829,  and  was  the 
son  of  James  and  Bettie  (Knight)  Taylor,  natives  of  J 
Lancashire.  They  were  born  respectively  on  the  loth 
of  August,  1797,  and  in  November,  1797.  The  moth- 
er died  in  1855,  and  the  father  in  1872.  A  family 
of  eight  children  grew  up  around  them,  whose  names 
are  on  the  family  record  as  Samuel,  Joseph,  Thomas, 
Ann,  John,  Jonah,  Sarah  and  Martha. 

They  came  to  America  in  1844,  settling  in  Beaver 
County,  Pa.,  where  they  remained  14  years  and  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  came  to  Illinois,  in  1858, 
and  located  in  Sparta  Township,  purchasing  80 
acres  of  land  on  section  22,  where  they  worked  im- 
proving it,  until  the  date  of  the  husband's  death. 
Samuel  Taylor  was  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
and  was  from  Cheshire,  England.  The  date  of  his 
birth  was  April  15,  1762,  and  his  wife  was  born  May 
12,  1769.  Their  family  was  large,  including  ten 
children,  of  whom  James  was  the  seventh.  Hannah, 
Samuel  and  James  were  the  only  ones  who  came  to 
America.  At  the  age  of  seven  years  James  was 
hired  out  lo  make  shoepegs.  After  working  for  three 
years  at  this  he  was  allowed  three  months  at  school, 
but  this,  with  the  exception  of  evening  school,  was 


«i 


512 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  sole  advantage  allowed  him  in  an  educational 
way.  On  reaching  the  age  of  ten  he  went  into  a 
coal  shaft,  1,100  feet  under  ground,  where  he  worked 
for  five  years.  About  this  time  the  family  emigrated 
to  America,  and  he  was  set  to  work  in  a  coal  mine 
at  Sharon,  Pa.  He  remained  there  until  1856,  when 
he  came  to  Illinois.  Here  he  engaged  in  farming, 
on  the  homestead  where  he  now  lives,  on  section  23, 
which  also  has  a  coal  mine,  which  he  works.  He  is 
interested  in  Short-horn  cattle,  aad  made  his  first 
purchase  of  the  Shakers  in  187T.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  Feb.  12,  1856,  to  Miss  Margaret  Cliadwick, 
a  native  of  Lancashire,  England.  Mrs.  Taylor  was 
the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Catherine  (Nuttle) 
Chadwick.  Her  parents  came  to  America  in  1842, 
and  settled  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  they  engaged  in 
the  rolling-mills  and  remained  in  that  city  until  their 
death  in  1872  and  1873,  respectively. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Taylor  have  a  family  of  seven 
children,  as  follows:  James,  Hamilton,  Kate,  Ellen, 
Martha,  Minnie  and  Eugene.  Mr.  Taylor  has  taken 
an  active  interest  in  local  affairs  and  accepted  any 
office  to  which  duty  seemed  to  call  him  as  the  best 
man  for  the  place.  He  is  Republican  in  politics,  and 
has  held  the  office  of  Assessor  for  3r  years,  besides 
filling  acceptably  the  position  of  School  Director. 

JLyrus  Bliss,  a  resident  on  section  11,  Salem 
Township,  is  an  extensive  farmer  and  a 
self-made  man  in  every  sense  the  word 
jj^  implies.  He  is  a  native  of  New  York,  and 
was  born  May  23,  1834,  in  Chautauqua 
County.  His  father,  Z.  G.  Bliss,  was  a  native 
of  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  born  May  12,  r793,  and  em- 
igrated with  his  parents  to  New  York  when  quite 
young.  They  located  in  Onondaga  County,  being 
very  early  settlers  there,  and  his  father  served  a  time 
in  the  War  of  18 12. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  married  in  Onon- 
daga County,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Ma- 
bel Gillet.  After  marriage  they  removed  to  Chau- 
tauqua County.  The  father  was  a  mechanic  by  trade, 
but  was  engaged  in  milling  in  Chautauqua  County 
until  1837,  when  he  concluded  to  try  his  fortune  in 
the  West.  He  consequently  secured  lumber  and 
made  a  large  raft,  upon  which  he  built  shelter  to  ac- 


commodate his  family,  and  floated  down  Conewango 
Creek  to  the  Ohio  River  and  thence  to  Cincinnati, 
where  he  sold  the  lumber  of  which  his  raft  was  built 
and  embarked  on  a  steamer,  and  came  via  St.  Louis 
and  the  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Peoria. 
His  first  location  here  was  made  in  Peoria  County, 
where  he  purchased  wild  land,  and,  erecting  thereon 
a  log  cabin,  he  was  engaged  in  making  spinning- 
wheels,  chairs,  etc.,  in  the  meantime  improving  his 
land.  After  a  few  years  he  sold  out  and  removed  to 
Stark  County,  remaining  about  eight  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  returned  to  Peoria  County  and  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business  at  North  Hampton 
for  three  years.  We  next  find  him  in  Minnesota, 
where  he  purchased  mill  property  and  where  he  re- 
mained a  resident  for  three  years.  He  returned  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  Princeville,  where  he  lived 
until  his  death,  in  December,  1868,  his  wife  dying  at 
the  same  place  in  r88r.  He  had,  however,  been  a 
resident  of  the  latter  place  some  time  before  going  to 
Minnesota.  There  were  11  children  born  to  the  sen- 
ior Mr.  Bliss  and  wife,  8  of  whom  attained  the  age  of 
man  and  womanhood. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  three  years  of  age 
when  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  with 
whom  he  remained  until  he  was  17.  Upon  leaving 
home  he  worked  out,  receiving  the  small  renuraera-  ■' 
tion  of  §11  per  month.  As  times  grew  better  his 
wages  were  increased  until  he  was  in  receipt  of  $15.50 
per  month.  He  saved  his  money,  and  after  a  few 
years  was  enabled  to  commence  farming  for  himself. 
His  first  purchase  was  made  in  i86i,and  consisted 
of  20  acres  of  timber  land,  located  on  section  24,  Sa- 
lem Township.  Mr.  Bliss  continued  to  rent  land  for 
some  years  after  this,  but  at  the  same  time  was  en- 
gaged in  clearing  his  own  farm.  He  has  purchased 
other  land  from  time  to  time  until  he  is  now  the  pos- 
sessor of  267  acres  of  fertile  soil,  which  he  manages 
with  the  assistance  of  his  sons.  His  farm  is  im- 
proved by  good  and  substantial  farm  buildings,  lo- 
cated within  the  limits  of  Yates  City,  and  was  pur- 
chased in  1883. 

In  1855  Mr.  Bliss  was  married,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Angeline,  the  accomplished  and 
amiable  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Susan  Smith.  She 
was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  Pa.  This  union  was 
productive  of  six  children,  by  name  as  follows : 
Luther  A.,  Clarence  M.,  Olive  V.,  Mary  E.,  WiUiam 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L^iVERSlTY  OF  IIJLIKCIS 


\0t.^.) 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


S'S 


S.  and  Lillie  B.  Mr.  Bliss  cast  his  first  Presidential 
vote  for  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont,  but  is  a  Greenbacker 
in  politics. 


^  j,|%  W.  Hensley,  M.  D.,   whose  portrait  we 

J.^^J.-"   take  pleasure  in  presenting  to  our  readers, 

1^'         '^  °"^  ^^  Knox  County's  most  prominent 

j^  and  worthy  citizens,  and  was  born   in   Mont- 

]L     gomery    County,    Ky.,    Nov.    21,    1836.     His 

\      father,  Evan  S.  Hensley,  was  a  Virginian,  born 

in  1809,  and  his  grandfather,  Elijah  Hensley,  also 

claimed  Virginia  as  the  State  of  his  nativity.     Elijah 

Hensley  removed  to  Kentucky  about  18 15,  and  was 

among  the  early    settlers   in    Montgomery  County. 

Buying  timber  land,  he  cleared  a  farm,  upon   which 

he  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days,  dying  at  a  good 

old  age  in  the  home  which  had  been  the  fruit  of  his 

ambition    and   unremitting   toil.     He  had  served  in 

the  War  of  18 12,  receiving  a  wound  in  one  of  the 

engagements,  and  had  also  participated  in  some  of 

the  Indian   wars.     For  his  time  he  was  a  man   of 

good   education,    was    well    informed    and    a   great 

reader. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Hensley  grew  to  manhood  in 
Kentucky,  reared  on  a  farm.  He  commenced  teach- 
ing when  quite  a  young  man,  and  followed  that  pro- 
fession for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  united  in  the 
bonds  of  matrimony  with  Anis  Anderson,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  and  they  settled  down  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  where  he  engaged  alternately  in 
farming  and  leaching.  In  icS66  he  removed  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  in  Elba  Township,  where  he  bought  a 
farm  and  devoted  his  attention  largely  to  it  up  to 
the  date  of  his  death,  which  took  place  Dec.  22,  1870. 
His  widow  still  lives  on  the  farm. 

Dr.  Hensley  grew  to  manhood  in  Montgomery 
County,  Ky.,  receiving  a  common- school  education 
and  early  displaying  an  industry  that  won  iiim  golden 
opinions  from  teacher  and  pupils.  In  due  time  he 
entered  the  Preparatory  Department  of  Transylvania 
University,  at  Lexington,  Ky.,  where  he  applied 
himself  studiously  for  one  year.  In  1855  he  came 
to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  teaching  in  McDonough 
County.  Thus  he  gained  the  means  with  which  to 
continue  his  education.  Going  to  Abingdon,  Knox 
County,  he   entered   Cherry  Grove   Seminary,   and 


there  assumed  the  role  of  pupil  and  teacher  alter- 
nately (or  the  next  five  years.  His  last  term  was  at 
Vermont,  Fulton  County.  He  then  read  medicine 
with  Dr.  Hamer,  of  that  place.  He  entered  the  St. 
Louis  Medical  College,  at  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  attending 
lectures  during  the  sessions  of  1860-61,  and  then 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Sum- 
mum,  Fulton  County.  Three  years  later  he  removed 
to  Yates  City,  where  a  large  and  lucrative  patron- 
age rewarded  his  efforts,  which  now  extends  into 
Peoria  and  Fulton  Counties.  In  1864  he  opened  a 
drugstore,  one  of  the  best  in  Knox  County,  and  in 
1866  he  entered  Rush  Medical  College  at  Chicago, 
graduating  in  the  si)ring  of  1867  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D. 

Dr.  Hensley  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
being  Miss  Elizabeth  Miller,  of  Fulton  County,  their 
nuptials  being  celebrated  April  9,  1858.  Mrs.  Hens- 
ley was  the  daughter  of  David  Miller,  a  pioneer  of 
Sangamon  County,  and  at  her  death,  April  14,  '76,  left 
four  children — Dora,  wife  of  A.  M.  Smith,  living  at 
Irving  Park,  Cook  Co.,  111.;  Herman  J.,  a  student  at 
Rush  Medical  College;  Lula  M.,  wife  of  W.  W.  Lind, 
living  at  Albuquerque,  N.  M.;  and  Grace  B.,  now  " 
residing  at  home.  His  second  marriage  occurred  Jan. 
14,  1877,  with  Miss  Mary  Sloan,  of  Salem  Township, 
born  July  31,  1856,  and  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Allen)  Sloan.  From  their  union  have  sprung 
two  children — Edith  Jen.  and  Susie  J. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  Yates  City  Lodge, 
No.  448,  A.  F.  &A.  M.,  Eureka  Chapter,  No.  98, 
Yates  City,  and  Galesburg  Commandery,  K.  T.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  the  Military  Tract  and  State 
Medical  Societies,  besides  belonging  to  the  Ameri- 
can Medical  Association.  He  is  a  man  of  large  use- 
fulness in  his  immediate  community;  has  served  as 
Supervisor  of  Salem  Township  for  two  years;  has 
been  President  of  the  City  Council  and  a  member  of 
the  village  Board  of  Education,  taking  active  meas- 
ures in  forwarding  the  grading  of  the  schools.  His 
religious  belief  is  Presbyterian,  to  which  church  he 
is  united  as  a  member  by  profession  of  faith.  He  is 
an  earnest  worker,  a  close  student  and  a  deep 
thinker,  is  honest  and  upright  and  has  gained  the 
success  granted  to  those  who  struggle  bravely  to 
achieve  an  ambition. 

In  politics  Dr.  Hensley  is  Democratic,  and  in 
1872  was  nominated  in  convention  assembled  to 
represent   Knox  and  Mercer  Counties  in  the  State 


nJL^ 


<^ 


•!» 


Si6 


■  Y. 
KNOX  C0UN7  V. 


4 


Legislature,  but  was  defeated  owing  to  the  prejudice 
growing  out  of  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  from 
Knoxville  to  Galesburg.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Pension  Board  of  Surgeons,  which  meets  at  Gales- 
burg once  each  week,  but  notwithstanding  his  interest 
in  his  profession  and  its  various  avenues  of  useful- 
ness, he  is  fond  of  agricultural  pursuits  and  is  the 
owner  of  a  fine  farm  in  Salem  Township.  This  com- 
prises 280  acres,  on  sections  12  and  13,  furnished 
with  farm  buildings,  commodious  and  convenient, 
and  well  stocked  with  Hereford  and  high-grade 
Short-horn  cattle,  horses  and  hogs.  In  carrying  on 
his  farming  operations  he  gives  employment  to  a 
number  of  persons,  and  while  thus  benefiting  them 
secures  much  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to  himself. 

perry  Lucas.  Knox  County  includes  many 
I  influential  and  worthy  citizens  within  her 
^^  borders,  and  among  thera,  noteworthy  for 
his  energy,  his  diligence  of  purpose  and  his 
marked  success,  may  be  quoted  the  name  of 
the  subject  of  this  personal  sketch.  Mr.  L. 
is  a  farmer,  residing  on  section  5,  in  Indian  Point 
Township,  and  has  for  some  length  of  time  been  in- 
terested in  agricultural  pursuits  and  also  in  the 
breeding  of  fine  blooded  stock.  He  has  adopted  as 
the  name  of  his  farm  "The  Tall  Cedar  Farm,"  as 
justly  fitting  its  location  and  surroundings. 

Mr.  Lucas  was  born  in  Warren  County,  111.,  Feb. 
6,  1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Josiah  C.  Lucas.  His 
father  was  born  July  30,  1832,  in  the  State  of  Illinois, 
and  married  Miss  Hannah  G.  Townsend,  a  native 
of  New  York  State.  Mrs.  (J.  C.)  Lucas  was  born 
March  22,  1832,  and  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mr.  Lucas  March  22,  1857.  To  them  have  been 
born  eight  children,  as  follows :  Ola,  James  L., 
Berry,  Jessie,  Rosa  J.  and  Harry  C.  These  are  the 
living  children,  and  those  whom  they  have  lost  by 
death  are  Guy,  who  died  at  the  age  of  18,  and  Lillie, 
lost  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Lucas  married,  Dec.  2,  1880,  Miss  Katie  D. 
Jamison,  who  was  born  in  Dallas  County,  Iowa,  Jan. 
10,  1859.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Maximilian  and 
Sarah  (Murphy)  Jamison,  natives  of  Kentucky.  Her 
father  was  bom  Aug.  20,  1815,  and  died  May  9, 
1884,  and  lies  at  rest  in   the  Abingdon   cemetery. 


He  was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  of  that 
city,  and  had  been  a  consistent  Christian  for  25 
years,  working  in  the  cause  of  Christ  Jesus  and 
showing  forth  the  fruits  of  his  faith  and  trust  in 
every  act  of  his  life.  He  was  a  working  member  in 
that  congregation,  helping  forward  every  good  enter- 
prise of  whatever  character  or  class. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jamison  are  the  parents  often  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  survive,  as  follows:  Nancy  E., 
the  wife  of  William  Hoen,  whose  home  is  in  Abing- 
don ;  Robert  B.,  who  married  Miss  Rosie  Ingles, 
and  who  also  lives  in  Abingdon  ;  Gertrude  A.,  who 
departed  this  life  in  infancy ;  John  P.,  who  married 
Miss  Laura  G.  Kipper  and  lives  in  Sedalia,  Mo. ; 
Sarah  H.,  who  was  united  in  marriage  with  Mr. 
Joel  B.  Atkinson  and  resides  in  Madison,  Mo. ;  Eva 
L.,  born  in  1868,  and  died  March  24,  1872;  Dora 
A.,  born  Jan.  2,  1849,  and  died  Oct.  2,  1863;  George 
P.,  born  March  30,  1856,  and  married  Miss  Sarah 
E.  CoUinson,  and  lives  near  Abingdon ;  and  Katie 
B.,  bom  Jan.  10, 1859,  married  Berry  Lucas,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lucas  of  this  writing  have  two  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Edith,  born  Sept.  5,  1882;  and 
Guy  W.,  born  Oct.  i,  1884.  Mr.  Lucas  has  been 
remarkably  successful  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor, 
and  is  the  owner  of  145  acres  of  fine  land.  Added 
to  this  he  unites  with  his  farming  pursuits  the  breed- 
ing of  fine  stock,  as  previously  stated ;  among  these 
he  reckons  high-grade  and  pure-bred  PoUed-Angus 
cattle,  of  which  he  owns  a  bull.  Dandy  John,  two 
years  old,  weighing  1,800  pounds,  which  came  from 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  and  is  numbered  3651.  He  is 
no  doubt  the  finest  animal  in  the  county  of  his  kind. 
Mr.  Lucas  also  owns  a  herd  of  30  head,  numbered  un- 
der Dandy  John,  in  Vol.  9,  of  the  Scotch  Herd-book. 
A  second  animal  of  this  kind  bears  the  name  of 
Prince  Mack,  is  No.  4442  of  the  American  Aberdeen- 
Angus  Herd-book,  and  was  born  July  18,  1885.  He 
was  purchased  of  J.  J.  Rogers  to  head  the  Tall 
Cedar  herd.  Mr.  Lucas  began  this  branch  of  bus- 
iness in  1883,  and  breeds  all  kinds  of  fine  blooded 
animals,  which  he  keeps  on  hand  continually  for 
sale  to  breeders.  He  also  owns  and  breeds  fine 
roadster  horses  of  Kentucky  blood. 

Mr.  Lucas  and  wife  are  useful,  working  members 
of  the  congregation  to  which  they  belong,  being 
united  with  the  Church  of  Christ,  at  Abingdon,  by 
profession  of  faith.      The  paternal    grandfather  of 


f 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


S«7 


Mr.  Lucas  is  still  living  in  Knox  County,  and  is  a 
widely  known  and  highly  esteemed  old  pioneer  of 
this  section  of  the  State.  He  is  Marshall  Lucas, 
a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  was  born  Sept.  5,  1801. 
His  first  wife,  Cynthia  (Whitman)  Lucas,  also  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky,  was  born  in  1803,  and  died  during 
the  year  1837-38.  By  this  union  there  were  eight 
children  born,  as  follows:  Thomas  H.,  Elizabeth, 
Christopher  W.,  Albert  VV.,  Emma  J.,  Josiah  C, 
John  and  Samuel  C.  Mr.  Lucas'  second  matrimo- 
nial alliance  was  with  his  present  wife,  Elizabeth,  «ftf 
Davidson,  who  still  survives,  and  is  known  by  her 
multitude  of  friends  as  "Aunt  Betsey,"  and  has  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  three  sons  and 
one  daughter,  the  names  of  whom  are  as  follows  : 
Mary  A.,  William,  Charlie  W.  and  Richard. 

The  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Berry  Lucas,  John  and 
Nancy  (Lamb)  Murphy,  came  to  Warren  County  in 
1851.  The  former  was  born  June  12,  1782,  and  the 
latter  May  5,  1788  This  union  was  productive  of 
12  children,  the  names  and  dates  of  whose  birth  are 
as  follows:  Polly,  born  July  15,  1806;  Seth  C, 
Sept.  12,  1807;  Rachel,  Sept.  12,  1809;  Keziah, 
May  17,  1811;  Hannah,  Dec.  19,  1812;  Margaret, 
Nov.  25,  1814;  William,  Nov.  8,  1816;  Sarah,  Sept. 
15,  1818;  Elizabeth,  Sept.  10,  1820;  Nancy,  Oct.  7, 
1822;  Theresa,  Sept.  17,  1824;  and  John  B.,  May 
II,  1826.  Mr.  Murphy  died  Aug.  6,  1848,  and  his 
wife  Sept.  14,  1830. 

Mr.  I,ucas  of  this  biography  is  something  of  a 
politician,  and  watches  all  the  changes  that  darken 
the  sky  of  the  nation.  He  has  been  a  Democrat  in 
voice  and  vote  for  a  number  of  years. 


avid  Henderson.     Among  the  promincn^ 
jj-^    and    representative    men    of    Henderson 


Township,  and  Knox  County,  the  gentl 
man  whose  name  graces  this  Albu.m  and  his- 
tory, as  well  as  his  family  and  antecedents 
stands  distinctly  out.  His  father,  Stewart  Hen- 
derson, was  a  native  of  County  Tyrone,  Ireland.  He 
came  to  this  country  at  the  age  of  18,  and  settled  in 
Fayette  County,  Pa.,  where  he  married  Ann  Hunt, 
a  native  of  New  Jersey,  of  Dutch  parentage.  They 
raised  a  family  of  ten  children,  eight  boys  and  two 
girls,  viz.:     Nancy,  Thomas,  Stewart,  Isaac,  Alexan- 


der, Harvey,  David,  Jacob,  Joseph  and  Mary  A. 
Four  are  now  deceased.  Hailing  from  Fayette 
County,  Pa.,  he  first  appeared  on  the  record  of  Knox 
County,  in  December,  185 1,  having  settled  on  sec- 
tion 12,  in  the  township  referred  to.  Here  he  has 
since  resided,  making  farming  and  the  raising  of  fine 
graded  stock  his  chief  pursuits.  He  now  owns  640 
acres  in  Kno.v  County,  besides  numerous  tracts  of 
land  in  other  counties  and  States.  Mr.  Henderson 
was  l)orn  in  Dunbar  Township,  in  the  county  and 
State  named,  Jan.  26,  1822,  and  lived  in  his  native 
county  up  to  the  date  of  his  arrival  in  Knox.  He 
received  an  excellent  common-school  education,  and 
had  prepared  himself  for  the  profession  of  teaching, 
but  subsequently  abandoned  it.  He  keeps  about  150 
head  of  finely  graded  cattle,  100  head  of  hogs  and  16 
horses.  Mr.  Henderson  may  be  counted  among  the 
skillful  farmers  of  the  day,  and  one  who  cultivates 
land  almost  entirely  on  scientific  principles.  In  dis- 
cussing the  matter  of  land  culture,  he  holds  very 
decided  views  as  to  the  methods  to  be  employed. 
He  is  a  strong  believer  in  raising  blue-grass  as  a 
most  profitable  crop,  as  well  as  best  suited  for  the 
food  of  horses  and  cattle. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Henderson  took  place  in 
Sparta  Township,  Knox  County,  June  5,  1854,  to 
Mrs.  Sophia  (Davis)  Poplett,  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Harriet  P.  (Cannon)  Davis,  and  widow  of  John  Poi> 
lett,  who  died  in  Peoria  County,  March  25,  1S52. 
Mrs.  Henderson  was  the  second  in  order  of  birth  of 
a  family  of  1 1  children,  viz. :  Amanda  F.,  Margaret 
J.,  Evan,  Mary,  William  C,  Nancy,  John  T.,  Har- 
riet A.,  George  W.,  James  I.,  Jacob  R.  Two  are  now 
deceased.  All  the  boys,  except  William,  were  sol- 
diers in  the  Civil  War  ;  all  were  honorablydischarged. 
George  was  taken  prisoner  at  Lexington,  Mo.,  by  Gen. 
Price's  command ;  he  was  paroled  and  returned 
home,  remained  two  montlis  and  again  went  into  the 
service.  By  her  former  marriage,  Mrs.  Henderson 
had  two  children — Henry  T.  and  Francis.  Henry  died 
in  his  ninth  year ;  and  Francis  still  resides  in  Hen- 
derson Township.  Mr  and  Mrs.  H.  are  the  parents 
of  eight  children — Nancy  A..  Mary  J.,  Jacob  H.,  Nel- 
lie S.,  Peter  D.,  Thomas,  Harriet  A.  and  David  A 
The  latter  of  these  is  now  deceased  ;  Nancy  A.  is  the 
wife  of  James  VV.  McMurtry  and  resides  in  Peoria, 
where  they  have  a  family  of  two  children — Nellie  S. 
and  Maud;  Mr.  McMurtry  is  in  the  revenue  ser- 
vice; Mary  J.  is  the  wife  of  William  Adcock  andi 


I 


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+4 


5i8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


resides  in  Warren  County  ;  they  have  also  two  chil- 
dren— Edmund  D.  and  Mary  S. ;  Jacob  H.  resides 
in  Kansas  ;  Nellie  S.  is  the  wife  of  Odean  E.  Put- 
nam and  resides  in  Clay  County,  Neb.,  she  has  one 
child — Claude  H.  ;  Peter  D.  resides  in  Henderson 
Township,  and  married  Miss  Mary  Barnett;  Thomas 
lives  in  Colorado. 

Mr.  Henderson  has  most  ably  filled  the  office  of 
Supervisor  and  Assessor  of  his  township.  Among 
the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  he  is  a  member  in  e.xcellent  stand- 
ing, and  thought  highly  of  at  his  Lodge,  Hiram,  No. 
26.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Alethodist 
Episcopal  Church,  in  which  community  they  are 
always  ready  to  render  any  service  calculated  to  ben- 
efit the  institution.  He  has  always  allied  himself 
with  the  Democrats  in  politics.  He  was  a  stanch 
Union  man  during  the  Civil  War. 

^^flj  Brainard,  the  present  efficient  Postmaster, 

'^l^g^  a   practical   agriculturist,  and   one  of  the 

^  1^^^  oldest  and  most  highly  esteemed  citizens 

1^]^  of  Oneida,  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
^r  sketch.  Mr.  Brainard  came  to  Knox  County 
^*  in  i860,  and,  locating  on  a  farm  of  80  acres,  be- 
gan the  work  of  cultivating  and  improving  it.  Feel- 
ing a  keen  interest  in  agricultural  pursuits,  he 
attempted  some  few  experiments,  and,  meeting  with 
success,  continued  his  labor  till  November,  1884, 
when  he  moved  into  Oneida,  having  lost  his  house 
by  fire.  He  at  one  time  was  quite  prominent  as  a 
fine-stock  raiser,  consisting  of  Short-horn  cattle  and 
Poland-China  hogs.  He  had  worked  the  farm  faith- 
fully, and  the  result  of  his  labors  were  plainly  visible. 
He  still  owns  this  property  as  well  as  a  residence  in 
Oneida. 

Mr.  Brainard  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y., 
March  17,  1822.  His  father,  also  named  Jephtha, 
and  his  grandfather  were  both  born  in  the  State  of 
Connecticut,  and  were  of  purely  New  England  origin 
and  birth.  The  history  of  this  family  is  an  extended 
one,  and  the  ancestors  are  largely  of  English  stock. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer,  who,  when 
14  years  of  age,  went  from  the  State  of  Connecticut 
into  what  is  now  known  as  Whitestown,  Oneida  Co., 
N.  Y.  His  father  numbered  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  that  place,  which  was   then  a  Uttle  settlement, 


sparsely  populated  and  barely  deserving  the  title  of 
village.  After  Jephtha's  father  was  married  in  Oneida 
County,  N.  Y.,  the  grandfather  having  died  on  the 
farm  on  which  he  settled,  he  moved  onto  a  farm  in 
Western  Township,  Oneida  County,  where  he  died 
nearly  30  years  ago. 

Mrs.  Brainard,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Catherine  Comstock,  departed  this 
life  at  the  same  place  some  few  years  after  the  death 
of  her  husband.  To  them  had  been  born  seven  chil- 
dren, who  had  grown  to  man  and  womanhood,  our 
subject  being  the  youngest  of  the  number.  Mr.  B. 
of  this  notice  passed  the  earlier  years  of  his  life  in 
the  county  of  his  birth,  and  was  educated  in  Rome 
Academy  and  at  Clinton,  the  same  county.  He  was 
married  in  Western  Township,  in  the  year  1854,  to 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Van  Wagenen,  whose  ancestry  was 
German  on  one  side.  She  was  born  on  a  farm  to 
parents  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  this  town- 
ship. The  mother  passed  from  life  some  years  since, 
and  the  father,  yet  living,  has  reached  the  advanced  ' 
age  of  80  years. 

Mrs.  Brainard  is  the  mother  of  four  children — J 
Herbert,  married  and  residing  on  a  farm  in  Madison  ^ 
County,  Iowa  ;  Lois  K.;  C.  Comstock,  married,  and 
who,  having  lost  his  wife  by  death,  resides  at  home, 
and  Wealthy.  In  politics  Mr.  Brainard  is  a  stanch 
Democrat,  is  wide-awake  and  active  in  public  affairs, 
and  received  his  appointment  to  the  post-office  in 
August,  1S85. 


aniel  Schwartz,  a  farmer  on  section  2,  Ce- 
dar Township,  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  Pa.,  Oct.  26,  1819.  He  is  the  son 
of  Daniel  and  Catharine  (Etter)  Schwartz,  both 
parents  being  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  There 
were  seven  children  born  to  the  union — Chris- 
topher, Mary,  Susan,  Catharine,  John  and  Daniel,  the 
latter  being  the  subject  of  whom  we  now  speaL  He 
is  the  youngest  of  his  father's  family  now  li\ing,  and 
on  Oct.  5,  1843,  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Williamson, 
in  Knox  County,  111.  She  was  born  Jan.  12,  1825,  in 
the  Stale  of  Indiana;  her  fatlier's  name  was  Thomas 
and  her  mother's  Elizabeth  Williamson,  both  of  whom 
are  now  dead.  Their  children  were  John,  William 
T.,  James,  Eli,  Francis,  Robert,  Rachel,  PoUie,  Sarah, 
Elizabeth  and  Virginia.      On   May  7,    1874,   Mrs. 


-X 


-<• 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


52' 


Schwartz  died,  and  now  lies  at  rest  at  Knoxville,  111. 
By  her  marriage  there  are  eight  children,  living — 
Mary,  born  Nov.  5,  1845  ;  John  VV.,  Sarah,  Kllen, 
Edwin,  Francis, Thomas  J.  and  Albert.  John,  Ellen, 
Edwin,  Francis  and  Thomas  W.  are  married.  John 
married  Miss  Nancy  Boatman  and  lives  in  Page 
County,  Iowa ;  Ellon  married  Mr.  Joseph  Chester, 
and  lives  in  Fremont  County,  Iowa;  Edwin  married 
Miss  Alice  Reardon,  and  now  resides  in  Knoxville ; 
and  Francis  married  Miss  Ellen  Goligar,  and  also 
lives  in  Knoxville;  Mr.  Wm.  T.  married  Miss  Em- 
ma Willits,  Jan.  23,  1886.  Altogether  Mr.  Schwartz 
has  12  grandchildren  of  varying  ages.  Mrs.  Schwartz 
was  born  Aug.  9,  1859,  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  but  arrived  in  Illinois  in  1883.  During  the  Re- 
bellion her  father  was  taken  prisoner  and  confined  in 
Anderson  ville  prison,  where  he  died  in  July,  1864,  his 
confinement  lasting  18  months;  he  numbering  one 
other  among  the  patriots  who  suffered  in  a  great 
cause. 

Mr.  Schwartz  possesses  360  acres  of  land  in  a  very 
fair  state  of  cultivation,  and  his  farm  is  among  the 
best  in  this  township.  His  dwelling-house  is  a  two- 
story,  30  X  40  feet,  with  a  very  commodious  barn  of 
44  X  58  feet,  together  with  some  substantial  out-build- 
ings. He  has  recently  erected  a  fine  dwelling-house 
on  section  i,  to  which  he  has  attached  a  spacious 
barn  of  35  x  36  feet.  His  farming  is  of  a  general 
character  and  in  every  particular  receives  his  de- 
voted attention.  He  came  to  Illinois  June  10,  1842, 
and  lived  with  his  parents,  who  died  at  Knoxville. 

Mr.  Schwartz  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
as  is  also  his  wife.  By  political  persuasion  he  is  a 
Democrat.. 


iilton  D.  Burner,  whose  name  gives  point 
to  this  biography,  is  a  native  of  Knox 
County,  111.,  being  born  Jan.  30,  1844. 
He  is  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Melissa  (Gumm) 
jT  Burner,  natives  of  Kentucky  and  Illinois  re- 
I  spectively.  The  father  was  born  July  6,  18 14, 
in  Barren  County,  Ky.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
is  a  native  of  Sangamon  County,  111.,  was  born  Jan. 
29,  1822,  and  was  the  daughter  of  John  B.  and  Ca- 
sander  (Deal)  Gumm,  both  being  natives  of  the  State 
of  Kentucky.  The  dates  of  the  births  and  deaths  of 
these  latter  parents  are  unknown  to  the  Burner  fam- 


ily at  the  date  of  writing.  They  were  jjarcnts  of  two 
children — Jacob  D.  and  Melissa  R.  Mr.  Daniel  G. 
Burner,  the  father  of  the  present  gentleman,  married 
the  lady  just  named,  she  dying  June  9,  1853. 

On  March  28,  1854,  Daniel  Burner  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Martz,  this  being  his  second  wife,  who  was 
born  in  Rockingham,  Va.,  in  February,  182  t.  There 
were  eight  children  born  to  the  union — John  G.,  Oct. 
25,  1840;  Milton  D.,  Jan.  30,  1844;  Casander,  Jan. 
22,  1847;  Susan,  March  6,  1850;  Melissa  J.,  March 
29,  1853;  Mary  A.,  Feb.  20,  1855;  Ellen,  Aug.  6, 
1856;  .\da,  Sept.  17,  1858.  Of  these  children  two 
are  dead.  Daniel,  the  father  of  our  subject,  has  547 
acres  of  fine  land  in  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Milton  D.  Burner  married  Miss  Susie  Burns, 
Aug.  16,  1868.  She  was  a  native  of  Knox  County, 
111.,  her  parents  being  John  and  Rebecca  (Lightner) 
Burns,  who  are  now  both  dead.  By  tlie  marriage 
there  were  two  children,  namely,  Elizabeth  and  Susie. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burner  are  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren, namely,  Edwin,  born  May  30,  1869;  Willis  J., 
born  in  May,  1870;  James,  Jan.  29,  1872;  Melissa 
R.,  Oct.  24,  1873;  Georgiana,  Oct.  31,  1874;  Ettie  1 
M.,  March  i,  1877;  Bertha  J.,  Dec.  8,  1878;  Henry  7l 
L.,  Jan.  22,  1881,  and  Jesse,  Feb.  6,  1883.  Mrs. 
Burner's  family  came  West  in  1846,  and  settled  in 
Knox  County. 

Mr.  Burner  is  at  present  owner  of  184  acres  of  ex- 
cellent land  in  a  fair  state  of  cultivation.  Turning 
his  attention  to  the  raising  and  breeding  of  cattle,  he 
lias  produced  some  high  grades  of  Short-horns,  and  is 
eagerly  pursuing  the  breeding  of  Norman  horses.  He 
is  the  owner  of  ''  Black  Diamond,"  an  imported 
Norman  stallion,  now  four  years  old,  the  animal 
weighing  1,800  pounds,  whose  value  is  estimated  at 
$2,000.  For  an  animal  of  his  size  he  is  exceedingly 
active,  and  in  color  jet  black. 

Mr.  Burner  is  considered  a  very  active  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Abingdon,  111.,  and  a  devoted 
reader  of  the  best  works  whenever  his  time  permits. 
He  has  a  most  interesting  family  of  small  boys  and 
girls,  while  his  wife  is  a  lady  of  many  estimable 
ciualities,  being  a  devoted  mother  and  a  faithful  wife. 
Altogether  their  home  is  one  of  the  pleasantest  in  the 
district.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  at  Abingdon.  In  politics,  Mr.  Burner  is 
of  the  Jacksonian  school,  and  has  always  been  active 
in  the  Democratic  party.    Enjoying  the  goods  of  this 


nAj 


r 


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=fe 


522 


KNOX  COUNTY: 


world  and  his  own  labors,  his  highest  desire  is  to  see 
everybody  happy,  and  many  good  and  substantial 
friends  share  his  views  in  this  particular. 


I 


W.  Olson.  Of  the  active,  energetic  bus- 
iness men  of  Wataga,  in  the  past,  and  who 
through  their  straightforward  and  honest 
dealings  with  their  fellow  man  have  succeeded 
in  acquiring  a  sufficiency,  is  the  subject  of  this 
notice.  In  the  days  past  and  gone  he  was 
an  active  merchant  in  the  now  thriving  village  of 
Wataga,  but  at  this  writing  has  retired.  He  was 
born  in  the  little  kingdom  of  Sweden,  Jan.  14,  1839. 
The  parents  of  Mr.  Olson  were  Lars  and  Catherine 
(Peterson)  Olson,  natives  of  Sweden.  They  left  their 
native  land  in  1849,  and  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  coming  directly  to  this  county.  Arriving  here, 
they  made  settlement  in  Sparta  Township,  with  their 
little  family  of  four  children,  divided  equally  as  to 
gender.  They  first  purchased  20  acres  of  land  and 
subsequently  added  thereto  60  acres  more.  The  two 
tracts  were  located  on  section  1 3,  Sparta  Township. 
There  the  father  lived  and  labored,  working  to  estab- 
lish a  home  for  himself  and  family,  and  there  died  in 
1863,  his  good  wife  surviving  him  until  1868,  when 
she  passed  beyond  to  join  him  in  the  better  land. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  an  inmate  of  the 
parental  household  until  he  attained  the  age  of  22 
years.  His  early  years  were  passed  in  obtaining  an 
education  at  the  common  schools  and  in  assisting  his 
father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm.  Arriving  at  the  age 
last  named,  our  subject  took  charge  of  the  old  home- 
stead and  was  diligently  occupied  in  its  cultivation 
until  1866.  He  then  moved  to  Rio  Township,  where 
he  rented  a  farm  for  two  years.  At  this  period  in  his 
life's  history  he  came  to  Wataga  and  engaged  in  the 
grocery  business,  and  conducted  the  same  for  about 
18  months.  Again  returning  to  his  first  love,  agri- 
culture, he  located  on  a  farm  on  section  27,  in  Sparta 
Township,  the  same  comprising  80  acres,  which  he 
had  purchased  in  1869.  There  he  lived  and  labored, 
energetically  engaged  in  his  chosen  vocation,  for 
seven  years,  when  he  again  returned  to  Wataga,  pur- 
chased a  store  and  was  occupied  in  general  mer- 
chandising until  1885,  in  the  meantime  renting  his 
farm  until  1883,  when  he  sold  it  and  purchased  i6q 


X 


acres  on  section  10,  Sparta  Township.  Mr.  Olson 
erected  his  present  residence  in  the  village  of  Wataga, 
in  1881,  the  same  costing  him  about  ^1,800. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  in  the  fall  of 
1S61,  with  Miss  Ellen  Olson,  likewise  a  native  of 
Sweden.  Her  parents,  Olof  and  Eliza  Olson,  were 
natives  of  Sweden,  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1 85 7,  accompanied  by  their  seven  children,  and 
came  to  this  county  and  made  settlement  in  Sparta 
Township,  where  they  purchased  60  acres  of  land. 
The  father  died  in  1857,  and  the  mother  is  still  liv- 
ing with  her  son,  Jonas,  who  resides  about  two  miles 
from  the  village  of  Wataga.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olson  are 
the  parents  of  five  children,  viz. :  Eugene,  Minnie, 
Ansfrid,  David  and  Olof.  In  politics  Mr.  Olson  is 
Republican,  and  he  and  his  wife,  together  with  their 
children,  are  members  of  the  Swedish  Lutheran 
Church  of  Wataga. 

Mr.  Olson  has  held  the  offices  of  Road  Commis- 
sioner, Township  Collector,  Village  Trustee  and 
School  Director.  In  1859,  he  took  a  trip  to  Califor- 
nia, and  on  arriving  there  worked  in  the  mines  for  a 
time,  but,  like  thousands  of  others  who  visited  that 
land  of  gold  expecting  to  realize  a  fortune,  he  had  no  ^ 
success,  and  in  1861  returned.  In  1880,  his  health 
being  impaired,  Mr.  Olson  visited  his  native  land, 
and  after  spending  a  time  among  the  old  associates  ' 
of  his  youth  and  boyhood,  he  again  returned  to  his 
adopted  country,  and  has  since  lived  in  Wataga, 
respected  and  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him. 


1  E^'i-  ewis  Matson.  An  instance  of  the  reward 
that  fortune  bestows  upon  the  worthy  and 
industrious  may  be  found  in  the  person  of 
6l(j  Lewis  Matson,  whose  history  is  herein  narrated. 
He  is  a  farmer,  residing  on  sections  28  and  2,2,, 
Sparta  Township,  and  may  be  considered,  in 
point  of  energy  and  active  enterprise,  as  one  of  the 
most  substantial  men  of  Knox  County. 

Mr.  Matson  was  born  in  Victoria  Township,  Knox 
County,  on  the  25th  of  November,  1852.  His  par- 
ents are  George  and  Catherine  (Olson)  Matson,  na- 
tives of  the  northern  part  of  Sweden.  Tliey  emigrated 
to  America  in  1848  and  1850  respectively,  and  were 
married  in  185  i.  Settling  at  Victoria  village,  they 
engaged  in  farming,  and,  the  mother  dying  in   1853, 


^ 


-^J^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


523 


in  Victoria  Township,  the  father  removed  to   Polk 
County,  N'eb.,  of  which  he  is  now  a  citizen. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  after  reaching  the  age 
of  three  years,  lived  with  his  grandparents  until  their 
death,  in  Sparta  Township.  In  this  section  of  the 
country  he  now  lives  and  is  the  owner  of  88  acres  of 
land.  He  has  highly  cultivated  and  improved  his 
farm,  and  takes  just  pride  in  the  success  of  his  ex- 
periments. He  took  to  himself  a  life  companion,  the 
25th  of  August,  1879,  in  the  person  of  Miss  Carrie, 
daughter  of  Anderson  Monson.  His  wife  was  a  na- 
tive of  Sweden,  and  to  them  have  been  born  four 
children — Clara  Evelina,  Mehin  Fernando,  Vinnie 
Semeda  and  Grace  Evangeline.  He  has  added  a 
fine  barn  and  out-buildings  to  his  property,  and  is 
quite  extensively  engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of 
sorghum  molasses,  which  has  proved  a  well-paying 
enterprise  and  a  great  convenience  to  the  neighbor- 
hood. 

Mr.  Matson  has  held  the  office  of  Roadmaster, 
and  is  a  helpful  and  useful  man  in  the  community. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  wliich  party  he  aids 
and  abets  in  senriment  and  vote.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  prominent  members  of  the  Swedish  Church, 
are  congenial  friends,  consistent  Christians  and 
good,  desirable  neighbors. 


"WW '«'xtii£^*S^ 


»®fsS-737»N»  "v/w^ 


A.  Lee.  Among  the  townships  of  Knox 
County,  Sparta  can  certainly  boast  of  her 
quota  of  energetic,  well-to-do  farmers. 
IP  Many  of  those  who  have  fine  farms  in  Sparta 
Township  came  here  poor  in  pocket,  but 
with  the  firm  determination  of  establishing  per- 
manent homes  for  themselves  and  families,  and 
having  faith  in  the  development  of  the  country,  lo- 
cated and  for  years  have  labored  to  accomplish  their 
desire,  and  have  succeeded.  Among  this  number  is 
the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice,  who  is 
at  present  residing  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  5, 
in  the  township  named.  Mr.  Lee  was  born  in  Onta- 
rio County,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  26,  1822,  his  father  being 
Amos  and  his  mother  Mary  (Willard)  Lee,  narives 
of  Massachusetts  and  Vermont  respectively.  The 
calling  of  his  father  was  that  of  a  farmer,  and  the 
children  of  the  parental  household  were  ten  in  num- 
ber, seven  of  whom  ate  living  at  this  writing — Elias 


W.,  Myron  H.,  William  A.,  George  C,  Benjamin  F. 
and  Thaddeus  C.  Those  deceased  are  Charles  H., 
Harriet  H.  and  Hannah  A.  Both  heads  of  the  house- 
hold died  in  Xew  York  State,  the  mother  in  1877 
and  the  father  in  1879. 

W.  A.  Lee  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  25 
years  of  age,  having  in  the  meantime  received  a  rudi- 
mentary education  at  the  common  schools,  which 
was  supplemented  by  an  academical  course.  After 
leaving  school  he  clerked  for  his  brother,  and  worked 
on  a  farm  until  1846.  It  was  during  this  year  that 
he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  West  and  grow  up  with 
the  country,  and  following  up  his  determination  he 
came  to  Galesburg  and  made  settlement.  On  arrival 
there  he  engaged  in  buying  stock,  and  a  year  later, 
in  1847,  embarked  in  the  brick  business,  and  was 
occupied  for  a  year.  In  1848  he  erected  the  first 
meat-market  in  the  present  active,  thriving  city  of 
Galesburg,  and  conducted  the  same  with  signal  suc- 
cess until  1853.  Selling  out  his  market,  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  80  acres  located  thiee  miles  north  of 
Galesburg,  and  engaged  in  that  most  independent  of 
callings,  fanning.  Subsequently  he  added  another 
80  to  his  original  purchase  and  lived  on  his  land,  ^ 
actively  engaged  in  its  cultivation,  until  1857.  He 
then  sold  his  real  estate  and  purchased  a  farm  in 
Sparta  Township,  of  160  acres,  the  same  being  lo- 
cated on  section  6,  and  to  which  he  added  an  addi- 
tional 80  on  section  5,  in  the  same  township,  by  a 
subsequent  purchase.  In  1865  he  purchased  a  store 
in  Wataga,  and  a  block  of  ground  known  as  the  Wat- 
kins  property.  Since  he  moved  to  Sparta  Township 
he  has  engaged  to  no  inconsiderable  extent  in  stock- 
raising,  making  a  specialty  of  the  Poland-China 
swine. 

Mr.  Lee  has  been  twice  married,  first  in  1848,  to 
Miss  Laura  S.  Booth,  the  accomplished  daughter,  by 
adoption,  of  Noah  W.  Stanley,  of  New  Britain,  Conn. 
She  was  only  a  wife  for  two  short  years,  her  demise 
occurring  Sept.  6,  1850,  at  Galesburg,  where  she  lies 
buried.  The  second  matrimonial  alliance  of  our  sub- 
ject was  solemnized  Aug.  23,  1853,  on  which  occasion 
the  destiny  of  Miss  Betsey  Knowles  and  that  of  our 
subject  were  united.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Judge 
Paul  Knowles,  of  West  Avon,  Livingston  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  of  her  union  with  Mr.  Lee  two  children,  George 
K.  and  William  A.,  were  born.  The  good  wife  and 
kind  mother  departed  this  life  in  1873.  George  K., 
i    her  eldest  son,  married  Miss  Kate  Bowman, a  native  of 


rrJU 


-^ 


S24 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


this  State,  in  1880,  and  by  her  has  one  child,  a 
daughter,  Maude.  William  A.  Lee  selected  as  his 
companion  in  life  Miss  Jannie,  the  intelligent  and 
accomplished  daughter  of  William  Patterson,  of 
Sparta  Township.  Their  marriage  took  place  in 
1880,  and  they  also  have  two  children  to  brighten 
their  household— Freddie  P.  and  Betsey  K. 

Mr.  W.  A.  Lee  is  a  self-made  man  in  every  sense 
the  word  implies.  He  started  in  this  life  with  noth- 
ing, and  what  he  has  he  has  made  himself.  In  poli- 
tics he  votes  with  the  Republican  party,  and  as  a 
social  gentleman  and  a  prominent  citizen  he  is  the 
peer  of  any. 


obert  Kelly,  a  prominent  farmer  residing 
JJ^^:  on  section  29,  Salem  Township,  was  born 
}[i(S^"  "''  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  Oct.  15, 
^'f^  1841.  His  father,  Samuel  Kelly,  was  a  native 
&"  of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  of  Irish  descent. 
The  father  of  our  subject  always  followed  the 
calling  of  a  farmer,  and  resided  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Pa.,  until  1865,  the  date  of  his  removal  to 
Illinois.  He  located  about  four  miles  from  Farm- 
ington,  remaining  there  four  years,  coming  thence 
to  Knox  County,  where  he  resided  with  his  son, 
R.  L.,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  May  22,  1883. 
The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was 
Elizabeth  Mitchell.  She  was  a  native  of  Indiana 
County,  Pa.,  and  is  at  present  residing  with  her  son, 
R.  L,  in  Fulton  County.  The  parental  family  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelly  numbered  six  children,  our  sub- 
ject being  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

Mr.  Kelly  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  county 
and  was  reared  to  the  calling  of  a  farmer.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  district  schools,  and  in 
February,  1861,  started  west  in  search  of  a  home. 
He  located  in  Knox  County  and  was  engaged  in 
farming  during  the  summer  months  He  enlisted 
Sept.  20,  i86i,inCo.  B,  nth  111.  Cav.,  spent  the 
winter,  until  Feb.  22,  in  camp,  then  went  to  Benton 
Barracks,  Mo.,  where  he  remained  two  weeks,  then 
pushed  to  the  front.  The  first  battle  in  which  he 
was  engaged  was  Pittsburg  Landing.  His  regiment 
subsequently  participated  in  many  other  engagements. 
He  received  an  honorable  discharge  three  months 
after  the  expiration  of  the  time  of  his  service,  when 
he  returned  to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming.  The 


following  spring  he  went  to  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
purchased  a  carload  of  horses,  shipping  them  to 
Galesburg,  and  sold  them  in  different  parts  of  the 
county.  After  this  venture  he  resumed  his  vocation 
as  a  farmer.  In  the  spring  of  1870,  Mr.  Kelly  pur- 
chased the  place  which  he  now  owns  and  occupies, 
and  which  consists  of  80  acres  of  well-improved  land. 
In  1884  he  purchased  an  additional  farm,  consisting 
of  783/^  acres,  and  furnished  with  a  good  set  of  frame 
buildings. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  Mr.  Kelly  was 
Harriet  M.  Marshall,  to  whom  he  was  married  Feb.  8, 
1866.  Mrs.  Kelly  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Rainey) 
Marshall.  The  children  born  to  them  bear  the  fol- 
lowing names:  Edwin  N.,  Anna  N.,  Samuel  M., 
Louisa  M.,  Nannie  Belle,  Alice,  Harry  and  Hattie 
M.;  Edith  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kelly 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  pol- 
itics Mr.  K.  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Repub- 
lican party,  and  cast  his  first  vote  for  Gen.  Grant  for 
President  in  1868. 


\  ohn  E.  Edmundson  is  a  farmer,  successful 
and  prosperous,  whose  home  lies  within  the 
limits  of  Knox  County,  being  situated  on 
section  29,  in  Indian  Point  Township.  He  is 
ir  of  English  extraction,  and  is  well  known  both 
\  for  his  success  in  his  chosen  occupation  as  a 
farmer  and  that  of  breeding  blooded  stock — Norman 
and  English  horses  and  Short-horn  cattle.  He  is 
the  owner  of  a  handsome  homestead,  including  200 
acres  of  finely  cultivated  land,  on  which  are  erected 
convenient  buildings. 

Mr.  Edmundson  was  born  on  the  section  a  part 
of  which  now  constitutes  his  home,  May  29,  1852, 
and  is  the  son  of  Bry  and  Matilda  (Boydstun)  Ed- 
mundson, natives  of  North  Carolina  and  Kentucky 
respectively;  Bry  Edmunson  died  Dec.  29,  1884,  in 
this  township.  He  had  been  a  member  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  for  30  years,  and  was  a  man  widely  re- 
spected and  beloved.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  the  fall 
of  1 839,  and  the  next  year  located  on  the  farm  where  he 
resided  until  his  death.  Politically  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, stanch  and  unvarying.  He  came  to  his  death 
by  receiving  a  kick  from  a  horse.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Eleanor  Elliott,  Aug.  23,  1835, 


*% 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

i:::iVERsiTY  of  illihc.s 


jioui^v  J^O/rrYi. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L.;;VERS\TY  OFILLU...J 


. .^  . . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


S»9 


i  + 


who  died  July  8,  1844.  To  them  were  born  four 
children,  all  of  whom  have  passed  from  eatth  but  one 
son.  One  of  the  children  died  at  Denver,  Colo., 
March  22,  1884,  and  one  was  killed  at  the  battle  of 
Fort  Donelson.  Feb.  3,  1845,  he  chose  Miss  Matilda 
Boydstun  as  his  life  companion,  and  to  them  were 
born  four  children,  three  of  whom  are  still  living,  as 
follows:  Isabelle,  Nancy  A.,  Sarah  E.  (died  in  in- 
fancy), and  John,  who  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

On  Oct.  30,  1877,  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Isabinda  Merriss, 
who  was  born  in  Warren  County,  111.,  May  23,  1S55. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Stanton  J.  and  Lavinia 
(Coultas)  Merriss,  both  natives  of  Illinois,  the  former 
born  in  1828,  and  the  latter  in  1839.  Mrs.  Merriss 
died  Sept.  20,  i860,  leaving  four  children,  of  which 
family  but  one  survives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  are  the 
parents  of  two  children — Clyde  M.,  born  May  16, 
1879,  and  Mary  I.,  Feb.  24,  1881. 

Mr.  Edmundson  is  well  situated  in  the  community, 
financially  and  personally,  and  is  a  Republican  in 
politics,  which  party  he  defends  with  much  spirit  and 
courage.  He  is  an  Elder  in  the  Christian  Church, 
and  takes  an  interest  in  all  matters  pertaining  to 
religion.  His  father  before  him  was  an  Elder  for  15 
years,  was  a  faitliful  and  affectionate  husband  and 
father,  and  when  he  was  taken  from  earth  was 
sincerely  mourned  as  one  whose  place  could  not  be 
easily  filled. 

■enjamin  Ramp.  One  of  the  important 
factors  in  the  prosperity  of  Knox  County 
is  found  in  the  person  of  the  subject  of 
this  biography,  who  is  a  farmer  and  stock- 
dealer,  living  on  section  3,  of  Haw  Creek 
Township.  He  is  one  of  the  solid  men  of 
the  county,  owns  considerable  property,  and  is  an  in- 
stance of  what  energy  of  purpose  combined  with  in- 
dustry and  persistent  toil  can  accomplish. 

Mr.  Ramp  was  born  in  Cumberland  County.  Pa., 
Nov.  20,  1815,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Mar)- 
(Hebberling)  Ramp,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
This  family  was  originally  of  German  lineage,  as 
their  patronymic  goes  to  show.  The  subject  of  this 
recital  removed  to  Miami  County,  Ohio,  in  1844,  and 
engaged  in  farming.  In  1848  he  removed  to  Knox 
County,  Till.,  and  took  up  his  abode  on  section  3,  of 
Haw  Creek  Township,  where  he  now  resides.     He   I 

-X 


owns  2,000  acres  of  land  in  this  county,  located  in 
Haw  Creek,  Persifer  and  Truro  Townships,  all,  ex- 
cept 300  acres  of  pasture,  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. Mr.  Ramp  has  one  of  the  best  dwellings  in 
the  township,  built  of  brick,  and  costing  upward  of 
$6,000.  The  grounds  are  laid  out  in  a  tasteful  and 
picturesque  manner,  and  the  barn,  corn-houses 
and  out -buildings  are  first-class  in  every  respect,  and 
second  to  none  in  the  county. 

On  the  26th  of  October,  1837,  he  deserted  the 
ranks  of  single  blessedness  and  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Sarah  Mapps.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Elizabeth  (Highland)  Mapps,  and  was  born  in 
New  Jersey.  Her  mother  was  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, from  a  family  of  English  origin  on  the  father's 
side  and  Irish  on  the  mother's  side.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ramp  have  been  born  13  children,  as  follows: 
Elizabeth,  born  April  10,  1839,  was  the  wife  of  John 
W.  Cook,  and  deceased  Jan.  14,  1862  ;  William  was 
born  Oct.  4,  1840,  united  in  marriage  with  Octavia 
Fravel,  and  lives  near  Yates  City,  111.;  Mar)-  Jane, 
bom  Oct.  28,  1843,  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Bell,  resid- 
ing in  Persifer  Township;  John,  bom  March  10, 
1842,  died  .\ug.  II,  1842;  David  was  born  Sept.  6,  < 
1845,  was  married  to  Virginia  Votes,  of  Persifer 
To.vnship,  their  present  home;  .Aaron,  born  March  i, 

1847,  died  Jan.  14,  1854;   Benjamin,  born  Dec.   11,. 

1848,  died  June  5,  1850;  Samuel,  bom  Nov.  11, 
1850,  united  in  marriage  with  Amanda  Jacobs,  who 
lives  in  Truro  Township,  this  county;  Jesse  M., 
born  Feb.  11,  1853,  died  Oct.  31,  1853;  Asa  M., 
born  Jan.  24,  1855,  married  Deborah  Westner,  and 
lives  ill  Truro  Township;  Cephas  .\.,  born  Nov.  18, 
1856,  married  Julia  BiggerstafT,  and  lives  in  Persifer 
Township;  James  W.,  born  Feb.  22,  1859,  married 
Mary  Biggerstaff,  and  resides  in  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  Charles  A.,  born  Aug.  12,  1862,  is  married 
to  Sarah  E.  Green,  of  Haw  Creek  Township.  They 
reside  at  home,  assisring  to  carry  on  the  home  place. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ramp  have  40  grandchildren  and 
6  great-grandchildren. 

When  Mr.  Ramp  moved  to  Ohio,  in  1844,  he  only 
had  about  §150 ;  and  when  he  came  to  Knox  County, 
in  1848,  his  possessions  amounted  to  only  about 
$1,200,  on  arrival.  On  arriving  here  he  purchased 
a  farm  of  87  acres.  He  rented  a  house  and  spent 
the  winter  in  Knoxville,  and  desiring  to  earn  a  little 
money  he  engaged  in  teaming  from  Knoxville  to 
Peoria.     On  the  third    trip,  going  down   the  Spoon 


^-^- 


t 


530 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


4 


River  hill,  the  staple  on  the  neckyoke  broke;  Mr. 
Ramp  was  walking,  and  in  attempting  to  catch  the 
team  he  was  thrown  to  the  ground,  the  wheels  pass- 
ing over  his  left  leg,  which  necessitated  its  amputa- 
tion at  the  upper  part  of  the  thigh.  From  this  acci- 
dent he  was  all  winter  in  recovering,  and  when  in  the 
spring  he  moved  out  to  the  farm  with  his  wife  and 
six  small  children,  he  had  but  a  few  dollars  and  was 
in  debt  on  account  of  his  sickness.  Now  a  man  of 
less  courage  would  have  been  disheartened,  but  not 
so  with  Mr.  Ramp.  With  commendable  energy  he 
set  about  to  recover  his  fortunes,  and  by  the  exercise 
of  foresight  and  good  judgment  he  finally  carved  out 
success.  Little  by  little  he  added  to  his  landed  es- 
tate, until  now  his  broad  acreage  comprises  one  of 
the  finest  farms  in  Knox  County.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ramp  refer  with  much  gratitude  to  the  kind  atten- 
tions bestowed  on  them  by  the  citizens  of  Knox- 
ville,  during  their  sore  trials  ;  the  remembrance  of 
those  kind  acts  will  ever  be  green  in  their  memories. 
The  people  of  Knoxville  wished  to  present  them 
with  two  hundred  dollars,  but  they  would  not  accept 
it.'  In  i860,  on  the  28th  of  August,  while  Mr.  Ramp 
was  driving  a  mower,  one  of  the  wheels  fell  into  a 
blind  ditch,  and  he  was  thrown  on  the  ground  in 
front  of  the  sickle-bar,  which  cut  off  his  right  arm 
below  the  elbow.  Even  this  did  not  discourage  him, 
and  he  still  continues  to  manage  his  farms. 

Mr.  Ramp  has  held  many  minor  offices  of  this 
county  and  township,  and  has  been  Justice  of  the 
Peace  for  four  years.  Both  himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Knoxville, 
and  in  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  At  their  beauti- 
ful home  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ramp  dispense  a  liberal 
hospitality.  He  ranks  as  one  of  the  enterprising  and 
public-spirited  citizens  of  Knox  County.  The  por- 
traits of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ramp  are  shown  on  pages  526 
and  527  respectively. 


^amuel  McFarland  may  be  cited  as  one  of 
lili>S'^    the  pioneers  of  Knox  County,  as  he  came 
llV^         to  this  section  of  the  country  at  an  early 
date,  in  which  he  has  grown  up,  noting   its 
gradual  growth  and  progress.     His  home  lies 
on  section  21,  in  Chestnut  Township,  and  he 
is  well  known  as  a  man  of  success  and  ability. 
Mr.    McFarland    was   born  in  Richland   County, 


Ohio,  March,  i,  1837.  He  came  to  Illinois  with  his 
parents  in  1839,  and  they  located  on  section  [8, 
Chestnut  Township,  purchasing  80  acres  of  land, 
where  our  subject  has  passed  nearly  all  his  life. 
Shortly  afterward,  however,  they  purchased  80  more, 
or  160  in  all.  Mr.  McFarland  was  a  mere  child 
at  that  time,  and  his  parents  were  by  name  William 
and  Catharine  (Bowden)  McFarland,  of  Virginia,  the 
father  being  born  in  1803,  and  died  April  9,  1879. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1807  and  died  Oct.  5,  1877. 

William  McFarland  was  a  native  of  Loudon 
County,  Va.,  and  his  father,  Robert  McFarland,  was 
of  Scotch  ancestry.  His  grandfather  was  a  native 
of  Scotland.  William  McFarland  moved  to  Ohio  in 
1828,  and  remained  there  ten  years,  then  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  as  above  stated.  He  was  a  strong  Meth- 
odist for  50  years,  and  was  an  upright,  conscientious 
man  in  his  walk  and  conversation. 

They  were  the  parents  of  11  children,  namely: 
Elizabeth,  Mahala,  Ann  ;  Hamilton,  who  died  at  the 
early  age  of  four  years,  and  whose  burial  was  the  fiist 
made  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Cemetery  at  Her- 
man ;  Samuel,  of  this  sketch;  three  who  died  in 
infancy  ;  Cornelius,  Jane  and  Emma. 

Mr.  Samuel  McFarland  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Sophronia  G.  Terry,  Nov. 'i,  1861.  She 
was  born  in  Chestnut  Township,  in  1841,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Nancy  (Benson)  Terry. 
They  were  natives  of  Virginia.  The  father  was  born 
April  I,  1807,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1834,  and  his 
wife  was  born  in  1813,  and  died  in  January,  1885. 
They  were  the  parents  of  11  children,  as  follows: 
Ann,  Thomas,  Sallie,  John,  Rachel,  Sophronia,  Julia, 
Marshall,  Rufus,  Haney  and  Jane.  Five  of  them 
are  living. 

The  subject  of  our  history  lost  his  wife  by  death 
in  January,  1881,  and  in  her  loss  mourned  that  best 
of  all  possessions,  a  true  woman  and  wife.  She  was 
a  noble  Christian,  being  associated  by  membership 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  Herman, 
111.,  and  with  which  she  united  under  the  preaching 
of  E.  O.  Raymond.  She  had  belonged  to  this  organ- 
ization 18  months  previous  to  her  death,  and  had 
grown  rapidly  in  grace,  evincing  the  qualities  that 
distinguish  the  followers  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus, 
and  was  laid  to  rest  in  the  Christian  Cemetery  of 
Herman,  111.,  leaving  to  mourn  her  a  family  of  five 
children  besides  her  husband.  The  names  and  dates 
of  birth  of  their  children   are  as  follows ;     Elnora, 


m 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


%^ 


53' 


Feb.  14,  1863;  Isola  J.,  April  30,  1865;  Anna  K., 
April  30,  1867  ;  Emma  I.,  Aug.  27,  1869,  and  Rolla 
J.,  Jan.  7,  1882.  Elnora  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mr.  James  Davis,  the  date  of  their  union  being  Dec. 
21,  1883,  and  their  home  is  in  this  township. 

Mr.  McFarland  ranks  high  as  a  wealthy  farmer, 
and  is  the  possessor  of  160  acres  of  land  under  fairly 
good  cultivation.  He  is  united  by  membership  with 
no  church,  but  is  strongly  moral  and  upright,  owning 
no  creed  save  that  of  common  good  and  charity  and 
,a  generous  heart.  He  has  filled  offices  of  trust  in 
the  township  for  a  number  of  years,  and  has  been 
Supervisor  for  eight  years.  In  politics  he  affiliates 
with  the  Republican  party. 

--s •0*0-(By^^J^-o»0.. -V— 

oshua  B.  Boynton,  one  of  the  prominent 
and  successful  merchants  of  Maquon  and 
Supervisor  of  Maquon  Township,  came  to 
Kno.x  County  in  the  fall  of  1866  from  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.  For  one  year  after  his  arrival  he 
resided  in  Orange  Township,  where  he  was  en- 
gaged in  farming.  Subsequently  he  removed  to  Haw 
Creek  Township  and  there  followed  agriculture.  In 
1869  he  came  to  Maquon  and  was  engaged  in  the 
butcher  business  in  that  place  for  one  year.  Soon 
afterward  he  formed  a  partnership  with  G.  G. 
Shearer  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on  the  grocery 
business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Shearer  &  Boyntoti. 
This  partnership  existed  for  one  year,  when  Mr.  B. 
bought  out  the  interest  of  his  partner  and  conducted 
the  trade  alone  until  1877.  He  then  formed  a  part- 
nership with  William  Swigart,  and  since  that  time 
the  business  has  been  carried  on  under  the  style  of 
Swigart  &  Boynton.  They  do  an  average  business 
of  $20,000  annually. 

Mr.  Boynton  was  born  in  Augusta,  Me.,  June  4, 
1828.  He  was  but  a  lad  of  five  years  when  his  par- 
ents moved  to  Lorain  County,  Ohio,  where  Mr. 
Boynton  spent  the  early  years  of  his  life.  He  had 
received  but  a  limited  education,  and  assisted  his 
father,  who  was  a  merchant,  in  the  store.  In  1865 
Mr.  Boynton  came  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  but  was  en- 
gaged in  no  regular  business  until  his  arrival  in 
Knox  County,  in  1867. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Boynton  was   solemnized  at 

Maquon,  in  September,  1870,  at  which  Time  he  was 

-^ , -A 


united  with  Miss  Rachel,  daughter  of  Walter  and 
Betsey  Bull,  natives  of  Maryland.  The  parents  re- 
sided for  a  number  of  years  in  Ohio  prior  to  their 
coming  to  Knox  County.  They  both  died  in  Haw 
Creek  Township. 

The  wife  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Fairfield 
County,  Ohio,  in  the  year  1842.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boyn- 
ton have  had  born  to  them  six  children,  five  of 
whom  survive.  The  record  is  as  follows:  Harriet 
May,  born  in  1872;  Elizabeth  Ann,  1874;  William 
Walter,  1876;  Emma  Josephine,  1878;  Edna  Es- 
telle,  1880;  Sarah  Isabella,  1885.  William  died  at 
the  age  of  two  years. 

Mr.  Boynton  was  elected  Supervisor  of  Matpion 
Township  in  the  spring  of  1881,  and  has  been  the 
incumbent  of  that  office  up  to  the  present  time,  fill- 
ing the  same  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfaction 
to  the  community.  He  has  also  been  Townsliip 
Treasurer  and  Trustee  for  several  years  and  School 
Director  for  six  years.  He  was  one  of  the  number 
who  enlisted  in  the  Home  Guards  and  was  in  the 
Morgan  raid  in  Ohio.  Politically  he  is  a  supporter 
of  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Republican  party. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  Daniel  T.  and^j 
Harriet  O.  (Louton)  Boynton,  natives  of  Maine. 
The  father  was  of  Irish  and  the  mother  of  English 
ancestry.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  in  the. 
War  of  18 1 2.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Boynton  removed 
to  Ohio,  and  thence  to  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  at  which 
place  the  mother  died.  The  father  still  survives 
and  is  a  resident  of  Kansas. 


'eflFerson  Bellwood.  One  of  the  most 
Ir  prominent  citizens  and  enterprising  men 
included  within  the  borders  of  Knox  Coun-^ 
ty  is  the  subject  of  this  personal  history,  a 
man  who  has  grown  up  from  boyhood  on  his 
father's  farm,  and  to  whom  other  scenes  and 
faces  are  wholly  new.  In  him  was  verified  the  state- 
ment that  "  the  child  is  father  to  the  man,"  for  he  was 
from  his  early  youth  active,  energetic  and  go-ahead, 
and  in  the  district  schools,  which  he  attended,  proved 
himself  an  apt  scholar  and  a  bright,  original  thinker. 
Passing  through  the  intervening  years  before  arriving 
at  man's  estate,  he  filled  them  with  honest  toil  and 
the  fruits  of  a  young  man's  life  containing  no  gigantic 


V 


u 


532 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


growth  of  "  wild  oats."  His  present  home  is  situated 
on  section  ii,  Indian  Point  Township,  Knox  County, 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Bellwood  was  born  in  Chestnut  Township, 
Knox  County,  Aug.  31,  1838,  and  is  the  son  of  Seth 
M.  Bellwood  and  Polly  (Shumaker)  Bellwood,  both 
natives  of  Ohio.  The  father  was  born  in  1809,  and 
died  in  1858,  in  Indian  Point  Township.  In  1831, 
he  married  Miss  Polly  Shumaker,  who  was  born 
in  Ohio  in  1811.  In  the  year  1837  they  came  as 
pioneers  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Knox  County,  and 
building  up  a  home  which  afterward  was  enlarged  by 
the  advent  of  1 1  children. 

The  names  of  this  family  of  brothers  and  sisters 
are  as  follows  :  John  W.,  who  married  Miss  Jane 
Morgan,  and  now  lives  in  Kingman,  Kansas;  Mary 
and  Martha,  twins,  who  died  at  the  age  of  two  years ; 
Alfred,  who  married  Miss  Susan  Shay,  and  now  lives 
in  Mills  County,  Iowa;  Jefferson,  our  subject;  Mil- 
ton, who  was  killed  at  the  siege  of  Vicksburg ;  Levi, 
who  died  at  Corinth,  from  fever,  a  soldier,  fighting 
for  his  country's  honor;  James,  who  married  Sarah 
A^Shumaker,  who  died  in  June,  1878,  and  he  married 

Ithe  second  time,  uniting  with  Miss  Nellie  Jones ; 
Harvey  H.,  who  married  Miss  Minnie  Cadwalader,  in 
December,  1878;  Rebecca,  who  married  Mr.  John 
Cox,  and  Adelia,  now  living  at  home.  His  mother 
yet  survives  and  is  a  resident  of  Abingdon. 

Milton  Bellwood,  mentioned  above,  was  a  member 
of  Co.  K,  ssth  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  enlisted  for  three  years, 
and  was  killed  in  the  storming  before  Vicksburg,  in 
the  volunteer  party  which  made  the  attempt  to  carry 
the  works.  Levi  was  a  member  of  Co.  K,  7th  111. 
Cav.,  and  enlisted  for  three  years.  He  died  at 
Corinth,  of  fever.  Joseph  Harvey,  a  brother-in-law, 
was  in  the  same  company  and  died  in  the  service. 

Mr.  Bellwood  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Harvey,  Feb.  2,  i86r.  She  was  born  Oct.  18,  1842, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Lemon) 
Harvey.  They  were  natives  of  Ohio,  he  being  born  in 
1810,  and  living  in  Abingdon,  she  in  181 1,  and  now 
dead.  The  fruits  of  their  union  were  ten  children, 
viz:  Phebe,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years; 
William,  died  at  the  age  of  one  and  a  half  years  ; 
John,  who  married  Susan  J.  Mount,  and  died  in  1875; 
Ambrose,  who  married  Hannah  Baldwin;  George, 
who  married  Miss  Frank  Oliver;  James,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Joseph  A.,  who   died   in  the   army  before 


*1^ 


Memphis,   Tenn.,   and   Caroline,   who   married   E. 
Baldwin. 

Mr.  Bellwood  has  six  children — Amanda,  born 
Aug.  30,  1863,  died  Feb.  25,  1865  ;  WiUiam  S.,  born 
March  21,  1866;  Eva  Dell,  born  Jan.  31,  1868  ;  Ada 
M.,  Sept.  8,  1873;  Ardie,  Sept.  27,  1875,  and  Clara, 
Oct.  15,  1882.  He  is  the  possessor  of  199  acres  of 
fine  land,  well  cultivated  and  highly  productive, 
with  a  good  barn  and  a  superior  dwelling-house. 
He  is  a  skilled  agriculturist  and  a  breeder  of  blooded 
stock,  raising  Short-horns  and  half-blooded  Polled- 
Angus  cattle.  He  is  active  in  all  outside  work  and 
helpful  in  most  public  matters.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F.  Lodge,  No.  184,  at  Abingdon,  and  a 
stanch  Democrat  in  politics.  He  is  interested  in 
educational  matters  to  some  extent,  and  has  been 
School  Director  for  some  length  of  time. 

ames  O.  Housh.  Tracing  the  history  of 
Knox  County,  and  examining  the  origin  of 
many  points  in  its  growth,  we  find  as  its  Ve 
support  and  help  the  names  of  many  good  and 
worthy  men,  who  aided  in  its  foundation  and 
assisted  in  its  progress.  Among  them  stands 
prominently  the  name  of  our  subject,  who  resides  at 
present  on  section  22,  Haw  Creek  Township,  and 
who  is  one  of  the  important  factors  of  its  prosperity. 
Our  subject  is  the  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth 
(Thornbrough)  Housh  (see  sketch  of  A.  C.  Housh). 
He  was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Ind.,  Sept.  10,  1829. 
He  was  about  seven  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
came  to  Knox  County.  He  received  only  a  limited 
common-school  education,  and  has  most  of  his  life 
followed  the  vocation  of  a  farmer.  While  at  Maquon 
he  was  engaged  in  mercantile  business  in  company 
with  his  father  and  two  brothers,  for  a  period  of  ten 
years.  He  disposed  of  his  interest  to  A.  C.  Housh, 
nevertheless  continuing  to  carry  on  farming  interests 
in  Haw  Creek  Township.  He  is  at  the  present 
writing  the  proprietor  of  617  acres  of  highly  cultivated 
and  improved  land  in  the  township  last  named,  and 
is  extensively  engaged  in  the  breeding  and  raising  of 
stock,  being  one  of  the  largest  agriculturists  in  Haw 
Creek  Township. 

Mr.  Housh  was  married  in  Haw  Creek  Township, 
Oct.  26,  1855,  to  Ann  Eliza,  daughter  of  Jared  and 


\ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


533 


Jane  (Wilson)  Strong.  Her  parents  came  from  Ohio 
to  Knox  County  in  1847,  selecting  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship as  their  abiding  place.  The  father  left  his  fam- 
ily in  Haw  Creek  Township  in  1850,  and  went  to 
California  and  was  occupied  in  mining  for  eight  years. 
Subsequently  he  came  back  East  with  his  family,  and 
in  the  year  1869  returned  with  his  wife  to  California. 
His  demise  occurred  Nov.  8,  1885.  His  widow  still 
survives  him.  His  family  consists  of  seven  children, 
by  name  as  follows  :  Elizabeth  J.,  Nancy  Ann,  Ann 
Eliza,  John  D.,  Henry  Clay,  Emily  S.  and  Samantha 
E. 

Mrs.  H.  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Ohio,  April  5, 
1 038,  and  has  borne  her  husband  four  children,  the 
record  being  as  follows:  Alonzo  M.,  Florence  E., 
Frank  J.  and  Amanda  E.  Alonzo  Housh  married 
Ella  Barlow,  and  they  are  residing  at  Haw  Creek 
Township.  They  are  the  parents  of  one  child — 
Glenny.  Florence  Housh  became  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam B.  Bland,  and  they  reside  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal.; 
Frank  J.  Housh  is  the  husband  of  Luella  Dennison, 
and  they  reside  at  Haw  Creek  ;  their  two  children 
are  named  Teresa  E.  and  Florence  E.  Amanda  E. 
Housh  became  the  wife  of  A.  S.  Potter,  and  resides 
in  Hamilton  County,  Neb. 

Mr.  Housh  has  been  School  Director  for  22  years. 
Mrs.  H.  has  been  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  for  a  period  of  33  years.  Politically 
speaking,  Mr.  Housh  is  a  Greenbacker. 


avid  McMaster.     One   of  the  representa- 
^    live  farmers  of  Knox  may  be  found  in  the 


<^ 


subject  of  this  sketch,  whose  handsome 
home  is  situated  on  section  4,  including  up- 
ward of  400  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  has 
erected  a  fine  residence  and  neat  barns,  sheds, 
and  other  convenient  out-buildings,  the  whole  approx- 
imating a  value  of  $7,000  or  §8,000.  He  is  largely 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock  and  the  cereals,  and 
may  be  considered  as  one  of  the  most  solid  and  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  this  county. 

Mr.  McMaster  was  born  in  Scotland,  March  15, 
1836,  and  was  a  son  of  John  and  Ann  (Slruthers) 
McMaster,  both  born  in  Scotland.  They  came  to 
America  in  1852,  and  settled  in  Copley  Township, on 
section  7,  there  purchasing  80  acres,  on  which  they 


lived  five  years.  The  mother  departed  this  life  in 
1884,  but  the  father  still  survives,  living  in  Walnut 
Grove  with  h's  son.  They  had  a  family  of  seven 
children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living,  as  follows  : 
Mary,  John,  James,  David,  George  and  Thomas.  In 
1863  Mr.  McMaster  purchased  a  farm  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township,  on  which  he  lived,  working  and 
improving  it,  for  five  years.  In  1869  he  purchased 
240  acres,  on  which  he  now  lives,  having  since  added 
160  acres.  In  1882  he  built  a  fine  house,  costing 
about  $5,000,  and  other  buildings,  as  before  stated. 

In  1863  he  was  married  to  Miss  Susan  C.  Mutter, 
the  daughter  of  Philip  and  Mary  (Comstock)  Multer, 
natives  of  New  York.  They  remained  in  their  native 
State  until  their  death.  A  family  was  born  to  them, 
consisting  of  four  children — Emeliiie,  Joseph,  Lewis 
and  Susan  C.  Mr.  McMaster  has  a  family  of  seven 
children— John  P.,  Mary  A.,  James  M.,  David  W., 
Arthur  T.,  Oscar  P.  and  Guy  A. 

Mr.  McMaster  is  in  politics  a  Republican,  voting  | 
for  and  supporting  that  organization.  He  is  a  mem-  1 
berof  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  may  be  reckoned  as  | 
one  of  the  best  of  Knox  County's,  citizens.  Of  him  \  I 
may  truly  be  said,  "  a  good  man  leaveth  an  inherit-  "S 
ance  to  his  children's  children." 

-^ — €-*-^" 


artin  B.  Mason.  Few,  if  any,  of  the  pro- 
gressive and  influential  farmers  resident 
within  the  borders  of  Knox  County  have 
rightfully  a  higher  place  among  the  pioneers 
or  early  settlers  of  that  section  than  Mr.  Ma- 
son. His  residence  stands  on  section  15,  in 
Salem  Township.  He  is  a  native  of  Pennsylvania 
and  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  May  6,  1808.  His 
father,  Jacob  Mason,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
county,  and  his  grandfather,  Martin  Mason,  was  of 
German  ancestry,  and  came  to  this  country  with  his 
parents  when  a  small  child.  During  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  when  our  subject's  grandfather  was  but  14 
years  of  age,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians 
and  sold  to  the  French  Canadians,  who  removed 
him  to  Fort  Duquesne.  He  was  the  companion  for 
eight  years  of  a  French  Major,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  secured  a  pass  to  return  to  his  people  in 
Virginia.  After  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to 
Western  Pennsylvania  and  took  up  a  tomahawk 
claim,  as  it  was  then  called,  and  which  was  marked 


-A-4* 


*l,  ^—*--^ 


534 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


out  by  blazing  the  trees.  He  secured  the  title  to 
the  land  and  there  lived  until  1814.  From  there  he 
removed  with  one  of  his  sons  to  Ashland  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  died  at  the  mature  age  of  93  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  nine  children,  and  early  in  life  married 
Catherine  Riddenger,  who  was  born  in  Virginia  of 
German  parents.  In  18 14  he  removed  to  Ohio,  set- 
tling in  tliat  part  of  Richland  County  now  included 
in  Ashland  County,  in  which  section  he  was  one  of 
the  first  settlers.  There  he  bought  timber  land, 
cleared  a  farm  and  lived  until  1837,  when  he  sold 
out  and  came  to  Illinois,  choosing  Fulton  County  as 
his  point  of  destination.  At  Farmington  he  pur- 
chased property,  upon  which  he  resided  until  his 
deatli,  which  occurred  a  few  years  later.  There 
were  four  children  born  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Mason,  as  follows :  William,  who  lives  in  Stark 
County,  111. ;  Martin  R.,  our  subject ;  James,  whose 
home  is  in  Farmington  ;  and  Nancy,  now  deceased. 

Martin  was  but  six  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
removed  to  Ohio,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  being 
reared  on  the  farm.  He  married,  Oct.  18,  1842, 
-^  Mary  Ann  Slason,  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  She  was  born 
Jan.  21,  1817,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Dutcher  and 
Sarah  (Sampson)  Slason,  her  father  being  from 
Westchester  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  mother  from 
Massachusetts.  She  came  with  her  parents  to  Ful- 
ton County  in  1835,  and  Mr.  Mason  came  in  1837. 
They  were  united  in  marriage  in  Fulton  County, 
where  they  resided  until  1843,  and  then  came  to 
Knox  County,  buying  the  land  he  now  owns  and  oc- 
cupies in  Salem  Township,  where  they  have  since 
continued  to  live. 

Mr.  Mason,  although  blest  in  a  minor  degree  with 
this  world's  goods,  has  always  been  quoted  as  one  of 
the  reliable  men  of  this  section,  and  as  a  substantial 
citizen.  He  cast  his  first  political  vote  for  Andrew 
Jackson,  and  remained  a  Democrat  until  1872,  since 
which  time  he  has  been  a  stanch  Greenbacker.  He 
takes  an  active  interest  in  all  matters  relative  to  the 
improvement  and  good  of  the  community,  and  is 
foremost  in  educational  affairs,  serving  as  Trustee  in 
his  school  district.  He  has  been  County  Commis- 
sioner and  has  served  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors 
since  the  organization  of  the  township.  In  religious 
belief  he  is  a  Universalist. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  the  birth  of  seven  children :     Charles  H., 


whose  home  is  in  Jefferson  County,  Iowa  ;  Sarah  J. ; 
Harriet  E.,  who  was  the  wife  of  James  Broherd,  now 
deceased;  Cassie;  William  J.  J.,  who  lives  at  home; 
Mary  A.,  wife  of  Frank  Coon,  of  Phelps  County, 
Neb.;  and  Martin  S.,  who  lives  in  Farmington,  111. 

_>^ ^.o^..@^><^..ofo V— 

f^f  ^^!b  harles  L.  Roberts,  Esq.,  President  of  the 
3i^Sa|  Council  of  Yates  City,  was  born  in  tlie 
n'l&  "^  town  of  Brooks,  Waldo  Co.,  Me.,  April  14, 
182 1.     His  father,  Jacob  Roberts,  was  also  a 

1^  native  of  Maine,  and  the  maiden  name  of  his 
mother  was  Huldah  Merrick,  also  a  native  of 
the  Pine  Tree  State.  Jacob  Roberts,  father  of  our 
subject,  was  a  physician  by  profession  and  practiced 
medicine  in  his  native  town  for  many  years.  He  then 
removed  to  North  Vassalboro,  Kennebec  Co.,  Me., 
and  continued  the  practice  of  medicine  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1857. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  in  < 
his  native  town,  in  Waldo  County,  and  educated  in 
the  pubHc  schools.  At  the  age  of  20,  having  acquired 
a  fair  English  education,  he  began  teaching  in  theW 
public  schools  of  Waldo  County,  serving  in  this  ca- 
pacity for  two  terms.  He  next  went  to  New  York 
and  engaged  in  teaching  at  Pittstown,  Rensselaer, 
County.  He  also  taught  in  Lansingburg  and  at 
Schaghticoke,  in  the  last  named  county,  for  ten  years. 
He  then  returned  to  Maine,  again  accepting  a  posi- 
tion as  pedagogue  in  North  Vassalboro,  Kennebec 
County.  In  1856,  Mr.  Roberts  went  to  Connecticut  . 
and  followed  the  occupation  of  a  provision  merchant, 
in  Bridgeport,  for  a  period  of  five  months,  after  which 
time  he  emigrated  to  Iowa,  making  a  location  in  New 
Hampton,  remaining  there  one  year  and  a  half,  teach- 
ing one  term  of  school,  and  during  the  remainder  of 
his  stay  there  was  engaged  in  farming.  October, 
1858,  Mr.  Roberts  removed  to  Peoria,  where  he  re- 
sided until  the  January  following.  At  the  expiration 
of  this  time  he  went  to  Salisbury,  where  he  was  ap- 
pointed freight  agent  for  the  Oquawka  Railway.  In 
May,  1859,  our  subject  went  to  Yates  City  and  pur- 
chased a  half  interest  in  a  general  store,  and  engaged 
in  trade  the  greater  portion  of  the  time  until  1866. 
Mr.  Roberts  has  held  various  official  positions  in  his 
township,  and  was  appointed  Postmaster  in  i860, 
which  office  he  retained  until  1866,  and  then  re- 
signed.    In    1881    he    was    re-appointed,   this    time 


-A— i. 


-i^X-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


535 


holding  the  office  until  1885.  Mr.  R.  has  been  Town- 
ship and  City  Clerk,  also  Notary  Public,  Highway 
Commissioner,  member  of  Council,  City  and  Police 
Magistrate.  At  this  writing,  besides  being  President 
of  the  Council  of  his  township,  he  is  School  Treas- 
urer and  Notary  Public,  which  office  he  has  held  since 
1869.  Politically  Mr.  R.  adheres  to  tlie  doctrines  of 
the  Republican  party. 

Mr.  Roberts  was  joined  in  the  holy  bonds  of  mat- 
rimony to  Miss  Caroline  P.  Metcalf,  a  native  of  the 
Bay  State.  Tie  death  of  Mrs.  Roberts  took  place 
Sept.  15,  1877.  Of  this  union  there  were  five  chil- 
dren born,  by  name  as  follows  :  Carrie  L.,  Charles 
A.  M.,  Georgie  A.,  Ellen  L.  and  Blanche  L. 


on.  James  M.  Hunter.  Identified  with  those 
men  who  have  builded  and  watched  the 
growth  of  Knox  County,  may  be  found  the 
subject  of  this  personal  sketch,  who  is  a  retired 
farmer  of  wealth  and  influence,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 18,  in  Salem  Township.  He  has  filled 
many  positions  of  trust  in  this  section  of  country,  is 
honored  and  respected  by  his  entire  circle  of  friends, 
and  was  appointed  Associate  Judge  of  the  county  in 
1849.  He  is  possessed  of  unvarying  dignity  of  man- 
ner and  of  kind  and  genial  disposition. 

Mr.  Hunter  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio, 
Dec.  31,  1 811  His  father,  Robert  Hunter,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  and  his  grandfather,  Joseph 
Hunter,  was  born  in  Scotland,  and  came  to  America 
with  his  family  before  the  Revolution.  He  spent  the 
last  year  of  his  life  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  where 
the  father  of  James  grew  to  manhood,  and  subse- 
quently removed  to  the  State  of  Ohio  with  his  par- 
ents. They  settled  in  that  State  while  it  was  yet  a 
Territory,  and  were  identified  as  pioneers,  and  there 
Robert  Hunter  was  married  to  Deborah  McGowan, 
who  was  born  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
descent.  He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  alternated 
between  that  branch  of  industry  and  farming,  dy- 
ing in  Franklin  County  in  1815.  He  left  to  mourn 
him,  besides  his  widow,  five  sons,  of  whom  the  sub- 
ject was  tlie  third  in  order  of  birth,  and  was  four 
years  of  age  at  tlie  death  of  his  father.  He  subse- 
quently resided  with  an  uncle  until  he  attained  the 
age  of  nine  years,  after  which  he  lived  with  a  man 


named  Cutter,  whose  farm  joined  the  city  of  Colum- 
bus, Ohio.  It  was  while  living  in  this  latter  home 
that  he  attained  all  the  education  which  he  after- 
ward possessed,  by  attending  both  the  country  and 
city  schools.  At  the  age  of  17,  he  purchased  a  half 
interest  in  a  team,  and  engaged  in  carrying  goods 
from  the  different  lake  ports  to  the  cities  of  Dayton 
and  Cincinnati.  Three  years  later  he  bought  his 
partner's  interest  and  concluded  to  carry  on  the  bus- 
iness alone,  and  went  on  trans{X>rting  goods  across  the 
State  until  1833.  At  that  date  he  sold  out  and  en- 
gaged in  farming,  two  and  one-half  miles  from  Co- 
lumbus, on  rented  land,  and  after  the  lapse  of  18 
months  he  removed  to  Union  County,  where  he  pur- 
chased 80  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  lived  for  three 
years.  Removing  to  Madison  County  from  his  first 
estate,  he  bought  240  acres,  and,  in  1846,  sold  this 
out  and,  with  six  horses,  two  wagons  and  a  carriage, 
occupied  by  his  wife  and  five  children,  emigrated  to 
Illinois.  At  the  close  of  17  days  they  arrived  at  Ful- 
ton County,  where  they  stopped  for  a  few  days  and 
then  came  to  Knox  County,  found  a  location  on  sec- 
tion 18,  in  what  is  now  Salem  Township,  and  have 
here  resided  ever  since. 

The  date  of  his  marriage  was  March  6,  1833,  with 
Miss  Eliza  Hunter,  of  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  who  was 
born  Oct.  12,  1817.  Their  family  consisted  of  five 
children,  as  follows:  Joseph,  Charles,  James  M., 
Ehza  J.  and  May.  Mr.  Hunter  in  politics  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat, stanch  and  strong,  and  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  Gen.  Jackson. 


ugustus  M.  Maple,  a  prominent  merchant 
at  Maquon,  came  to  Knox  County  in 
?cf^  March,  1848,  from  Lewis  County,  Ky.,  and 
^'^^  engaged  as  clerk  for  the  firm  of  Israel  S.  Piper 
&  Co.  In  company  with  John  Morton,  Mr. 
Maple  purcliased  the  stock  of  goods  from  his 
employer,  which  consisted  of  general  merchandise, 
and  tiiey  did  business  under  the  style  of  Maple  & 
Morton.  The  partnership  existed  for  four  years, 
when  tliey  dissolved  and  divided  the  stock,  and  Mr. 
Maple  engaged  alone  in  the  business,  which  he  has 
since  successfully  carried  on.  In  1857,  a  83,500 
slock  of  goods,  together  with  his  building  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire,  the  total  loss  amounting  to  $C,ioo.  Mr. 


536 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^> 


M.  sustained  another  loss  by  fire  in  the  year  1871  ; 
this  was,  however,  not  of  so  serious  a  nature  as  the 
former,  his  loss  being  about  $500.  He  has  followed 
mercantile  pursuits  the  greater  portion  of  the  time 
since  coming  to  Maquon,  having  in  the  interim  car- 
ried on  farming  pursuits  with  the  grain  trade  for 
about  two  years. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of 
this  biographical  notice  was  born  on  Cabin  Creek, 
Lewis  County,  Ky.,  April  9,  1819.  The  father  of  our 
subject  followed  the  honorable  calling  of  a  farmer, 
and  Mr.  Maple,  of  this  notice,  passed  his  early  life 
on  the  farm  in  his  native  county,  with  the  exception 
of  18  months  which  he  spent  in  farming  in  Highland 
County,  Ohio,  in  1840-41. 

Our  subject  was  joined  in  the  bonds  of  wedlock, 
April  3,  185  I,  in  Canton,  111.,  with  Miss  Mary  Sheaff. 
She  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Pa.,  Aug.  16,  1819, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Phillip  and  Harriet  Sheaff, 
^  also  natives  of  the  Keystone  State,  where  their  de- 
mise occurred.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Maple  are  the  happy 
parents  of  four  children — Harriet  L.,  Emily  Ann, 
^  Charles  F.  and  Abraham  L.  Emily  Ann  died  in  in- 
fancy;  Harriet  resides  with  her  parents  at  Maquon; 
Charles  assists  his  father  in  the  duties  of  the  store ; 
while  Abraham  is  a  telegraph  operator,  and  follows 
his  profession  in  Dakota. 

Mr.  Maple  has  been  Supervisor  and  Overseer  of 
Highways  and  Township  Clerk,  which  offices  he  has 
held  in  a  manner  reflecting  much  credit  upon  himself 
and  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  community.  In 
politics  he  is  a  firm  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party.  Both  our  subject  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  by  which  thr;y  are  held  in  high  es- 
teem. 

He  is  the  son  of  David  and  Mary  (Buchanan) 
Maple,  his  mother  being  a  cousin  of  President  Bu- 
chanan. They  were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Penn- 
sylvania respectively,  and  were  married  in  Lewis 
County,  Ky.,  Jan.  6,  1 8 14.  At  the  latter  place  the 
demise  of  the  father  occurred  in  1844.  Upon  the 
death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Maple  came  to  Knox 
County  to  reside  with  her  son,  our  subject,  in  1849, 
and  died  at  his  residence  in  Maquon,  111.,  in  1856. 
The  parental  family  consisted  of  six  children — 
Thompson,  Louisa,  Augustus  M.,  Naomi,  Amanda 
and  Henry  K.  Our  subject  has  outlived  all  the 
original  settlers  of  the  village  of  Maquon,  with  the  ex- 


ception of  Mrs.  Mary  Allen,  widow  of  Benjamin  F. 
Allen,  deceased,  and  Mrs.  Calista  Barbero,  wife  of 
Nathan  Barbero,  deceased. 


mis  illiam  B.  Dunlap,  one  of   Knox  County's 
gr    prominent  farmers  and  stock-growers  and 

^^^if"  also  breeders  of  Short-horn  cattle,  is  re- 
<>  siding  on  his  fine  farm,  located  on  section  7, 
Chestnut  Township.  He  was  born  in  Cedar 
\  Township,  this  county,  Aug.  27,  1849,  ^"d  is 
the  son  of  E.  P.  and  Matilda  F.  (Belt)  Dunlap,  na- 
tives of  the  State  of  Kentucky.  His  father  was  born 
March  22,  181 1,  and  died  March  29,  1865.  His 
mother  was  born  in  1816,  and  bore  her  husband  ten 
children,  namely:  Mary  J.,  Margaret  B.,  G.  W., 
T.  F.,  H.  P.,  William,  Martha  F.,  Alice  and  Ellen 
(twins),  and  Cornelia  A. 

Wm.  B.  Dunlap  was  the  sixth  in  order  of  birth 
of  his  father's  family.  Sept.  30,  1878,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Ida  E.  Latimer.  She  was  born  in  Knox 
County,  Sept.  2,  1855,  and  is  the  daughter  of  J.  S. 
and  Sarah  A.  (Beard)  Latimer,  natives  of  Tennessee,  h 
Her  father  was  born  Nov  27,  1835,  and  was  married 
Nov.  27,  1854.  Mrs.  Latimer  was  born  June  23, 
1833,  and  has  become  the  mother  of  six  children —  , 
Ida  E. ;  Ellura  died  at  the  age  of  four  years  ;  Walter, 
William  A.,  Oran  L.  and  Washington  B. 

Mr.  Dunlap  is  the  possessor  of  230  acres  of  fine 
land  in  Chestnut  Township,  where  he  is  engaged  in 
the  breeding  of  Short-horn  cattle,  numbering  among 
his  herd  30  head  of  full-bloods.  He  has  a  bull  called 
6th  Duke  of  Sharon,  No.  29364.  He  was  bred  by 
Abraham  Renic,  of  Clintonville,  Ky.,  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  animals  of  the  kind  in  the  country;  his 
weight  at  the  age  of  nine  years,  2,160  lb.  He  is  a 
deep-red  color,  magnificently  built,  and  is  regarded  as 
of  the  highest  standard  of  that  stock  in  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Dunlap  has  owned  this  animal  since 
1882.  All  of  his  splendid  herd  is  from  the  Rose  of 
Sharon  stock.  He  gives  his  attention  to  stock-raising 
for  the  purpose  of  supplying  his  customers  with  young 
cattle  of  the  finest  grade,  and  for  breeding  purposes. 
He  finds  a  ready  sale  for  all  he  can  raise.  He  re- 
ceives for  his  male  calves  from  $125  to  $400  per 
head.  His  farm  is  admirably  adapted  for  the  grow- 
ing of  grain  as  well  as  stock-raising. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  E.  P.  Dunlap,  came  to 


-t 


I 


/ 


IIBRARV 

OF  THE 

l.'.'IVERSITY  Of  ILUN"' 


^    <^/?yn,^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


539 


Illinois  in  1837,  accompanied  by  his  young  bride, 
making  the  journey  overland  and  on  horseback.  He 
brought  with  him  some  Short-horn  cattle,  and  these 
were  supposed  to  be  the  first  introduced  into  this 
county,  of  high  grade,  but  not  pure  blood.  Mr.  Will- 
iam Dunlap  came  to  this  farm  in  1880,  and  it  is  now 
known  as  the  Walnut  Grove  Farm.  Mr.  Dunlap  is 
a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  shrewd  business  quali- 
ties, and  is  favorably  known  in  his  township  as  the 
most  extensive  Short-horn  grower  residing  there. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunlap  were  the  parents  of  three 
children— Eldora,  born  April  26,  1879;  Glenn,  born 
Feb.  8,  1881  ;  Dean,  May  7,  1883.  Mrs.  Dunlap  is 
amemberof  the  Congregational  Church.  Politically, 
Mr.  D.  is  a  strong  adherent  of  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party. 


eorge  F.  Reynolds,  a  resident  of  Victoria, 
Knox  County,  was  born  near  Dover,  N.  H., 
Oct.  10,  1799.  His  parents  were  Win- 
throp  and  Hannah  (Locke)  Reynolds,  na- 
tives of  the  Granite  Slate,  and  of  Irish  and 
Welsh  ancestry.  Winthrop  Reynolds,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  by  trade  a  carpenter  and 
joiner,  and  followed  the  same  through  life.  The 
family  of  Mr.  Reynolds,  Sr.,  numbered  nine  children, 
our  subject  being  the  only  one  surviving.  Winthrop 
Reynolds  and  wife  were  members  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church.  They  spent  their  lives  in  New  Hamp- 
shire, their  native  State.  George  F.  Reynolds  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  when 
he  went  to  live  with  an  uncle,  Elisha  Locke,  remain- 
ing with  him  until  he  had  attained  his  majority. 
During  that  time  he  had  received  a  first-class  educa- 
tion, and  upon  leaving  his  home  worked  out  for  three 
months  for  the  small  sum  of  $5  per  month.  After 
this  he  engaged  to  work  in  a  mill,  remaining  there 
for  two  years  and  eight  months.  Our  subject  worked 
and  had  charge  of  a  farm  for  four  years  near  Boston, 
with  Judge  Robbins,  and  in  1827  made  a  purchase 
of  80  acres  at  Barrington,  N.  H.,  remaining  on  the 
same  for  eight  years.  After  disposing  of  this  place, 
accompanied  by  his  wife,  three  children  and  a  sister- 
in-law,  he  started  for  the  Prairie  State.  After  a  pro- 
longed journey  of  seven  weeks  he  reached  Tazewell 
County,  where  the  father  rented  a  farm  and  also 
entered  an  80-acre  tract  of  land,  remaining  thereun- 


til 1836,  when  he  sold  it  and  came  to  Knox  County, 
arriving  here  Oct.  7,  1S37.  In  the  latter  county  he 
took  up  a  fractional  quarter  of  130  acres,  and  erected 
thereon  the  first  house,  made  of  logs,  24  x  24  feet  in 
dimensions,  where  the  village  of  Victoria  now  stands. 
He  was  proprietor  of  a  hotel  at  that  place  for  four 
years,  and  in  1841,  his  business  having  greatly  in- 
creased, he  erected  a  hotel  33  x  50  feet,  and  contin- 
ued the  business  for  11  years.  Our  subject  was 
the  first  Postmaster  in  Victoria,  in  1838,  was  ap- 
pointed by  Amos  Kendall  and  held  the  position  for 
five  years.  The  greater  part  of  the  village  of  Vic- 
toria was  laid  out  on  land  that  he  once  owned. 

George  F.  Reynolds  was  married  in  March,  1825, 
to  Abigail  P.  Locke,  a  native  of  New  Hampshire. 
Their  family  consisted  of  four  children,  as  follows : 
George  W.,  Charles  C,  John  W.  and  Julia  A.  Charles 
C.  married  Jane  Thorp,  a  narive  of  Illinois,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  four  children — Percy,  Mercy, 
Oliver  and  May  ;  they  reside  in  Iowa.  John  W.  be- 
came the  husband  of  Ann  Peterson,  and  they  have 
born  to  them  four  children — Frank,  Clara,  Abner  and 
Albert;  John  W.  died  in  September,  1884.  He  en- 
listed in  the  17th  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  the  J« 
first  to  enlist  here,  being  mustered  in  at  Peo- 
ria. (See  sketch  of  George  W.  and  John  W. 
Reynolds,  in  this  volume).  Julia  married  Theodore 
Hammond  ;  they  have  seven  children — two  boys  and 
five  girls.  Mrs  Reynolds  died  Nov.  24,  1876,  aged 
72  years,  7  months  and  17  days.  Our  subject  chose, 
for  his  second  wife  Mrs.  Anna  E.  Woodward,  nee  Reedi 
a  native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  Her  parents  were 
Louis  and  Roxy  S.  (Richardson)  Reed,  natives  of 
the  Empire  State. 

Politically  Mr.  Reynolds  belongs  to  the  Republican 
party.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  James  Monroe 
in  1820;  voted  for  Jackson  in  1824,  1828  and  1832; 
for  Martin  Van  Buren  in  1836  and  1840;  James  K. 
Polk,  1844;  Lewis  Cass  in  1848;  Franklin  Pierce 
in  1852;  John  P.  Hale  in  1856;  Abraham  Lincoln 
in  i860  and  1864;  U.S.  Grant  in  1868  and  1872; 
R.  B.  Hayes  in  1876;  James  A.  Garfield  in  1880,  and 
James  G.  Blaine  in  1884.  He  is  also  connected 
with  the  Congregational  Church,  in  which  denomina- 
tion he  has  been  a  Deacon  for  the  last  30  years.  He 
has  also  been  very  liberal  in  matters  pertaining  to 
religion  and  has  given  freely  to  erect  the  church 
building  and  to  keep  the  society  active  and  prosper- 
ous.   He  has  held  the  offices  of  Justice  of  the  Peace, 


^An 


^ 


54° 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Township  Treasurer,  Postmaster,  etc.  Mr.  Reynolds 
is  a  self-made  man  and  always  ready  to  assist  in  any 
good  cause.  He  has  always  been  active  in  business 
and  is  one  of  the  solid  and  substantial  men  of  Vic- 
toria Township. 

The  publishers  of  this  Album  take  great  satisfac- 
tion in  placing  the  portrait  of  this  excellent  citizen 
among  those  of  other  honored  men  of  Knox  County. 

homas  W.  Collinson  is  a  member  of  the 
well-known  family  bearing  that  good  old 
name  and  occupying  a  jxjsition  among  the 
representative  men  of  his  township.  He  is  one 
of  the  most  successful  farmers  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township  and  Knox  County.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  biography  is  the  eldest  member  of  a  fami- 
ily  of  eight  children  still  surviving,  all  married  and 
having  a  good  social  position  in  their  community. 
The  parents  had  four  sons  and  four  daughters. 

Mr.  Thomas  \V.  Collinson  was  born  near  Carbon- 
dale,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  July  2,  1835.  He  was 
only  three  years  old  when  his  parents  came  to  Knox 
County,  in  1838.  Schools  in  those  days  were  limited, 
and  accordingly  his  educational  advantages  were 
very  meager.  In  his  early  days  he  assisted  in  breaking 
up  many  an  acre  of  raw  prairie  soil.  Up  to  the  date 
of  his  marriage,  which  took  place  Nov.  25.  1858,  he 
lived  at  home.  In  Walnut  Grove  Township,  at  her  par- 
ents' home,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Brooks.  She  was 
born  at  Walnut  Creek,  Victoria  Township,  July  16, 
1839,  on  her  father's  homestead.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Solomon  and  Mary  (Collamer)  Brooks,  farmers 
of  standing  in  their  district.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  New  England  and  of  English  descent.  Her  par- 
ents were  married  in  Lincoln  County,  Maine,  and 
subsequently  removed  to  Ohio.  In  the  spring  of 
1838  they  came  to  Knox  County,  111.,  and  took  up  a 
home  in  Victoria  Township,  being  among  the  early 
settlers  there.  The  land  attached  to  his  new  home 
was  well  improved  before  the  death  of  Mrs.  Collinson's 
father,  which  took  place  March  20,  1873.  The 
mother  died  Dec.  30,  tSSj.  Both  these  good  people 
were  members  of  the  Free-Will  Baptist  Church. 

The  lady  whose  husband  is  the  subject  of  this  no- 
tice is  the  mother  of  nine  children,  two  now  de- 
ceased.    The  elder,  Leander,  was  married  to  Emma 


Patty,  and  they  reside  on  a  farm  in  Lynn  Township; 
David,  Frank,  Solomon,  Thomas,  Theodore  and 
Sarah  Jane  reside  at  home.  The  children  deceased 
are  William,  dying  when  only  three  weeks  old,  and 
Henry,  three  years  and  two  months  old.  Since  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  they  have  lived  on  their 
large  and  well-improved  farm  on  section  25.  He 
owns  in  Knox  County  a  section  of  640  acres,  and 
besides  this  a  highly-cultivated  farm  of  40  acres, 
also  160  acres  in  Clarke  County,  Iowa.  Mr.  Collin- 
son's excellent  wife  is  a  consistent  Baptist,  held  in 
great  esteem  by  that  body.  Mr.  C.  is  a  Democrat  of 
the  decided  school,  representing  the  views  of  that 
party  in  the  most  thorough-going  fashion.  His  good 
sense  and  clear  judgment  cause  him  to  be  looked  up 
to  and  frequently  sought  after  in  matters  needing  his 
counsel. 

A  view  of  Mr.  Collinson's  residence  will  be  found 
on  another  page  of  this  work. 


obert  John  McEeighan,  one  of  Knox 
County's  most  successful  farmers,  residing 
(vz^  on  section  22,  Salem  Township,  was  born 
V <W  '"  Fulton  County,  March  21,  1849,  and  is  an 
only  son  living  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Cun- 
ningham) McKeighan  (see  sketch).  Our 
subject  was  a  child  of  six  years  when  he  accompa- 
nied his  parents  to  this  county.  His  early  education 
was  received  in  the  common  schools  of  his  district, 
he  supplementing  the  same  by  attendance  of  one 
year  and  a  half  at  Monmouth  College.  When  R.  J. 
was  21  years  of  age,  his  father  took  him  as  a  part- 
ner in  business,  that  of  farming,  and  they  thus  con- 
tinued for  two  years.  During  that  time  our  subject 
invented  a  gang  and  sulky  plow.  In  1874  he  filed  a 
caveat  in  the  Patent-Office  for  his  invention,  and 
from  that  time  on  devoted  his  attention  to  the  mak- 
ing of  his  plows.  It  was  not  altogether  a  success, 
and  he  changed  the  plan  of  construction  and  con- 
verted his  design  into  a  single-sulky  plow.  This 
latter  he  continued  to  manufacture  and  sell  until 
1878,  when  he  gave  up  the  business  and  moved  to 
his  farm,  on  section  17,  and  there  occupied  his  time 
in  agricultural  pursuits.  Remaining  on  his  place 
until  1881,  he  removed  to  the  farm  which  he  now 
occupies  and  owns,  and  in  his  chosen  vocation  is 
meeting  with  far  more  than  ordinary  success. 


-€-4- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


54« 


Mr.  McKeighan  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance, 
Feb.  14,  1878,  with  Miss  Ximena  Corey,  who  was 
born  in  Kent  County,  Md  ,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
James  M.  and  Martha  (English)  Corey,  a  sketch  of 
her  parents  being  given  in  another  part  of  this  work. 
Of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McKeii^han's  union  there  has  been 
bom  one  child,  a  son,  by  name  James  L.  Both  hus- 
band and  wife  are  true  and  devoted  followers  of 
Christ,  and  carry  their  religion  into  their  daily  lives,  . 
showing  forth  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  They  are  con- 
nected by  membership  with  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
and  Mr.  McK.  is  one  of  the  Ruling  Elders  in  the 
Church.  In  politics  he  is  a  thorough  and  strong 
Republican,  upholding  the  party  and  voting  for  and 
with  it.  He  is  one  of  the  most  worthy  men  and 
conscientious,  able  workers  in  Knox  County.  His 
vocation  as  a  fanner  includes  not  only  pursuits  in 
that  direction,  but  the  breeding  and  raising  of  cattle, 
Short-horn  and  other  blooded  stock,  together  with 
blooded  swine. 


5  fW^  :  en j amin  Leigh  is  one  of  the  practical  and 
?  LM3  ^  progressive  farmers  whose  names  are  in- 
^.•Qyf^  eluded  in  the  history  of  Knox  County,  and 
'^^  whose  perseverance  and  energy  win  them 
places  among  the  woikers.  His  home  resi- 
dence. Maple  Nook  Farm,  lies  on  section  19 
of  Chestnut  Township,  and  to  his  farming  labors  he 
adds  the  breeding  of  fine  stock,  consisting  largely  of 
Short-horn  cattle,  of  which  he  has  some  of  the  finest 
in  the  country,  and  also  Clydesdale  horses. 

Mr.  Leigh  was  born  in  Chestnut  Township,  in  this 
county,  Sept.  11,  1842.  He  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm,  the  common  schools  furnishing  his  education. 
His  parents  were  Robert  and  Mary  (Booth)  Leigh, 
both  natives  of  Massachusetts,  the  former  being  born 
in  1795,  and  dying  June  18.  i866.  He  emigrated  to 
Illinois  in  1835,  and  thus  became  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  the  county.  Mrs.  Leigh,  born  in  1805,  was  also 
a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  is  now  living  in  Her- 
man. To  them  were  born  seven  children,  as  follows  : 
Abigail,  Adeline,  Clark,  Caroline,  OavidB.,  Benjamin 
and  Elizabeth  H.  Benjamin  married  .Miss  Mary  A. 
Martin,  Jan.  26,  1870.  She  was  born  May  31,  1848, 
in  Indiana,  and  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents, 
William  and  Mary  (Headly)  Martin,  when  a  mere 


child,  in  the  year  1851.  They  still  live  in  Iowa. 
William  Martin  was  born  Feb.  24,  1821,  and  his  wife 
Nov.  10,  1822.  They  are  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, seven  living,  as  follows:  Caroline,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Mary  A.,  Rufus  H.,  Emma,  James  W., 
Ann  Eliza,  who  died  in  infancy;  Laura,  Abraham  L. 
and  Charles  E.  Sarah  J.,  the  eldest,  wife  of  William 
Barnes,  died,  leaving  one  child. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leigh  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  one  child,  a  son,  by  name  Harry  A., 
who  was  born  Nov.  7,  1870.  As  previously  stated, 
Mr.  Leigh  makes  a  specialty  of  blooded  animals. 
He  has  an  interest  in  two  imported  stallions.  Western 
Monarch  and  Romeo,  and  ten  head  of  Short-horns. 
The  latter  include  three  families,  and  one  male,  one 
year  old,  is  from  the  Rose  of  Sharon  6th,  and  Lady 
Athol.  In  the  year  1883,  he  erected  a  fine  dwelling- 
house,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,  with  which  his  out-build- 
ings correspond  in  general  convenience  and  modern 
improvements. 

Mr.  Leigh  has  successfully  filled  many  of  the ' 
difficult  offices  of  the  county.  He  was  Collector  of 
the  township  for  one  year.  He  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of"^ 
Herman,  he  being  a  Steward  of  that  body.  He  has 
also  acted  as  Superintendent  of  the  Sunday-school  in 
his  church,  and  has  been  an  active  personal  worker 
in  all  causes  of  good.      In  politics  he  is  Republican 


||p|i'|i[bram  Letts,  deceased.  The  subject  of  this 
'i9rT\  Personal  narration,  who,  while  living,  oc- 
i^i^i'  cupied  a  wide  field  of  usefulness,  was  one 
**.)ff  of  the  most  prominent  and  worthy  citizens  of 
ji?*  Knox  County.  His  home  lies  on  section  5,  in 
I  Haw  Creek  Township,  and  in  his  particular 
line  of  labor  he  was  remarkably  successful.  Years  of 
persistent  industry  and  unremitting  and  arduous 
labor  had  brought  him  landed  possessions,  and  the 
wife  and  family  who  were  left  to  mourn  his  loss  were 
well  provided  for  in  this  world's  goods. 

Mr.  Lotts  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  met  his  death  at 
the  hands  of  Indians  at  Ophir,  near  Ft.  Benton,  in 
Montana.  He  was  killed  while  on  a  prospecting  tour, 
in  company  with  ten  other  men,  being  surrounded  by 
a  hostile  band  of  Indians.  All  were  buried  in  the 
same  grave.  This  sad  event  occurred  May  25,  1865. 
His  widow,  Mary  P.  (Carey)  Lotts.  with  the  assist- 


-H- 


-i^^l— • 


542 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ance  of  her  son,  William,  carries  on  the  farm.  Mrs. 
Lotts  has  shown  herself  to  be  a  woman  of  much 
energy  of  purpose  and  activity,  and  the  farm  under 
her  direction  is  a  credit  to  her.  She  and  her  deceased 
husband  were  united  in  marriage  April  15,  1858,  in 
Knox  County,  111. 

Mrs.  Lotts  is  the  daughter  of  Luther  and  Jjne 
(Wilson)  Carey,  and  she  was  born  in  Champaign 
County,  Ohio,  Jan.  30,  1840.  The  union  was 
crowned  by  the  birth  of  three  children — Ion  Helena, 
born  Jan.  29,  1859,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  J.  Pow- 
ell, residing  in  Johnson  County,  Neb.;  Isaac  E.,  born 
Aug.  12,  i860,  who  died  March  6,  1880,  at  the  early 
age  of  20  years  ;  William,  born  Oct.  10,  1862,  who  is 
her  most  valued  support  and  helper.  Mrs.  Lotts 
afterward  married  Sanford  Townsend,  a  physician, 
and  of  this  marriage  two  children  have  been  born — 
Reece  C,  bo^n  Aug.  25,  1867  ;  Mary  Jane,  born 
Feb.  3,  1869.  Her  second  husband  left  his  family 
I'  ,  with  the  boy,  Reece,  in  1870. 

I    f      Mrs.  Lotts  is  in  possession  of  160  acres  of  finely 

I    I  cultivated  land,  lying  on  section  5,  which  is  bounte- 

l.ously  productive,  and  also  15  acres  of  timber  land, 

'Tfive  situated  in  Haw  Creek  and  ten  in  Orange  Town- 

I  ship.      She  has  a  neat  and  substantial  frame  dwell- 

I  ing-house  and  convenient  out-buildings.     She  is  an 

•   earnest  and  consistent  Christian,  and  a  member  of 

the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


^* 


^|j  ev.  David  r.  Bair.  The  subject  of  this  bi- 
ography is  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  and 
..^(g.  a  farmer,  residing  on  section  4,  Hender- 
{^  son  Township.  He  first  came  to  Henry 
County  in  the  spring  of  1855,  from  Franklin 
County,  Pa.  Subsequently,  in  the  year  1868, 
he  located  on  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  He 
was  a  native  of  Franklin  County,  Pa  ,  where  he  was 
born  May  11,  1827.  It  was  his  custom  during  the 
winter  season  to  attend  school,  and  up  to  his  i8th 
year  he  had  attained  a  very  fair  education.  He  was 
apprenticed  to  the  tanner's  and  currier's  trade  and 
made  Frankhn  County  his  home  up  to  1855,  pursu- 
ing his  trade  successfully  in  the  meantime.  In  the 
month  of  April  in  that  year,  he  came  to  Ipava,  Ful- 
ton County,  111.,  residing  there  until  the  following 
February,  when  he  moved  to  Henry  County.     At  this 


latter  place  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Knox  County. 
Mr.  Bair  is  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word  a  self- 
made  man,  whose  energy  during  latter  years  has  been 
thrown  into  his  ministerial  profession,  devoting  only 
such  time  as  was  necessary  to  his  domestic  and  farm 
business.  Previous  to  his  preaching  in  Henry 
County,  in  1857,  he  became  connected  with  and  pre- 
sided over  the  United  Brethren  Church  in  that  locality. 
With  the  exception  of  one  year,  when  he  was  afflicted 
with  throat  troubles,  he  has  steadily  preached  from  the 
date  referred  to.  In  September,  1885,  he  assumed 
charge  of  the  church  at  Astoria,  111.,  and  is  their 
present  preacher.  Nine  of  the  above  years  he  served 
as  Presiding  Elder  in  Gilson.Good  Hope  and  Astoria 
Districts. 

He  is  the  owner  of  397  acres  of  land,  of  wliich 
over  200  are  tillable.  On  the  6th  of  November,  1846, 
in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  he  married  Miss  Susan 
Rine,  a  native  of  that  county.  This  estimable 
lady  was  born  on  the  28th  of  April,  1825,  and  by  the 
happy  union  ten  children  have  been  born,  viz.  : 
John,  Michael,  Sarepta,  Elizabeth,  Mary,  William  O., 
David  E.,  Eli,  Laura  and  Bessie.  Of  these  John  and  , 
Mary  are  deceased.  Michael  is  a  United  Brethren 
minister,  and  is  at  present  located  at  Dayton, 
Ohio ;  Sarepta  is  the  wife  of  George  Davidson  and 
resides  in  Henderson  Township  ;  Mrs.  Davidson  has 
had  three  children — Minnie,  Robert  and  David  E. 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  George  Leitner  and  resides 
in  Kansas  ;  she  is  the  mother  of  two  children — Mor- 
rill and  Mary.  Michael  has  three  children — Saba  E., 
David  A.  and  McCleod  R.;  William  is  a  successful 
physician,  practicing  in  Henry  County;  David  is  at 
Westerfield,  Clark  Co.,  111.;  Eli  resides  at  home; 
Laura  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Hickman  and  lives  in 
Ontario  Township,  and  is  the  mother  of  one  child; 
Bessie,  the  youngest,  resides  at  home. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Bair  were  people  of  the  high- 
est integrity,  of  honest,  persevering  habits,  and  had 
such  a  belief  in  bringing  up  their  children  in  the 
right  way  that  it  would  have  been  remarkable  if  Mr. 
Bair,  their  son,  was  other  than  the  practical  and  ami- 
able character  he  is.  His  father's  name  was  David 
and  his  mother's  Elizabeth  (Flickinger)  Bair,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania;  their  decease  took  place  in  Frank- 
lin County,  in  that  State.  The  mother's  parents  were 
Michael  and  Elizabeth  (Dunkle)  Rine,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania  also.     They  came  to  Knox  County  in 


-i*- 


^J^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


S4S 


the   year    1855,    settling  in   Henderson    Township. 
There  they  lived  and  died. 

In  politics,  our  subject  is  a  stanch  Republican! 
while  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  his  consistent  and 
useful  life  gives  a  power  and  point  to  his  preaching, 
easily  recognized  not  only  by  those  who  are  imme- 
diately connected  with  him  in  his  church,  but  by  a 
large  circle,  apparently  outside  and  beyond  his  influ- 
ence. 

— ^*> ■o«o--;gj^X'1i2)  ■•'»♦*• *-<'~ 

^^^^ 

^^^1^  ohn  H.  Mathews  ranks  among  the  well-to- 
j^aJfc  do  and  popular  agriculturists  who  in  early 
'}^^  life  engaged  energetically  in  the  labor  inci- 
^M  dent  to  the  cultivation  of  the  farm,  and  whose 
]^t  efforts  have  been  crowned  with  success,  thus 
i  enabling  him  to  pass  the  sunset  of  his  life  in 
retirement  upon  his  fine  farm,  situated  on  section  10, 
Salem  Township.     He  was  born   Sept.  9,    1840,  in 

■  the  township  in  which  he  has  always  been  a  resident. 
He  is  the  eldest  son  of  Robert  and  Margaret  (Wat- 
son) Mathews.     In  his  earlier  years    Mr.   Mathews 

»  attended  the  district  schools  and  assisted  his  father 
in  the  duties  of  the  farm. 

Aug.  14,  1862,  our  subject  enlisted  in  the  war  for 
the  Union,  joining  Co.  I,  77th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  that  great  struggle.  He 
participated  in  the  second  battle  of  Vicksburg,  and 
at  the  capture  of  Arkansas  Post.  His  regiment  was 
the  first  to  raise  the  Union  flag  over  the  captured 
fort.  He  afterward  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Fort  Gibson  and  Black  River  Bridge,  and  on  the 
zzd  day  of  May,  1863,  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Pulaski, 
his  regiment  charged  on  the  fort,  and  when  within 
30  feet  of  it  our  subject  was  wounded  by  a  musket 
ball  passing  through  his  body.  He  was  confined  in 
the  hospital  for  ten  months  and  then  joined  the  Vet- 
eran Reserve  Corps  and  went,  via  Washington,  to 
Alexandria,  and  there  served  on  guard  duty  for  tiiree 
months.  From  the  latter  place  he  went  to  Point 
Lookout,  Md.,  to  guard  prisoners.  His  regiment 
was  sent  to  Concord,  N.  H.,  May  25,  1865,  where  it 
did  garrison  duty  until  July  of  that  year,  when  the 
regiment  was  mustered  out  and  discharged.  After- 
ward he  returned  home.  He  had  during  the  mean- 
time visited  19  different  States  and  the  District  of 
Columbia.  After  returning  home  he  attended  the 
Soldiers' College,  at  Fulton,  111.,  and  in   1866,  his 


wound  breaking  out  afresh  caused  him  five  months 
of  severe  illness.  In  1866  he  purchased  his  present 
farm  on  section  10,  Salem  Township,  and  com- 
menced farming. 

Mr.  Mathews  has  been  twice  married,  first  on 
Dec.  23,  1 87 1,  when  Adelia  Mussena  became  his 
wife.  She  was  born  in  New  Orleans  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Jacob  Mussena,  who  was  a  pioneer  of 
the  city  of  Cincinnati,  where  he  erected  some  of  the 
first  brick  buildings.  He  was  one  of  the  few  loyal 
men  in  New  Orleans  during  the  war.  Mrs.  Mathews 
met  her  death  at  the  hand  of  an  assassin  Aug.  5, 
r872,  after  a  little  more  than  seven  months  of  mar- 
ried life.  The  assassin  was  convicted  and  paid  the 
penalty  of  his  crime  upon  the  gallows,  being  the  first 
and  only  man  ever  hung  in  Knox  County. 

The  second  wife  of  Mr.  Mathews  was  Miss  Mary 
H.  Spikard,  to  whom  he  was  married  Dec.  21,  1879. 
She  was  born  in  Hillsboro,  Highland  Co.,  Ohio,  and 
was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Eliza  (Fisher)  Spi- 
kard. Her  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  her 
mother  of  Virginia.  Ethel  J.  and  Giles  A.  are  the 
names  of  their  two  children.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  Politically  °] 
speaking,  Mr.  Mathews  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the 
principles  advocated  by  the  Republican  party. 


:'ames   DeWitt  Clinton    Hoit,   M.   D.,   of 

Yates  City,  111.,  is  a  native  of  the  Granite 
State,  and  was  born  in  Laconia,  Belknap 
County,  Aug.  25,  1842.  His  father.  Col.  James 
S.  Hoit,  was  born  in  Hampstead,  Rockingham 
County,  N.  H.,  Feb.  r3,  1794,  and  was  the  son 
of  Thomas  and  Hannah  (Stevens)  Hoit.  Thomas 
Hoit  was  also  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  stood 
high  on  the  records  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  in  which  he 
served  as  Captain  of  the  Marines.  He  died  at  sea 
and  was  buried  in  Surinam,  Portugal. 

James  S.  Hoit,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  but 
four  years  of  age  when  his  father  died.  He  remained 
with  his  mother,  attending  the  district  school  at 
Barnstead,  N.  H.,  and  while  there  learned  the  trade  of 
carpenter  and  cabinet-maker.  During  the  latter  part 
of  the  War  of  1812,  aid  before  he  was  21  years  of 
age,  he  became  a  member  of  the  militia  company,  in 
which  he  was  appointed  Second  Sergeant,  and  also 


-x^ 


546 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


=t 


4-^  > 


acted  as  Orderly,  remaining  in  the  service  three 
months  and  three  days.  He  went  with  his  company 
to  Fort  Constitution,  at  the  entrance  of  Portsmouth 
Harbor.  While  there  Walbach  Tower  was  built.  Col. 
Hoit  assisting  in  its  construction,  having  charge  of 
the  carpenter  work,  and  at  one  time,  while  in  com- 
mand, doing  garrison  duty,  three  British  men-of-war 
were  seen  hovering  around  the  shoals  with  the  evi- 
dent intention  of  entering  the  harbor.  A  signal  was 
given  from  the  mounted  gun  in  the  tower,  but  the 
vessels  did  not  respond,  and  gradually  retreated  from 
sight.  Col.  Hoit  assisted  in  giving  the  enemy  to 
understand  that  the  handful  of  troops  was  ready  for 
an  active  engagement  if  desired.  In  the  regiment 
was  the  late  Gen.  John  A.  Di.x,  who  was  adjutant. 
After  his  term  of  service  as  a  soldier  expired.  Col. 
Hoit  returned  to  Barnstead,  where  he  engaged  for  a 
a  short  time  in  farming.  He  then  went  back  to  his 
trade,  which  he  followed  in  Lake  Village  for  a  few 
years,  thence  to  Dover,  where  he  built  several  dwell- 
ings and  stores,  also  framing  and  finishing  the  print 
factory,  which  still  stands,  and  is  claimed  to  be 
the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the  State. 
Subsequent  to  this  he  entered  the  employment  of  the 
Avery  Manufacturing  Company,  at  Meredith  Bridge, 
and  after  a  short  time  assumed  full  charge.  He  re- 
tained his  position  until  1846,  then  resigned,  erecting 
the  residence  he  now  occupies.  He  is  now  93  years 
of  age,  and  enjoys  the  best  of  health,  and  is  in  full 
possession  of  his  faculties.  He  has  been  three  times 
married,  his  second  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Abigail  Clay,  being  the  mother  of  our  subject.  She 
was  born  in  Sanbornton,  N.  H.,  and  died  Oct.  22, 
i860.  Col  Hoit  has  held  several  important  posi- 
tions during  his  life,  and  has  been  an  active  public 
worker.  After  the  War  of  181 2,  he  was  proffered  a 
commission,  which  he  accepted,  as  Captain  in  the 
loth  N.  H.  militia.  From  there  he  was  promoted  to 
higher  offices,  until  in  1828  he  was  appointed  Colo- 
nel of  a  regiment,  by  Gov.  Bell,  receiving  an  honor- 
able discharge  May  5,  1830.  In  1840  he  conveyed 
the  presidential  vote  to  Washington,  and  in  1856  was 
elected  to  the  State  Legislature.  To  this  office  he 
received  re-election — a  fair  proof  of  his  standing  in 
the  estimation  of  the  people. 

Dr.  Hoit,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  stands  high  in 
the  medical  profession,  and  has  a  flattering  patron- 
age, his  practice  employing  his  entire  time.  He  is  a 
man  well  educated  and  of  considerable  literary  tal- 


ent, having  produced  a  number  of  poetical  sketches 
well  worthy  of  notice.  His  early  advantages  were 
excellent  and  he  availed  himself  of  the  opportunities 
afforded.  After  quitting  the  public  schools  he  en- 
tered Gilford  Academy,  and  subsequently  the  New 
London  Literary  and  Scientific  Institute.  At  the  age 
of  18,  desiring  to  adopt  the  profession  of  medi- 
cine, he  entered  the  office  of  Dr.  A.  J.  Thompson,  of 
Laconia,  and  applied  himself  to  his  books  with  in- 
dustry and  zeal.  He  entered  Harvard  University,  at- 
tended medical  lectures,  and,  after  examination,  was 
assigned  to  a  position  in  the  Medical  Corps  of  the 
U.  S.  Army,  and  stationed  at  St.  Louis  and  Jefferson 
City,  Mo.,  where  he  did  duty  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  In  1866  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  commenced 
practice  at  Morristown,  in  Henry  County.  There  he 
remained  for  eight  months,  receiving  a  good  patron- 
age, and  then  removed  to  Yates  City,  where  he  has 
since  continued  to  reside  and  practice.  Dr.  Hoit 
took  a  degree  from  Missouri  Medical  College,  St. 
Louis.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Yates  City 
Board  of  Education  for  15  years.  He  is  a  respected 
member  of  the  ancient  and  honorable  fraternity  of 
Masons,  and  holds  membership  in  Yates  City  Lodge, 
No.  448,  Eureka  Chapter,  No.  98,  R.  A.  M.,  and 
Galesburg  Commandery,  No.  8,  K.  T.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican. 

On  tiie  15th  of  October,  1867,  Dr.  Hoit  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Isaac  P. 
and  Martha  G.  (Scidmore)  Taylor,  pioneers  of  Pe- 
oria County.  The  date  of  Mrs.  Hoit's  birth  was  July 
27,  1845.  The  names  of  the  children  are  Arabella, 
Ella  M.,  Virginia  and  Mattie  A. 


1^  li  M.  Benfleld,  dealer  in  groceries  and  pro- 


jl^^  L'    visions,  established  his  business  in  1883,  in 


Abingdon,  of  which  city  he  is  a  resident. 
jj^  He  may  be  considered  one  of  Knox  County's 
most  wide-awake  and  industrious  citizens,  and 
is  respected  by  all  who  know  him  for  his  up- 
right character  and  his  ability  in  business.  He  en- 
gaged in  his  present  vocation,  leaving  his  occupation 
as  a  butcher  to  do  so,  at  which  he  has  been  fairly 
successful. 

Mr.  Benfield  is  of  German  descent  and  was  born 
in  Crawford  County,  Pa.,  May  27,  1838,  and  is  the 
son  of  Daniel  and  Catherine  (Baughman)  Benfield, 


"T 


■M\ 


'     .  .Y. 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


X* 


547 


He  came  to  DeKalb  Co.,  111.,  in  1857,  and,  removing 
to  Maquon  in  1858,  began  farming.  Entering  the 
Government  service  as  a  mechanic  in  the  late  war, 
he  was  engaged  six  months  at  Nashville,  Tenn. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  Jan.  13,  1858,  at  Ma- 
quon, with  Elizabeth  Housh.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
David  Housh,  and  was  born  July  28,  1841,  at  Ma- 
quon. The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benfield  has 
been  productive  of  the  birth  of  eight  children,  one 
son  and  seven  daughters,  as  follows  :  Charles  D., 
born  Sept.  8,  1S60,  Principal  of  the  Commercial  De- 
partment of  Hedding  College;  Bessie  Belle,  born 
May  23,  1867  ;  Amanda  Jane,  born  Feb.  26,  1869; 
Catherine  Lulu,  born  June  27,  187  i  ;  Melissa  D.  H., 
born  Sept.  3,  1S74;  Sarah  Blanche,  born  March  6, 
1876 ;  Mary  Adeline,  born  March  1 1,  1878,  and  died 
Sept.  6,  of  the  same  year,  and  Jessie  Eveline,  born 
Dec.  25,  1884,  in  Abingdon.  All  the  above  children, 
except  the  last  named,  were  born  in  Haw  Creek 
Township. 

Mr.  Benfield's  father  was  born  in  Lehigh  County, 
Pa.,  and  was  of  German  descent.  His  mother  was 
a  native  of  the  same  place  and  of  like  ancestry.  Mrs. 
>1  Benfield's  parents  were  pioneers  in  Knox  County,  and 
her  mother,  who  was  born  in  Greencastle,  Ind., 
claimed  as  ancestors  people  of  English,  Irish,  Scotch 
and  Welsh  nationality. 

Her  father,  David  Housh,  was  born  in  Kentucky, 
July  29,  1880,  and  died  May  24,  1879.  At  the  age 
of  three  years  he  moved  to  the  frontier  north  of  the 
Ohio  River  and  settled  in  the  wilds  of  Indiana, 
among  the  Indians,  where  the  face  of  a  white  man 
was  seldom  seen.  At  the  beginning  of  the  War  of 
181 2  the  white  families  were  compelled  to  move  into 
forts,  which  they  occupied  for  three  years.  He  wit- 
nessed one  or  two  massacres,  in  one  losing  some  rel- 
atives, after  which,  with  a  brother,  he  started  out 
to  avenge  them  through  the  blood  of  whatever  In- 
dians they  were  able  to  put  to  death.  He  heard 
the  great  and  noted  speech  of  the  warrior  Tecumseh, 
before  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe,  and  was  often  heard 
to  pronounce  it  one  of  the  best  of  efforts.  In  1826, 
he  married  Elizabeth  Tiiornbrough  and  again  moved 
to  the  frontier,  where  they  lived  until  1836.  At  the 
close  of  that  year  he  moved  to  Knox  County  and  set- 
tled in  Haw  Creek  Township  and  made  a  few  ac- 
quaintances, Daniel  Meek  and  John  Dawdy  being 
among  the  first,  and  as  all  three  were  extremely  fond 
of  hunting,  and  possessed  a  love  for  fast  horses,  a  spirit 


of  rivalry  existed  in  the  endeavor  to  see  who  could 
get  the  best.  Mr.  H.  laid  out  a  mile  track,  which  aft- 
erward became  quite  a  resort  for  patrons  of  the 
turf.  He  raised  fine  blooded  horses,  in  which  he 
took  much  pride,  and  also  engaged  in  milling  and  | 
distilling,  and  later  in  mercantile  pursuits.  He  cast 
his  first  vote  for  President  with  the  Jackson  Demo- 
crats, and  has  voted  at  each  election  the  same  ticket. 
He  retired  from  business  with  the  exception  of  giv- 
ing some  attention  to  farming,  enjoyed  a  ripe  old 
age  and  died  honored  and  respected. 

Eli  M.  Benfield  moved  to  Abingdon  in  December, 
1879.     While  at  Maquon  he  was   a  contractor  and       i 
builder,  and  had  also  an  interest  in  a  harness  business. 
He  possessed  a  love  for  farming  pursuits,  which  he 
followed  in  a  small  degree,  but  after  the  war  came  to 
the  city  in  which  he  at  present  resides,  and  engaged 
in   the  occupation  of  a  butcher  until  1883.     In  that 
year  he  established  his  present  business,  as  previ- 
ously stated.     He  and  his  wife  are  parents  of  three      , 
children,  and  they  are  people  of  influence,  kindly   .  ' 
feeling,  and  labor  for  the  good  of  others.     They  are 
connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and    j 
are  respected  by  the  community  of  which   they  are    'j 
members.  Politically  he  votes  the  Democratic  ticket.    ' 


illiam  Mathews,  a  retired  farmer,  and  one 
of  Knox  County's  prominent  citizens,  was 
.^  born  in  County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  April  6^ 
['  1810,  and  is  the  eldest  son  of  John  and  Sa- 
rah Mathews.  There  were  four  brothers  in 
the  family.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his 
native  county,  and  when  20  years  of  age  left  the 
Emerald  Isle  in  a  steamer  bound  for  the  United 
States.  He  set  sail  from  Derry.  in  the  month  of 
April,  and  after  a  tedious  voyage  of  six  weeks  landed 
at  Philadelphia.  At  that  place  he  was  variously 
employed  until  1839.,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Illi- 
nois. He  came  via  the  canal,  and  the  Ohio,  Mis- 
sissippi and  Illinois  Rivers  to  Peoria,  and  thence  to 
Knox  County.  Our  subject  had  been  very  unfort- 
unate in  Philadelphia,  losing  his  hard-earned  savings, 
and  upon  arriving  in  this  county  had  to  begin  life 
anew.  His  first  employment  was  on  the  Peoria  & 
Warsaw  Railroad,  which  was  in  process  of  construc- 
tion, and  again  he  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose  all  his 
earnings.     We    next    find    him   on    the    Mississippi 


mXl 


548 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


River,  where  he  was  employed  for  a  short  time.  Mr. 
Mathews  continued  to  work  at  different  places  until 
1845,  when  purchased  the  northwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 22,  Salem  Township,  making  a  payment  of  $400, 
the  sum  total  of  his  savings.  He  moved  upon  his 
place  a  log  house  which  he  had  purchased  at  Farm- 
ington,  known  as  the  Hotel  of  Farmington,  and  at 
once  commenced  to  cultivate  and  improve  his  farm. 
At  the  time  of  purchase  the  land  was  a  wild,  un- 
broken tract,  but  he  has  cultivated  and  improved  it 
until  at  the  present  time  it  is  one  of  the  best  farms  in 
the  township.  In  1861,  he  erected  a  commodious 
residence  upon  his  farm,  and  to-day  his  place  is 
numbered  among  the  finest  in  the  township,  contain- 
ing 340  acres  of  excellent  land,  which  is  under 
improvement.  Our  subject  also  owns  a  fine  and 
highly  cultivated  farm  in  Fulton  County,  of  120 
acres.     His  occupation  is  that  of  farmer. 

April  6,  1856,  William  Mathews  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Mary  J.  Montgomery,  She  was  born 
in  Crawford  County,  Pa.,  Nov.  7,  1827,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Simpson  and  Nancy  (Caldwell)  Mont- 
gomery, natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  father  died 
when  she  was  12  years  old,  and  her  mother  brought 
the  family  here  in  1857.  Our  subject  and  wife  are 
the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follows :  Sarah  N., 
wife  of  Joseph  Maxwell,  residents  of  Yates  City; 
the  next  in  order  of  birth  are  John  S.,  William  C, 
Minerva  J.,  Robert  T.  and  Clarinda  B.  Both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  M.  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
In  politics  he  has  been  a  Republican. 


•iM 


^3-^ ^— 

eter  Frans.  This  gentleman,  now  deceased, 
came  to  Knox  County  from  Kentucky  in 
1853,  and  settled  in  Henderson  Township, 
''t\f^  where  he  at  once' engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
jl\.  suits,  and  at  the  date  of  his  death  was  the 
owner  of  about  800  acres  in  this  county.  His 
demise  took  place  on  the  13th  day  of  April,  i86i,  to 
the  great  sorrow  of  a  large  circle  of  friends.  He  was 
married  in  Meade  County,  Ky.,  Oct.  20,  1825,  to 
Sarah  Brown,  the  daughter  of  Simeon  and  Henrietta 
(Hobbs)  Brown. 

This  good  lady  was  born  in  Nelson  County,  Ky., 
Feb.  8,  1806,  and  by  her  union  with  Mr.  Frans  be- 
came the  mother  of  12   children,    viz.:     Henrietta, 


Harrison,  Simeon,  Margaret,  Henry,  Fauntleroy, 
Mary,  Martha,  Sallie,  Josephine,  Annie  and  Maria. 
Of  these  Henrietta,  Mary,  Annie  and  Maria  are  de- 
ceased. For  ten  years  the  subject  of  this  biograpliy 
honorably  filled  the  post  of  Sheriff  of  Knox  County. 
As  a  consistent  Democrat  in  politics,  he  won  the  ap- 
probation of  his  party  and  was  always  looked  up  to 
as  a  man  whose  judgment  was  worthy  of  consulta- 
tion. His  widow  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  and 
by  her  amiability  of  character  and  the  consistency  of 
her  life  has  secured  a  large  number  of  stanch  friends. 


-irklin  Slater  is  one  of  the  respected  citi- 
zens as  well  as  successful  and  energetic 
farmers  of  Sparta  Township.  His  resi- 
dence is  located  on  section  17,  where  he  is 
diligently  engaged  in  the  most  independent  of 
all  callings,  and  in  which  he  is  meeting  with 
more  than  ordinary  success.  He  was  born  in  Chau- 
tauqua County,  N.  Y.,  April  8,  1838,  his  father  being 
Jonathan  and  his  mother  Betsey  (Whealon)  Slater, 
both  natives  of  Vermont.  The  father  of  our  subject 
was  a  farmer,  at  which  vocation  he  continued  to  labor 
during  his  lifetime.  Their  children  were  seven  in 
number,  named  Perry,  Julia,  Mary,  Albert,  Kirklin, 
Susan  and  Benjamin.  The  mother  died  in  Chautau- 
qua County,  in  1852.  In  1872,  the  father  came  to 
this  State  and  made  his  home  with  his  son,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice,  and  also  with  his  son-in-law,  Will- 
iam Palmer,  until  his  demise,  in  1874. 

Kirklin  Slater  was  an  inmate  of  their  parental 
household  until  24  years  of  age.  His  education  was 
received  at  the  common  schools  and  supplemented 
by  an  academical  course.  On  August  19,  1863, 
he  enlisted  in  the  ist  Batt.  N.  Y.  Sharpshooters, 
and  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness,  at 
Spottsylvania  Court  House,  Cold  Harbor,  North 
Anna  River  and  Petersburg.  At  the  last-named  place 
he  was  wounded,  in  consequence  of  which  he  was 
confined  to  the  hospital  for  ten  months.  -After  con- 
valescing he  joined  his  regiment  and  participated  in 
the  battle  of  Five  Forks  and  did  a  great  deal  of  picket 
and  guard  duty,  and  also  skirmishing.  He  vvas  also 
present  at  the  time  Robert  E.  Lee  surrendered  his 
army  to  U.  S.  Grant,  at  Appomattox  Court  House, 
Va.,  April  9,  1865.      He  was  in  the  army  from  Aug. 


-H- 


\ 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


549 


19,  1863,  to  July  10,  1865,  and  received  ar  honora- 
ble discharge  at  Washington,  D.  C.  Returning  home, 
he  again  engaged  in  farm  labor  and  was  thus  occu- 
pied until  the  fall  of  1865,  when  he  came  to  this 
county,  and  for  i8  months  resided  at  Wataga,  when 
he  again  returned  to  New  York.  In  1867,  Mr.  Slater 
visited  Tennessee,  and  viewed  the  old  battle  grounds 
at  Chattanooga,  Lookout  Mountain  and  Chickamau- 
ga,  when  he  again  returned  to  York  State  and  was 
married  to  Miss  Catherine  B.  Mechling,  in  Butler, 
Butler  Co.,  Pa.  The  date  of  their  marriage  was 
1870,  and  the  bride's  parents  were  Christian  and 
Susan  (Robinson)  Mechling,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  Slater  and  his  bride  came  to 
this  State  and  county  and  made  settlement  on  sec- 
tion 17,  Sparta  Township,  where  he  purchased  20 
acres  of  land.  He  has  since  increased  his  acreage 
by  an  additional  purchase  of  a  40-acre  tract.  On 
his  farm  he  has  a  good  residence,  and  in  addition  to 
his  farm  property  has  a  house  and  lot  in  Wataga. 
Mr.  Slater  has  made  all  the  improvements  on  his 
place  himself,  has  brought  the  land  to  a  high  state  of 
cultivation  and  adorned  the  farm  by  the  setting  out 
of  trees,  etc.  He  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  one 
child,  a  daughter,  Sidney.  Politically  Mr.  Slater 
votes  with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  an  enter- 
prising, wide-awake  man,  who  generally  accomplishes 
his  undertakings,  and  is  meeting  with  success  in  his 
chosen  vocation. 


Jeremiah  Mason,  deceased,  was  a  pioneer 
in  Salem  Township,  and  one  of  those  men 
whose  names  are  associated  with  the  growth 
j.i  and  enterprise  of  Knox  County.  He  was  a 
^r  Pennsylvanian,  and  was  born  in  1803.  While 
still  young,  his  parents  moved  to  Ohio,  and 
settled  in  Stark  County,  in  which  section  of  country 
they  were  early  settlers.  He  grew  to  manhood,  and 
was  there  married  to  Eliza  Sayler,  of  Pennsylvania. 
In  1844,  he  sold  his  interest  and  came  West  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  at  Rushville.  The  journey  was  made 
across  the  country  with  a  pair  of  horses  and  a  wagon, 
besides  one  extra  horse,  which  was  hitched  to  a 
buggy.  They  spent  the  winter  there,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1845  they  removed  to  Farmington,  where 
'X 


he  worked  at  his  trade  as  blacksmith  for  two  years. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  purchased  land  on 
section  2,  in  Salem  Township,  wholly  raw  prairie,  on 
which  he  built  a  log  house.  Removing  his  family 
in  1857,  he  lived  there  until  1867,  when  he  sold  out 
and  went  to  Warren  County,  and  there  spent  the 
remainder  of  his  days.  His  death  occurred  Oct.  10, 
1870,  and  his  wife  followed  him  seven  years  later. 
Of  his  first  union  were  born  two  children,  and  the 
second  marriage  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  n, 
six  of  whom  still  survive. 

^^]  ev.  Vachel  Metcalf  is  well  known  in  Knox 
County  as  a  man  of  high  mental  and  moral 
attainments,  and  for  his  vigorous  and  pro- 
gressive attention  to  the  religious  interests  of 
the  section  of  country  of  which  he  is  a  resi- 
dent. His  home  is  on  section  i,  Salem  Town- 
Rev.  Mr.  Metcalf  was  born  in  that  part  of- 
Richland  County,  Ohio,  now  known  as  Ashland, 
March  20,  181 1.  His  father,  also  named  Vachel, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  born  near  the  Potomac,  < 
River.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Amos  Met- 
calf, was  of  English  parentage,  and  probably  was 
born  in  the  old  country.  He-was  a  man  of  large  pro- 
portions, being  six  feet  and  four  inches  in  height.  He 
figured  actively  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was 
proud  of  the  distinction  of  serving  under  Gen.  Wash- 
ington. He  was  present  at  the  surrender  of  Lord 
Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  and  was  known  as  a  brave 
and  loyal  soldier.  He  died  in  Ohio,  about  the  year 
1820.  Our  subject's  father  served  in  the  Indian 
War  for  six  years.  He  was  a  man  of  undisputed 
ability  as  a  soldier  and  knew  no  fear.  He  was  asso- 
ciated with  Anthony  Wayne,  participating  in  many 
important  battles^  in  one  of  which  he  was  severely 
wounded. 

He  located  in  Ashland  County,  Ohio,  in  1812,  and 
was  well  known  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  sec- 
tion. Purchasing  timber  land  from  the  Government, 
he  cleared  a  farm  four  miles  from  Ashland,  to  which 
he  gave  his  attention  up  to  the  date  of  his  death,  in 
1874.  He  departed  this  life  at  the  ripe  age  of  90, 
having  been  blest  with  more  tlian  the  usual  years 
of  mankind,  and  with  the  knowledge  that  he  had 
been  no  idler  in  the  battle  of  life.  He  was  twice 
married.      His  first  wife  was  Diana  Green,  of  Lan- 


<f4^ 


*v^  ^ 


55° 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


caster  County,  Ohio.  Their  home  circle  inchided 
three  children.  His  second  wife,  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  Deborah  Green,  sister  of  the  first  wife,  and 
became  the  mother  of  12  children. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  the  fourth  child  of 
the  second  marriage,  and  was  reared  in  his  native 
county.  '  His  early  life  was  spent  in  the  days  when 
free  schools  were  as  yet  unknown.  The  schools  he 
attended  were  of  the  subscription  class.  Mr.  Met- 
calf  was  extremely  studious  and  attentive,  and  was 
possessed  of  a  most  remarkable  memory,  retaining 
largely  all  that  he  learned.  At  the  age  of  19  he  be- 
gan the  life  of  a  schoolmaster  and  taught  during  the 
winter  seasons  in  Ohio,  until  1840.  In  the  spring  of 
that  year  he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Peoria 
County,  where  he  lived  for  one  year,  at  French 
Grove.  He  then  purchased  a  farm  in  Elba  Town- 
ship, to  which  he-  removed.  He  still  continued  his 
profession  as  a  teacher  at  intervals,  completing  25 
winter  terms  while  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  Mean- 
while he  continued  improving  his  farm,  and  in  1866 
removed  to  Peoria.  His  landed  possessions  in  that 
city  included  ten   lots,  and  his  main  efforts  were  in 

^  the  direction  of  horticulture.  He  raised  small  fruits 
for  the  Peoria  markets,  and  there  continued  to  reside 
until   1879,  when  he  removed  to  the  farm  which  he 

'"  now  owns  and  occupies. 

Rev.  Mr.  Metcalf  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  from  his  youth.  He 
was  licensed  as  a  local  preacher  of  the  Gospel  by 
that  denomination  in  the  year  183 1.  He  was  or- 
dained as  Deacon  by  Bishop  Edmund  S.  Janes,  at 
Kewanee,  in  1854,  and  as  an  Elder  by  Bishop  Scott, 
in  1865.  He  filled  offices  of  trust  in  Elba  Township 
many  times.  Was  Trustee  four  years  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace  eight,  after  which  he  served  as  Township 
Clerk.  That  position  he  resigned  on  removing  to 
Peoria.  He  has  been  twice  married,  as  previously 
stated.  His  first  connection  was  celebrated  Dec.  31, 
1835,  with  Eliza  Mickey,  of  Richland  County,  Ohio. 
She  became  the  mother  of  two  children,  one  of  whom 
survives — Louisa,  who  is  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Burch, 
and  whose  home  is  in  Elmwood,  111.  Mrs  Metcalf 
died  Dec.  6,  1882,  and  the  second  marriage  of  our 
subject  was  contracted  Sept.  6,  1883,  with  Mrs. 
Amelia  (Kerr)  Natrib.  She  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Pa.,  April  8,  1820,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Archibald  and  Nancy  (Nichol)  Kerr,  natives  of  Penn- 
-sylvanja.     This    is  likewise    Mrs.  Metcalf's   second 


marriage,  she  being  first  married  in  1842,  to  Andrew 
Natrib,  after  which  they  located  in  New  Orleans, 
where  he  died  in  1872.  Mr.  Metcalf  is  a  man  well 
known  and  highly  respected  throughout  the  com- 
munity, and  is  honored  for  his  good  works  no  less 
than  his  genial  kindliness  of  disposition.  He  is  an 
agreeable  neighbor  and  a  genial  friend  as  well -as  an 
ornament  of  the  society  of  which  he  is  a  member. 
He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  is  not  a  strong 
partisan. 

r  ackson  Mason,  one  of  Knox  County's  wide- 
ly awake  and  energetic  farmers,  residing  on 
section  14,  Salem  Township,  was  born  in 
Farmington,  Fulton  County,  111,  March  15, 
1850.  His  father,  James  Mason,  was  born  in 
Fayette  County,  Pa.,  Jan.  21,  1810,  and  was 
third  son  of  Jacob  and  Catherine  (Binninger) 
Mason.     (See  sketch  of  Martin  Mason.) 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  but  four  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio,  and  settled  in 
Ashland  County.  He  was  reared  upon  the  farm,  re- 
ceiving his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
neighborhood.  When  a  young  man  he  learned  the 
trade  of  civil  engineer.  In  1837  he  came  to  Fulton 
County,  accompanied  by  his  parents,  locating  in 
Farmington,  where  the  father  of  our  subject  for  the 
first  time  engaged  in  surveying.  .At  the  time  of  his 
father's  death  he  began  the  management  of  the  Na- 
tional Hotel,  and  continued  to  act  the  part  of  "  mine 
host  "  for  a  period  of  45  years,  retiring  from  active 
duty  in  1882.  He  now  lives  a  retired  life  at  Farm- 
ington. James  Mason  has  been  twice  married.  The 
first  alliance  was  made  with  Miss  Jane  Jackson,  who 
lived  but  a  short  time  after  her  union  with  Mr.  Ma- 
son. The  maiden  name  of  his  second  wife  was 
Sarah  Gaylor,  whom  he  made  his  bride  April  16, 
1849.  This  lady  was  born  in  Muskingum  County, 
Ohio,  Dec.  9,  1824.  The  latter  union  of  Mr.  M.  has 
been  blest  by  the  birth  of  four  children,  of  whom  our 
subject  is  the  eldest.  The  remaining  three  are 
Josephine,  Emma  and  Minnie. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  in 
the  pretty  village  of  Farmington,  where  he  attended 
school  during  the  summer  season,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  year  assisted  in  the  duties  of  the  farm  upon 
arriving  at  a  suitable  age. 

Mr.   Mason   was   married  Oct.  8,  187 1,  Charlotte 


*+ 


-i 


■X 


i* 


JiTJVOX  COUNTY. 


55» 


Meeker  being  the  lady  of  his  choice.  She  was  bom 
in  Peoria  County,  111.,  Dec.  30,  1S48,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Rachel  (Hunt)  Meeker, 
natives  of  the  Buckeye  State.  Immediately  after 
marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  took  up  their  resi- 
dence at  their  present  farm,  in  Salem  Township. 
Politically  our  subject  adheres  to  the  doctrines  ad- 
vocated by  the  Democracy.  He  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Road  Commissioners  for  eight  years. 
The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mason  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  four  children.  The  first  they  had  the 
misfortune  to  lose  in  infancy.  The  second,  Myrtie, 
died  at  the  age  of  five  years,  while  those  who  sur- 
vive are  named  Edna  and  Nellie. 


>^t«J2j2^(S^-— Isf 


^4— ».^^!/3as»v 


-j  E^^ '  lexander  H.  McKeighan,  editor  and  pro- 
^%J1'  prietor  of  the  Induilrial  Banner,  at  Yates 
1^^^  Ciiy,  was  born  Aug.  13,  1S36,  in  Camden 
Vfif  County,  N.  J.  His  father,  Ale.xander  Mc- 
fr  Keighan,  was  a  tiative  of  County  .Antrim,  Ire- 
!  land,  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  with 
his  wife  and  one  child  in  1835.  Ujwn  arriving  in 
this  country  he  located  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1849,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Fulton 
Couniy,  111.  There  he  purchased  a  farm  four  rniles 
west  of  Farmington,  upon  which  he  remained  until 
his  death  in  June,  1877,  aged  73  years.  The  maiden 
name  of  the  senior  Mrs.  McKeiglian  was  Elizabeth 
Torrens,  also  a  native  of  County  Antrim,  and  the 
date  of  her  birth  was  March  10,  1810.  She  still  re- 
sides on  the  old  homestead  in  Fulton  County,  and 
has  become  the  mother  of  1 2  children,  ten  of  whom 
grew  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and  womanhood.  All 
were  born  in  America  except  the  eldest  son. 

Alexander  H.  was  the  second  child  of  his  parents' 
family,  and  was  12  years  of  age  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Fulton 
County.  There  he  labored  upon  the  farm  and  at- 
tended a  district  school,  and  for  a  short  time  a  select 
school  at  Farmington.  He  remained  at  home  until 
1858,  the  date  of  his  marriage  to  Sarah  Berry.  She 
was  born  in  Indiana.  At  the  time  of  his  marriage 
our  subject  was  teaching  school,  which  occupation  he 
followed  for  20  years,  teaching  in  the  winter  season 
and  farming  the  remainder  of  the  year.  In  1879  he 
purchased  a  paper  at  Ipava,  Fulton  County.      This 


he  continued  to  run  for  43  weeks,  or  until  the  year's 
subscription  had  been  filled.  He  then  removed  to 
Yates  City,  where  he  has  published  the  Industrial 
Banner  since  that  time.  In  politics  this  paper  sup- 
(wrled  the  Greenback  party  until  1884,  when  it  ad- 
vocated the  principles  of  the  Prohibition  party,  but 
is  now  independent  in  all  things. 

In  1878  K.  H.  McKeighan  was  a  Greenback  can- 
didate for  Congress  in  the  then  ninth  district,  com- 
prising Fulton,  Knox,  Peoria  and  Stark  Counties, 
receiving  the  largest  vote  ever  cast  for  a  Greenback 
candidate  in  his  district,  carrying  several  townships 
and  wards.  In  1S84,  he  was  elected  Chairman  of 
the  Greenback  State  Central  Committee.  He  was 
also  candidate  for  the  State  Legislature  in  1882,  and 
has  been  delegated  to  several  of  the  State  conven- 
tions in  the  interest  of  tlie  Greenback  party.  He 
has  made  a  canvas  of  the  district  at  each  election 
from  1878  to  1884. 

Of  the  children  born  to  our  subject  and  wife  we 
give  the  following  names:  William  A.,Merreitie  V.,  Al- 
bert A.  A.  and  Cora  I.  In  1881  Mr.  McKeighan  started 
a  paper  at  Maquon,  superintending  the  management 
of  both  of  these  journals.  He  spends  from  one  to 
two  days  of  each  week  at  Maquon.  In  April,  1882, 
he  opened  a  hotel,  which  his  wife  managed  until  the 
spring  of  1885,  when  he  closed  out  on  account  of  ill- 
ness in  his  family. 


fr 


Ifobert  MeCornack.  The  different  residents 
of  Knox  County  are  distinguished  for 
'i-'^C^'''  ^'^f'O"*  ''^*^'*  °f  helpfulness  and  honor,  re- 
\')%r  fleeting  back  on  themselves,  in  the  building 
k)  up  of  her  success  and  advancement.  One  of 
I  the  more  important  factors  of  heriniernal  ma- 
chinery has  been  the  subject  of  this  personal  sketch, 
whose  home  is  situited  on'section  8,  Copley  Town- 
ship, and  who  has  shown  himself  able  and  willing 
to  forward  all  worthy  and  good  things  calculated  to 
aid  in  the  uprising  and  going  forward  of  this  section 
of  country. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in 
Scotland,  Jan.  14,  1803,  and  is  the  son  of  Andrew 
and  Jennette  (McClymont)  MeCornack,  natives  of 
Scotland.  They  came  to  America  and  made  the  home 
of  their  children  their  own  until  their  death,  Nov.  1 1, 
1845,  the  mother  dying  at  the  age  of  73   years,  and 


44- 


552 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  father  Oct.  29,  i860,  at  the  age  of  87.  Their 
family  circle  was  large,  including  1 1  children,  all  of 
whom  lived  to  be  men  and  women  grown,  but  only 
three  of  whom  survive  at  the  present  time. 

Robert,  the  subject  of  our  writing,  is  the  second 
child,  and  he  remained  at  home  until  he  attained  the 
age  of  15.  During  this  time  he  assisted  in  the  home 
work,  atttending  tlie  common  school  and  gaining  all 
the  education  he  could  in  the  interval,  which,  al- 
though not  extensive,  enabled  him  to  make  his  way. 
In  addition  to  this,  his  quick  observation  and  his  con- 
tact with  the  world  caused  him  to  become  an  agree- 
ably intelligent  young  man.  At  the  age  of  15,  he  left 
home  and  attended  school.  He  then  left  his  native 
land  and  went  to  London,  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  a 
dry  goods  store.  There  he  continued  for  four  years, 
and  then  became  one  of  the  partners,  remaining  as- 
sociated with  the  firm.  He  then  sold  and  returned 
to  Scotland  and  engaged  in  farming  for  the  next 
seven  years.     At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  bade 

1  adieu  to  Scotland  and  went  to  Nova  Scotia  in  1835, 
spending  the  winter  in  Canada.  He  then  went  to  New 
^york  and  from  there  to  Illinois  in  1836,  and  settled 
tin  Copley  Township,  on  section  7.  There  he  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  built  a  small 
log  house,  i6x  16.  He  did  the  work  himself,  and 
'?  rolled  the  logs  with  his  own  cattle,  cutting  and 
smoothing  them  to  fit  the  floor.  There  he  lived  for 
a  number  of  years,  and  then  erected  a  brick  house. 
This  he  sold,  purchasing  where  he  now  lives  to  the 
extent  of  700  acres.  This  was  divided  among  his 
children,  and  he  now  lives  upon  80  acres.  He  was 
married  April  22,  1833,  and  has  eight  children — 
Elizabeth,  Jessie  A.,  Mary  A.,  Sarah  M.,  Robert, 
John,  Jane  and  James.  Jessie,  Elizabeth  and  Sarah 
M.  are  now  deceased.  Mary  A.,  now  Mrs.  Alex. 
Scott,  has  13  children — Elizabeth,  Jennette,  Agnes, 
Margaret,  Robert,  John,  William,  Cassa,  Mary, 
James,  Walter,  Ellen  and  Alice.  The  brother  is  now 
deceased.  John  united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth 
Milroy,  and  both  are  deceased ;  they  had  two  chil- 
dren— Nettie  and  Mary.  Jane  who  married  Dr.  B. 
F.  Brown,  with  her  husband,  is  deceased,  and  left  five 
orphan  sons — Edwin,  Ely,  Mark,  Charles  and  Ar- 
thur. Robert  married  Mary  Milroy,  and  he  lost  his 
wife  by  death;  she  was  the  mother  of  four  children — 
Leon,  Maggie,  Jennie  and  May. 

Mrs.  Robert  McCornack  died  Dec.  14,  1849,  and 
for  his  second  wife  he  married  Agnes,  daughter  of 


James  and  Mary  (Borland)  Anderson,  Dec.  20,  i860  ; 
they  have  one  son — Alfred  C.  McCornack.  Robert 
McCornack  is  Democratic  in  politics,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  School  Director  and  Overseer  of  High- 
ways, and  proven  himself  one  of  the  most  genial  and 
helpful  men  in  Knox  County,  besides  being  possessed 
of  innate  worth  and  substantial  strength  of  character. 
With  his  wife  he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  a  helper  in  religious  work  as  well  as  in 
that  of  any  other  good  character. 

— ' ^^ ^ 

|»  tanton  J.  Merriss,  one  of  our  most  suc- 
cessful farmers,  who  is  also  engaged  in 
stock  raising  and  breeding,  is  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  and  has  for  some  time  been  a  res- 
ident of  Knox  County  and  is  one  of  its  most 
reliable  citizens.  His  home  lies  in  Indian 
Point  Township,  and  is  situated  on  section  28.  He 
is  the  possessor  of  297  j4  acres  of  fine  land,  280  of 
which  are  highly  cultivated.  Mr.  Merriss  may  be  con- 
sidered really  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  State  of  V 
Illinois,  as  he  faced  the  privations  and  hardships  of 
those  early  days,  when  that  now  flourishing  'West 
consisted  of  prairie  land. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Scott  County,  111.,  Oct.  5, 
1828,  his  father  coming  to  the  State  in  181 8,  where 
he  first  stopped  at  Springfield,  and  there  remained 
for  two  years.  From  that  city  he  went  to  Scott 
County,  took  up  some  land  and  passed  two  years. 
While  a  resident  there  he  went  back  to  his  na- 
tive State,  Ohio,  where  his  marriage  took  place  with 
Miss  Eliza  Piper,  and  the  young  couple  immediately 
started  for  their  home  in  Illinois.  This  was  John  B. 
Merriss,  father  of  our  subject,  who  was  born  in  i8oo, 
and  died  in  1848,  in  Scott  County,  111.,  of  typhoid 
fever;  his  wife  died  May  13,  1831.  They  were  the 
parents  of  three  children — Bethuel  M.,  Stanton  J. 
and  Charles.  Mr.  Stanton  Merriss,  of  this  writing, 
was  the  second  son  in  order  of  birth  of  John  B.  and 
Eliza  Merriss,  and  while  still  young  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Lavina  Coltas,  March  28,  1854. 
She  was  born  in  Scott  County,  111.,  Dec.  7,  1838,  and 
died  Oct.  3,  i860.  To  them  were  born  four  children 
— Icabenda  R.,  who  married  John  E.  Edmunson ; 
Mary  E.,  born  Aug.  6,  1856,  who  married  Samuel 
Cox;  Francis  S.,  born  Feb.  12,  1859,  who  died  in  the 


t 


:r 


I 


KKOX  COUNTY. 


sss 


•H^ 


following  fall ;  Mary  E.  died  March  20,  1879;  and 
Lydia  L.,  who  was  born  Aug.  10,  i860,  and  died  Dec. 
25,  1885,  of  consumption.  The  latter  was  the  wife  of 
John  Burnaugh  ;  she  left  one  child,  named  Gertrude. 
Mr.  Merriss  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance, 
the  other  contracting  party  being  Miss  Indiana  But- 
ler, Dec.  31,  1861.  Miss  Butler  was  born  in  Ohio, 
Oct.  4,  1835,  and  their  marriage  has  been  blest  with 
the  birth  of  two  children — Sal  lie,  born  Sept.  17,  1872, 
and  Stanton  E.,  born  Dec.  22  1874.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Indiana  Merriss  are  Eli  and  Sallie  (Robinson) 
Butler,  both  of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Mr.  Merriss 
lost  his  second  wife  by  death,  Feb.  20,  1879. 

September  10,  1S79,  Mr.  M.  united  in  marriage  with 
Mrs.  Sarah  Bevins,  a  native  of  Illinois,  who  was  born 
Feb.  22,  1842.  Her  parents'  names  were  George  W. 
and  Sarah  (Bloom)  Lewis.  The  former  was  born  in 
Kentucky  in  1804,  and  the  latter  in  181 1,  in  the 
State  of  New  Jersey.  She  departed  this  life  May  10, 
1870,  leaving  to  mourn  her  loss  five  children — Sarah, 
born  Feb.  22,  1842,  in  Vermilion  County;  Mary  E., 
bom  Sept.  12,  1847,  who  married  Mr.  Andrew 
Lackey,  of  Rushville,  111. ;  Cornelius,  born  July  29, 
1852,  who  now  lives  in  Nebraska.  Mrs.  Lewis  Mer- 
riss united  in  marriage  with  Mr.  Jesse  Bivens,  Sept. 
18,  1859,  and  his  death  occurred  April  25,  1874. 
There  were  four  children  born  of  this  marriage,  all 
living — Sarah  E.  Bevins,  born  Jan.  6,  i86t,  is  the 
wife  of  John  E.  Smith ;  their  home  is  in  Knox 
County;  John  L.  was  born  Sept.  5,  1862;  Mary  E., 
March  6,  1864,  is  the  wife  of  Leonard  J.  Cutler,  and 
their  home  is  in  Knox  County,  111. ;  Anna  L.,  born 
April  27,  1868. 

Thomas  Bevins,  the  father  of  Jesse,  married  a  lady 
by  the  name  of  Anna  Gundy.  Both  she  and  her  hus- 
band were  natives  of  Maryland.  Jesse  Bevins  was 
born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Illinois 
while  he  was  yet  a  youth.  His  parents  died  while  he 
Was  yet  young.  The  names  of  Mrs.  Merriss'  grand- 
children are  Daisy  L.,  Claude  Evert  and  Leroy  R. 
Smith. 

George  W.  Lewis  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War  and  also  in  the  Mexican  War.  When  the  elder 
Mr.  Merriss  came  to  Scott  County,  there  were  but  20 
settlers  in  40  miles.  The  Merriss  family  is  Irish  on 
the  paternal  side. 

Mr.  James  B.  Meriiss  married  his  second  wife, 
who  was  Caroline  Matilda  Draper,  and  by  this  union 
there  were  five  children  who  lived  to  maturity.     She 


died  March  25,  1853.  He  was  a  Free- Will  Baptist 
in  religious  belief 

Mr.  S.  J.  Merriss  received  such  education  as  the 
schools  of  his  native  county  afforded,  and  was  reared 
upon  the  farm.  He  purchased  the  land  where  he 
now  lives  in  the  year  1856,  and  moved  here  the  year 
following.  It  was  but  slightly  improved, and  the  build- 
ings, fencing,  improvements  and  adornments  have 
been  the  result  of  his  own  lalxjr  with  his  own  hands. 

The  home  of  Mr.  Merriss  is  one  of  culture  and  re- 
finement, his  wife  being  an  intelligent  lady.  He  is  an 
extensive  breeder  of  Short-horn  and  Jersey  cattle. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  are  active  and  useful  members 
of  the  society  in  which  they  move,  and  he  is  an  active 
member  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church,  of  which 
he  is  an  adherent.  His  wife  is  united  with  the 
Christian  Church,  and  is  an  earnest  Christian  in  soul 
and  purpose.  In  politics  Mr.  Merriss  is  a  Demo- 
crat. 


wan  Larson.  A  summary  of  the  lives  of 
Vl^^fc,  many  of  the  residents  of  Knox  County  is 
jIIk'^  given  in  her  records,  and  goes  to  show  what 
claim  may  be  made  to  genuine  manhood, citi- 
zenship and  a  place  among  the  active  workers 

I  in  life.  Among  these  none  is  better  fitted  to 
draw  forth  approbation  than  that  of  our  subject, 
whose  home  is  situated  on  section  1 1,  Copley  Town- 
ship, and  who  is  an  American  by  adoption  and  a 
farmer  by  occupation. 

Mr.  Larson  wjis  born  in  Sweden,  March  2t,  182 1, 
and  his  parents  were  Lewis  and  Christine  (Swanson) 
Larson.  They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1856, 
and  settled  at  Bishop  Hill,  Henry  Co.,  III.,  at  which 
place  the  mother  died  in  1850.  The  father  came  to 
America  and  lived  with  the  son  Swan  until  his  death, 
in  1859. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  under  the  parental 
roof  until  he  reached  boyhood,  being  but  15  years  of 
age,  and  attending  school  in  the  meantime.  After 
leaving  home  he  worked  about  on  farms  until  became 
to  America,  in  the  spring  of  1846.  Here  he  re- 
mained working  at  farming  in  New  York  State,  until 
August  of  the  same  year.  He  then  came  to  Illinois, 
and,  spending  a  few  weeks  in  Copley  Township,  de- 
cided that  he  could  find  no  location  more  desirable. 
•He  then  went  to  Bishop  Hill,  Henry  Co.,  but  only 


+> 


-e-?-^ 


SS6 


JsTJVOX  COUNTY. 


remained  eight  weeks.  He  then  removed  to  La 
Fayette,  Stark  County,  and  stayed  one  year.  Re- 
moving from  there,  he  went  to  Galesburg  and  engaged 
to  worlc  in  a  wagon-shop.  There  he  remained  three 
years.  He  then  went  to  Copley  Township  and 
rented  land  for  i8  months,  but  the  country  was  of 
delightful  soil  and  climate,  so,  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  the  purchase  of  160  acres  was  made. 
This  land  lay  on  section  2,  in  Copley  Township,  and 
there  he  lived  for  about  two  years.  He  afterward 
sold  out  his  half  to  the  brother,  who  remained  on  the 
place,  while  Swan  Larson  moved  to  Victoria  village. 
There  he  purchased  a  house  and  lot.  To  this  he 
added  80  acres  in  Walnut  Grove  Township,  on  sec- 
tion 36,  and  moved  onto  the  same  and  lived  there 
continuously  for  ten  years.  He  has  improved,  beau- 
tified and  modernized  the  place,  until  one  would 
hardly  know  it  for  -the  same;  but  after  laying  out 
this  labor  upon  it  he  again  sold,  purchasing  the  spot 
where  he  now  lives;  160  acres  are  included  in  the 
grounds,  and  to  it  he  has  since  added  80  acres,  and 
he  now  has  an  e.xtensive  landed  estate.  He  has  a  fine 
residence  and  barns  on  his  place,  costing  him  nearly 
$4,000. 

He  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Miss 
Catherine  Oleson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  was  born 
on  the  17th  of  May,  1830.  Mrs.  Larson  is  the 
daughter  of  Olaf  and  Catherine  (Matson)  Oleson. 
Mr.  Oleson  died  in  183s,  and  the  mother  came  to 
America  in  1846,  where  she  died  the  same  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larson,  of  this  writing,  have  a  fam- 
ily of  six  children,  all  living  and  named  as  follows: 
Mary  A.,  David  E.,  Emma  J.,  Frank  A.,  Harvey  E. 
and  Henry  V.  E.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Larson  are  located  as  follows:  Mary  A.,  now  Mrs. 
Sedarburg,  is  the  mother  of  five  children — Caroline 
E.,  Warner,  Edna,  Rena  and  Hester.  David  E. 
married  Susan  Swigart,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children — Fred  and  Ruth  B.  Emma  J.,  now 
Mrs.  Swanburg,  has  three  children — Lila  A.,  Rosa 
E.  and  Edith  C. 

Mr.  Larson  is  among  the  foremost  men  in  the 
county  in  shrewdness,  thrift  and  enterprise,  and  he 
is  well  suited  to  any  office  to  which  he  may  be 
elected,  and  worthy  the  confidence  of  any  who  may 
bestow  it  upon  him.  He,  with  iiis  wife,  belongs  to  the 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  they  take 
an  active  interest  in  the  religous  matters  of  the  com- 
munity.    In  politics  he  is  a  Greenbacker,  and  holds 


strong,  sensible  ideas.  He  is  Overseer  of  Highways, 
and  under  his  management  the  public  roads  are  in 
good  condition,  as  whatever  Mr.  Larson  undertakes 
will  be  well  done. 


*r 


^ 


aniel  T.  Wilson  is  Professor  of  the  Nat- 
ural Sciences  of  Hedding  College,  Abing- 
(^  -  don,  which  position  he  has  held  since  the 
j^R,  fall  of  1884,  previous  to  which  he  was  Pro- 
\  fessor  of  the  Higher  Mathematics  and  Natural 
i  Sciences  from  the  fall  of  1867  to  the  summer  of 
187  r.  Prof.Wilson  was  born  in  Madison  County,  N.  Y., 
March  28,  1836,  and  is  the  son  of  Hulit  and  Lydia 
(South worth)  Wilson,  the  former  of  New  Jersey  and 
of  Scotch-Irish  parentage,  and  the  latter  of  English 
progenitors  and  New  England  birth.  Daniel  T.  Wil- 
son, when  a  boy,  showed  keen  intelligence  and  dis- 
played commendable  perseverance  and  application  to 
his  studies,  and  as  educational  advantages  were 
granted  him  he  took,  first,  a  preparatory  course  at  the 
Oneida  Seminary,  at  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.  and  afterward 
a  collegiate  course  at  Evanston,  III.  He  also  took  a  V^ 
theological  course  in  Garrett  Biblical  Institute,  and 
was  ordained  Deacon  in  1867,  and  in  1869  was  pro- 
moted to  the  Eldership,  holding  the  office  of  Deacon 
in  the  Rock  River  Conference.  Two  years  prior  to 
his  ordination  he  served  on  probation,  in  connection 
with  the  conference  spoken  of,  received  the  office  of 
Deacon,  was  transferred  to  the  Central  Illinois  Con- 
ference, and  in  1869  received  the  office  of  Elder,  as 
stated  before.  In  the  fall  of  1867  he  was  appointed 
to  his  office  at  Hedding  College.  From  187  i  to  1884, 
he  served  as  pastor  in  various  charges,  and  contin- 
ued his  connection  with  this  conference  until  the  fall 
of  1884,  when  he  entered  Hedding  College  in  his 
present  capacity. 

In  Evanston,  he  made  the  acquainance  of  Martha, 
daughter  of  Rev.  Samuel  Richardson,  of  McHenry 
County,  and  the  two  were  united  in  marriage  Sept. 
27,  1866.  Mrs.  Wilson  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  lady  of  high  mental  attain- 
ments and  personal  attractions.  She  was  educated 
at  the  Woman's  College,  of  Evanston,  III.,  and  grad- 
uated in  the  class  of  1865.  She  was  the  teacher  of 
English  Literature  in  Hedding  College,  during  the 
years  1867-68  and  1869-70. 

As  may  be  supposed,  this  home,  made  lovely  by 


t 


u 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


557 


mutual  respect  and  affection  and  more  than  ordinary 
endowments  of  mind,  is  an  attractive  spot.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wilson  have  become  the  parents  of  six  children, 
four  boys  and  two  girls :  The  eldest  son,  George  A., 
was  born  Sept.  18,  1868;  Frank  M.,  July  25,  1870; 
Fred.  T.,  Sept.  i,  1S72;  Nellie,  March  23,  1876; 
Guy  B.,  July  2,  1881;  Halo,  Sept.  10,  1883;  Grace, 
born  July  i,  1878,  and  died  Aug.  5  of  the  same  year; 
and  Justina,  born  Dec.  6,  1879,  died  July  21,  1881. 

Samuel  M.  Taylor,  carpenter  and  builder, 
residing  at  Yates  City,  111.,  was  born  in 
Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  Dec.  5,  1817. 
His  father,  John  Taylor,  was  a  native  of  Phila- 
delphia, and  born  in  1791.  His  father,  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  James  Taylor,  hailed 
from  the  North  of  Ireland,  and  was  of  Scotch  descent. 
r  He  came  to  America  shortly  after  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  for  a  short  time  resided  in 
Philadelphia.  He  then  removed  to  Westmoreland 
^  County,  where  he  procured  a  farm,  and  later  removed 
to  Indiana  County,  where,  in  1839,  his  demise  oc- 
curred. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  to  the  honor- 
able calling  of  a  farmer.     His  wife  was  Miss   Ellen 
Miller,  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  with  her  parents  while  yet  a  child.  At 
the  time  of  his  marriage  the  senior  Mr.  Taylor  settled 
upon  his  father's  farm,  but  did  not  engage  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  the  soil  exclusively,  as  he  was  also  engaged 
in  teaming  from  Philadelphia  across  the  mountains 
to   Pittsburg.     In   183a    he  sold  his  farm  in  West- 
moreland County  and  removed  to  Indiana  County, 
where  he  secured  a  farm  and  lived  on   it  until  his 
his  death,  which  took  place  in  1853.     His  wife  sur- 
vived him  several  years,  dying  in  1879.  The  parental 
family  consisted  of  six  sons,  five  of  whom  are  still 
living,  our  subject  being  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 
Samuel  was  reared  \x\yon  his  father's  farm,  remain- 
ing there  until  he  was    13,  when   he   went  to  Salts- 
burg,  at  which  place  he  served  an  apprenticeship  ot 
five  years  at  the  joiner's  and  carpenters  trade.     This 
trade  he  followed  in  Indiana  County,  until  the  year 
1857,   when   he   removed   to  the  city  of   Pittsburg. 
There  he  continued  to  work  at  his  trade  until   1870. 
At  the  expiration  of  this  time  he  came  to  Yates  City, 


Illinois,  where  he  purchased  19  town  lots  and  48 
acres  of  prime  land  within  the  limits  of  Yates  City. 
Mr.  Taylor  gives  his  entire  attention  to  the  prosecu- 
tion of  his  trade,  and  either  rents  his  farm  or  has  the 
same  cultivated  by  hired  labor.  Our  subject  spared 
no  money  or  effort  toward  the  improvement  of  his 
property.  He  has  built  him  a  desirable  residence 
and  suitable  stables.  His  farm  is  well  provided  with 
tile  drain,  which  makes  it  exceedingly  productive  and 
increases  its  value. 

Dec.  29,  1839,  our  subject  was  married,  the  lady 
of  his  choice  being  Miss  Mary  Harbison.  She  was 
born  in  Indiana  County,  Pa.,  May  17,  r8i7,  and  her 
demise  occurred  April  29,  1852.  The  result  of  this 
union  was  the  birth  of  six  children,  of  whom  we  give 
the  following  brief  memoranda:  Sarah  E.  became 
Mrs.  William  S.  Richey,  and  her  demise  occurred  in 
Chicago,  Aug.  10,  1874;  James  M.  resides  at  Chi- 
cago; Robert  R.  departed  this  life  at  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
Aug.  14,  1858;  John  died  Feb.  8,  1854;  Anna  M. 
and  Frank  M.  (twins).  Anna  died  in  infancy  and 
Frank  lives  with  his  parents. 

Mr.  Taylor  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance 
April  2,  1857,  this  time  with  Mrs.  Susan  Smith.  She  -i 
was  born  in  Indiana  County,  Pa.,  May  11,  1828,  and  \  | 
is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Catherine  (Gamble)  j| 
McGough,  and  was  first  married  to  Robert  M.  Smith,  J 
in  185 1.     His   demise   occurred  in   January,    1855. 
By  her  first  marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  two 
children— Alsin us  M.,  who  lives  at  Irving  Park,  111., 
and  Nannie,  wife  of  Sylvester  E.  Kent,  of  California. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Taylor  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.     In  politics  our  subject  affiilates  with 
the  Republican  party. 


^adison  C.  Bates  is  a  native  of  Illinois, 
^r^Kuac/  l^orn  in  Morgan  County,  July  7,  1836. 
1^^^  He  is  the  son  of  Joseph  H.  and  Nancy 
;;^^  B.  (Goodpasture)  Bates,  who  are  natives  of 
-*  Tennesee  and  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  The 
1  father,  Joseph  H.  Bates,  was  born  May  4,  1806, 
while  the  birth  of  his  wife,  Nancy,  took  place  Dec. 
25,  1807.  Their  marriage  was  celebrated  M.nrch  \  i, 
1828,  in  Overton  County,  Tenn.  They  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  the  summer  of  1830,  and  located  where  the 
city  of  Jacksonville  now  stands,  it  being  then  little 


5S8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


more  than  an  open  prairie.  Their  first  winter  in  the 
State  was  that  known  as  the  "winter  of  the  deep 
snow."  Moving  subsequently  to  Adams  County,  in 
1847,  they  remained  there  until  the  fall  of  i860, 
when  they  came  to  Knox  County  for  the  purpose  of 
availing  themselves  of  the  advantages  then  offered 
by  Cherry  Grove  Seminary  for  educating  their  chil- 
dren. 

In  1867,  Cherry  Grove  Seminary  was  closed,  hav- 
ing been  merged  into  Lincoln  College,  located  in  that 
year  at  Lincoln,  Logan  Co  ,  111.  Soon  after  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bates  removed  to  that  place,  that  they  might 
continue  the  education  of  their  children.  There 
they  still  reside,  surrounded  by  friends  and  enjoying 
the  comforts  of  a  competency  secured  by  the  frugal- 
ity and  industry  of  their  earlier  years. 

Madison  C,  the  seventh  of  a  family  of  14  children, 
was  brought  up  on-  his  father's  farm,  having  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  common-school  education,  until  in  his 
19th  year.  The  following  five  years  he  spent  in  ob- 
taining an  education  and  in  leaching,  attending  during 
the  time  Cherry  Grove  Seminary,  and  spending  one 
year  at  college.  At  the  end  of  the  first  year  he  was 
compelled  to  give  up  the  cherished  idea  of  a  college 
course  on  account  of  ill  health.  While  at  Cherry 
Grove  Seminary  he  became  acquainted  with  Miss 
Emma  Latimer,  whom  he  married  May  16,  1861. 
Mrs.  Bates  is  tlie  daughter  of  Col.  George  Griswold 
and  Rebecca  (Drennan)  Latimer.  Col.  Latimer  was 
a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  a  son  of  Joseph  Latimer. 
He  was  born  Feb.  28,  i8io,  and  descended  on  his 
mother's  side  from  the  New  England  family  of  Gris- 
wolds,  whose  history  dates  almost  to  Plymouth  Rock, 
and  many  of  whom  were  distinguished  in  the  Revolu- 
tion and  have  since  had  national  reputation. 

Col.  Latimer,  with  his  father's  family,  settled  in 
Cedar  Township,  Knox  County,  in  1831,  and  was 
married  to  Rebecca  Drennan,  of  Sangamon  County, 
Oct.  25.  1832.  He  fought  through  the  Black  Hawk 
War.  In  founding  and  maintaining  Cherry  Grove 
Seminary,  he  gave  liberally  of  both  time  and  money. 
His  early  death,  which  occurred  Feb.  5,  1848,  was 
felt  to  be  a  great  loss  to  both  the  school  and  the 
church  of  which  he  was  a  member,  and  in  whose 
welfare  he  was  deeply  interested.  His  widow,  twelve 
years  afterward,  married  William  Allison,  Esq.,  of 
McDonough  County,  who  died  in  August,  1878. 
Mrs.  Allison  was  born  Feb.  26,  1814,  and  is  still 
living  in  Abingdon,  where  she  is  highly  esteemed  by 


all  who  know  her,  having  always  been  noted  for  her 
hospitality  and  liberality. 

After  their  marriage  in  the  spring  of  1861,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Bates  rented  some  land  and  began  farming, 
having  barely  means  sufficient  to  begin  housekeeping. 
They  were,  however,  young  and  hopeful,  and  pos- 
sessed of  the  confidence  of  all  who  knew  them.  Mr. 
Bates  very  soon  began  in  a  small  way  to  deal  in  cat- 
tle. With  the  first  corn  he  raised  he  fed  four  steers 
through  the  winter,  and  sold  them  in  the  spring  at 
$2.25  per  hundred  weight.  However  discouraging 
this  beginning  must  have  been,  he  followed  it  up 
with  better  success  later.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
years  he  became  the  owner  of  a  few  acres  of  land. 
This  he  used  only  for  grazing  and  feed  lots.  Fol- 
lowing mainly  this  one  thing  of  feeding  and  grazing 
cattle,  he  has  succeeded  in  adding  to  these  first  acres, 
until  he  now  owns  over  a  half-section  of  land,  as 
good,  perhaps,  as  there  is  in  the  county  and  highly 
improved,  lying  just  north  of  Abingdon,  and  in  the 
neigliborhood  where  he  has  lived  all  his  married  life. 

Although  Mr.  Bates  has  always  lived  in  the  coun- 
try, he  has  foT  a  good  many  years  been  identified 
with  the  business  interests  of  Abingdon.  He  was -^ 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  founding  the  People's 
Bank  at  Abingdon.  This  institution  commenced 
operations  Dec.  i,  1879,  he  becoming  a  Director  and. 
the  first  President.  The  capital  was  placed  at  $30,- 
000,  and  in  less  than  two  years  the  stock  was  in- 
creased to  $50,000.  Mr.  Bates'  well-known  char- 
acter for  honorable  dealing,  promptness  and  fidelity 
in  all  his  transactions  contributed  largely  to  the  suc- 
cess of  this  business  venture,  which  was  assured  al- 
most from  the  first.  He  continued  President  up  to 
the  close  of  1883,  when  he  resigned  the  position 
through  pressure  of  other  business.  He  was  in- 
duced, however,  by  those  associated  with  him  in  the 
bank's  interest,  to  retain  the  office  of  Director.  On 
the  ist  of  September,  1885,  the  People's  Bank  was 
changed  to  the  First  National  Bank  of  Abingdon,  in 
which  institution  Mr.  Bates  still  liolds  a  money  inter- 
est, and  to  which  he  gives  botli  of  his  tmie  and  in- 
fluence. 

Mr.  Bates  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  in  the 
years  gone  by  was  active  in  promoting  the  suc- 
cess of  his  party.  He  has  at  different  times  held 
office  in  the  township,  having  been  elected  Supervisor 
for  six  or  more  years,  besides  holding  the  office  of 
Road  Commissioner  for  a  long  term  of  years,  and 

J 


^ 


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OF  THE 

l::iversity  of  ilu»'' 


:^rcMuM^  <^^^:^yib 


3^^^^-^--^    ^^/^^^^-^^ 


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y.  ■5VERS?rVoF  HUNT'S 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


563 


having  also  filled  other  positions  of  trust.  Mr.  Bates 
is  a  strong  advocate  of  temperance  and  other  moral 
reforms. 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bates  united  with  the  church 
while  young,  and  have  always  been  active  in  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  religion.  They  are  members 
of  the  Congregational  Church  and  give  liberally  and 
cheerfully  to  the  support  of  that  church  and  to 
worthy  charities.  They  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren— George  Griswold  Latimer,  born  March  21, 
1863;  Eula  Goodpasture,  May  28,  1865;  Mary 
Drennan,  Feb.  22,  1S67;  Harriett  Myrtle,  Feb.  27, 
1S78,  and  Madison  Clair,  Oct.  26,  1881.  The  oldest 
of  these  graduated  in  June,  1885,  at  Knox  College. 
where  the  next  two  are  at  present  in  attendance. 


^F3 

il  illfard  Evans.  Conspicuous  among  the 
capable  and  enterprising  men  of  Kno.x 
TowTJship,  and  known  to  one  and  all  as  a 
self-made  man  and  one  of  substantial  worth, 
is  Willfard  Evans,  of  whom  this  biography  is 
written.  He  is  said  to  be  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful farmers  in  this  entire  section  of  country,  and 
,is  greatly  esteemed  and  respected  from  the  fact  that 
he  has  acquired  a  competency  by  his  own  efforts. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  history  was  born  in 
Washington  County,  Va.,  March  24,  18 14.  His 
father,  John  Evans,  was  also  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  his  mother's  maiden  name  was  Nancy  Haw- 
thorne. When  Willfard  was  four  years  old  his  parents 
moved  to  Mason  County  Va.,  where  the  father,  in 
1831,  departed  this  life,  and  the  child,  who  had  lost 
his  mother  some  years  previous,  was  thus  left  doubly 
orphaned.  At  the  early  age  of  13  years,  when  so 
many  boys  find  time  only  for  amusement,  he  entered 
the  home  of  a  farmer  in  Mason  County,  laboring 
faithfully  four  years  for  his  board  and  clothes,  and 
then,  at  the  age  of  17,  started  out  to  seek  his  fortune. 
He  made  his  way  laboriously  into  Ohio,  in  company 
with  an  uncle.  Here  he  found  employment  in  Ham- 
ilton County,  and  began  work  for  the  meager  pit- 
tance of  $6  and  afterward  $7  per  month.  Later, 
having  proved  his  usefulness,  his  honorable  inten- 
tions and  his  honest  principle,  his  wages  were  in- 
creased. In  1835  he  found  he  had  saved  from  his 
earnings  $200,  and  with  this  little  all   he  went  into 


Indiana,  and  purchased,  in  Elkhart  County,  80  acres 
of  unimproved  land.  Beginning  work  on  his  farm, 
he  remained  until  the  following  winter,  at  which  time 
he  returned  to  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
worked  until  1S38.  Soon  after  this  he  went  to  the 
State  of  Mississi|)pi,  where  he  engaged  in  shipping 
wood  for  five  years. 

In  1843  Mr.  Evans  came  to  Knox  County.  He 
was  a  single  man  at  this  time,  and  was  eng.-iged  in 
chopping  wood,  getting  out  (X)sts  and  siditting  rails. 
In  1846  he  bought  160  acres  of  unimproved  land  on 
section  36,  of  Knox  Township,  and  also  40  acres  of 
timber  land  on  section  7,  of  Persifer  Township 
About  this  time,  feeling  the  need  of  that  sympathy 
and  companionship  which  it  seemed  to  him  that 
marriage  would  bring,  on  Nov.  17,  1845,  he  wedded 
Eleanor  Rambo.  She  was  liorn  in  Gallia  County, 
Ohio,  Aug.  23,  1823,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Reu- 
ben and  Charity  (Haptonstall)  Rambo.  Her  parents 
were  both  natives  of  Virginia,  the  mother  being  born 
in  Greenbrier  County,  and  the  father  also  of  that 
State,  coming  of  German  ancestry.  Reuben  Rambo 
removed  with  his  family  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall 
of  1842,  and  settled  in  Persifer  Township,  where  he  \f 
carried  on  blacksmithing  and  farming  until  his  death, 
w'.iich  took  place  in  1851.  His  wife,  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Evans,  died  prior  to  the  death  of  her  husband  ; 
they  had  a  family  of  five  daughters  and  two  sons,  all 
living  except  one. 

In  1847  Mr.  Evans  and  his  young  wife  moved  into 
a  frame  house  which  the  husband  had  erected  on 
his  land,  and  he  continued  the  improvements  which 
he  had  begun  by  breaking  up  the  land.  In  a  short 
time  he  had  it  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  neatly 
fenced  and  in  good  order.  He  was  from  the  first 
markedly  successful,  and  was  crowned  vvith  prosper- 
ity in  all  his  undertakings.  Continually  adding  to 
his  iX)ssessions,  he  eventually  owned  672  acres  of 
land,  his  present  property. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  are  the  parents  of  a  family  of 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living:  Allen  T.,  living  in 
Knox  Township;  Nancy  M.,  deceased;  Almeria  E.; 
Alice  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Mastin,  and  lives  in  Per- 
sifer Township  ;  Sarah  C,  deceased;  Emma  S.  is  the 
wife  of  Frank  Johnson,  and  lives  in  Persifer  Town- 
ship; Ida  Augusta;  Luella  is  the  wife  of  Micha-jl 
Tarpy,  whose  home  is  in  Ness  County,  Kan.  The 
eldest  daughter,  Nancy,  was  born  July  13,  1850,  aiid 
united  in  marriage  with  Timothy  West.  She  departed 


IT 


^^- 


564 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


this  life  Sept.  23,  1879,  leaving  four  children  to 
mourn  her  loss;  three  now  reside  with  their  grandpar- 
ents, and  are  by  name  as  follows :  Edna  G.,  Oscar 
D.  and  Forrest  E.  W.  Emma  Gertrude  died  after 
coming  to  live  with  their  grandparents. 

In  politics  Mr.  N.  was  first  a  Whig,  and  on  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Republican  party  he  became  identi- 
fied with  and  a  supporter  of  its  principles.  During 
the  late  war  he  was  a  stanch  Union  man. 

The  portraits  of  Mr.  Evans  and  wife  appear  on 
another  page. 

on.    Michael   Dougherty,    Postmaster    at 
Galesburg,  was  born  at  Monongahela  City, 
Pa.,  March  18,  1850.    His  parents,  Thomas 
and    Isabel  (Campbell)  Dougherty,  natives  of 
Ireland,  at  the   close  of  the  war  of   181 2  were 
married  in    Pittsburg,  Pa.,  came   to  lUinois  in 
1854,  and  lived  in  Fulton  County,  this  State,  the  rest 
of  their  lives;  the  father  dying  in  April,  1882,  aged 
^87  years,  and  his  widow  in  February,  1883,  aged  72 
I  years.      Of  the  six  sons  and  three  daughters  reared 
I  by  them,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  next  to  the 
I  youngest.      He  was  educated  primarily  at  the  com- 
mon schools  in  Fulton  County,  and   graduated  from 
St.  Vincent's  College,  Wheeling,  W.  Va.,  in  the  class 
of  1869.    After  he  graduated  in  1869  he  began  clerk- 
ing in  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio  depot  at  Wheeling,  W. 
Va.,  and  remained  in  the  employ  of  the  railroad  com- 
pany there  up  to  the  time  of  his  return  to  Illinois  in 
1876.      In  1876  he  began  reading  law  at  Avon,  this 
State,  in  the  office  of  John  M.  Heller,  walking  from 
his  home  to  the  office  and  back  daily,  a  distance  of 
two  and  one-half  miles,  and  paying  for  his  board  in 
labor.     In    1878    he   was    admitted    to    the    bar    at 
Ottawa,  and  at  once  began  the  practice  of  law  at 
Avon.     In  1879  he  came  to  Galesburg,  where  he  has 
since  resided.     Here  he  formed  a  law   partnership 
with  Hon.  F.  A.  Willoughby,  which  continued  up  to 
his  assuming  the  duties  of  Postmaster,  since  which 
time  he  devotes  only  such  time  to  his  law  practice  as 
his   official   duties   will    allow.      As    a    lawyer  Mr. 
Dougherty  soon  took  rank  with  the  leading  members 
of  the    bar,  and  the  law    firm   of  which  he   was  a 
member  has  had  entrusted  to  its  management  some 
of  the  most  important  cases  which  have  been  tried  in 


the  courts  of  Knox  County  for  years.  In  his  prac- 
tice he  is  regarded  as  a  safe  counselor  and  painstak- 
ing lawyer.  His  mind  has  a  peculiar  judicial  bent, 
and  he  is  enabled  to  grasp  a  question  quickly  and 
analyze  it  thoroughly.  As  a  pleader,  his  papers  are 
prepared  with  thoroughness  and  accuracy,  and 
thereby  receive  due  recognition  from  the  courts.  As 
an  advocate  he  ranks  deservedly  high.  He  is  a 
pleasing,  graceful  and  logical  speaker. 

July  2,  1884,  the  Democratic  Convention  at  Peoria 
nominated  Mr.  Dougherty,  by  acclamation,  as  their 
candidate  for  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  that  memor- 
able campaign  already  forms  a  part  of  the  history  of 
the  State,  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak  further  of  it  in 
this  connection.  From  early  manhood  Mr.  D.  has 
been  more  or  less  identified  with  the  politics  of  the 
county.  In  1882  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
Democratic  Central  Committee  of  Knox  County,  and 
filled  the  position  with  much  ability  until  appointed 
Postmaster,  in  April,  1885.  Upon  his  assuming  the 
duties  of  the  office,  the  administration  determined  to 
secure  new  quarters  for  the  post-office.  A  new  and 
commodious  building  was  erected  and  equipped  with 
the  best  and  latest  improvements.  This  change  the 
people  of  the  city  universally  applauded.  From  the 
dingy  old  quarters  occupied  so  many  years  by  his 
worthy  predecessor,  Mr.  Dougherty  transferred  the 
office  to  one  of  the  brightest,  handsomest  and  most 
convenient  post-offices  in  the  State  of  Illinois. 

Our  subject  was  married  at  Galesburg,  May  18, 
1882,  to  Miss  Jennie  E.  Brown,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  James  E.  Brown,  Treasurer  of  G.  W. 
Brown  &  Co.  Corn-Planter  Works,  and  she  has 
borne  to  him  one  child. 


^3 


•=r=H^ 


illiam  R.  Mathews,  one  of  Knox  County's 
prominent  and  successful  farmers,  resid- 
j^J>^  ing  on  section  4,  Salem  Township,  is  the 
^r  eldest  sonof  JohnandClarinda  (Robertson) 
Mathews  (see  sketch).  He  was  born  in 
Fulton  County,  111.,  March  8,  1839,  and  was  an 
infant  in  his  parents'  arms  when  they  came  to  Knox 
County.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Salem  Township 
and  received  his  education  in  the  home  schools. 
The  first  building  in  which  he  attended  school  had 
previously  served  as  a  blacksmith-shop  and  granary. 


f 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


565 


He  took  advantage  of  every  opportunity  for  educa- 
tion offered  in  the  district  school,  and  thus  fitted 
himself  to  teach  at  the  age  of  21.  His  first  three 
terms  of  school  were  taught  near  his  old  home,  and 
with  that  exception  he  has  always  been  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits. 

Mr.  Mathews  was  married  Dec.  25,  1862,10  Esther 
Cratty.  She  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  Ohio, 
May  5,  1841,  and  is  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Candis  (Bennett)  Cratty.  Our  subject  remained 
upon  the  home  farm  for  about  three  years  after  his 
marriage,  when  he  located  on  the  place  he  now  owns 
and  occupies.  The  farm  is  under  excellent  cultiva- 
tion, the  proprietor  having  improved  it  by  the  erection 
of  substantial  farm-buildings  and  continual  tilling 
of  the  soil.  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mathews 
three  children  were  born — Jennie,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  six  years  ;  Charlie  L.  and  Lewis  E. 

Religiously  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  members 
in  high  standing  in  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Mr. 
Mathews  having  been  Superintendent  in  the  Sunday- 
school  for  16  consecutive  years.  In  politics  he  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Greenback  party.  His  first  vote 
was  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  upon  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Greenback  party  he  joined  its  ranks.  He 
was  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  State  Greenback 
Convention  at  Peoria  in  1880. 

^^dward  Young,  a  successful  farmer  and  re- 
spected citizen  of  this  county,  resides  on 
section  35,  Knox  Township,  was  born  in 
^j^  Persifer  Township,  Feb.  5,  1847,  and  is  theson 
of  Robert  and  Mary  (Fowler)  Young,  whose 
sketch  is  given  in  this  work.  Mr.  Young  was 
brought  up  to  the  vocation  of  a  farmer;  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  this  county  and 
supplemented  the  same  by  an  attendance  of  three 
terms  at  Knox  College,  two  terms  at  Wesleyan  Sem- 
inary, Bloomington,  and  two  terms  at  Abingdon 
College.  After  leaving  college  Mr.  Young  taught 
two  terms  of  winter  school,  one  in  Persifer  and  one 
in  Victoria  Township,  and,  aside  from  that,  his  years 
have  been  devoted  10  agricultural  pursuits. 

He  was  married  Jan.  25,  1870,  to  Miss  Hattie  Wil- 
son, daughter  of  George  and  Rosana  Wilson,  who 
was  born  in  Knox  Township.     After   their  marriage 


they  located  on  his  father's  farm  in  Persifer  Town- 
ship, where  the  honeymoon  was  passed,  and  where 
they  continued  to  live  and  labor,  with  but  one  inter- 
est in  common,  until  1875.  During  that  year  our  sub- 
ject removed  with  his  family  to  the  farm  which  he  at 
present  owns  and  occupies.  The  place  at  that  time 
contained  78  acres,  to  which  he  added  by  subsequent 
purchase  68  acres,  making  his  total  acreage  146.  He 
has  a  brick  house  on  his  farm,  and  a  good,  substan- 
tial frame  barn,  together  with  necessary  sheds  for  the 
shelter  of  stock,  and  in  his  chosen  vocation  is  meeting 
with  that  success  which  energy  and  perseverance  are 
sure  to  bring.  Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  four  children,  whom  they  have  named  Mary 
R.,  George  W.,  Florence  E.  and  Elmer  L.  Relig- 
iously Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Knoxville. 


{§.phraim  Stonesipher  was  born  in  Adams 
County,  Pa.,  June  19,  1818.  His  father, 
Solomon  Stonesipher,  was  born  in  that  part 
of  Baltimore  Co.  now  included  in  Carroll  Co., 
Md.  His  father,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
Jacob  Stonesipher,  was  also  a  native  of  the 
same  county  and  of  German  descent.  Our  subject 
grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  county  and  was  reared 
on  a  farm,  receiving  a  good  common-school  educa- 
tion, which  was  supplemented  by  an  attendance  at 
the  Academy  at  Littleton.  Our  subject  was  16 
years  of  age  when  he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade 
of  a  plasterer,  which  he  foUow'ed  in  Adams  County 
for  eight  years,  and  then  took  up  the  butchering  bus- 
iness, in  which  he  continued  for  eight  years.  He 
disposed  of  his  butcher-shop  in  the  following  year, 
and  in  1856  came  to  Illinois,  making  a  location  in 
Knoxville.  At  this  place  he  purchased  a  lot  on  Mill 
street,  and  erected  thereon  a  dwelling,  after  which 
he  engaged  in  his  trade  as  plasterer  until  1861.  At 
this  time  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business  with 
James  P.  Coons,  the  partnership  existing  about  18 
years.  A  few  months  after  he  had  disposed  of  his 
grocery  store  he  purchased  a  half  interest  in  a  drug 
business  with  James  Werlz.  They  soon  added  gro- 
ceries to  their  stock,  the  partnership  existing  for  one 
year,  when  Mr.  Stonesipher  carried  it  on  alone  for 
about  three  years,  after  which  he  took  charge  of  the 


^-a- 


4 


566 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


1 


^ 


la 

It 


store  belonging  to  his  former  partner.  For  the  last 
five  or  six  years  he  has  lived  retired  from  active  bus- 
iness in  life.  His  residence  is  a  handsome  brick 
structure  with  all  modem  conveniences,  and  is  lo- 
located  on  West  Main  street.  Mr.  Stonesipher  was 
married  in  July,  1840,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Cordelia  Mcllvain.  She  was  born  in  that  por- 
tion of  Baltimore  County  now  Carroll  County,  Md., 
Oct.  28,  1819.  She  is  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Sophia  (Messing)  Mcllvain.  Her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Scotch  descent,  while 
her  mother  was  bom  of  German  parents. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  are  the  parents  of  one  daughter, 
now  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Brewer,  of  Kno.xville.  Two 
children  died  in  infancy.  The  third  and  youngest 
child,  named  William,  was  born  Feb.  7,  1848,  and 
died  June  29,  1872.  He  was  married  to  Mary  Star- 
rett,  who  is  a  native  of  Sidney,  Ohio.  They  had  be- 
come the  parents  of  one  child,  named  Charles.  Will- 
iam S.  served  in  1864,  in  the  138th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  for 
00  days,  or  from  May  until  October.  The  widow  of 
William  S.  married  G.  W.  Hagy,  who  was  born  in 
Toronto,  Kan.  Mrs.  Stonesipher,  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject, is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In 
politics  Mr.  S.  is  a  Democrat. 


'  illiam  H.  Newell.  Among  the  leading 
business  men  of  Kno.x  County  may  be  reck- 
,,_^  oned  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
2>  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  which 
consist  mainly  of  cultivating  the  home  farm, 
J  '  located  on  section  13,  in  Indian  Point  Town- 
ship. Mr.  Newell  was  born  in  this  county  Dec.  g, 
1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Louisa  (Smith) 
Newell,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Brown 
County,  Ohio,  Sept.  19,  1821,  and  is  now  living  in 
Abingdon.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1828,  is  a  retired 
farmer,  with  an  interest  in  the  banking  business  in 
Abingdon.  In  1842,  he  married  Miss  Louisa  Smith, 
whose  birthplace  was  Vigo  County,  Ind.,  and  the 
date  of  whose  birth  was  May  17,  1824.  Her  parents 
were  named  respectively  Hector  and  Mary  (Sibley) 
Smith.  She  was  of  English  extraction,  and  her  hus- 
band came  of  Scotch  lineage. 

Mr.  Newell  is  the  father  of  six  children,  by  name 
Sarah  A.,  John  W.,  Julia  M.,  Harriet  E.  and  Kate  E. 


He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Salina  Meek, 
April  4,  1880,  who  was  born  April  12,  1854,  in  Knox 
County.  Her  father  and  mother  were  Daniel  and 
Salina  (Dolph)  Meek.  He  was  born  in  Kentucky,  in 
1803,  and  she  in  New  York  State  in  1826.  He  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers  in  this  county.  He  died  in 
1872,  and  she  in  1854,  in  Knox  County. 

To  them  were  born  five  children,  viz. :  Elizabeth, 
who  married  Marion  Reynolds,  and  now  lives  in  Ab- 
ingdon;  Harriet,  who  married  Mr.  George  Mosher 
and  lives  in  Galesburg;  Sanford,  who  married  Miss 
Sally  Shumaker,  and  lives  in  Piano,  Iowa,  and  Thena, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  Oliver  Fitch  and  lives  in  Mad- 
ison, Wis. 

Mr.  Newell,  Jr.,  has  but  one  child,  a  daughter,  who 
is  a  beautiful  and  affectionate  little  girl,  and  the  pet 
and  pride  of  her  parents.  He  has  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  his  chosen  vocation  and  owns  a  number  of 
fine  Galloway  cattle.  He  also  owns  one  bull,  Peter 
Davie,  No.  1007,  born  May  26,  1884.  Mr.  N.  now 
has  a  herd  of  five  head.  He  is  besides  engaged  in  ' 
the  raising  of  Poland-China  hogs. 

In  the  year  1875,  he  went  into  the  drug  and  med 
icine  business,  which  he  followed  for  two  years.  He  ^ 
then  sold  out  to  Mr  Brown,  buying  a  stock  of  ready- 
made  clothing  from  T.  L.  Terry,  and  continuing  in 
this  for  five  years,  in  which  time  he  received  hearty 
patronage  from  his  friends  and  neighbors.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  he  sold  out  and  went  to  farming, 
and  now  owns  80  acres  of  fine  land  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  on  which  stands  an  attractive 
and  convenient  dwelling-house,  two  stories  in  height, 
which  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $4,200,  and  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  handsomest  in  the  neighborhood.  He 
is  an  active  public  worker,  wide-awake  to  the  polit- 
ical situation,  and  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 


f  P?^[,ilton  Lawrence.     As  a  representative  cit- 

V  '-^lik^,   izen    of  the  agricultural  class   of  Knox 

'    :  '"^  County  and  a  gentleman  of  sterling  worth 

and  integrity,  we  take  pleasure  in  giving  the 

•1'     tew  following  facts  regarding  the  life  of  Milton 

'j       Lawrence.     He  is  at  this  time  residing  on  his 

fine  farm  on  section  21,  Elba  Township,  where  he  is 

industriously  engaged  in  his  chosen  vocation. 

Mr.  Lawrence  came  to  this  county  in  February, 
1 86 1,  from  Monkton,  Addison  Co.,  Vt.,  and  settled 


-H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


567 


in  Elba  Township,  where  previous  to  that  time  he 
had  purchased  a  tract  of  land  containing  290  acres. 
On  that  identical  t'ract  he  has  continued  to  reside 
until  this  writing,  and  by  economy  and  energy,  com- 
bined with  the  active  co-operation'  of  his  wife  and 
children,  has  increased  the  same  to  320  acres,  160 
of  which  are  under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  Lawrence  was  born  in  Monkion,  Addison  Co., 
Vt.,on  the  i3th  of  February,  1S16.  He  is  the  son  of 
Diah  and  Lucretia  (Peck)  Lawrence.  From  the 
time  he  was  ten  years  of  age  until  he  was  40,  he  was 
engaged,  at  least  the  major  ixsrtion  of  the  time,  in 
running  a  saw -mill  and  farming.  In  1848  he  began 
shipping  stock  and  produce  to  Boston,  and  was  thus 
occupied  for  12  years.  He  was  also  engaged  in  the 
charcoal  business  for  about  seven  years,  from  1846 
to  1853. 

Milton  Lawrence  was  married  in  Monkton,  Vt., 
Feb.  14,  1838,  to  Sylvia  Atwood,  a  native  of  that 
place  and  daughter  of  Almond  and  Amanda  Atwood, 
natives  of  Vermont,  where  they  lived  and  died.  She 
bore  him  nine  children — Lucius  A.,  Lucretia  A., 
Eliza  C,  A.  Judson,  Carlton  M.,  Samantha,  Phinney 
M.,  Alma  O.  and  Almond  A.;  Lucretia,  Alma,  Eliza 
and  Judson  are  deceased.  Lucius  resides  in  Yates 
City;  Lucretia  was  the  wife  of  Thomas  Rowland 
and  departed  this  life  in  December,  1882,  in  Kansas; 
Eliza  married  Holland  B.  Frye  and  died  at  Oherlin, 
Ohio,  June  14,  1875;  Adoniram  Judson  died  in 
Elba  Township;  Carlton  resides  in  Yates  City; 
Samantha  is  the  wife  of  T.  C.  Mathews,  a  resident 
of  Kansas;  Phinney  is  also  living  in  that  State  and 
a  resident  of  Clay  County ;  Alma  died  in  Elba 
Township  when  about  eight  years  of  age  ;  Almond 
A.  is  living  on  the  home  farm  in  Elba  Townsliip. 

The  good  mother  and  dutiful  wife  died  in  Ver- 
mont, March  25,  1857,  and  Mr.  Lawrence  was  again 
married  at  Monkton,  that  State,  Nov.  15,  1858,  to 
Ellen,  daughter  of  Martin  and  Maria  (Broivn)  Phin- 
ney, also  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain  State.  Of 
the  latter  union  five  children  have  been  born,  and 
named  George  B.,  Uwight  F.,  Harris  P.,  Burley  B. 
and  Otis  J. 

Mr.  Lawrence  is  a  Baptist  in  religious  belief,  and 
in  his  politics  has  voted  with  the  Republican  party 
since  its  organization.  Since  coming  to  this  county 
he  has  devoted  his  time  exclusively  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  in  wliich  he  has  met  with  far  more  than 
ordinary  success,  and  in  this,  the  sunset  of  his  life, 


he  is  surrounded  by  a  happy  family  in  a  pleasant 
home. 

The  Lawrence  family  in  this  country  are  descended 
from  three  brothers  who  came  from  England  to  the 
Colonies  in  alwut  1666  and  settled  in  Massachusetts. 
One  brother  went  to  Connecticut,  and  from  him  the 
present  family  has  sprung.  The  family  is  an  old 
one  and  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  New  En- 
gland. The  present  Lawrence  family  still  occupy 
the  old  homestead  in  Lexington,  Mass.,  where  their 
ancestors  settled  over  200  years  ago. 

i!jj?Vj|SHl8on  Adams,  proprietor  of  the  Comnier- 
^i^^ffliif   cial  Hotel,  Yates  City,  was  born  in  Frank- 
'^te         lin   County,    Ohio,    Dec.    8,   1843.      His 
J*^>     father,   William   Luther  Adams,  is  a  native 
">V^      of  Delaware;  the  grandfather  of  our  subject 
V  was  also  born  there.     The  senior   Mr.  .'Vdams 
was  about  ten  years  of  age  when  his  parents  moved  i 
to  Ohio  and  located  in  Franklin  County,  where  they 
were  among  its  earliest  settlers.     The  maiden  name  \ 
of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was  Nancy  J.  Timmons,  - 
a  native  of  Ohio.     The  parents  located  in   Franklin  | 
County,  in  the  winter  of  1847,  whence  they  removed 
to  Illinois  and  settled    in    Fulton   County,   and    at  J 
which  place  they  resided   for  three  years.     At  the 
expiration  of  that  time,  in  1850,  they  emigrated   to 
Knox  County,  making  Maiiuon  Township  their  home 
for  the  succeeding  12  years.     In  1862  we  find  them 
in  Yates  City,  which  place  is  still  their  home. 

Mr.  Adams  was  a  lad  of  four  years  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  seven  when 
they  removed  to  Knox  County,  which  he  has  since 
made  his  home,  with  the  exception  of  two  years 
si)ent  in  Nebraska. 

In  May,  1862,  our  subject  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  67th 
111.  Vol.  Inf,  and  served  3  months  and  27  days, 
when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  Upon 
his  return  home  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade 
of  a  harness-maker,  in  Yates  City.  This  completed, 
he  entered  into  business  for  himself,  which  he  oper- 
ated successfully  until  187  i,  when  he  emigrated  to 
Johnson  County,  Neb.  Returning  in  the  fall  of 
1872,  he  again  established  himself  in  business,  but 
in  April,  1885,  abandoning  his  trade,  he  opened  an 
hotel,  which  he  very  successfully  carried  on. 

Dec.  2,   1866,  Wilson  Adams  selected  for  a  wife 


n:^ 


^^ 


4> 


568 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


*>^ 


Rebecca  J.  Kerns,  daughter  of  Alexander  and  Ma- 
tilda (Moore)  Kerns,  pioneers  of  Knox  County.  Miss 
Kerns  was  born  in  Knox  County  Oct.  23,  1846. 
The  issue  of  this  union  has  been  the  birth  of  one 
child,  a  son,  Frank  L. 

In  politics  our  subject  is  a  genuine  Republican, 
for  which  party  he  never  fails  to  cast  his  vote.  He 
is  a  member  in  high  standing  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, belonging  to  Yates  City  Lodge,  No.  448, 
Eureka  Chapter,  and  Council  No.  48. 


^' 


ewis  Larson.     Among  the  permanent  set- 
tlers of  Knox  County  and  the  substantial 
citizens  of  worth  and  ability  may  be  found 
the  subject  of  this  personal  sketch,  whose  home 
is  situated  on  section  12,  in  Copley  Township. 
He  settled  in  this  part  of  the  country   at   an 
early  day,  and  with  pioneer  bravery  adapted  himself 
to  all  the  inconveniences  incident  to  that  period,  and 
succeeding  events  have  shown  him  to   be  worthy  of 
>^  the  success  he  has  attained. 

Mr.  Larson  was  born  in  Sweden,  July  29,  1826. 
His  parents  were  Lewis  and  Christine  (Swanson) 
Larson.  They  were  natives  of  Sweden  and  came 
with  their  family  to  America  in  1846.  Landing  in 
New  York,  they  started  for  Henry  County,  111., 
where  they  remained  until  1858,  and  then,  coming 
to  Knox  County,  lived  here  until  r869,  when  his 
death  occurred.  The  mother  died  in  r85o,  in  Henry 
County,  and  left  a  family  of  eight  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Julia,  Catherine,  Peter,  Christine,  Ann,  Swan, 
Martha  and  Lewis,  of  whom  we  write.  Up  to  the 
time  of  coming  to  America  he  worked  at  farming, 
but  in  rSso  he  started  with  a  company  of  his  own 
countrymen  to  Califorijia,  and  there  engaged  in  min- 
ing. At  this  he  continued  two  years,  meeting  with 
fair  success.  After  returning  to  Illinois  he  settled 
with  his  brother  Swan  on  section  2,  Copley  Town- 
ship, and  purchased  160  acres.  This  farm  they 
worked  together  for  two  years  and  then  divided, 
Lewis  purchasing  his  brother's  interest,  and  on  the 
homestead  thus  obtained  he  faithfully  labored  for 
ten  years. 

Mr.  Larson  has  largely  improved  his  farm  by 
erecting  a  fine  house  and  all  necessary  and  conven- 
ient  buildings   besides.      His   land    is   all   fenced^ 

,  \. 


broken  and  cultivated.  In  1865  he  sold  his  original 
purchase  and  bought  160  acres  on  sections  i  and 
12,  and  has  since  added  160  acres  adjacent  to  that. 
He  has  built  thereon  the  house  standing  on  section 
12,  and  has  add&d  all  modern  improvements  that  the 
mind  of  a  man  whose  heart  is  in  his  work  can  sug- 
gest or  the  hand  execute.  He  is  a  self-made  man, 
whose  efforts  in  the  battle  of  life  have  been  unaided 
by  any  legacy,  and  to-day  he  is  wealthy  and  ranks 
high  in  the  community.  He  values  his  land  at  $60 
per  acre.     His  occupation  is  mixed  farming. 

Mr.  Larson  was  married  Feb.  2,  1855,  to  Miss 
Christine  Oleson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  who  was  born 
July  r2,  1834,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Olaf  and 
Martha  (Johnson)  Oleson,  who  came  to  America  in 
1846  and  settled  in  Henry  County.  They  afterward 
removed  to  Copley  Township,  in  Knox  County,  pur- 
chasing 20  acres  of  land  on  section  22.  He  died  at 
the  residence  of  his  son-in-law  in  r878;  the  mother 
had  died  in  1859.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Larson  have  a 
family  of  five  children — Henry  G.,  Justus  A.,  John 
VV  ,  Victor  T.  and  Ida  M.  Henry  G.  married  Miss 
Emma  Burg,  and  they  reside  in  Kansas,  where  he^ 
is  engaged  in  farming. 

Mr.  Larson  is  a  useful  and  active  member  of  the 
society  in  which  he  moves.  He  is  a  Greenbacker 
in  politics.  He  is  Pathmaster  and  one  of  the  lead- 
ing men  of  his  township  and  county.  With  his  wife 
he  is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Swedish  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  the  faith  of  which  body  he  sup- 
ports and  lives  under. 


^g^J#isii« 


\\ 


ucius  A.  Lawrence,  the  subject  of  this 
biography,  is  a  prominent  merchant  of 
Yates  City,  and  a  lumber  dealer,  and  stands 
high  among  the  people  of  Knox  County  as  a 
man  of  sterling  character  and  good  business 
ability.  He  was  born  in  Hinesburg,  Chittenden 
Co.,  Vt.,  June  26,  r84o,  and  was  the  eldest  child  of 
Milton  and  Sylvia  (Atwood)  Lawrence  (see  sketch). 
Our  subject  was  but  a  child  when  his  parents 
moved  to  Addison  County  and  located  at  Monkton, 
where  he  grew  to  manhood.  He  was  reared  on  the 
farm  and  received  his  early  education  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  subsequently  in  HinesburgAcademy, 
where  he  attended  two  terms.     In  i860  he  came  to 


^-4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


569 


Knox  County  with  his  people,  they  locating  in  Elba 
Township,  and  in  the  winter  of  1860-61  he  taught 
school  in  Salem  Township. 

Mr.  Lawrence,  at  the  time  of  his  country's  call  for 
men,  immediately  responded,  and  Aug.  7,  1862, 
enlisted  in  Co.  H,  io2d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
until  June  15,  1865.  The  load  was  brigaded  with 
the  105th  and  129th  Illinois,  70th  Indiana  and  79th 
Ohio,  Brig.  Gen.  W.  T.  Ward  commanding,  ist 
Brig.  3d  Div.  20th  Army  Corps.  It  was  a  part  of 
the  Army  of  the  Cumberland,  and  did  garrison  duly 
at  Frankfort  and  Bowling  Green,  Ky.,  Gallatin  and 
Lavergne,  Tenn.,  and  participated  in  the  Atlanta 
campaign,  and  in  all  the  important  battles  from 
Chattanooga  10  Atlanta,  as  well  as  the  siege  of  that 
city.  After  the  fall  of  Atlanta  he  became  danger- 
ously ill,  and  was  taken  into  the  hospital,  and  in  the 
following  January  (1865),  having  fully  recovered,  was 
sent  to  New  York,  thence  to  Beaufort  Islands,  S.  C, 
and  from  there  to  Blair's  Landing.  He  then  re- 
mained in  camp  until  tidings  were  brought  from  the 
army  under  Gen.  Sherman,  and  then  marched  across 
the  country,  joining  the  command  at  Goldsboro,  N. 
L  C.  With  this  command  he  continued  until  the  close 
n  of  the  war,  and  marched  with  his  regiment  via  Rich- 
mund  to  Washington,  where  he  participated  in  the 
grand  review.  The  regiment  was  mustered  out  with 
all  the  honors  of  war,  June  6ih,  at  Washington,  and 
Mr.  Lawrence  was  discharged  at  Chicago  June  15, 
'865. 

On  his  return  home  Mr.  L.  taught  school  for  three 
successive  winters,  farming  the  remainder  of  the  time, 
and  after  tliai  gave  his  entire  attention  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  In  1877  he  rented  the  farm  which 
he  had  purchased  in  Elba  Townsliip  in  1868,  and 
removed  to  Yates  City.  In  September,  1882,  he  pur- 
chased the  entire  interest  of  W.  T.  Wells  in  the  lum- 
ber business,  in  which  he  has  been  actively  engaged 
since  that  time. 

He  has  proved  himself  a  worthy  member  of  so- 
ciety and  has  taken  his  place  in  several  local  offices. 
He  was  elected  President  of  the  City  Council  in  1878- 
79,  and  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1880,  '81  and  '82. 
On  the  2 1  St  day  of  March,  1869,  Mr.  Law- 
rence was  united  in  marriage  to  Mrs.  Charlotte 
M.  Baird,  nee  Wheeler.  Her  husband,  D.  H.  Baird, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  and  a  member  of  Co. 
H.  io2dRegt.  Ills.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  fell  at  the  battle 
of  Resaca.     Mrs.    Lawrence    is    the    daughter    of 


Moses  and  Cynthia  Wheeler,  old  settlers  of  Knox 
County.  By  her  former  marriage  she  had  one  daugh- 
ter, named  Ida  E.,  wife  of  Hugh  A.  Sloan.  By  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  there  have  been 
five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living.  The  names 
of  the  latter  are  Alma  E.,  Edwin  P.  and  Arthur  J. 
The  two  deceased  were  twins,  named  Cynthia  May 
and  Sylva  June.  Both  died  in  1878,  at  the  age  of 
five  months.  The  parents  and  two  of  the  children 
are  active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In 
politics  Mr.  L.  is  a  solid  Republican  and  stands 
stanch  and  true  to  his  principles.  At  the  last  mu- 
nicipal election  Mr.  Lawrence  was  elected  President 
of  the  City  Council  of  Yates  City.  He  is  a  member 
of  Dan.  McCook  Post,  No.  53,  G.  A.  R.,  Elmwood, 
Illinois. 


rs.  Agnes  McKie.  In  selecting  a  site  for 
a  home  which  shall  include  both  conven- 
ience and  fertility  of  soil,  none  could  be 
better  chosen  than  most  of  the  farms  in 
Knox  County,  and  among  these  the  lady  of 
whom  this  personal  history  is  written  claims 
one  of  the  best.  It  lies  on  section  4,  in  Copley 
Township,  and  was  left  her  as  a  legacy  by  her  de- 
ceased husband,  Thomas  McKie. 

The  late  Mr.  McKie  was  born  in  Scotland,  Jan. 
31,  181S,  and  died  at  his  home  April  18,  1883.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Jenette  (Murray)  McKie, 
natives  of  Scotland,  who  died  in  their  native  land. 
Mr.  Thomas  McKie  came  to  .America  in  1839,  and 
settled  in  Knox  County,  in  Copley  Township,  on  sec- 
tion r  I,  where  he  purchased  160  acres  and  there 
lived  until  1872.  On  section  4  he  purchased  160 
acres,  where  he  passed  the  time  up  to  his  death.  He 
was  a  member  in  good  and  regular  standing  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  departed  this  life  in  the 
full  assurance  of  a  better  home,  in  that  "  house  not 
made  with  hands."  In  jwlitics  he  was  a  Republican, 
and  was  a  deep,  earnest  thinker  and  a  welcome  aipii- 
sition  to  the  party  to  which  he  was  allied  in  sentiment 
and  vote.  He  held  the  office  of  School  Director  for 
some  time,  and  also  other  township  offices,  and  was 
always  helpful  to  Sunday-schools  and  churches,  so- 
cieties for  charity  of  diflferent  kinds,  and  in  fact  to. 
any  worthy  and  good  enterprise. 

He  was  united   in  marriage  in  Scotland,  March  9, 


57° 


—  lU . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


4 
4-K 


1852,  to  Miss  Agnes  Ferguson,  who  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  and  Mary  (Davidson)  Ferguson.  They 
were  natives  of  Scotland,  and  had  a  family  of  two 
children,  by  name  Jenette  and  Agnes.  The  paients 
died  in  their  native  home. 

Mrs.  Agnes  McKie  was  born  Nov.  10,  1825,  and 
had  but  one  son— William  V.  He  was  born  April  23, 
1863,  on  section  16,  in  Copley  Township.  He  has 
always  remained  at  home  and  has  received  a  liberal 
education,  so  that  he  is  a  highly  cultivated  and  intel- 
ligent young  man.  He  at  present  has  charge  of  the 
farm  and  is  also  engaged  in  stock  and  grain  raising. 
He  is  a  keen,  quick  thinker,  and  a  ready  speaker  for 
a  young  man,  and  is  Republican  in  belief;  and  al- 
though years  have  not  yet  added  the  touch  of  expe- 
rience to  him  nor  whitened  his  locks,  though  his  firm, 
strong  form  stands  erect  the  image  of  his  Maker,  he 
is  one  of  the  representative  young  men  of  the  county 
and  will  live  to  be  the  support  and  stay  of  his  moth- 
er's declining  years,  knowing  that  there  is  no  nobler 
mission  than  to  fulfill  the  command,  "  Honor  thy 
father  and  thy  mother."  Mrs.  McKie  still  resides 
I  on  the  home  farm,  and  both  she  and  her  son  are 
4  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  bound  together 
not  only  by  devoted  motherly  and  filial  love,  but  by 
that  bond  of  Christian  sympathy  and  tender  affec- 
tion "  which  in  honor  preferreth  one  another." 

~vv^..:=:=ggr  ;  :.■  '^ 

raneis  Coleman,  one  of  Knox  County's 
f  energetic  and  successful  farmers,  residing 
'^  on  section  12,  Victoria  Township,  was  born 
in  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  iMarch  12,  1844.  He 
is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Sarah  (Albin)  Coleman, 
natives  of  the  Keystone  State.  The  parents, 
upon  their  arrival  in  Illinois,  in  1855,  made  their  first 
purchase  of  160  acres  on  section  30,  Victoria  Town- 
ship, to  which  they  subsequently  added  by  purchas- 
ing 320  acres.  The  father  of  our  subject  for  20  years 
was  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  He  was  elected  Supervisor  of  the  township, 
but  did  not  qualify.  Mr.  Samuel  Coleman  resided 
on  his  purchase  until  his  demise,  in  1875.  Their 
family  consisted  of  14  children,  to  of  whom  are  still 
living,  our  subject  being  the  youngest  but  one. 

Francis  Coleman,  of  this  brief  notice,  assisted  his 
father  in  the  farm  duties  until  27  years  of  age,  when, 
in  1883,  he  purchased  for  himself  80  acres.     He  was 


also  the  recipient  of  a  like  acreage  given  him  by  his 
father  in  1870.  Out  subject  has  been  extensively 
engaged  in  the  raising  of  grain  and  stock,  and  since 
1884  he  has  made  a  specially  of  the  breeding  of 
Short-horn  cattle. 

Mr.  Coleman's  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Johnson 
took  place  March  9,  1871.  She  was  a  native  of 
Knox  County  and  the  daughter  of  Ransler  and  Erne- 
line  (Wilkinson)  Johnson,  natives  of  Virginia  and 
Ohio.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Coleman  were  married 
in  1849,  in  Knox  County,  at  which  place  they  re- 
sided until  their  death,  in  1883  and  1876  respect- 
ively. The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  are 
now  five  in  number — Harriet,  Susan,  Jason,  James 
and  Edith.  Mr.  Johnson  was  the  first  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Truro  Township,  performing  the  duties  of 
that  office  for  25  years.  He  was  also  School  Di- 
rector, and  ranks  among  the  substantial  and  highly 
respected  citizens  of  Truro. 

Fredrick  C.  and  Edith  I.  are  the  names  of  the 
children  born  to  our  subject  and  wife.  In  political 
affinity  and  belief  Mr.  C.  is  a  Republican,  and  has 
held  the  office  of  Pathmaster  for  three  terms,  and  is 
recognized  as  one  of  the  leading  men  of  this  part  of 
Knox  County. 


arfleld  B.  Todd,  a  goodly  land-holder,  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  respected  citizen  of  this 
county,  residing  on  section  25,  Lynn 
Township,  was  born  in  Frederick  County, 
Md.,  Feb.  23,  1837.  He  came  to  this  county 
with  his  parents  in  i8sr,  and  later  he  went  to 
California,  where  he  died  in  June,  1880.  His  wife 
died  at  Galva,  111,  Sept.  26,  1871. 

Mr.  Todd  is  the  oldest  living  child  of  his  parents, 
Vachel  B.  and  Susan  (Brown)  Todd,  who  were  par- 
ents of  five  children.  He  lived  at  home  until  his 
marriage,  which  event  took  place  in  February,  1862, 
in  Lynn  Township,  Miss  Euphenia  Lafferty  becoming 
his  wife.  Miss  Lafferty  was  born  in  Lynn  Town- 
ship, Oct.  28,  1838,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Sallie  (Slocum)  Lafferty,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  York  respectively.  Her  father  was  a  farmer 
by  vocation,  and  came  from  Ohio  eight  years  after 
his  marriage.  After  John  Lafferty 's  arrival  in  this 
county  he  at  once  made  settlement  in  Lynn  Town- 
ship on  a  tract  of  uncultivated  land,  and  was  occu- 


ITLAJT 


i^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


57' 


pied  in  its  cultivation  until  the  date  of  his  deuiise, 
in  July,  1867.  The  mother  survives  and  is  yet  a 
resident  of  the  old  homestead. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Todd  have  nine  children:  John 
married  Miss  Emma  Reed,  and  resides  in  California ; 
Susan  became  the  wife  of  F.  L.  Billiard,  who  is  liv- 
ing on  Mis.  Todd's  farm  in  Lynn  Township;  Anna 
married  John  Dryden,  a  farmer  in  Stark  County  ; 
Nellie,  Jennie,  Emma,  Charlie,  Benjoe  and  Upton 
live  at  home.  Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Todd  has 
lived  in  this  county  in  V^ictoria  and  Lynn  Town- 
ships. He  was  Supervisor  five  years  and  also  held 
the  office  of  Collector.  In  politics  he  is  an  active, 
working  Democrat.  He  and  his  wife  are  owners  of 
320  acres  of  good  land,  and  their  home  farm  is  under 
an  advanced  state  of  cultivation,  having  all  the  nec- 
essary improvements  upon  it,  and  where  they  live 
enjoying  life,  surrounded  by  their  happy  family. 

Mr.  Todd  is  a  member  of  Stark  Lodge,  No.  501,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Kewanee  Chapter,  No.  47,R.  A.  M  ,at 
Kewanee,  Henry  County.  In  September,  1861,  he 
enlisted  in  Co.  B,  37th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  for  three  years. 
He  was  Orderly  Sergeant  for  seven  months,  when  he 
was  discharged  for  partial  paralysis  of  the  right  side. 
He  came  home  and  enlisted  again  in  the  69th  111. 
Vol.  Inf ,  and  upon  the  organization  of  the  company 
was  elected  First  Lieutenant ;  served  for  four  months 
and  did  garrison  duty  at  Camp  Douglas,  Chicago. 
In  1864  he  was  drafted  and  assigned  to  Co.  A,  36th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.  He  served  nine  months,  and  was  in 
battle  at  Spring  Hill  and  the  two  days'  fight  at 
Franklin,  and  was  discharged  in  June,  1865. 


|>,rs  Annie  McClang  is  the  relict  of  Will- 
iam McClang,  who  was  born  March  24, 
h  -1^?-  ^  1842,  and  died  Feb.  2,  18S4.  He  was  a 
I  ^■^\  native  of  Sweden,  and  emigrated  to  America 
*  ^  in  1865.  He  settled  in  Copley  Township,  on  sec- 
tion 15,  and  laid  the  foundations  of  a  home.  He 
lived  on  the  same  until  1878,  and  then  purchased  80 
acres  on  section  16,  and  on  this  remained  until  his 
death. 

William  McClang  was  married  to  Miss  Annie 
Hanson  March  22,  1866.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Hans  and  Christina  Hanson.  They  are  natives  of 
Sweden  and  came  to  America  in  1849,  settling  on 

. •* 


section  15,  in  Copley  Township.  They  purchased  80 
acres  of  land,  where  they  lived  until  called  by  death 
to  the  land  beyond  the  stars.  They  had  but  one 
child,  a  daughter — Annie,  now  Mrs.  McClang. 

In  (wlitics  the  deceased  was  a  Republican,  and  was 
a  good,  solid  man  of  native  force  and  ability,  of  a 
courteous  and  affable  manner,  and  his  loss  was 
deeply  deplored  in  the  community.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  as 
is  also  his  wife.  Mrs.  McClang  has  shown  herself  to 
be  possessed  of  a  good  degree  of  firmness  and  force, 
and  still  manages  the  farm  left  her  at  her  husband's 
death. 


Jf^^^'ohn  W.  Dawdy.     Among  the  more  useful 
w^Mlf  citizens    in    a   local    way,    and    prominent 

f^'^*^  among  the  enterprising  and  able  farmers  of 
^  Knox  County,  may  be  found  the  subject  of  this 
'ir  biography,  whose  farm  is  situated  on  section  17, 
Y*  in  Indian  Point  Township,  and  who  is  worthy 
of  some  degree  of  notice  for  his  active  energy  in  his 
particular  line  of  labor,  which  has  met  with  flatter- 
ing success.  A  few  of  the  details  of  his  career  are 
enumerated  in  the  ensuing  paragraphs. 

Mr.  Dawdy,  besides  being  engaged  in  general 
farming,  is  interested  in  the  breeding  of  blooded 
stock  and  Short-horn  and  thorough-bred  cattle,  Nor- 
man horses  and  Poland-China  hogs.  He  commenced 
breeding  fine  stock  in  the  jear  1875,  first  buying  of 
J.  S.  Latimer  two  cows  of  thorough-bred  pedigree. 
After  he  had  continued  in  this  occupation  of  stock- 
growing  and  shipping  for  some  time,  he  learned  that 
their  former  owner  had  kept  the  business  for  20  years, 
generally  shipping  to  the  Chicago  markets,  and  also 
to  breeders  in  the  West,  to  Te.xas,  Colorado,  Wyo- 
ming, Nebraska  and  Kansas,  and  other  points,  his 
sales  aggregating  1,000  head.  Meadow  Farm,  sit- 
uated three  miles  soutii  of  Abingdon,  has  a  herd  of 
75  liead — 19  bulls  and  56  cows.  Baron  Airdrie,  at 
the  head  of  the  herd,  in  Vol.  29  of  the  Herd-book, 
represents  these  families :  Young  Mary's,  Young 
Phyllis  and  Miss  Wiley,  Louan,  White  Rose,  Brace- 
let and  Daisy.  Baron  Airdrie  is  three  years  old, 
dark-red  in  color  and  weighs  2,000  pounds.  Mr. 
Dawdy  has  at  all  times  in  hand  young  cattle  for  sale 
of  both  sexes  of  thorough-breds.  Meadow  Farm  in- 
cludes 320  acres  of  land  devoted  to  raising  grain  and 


i 


u 


■•—I  f 


572 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


stock.  It  possesses  a  spring  of  living  water,  and  in- 
cludes a  fine  barn,  24  x  66  feet,  and  a  good,  comfort- 
able dwelling-house. 

Mr.  Dawdy  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony 
with  Sarah  J.  Latimer,  the  nuptials  being  celebrated 
in  1868.  Mr.  Dawdy  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  born 
in  1840,  on  the  25th  of  March,  and  his  wife  was 
born  May  7,  1847,  in  Knox  County.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  A.  Latimer,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  who 
was  born  Sept.  9,  1807,  and  who  married  Julia  Hart, 
born  in  Illinois  in  1817,  and  died  in  1850.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Latimer  were  born  four  children,  two  girls 
and  two  boys — Washington  K.,  Pleasant  H.,  Sarah 
J.,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Dawdy,  and  Cora  A.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dawdy  became  tlie  parents  of  six  children; 
three  are  living  and  three  deceased,  viz.  :  Drennen 
L.,  born  March  19,  1869;  Nerval  M.,  Sept.  25,  1872; 
twins  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Daisy,  born   Jan    4, 

•875- 

Mr.  Dawdy  has  held  the  office  of  Constable  for 
some  years,  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  at 
Abingdon,  to  which  he  has  belonged  for  25  years. 
'  He  is  also  a  member  of  one  year's  standing  of  the 
I  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mrs.  Dawdy  is  a  consistent  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church  at  Abingdon,  whose 
tenets  she  upholds  and  reduces  to  practice  in  her 
life.  Mr.  D.  is  a  worthy  citizen,  a  strong  man  polit- 
ically, and  a  Douglas  Democrat. 

I  illiam  S.  Kleckner.  Among  the  leading 
agriculturists  of  Elba  Township  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  residing  on  his  fine 
farm  on  section  35.  He  came  to  Knox 
County  in  1856,  from  Hancock  County, 
Ohio,  and  worked  out  almost  nine  years  in  Sa- 
lem Township.  Our  subject  enlisted  in  September, 
t86i,  in  the  8th  Missouri  Regiment,  and  served  one 
year  and  four  days,  when  he  received  an  honorable 
discharge.  Upon  his  return  to  Knox  County  he  re- 
sumed the  business  of  an  agriculturist,  and  was  thus 
occupied  for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
returned  to  Elba  Township,  where  he  worked  for 
three  years  and  then  removed  to  Salem  Township, 
where  he  sojourned  until  the  spring  of  1885.  He 
then  purchased  the  farm  in  Elba  Township  uiion 
which  he  is  at  present  residing.    Mr.  Kleckner  is  the 


owner  of  295  acres  of  excellent  land  under  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  cultivation. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  Dec. 
31,  1835,  where  he  lived  until  20  years  of  age,  and 
from  there  he  came  to  Wayne  County,  111.  In  the 
latter  county  he  remained  for  one  year,  after  which 
time  he  came  to  Knox  County.  He  was  married 
March  i,  1865,  in  Elba  Township,  to  Rhoda  West. 
(See  sketch  of  John  West.)  Mrs.  Kleckner  was  born 
in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  May  i,  1840,  and  was  six 
years  of  age  when  her  parents  removed  to  Knox 
County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  K.  are  the  parents  of  five  children 
— Arthalia  A.,  Lena  I.,  Lora  C,  Earl  L.  and  Pearl 
L.  Our  subject  has  held  the  office  of  Road  Com- 
missioner for  six  years  in  Salem  Township.  He  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  belongs 
to  Dan  McCook  Post,  No.  53,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Elm- 
wood,  111.  In  politics  he  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party. 

||^S^I  nson  Sornberger  is  one  of  the  representa- 
|r%^jf  tive  citizens  and  progressive  farmers  of 
•ll^  Knox  County.  His  home  is  located  on 
l^llj^  section  11,  Copley  Township.  He  was  born 
W"  April  24,  1817,  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y., 
I  and  his  parents  were  George  and  Katie  (Wol- 
cott)  Sornberger,  natives  of  New  York.  They  were 
farmers  by  occupation  and  had  a  family  of  13  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the 
youngest.  His  father  was  a  teamster  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  who  came  from  his  home  to  Illinois 
in  1838  and  settled  at  Victoria  with  his  family. 

Anson  Sornberger  took  up  63  acres  of  land  on 
section  11,  in  Copley  Township,  which  he  improved 
by  fencing,  building  a  log  house,  setting  out  trees, 
etc.,  and  in  this  pleasant  little  home,  cozy  notwith- 
standing its  inconveniences,  they  lived  until  1850. 
At  that  lime  he  sold  out  and  purchased  the  place 
where  he  now  lives,  including  160  acres  and  40  acres 
of  tiiTiber  land.  On  the  t6o  acres  he  has  made  all 
the  improvements  possible  and  values  his  land  at 
$65  per  acre.  His  parents  made  their  home  with 
him  up  to  the  lime  of  their  deaths,  which  occurred  in 
1841  and  1846  respectively.  He  has  been  more 
than  successful  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor,  and  has 


*1r 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


573 


a  branch  interest  in  the  raising  and  shipping  of 
stock. 

Mr.  Sornberger  was  united  in  marriage  in  1840 
with  Miss  Catherine  Wilbur,  who  was  born  in  Coo- 
perstown,  N.  Y.,  in  18 14,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Dorothy  (Frymyer)  Wilbur.  Her  parents  were 
natives  of  New  York  and  lived  in  that  State  up  to 
the  time  of  their  death.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sornberger 
are  the  parents  of  ten  children,  four  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased: George  M.,  Charles  D.,  Ford  W.,  Alexan- 
der, Cass  and  Loue  E.  Those  deceased  are  Willie, 
Clare.  Henry  and  Jordan. 

George  M.  is  the  husband  of  Frances  Sydam  and 
they  have  seven  children — Clarence,  George  A., 
Lolette,  Mary,  Claude,  Floyd  and  Grace.  Charles 
married  Marion  Clarke,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children — Clifford  and  Clyde;  Mrs.  Sornberger 
died  in  1879,  and  her  husband  remarried.  His  sec- 
ond matrimonial  alliance  was  with  Irene  Brown. 
Henry  was  the  husband  of  Emily  Files,  but  died  in 
1870.  Jordan  united  in  marriage  with  Hannah 
Woolsey  and  they  were  the  parents  of  two  children 
— Minerva  C.  and  Harold  J. ;  Jordan  died  in  May, 
1878.  Ford  W.  married  Viola  Abernathy;  she  is 
deceased  and  he  was  again  married,  to  Viola  Childs, 
who  has  borne  him  two  children — Bertha  and  Ella  A. 
Alexander  married  Frances  Clarke  and  they  have 
two  children — Lillias  K.  and  Susie  M.  Cass  mar- 
ried Isabelle  Cummings;  they  have  one  child. 

Mr.  Sornberger  is  a  Greenbacket  in  politics  and 
has  been  Commissioner  of  Highways  and  Overseer 
of  the  Poor  for  some  time.  With  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter he  is  an  earnest  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  of  Victoria,  and  is  one  of  the  best  and  most 
helpful  men  that  the  county  contains. 


Chomas  Junk.     Resident  on  a  farm  situated 
on  section  2,  Henderson  Township,  we  find 
the  subject  of  this  narrative,  and   give  in 
the  ensuing  biography  some  of  the  more  im- 
portant   points    in    his    personal    and    family 
record.     He  is  cited  as  being  one  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  successful  citizens  of  Knox  County, 
and  as  a  useful  man   and   prominent  in   industrial 
pursuits. 
The  gentleman  of  whoii  we  writ?  came  to  Knox 


County,  in  April,  tSjd,  from  Fayette  County,  Pa., 
where  he  was  born  March  27,  1833,  and  where  he 
hved  until  23  years  of  age.  He  was  an  intelligent 
youth,  {x>ssessed  of  industry  and  perseverance,  had 
made  the  most  of  his  school  advantages  and  had  ac- 
quired a  tolerable  education.  He  was  alwsys  ob- 
serving of  that  which  was  going  on  around  him,  and 
e.xhibited  much  mechanical  genius.  Hence,  after 
coming  to  Knox  County,  he  adopted  the  carpenter's 
trade,  serving  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years. 
During  these  months  of  tuition  he  labored  faithfully 
to  perfect  himself  as  an  architect.  He  afterward 
assumed  fine  contracting  and  made  his  acquire- 
ments profitable.  He  erected  a  fine  set  of  buildings 
for  himself  on  his  pro|)erty  of  270^^  acres  in  Knox 
County,  saving,  by  his  knowledge  of  architecture,  a 
large  outlay.  The  greater  part  of  his  land  is  pro- 
ductive and  tillable,  and  he  has  possessions  in  Ne- 
braska besides.  To  his  agricultural  pursuits  he  has 
added  the  business  of  stock-raising,  and  gives  the 
breeding  of  blooded  horses  especial  attention,  keeping 
an  average  of  about  29  head  of  horses,  40  head  of 
cattle  and  100  head  of  hogs  constantly  on  hand. 

Mr.  Junk  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Maria,  «< 
daughter  of  David  and  Rachel  (Parks)  Kilgore,  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania,  in  Henderson  Township, 
Nov.  10,  1859.  Her  parents  had  passed  most  of. 
their  lives  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  there 
her  mother  died.  The  father  then  went  to  Virginia, 
where  he  survived  his  wife  a  number  of  years,  finally 
removing  to  Missouri,  where  he  died. 

Mrs.  Junk,  wife  of  our  subject,  was  the  third  child 
in  a  family  of  seven  children,  and  was  born  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Pa.,  April  t2,  1839.  She  is  the  mother  of 
seven  children,  viz.:  Jessie  E.,  Frances  M.,  James 
E.,  William  S.,  Minnie  E,,  David  K.  and  Sarah  E. 
Jessie  is  the  wife  of  John  Nisley,  and  resides  in  Clay 
County,  Neb. ;  she  is  the  mother  of  two  children — 
Nellie  E.  and  Burt  R.  The  other  children  are  all 
at  home. 

Mr.  Jimk  is  active  in  local  business  affairs,  and 
keenly  interested  in  educational  matters.  He  has 
been  School  Director  and  Trustee  of  the  district 
school  for  a  number  of  years.  Mrs.  Junk  is  a  con- 
sistent and  lowly  Christian,  living  a  gentle,  unas- 
suming life  and  united  in  membership  with  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Her  husband  makes 
no  religious  professions,  but  maintains  a  respectful 
belief  in  all   morals  and  genuine  goodness,  and  is 


-H- 


t 


574 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


possessed  of  large  sympathy  and  kindly  chanty. 
Politically,  he  is  independent  in  belief,  but  is  inclined 
toward  the  doctrines  of  the  Democratic  party.  The 
publishers  take  pleasure  in  presenting  a  view  of  the 
home  of  this  estimable  family. 


-H=i 


r^i4- 


^imon  H.  Stuckey  is  one  among  the  leading 
farmers  of  Walnut  Grove  Township,  and  is 

i^^^  located  on  sections  i  and  2,  his  residence 
being  on  the  latter.  This  gentleman,  in  his 
community,  is  a  thoroughly  representative 
man,  and  the  owner  of  300  acres  of  highly  im- 
proved land.  He  has  a  ver)-  delightful  house  and 
spacious  farm  buildings.  He  first  purchased  his  farm 
in  January,  1857,  at  which  date  it  was  unbroken  prai- 
rie. By  his  industry  and  pluck  he  has  made  it  as 
valuable  as  it  is  to-day. 

He  is  a  native  of  Bedford  County,  Pa,,  where  he 
was  born  Nov.  17,  1835.  His  father,  Charles  A.,  was 
a  Pennsylvania  farmer,  of  German  extraction,  also 
born  in  Bedford  County,  where  he  lived  and  died. 
In  that  county  he  married  Rebecca  Silvers,  she  being 
also  a  native  of  Bedford,  but  died  at  Altona,  where 
she  had  lived  with  her  daughters,  Ann  and  Guthrie, 
up  to  Sept.  20,  1878.  Tlie  father  died  on  the  i6th  of 
July,  1872.  Our  subject  was  the  oldest  but  two  of 
his  family,  there  being  four  sons  and  four  daughters. 
All  these  are.yet  living  and  married,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  one.  Two  of  them  are  living  in  this  county. 
Mr.  Stuckey  was  educated  at  the  public  schools  of 
his  native  county.  When  in  his  19th  year,  he  came 
westward  on  his  first  trip,  in  1854,  but,  after  remain- 
ing a  few  months,  returned  home.  In  1856  he  ar- 
rived in  Illinois,  and  after  some  deliberation  located 
what  he  considered  a  good  farm.  His  father  being 
wealthy  in  Pennsylvania,  his  idea  was  to  locate  a 
good  farm  and  build  a  desirable  residence  in  this 
State.  He  had,  however,  to  employ  his  best  energies 
before  success  crowned  his  efforts.  The  present 
farm  is  well  watered  and  amply  supplied  with  fine  cat- 
tle of  the  Diirham  breed,  and  Poland-China  swine, 
the  latter  being  very  pure.  A  view  of  Mr.  Stuckey 's 
residence  will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  Al- 
bum. 

Mr.  S.  was  married  on  the  18th  of  February,  1864, 
at  his  bride's  uncle's,  in  Walnut  Grove  Township, 


the  lady  being  Miss  Amelia  Warner,  daughter  of  Syl- 
vester and  Charlotte  E.  (Ransom)  Warner,  natives  of 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  where  Mrs.  S.  was  bom,  in 
Cicero,  Oct.  5,  1846.  Her  parents  were  farmers  and  - 
came  to  Lake  County,  Ind.,  where  they  successfully 
operated  in  their  calling,  and  where  the  father  died, 
near  Hebron,  Porter  County,  Jan.  21,  1856.  Subse- 
quently her  mother's  demise  took  place  at  Syracuse, 
X.  Y.,  March  5,  1854.  The  present  lady  received  her 
education  in  Altona,  and  by  her  union  with  Mr. 
Stuckey  is  the  happy  and  devoted  mother  of  five 
children.  Four  of  these  are  living  and  one  deceased, 
viz. :  William,  who  was  born  Oct.  19,  1867,  and 
died  in  1877  ;  Charles  H.,  born  Sept.  29,  1866,  re- 
sides at  home  ;  Jessie  A.,  born  March  26,  1869  ;  May 
Belle,  born  Nov.  15,  1870;  and  Harry  W.,  born  Aug. 
17,  1874. 

In  politics  Mr.  Simon  H.  Stuckey  is  a  reliable  and 
very  solid  Republican.  His  chief  interest,  however, 
lies  in  the  advancement  of  education,  and  on  this  ac- 
count he  has  been  elected  School  Director  and  filled 
that  post  with  efficiency  for  many  years. 

Before  closing  this  biography  it  is  only  just  to  note 
that  Mrs.  Stuckey  had  two  brothers,  H.  S.  and 
Charles  D.,  who  were  in  the  late  Rebellion,  and  died 
from  wounds  received.  They  both  enlisted  from  Syr- 
acuse, N.  Y.  Charles  was  in  the  New  York  Heavy  ' 
Artillery,  and  H.  S.  in  the  infantry.  One  was  killed 
in  the  battle  of  the  Wilderness. 


■«CC;©^««— fe| 


53|— »®fS><3OT»»» 


?  alter  Eedd.  Orange  Township  has  its 
_y4^"'^  quota  of  successful  and  well-to-do-farm- 
:S'^  ers,  men  who  have  attained  success 
'^"^^  through  individual  effort,  energy  and  perse- 
verance, and  who  are  in  the  sunset  of  life 
.,  enjoying  a  well-earned  competency.  Promi- 
nent among  the  class  mentioned  as  a  citizen  and  suc- 
cessful agriculturist,  residing  on  section  11,  Orange 
Township,  where  he  is  engaged  in  his  chosen  voca- 
tion, is  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch.  Born  in 
Shenandoah  County,  Va.,  March  27.  1820,  of  parents 
by  name  John  and  Elizabeth  (Barber)  Redd,  he 
seems  to  have  inherited  his  love  for  farming,  as  his 
father  was  a  farmer  before  him,  and  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812.     He  and  his  good  wife,  the  mother  of 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


S7S 


our  subject,  died  on  the  old  homestead  in  Ohio,  about 
the  year  iS;;;,  when  Walter  was  quite  young. 

Orphaned  at  an  early  age,  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
worked  by  the  month  at  whatever  he  could  find  to 
do,  and  was  variously  occupied  until  February,  1842. 
At  that  date  he  came  to  this  county,  and  on  arrival 
here,  being  without  money,  he  engaged  at  labor 
by  the  month,  and  thus  continued  for  iS  months,  when 
went  to  Knoxville,  and  was  there  employed  in  a  flour- 
mill  for  eight  years,  thus  thoroughly  acquiring  the 
miller's  trade.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  purchased 
160  acres  of  land  in  Orange  Township,  the  same 
being  the  identical  tract  on  which  he  is  residing  at 
this  time,  and  where  he  has  lived  continuously  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  pursuits. 

After  arriving  at  mature  manhood  Mr.  Redd  be- 
came dissatisfied  with  the  life  of  "  single  blessedness," 
and  Sept.  12,  1844,  joined  the  army  of  benedicts. 
Miss  Frances  Allen  becoming  his  wife.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Nancy  (Wilkins)  Allen,  and 
was  bom  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  .^pril  5,  1826,  her 
mother  being  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  her 
father  of  Kentucky,  and  both  of  them  deceased ;  their 
demise  occurring  in  this  county.  The  Allen  family 
came  to  Knox  County  about  1836,  and  took  up  a 
claim  in  Persifer  Township,  where  the  father  re- 
mained until  his  death. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Redd  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  twelve  children,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  a  record:  Benjamin  F.,  born  July  20,  1846, 
died  in  infancy;  Robert  H.  was  born  Sept.  12,  1847  ; 
John  W.,  Oct.  22,  1849;  Julia  and  Julius  (twins), 
Dec.  22,  185 1 ;  the  latter  is  deceased,  his  demise  oc- 
curring Jan.  23,  1852;  Lorena  was  born  Jan.  12, 
1854;  Blanche,  Sept.  i,  1855;  Frank,  Sept.  21,  1857; 
Ida  M.,  Feb.  15,  i860;  Grace, Nov.  22,  1861  ;  Etta, 
May  22.  1863;  Harvey,  April  5,  186S,  yet  at  home. 
Robert  H.  married  Miss  Melissa  McDowell  and  is  a 
farmer  in  Decatur  County,  Iowa;  they  have  four 
children,  whose  names  are  Margaret  F.,  William, 
Lora  and  Fred  Redd.  John  W.  married  Miss  Clara 
Barnett,  and  is  a  farmer  in  Nebraska;  they  have  the 
following-named  children:  Flora,  Lucy,  Harvey, 
Delia,  Clyde,  .\lbert  and  Luther.  Julia  is  the  wife  of 
John  F.  Fink,  and  resides  in  Johnson  County, 
Neb.;  they  have  six  children,  whose  names  are 
Frances,  John,  Harvey,  Cora,  Lula,  Archie  and  a  son 
not  named.  Lorena  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Hawley, 
and  r^ides  in  Orange  Township ;  they  have  one  child 


living,  named  Dora  Hawley.  Blanche  is  the  wife  of 
Julius  J.  Ma.xey,  and  lives  in  Orange  Township; 
they  have  four  children,  named  Maud  P.,  Ray, 
Frank  and  Lula.  Ida  M.  married  Park  Garwood; 
they  live  in  Dundee  County,  Neb.,  and  have  one 
child,  named  Pauline.  Grace  married  James  Mowry, 
and  lives  in  Osceola,  Iowa;  they  have  no  children. 
Etta  married  Frank  Motter;  they  live  on  a  farm  in 
Persifer  Township,  and  have  one  son,  Arlass  Motter. 
Mr.  Redd  has  a  fine  farm  in  Orange  Township, 
consisting  of  300  acres  of  well-improved  land.  On  his 
place  hehasa  good,  substantial  dwelling.together  with 
a  barn,  shed  and  other  necessary  out-buildings,  and  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  calling  is  meeting  with  that 
success  which  perseverance  and  energy  coupled  with 
economy  seldom  fail  to  bring.  His  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  socially  Mr. 
Redd  belongs  to  Knoxville  Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.  In  politics  he  is  a  suppwrter  of  the  princi- 
ples advocated  by  the  Republioan  party. 


ohn  C.  Johnson.  The  little  kingdom 
of  Sweden  has  certainly  contributed  her 
quota  of  energetic,  acuve  citizens  to  Knox 
"^i}  County.  Many  of  those  who  came  came  from  , 
^if  that  country  to  this  State  and  county,  and 
^  have  here  made  their  home,  possessed  little  of 
this  world's  goods  or  money.  Succeeding,  as  they 
have,  due  credit  should  be  given  them  for  their  pros- 
penty,  as  well  as  for  the  honorable  record  they  have 
made  in  aiding  to  develop  the  county.  Among  the 
class  referred  to  is  John  C.  Johnson,  born  Aug.  4, 
1833,  in  Sweden.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  land. 

His  father.  Christian  Johnson,  was  a  native  of 
Sweden,  where  he  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farm- 
er. In  1848,  the  father,  hoping  to  better  his 
financial  condition  in  the  free  republic,  emigrated  to 
America.  He  found  his  way  into  the  colony  at 
Bishop  Hill,  Henry  County,  where  he  remained  for 
only  a  month,  his  ideas  not  coinciding  with  those  who 
were  in  authority,  especially  the  leader  of  the  col- 
ony, who  was  known  as  the  Prophet  Johnson,  and 
with  whom  our  subject  differed  on  religious  matters,  so 
that  he  left  the  colony  and  went  to  Galesburg.  There 
he  found  employment  at  various  jobs,  and  in  1850  he 
returned  to  his   native  land,  disposed  of  his  real 


-"•^ 


t 


576 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


estate  there,  and,  in  company  with  his  wife  and  chil- 
dren, came  back  to  Galesburg.  He  was  the  first 
man  from  the  southern  part  of  Sweden  to  locate  in 
Knox  County,  and  he  was  the  prime  mover  in  bring- 
ing many  others  who  made  settlement  here,  and  who 
to-day  have  fine  farms  and  beautiful  homes.  He 
only  lived  two  short  weeks  after  his  arrival  here,  leav- 
ing a  wife  and  eight  children.  In  1854  five  of  the 
children  were  taken  with  the  cholera  and  passed 
away.  At  this  writing  but  two  of  the  eight  children 
are  living — Christian,  a  resident  of  Bourbon  County, 
Kan.,  and  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  His  wife  again 
married,  her  husband  departing  this  life  in  1878. 
Christian  Johnson  was  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
ability,  and  had  he  lived  would  most  undoubtedly 
have  occupied  a  high  jxisition  in  the  community. 

John  C.  Johnson  was  the  eldest  child  of  his  par- 
ents, and  was  19  j'ears  of  age  when  the  father  died, 
after  which  sad  event  the  care  of  the  family  devolved 
on  him.  He  purcha3ed  80  acres  of  land  on  section 
32,  Knox  Township,  and  there  erected  a  set  of  frame 
buildings  and  began  the  improvement  of  his  land. 
On  that  place  he  lived  until  after  the  death  of  his 
sisters  and  brothers,  in  1854,  when  he  started  forth 
to  do  for  himself.  At  this  period  he  was  in  debt  to 
the  amount  of  S300,  which  he  subsequently  paid. 
He  commenced  by  renting  land  in  Galesburg  Town- 
ship, which  he  farmed  for  one  year,  when  he  pur- 
chased 80  acres  on  section  r,  of  Krox  Township, 
there  built  a  frame  house  and  at  once  engaged  act- 
ively and  energetically  to  clear  and  improve  the 
land.  After  three  years  of  hard  labor,  he  found  him- 
self $800  in  debt,  with  little  prospect  of  ever  paying 
it.  This  he  concluded  would  never  do,  and  conse- 
quently he  and  his  wife  hired  out  to  work  for  a 
gentleman  by  the  name  of  Henry  Arms,  and  were  in 
his  employ  for  two  years,  and  by  thus  laboring  they 
realized,  over  and  above  necessary  e.xpenses,  enough 
to  simply  pay  the  interest  on  their  debt,  which  they 
always  kept  paid  up. 

In  1862  our  subject  bought  a  team,  one-half  on 
credit,  and  after  assuring  his  creditors  that  if  he  lived 
they  should  be  paid  every  dollar  which  he  owed 
them,  he  started  overland  for  the  land  of  gold,  ar- 
riving at  Elk  City,  Washington  Ter.,  Aug.  1  2  of  that 
year.  He  remained  there  during  that  fall,  when  he 
he  went  to  Oregon,  and  was  there  engaged  in  chop- 
ping. In  the  spring  of  1863  he  went  to  the  Blue 
Mountains,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Oregon,  and  for  a 


time  engaged  in  mining,  when  he  began  freighting 
from  Walla  Walla  County,  Washington  Ter.,  to  the 
mountains.  In  the  spring  of  1863  he  started  on 
foot  for  Idaho  City,  distant  400  miles,  and  arrived 
there  "  dead  broke."  There  he  found  employment 
at  $6  per  day  mining,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  re- 
mitted to  his  home  in  this  county  a  sufficient  amount 
to  liquidate  every  dollar  of  his  old  debt.  He  con- 
tinued to  remain  there  a  while  longer  and  until  he 
had  made  a  "  slake,"  when  he  turned  his  face  home- 
ward, arriving  here  in  November,  1865,  and  again 
located  on  his  fann,  where  he  has  since  lived  and 
labored  at  his  chosen  vocation  and  has  met  with  suc- 
cess. He  erected  a  commodious  frame  residence  on 
his  place,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1883,  to- 
together  with  a  goodly  portion  of  its  contents.  But 
Mr.  Johnson  is  not  a  man  who  is  easily  discouraged, 
and  he  immediately  erected  another  building,  in  which 
he  is  living  at  this  writing,  which  is  far  better  than 
the  first.  His  home  place  now  comprises  320  acres, 
well-stocked,  besides  which  he  owns  a  half-section  in 
Bourbon  County,  Kan. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  wife  of  our  subject  was 
Parnile  Peters,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  she  hasW 
borne  him  seven  children,  three  of  whom  are  living — 
Emanuel,  married,  a  resident  of  Kansas;  Grant  and 
Ellen  C.  The  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church,  and  they  were  among  the  first  members  of 
that  organization  at  Knoxville.  In  politics  Mr. 
Johnson  is  a  Republican. 

A  view  of  the  homestead  of  Mr.  Johnson  is  given 
on  another  page. 


H.  Peterson.  Among  the  respected  citi- 
zens as  well  as  successful  farmers  of  this 
county  is  to  be  found  the  subject  of  this 
notice.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
d^^  stock-raising  on  section  8,  Orange  Township, 
^  where  he  owns  a  fine  and  productive  farm  of 
190  acres.  Mr.  Peterson  of  this  notice  was  born  in 
Green  County,  Ohio,  Feb.  14,  1845.  His  father  was 
Felix  and  his  mother  Mary  (Weaver)  Peterson.  The 
former  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  as  was  likewise  his 
wife.  He  died  in  Green  County,  Ohio,  after  having 
lived  a  life  of  honorable  industry,  and  his  good  wife 
survives  him  and  is  yet  a  resident  of  the  old  home- 
stead in  Ohip.     Nine   oUve   branches    sprang   froij) 


r^\ 


a^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


577 


the  parent  tree — Martha  E.,  J.  L.,  Catherine,  James 
S.,  John  W.,  Ezra,  Isaac,  William  and  the  subject  of 
this  notice.     Isaac  and  William  are  deceased. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Emma  J.  Reynolds, 
Nov.  22,  1877.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Capt.  W. 
H.  and  Martha  (Bunday)  Reynolds,  and  was  born 
July  7,  1857.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peterson  have  had 
born  to  them  two  children — -Mattie  L.,  Feb.  9,  1878, 
and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Peterson  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Church,  and  in  politics  our  subject  votes  for  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  began  life  a  poor  boy,  and  what 
he  has  he  has  made  himself  by  honest,  industrious 
labor,  and  not  through  the  recipiency  of  any  legacy. 


•v-v\A. -^tiZiZfir©-^* 


\v^^^)/^f^rSTf^'\r^f^^ 


h  illiam  Gould.     The  subject  of  this    per- 
A[l^:^a^   sonal  notice  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 

f^r-^  and  influential  farmers  of  Kno.x  County, 
and  is  highly  esteemed  for  his  perseverance 
and  industry.  His  home  is  on  section  14,  in 
Salem  Township,  is  pleasantly  located,  and 
furnished  with  all  modern  conveniences.  He  has 
erected  large  frame  barns  and  sheds  for  the  shelter 
of  stock,  and  to  his  agricultural  pursuits  adds  the 
rearing  of  stock. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  born  in  Windham 
County,  Vt.,  May  10,  1833.  His  father,  Sylvester 
Sage  Gould,  was  a  native  of  the  same  county  and 
was  born  in  1794.  The  grandfather  of  William 
Gould,  by  name  John,  was  a  soldier  of  Revolutionary 
fame,  and  was  also  the  owner  of  a  farm  in  Windham 
County,  at  which  place  he  died.  The  father  of  Will- 
iam Gould  was  reared  on  the  farm  in  his  native 
county,  and  was  there  married  to  Hannah  Twitchell, 
who  was  also  born  in  that  county.  After  his  mar- 
riage he  bought  a  farm  in  Windham  County  and  en- 
gaged in  its  culture.  He  kept  many  sheep  and  from 
them  manufactured  wool  and  cloth.  In  1843  '^^ 
sold  one  of  his  farms  and  disposed  of  his  stock,  and 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  five  children  started, 
in  the  month  of  June,  overland  to  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois. They  traveled  after  the  fashion  of  emigrants, 
cooking  and  camping  by  the  way,  and  subsequently 
located  at  Brimfield,  Peoria  County,  where  he  rented 
a  farm.     He   had   brought   with   him  a  quantity   of 


clotii,  which  was  manufactured  from  his  own  wool, 
and  during  the  first  year  he  traded  the  cloth  for  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  14,  in  what  is  now  Salem 
Township.  This  was  wild  land  at  the  time  and  his 
purchase  amounted  to  $1,000,  paid  for  in  cloth  at 
$2.50  and  $3.00  ])er  yard.  In  1844  he  erected  a 
good  frame  house  on  the  place  and  began  breaking 
the  land,  and  in  the  spring  of  1845,  with  his  family, 
removed  there  and  lived  until  1861.  In  that  year 
he  sold  out  and  with  his  family  removed  to  a  farm 
lying  on  secti6n  13  of  the  same  township,  and  they 
there  continued  to  reside  for  a  few  years,  when  they 
again  sold  out  and  removed  to  Elmwood,  taking  up 
their  abode  in  that  place  and  remaining  until  1870. 
Returning  to  the  old  homestead,  then  operated  by 
liis  son,  he  continued  in  the  home  endeared  to  him 
by  so  many  associations  until  his  death,  whicli  took 
place  Sept.  i,  187 1.  His  wife,  who  survived  him 
si.x  years,  died  at  the  home  of  a  son,  in  Galva,  in 
1877. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gould  gathered  about 
them  a  family  circle  including  ten  children,  six  of 
whom  still  survive,  as  follows:  Margaret  married  E. 
B.  Kent,  whose  home  is  in  San  Benito  County,  Cal. ; 
Luther  lives  at  Wakefield,  Neb.  ;  Lucy  Ann,  wife  of 
William  Cummings,  resides  at  HoUister,  Cal.;  Syl- 
vester has  his  home  in  San  Benito  County,  Cal. ; 
William,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  ;  and  Horace,  who 
lives  in  San  Benito  County,  Cal.  Those  deceased 
are  David  C,  who  was  born  in  Vermont,  remained 
in  his  native  State,  enlisted  in  the  late  war  and  fell 
in  the  service  of  his  country ;  Hannah,  the  eldest 
child,  married  Nelson  Drury  and  died  in  Woodford 
County,  111.,  about  1852. 

Mr.  Gould  of  this  personal  history  was  but  11 
years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Illinois  with  his  par- 
ents, and  retains  in  his  memory  all  the  interesting 
incidents  connected  with  the  overland  journey.  He 
made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  he  arrived 
at  the  estate  of  manhood.  His  marriage  was  cele- 
brated May  6,  1854,  with  Mary  E.  Corbin,  daughter 
of  William  and  Rachel  (McGinnis)  Corbin  (see 
sketch). 

Previous  to  his  marriage  Mr.  Gould  rented  his 
father's  farm  for  two  years,  inhabiting  the  old  home- 
stead, the  lumber  for  which  his  father  had  hauled 
from  Chicago  by  teams.  There  he  remained  for  two 
years,  and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  bought  a 
'   farm  on  section  22,  in  Salem  Township,  on  which  he 


=rA- 


S78 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


remained  for  one  year,  when  he  returned  to  the  old 
home  and  rented  it  for  two  years.  His  next  move 
was  to  go  back  to  his  own  farm,  where  he  lived  for 
another  two  years,  then  sold  out  and  bought  the  old 
homestead,  which  he  has  occupied  continuously 
since.  The  first  house  was  burned  April  12,  1880, 
but  its  owner  immediately  set  to  work  to  repair  the 
damages  and  rebuild,  the  house  then  erected  being 
the  one  now  occupied  by  his  family.  This  a  modern 
frame  house,  pleasantly  situated  on  a  rise  of  ground, 
and  with  convenient  out-buildings  constitutes  one  of 
the  pleasantest  homes  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Gould  is  a  man  of  fine  mental  attainments 
and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  matters  relative  to  pub- 
lic interest.  He  cast  his  first  vote  for  J.  C.  Fremont, 
and  has  been  a  Republican  since.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  are  active,  working  members  in  that  organiza- 
tion, eminently  believing  in  "  traveling  in  the  good 
old  way."  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children — 
Sylvester  S.,  born  June  6,  1855,  united  in  marriage 
with  Mary  E.  Knable;  she  was  born  in  Ohio  and  is 
\\  the  daughter  of  John  E.  and  Mary  A.  Knable,  and 
"^  with  her  husband  resides  on  section  10,  Salem  Town- 
ship; William  C,  born  June  15,  1859,  resides  at 
home. 

Mr.  Gould  has  added  to  his  landed  estate  from 
time  to  time  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  400  acres. 
He  possesses  not  only  worldly  wealth,  but  has  hope 
of  treasures  laid  up  above.  A  view  of  the  pleasant 
family  homestead  is  given  on  another  page  in  this 
work. 


I 


ifc^^^l  lexander  Shannon  first  came  to  Knox 
5^i^i^a4  Gounty  in  1S45,  having  previously  reside  1 
jrcP5s^  in  Franklin  County,  Ind.  Settling  in  Hen- 
derson Township,  he  has  continued  to  live 
here,  with  the  exception  of  two  years  which  he 
spent  in  Sparta  Township.  He  has  been  in- 
dustriously engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  is 
the  owner  of  285  acresof  excellent  land.  He  was  born 
in  Union  County,  Ind.,  Feb.  27,  1828,  and  resided 
there  until  about  seven  years  of  age.  He  went  from 
that  place  with  his  parents  to  Franklin  County,  and 
then  came  to  Knox  County,  as  before  stated.  Mr. 
Shannon  was  married  in  Henderson  Township  Sept. 
S,  1807,  to  Miss  Mar)-  M.  Dunlap,  who  was  born  in 


Fayette  County,  Pa.,  June  11,  1842.  By  this  mar- 
riage there  have  been  born  five  children — John,  born 
Aug.  8,  1868,  died  Aug.  30,  1870;  Charles  N.,  Oct. 
14,  1870;  George  D.,  June  6,  1872  ;  Fred.  W.,  Dec. 
10,  1874;  and  Alexander  Rex,  Sept.  i,  1877.  Mr. 
Shannon  has  held  the  office  of  Collector,  Road  Com- 
missioner and  School  Director,  in  each  of  which  he 
has  faithfully  discharged  the  duties  devolving  upon 
him. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  John  and  Mar- 
garet (Cannichael)  Shannon,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Kentucky  respectively.  They  arrived  in  Knox 
County  in  1845,  settled  in  Henderson  Township  and 
subsequently  died  there.  The  father  of  Mr.  Shan- 
non was  born  Feb.  8,  1798,  in  Pennsylvania.  His 
parents,  Sam  and  Sally  Sha.inon,  were  of  Irish  and 
English  extraction  respectively.  The  father  of  our 
subject  died  May  26,  1870,  in  Henderson  Township, 
and  his  mother  was  born  Dec.  15,  1801,  and  died  in 
the  same  township  as  her  husband  June  5,  1868. 
Mr.  Shannon  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  of  a  fam- 
ily of  seven  children,  as  follows:  Sarah  married 
James  Cook  ;  Elizabeth  became  the  wife  of  William 
Freeborn  and  they  are  the  parents  of  six  children  ;  1  ' 
William  died  in  Oregon  in  1854;  Isabel  became  the 
wife  of  Bennet  Freeman  ai^d  they  have  two  children  ; 
Hannah  became  the  wife  of  Edward  Martin,  who  is 
now  deceased  ;  they  had  four  children  ;  she  was  a 
second  time  married  to  Jerry  Green  and  by  this 
union  there  were  two  children ;  Jane  is  deceased. 

Mrs.  Shannon's  parents  were  Alexander  and  Mary 
(Rex)  Dunlap,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr. 
Dunlap's  decease  took  place  in  Kansas,  and  that  of 
his  wife  in  Pennsylvania.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Shan- 
non was  born  Feb.  r,  1810,  and  he  died  in  Kansas, 
Aug.  23,  1879.  The  mother  was  born  Aug.  17, 
181 1,  and  she  died  in  Pennsylvania,  Feb.  20,  1869. 
They  reared  a  family  of  1 1  children,  namely :  Martha 
J.  and  Hannah  L.,  deceased;  John  R.,  who  married 
Luveina  Faddis,  and  has  six  children  ;  Samuel  R.,  de- 
ceased ;  Sarah  A.,  deceased,  married  Huston  Kerr, 
and  was  the  mother  of  two  children ;  Geo.  W.  mar- 
ried Anabel  Shriver,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  five 
children ;  Joseph  A.  married  Harriet  Billinger,  and 
they  have  seven  children ;  Andrew  J.  married  Lizzie 
Sutherland  ;  Elizabeth  C.  married  Cyrus  C.  Cilla- 
baugh,  and  they  have  two  children  ;  Louisa  married 
David  Henderson,  and  they  have  four  children.     Of 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


579 


those  that  were  married,  Andrew  J.,  Sarah  A.  and 
Elizabeth  C.  are  deceased.  Tlie  parents  of  Mrs. 
Shannon  were  of  Dutch  and  English  origin  respect- 
ively. 

In  politics  our  subject  identifies  himself  with  the 
Democratic  party,  of  which  he  is  an  ardent  upholder. 
He  is  a  good  and  useful  citizen  and  is  a  thoroughly 
representative  man  in  the  township,  whose  popula- 
tion is  above  the  average  for  "aoral  worth  and  intelli- 
gence. A  view  of  the  home  of  Mr.  shannon  is  given 
in  connection  with  this  sketch. 


\ 


wen  W.  Swenson.  Many  industrious  citi- 
f^^yt'  ^^"*  °^  Knox  County  who  came  here  poor 
•|iiv^  '"  pocket,  but  rich  in  an  abundance  of  en- 
';\V  ^"^8)'  ^"'^  perseverance,  and  who  by  honest  toil 
(  J  and  good  judgment  have  succeeded  in  acquir- 
ing a  handsome  competency,  were  born  in  the 
kingdom  of  Sweden.  Of  this  number  is  Mr.  Swenson, 
residing  on  section  32,  Sparta  Township,  where  he  is 
ipassing  the  evening  of  life  in  retirement  from  active 
labor.  He  was  born  June  14,  1833,  his  parents  being 
Swan  Benjta  (Peterson)  Swenson,  likewise  natives  of 
Sweden.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Swenson  died  in  Sweden, 
the  father  living  to  the  ripe  old  age  of  87,  and  the 
mother  dying  some  years  previously.  Mr.  S.  had 
three  brothers  and  three  sisters.  The  sisters  and 
two  of  the  brothers  never  came  to  tliis  country.  The 
name  of  the  other  brother  besides  Mr.  S.  who  came 
to  this  country  was  Nels;  he  is  now  living  in  Iroquois 
County,  111. 

Mr.  Swenson,  of  this  notice,  received  an  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  land  and  assisted 
his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm  until  he  was  rg 
years  of  age.  In  1852  he  bid  adieu  to  his  native 
land  and  set  sail  for  the  United  States,  hoping  to  find 
a  place  where  he  would  better  his  financial  condition 
and  where  he  might  establish  a  home  for  all  future 
time.  Disembarking  at  New  York,  he  came  almost 
directly  to  Galesburg,  this  county.  We  wish  the 
reader  to  understand  his  financial  condition  on  ar- 
rival in  this  country,  and  therefore  will  state  that  all 
his  worldly  possessions  were  the  clothes  he  had  upwn 
his  back  and  a  S5  gold  piece.  The  latter  was  stolen 
from  him,  and  he  consequently  had  not  a  dollar  or 
anywhere  to  lay  his  head  on  his  arrival  at  Galesburg. 


But  he  found  work  and  immediately  engaged  with  a 
Mr.  Conger,  receiving  as  a  remuneration  for  his  serv- 
ives  the  then,  to  him,  magnificent  salary  of  $7  per 
month,  and  continued  to  work  for  those  wages  for 
nine  months.  He  then  rented  a  farm,  which  he  cul- 
tivated for  one  year,  and  was  engaged  in  that  occu- 
pation till  his  marriage  in  rSsf.  The  lady  whom 
he  chose  to  become  his  wife  was  Nellie  Trudson, 
daughter  of  John  Trudson.  She  was  born  in  Swe- 
den ;  her  father  came  to  this  country  about  the  same 
year  Mr.  Swenson  arrived.  She  was  the  oldest  in  a 
family  of  five  children,  viz.  :  Nellie,  Carrie,  Anna, 
Betsey  and  T.  J.  Trudson.  They  are  all  living  in 
this  country. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  Swenson  engaged  in  work- 
ing his  father-in-law's  faim  on  shares  for  one  year, 
after  which    he  continued    farming  on  rented    land 
near  Galesburg  for  a  few  years,  during  which  time  he 
also   engaged  in   the   milk   business,  supplying  the 
good  people  of  Galesburg  with   unadulterated,  anti- 
Chicago  milk,  for  seven  years.     At  the  expiration  of 
this  time,  in  company  with  a  Mr.  Hawkinson.he  pur- 
chased 80  acres  of  land,  a  portion  of  it  lying  within 
the  present  corporate  limits  of  Galesburg.  They  sub- 
sequently purchased    another   tract,  lying  in   close 
proximity  to  their  original  purchase,  and  continued  in 
partnership  for   some  years.     On  dissolution  of  the 
partnership,  Mr.  Swenson  received  as  his  portion  the 
land  lying  inside  the  corporation.   While  living  there 
he  was  also  engaged  in  the  stock  business,  the  rais- 
ing of  broom-corn,  and  for  three  years  in  the  grocery 
trade.     In  1868  he  purchased  the  place  where  he  is 
at  present  living,  and  moved  on  the  same  in  1869, 
and  has  there  been  occupied  in  the  active   prosecu- 
tion of  his  vocation  until  the  present  time.     He  has 
a  fine  place  of  480  acres   of  land   in  this  township, 
and  127  acres  in  Knox.  He  has  expended  so.nething 
over  j2,ooo  in  the  improvement  of  his   home   place, 
and  increased  its  value  and  beauty  until  it  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  as  well  as  handsomest  farms  in  Knox 
County.     Mr.  S.  is  also  one  of  the  stockholders  of  the 
Galesburg  National  Bank.     His  past  career  has  bee.i 
an  honorable  as  well  as  successful  one,  and  his  hand- 
some property  has    been   accumulated    through  his 
own  energetic  effort    and  good  judgment.     Coming 
to  this  county  without   a  dollar,  and   having  made 
such    a    wonderful   success,    he    certainly   deserves 
great  credit,  considering  that  his  accumulations  have 
been  made  in  a  straightforward  and  legitimate  man- 

»■• 


X 


■^ 


580 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ner,  and  not  by  speculation.     He  with  his  family  be- 
longs to  the  First  Lutheran  Church  of  Galesburg. 

Of  the  eight  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swen- 
son,  Samuel  married  Hannah  Oleson,  and  resides  in 
Galesburg;  Joseph  selected  as  his  life  companion 
Miss  Carrie  Nelson,  and  they  have  one  son — Earl 
N.;  Mary  became  the  wife  of  L.  O.  Williamson,  a 
resident  of  Galesburg;  Hannah,  David,  Amelia  and 
Freddie  are  married  ;  Esther  died  in  infancy. 


*t 


W.  Sumner.     One  of  the  oldest  residents 

of  Knox  County  and  a  general  farmer  and 

stock-grower,  whose  homestead  is  situated 

on  section  23,  of  Orange  Township,  is  found  in 

the  subject  of  this  notice.      He  settled  in  this 

section  of  the  country  at  an -early  day  and  has 

proved  himself  a  higlily  esteemed  and   reliable  cili- 

,zen.     He  has  held  many  of  the  offices  of  his  county, 

has  been  Supervisor  six  terms  and  Township  Clerk 

one   term,  also  Commissioner,  and    at    the    present 

\  time  is  School  Treasurer. 

I  Mr.  Sumner  was  born  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
Feb.  22,  1820.  He  is  the  son  of  Bowater  and  Let- 
tice  (Walters)  Sumner  and  the  third  child  in  a  family 
of  four  children,  all  of  whom  are  living.  His  father 
was  a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  of  the  Quaker 
faith,  and  his  mother  of  Virginia;  both  are  now  de- 
ceased. In  the  fall  of  1837  they  removed  from  Ohio 
to  Canton,  Fulton  Co  ,  III.,  where  they  passed  the 
winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  1838  removed  to  Knox 
County ;  here  both  father  and  mother  departed  this 
life,  while  Mr.  Sumner  of  this  writing  has  remained 
here  up  to  the  present  time,  pursuing  his  chosen  vo- 
cation. 

He  is  interested  in  the  breeding  and  raising  of 
English  thorough-bred  race-horses,  of  which  he  has 
at  this  writing  20  head.  He  is  the  owner  of  three 
horses  who  carried  off  the  blue  ribbon  at  the  Knox 
County  Fair  in  1885.  Several  others  have  taken 
premiums  at  fairs  in  adjacent  counties,  and  Mr. 
Sumner  may  well  feel  that  no  one  in  the  county  is 
his  superior  in  this  respect. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  to  Sarah 
Ashby,  Feb.  22,  1849,  who  is  the  daughter  of  David 
and  Ruthanna  (Gaddis)  Ashby,  who  were  old  settlers 
in  this  county,  where  they  both  died.    Sl>e  was  born 


Dec.  2,  1829,  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and  is  the 
mother  of  ten  children,  the  names  and  dates  of  whose 
births  are  as  follows  :  James,  born  Nov.  17,  1849; 
Ashby,  Sept.  27,  1852,  died  Nov.  11,  1857,  at  the 
early  age  of  five  years;  Wilshire,  Jan.  17,  1855,  died 
Nov.  22,  1857;  Lettice,  Jan.  12,  1858,  is  the  wife  of 
Loren  Brown,  and  resides  in  Seward  County,  Neb. ; 
Anna,  April  5,  i860 ;  Bowater,  April  9,  1864,  and 
deceased  Oct  3,  1867;  Nancy,  March  28,  1867; 
Robert,  June  21,  1870;  David,  Nov.  14,  1872,  and 
one  who  died  in  infancy,  Aug.  27,  1862. 

Mr.  Sumner  is  an  extensive  owner  of  landed  es- 
tates, his  farms  including  6 to  acres,  all  fenced,  cul- 
tivated and  improved  ;  80  acres  of  this  is  timber. 
His  home  buildings  consist  of  a  neat  and  substan- 
tial frame  house,  besides  barns,  sheds,  cribs  and  out- 
buildings of  all  kinds,  all  in  good  repair.  He  is  a 
liberal-minded  man,  believing  in  principle  rather 
than  party,  and  is  one  of  the  most  respected  citizens 
of  that  section.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  Mrs. 
Sumner  is  a  member  of  the  United  Brethren  Church. 


ohn  Turney  follows  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer  on  section  i.  Cedar  Township.  He 
is  a  native  of  Somerset  County,  Pa.,  and 
was  born  Aug.  29,  1816.  He  remained  with 
his  parents  on  their  farm,  at  the  same  time  at- 
tending the  district  schools,  up  to  the  age  of 
21.  His  parents  were  Philip  and  Sallie  (Bird)  Tur- 
ney, natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia  respect- 
ively. His  father  was  born  in  1789,  his  death 
occurring  in  1854,  while  his  mother's  birth  took 
place  in  1795  and  her  death  in  1870.  There  were 
II  children  from  the  union — -Andy,  Eliza,  Elizabeth, 
Philip,  Polly,  William,  Catherine,  Harrison,  Thomas 
and  Valentine. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  married  Miss  Mary 
A.  Ruger,  Sept.  19,  1859,  in  Brandonville,  Preston 
Co.,  Va.  She  was  born  May  18,  1829,  in  Fayette 
County,  Pa,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Louis  and 
Catherine  (Miers)  Ruger.  The  latter  was  married 
at  the  age  of  14,  and  had  nine  children,  viz. :  Jacob, 
Elizabeth,  Nancy,  Andy,  Mary  A.,  George,  Samuel, 
Susanna  and  H.  H.  Four  of  these  are  still  living 
and  in  prominent  positions. 

There  have  been  11  children  born  to  the  subject 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


581 


of  this  biography — Leroy,  June  9,  1851;  Calvas, 
March  9,  1853;  Lucian,  May  17,  1855;  Daniel  G., 
Oct.  20,  1857;  following  these  in  order  there  were 
two  children,  both  boys,  and  txvins,  born  Dec  6, 
1859,  but  dying  in  infancy;  William  E.,  bom  in 
October,  i860;  Virginia,  Nov.  23,  1863;  George  G., 
May  15,  1866;  Louis,  March  4,  1S69;  Franklin, 
March  it,  187  i.  Mr.  Leroy  Turney  married  Miss 
Mary  Wogoman.  This  gentleman  is  in  the  service 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Q).,  and  has  three  children 
living — Lillie  L.,  born  Dec.  18,  1875  ;  Osro,  Oct.  7, 
1877  ;  and  Mabel,  Feb.  12,  1879. 

Our  subject  first  came  to  Illinois  in  1856,  and  lo- 
cated on  this  section.  Fie  possesses  no  acres  of 
prime  land  on  sections  i  and  12.  He  has  erected  a 
very  fine  dwelling-house,  to  which  is  attached  a  suit- 
able barn.  Being  a  Republican  in  politics,  he  has 
always  consistently  voted  with  that  party.  His 
family  are  all  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of 
.  KnoxviUe,  111. 

The  following  obituary  notice  of  Mr.  Turney 's  son 
apf)eared  in  a  local  paper  at  the  time  of  his  decease  : 
^  "  Daniel  G.  Turney,  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch, 
;  was    the   son   of   John    Turney,    living    five   miles 
I  southeast   of  Galesburg.      He    was   born  in   Knox 
County,  111.,  Oct.  20,  1857.     He  came  to  his  death 
by    being  thrown   from    a   freight    train,   on   which 
he  was  a  brakenian,  at  Wyoming,  111.,  July  9.     He 
had  been  on   the  road  for  several  months,  but  had 
no  regular  run.     This  was  said  to  have  been  his  first   ' 
trip  on   the  Buda  &   RushWUe  branch.     Being  so 
suddenly  cut  off,  no  dying  word  was  left  for  surviv-   [ 
ing  relatives.     The  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  did  them-   ] 
selves   credit   and    showed    great    respect    for   the   I 
deceased   and  his    friends    by    the    very  handsome   | 
manner   in   which  they   prepared   his  body  for   the 
grave.     The  young  man  was  respected  and  loved  by 
all  who  knew  him.     This  was  abundantly  evinced   ' 
by  the  very  large  and  deeply-affected  audience  who 
were  present  at  his  funeral,  on  Sunday  morning,  July 
II,  in  the  neighborhood  where  he  had  lived  from  in- 
fancy.    At  the  close  of  the  solemn  services  he  was 
laid  to  rest  by  the  side  of  three  brothers  and  one 
sister   who   had    preceded  him   to   the  spirit   land. 
Deeply    afflicted    parents,   six    brothers    and   other 
relatives    remain  to  mourn  his  untimely  departure. 
They  have  the  sympathy  of  the  entire  community  in 
their  deep  affliction." 
As  already  referred  to,  Miss  Wogoman,  who  mar- 


ried Mr.  Leroy  Turney,  was  born  in  1854,  her  mar- 
riage taking  place  Aug.  19,  1874.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of -Michael  and  Martha  (Millen)  Wogoman.  Her 
father  died  in  the  army,  at  Springfield,  111.,  about 
1865,  and  si.x  children  were  left  by  the  marriage — 
Charlie,  Lottie,  Chauncey,  George,  John  and  Mary. 
In  ]X)litics  Mr.  W.  was  a  Democrat  and  a  firm  sup- 
porter of  his  party.  By  religious  persuasion  he  be- 
longed, with  his  wife,  to  the  Christian  Church.  Mrs. 
Wogoman  is  still  a  widow,  living  near  Galesburg, 
III.  During  the  past  eight  years,  Leroy  Turney  has 
been  conductor  on  the  railroad,  his  run  being  to  and 
from  Galesburg,  the  headquarters.  He  is  a  good 
Republican  in  politics  and  a  friend  very  much  re- 
spected. 

^^^^-^^ 

-^fEjklarli   Shumaker,  one  of  the  most   promi- 

^ky.iy    nent  and  worthy  farmers  of  Knox  County, 

^^  '*'     **'^"  '^"''^^'f  fof  his  integrity  of  purpose  and 

ffe     untiring  perseverance,  is  the  subject  of  this 

j^      historical  sketch.     His  home  lies  on  section 

\       20,   of    Chestnut    Township,    and    although 

young  in  years,  he  has  characterized  himself  as  one 

bound  to  succeed. 

Mr.  Shumaker,  of  this  writing,  is  the  son  of  John 
and  Abigail  (Lee)  Shumaker,  and  was  born  in  Knox 
County,  111.,  Jan.  24,  1857.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Annie  R  Fuller,  Feb.  11,^  1883.  She  was 
born  Sept.  19,  1863,  in  Knox  County,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  Cyril  and  Ann  C.  (Terry)  Fuller.  Mr. 
Fuller  was  born  in  Tioga  County,  N.  Y.,  in  February, 

1827,  and   is  still   living,  and  his  wife  in  January, 

1828,  clamiing  Greenbrier  County,  Va.,  as  the  place 
of  her  nativity.  Mrs.  Fuller  came  to  Illinois  at  the 
age  of  seven  years  with  her  parents.  She  became 
the  mother  of  eight  children,  as  follows :  Nancy  L., 
Emma  L.,  Loring  T.,  Annie  R.,  Cyril  T.,  John  L. 
and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Shumaker  is  the  owner  of  90  acres  of  good 
land  in  this  township,  and  has  just  erected  a  fine 
barn,  40  x  30  feet.  Besides  entertaining  a  deep  inter- 
est in  agriculture,  Mr.  S.  is  also  engaged  in  the 
breeding  of  fine  blooded  Short-horn  cattle,  Clydes- 
dale horses  and  Poland-China  hogs. 

Clark  Shumaker  came  to  this  township  in  1883, 
and  has  prospered  in  his  hearty  endeavors  to  do  well. 
The  little  family  circle  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 


■H^ 


-H- 


il  « 


■•     ^ 


582 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


one  child,  a  son,  by  name  Carl  Fuller  Shumaker,  born 
May  24,  1885.  Mr.  Shumaker  is  a  Republican  in 
political  sentiment  and  belief,  and  is  active  and  en- 
terprising in  all  matters  relative  to  public  good.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Shumaker  came  West  as  early  as 
1849. 


oshua  L.  Crawford,  a  minister  of  the  Gos- 
%■  pel,  preaching  the  doctrines  of  the  Presby- 
terian denomination  and  resident  in  Cedar 
Township,  owning  a  farm  on  section  14,  is  the 
"W  subject  of  this  biographical  notice.  A  part  of 
^  his  labors  are  confined  to  Foster's  Point,  Mc- 
Donough  County,  111.,  while  he  occupies  the  pulpit 
at  West  Prairie  Church,  preaching  in  these  two 
places  alternately.  In  connection  with  his  religious 
work,  he  is  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits. 

Rev.  Mr.  Crawford  was  born  in  Indian  Point 
Township,  Sept.  28,  1844,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Howard)  Crawford,  natives  of  Virginia 
and  Kentucky  respectively.  His  father  was  born  in 
p  1798,  and  died  Aug.  14,  1875.  His  mother,  Eliza- 
beth, born  Nov.  29,  1808,  is  still  living.  This  anion 
was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  1 1  children,  of  whom 
Joshua  is  the  youngest  member.  The  names  of  his 
brothers  and  sisters  are  James,  Charies  H.,  John  W., 
Elizabeth  A.,  Nancy,  Henry,  Cynthia  M.,  Peter  D., 
Rebecca,  Matilda  F.  and  Joshua. 

In  the  year  1856,  April  4,  occurred  the  union  of 
our  subject  with  Miss  Ella  Marsh,  who  was  born 
July  18,  1847,  in  the  township  of  Cedar,  Knox 
County,  and  who  is  the  daughter  of  Thomas  B.  and 
Sophronia  (Alden)  Marsh,  both  natives  of  New  York. 
Mrs.  Crawford's  father  and  mother  reckon  in  their 
family  circle  Sophia  J.,  Benjamin  A.,  Noble  L.,  Han- 
nah P.,  Francis  E.,  Harriet  A.  and  Ella,  besides  two 
sons  lost  in  infancy. 

The  fruit  of  the  Crawford  family  tree  has  been  nine 
children,  namely  :  Charles  A.,  born  Jan.  7,  1867; 
Sophronia  E.,  Oct.  2,  1868;  Harriet  E.,  June  12, 
1870;  Edna  B.,  June  2,  1872;  Leroy  W.,  Oct.  20, 
1874;  John  B.,  May  26,  1876;  Philena  B.,  Nov.  2, 
1879;  Edith  E.,  Sept.  8,  1882, and  Agnes  J.,  Oct.  5, 
1884;  of  these  two  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Crawford  follows  his  profession  as  minister  of 
the  Gospel,  preaching  in  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church,  in  the  towns  previously  spoken  of 


He  entered  the  ministry  in  1872,  and  was  ordained 
in  August  of  that  year,  since  which  period  he  has 
successfully  labored  in  this  field  of  work.  In  this 
lX)sition  he  is  kind,  genial  and  friendly,  and  is  popu- 
lar both  as  a  man  and  a  minister.  He  is  noble  in 
principle,  large-hearted  and  intellectually  strong.  He 
joined  the  church  at  the  age  of  14  years,  since  which 
time  he  has  lived  an  upright,  consistent  life,  winning 
many  friends  and  supporters.  John,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  occupied  the  pulpit  in  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church,  laboring  earnestly  and  winning 
many  souls  to  Christ,  also  assisting  in  many  large 
revivals  throughout  the  States  of  Illinois  and  Iowa. 
He  closed  a  worthy  and  useful  life-work  in  behalf  of 
his  chosen  church,  after  an  extended  period  of  50 
years'  faithful  labor. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  a  Union  soldier,  enlisring  in  the 
late  war  Aug.  7,  1862,  at  Abingdon,  111.,  in  the  83d 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Col.  A.  C.  Harding,  of  Mon- 
mouth. He  fouglit  for  the  stars  and  stripes,  partici- 
pating in  the  second  general  battle  of  Fort  Donelson, 
served  a  years  and  11  months  continuously,  doing, 
as  a  rule,  post  duty  in  the  United  States  service,  and 
receiving  an  honorable  discharge,  June  26,  at  Nash-r* 
ville,  Tenn.,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Chicago,  July 
5,  1865.  He  supports  and  voices  the  sentiments  of 
the  Republican  party,  and  is  wide  awake  and  inter-  * 
ested  in  public  matters.  He  may  be  esteemed,  in 
general  characteristics,  as  an  able  citizen  and  a  de- 
sirable friend  and  neighbor. 


ohn  G.  Emery,  a  successful  and  promising 
V-  farmer,  is  the  subject  of  this  historical 
!lsr>r4'  sketch.  His  home  is  situated  on  section  2, 
f|,2  of  Lynn  Township,  and  he  is  one  of  the  men 
who  by  perseverance  and  prompt  activity  have 
succeeded  in  many  a  difficult  undertaking. 
Knox  County  has  been  the  home  of  Mr.  Emer)'  since 
his  younger  years.  He  has  seen  it  advance  and  pros- 
per, and  from  a  tract  of  country  thinly  populated  he 
now  sees  the  smoke  of  civilization  rising  from  the 
homes  that  dot  its  verdant  surface,  and  all  day  can 
hear  the  ringing  of  the  hammers  of  toiUng  industry 
and  progress. 

Mr.  Emery  is  the  son  of  Frederick  W.  Emery,  a 
native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  who  was  of 
German-Scotch  ancestry,  and  who  went  to  Ashland 


I^jt 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

l:!iversity  of  ILLIN^'I 


?^^rM- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


583 


County,  Ohio,  when  but  a  boy  of  12,  and  there  grew 
to  manhood.  He  was  married  in  that  section  to  Han- 
nah Gaffney,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  same 
county  as  himself.  The  parents  came  to  IHinois  in 
1835,  lived  in  Fulton  County  until  the  spring  of 
1839,  and  then  moved  to  West  Jersey  Township, Stark 
County.  There  they  lived  until  their  death,  that  of 
the  father  occurring  in  1S46,  and  the  mother's  in 
1884,  in  Henry  County.  They  settled  in  Fulton 
County  when  the  country  was  mostly  unbroken  and 
where  the  father  became  well-to-do  before  his  de- 
mise. 

John  G.  Emery  was  born  wiiile  his  parents  were 
living  in  Stark  County,  Sept.  24,  1839.  He  was  the 
youngest  but  one  of  fivechildren,one  daughter  and  four 
sons.  The  youngest  was  killed  during  the  late  Re- 
bellion, at  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  by  a 
gunshot  through  the  breast.  His  name  was  William 
E.,  and  the  date  of  his  death  was  Dec.  30,  1862.  He 
was  a  member  of  Co.  C,  42d  Reg.  111.  Vol.  Inf.  An- 
other brother,  David  H ,  was  wounded  in  the 
battle  of  Champion  Hills.  He  was  First  Sergeant 
of  his  company.  He  now  resides  at  Ottumwa, 
Iowa,  and  is  by  profession  an  attorney  at  law. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  loth  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.  Another 
brother,  Oliver  P.,  resides  at  Galva;  he  is  a  Justice 
of  the  Peace  and  fire  insurance  agent.  The  oldest, 
Amanda  J.,  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Pritchard,  who  re- 
sides at  Woodhull,  Henry  County,  and  is  a  well-to-do 
farmer. 

After  his  father's  death,  John  G.  remained  at  home 
attending  the  public  schools  and  working  on  the  farm 
until  he  was  2  i  years  of  age,  when  he  came  to  Henry 
County,  111.  In  Weller  Township,  this  county,  Dec. 
24,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ruth  A.  Friend, 
daughter  of  Jacob  J.  and  Fannie  (Knable)  Friend,  the 
former  from  Marjland  and  the  latter  from  Fulton 
County,  Pa.  The  father  was  of  American  lineage 
and  birth  and  the  mother  of  pure  German  ancestry. 
He  was  by  occupation  a  farmer,  and  they  were  mar- 
ried in  Fulton  County,  Pa.  It  was  there  Mrs.  Emery 
was  born  March  20,  1844.  She  was  only  nine  years 
of  age  when  her  father  came  to  the  great  West  and 
settled  for  a  short  time  in  Farmington,  Fulton 
County,  and  from  there  moved  to  Weller,  Henry 
County,  where  the  parents  are  yet  living.  They  are 
well-to-do  people,  with  a  fair  supply  of  this  world's 
goods. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Emery  have  seven  children :  Will- 


iam E.  is  a  teacher ;  Frederick  W.  lives  in  Hamilton 
County,  Kan.;  George  F.;  Edwin  A.;  Burtis  C.  ; 
and  Rollin  G. ;  Chailes,  the  third  son,  died  at  the  age 
of  one  year  and  nine  months.  After  marriage  they 
lived  two  years  in  West  Jersey  Township,  Stark 
County,  one  year  in  Henry  County,  two  years  in  Elba 
Township,  this  county,  in  which  latter  township  he 
owned  a  partly  improved  160-acre  tract  of  land.  He 
sold  this  and  came  to  his  present  home  in  Lynn 
Township,  in  the  springof  1868.  He  has  a  well-im- 
proved and  highly  cultivated  farm  of  160  acres.  On 
it  is  situated  a  good  assortment  of  buildings  and  out- 
houses and  wells,  and  it  is  stocked  with  a  good  grade 
of  cattle.  The  fami  can  hardly  be  recognized  to-day 
as  the  once  unbroken  tract  of  unfenced  land  of  which 
he  first  obtained  (wssession. 

Mr.  Emery  is  one  of  the  best  and  most  substantial 
citizens  in  this  section  of  country.  His  wife  and 
oldest  son  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  He  has  been  Road  Commissioner  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  holding  offices  in  different  parts  of  the  \ 
township,  and  is  at  the  present  time  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican,  stanch  and 
zealous  in  sentiment,  and  has  a  well-balanced  theory  "^ 
as  to  the  affairs  of  state  and  nation. 


ames  R.  Randall.  Knox  County  is  dotted 
over  with  some  of  as  fine  farms  as  can  be 
found  anywhere  within  the  State.  Many 
of  these  splendid  farms  and  beautiful  homes  are 
owned  by  a  class  of  men  who  started  in  the 
world  with  nothing  but  an  unlimited  amount 
of  enterprise  and  perseverance,  and  who  through 
years  of  toil  and  economy,  combined  with  wise  judg- 
ment and  the  active  co-operation  of  their  good  help- 
meets, have  succeeded.  They  are  men  who  have 
been  the  recipients  of  no  legacy,  and,  havingattained 
success  through  many  difficulties,  it  is  but  just  that 
due  credit  should  be  given  them.  Of  the  class  re- 
ferred to,  and  a  gentleman  respected  for  his  sterling 
worth  and  integrity  and  his  straightforward  and 
manly  dealings  with  his  fellow-man,  is  the  subject  of 
this  notice. 

Mr.  Randall  was  born  in  Rush  County,  Ind.,Feb. 
19,  1838,  his  father  being  Jedediah  W.  and  his 
mother  Lucirda  (Perkins)  Randall.    The   parents 


¥^ 


*H^ 


v4 


584 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


came  to  this  State  in  1848,  and  the  first  year  of  their 
residence  was  at  Henderson.  They  afterward  re- 
moved to  Orange  Township,  where,  on  June  9,  1864, 
James  R.  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  with  Miss 
Mary  A.  Anstine,  the  accomplished  daughter  of 
George  and  Mary  A.  (Stickley)  Anstine.  Their  union 
has  been  blest  with  seven  children — George  E.,  born 
March  13,  1865;  Nellie  B.,  March  29,  1867,  and  died 
March  3,  1869;  Cora  M.,  March  23,  1870;  Van- 
doran,  Feb.  23,  1873;  James  D.,  Feb.  17,  1876; 
Eugene  M,,  June  20,  1878,  and  Harry  E.,  Oct.  10, 
1883. 

Our  subject  has  followed  agricultural  pursuits  for 
the  major  portion  of  his  life.  In  1878  he  moved  to 
Maquon  and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  and 
was  thus  occupied  for  about  one  year.  He  then  dis- 
posed of  his  stock  of  merchandise  and  returned  to 
his  first  love,  farming,  having  purchased  the  farm  on 
which  he  is  living  at  the  present  time.  The  place 
consists  of  280  acres,  all  of  it  located  in  Orange 
Township,  160  acres  being  on  section  27,  80  acres  on 
section  34  and  40  acres  on  section  24.  Mr.  Randall 
has  a  good  frame  residence  on  his  farm,  costing  $2,000, 
and  also  an  excellent  cellar.  The  residence  is  well- 
finished,  and  two  new  barns  add  to  the  beauty  of  his 
place.  He  has  scales  for  the  weighing  of  stock, 
grain,  etc.,  and  has  just  erected  a  new  ice-house ;  in 
fact,  everything  necessary  for  the  conducting  of  a 
large  and  productive  farm  is  to  be  found  there,  and 
in  his  farming  operations  he  is  meeting  with  that  suc- 
cess which  energy  and  perseverance  seldom  fail  to 
bring. 

Soon  after  the  news  had  flashed  across  the  wires 
that  rebel  shot  and  shell  had  been  thundered  against 
the  walls  of  Sumter,  and  our  martyred  President 
had  called  for  brave  hearts  and  strong  arms  to  fight 
for  the  perpetuity  of  the  Union,  Mr.  Randall  en- 
listed, joining  Co.    D,    io2d  III.  Vol.  Inf. ,  Aug.  15, 

1862,  under  Col.  WiUiam  McMurtry  and  Capt.  H. 
H.  Wilsey.  The  regiment  was  organized  at  Knox- 
ville  and  proceeded  from  there  to  Peoria,  after  which 
it  moved  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  there  joined  Gen. 
Granger's  command.  He  remained  with  his  regiment 
until  his  final  discharge,  which  took   place  Nov.  21, 

1863,  on  account  of  disability  contracted  while  in 
service.  While  in  the  army,  John  P.  Randall,  a 
brother,  in  the  77th  Reg.  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  for  13  months  was  confined  in  rebel 
prisons.     After  Mr.   R.  had  been  transformed  from  . 


a  soldier  to  a  citizen  he  went  to  work  on  the  farm, 
and  has  since  devoted  his  time  e.xclusively  to  the 
raising  of  stock  and  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is 
the  owner  of  Lord  Arthur,  one  of  the  finest  Clydes- 
dale stallions  in  this  part  of  the  county.  He  also 
owns  Johnny  Coope,  the  best  homebred  stallion  to 
be  found  in  this  community,  and  has  40  head  of  horses 
and  colts  in  which  he  takes  just  pride,  for  they  are 
truly  among  the  best  to  be  found  in  Knox  County. 
He  is  making  this  department  of  his  vocation  a  spe- 
cialty, and  is  classified  among  the  foremost  breeders 
in  the  State.  In  politics  Mr.  Randall  votes  with  the 
Republican  party. 


-43 


£i- 


and 


'onathan  C.  Garwood  is  a  farmer  on  sec- 
^  tion  21,  of  Galesburg  Township.  He  is  a 
®?'^^  native  of  Warren  County,  Ohio,  being  born 
in  that  State  in  1826,  in  the  town  of  Lebanon, 
and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Mary  (Thatcher) 
Garwood,  natives  respectively  of  Pennsylvania 
Kentucky.  The  father  died  in  1866,  the 
mother's  death  taking  place  in  1872.  By  this  union 
four  children  were  born,  viz. :  Sarah,  Precilla,  J.  C. 
and  Amos.  Mr.  Jonathan  C.  Garwood  of  this  sketch 
married  Miss  Mary  C.  Weeks,  a  native  of  New  York 
State,  where  she  was  born  in  1831.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  1852,  in  Galesburg,  HI.,  and  have  one  child, 
a  daughter,  living.  The  name  of  this  latter  is  Mamie, 
born  in  1862. 

Mr.  Garwood  is  the  owner  of  240  acres  of  prime 
land,  all  in  a  state  of  thorough  cultivation.  He  re- 
sides in  a  very  comfortable  house,  but  is  now  erect- 
ing a  fine  family  residence  on  his  southeast  farm  on 
section  20,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  west  of  his 
present  residence.  When  he  first  came  to  Gales- 
burg, in  1838,  he  was  hut  12  years  old,  so  that  he 
may  be  ranked  among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  this 
and  adjoining  townships.  His  parents  first  moved 
from  Ohio  to  the  State  of  Michigan,  and,  settling  near 
Niles,  remained  located  there  for  some  40  years. 
From  there  they  removed  to  Galesburg,  where  they 
both  died.  The  subject  of  this  notice  has  been  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  cattle-breeding.  Twice  he  has 
visited  California,  once  accompanied  by  his  family. 
The  first  time,  in  1852,  he  made  the  trip  overland 
with  a  drove  of  cattle,  upon  which  he  realized  a  snug 


*1^ 


I 


t^ 


•    .       ":v;~ 

^NOX  COUNTY. 


-^-^^ 


585 


sum  of  money.  In  life  Mr.  Garwood  had  to  fight  his 
own  battles  unaided,  but,  notwithstanding,  has  accu- 
mulated a  good  competency.  He  thoroughly  appre- 
ciates the  enjoyments  of  life  and  has  a  disposition  to 
make  those  around  him  contented  with  their  lot.  He 
is  a  man  of  well-balanced  judgment. 

The  religious  views  of  Mr.  Garwood  are  liberal,  he 
being  a  stanch  believer  in  the  doctrine  that  every 
man's  conscience  should  be  his  own  guide.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  in  all  likelihood 
will  continue  to  present  the  consistency  both  in  his 
life  and  works  of  the  best  principles  and  views  of  that 
party. 

-^ #*-B- ^ 

tenry  England.  Prominent  among  those 
belonging  to  the  agricultural  class  of  this 
county,  and  who  have  attained-  success 
through  energetic  efforts  and  perseverance,  and 
not  as  the  recipients  of  a  legacy,  is  Henry  En- 
gland, following  his  chosen  vocation  on  section 
8,  of  Persifer  Township,  in  which  occupation  he  is 
meeting  with  more  than  ordinary  success.  Mr. 
England  came  to  this  county  in  1854,  from  Vinton 
County,  Ohio,  and  settled  in  Persifer  Township, 
where  he  has  since  lived,  a  period  of  upward  of  32 
years.  On  first  coming  here  he  purchased  160  acres 
of  land,  which  he  increased  by  a  subsequent  pur- 
chase until  at  the  present  time  his  landed  interest  in 
the  township  comprises  255  acres,  of  which  150  are 
in  good,  tillable  condition. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Bedford 
County,  Pa.,  April  30,  1830,  and  was  quite  young 
when  his  parents  moved  to  Vinton  County,  Ohio.  In 
the  latter  county  he  continued  to  reside  with  the  old 
folks  until  coming  here.  He  formed  a  matrimonial 
alliance  in  Persifer  Township,  Aug.  7,  1856,  with  Miss 
Orpha  Pratt.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Ephraim  B.  and 
Electa  (Lane)  Pratt,  natives  of  the  Keystone  State. 
Her  parents  came  10  this  county  in  1855,  settling  in 
Persifer  Township,  where  they  lived  and  labored 
until  their  demise,  her  father  being  a  farmer  by 
calling. 

Mrs.  England  was  born  in  Vinton  County,  Ohio, 
Jan.  25,  1832.  Of  her  union  with  Mr.  England  five 
children  have  been  born,  and  named  Alice  E.,  born 
Jan.  10,  1858  ;  George  W.,  Dec.  30,  1859  ;  Eiihu  J., 
Aug.  2,  1862;   Albert  P.,  Dec.  24,  1865  ;  Harvey  E., 


Nov.  3,  1869  ;  Ida  May,  Dec.  7,  1872,  died  Dec.  29, 
1872.  George  \V.  married  Emma  Chcrrington  and 
also  lives  in  that  township,  and  their  union  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  child — Clarence  H.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  England  are  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church.  Politically  he  votes  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  .Agriculture  has  been  the  business 
of  his  life,  and  the  energy  with  which  he  has  devoted 
himself  to  his  calling  has  brought  him  success. 

-^^ ••o*o.-@X®-o*o V*- 

sFM?-'  ^^^"^  Collins,  dealer  in  stock,  residing  at 
iR^^!  Knoxville,  is  a  native  of  Ohio,  having  been 
fi^^  born  in  Pickaway  County  June  6,  1844. 
iii'^j  For  a  brief  notice  of  his  parents,  see  sketch  of 
j|j-  M.  H.  Collins,  in  this  work.  Peter  Collins 
was  but  four  years  of  age  when,  in  company 
with  his  parents,  he  came  to  Knox  County.  His 
younger  days  were  passed  on  his  father's  farm  and 
in  attendance  at  the  common  schools,  the  latter  be- 
ing supplemented  by  a  course  at  Lombard  Univer- 
sity, Galesburg.  Mr.  Collins  was  married  Aug.  30, 
1870,  to  Miss  Drusilla  J.  Wilson,  daughter  of  Francis 
and  Elizabeth  Wilson.  She  died  Oct.  15,  1879,  aged 
27  years  ri  months  and  23  days,  leaving  four  chil- 
dren to  the  care  of  her  husband — John  W.,  Ralph 
E.,  Bes.sie  and  Francis  B.  Mr.  Collins  has  been  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  selling  stock  for  the  past  18 
years,  and  has  proven  himself  to  be  one  of  the  most 
successful  shippers  of  Knox  County. 


"ohn  J.  Mathews,  an  enterprising  farmer, 
^  residing  in  Salem  Township,  was  born  Feb. 
[3,  1847,  on  the  place  he  now  owns.  His 
father,  John  Mathews,  was  a  pioneer  of  1838- 
39,  in  Salem  Township,  was  born  in  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  in  181 2,  of  Scotch  parents. 
While  he  was  young  his  father  died.  At  the  age  of 
17  years  the  father  of  our  subject  started  out  a  poor 
boy,  without  friends,  to  begin  life.  He  resolved  to 
come  to  America,  that  famous  land  of  freedom, 
where  every  man  is  his  own  monarch,  and,  procur- 
ing cheap  passage  to  Canada,  did  so.  He  was  em- 
ployed at  farming  and  in  the  fisheries  for  two  years. 
He  then  went  to  New  York,  and   after  spending  a 


44^ 


t 


586 


x^rox  COUNTY. 


short  time  there  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was 
apprenticed  as  tanner  and  learned  the  trade.  He 
became  acquainted  with  and  subsequently  married 
Miss  Clarinda  Robertson,  from  Philadelphia,  a 
daughter  of  James  and  Jane  (Ogden)  Robertson,  the 
former  of  Scotch  and  the  latter  of  English  lineage. 
During  the  year  1837  ensued  what  was  known  as 
"  the  panic,"  when  throughout  the  country  hard  times 
prevailed.  Banks  were  closed  and  thousands  of  peo- 
ple were  out  of  employment,  our  subject  among 
others.  In  this  crisis  he  concluded  to  make  an  at- 
tempt to  found  a  home  in  the  West,  and,  leaving  his 
wife  with  friends,  started  March  20,  1838,  for  Illi- 
nois. He  came  via  canal  and  railroad  to  Pittsburg, 
thence  by  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois  Rivers  to 
Cooper's  Landing,  and  energetically  proceeded  to 
finish  his  journey  on  foot,  his  destination  being  Farm- 
ington,  Fulton  County.  He  there  engaged  for  a  time 
with  the  railroad  company,  but  the  road  tloey  started 
to  build  was  never  finished — the  workmen  only  re- 
ceiving 40  cents  on  the  dollar  of  their  wages,  which 
were  to  be  §20  per  month.  His  wife  joined  him  dur- 
ing the  summer  of  that  year,  traveling  the  same  route 
)^  that  our  subject  had  taken,  and  landing  in  Peoria. 
Soon  after  he  came  to  Knox  County  and  took  up  a 
claim  of  80  acres  of  land  on  section  4,  now  Salem 
Township.  He  went  to  the  Land-Office  at  Quincy 
and  entered  his  land,  and  on  his  return  contracted 
with  a  neighbor  to  erect  a  log  house  for  the  sum  of 
§60,  and  in  the  spring  of  1839  he  settled  in  this  place 
and  commenced  farming,  his  stock  consisting  of  one 
horse,  a  cow,  t^vo  pigs  and  a  few  chickens.  He  first 
built  a  sod  fence  to  protect  his  crops,  but  later  fenced 
the  enrire  tract  with  rails.  He  then  built  a  good 
brick  house  on  the  place  and  made  his  home  there, 
adding  to  and  improung  his  property  as  far  as  pos- 
sible until  his  death,  which  occurred  Nov.  12,  1859. 
His  widow  still  lives  on  the  old  homestead  with  her 
son. 

Eight  children  of  this  union  grew  to  man  and 
woman's  estate — William,  living  in  Salem  Township; 
Jane,  who  died  at  the  age  of  23  years ;  Sarah,  wife  of 
William  Simpson,  residing  in  Crawford  County,  Kan.; 
Thomas  C,  now  a  resident  of  Hamlin,  Brown  County, 
Kan.,  as  merchant  and  grain-dealer  at  that  place; 
Clarinda,  wife  of  Andrew  Montgomery ,  living  in  Salem 
Township;  John  J.;  Robert  G.,  of  Elba  Township, 
and  Eliza  M.,  wife  of  Robert  Maxey,  of  Peoria.  Our 
subject  has   always   resided  on   the  old  homestead. 


which  he  has  managed  since  he  attained  his  majority. 
He  was  married  Dec.  23,  1873  to  Barbara  Clesson, 
a  native  of  Shelby  County,  III.  She  is  tlie  daughter 
of  Joseph  and  Elizabeth  (Humphrey)  Clesson.  They 
have  three  children — -Walter  C,  Mary  L.  and  Clar- 
ence H.  Both  Mr.  M.  and  wife  are  active  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  following  in  the  footsteps 
of  his  parents,  his  father  being  one  of  the  organizers 
of  that  church  at  Farmington,  of  which  they  were 
members  at  the  time  of  his  death,  after  which  his 
mother  was  one  of  the  seven  members  who  organ- 
ized the  church  in  Yates  City.  Both  were  noble 
Christians  of  the  old  days. 

^*-# — 


i^^aniel  Bobertson.     The  subject  of  this  bi- 

^    ography  is  a  farmer  on   section  11,  Hen- 

>ihj^V^  derson  Township,  and  came  to  Knox 
Vj*  County  in  February,  1828.  Arriving  from 
fl  Morgan  County,  111.,  he  settled  in  Henderson 
j  Township,  and  in  company  with  his  brother 

one  year  later  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  land  on 
section  2.  Since  the  date  above  given  he  has  been 
a  representative  resident  in  this  vicinity,  and  has 
been  continuously  engaged  in  agriculture.  He  was 
the  first  actual  settler  of  Knox  County  and  came 
with  those  who  first  settled  in  Henderson  Township. 
The  very  first  banking  business  done  in  Henderson 
village  had  its  incipiency  in  the  efforts  of  this  gentle- 
man. He  is  the  owner  of  about  200  acres  of  good 
land  within  the  township.  He  was  born  in  Scotland 
June  12,  1804,  and  when  only  an  infant  of  four 
months  came  with  his  parents  to  this  country,  the 
family  settling  in  York  State.  They  finally,  how- 
ever, came  to  Morgan  County,  111.,  where  the  father 
subsequently  died.  His  mother's  decease  took  place 
iu  Greene  County,  111. 

Mr.  Robertson  was  abojt  17  years  old  when  he  left 
New  York  and  came  to  Illinois.  His  parents  were 
then  engaged  in  farming  and  our  subject  remained 
at  home,  assisting  his  father  from  time  to  time,  up 
to  the  age  of  21  years.  He  was  first  married  at 
Henderson  Grove  to  Miss  Pollie  Maxwell,  Sept.  30, 
1830.  This  lady  was  a  native  of  Sangamon  County, 
111.  Five  interesting  children  were  born  to  this 
union — Elizabei'n,  Alexander,  Thomas,  Melissa  and 
Mary;  Melissa  is  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Robertson 
died  in  Henderson  Township,  in  May,  1840.     Mr. 


•E-^ 


LA^ 


i-9 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

l:!iversity  of  ILUV'? 


(Jot.  ^CM. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


589 


-I- 


R.  was  again  married,  in  Knoxville,  on  the  21st  of 
April,  1841,  to  Miss  Jane  Riddle,  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, born  Feb.  25,  1812.  By  this  happy  union 
there  were  six  children — John,  James  G.,  Amanda 
A.,  Emily  H.,  Harlan  E.  and  Harbin  C.  Emily 
died  in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Robertson  is  a  lady  of  much  amiability  of 
character  and  a  leading  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church.  In  her  community  she  is  held  in 
the  highest  favor.  She  is  an  excellent  mother  and  a 
faithful  wife.  In  politics  our  subject  is  a  Jacksonian 
Democrat,  and  has  always  entertained  the  belief  and 
consistently  lived  up  to  the  idea  that  a  government 
instituted  on  the  Jackson  plan  would  more  than  any 
other  be  beneficial  to  the  country  at  large. 

Of  his  children  who  are  grown  up,  Elizabeth  is 
the  wife  of  James  Smelter,  and  resides  in  Rio  Town- 
ship; Alexander  and  Thomas  reside  in  Henry 
County;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Robert  Adcock  and  re- 
sides in  Wanen  County;  John  resides  in  Henderson 
Township;  James  G.  lives  in  California;  Amanda 
A.  is  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Briggs  and  resides  in  Kansas; 
Harlan  and  Harbin  reside  in  the  same  township  with 
their  parents. 


(iici^ii.  ieut.  John  Hall.  This  gentleman,  whose 
portrait  we  give  on  the  opposite  page,  is  a 
leading  farmer  of  the  county,  as  well  as  a 
stone  mason  and  bridge  builder.  His  splendid 
residence  is  located  on  section  11,  of  Chestnut 
To.vnship.  He  is  a  worthy  citizen  of  Knox 
County,  whose  naine  deserves  special  mention  in  its 
history,  he  having  gained  distinction  by  deeds  of 
bravery  during  the  Civil  War.  He  is  one  of  the 
county's  most  reliable  and  honorable  citizens,  and  de- 
serving of  great  respect. 

Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  Hesse,  March  22,  1825,  from 
which  place  he  emigrated  to  America  in  the  year 
1852,  stopping  at  St.  Louis  for  some  months.  He 
next  went  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  where  he  worked 
on  culverts  and  bridges  on  the  Quincy  Branch  of  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  which  was  in  t8s(),  and  in  1861 
he  purchased  80  acres  of  land  in  Chestnut  Township 
and  began  farming.  July  17,  of  that  year,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Salome  Freemole,  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  who  was  born  in  Crawford 
County,  that  Slate,  Aug.  18,  1832.  The  union  of  Mr. 


and  Mrs.  Hall  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  the  fol- 
lowing children,  namely:  Mamie,  born  June  21, 
1859,  is  now  Mrs.  B.  VVainwright,  and  lives  in  this 
township,  being  the  mother  of  one  child — Bessie; 
Herman,  born  Aug.  14,  1857,  died  May  14,  1883; 
Carl,  born  May  9,  1861,  died  July  29,  1862  ;  Emma, 
born  Sept.  26,  1862,  is  the  wife  of  David  Bearmor, 
who  lives  in  this  county,  and  is  the  mother  of  one 
child— Edna  B.,  born  Oct.  8,  i88r. 

Mr.  Hall  is  the  possessor  of  145  acres  of  finely 
cultivated  land,  of  which  he  may  be  justly  proud. 
Upon  it  stands  a  handsome  residence,  which  was 
erected  in  1882,  the  old  one  having  been  burned  the 
year  previous.  It  is  commodious,  convenient  and 
modern,  and  is  a  home  in  the  true  sense  of  the  word, 
not  only  to  the  inhabitants,  but  "  to  the  stranger 
within  the  gates."  Our  subject  has  had  marked  suc- 
cess in  the  growing  of  the  best  blooded  Short-horn 
cattle,  and  Clydesdale  horses  from  the  imported 
Cruiser. 

Mr.  Hall  is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.  As  pre- 
viously stated,  lie  was  a  soldier  in  the  Union  Army. 
He  enlisted  in  July,  1862,  in  Co.  F,  86th  III.  Vol. 
Inf ,  under  Col.  Irons,  who  died  at  Nashville,  Tenn.  « 
The  first  battle  in  which  he  participated  was  that  of 
Perryville,  Ky.,  and  following  that  Nashville,  after 
which  he  was  detached  and  assigned  to  a  pioneer 
brigade,  and  was  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River.  He 
was  with  Gen.  Sherman  in  his  march  to  the  sea,  but 
of  the  many  engagements  in  which  he  figured,  that 
which  stands  out  most  vividly  in  his  recollection  as 
a  stern,  hard  warfare  was  the  struggle  of  Kenesaw 
Mountain.  After  this  battle  he  was  appointed  com- 
manderof  Co.  F,  86ih  Reg.,  where  he  continued  until 
the  close  of  the  war  i.i  the  capacity  of  Lieutenant  of 
that  company.  It  is  remarkable,  but  true,  that  Mr. 
Hall  received  no  wound  of  any  kind  during  this 
bloody  conflict,  though  foremost  in  some  of  the  most 
severe  battles  of  the  war.  In  full,  as  a  brilliant  rec- 
ord, it  is  just  to  give  in  this  connection  the  names  of 
the  battles  in  which  his  regiment  participated.  The 
regiment,  after  organization,  moved  for  Louisville. 
Marched  from  camp  Oct.  i,  and  on  the  8th  was  en- 
gaged in  the  battle  of  Perryville;  engaged  in  the  bat- 
tle of  Cliickamauga,  Sept.  19,  20  and  21.  Moved 
into  Lookout  Valley  Oct.  29.  In  the  night  of  Nov. 
23,  crossed  the  river  on  a  pontoon  and  camped  at  the 
foot  of  Missionary  Ridge.  Pursued  the  enemy  on  the 
26th  to  Ringgold,  and  was  then  ordered  to  Knoxville, 


L<L^ 


^-J- 


59° 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Tenn.  Marched  as  far  as  Little  Tennessee  River, 
and  returned  to  Chattanooga  Dec.  i8,  after  a  most 
severe  march.  Was  engaged  at  Buzzard's  Roost, 
May  9,  lo  and  ir  ;  Resaca,  May  14,  iS  ;  Rome,  17th 
—6  killed,  it  wounded;  Dallas,  from  May  27  to 
June  5  ;  Kenesaw  Mountain,  from  June  11  to  27 
losing  1 10  killed  and  wounded.  It  again  engaged  the 
enemy  on  the  banks  of  the  Chattahoochee  on  the  i8th 
of  July  ;  at  Peach  Tree  Creek  on  the  19th  ;  and  near 
Atlanta,  20th  and  2  2d.  Engaged  in  the  siege  of  At- 
lanta. Commenced  the  "  march  to  the  sea  "  Nov. 
16.  Arrived  at  Savannah  Dec.  21.  After  the  sur- 
render of  Johnston,  marched  via  Richmond  to  Wash- 
ington, at  which  place  was  mustered  out  of  service, 
June  6,  1865.  Died,  killed  and  wounded,  346. 
Marched  3.500  miles;  by  rail,  2,000.  He  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Washington  with  all  the  honors  of  war, 
June  6,  1865.  He  also  served  five  years  in  the  reg- 
ular army  in  Germany  before  coming  to  America,  but 
he  now  clings  to  the  welfare  of  the  country  of  his 
'adoption,  and  feels  an  interest  deep  and  keen  in  the 
affairs  of  the  nation.  He  has  always  voted  the  Re- 
i  publican  ticket. 


'   000 

'aeob  England.  As  a  representative  of  the 
\  agricultural  class  of  Knox  County,  and  a 
gentleman  who  has  succeded  in  life  through 
individual  effort,  we  take  pleasure  in  mention- 
ing the  name  of  Jacob  England,  residing  on 
section  5,  Persifer  Township.  He  came  to 
this  county  in  1856,  from  Vinton  County,  Ohio,  and 
made  settlement  in  Persifer  Township,  where  at  first 
he  purchased  80  acres  of  land  on  section  5.  He  is 
at  present  the  owner  of  240  acres,  180  of  which  are 
under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  England  was  born  in  Bedford  County,  Pa.,  in 
1820,  and  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth  of  a  family 
of  eight  children,  all  of  whom  arrived  at  the  age  of 
man  and  womanhood.  The  father  died  in  1856, 
the  mother  in  1835.  Jacob  England  was  15  years 
of  age  when  his  parents  removed  from  Pennsylvania 
to  Ohio,  and  lived  in  Vinton  County,  that  State,  until 
they  came  here.  Agriculture  has  been  the  vocation 
of  his  life,  and  he  has  followed  it  with  such  en- 
ergy and  perseverance  that  he  has  acquired  a  com- 
petency, and  is  now  enjoying  the  afternoon  of  life  on 
his  fine  farm  on  section  5,  Persifer  Township. 

Mr.  England  was  married  in   1852,  in  Kentucky, 


to  Susannah  Brown,  a  native  of  Washington  County, 
Pa.  Mrs.  England  is  the  daughter  of  Emanuel 
and  Elizabeth  (Hinkims)  Brown.  She  was  born  Dec. 
29,  1830,  in  Washington  County,  Pa.,  and  was  the 
seventh  in  a  family  of  eight  children.  She  now  has 
one  sister,  Minerva  Teagarden,  and  two  brothers, 
Abraham  and  A.  P.  The  sister  lives  in  Adams  Coun- 
ty, Iowa;  Abraham  lives  in  Missouri,  and  A.  P. 
resides  in  Marshall  County,  Illinois. 

He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  England  votes 
with  the  RepLiblican  party. 

-^ .^^ ^ 

I? 

K-alvin  A.  Cole  is  one  among  the  old  settlers 

'     of  Knox  County,  who  arrived  in  this  State 


in  1838,  first   settling   in  Peoria  County,  111. 

He  has  since  that  time  resided  in  this  county. 

His  present  home  was  purchased  in  1855  and 

consists  of  157  acres  on  section  7,  of  Walnut 
Grove  Township.  At  the  date  of  his  purchase,  this 
now  well-cultivated  farm  was  wild,  unbroken  prairie. 
It  may  be  truthfully  said  that  Mr.  Cole's  property  is 
among  the  best  stocked  with  horses  and  cattle  in 
this  vicinity. 

He  was  born  in  Wyoming  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the 
9th  of  October,  1823.  His  father  was  a  native  of  the 
same  State  and  a  farmer  by  calling.  This  gentleman 
was  of  English  descent  and  American  parentage  by 
adoption.  His  mother  was  Lucy  Ashley,  of  Irish 
ancestry;  these  latter  lived  and  died  in  New  York, 
Mrs.  Ashley  being  born  in  Massachusetts.  The  par- 
ents were  people  of  good  standing  in  their  community 
and  remarkable  for  their  industry  and  frugality.  The 
mother  died  before  her  son,  Calvin,  had  attained  his 
seventh  year,  and  his  father  passed  away  hefore  the 
boy  was  12  years  old.  Subsequent  to  his  fathers 
death  he  lived  with  his  mother's  relatives  from  three 
to  four  years,  when  he  set  out  to  make  his  own  liveli- 
hood. He  was  then  in  his  1 8th  year,  when,  joinmg 
his  uncle,  Calvin  Ashley,  they  arrived  in  Illinois  on 
his  19th  birthday,  and  the  young  man  at  once  re- 
solved on  building  himself  a  home  in  this  new  coun- 
try. He  remained  a  few  years  in  this  State,  then 
returned  to  his  native  county,  and  on  March  6,  1844, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Amanda  Baker. 
She  was  a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,and  was 
born  Dec.  8,  1823.  Her  parents  were  Isaac  and  Deb- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-^ 


591 


orah  (Clarkson)  Baker,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey  ' 
and  New  York  respectively,  and  he  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  They  were  of  Dutch  and  English  ances- 
try. She  was  brought  up  at  home,  and  in  1849,  with 
her  parents,  came  to  Knox  County,  settling  near 
Galesbiirg.  Her  father  died  here  in  1853.  The 
mother's  decease  took  place  in  Altona,  in  December 
1866.  They  both  died  at  advanced  ages,  being  over 
80  years  of  age.  The  present  Mrs.  Cole  is  the  , 
mother  of  five  children,  two  deceased.  Lucy  is  the 
wife  of  Amos  Reynolds,  and  resides  in  Red  Willow 
County,  Neb.,  where  they  farm  successfully.  Mary 
is  the  wife  of  Lewis  Friend,  and  resides  at  her  fath- 
er's in  Aliona ;  this  gentleman  is  deceased.  Henry 
and  Ida  died  at  the  ages  of  19  and  20  respectively,    i 

In  the  capacity  of  a   Highway  Commissioner,  Mr. 
Cole  has  shown  himself  admirably  suited  to  fill  that 
office,  from  the  fact  that  for  20  years  the  post   has   I 
been  solely  under  his  direction.  He  has  also  held  the   | 
office  of    School    Director   for    the    same    number   ' 
of    years.       Politically,    the    Republican    party  has   \ 
j  i    a   trusted     representative    in    this  gentleman,    and   i 
1'   while   he   does    not   obtrude  himself  in  politics  he 
■      quietly  maintains  an  influence  that  is  at  once  direct- 
ing and  sustaining.     Before  the  passage  of  the  Fugi- 
tive Slave  Law  he  was  a  consistent  Democrat. 

rancis  T.  Derby,  a  farmer,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 28,  Galesburg  Township,  was  born  in 
Andover,  Windsor  Co.,  Vt.,  July  10,  1822. 
He  is  the  son  of  Nathan  and  Betsey  (Thomas)   ' 
Derby,  who  were  natives  of  Massachusetts,  the   1 
father  being  born  in  1792  and  dying  in  1880,  in    ' 
Vermont;  the  mother  was  born  in  1797  and  died  in 
1822.     They  were  married  about  1814,  and  had  four 
children,  as  follows;  Almira,  Eliza,  Francis  and  one 
son  deceased  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Derby,  of  our  sketch,  was  married  to  Miss  Ann 
Thompson,  Oct.  6.  185 1,  in  New  York  City.  She 
was  born  July  19,  1830,  in  the  same  place,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  James  and  Annie  (Thomas)  Thomp- 
son, her  father  dying  in  1845  and  the  mother  in 
1842,  in  New  York.  They  had  three  children — An- 
nie, John  and  an  infant  son  deceased.  Mr.  Derby, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  has  five  children,  as 
follows  :  Frank,  born  Aug.  5,  1854;  Willie,  May  20, 
A 


1858;  Eddie,  Dec.  31,  1862;  Allie,  April  22,  1867  ; 
and  Mary,  Dec.  8,  1873. 

Mr.  Derby  has  160  acres  of  fine  land  and  a  good 
dwelling.  Among  his  stock  are  fine  Poland-China 
hogs,  and  his  cattle  are  of  high  grades.  As  a  farmer- 
boy  he  received  but  a  limited  common-school  educa- 
tion, the  native  talent  of  the  New  England  ancestry 
supplying  the  place  of  a  higher  education.  He  has 
been  a  successful  business  man  and  skillful  farmer, 
securing  for  himself  and  family  a  competency.  He 
came  to  Illinois  in  1851,  when  the  country  was  com- 
paratively new,  and  has  witnessed  its  rapid  develop- 
ment until  it  now  almost  equals,  in  all  the  elements 
of  advancement,  his  New  England  home.  Mr.  Derby 
votes  the  Republican  ticket  and  is  earnestly  devoted 
to  the  doctrines  of  that  party. 


^'VWAtJ2££-©^-«-^^^^.^^Wra'71»x.-^ 


>tya?.., 


[:  range  Lowell  Campbell,  whose  authority  ^ 
and  influence   constitute  the   chief  factors 
that  shape  the  policy  of  the  Knox  County 

Republican,   and   who    is   the  subject  of  this 

sketch,  was  born  in  Kno.wHlle,  March  7,  1852. 

His  father,  Elisha  Campbell,  was  a  native  of 
Gallipolis,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born  the  ist  of  Au- 
gust, 1822.  His  grandfather  was  second  cousin  to 
Campbell,  the  poet. 

As  a  prominent  physician  the  grandfather  of  the 
present  representative  of  the  Campbell  family  won 
for  himself,  during  the  time  of  his  practice,  a  name 
that  is  still  remembered.  First  coming  to  Illinois,  in 
1850,  and  locating  in  Quincy,  where  he  lived  up  to 
the  date  of  his  demise,  he  attracted  very  general 
attention  by  the  devotion  shown  in  his  profession. 
The  father  of  the  present  subject  attained  to  man- 
hood in  Ohio,  and  in  his  i6th  year  commenced  to  face 
the  world  on  his  own  account.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  a  plasterer,  and  followed  this  occupation  in 
Ohio,  up  to  1850,  when  he  came  to  Illinois.  He  had 
been  previously  well  educated,  and  on  his  arrival  at 
the  last-named  place  engaged  in  teaching  both  in 
Quincy  and  Peoria.  In  1852  he  came  to  Knoxville, 
and  here  employed  his  time  in  teaching  school  dur- 
ing the  winter,  while  for  the  remainder  of  the  year 
he  worked  at  his  trade.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the 
War  of  the  Rebellion  (1861)  he  shouldered  his  musket 
and   went   forth    to   battle   for   the   defence  of  hl^ 


■H^ 


-H- 


-c4 


4-&. 


S92 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


country,  enlisting  in  the  83d  Reg.  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He 
was  a  brave  soldier  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  his 
comrades  in  arms,  being  promoted  four  different  times. 
He  assisted  largely  in  raising  a  company  of  colored 
soldiers,  by  whom  he  was  greatly  beloved,  but  through 
the  chicanery  of  others  he  was  deprived  of  any  pe- 
cuniary reward  fbr  the  untiring  and  intelligent  labors 
whereby  he  might  have  had  something  with  which  to 
support  his  family  in  comfort  through  the  balance  of 
a  life  prematurely  broken  down  by  the  disease-breed- 
ing districts  of  the  South.  While  hunting  for  guer- 
rillas near  Fort  Donelson,  Tenn.,he  was  injured  in 
attempting  to  remove  a  gun  carriage  from  a  ditch, 
and  from  the  effects  of  this  he  is  slightly  though  per- 
manently crippled.  Aside  from  this,  and  a  slight 
wound  in  the  hand  from  a  rebel  bullet,  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  the  close  of  the  war  without  further 
injuries. 

In   1872   he  removed  to   Red  Oak,  Iowa,  and  re- 
sumed his  trade,  working  continuously,  with  the  spirit 
(of  a  man  broken  down,  for  the  next  few  years,  when 
he  removed  to  Emerson,  Mills  County,  where  he  still 
resides.     In  185 1  his  hfe  was  destined  to  experience 
rra  change,  and  he  married  Mary  A.  Lowell,  the  lady 
I  being  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  the  marriage   re- 
I  suiting  in  the  birth  of  ten  children,  of  which  Orange 
F  Lowell  was  the  eldest. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  his  earliest  ed- 
ucation in  the  public  schools  of  Knoxville,  until,  at 
the  age  of  (3,  he  entered  the  office  of  the  Knox 
County  Republican,  where  he  became  acquainted  with 
all  the  necessary  routine  of  printing  and  publishing 
a  local  journal,  at  the  same  time  supporting  his  fath- 
er's family,  while  the  latter  was  fighting  for  his 
country.  He  afterward  entered  the  office  of  the 
Quincy  Herald^  and  remained  there  for  one  year.  He 
became  proprietor,  Feb.  24,  1876,  of  the  journal  of 
which  he  is  now  editor-in-chief,  enlarging  it  from 
four  to  eight  pages,  only  issuing  in  all  two  numbers 
of  the  four-page  paper  that  had  been.  He  married 
Augusta  S.  Bull,  the  daughter  of  William  and  I'hoeba 
(Stowe)  Bull.  This  lady  was  a  native  of  Milford, 
Conn.,  and  became  the  mother  of  two  children — 
Sterling  H.  and  Lottie  W. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  state  that  Mr.  Campbell 
in  politics  is  a  true  representative  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  while  maintaining  his  principles  with  all 
the  vigor  and  eloquence  necessary  to  present  them 
to  public  notice,  he  is  sufficiently  just  to  fairly  inves- 


tigate opposing  views  and  opinions.  At  the  present 
date  he  holds  the  positions  of  City  and  Township 
Clerk.  As  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
himself  and  wife  take  a  decided  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  that  body,  beside  being  recognized  members 
of  the  Knox  County  Bible  Society.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Knox  County  Agricultural  Society, 
and  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  Old  Settlers' 
Association.  In  him  the  Illinois  Press  Association 
has  found  an  exceedingly  active  member.  No  meas- 
ure likely  to  promote  the  advancement  of  that  body 
escapes  his  notice,  or  is  passed  without  his  having  a 
voice  for  or  against  its  adoption.  He  is  a  member 
of  Knoxville  Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
Knox  Lodge,  No.  1 26,  A.  O.  U.  W.  Of  this  latter  he 
is  a  charter  member,  being  one  of  the  earliest  to 
organize. 

This  gentleman  has  created  for  himself -so  numer- 
ous a  body  of  personal  friends  that  is  is  not  likely  that 
his  name  or  influence  will  soon  pass  out  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  has  so  long  been  recognized  as  a  ' 
directing  spirit. 


jjj^obert   B.   Coe,  a   farmer  on    section  i,  of 

Galesburg  Township,  was  born  in  Jefferson 

.    .»;^    <  ountv,  Ohio,  Nov.  7,  1840.     His  father, 

\\Sf    Mo-es  Coe,  was  also  a  native  of    fefTerson 
'  '\'^  • 

e?      Count)',  in  the   same  State,  and  was  born  m 

1810.  He  first  settled  in  Illinois  in  1853, 
located  in  Fulton  County,  near  Canton,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year.  He  then  moved  to  Knox  County 
and  settled  in  Sparta  Township.  He  married  Miss 
Matilda  Maxwell  on  Dec.  30,  1834.  This  lady  was 
born  in  Ohio  in  1815,  and  married  Mr.  Moses  Coe  in 
the  same  State.  Five  children  were  the  result  of  the 
marriage — Charles  B.,  David  P.,  Robert  B.,  Sarah  E. 
and  Moses  E. 

Robert  B.  Coe  married  Miss  Lillian  F.  Jones  on 
June  12,  1877.  The  marriage  was  performed  by  the 
Rev.  A.  Swena,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  This 
amiable  lady  and  faithful  wife  was  born  Nov.  7, 
1 85 8,  in  Jefferson  County,  Ohio,  where  her  mother 
still  resides.  Her  parents  were  Charles  and  Emma 
C.  (Long)  Jones,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  the  father  be- 
ing born   July3r,  1833,  and   his  decease  occurring 


^" 


f-> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


593 


+- 


Aug.  13,  1878,  in  the  same  State.  They  were  mar- 
ried on  the  28th  of  January,  1858.  His  wife  was  born 
Aug.  5,  1837,  and  is  still  living  in  Ohio.  The  issue 
by  the  marriage  were  nine  children — Francis  L., 
Morris  C,  Margaret  A.,  Charles  E.,  William  P.,  Alva 
G.,  Louisa  B.,  Jessie  A.  and  Leoni  L. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  has  one  child,  a  son 
— Charles  B.,born  June  23,  1878,  and  a  very  promis- 
ing youth.  Mr.  Coe  farms  137  acres  of  good  land  in 
this  township,  worth  §75  per  acre.  He  has  a  very 
comfortable  dwelling-house,  one  and  one-half  stories 
high,  and  his  barn  measures  45  x  45  feet.  He  is  at 
present  engaged  in  a  general  farming  business.  His 
wife  is  connected  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Ohio,  but  never  united  with  a  similar  con- 
gregation since  coming  West. 

Mr.  Coe  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his  country  on 
the  ist  of  October,  1861,  and  was  mustered  in  at 
Camp  Butler,  111 ,  when  he  soon  joined  his  regiment 
at  Pilot  Knob,  Mo.  He  was  in  Co.  I,  of  the  33d  111. 
Vol.  Inf.  His  first  engagement  was  fought  at  Fred- 
rickstown.  Mo. ;  the  regiment  was  quartered  at  Pilot 
Knob.  In  the  spring  he  was  marched  to  Arkansas, 
and  at  Helena  camped  below  the  town  some  20 
miles.  This  continued  nearly  all  summer.  In  the 
fall  the  command  returned  to  Pilot  Knob,  where  he 
^  was  taken  sick  and  sent  home  on  a  furlough.  Here 
he  remained  during  the  following  winter,  and  the 
next  spring  joined  his  regiment  at  Milliken's  Bend. 
I  He  assisted  at  Port  Gibson  and  Champion  Hill,  and 
was  at  the  charge  on  Vicksburg,  on  the  2 2d  day  of 
May,  1863,  w^here  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left 
arm  and  side.  From  here  he  went  to  the  hospital  at 
Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo.,  where  he  was  detained  two 
months.  He  then  returned  to  join  his  regiment  at 
New  Orleans,  and  participated  in  the  siege  of  Mo- 
bile and  battle  of  Spanish  Fort.  He  also  took  part 
in  the  engagement  and  capture  of  Fort  Esperanza, 
Texas.  On  the  15th  of  December,  1865,  having 
served  in  the  army  four  years  and  four  months,  he 
was  discharged  at  Springfield,  111. 

Politically  Mr.  Coe  is  a  Greenbacker  and  a  firm 
believer  in  the  policy  of  his  party.  In  connection 
with  this  sketch  it  is  only  correct  to  note  that  Charles 
M.  Jones,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Coe,  was  killed  by  a 
steam  boiler  explosion  occurring  at  a  saw-miU  in  Jef- 
ferson County,  Ohio.  He  was  pursuing  the  occupa- 
tion of  sawyer  in  the  mill  at  the  time  of  the  accident, 
when  he  was  thrown  against  a  log  and  his  body  ter- 


ribly mangled.  He  was  a  good  Republican  and  an 
ardent  patriot,  having  joined  with  enthusiasm  in  the 
100-day  service  during  the  war. 


«\«ac2;(Si@» 


K4— »^^!<aOT»v 


K.  Byers  is  Postmaster  of  Altona,  Notary 
Public,  attorney  at  law,  real  estate  and  in- 
\i.?^^  surance  agent.  Mr.  Byers  came  to  Altona 
iQ^  in  187 1,  Irom  Oneida,  where  he  had  lived  for 
two  and  a  half  years  as  law  student  and  teacher 
acting  the  while  as  clerk  for  his  legal  instruct- 
ors, G.  W.  Ford  and  Gen.  F.  C.  Smith,  the  latter  of 
whom  was  United  States  Assessor.  While  at  Oneida 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  March  9,  1869,  but  for 
some  time  thereafter  gave  his  time  to  the  profession 
of  teaching  in  the  public  schools,  being  employed  till 
the  year  187 1,  when  he  came  to  Altona  and  entered 
the  regular  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he  has 
since  pursued. 

Mr.  Byers  has  been  Village  Attorney  for  about 
ten  years,  Police  Magistrate,  Township  Treasurer 
and  Clerk,  and  has  held  nearly  all  the  local  offices 
of  both  village  and  township.  This  he  has  done 
notwithstanding  he  is  a  member  of  the  Democratic 
party,  which  is  very  decidedly  in  the  minority  in  his 
section  of  the  country.  But  such  is  the  esteem  in 
which  he  is  held  by  all  parties,  and  such  is  the  con- 
fidence of  the  people  in  his  ability  and  integrity,  that 
all  shades  of  political  sentiment  and  differences  of 
opinion  were  forgotten  in  the  voting  for  and  election 
of  Mr.  Byers  to  the  various  positions  of  trust  which 
he  has  so  acceptably  filled  in  his  home  community. 
He  has  always  taken  an  active  and  leading  part  in 
the  temperance  work  in  the  community.  His  party 
twice  nominated  him  as  their  candidate  for  County 
Treasurer,  in  which  he  was  defeated  by  a  greatly  re- 
duced majority  in  a  county  largely  against  him  in 
political  sentiment.  Like  every  intelligent  man  and 
good  citizen  he  takes  a  lively  interest  in  politics,  an 
interest  surpassed  by  no  man  in  the  county,  and  has 
been  Secretary  of  the  Democratic  County  Central 
Committee  for  ten  years,  still  holding  the  position 
acceptably,  as  all  other  |X)sitions  he  has  filled,  com- 
manding even  the  respect  of  his  political  opixinents 
by  fairness  and  courtesy  to  all.     He  has  been   an 


.^ 


^ 


594 


/[■NOX  COUNTY. 


4-> 


active  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  for  many 
years,  holding  the  position  of  Master  of  Altona 
Lodge. 

Mr.  Byers  was  born  in  Winchester,  Conn.,  Feb. 
12,  1845,  and  before  he  was  one  year  old  his  parents 
came  to  Milton  Township,  Jackson  Co.,  Ohio,  where 
they  resided  many  years.  He  was  the  eldest  but 
two  of  nine  children — five  sons  and  four  daughters. 
His  father,  James  Byers,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut 
and  of  Scotch  and  German  descent.  He  tilled  a 
a  farm,  but  was  by  trade  a  cabinet-maker.  He  was 
married  in  Litchfield  County,  Conn.,  near  Winches- 
ter, to  Sarah  Knox,  eldest  daughter  of  Levi  Knox,  for 
whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  named.  Her 
parents  were  of  Scotch  descent  and  she  was  a  native 
of  the  State  of  Delaware.  When  the  family  came  to 
Ohio  the  father  began  farming,  working  as  oppor- 
tunity afforded  at  his  trade,  cabinet-making,  bringing 
with  him  to  the  West  his  New  England  habits  of  in- 
dustry and  frugality.  Prospering  thus  in  Ohio,  the 
golden  promises  and  better  opportnnities  of  the  fer- 
tile regions  further  west  beckoned  them  forward,  and 
in  1862  the  family  came  to  Clover  Township,  Henry 
^  Co.,  111.,  and  settled  on  land  near  Woodhuli,  pur- 
chased some  years  before  moving  to  the  State.  This 
land  was  all  new  and  untouched  by  the  plow,  but, 
''  under  the  industrious  and  intelligent  direction  and 
labor  of  the  father  and  his  sons,  improvements  were 
rapidly  made,  till  it  was  transformed  into  a  beautiful 
farm.  He  afterward  bought  and  sold  land  in  Henry 
County  for  some  years,  and  died  Aug.  3,  1874,  the 
widowed  wife  and  mother  following  him  March  7, 
1883,  both  passing  away  ripe  in  years,  aged  respect- 
ively 64  and  66,  their  lives  and  memories  crowned 
by  the  grateful  affection  of  loving  children  and  the 
respect  of  all  who  knew  them.  The  father's  death 
resulted  from  a  kick  by  a  vicious  colt.  He  was  an 
old-line  Whig  and  had  held  most  all  of  the  local 
offices  of  his  township,  which  he  filled  with  credit 
and  satisfaction  to  all.  The  mother  was  an  active 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  having 
united  with  that  organization  when  ig  years  of  age. 
She  was  a  devoted  Christian  mother  and  died  in 
hopes  of  a  heavenly  reward. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  while  at  liome  on  his 
father's  farm,  was  not  neglectful  of  mental  improve- 
ment, and  at  the  early  age  of  18  years  had  mastered 
the  common   English  branches  and  began  teachmg 


school,  in  which  he  was  successfully  occupied  for 
several  years.  He  entered  Knox  College,  at  Gales- 
burg,  111.,  where  he  remained  four  years,  but,  not  ' 
being  desirous  of  graduating,  quit  school  in  the  first 
term  of  the  Junior  year.  Mr.  Byers  make  his  own 
way  in  college,  without  any  pecuniary  aid  whatever, 
and  bore  his  expenses  by  teaching  school  and  work- 
ing on  the  farm  during  vacation.  He  improved  his 
spare  time  reading  Blackstone  and  other  elementary 
works  on  law.  So  well  did  he  improve  his  time  that 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  the  Illinois  Supreme 
Court  after  a  course  of  six  months'  reading  under  an 
instructor. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1876,  centennial  of  American 
independence,  Mr.  Byers  surrendered  his  bachelor 
freedom  and  the  silken  cords  of  Cupid  were  woven 
about  him  for  life,  marrying  in  East  Brady,  Pa., 
Miss  Jennie  Foster,  a  native  of  that  place.  She  was 
born  there  Oct  9,  1853.  Her  mother,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Jane  Glenn,  was  from  Butler  County,  the 
same  State,  and  she  closed  her  earthly  career  in 
Armstrong  County,  Pa.  She  was  of  Scotch-Irish 
blood  and  died  when  the  present  Mrs.  Byers  was 
two  months  old.  The  father,  C.  Foster,  one  of  the^ 
oldest  settlers  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  lived  and 
died  in  the  same  county  and  tenderly  cared  for  his 
motherless  child  until  her  marriage.  Mrs.  Byers  is  * 
now  the  mother  of  three  bright  children — Herbert  F., 
born  May  20,  1877;  Lena  R.,  Oct.  29,  1879;  and 
Candace  T.,  June  26,  1881.  Having  received  a 
good  academic  education  at  West  Sunbury  Academy, 
she,  too,  made  good  application  of  her  talents,  teach- 
ing school,  thus,  like  many  other  noble  wives  and 
mothers  of  the  land,  wisely  being  fitted  for  the  still 
higher  duties  which  were  to  devolve  upon  her,  and 
which  she  now  performs  with  such  grace  and  good- 
ness. She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
of  which  her  husband  is  Trustee  and  Treasurer. 

Through  his  wife  Mr.  Byers  has  an  interest  in  a 
large  tract  of  land,  on  which  is  a  valuable  natural- 
gas  spring,  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa.,  on  which  also 
is  a  lampblack  factory,  which  yields  about  500 
pounds  of  lampblack  per  day.  In  addition  to  this 
he  owns  several  houses  in  Altona,  111.,  and  140  acres 
of  land  near  Woodhuli,  Henry  Co.,  111.  Success  has 
followed  him — the  just  reward  of  industry  and  in- 
tegrity— and  while  yet  a  young  man  he  has  attained 
a  position  reached  by  few  in  a  lifetime,  while  we  may 


'^1 


^ 


■t-l^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


595 


confidently  trust  that  he  has  yet  many  years  before 
him  in  which  to  care  for  his  family  and  serve  the 
community  and  State. 


^Ider  Joseph  Latimer  (deceased).  This 
gentleman  has  the  honor  of  being  the 
founder  of  the  Latimer  family  in  Knox 
County,  Illinois.  It  is  almost  needless  to  add 
that  a  splendid  line  of  stanch  men  and  good 
citizens  are  numbered  among  the  Latimers. 
Elder  Joseph  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  was 
born  seven  miles  from  New  London,  June  8,  1766. 
Previous  to  his  death  he  often  related  his  recollection 
of  distinctly  seeing  the  smoke  at  the  burning  of  that 
town  by  the  traitor  Arnold.  There  were  many  other 
events  of  moment  connected  with  the  Revolutionary 
War,  of  which  this  gentleman  had  a  distinct  remem- 
brance, among  them  the  casting  overboard  of  tea  in 
Boston  Harbor,  necessitating  ih;  use  of  Yankee 
tea.  His  father  was  a  Colonel  in  the  War  of  Inde- 
pendence, and  his  twelve  sons  in  their  turn  served 
under  their  parent's  command — one  of  the  most  re- 
markable events  of  family  history  on  record.  The 
gentleman  under  consideration  came  with  his  father's 
family  to  Tennessee  in  1790,  and  took  an  active  part 
in  several  of  the  battles  fought  by  the  Indians  in 
the  vicinity  of  Nashville,  as  well  as  on  the  Cumber- 
land River,  east  of  that  city.  In  one  of  these  battles 
his  drinking  cup  was  shot  from  his  shoulder,  and 
in  another  his  younger  brother,  Nathaniel,  was 
killed  by  his  side.  Not  long  after  the  suspension  ol 
Indian  hostilities,  Nov.  10,  1796.  he  was  married  to 
Anna  Dobbins,  and  settled  in  Robinson  County. 

In  the  ver)'  memorable  revival  of  that  year  both 
he  and  his  wife  e.xpeiienced  religion,  and  when  the 
Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  they 
were  among  its  earliest  members.  He  was  early  or- 
dained an  Elder,  and  became  an  active  supporter  of 
that  church.  His  sympathies  therewith  remained 
undiminished  to  the  date  of  his  death.  In  company 
with  his  family  he  emigrated  to  Sangamon  County, 
III.,  in  1826,  and  in  1831,  with  a  part  of  his  family, 
moved  to  Knox  County  and  settled  in  Cherry  Grove, 
where  the  remainder  of  his  children  soon  followed 
him.  This  district  was  then  almost  entirely  unsettled. 
The  marriage  of  his  daughter  Susan  to  U.  D.  Coy, 


in  1833,  was  the  first  marriage  in  Cedar  Township, 
and  his  son  David,  who  died  in  t836,  was  the  second 
person  buried  in  Cherrj'  Grove  Cemeterj-. 

While  still  quite  advanced  in  years  he  superin- 
tended the  building  of  a  very  comfortable  home, 
aside  from  acquiring  valuable  property.  He  lived  to 
see  seven  of  his  ten  children  prosperously  settled 
around  him.  In  organizing  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church  at  Cherry  Grove,  which  was  the  first 
church  building  in  Knox  County,  the  aid  he  ren- 
dered to  the  project  was  noticeable  to  everyone.  The 
building  of  the  structure  had  his  constant  attention. 
This  was  ten  years  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred 
at  his  home,  Aug.  18,   1846. 

Personally,  Elder  Joseph  Latimer  was  a  man  of 
ardent  religious  sentiment,  and  remarkable  for  his 
quiet,  peaceable  and  patient  disposition.  He  lived 
to  enjoy  the  friendship  of  a  large  circle  of  admirers, 
and  it  has  been  said  that  he  had  not  an  enemy  in  the 
world.  His  descendants  throughout  Knox  County 
are  very  numerous,  and  are  very  likely  to  impress 
their  influence  on  the  coming  generations. 

""         eter  M.  Cronland,  one  of  the  leading  gro- 
cers  of  Altona,  was    born  in    Smalandia, 
Sweden,  April  26,  1840.      His  father,  J.  P. 
^  Cronland,   was   a    farmer  by  occupation  and 
died  in  his  native  land.     His  mother,  M.  E. 


I 


r 

Aim,  also  of  the  same  part  of  the  old  country, 
after  the  death  of  her  husband  came  to  the  United 
States,  in  1867,  her  son  having  preceded  herthe  pre- 
vious year.  Three  years  later  she  went  to  Denver, 
Colo.,  where  she  now  resides.  After  living  in.  Knox 
County  three  years,  Peter,  in  1867,  went  to  Bland- 
insville,  McDonough  Co.,  and  in  1S68  to  Henry 
County,  wliere  he  pursued  the  calling  of  a  farmer  for 
one  year  in  Clover  Township.  He  next  came  to  On- 
tario Township,  Knox  Co.,  and  two  years  later 
located  near  Oneida,  where  he  farmed  for  three  years. 
In  1874  he  visited  Sweden,  returning  a  year  later  to 
America  and  making  a  brief  stay  at  Galesburg. 
From  that  city,  in  1876,  he  came  to  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  where  he  purchased  1 20  acres  of  improved 
land,  a  part  of  section  19,  which  he  worked  till  1883, 
when  he  came  to  Altona,  and  there  established  the 
present  mercantile  house,  where  he  has  since  done  a 
good  business. 

Mr.    Cronland    was  married    March   15,  1870,  in 


-H- 


4-<^ 


596 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Galesburg,  to  Johanna  Nelson,  who  was  born  in  Swe- 
den, where  her  parents  yet  live,  her  father  being  a 
country  merchant,  and  where  Mrs.  C.  was  educated. 
She  came  to  the  United  States  at  the  same  time  as 
her  husband.  The  latter  resided  with  his  father  till 
of  age,  having  been  educated  in  the  Forest  Institute, 
of  Joenkoeping,  and  from  which  he  graduated  in  1863. 
He  afterward  occupied  the  position  as  overseer  of  an 
agricultural  boarding-school,  in  which  he  continued 
till  1866,  when  he  emigrated  to  America. 

Mr.  Cronland's  family  includes  three  children — 
Edah  Olive,  Augusta  Caroline  and  Arthur  B.,  one 
child,  Edwin  E.,  being  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C. 
are  both  active  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
of  which  he  is  Secretary.  He  has  held  the  office  of 
Village  Trustee  for  two  years,  and  is,  in  politics,  a 
Republican.  Strictly  upright  in  all  the  relations  of 
life,  possessing  a  character  built  upon  the  enduring 
truth  of  religion,  and  evading  no  duty  or  obligation 
devolving  upon  him  as  a  member  of  society,  Mr.  C. 
is  an  example  of  that  kind  of  citizenship  most 
needed  in  the  country,  and  most  useful  to  a  com- 
munity whose  confidence  he  has  both  in  business 
and  as  a  neighbor. 

-€-*-^- — ^ 

l^amuel  K.  Barlow,  a  successful  farmer,  re- 
siding on  section  13,  Lynn  Township, 
where  he  owns  a  good  farm  of  128  acres  of 
rich  and  productive  land,  was  born  in  Lynn 
Township,  April  13,  1846.  Mr.  Barlow,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  raising  of  the  cereals,  is  engaged 
to  no  inconsiderable  extent  in  stock-breeding,  and  in 
the  latter  department  of  his  vocation  is  meeting  with 
excellent  success. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Nathan  Barlow,  de- 
ceased, was  an  early  settler  in  this  county,  and  ex- 
perienced all  the  trials  incident  to  the  establishment 
of  a  home  and  the  cultivation  of  a  farm  in  a  new  and 
sparsely-settled  country.  Samuel  Barlow  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  lived  at  home,  assist- 
ing in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm,  until  his  marriage. 
That  event  occurred  at  the  residence  of  the  bride's 
parents  Nov.  27,  1865,  in  Lynn  Township,  and  the 
lady  of  his  choice  was  Miss  Lavina  E.  Gross, 
daughter  of  Freeman  Gross,  whose  biography  is  given 
elsewhere  in  this  work.     Mrs.  Barlow  was  born  in 


Fredericksburg,  Pa.,  June  23,  1845.  She  was  the 
oldest  but  one  of  her  mother's  children,  and  the  old- 
est of  two  now  living.  Mrs.  Barlow  was  educated 
after  the  removal  of  her  parents  to  Lynn  Township, 
being  at  that  time  but  nine  years  of  age,  and  lived 
with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  She  has  borne 
her  husband  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased. The  living  are  Fannie  L.,  born  Feb.  12,  1868; 
Freeman  S.,  Aug.  i,  1872;  MoUie  L.,  Jan.  28,  1874; 
and  Blanche  G.,  Aug.  5,  1880. 

After  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barlow  they 
settled  on  the  farm  where  they  are  now  living,  and 
since  that  time  Mr.  B.  has  made  wonderful  improve- 
ments on  the  place,  and  now  has  a  good  and  pro- 
ductive farm.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  In  politics  Mr.  B.  is  a  Democrat. 
Their  children  who  have  passed  to  the  land  beyond 
were  Helen  L.,  aged  14  years;  Jessie  M.,  aged  4 
years;  Freddie  G.,  i  year;  and  an  infant  son. 


ll^eorge  E.  Challman.  This  gentleman  is  an 
extensive  land-owner  and  a  prominent 
farmer  in  his  neighborhood,  now  retired 
His  residence  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  and  is 
located  on  his  beautifully  improved  farm  of  400 
acres,  on  section  35,  of  Walnut  Gtove  Township. 
He  was  born  in  Helsingland,  Sweden,  Dec.  22,  1825. 
His  father  and  mother  were  both  natives  of  the  same 
Province.  In  Helsingland  the  art  of  farm  laboring 
was  well  understood  and  thoroughly  practiced. 
There  were  four  children  to  this  union,  born  in  Swe- 
den. The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest. 
The  family  subsequently  came  to  this  country  in 
1846,  with  the  Johnson  Colony,  which  took  up  its 
abode  at  Bishop  Hill,  Henry  Co.,  111.  Early  in  the 
winter  of  1846,  the  parents  and  children  who  had 
come  over  surrendered  their  faith  in  Johnson,  and 
left  the  colony,  coming  soon  afterward  to  Knox 
County.  Here  his  parents  died.  On  the  landing  of 
his  people  in  the  United  States,  Mr.  Challman  had 
attained  to  his  majority  and  worked  for  a  while  on 
a  farm  until  in  1855,  when  he  made  his  first  pur- 
chase of  land  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  The  new, 
unbroken  land  which  he  purchased  consisted  of  80 
acres,  which  he  rapidly  changed  into  prime  soil,  hav- 
ing lived  on  the  same  20  years.     From  time  to  time 


-?G^   from  active  labor. 


LA^ 


\ 


a-- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


S97 


he  has  purchased  other  land  and  is  now  the  ix)ssess- 
or  of  a  beautiful  home.  He  has  been  among  the 
most  successful  farmers  in  the  county. 

On  April  21,  1854,  Mr.  Challman  was  married  at 
Knoxville,  111.,  to  Miss  Anna  Linn.  This  lady  is  a 
native  of  Sweden,  and  came  to  this  country  with  her 
parents  in  connection  with  the  Johnson  party.  After 
the  arrival  of  the  colony  in  New  York,  Mrs.  Linn, 
the  mother  of  Mrs.  Challraan,  died,  and  the  father 
returned  to  Sweden,  renouncing  his  faith  in  the 
Prophet  Johnson;  this  gentleman  is  still  living.  Mrs. 
C.  is  the  mother  of  four  children,  one  of  whom  died 
at  the  age  of  13  years.  Those  living  are:  Rosea 
A.,  wife  of  G.  W.  Robbins,  who  resides  on  a  farm  in 
Copley  Township;  ne.\t  are  Nancy  Elizabeth  and 
Hester  M.,  both  educated  ladies,  and  now  residing 
at  home.  Mrs.  C.  is  a  member  of  the  Swedish  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  which  institution  all  the 
family  attend.  Mr.  C.  fills  the  post  of  Road  Com- 
missioner, an  office  which  he  has  held  for  some  time. 
In  politics  he  is  a  prominent  Republican,  a  fact 
generally  recognized  in  his  community. 


■  else  L.  Anderson,  a  farmer  and  dealer  in 
hardware  and  general  merchandise  at  Al- 
tona,  establisiied  himself  in  business  Nov. 
9,  1885,  succeeding  R.  H.  Arnold.  He  was 
born  in  Sweden,  Oct.  26,  1849,  coming  to 
America  in  1856,  stopping  first  in  Warren 
County  the  same  year,  and  afterward  making  his 
first  purchase  of  land — 160  acres — in  Ontario  Town- 
ship, in  this  county,  residing  on  and  farming  this 
successfully ;  later  he  bought  80  acres  in  Clover 
Township,  Henry  County,  and  another  quarter-sec- 
tion in  Ontario  Townsliip.  He  afterward  sold  his 
Henry  County  land,  still  owning  the  half-section  in 
Ontario  Township,  all  well  improved.  His  success 
as  a  farmer  is  rarely  e.xcelled,  and  his  business  has 
always  been  on  the  increase.  His  new  venture  in 
the  mercantile  line  starts  out  with  every  promise  of 
meeting  his  e.xpectations,  and  his  fine  business  train- 
ing, industry,  worth  and  reliability,  and  usefulness  as 
acitizen  and  business  man  to  the  community,  are  sure 
to  meet  just  reward  in  the  generous  custom  and 
patronage  of  a  liberal  people.  His  establishment  is 
the  most  extensive  of  its  kind  in  the  village,  and  has 


attached  to  it  for  public  convenience  a  good  tinshop, 
largely  increasing  the  value  of  the  property  and  bus- 
iness. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  the  autumn  of  1867, 
to  Miss  Lindell,  a  native  of  Galesburg,  where  she 
was  born,  and  was  reared  in  Knox  County,  her  father 
being  a  farmer.  She  is  now  the  mother  of  six  happy 
children,  whose  excellent  training  under  wise  dis- 
cipline and  in  the  fine  public  school  there  make 
them  a  credit  to  the  household  and  to  the  community. 
There  names  are  Emma  I.,  Arthur  A.,  William  L., 
Hannah  O.,  Edna  T.  and  Eva  F.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  A.  are  members  of  the  Swedish  Church,  whose 
doctrines  they  adorn  in  their  daily  lives  and  honestly 
practice  with  their  neighbors,  by  whom  they  are  uni- 
versally esteemed,  for  they  follow  and  practice  that 
best  of  all  laws,  the  Golden  Rule. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Anderson  is  an  intelligent  Repub- 
lican, but,  knowing  and  appreciating  the  value  of 
liberty,  asserts  and  maintains  for  all  the  right  to  per- 
fect freedom  of  opinion  and  personal  political  action. 
Since  coming  to  Illinois  from  a  distant  land,  ac- 
quainted only  with  a  language  foreign  to  the  country, 
his  success  and  prosperity  have  been  remarkable,  an  |< 
evidence  of  that  stubborn  pluck,  steady  industry  and 
unyielding  perseverance  for  which  the  people  of 
Sweden  are  so  famous.  Yet  young  in  years,  he  still 
has  a  bright  future  before  him,  and  still  greater  suc- 
cesses await  him,  in  which  to  exemplify  to  younger 
men  what  the  best  qualities  and  best  habits  can  ac- 
complish. All  his  many  friends  will  watch  his  ad- 
vancement with  pleasure  and  bid  him  God-speed  in 
the  iionorable  career  he  has  chosen. 


\t  saac  Cramer.  This  county  has  a  large  class 
of  citizens  represented  in  the  agricultural 
interests  of  the  county,  who  started  in  life 
with  nothing,  but  who  through  laborious  toil, 
together  with  fair  and  honoralile  dealing,  have 
made  a  success  in  life,  and  to-day  have  fine 
farms  as  the  result  of  their  labor  and  energy.  Among 
tlie  number  referred  to,  and  a  gentleman  respected 
and  honored  for  his  sterling  worth  and  integrity,  is  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  notice,  who  is  industriously 
engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his  vocation  on  section 
27,  Orange  Township. 

Mr.  Cramer  was  born  in  Clermont  Co.,  Ohio,  Sept. 


^ 


X 


598 


.V. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


13,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of  Joseph  and  Ehzabeth 
(Binkley)  Cramer.  He  first  came  to  this  State  in 
1857,  and  staid  one  summer,  when  he  returned  to 
the  Bucke)'e  State,  and  was  there  variously  occupied 
until  1862.  During  that  year  he  disposed  of  his  in- 
terest in  that  State,  when  he  removed  to  this  county 
and  here  rented  land  and  followed  farming  until 
1870.  He  then  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  is 
at  present  residing,  the  same  consisting  of  130  acres, 
78  acres  being  located  on  section  27,  and  60  acres  on 
section  34,  Orange  Township.  On  this  land  he  located 
with  his  family,  and  has  there  been  actively  engaged 
in  its  improvement  and  cultivation  until  the  present 
time,  meeting  with  success,  which  was  brought  about 
by  his  own  perseverance  and  the  active  co-operation 
of  his  good  helpmeet. 

Miss  iVIartha  Matlier  became  the  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject Sept.  20,  1865.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Isaac  and 
Mary  A.  (Fortner)  Mather  (see  si^etch),  born  Sept.  7, 
1845.  The  household  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 
three  children — Edvvni,born  Dec.  13,  1867  ;  Torence, 
Sept.  18,  1869;  and  Frank,  March  29,  1879. 

Mr.  Cramer,  of  this  notice,  was  a  soldier  in  the  late 
war,  having  enlisted  for  three  months  in  the  2d  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf.,  April  23,  1861.  He  received  an  honorable 
discharge  August  19,  of  that  year.  The  most  of  the 
time  during  his  service  he  was  engaged  in  guarding 
railroad  bridges.  After  his  discharge  he  again  en- 
listed in  the  same  fall  in  the  23d  Ohio  Vol.  Inf ,  but 
was  not  permitted  to  fight  for  the  flag  he  loved,  on  ac- 
count of  physical  disability,  the  Examining  Surgeon 
rejecting  him  as  having  weak  lungs.  Our  subject  has 
a  good,  comfortable  frame  dwelling  on  his  farm  and 
one  of  the  best  barns  in  this  township,  together  with 
all  necessary  out-buildings  for  the  prosecution  of  his 
calling  on  his  fine  and  productive  farm.  In  politics 
he  votes  for  the  Republican  i)arty,  and  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  the  agricultural  class  in  his  town- 
ship. 


feamuel  D.  Johnson,'one  of  Knox  County's 
prominent  and  successful  agriculturists,  re- 
sides upon  his  finely  cultivated  farm  of  175 
acres,  located  on  section   27,  Maquon  Town- 
ship.    In    political    faith    he    adheres    to  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party,  with  which 
body  he  also  casts  his  vote.      The  gentleman  whose 


nail  e  heads  this  biographical  notice  came  to  Knox 
County  in  r85i;,  from  Clinton  County,  Ohio.  He 
passed  his  early  life  until  the  age  of  nine  years  in  the 
village  of  Cuba,  Ohio,  and  after  emigrating  to  Knox 
County  lived  on  a  farm  in  Chestnut  Township  for  a 
period  of  r6  years,  since  which  time  he  has  lived  in 
Maquon  Township.  His  first  purchase  in  Knox 
County  consisted  of  80  acres  in  the  township  last 
named,  which  he  afterward  disposed  of.  In  the 
winter  of  1879  he  located  on  section  27,  his  present 
home,  purchasing  150  acres  of  land.  He  is  now  the 
proprietor  of  175  acres,  the  greater  part  of  which  is 
not  tillable. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ohio, 
April  20,  1846.  His  parents  were  by  name  S.  D.  and 
Annie  E.  Johnson.  Tliey  both  lived  and  died  in 
Ohio.  Mr.  Johnson  of  this  sketch  was  married  at 
Knoxville,  March  4,  1871,  the  lady  of  his  choice 
being  Mary  L.,  the  intelligent  daughter  of  William 
G.  and  Elizabeth  (Rea)  Taylor,  who  were  natives  of 
New  Jersey.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Johnson  came  to 
Knox  County  in  1853,  and  settled  in  Maquon  Town- 
ship, afterward  removing  to  Farmington,  Fulton  Co., 
111.,  in  the  spring  of  1885.  Mrs.  J.  was  born  in  New 
Jersey,  May  8,  1846,  and  since  her  marriage  to  Mr. 
Johnson  has  become  the  mother  of  eight  interesting 
children,  byname  as  follows :  Benjamin  F.,  Annie  • 
E.,  Flora  B.,  Katie  C,  Abby,  Julia  E.,  Fannie  and 
Earl  T.  Mr.  Johnson  is  one  of  the  solid  and  sub- 
stantial men  in  Knox  County. 


--f=i^i 


i4— 


||[  euben  Baily,  M.  D.  It  is  a  fact  very 
widely  acknowledged,  that  apart  from  the 
professional  confidence  placed  in  this  gen- 
tleman while  practiciing  as  a  physician,  he  has 
attracted  about  liim  during  many  years  of  social 
intercourse  a  community  of  solid  friends  that 
few  gentlemen  can  boast  of.  Professionally  he  was 
deemed  one  of  the  most  expert  doctors  of  his  day,  as 
can  be  testified  to  by  many  who  have  encountered 
him  in  years  past. 

Dr.  Baily  was  born  at  Uniontorfn,  Pa.,  Sept.  14, 
18 16,  and  was  the  son  of  Silas  and  Mary  (Harlen) 
Baily,  both  natives  of  Maryland.  The  father  was  a 
teacher  by  profession  and  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Society   of   Friends.     The    gentleman    whose   name 


i^ 


UL=: 


•H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


599 


if 


heads  this  sketch  was  but  three  years  old  at  the 
death  of  his  father,  the  mother  being  left  with  nine 
children.  With  true  motherly  devotion  she  suc- 
ceeded in  keeping  the  family  together  for  several 
years,  when,  each  one  reaching  man  and  womanhood, 
they  went  their  several  ways  to  face  fortune  in  her 
varying  forms.  The  subject  of  our  sketch  for  some 
time  attended  .Madison  College  in  Uniontown,  after 
quitting  which  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits 
for  one  year.  Discovering  the  fact  that  his  talents 
were  not  destined  for  this  department  of  life,  he 
abandoned  farming  in  i84r,  and  removed  to  Sidney, 
Ohio,  where  he  engaged  at  once  in  mercantile  trade, 
in  which  he  was  not  wholly  successful. 

At  this  iJeriod,  encountering  several  friends,   and 
induced  by  their  persuasion  to  commence  reading  for 
the  medical    profession,   he    first   joined  Dr.   H.  C. 
Conklin,  of  Sidney,  and  studied  there  two  years,  at- 
tending later  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  Cincinnati 
Medical  College.     Returning  to  Sidney,  he  finished 
I  his  course  of  study  and  commenced  the  practice  of 
i   medicine  at  that   place,  remaining  there  until  1847, 
•  when  he  came  to  Knox  County  and  located  at  Knox- 
I  ville. 

In  1852  he  attended  medical  lectures  at  St.  Lx)uis 
I  and   finally   graduated  from   the    Missouri    Medical 
College,  and  resumed   practice  at   Knoxville.     Here 
he  has  continued  since  that  date. 

In  the  year  1839  he  married  Elizabeth  More- 
land,  a  lady  of  great  kindness  of  heart  and  many  at- 
tainments. She  was  born  in  Unioniown,  Pa.,  on  the 
ist  of  August,  1817,  and  to  this  marriage  there  were 
three  children  born — Henry  C,  who  resides  in  Win- 
field,  Cooley  Co.,  Kan.,  and  is  a  dentist  by  profes- 
sion ;  George,  who  lives  at  home ;  and  Ellen,  wife  of 
Cyrus  N.  Carson,  residing  in  Knoxville. 

In  politics  Dr.  Baily  was  of  the  old  Whig  school, 
but  in  recent  years  has  become  a  Republican  in  prin- 
ciple and  practice.  Though  not  figuring  in  the  field 
of  politics  ostentatiously,  he  jxjssesses  a  quiet  and 
deep-seated  influence  with  his  party.  Only  a  few 
years  have  elapsed  since  his  retirement  from  the 
medical  profession,  and  he  now  lives  in  comparative 
ease,  enjoying  the  fruits  of  a  well-spent  life.  In  the 
year  1875  he  eng.iged  in  a  trip  to  California,  and  pur- 
chased about  that  date  a  stock-ranch  in  Texas,  in 
which  he  still  holds  a  large  interest. 

The  Doctor  is  remarkable  for  his  wide  range  of 
reading  and  keeps  well  posted  in  all  important  topics 


occupying  the  attention  of  the  political  world.  As  a 
conversationalist  he  is  remarable  for  his  suavity  of 
manner,  and  is  always  careful  to  select  such  subjects 
as  are  not  only  enlightening  but  pleasing  in  their 
nature. 

reeman  Gross.  Prominent  among  those 
who  have  achieved  success  in  agricultural 
^  pursuits,  and  which  success  has  been 
attained  through  their  own  individual  efTort, 
energy  and  perseverance,  coupled  with  econ- 
omy and  the  active  co-operation  of  their  good 
helpmeets  and  children,  is  he  whose  brief  biograph- 
ical sketch  we  write.  Freeman  Gross  is  one  of  the 
highly  respected  and  well-to-do  fanners  of  this 
county.  Coming  here  in  1856,  he  has  made  Lynn 
Township  his  home  ever  since,  and  has  there  been 
continuously  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
chosen  vocation,  agriculture,  and  there  may  be  found 
at  this  writing,  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  17. 

Mr.  Gross  was  born  in  Cortland  County,  N.  Y., 
Feb.  13,  1817.  His  father.  Freeman  Gross,  Sr.,  was  ><| 
likewise  a  farmer  and  a  son  of  Jabez  Gross,  who 
sailed  from  England  with  Gen.  Wolfe  for  the  United 
States,  and  who  afterward  fought  under  that  General 
at  the  Heights  of  Abraham  in  the  French  and 
English  War  of  1765.  Jabee  was  all  through  that 
campaign  and  escaped  both  injury  and  imprison- 
ment. It  was  from  Jabez  and  his  brother  Thomas 
that  the  Gross  family  throughout  the  United  Slates 
are  descended.  The  latter,  Thomas,  in  the  genealogy 
of  the  family  was  lost  sight  of,  and  it  is  not  known 
what  became  of  him  ;  both  Jabez  and  Thomas  were 
born  in  Holland,  and  went  to  England  just  prior  to 
coming  to  the  United  States.  Jabez  was  married 
after  he  came  to  this  country,  to  Dorothea  Ellis,  a 
lady  of  French  parentage.  For  several  years  after 
his  marriage  Jabez  followed  the  sea  as  a  whaler, 
and  later  settled  at  Cape  Cod,  whence  he  went  with 
his  family  to  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  there  lived  until  his  death.  Of 
his  union  with  Miss  Ellis  12  children  were  born,  of 
whom  the  father  of  our  subject  was  the  youngest 
and  was  reared  to  the  callings  of  both  farmer  and 
cooper  and  married  in  Otsego  County.  After  his 
marriage  he  moved  to  Cortland  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
followed  the  cooper's  trade  a  portion  of  his  life.     He 


t-^ 


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6oo 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  his  wife  both  died  in  Cortland  County,  after  hav- 
ing passed  an  honorable,  active  and  successful  life 
within  its  borders. 

Freeman  Gross  is  the  fifth  child  and  third  son  of 
a  family  of  12  children,  eight  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters, two  of  the  former  and  all  of  the  latter  being 
deceased :  Rev.  Alba  Gross  is  living  in  Springfield, 
111.,  having  retired  from  a  life  of  active  ministerial 
labor.  Minerva  Gross  married  a  Mr.  Cook,  who  is 
living  in  Cortland  County,  N.  Y. ;  she  died  in  Jan- 
uary, 1886.  John  C.  Gross  is  a  resident  of  Chicago, 
a  married  man  and  living  in  retirement;  Orrin  M. 
Gross  is  married  and  resides  in  Kansas;  Perry  D. 
is  a  farmer  in  Broome  County,  N.  Y.,  and  is  the  head 
of  a  family;  Van  Buren  Gross  lives  in  Tompkins 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  manufacturer  of  cooperware. 
The  deceased  children  of  the  parents  of  our  subject 
are  Laura,  Maranda,  Susie  A.,  Henry  D.,  Sallie  A. 
and  Minerva.  Maranda  and  Susie  A.  were  both 
wives  of  John  Tarble,  a  farmer  of  prominence  of 

(Cortland  County,  N.  Y. 
Freeman  Gross  was  educated  in  his  native  county 
,in  the  common  schools,  and  assisted  in  the  labors  of 
I  the  farm  and  was  there  resident  until  1840.  During 
I  that  year  he  went  to  Lebanon  County,  Pa.,  where 
.[  he  was  occupied  in  teaching  for  16  years.  While  a 
resident  of  that  county  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  A.  Wagner,  the  date  of  their  nup- 
tials being  Aug.  25,  1842.  She  was  the  oldest  child 
and  an  accomplished  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Lydia 
(Desh)  Wagner,  and  was  born  in  Lebanon  County, 
Pa.,  July  13,  1825.  Her  parents  were  born,  reared, 
lived  and  died  in  that  county.  They  were  both  of  pure 
German  descent.  The  father  had  secured  a  large 
property  prior  to  his  demise,  which  event  took  place 
in  1868;  the  mother  yet  survives  and  has  attained 
the  venerable  age  of  80  years,  and  is  a  resident  of 
Lebanon  County,  Pa.  They  were  earnest  Christians 
and  lived  profitable  and  honored  lives.  Mrs.  Gross 
was  the  elder  of  two  children  born  to  her  parents, 
the  younger  being  Sallie,  wido.v  of  William  Gelbach, 
who  was  a  merchant  and  resident  of  Lebanon  County, 
Pa.  Mrs.  Gross  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage. She  is  a  lady  of  superior  attainments,  is  an 
extensive  reader  and  talks  fluently  on  all  matters  of 
general  and  current  news,  as  well  as  on  politics  and 
religion.  She  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  one 
of  whom  is  deceased — Clinton,  who  departed  this 


life  at  the  age  of  15  years  ;  Lavinia,  the  wife  of  Sam- 
uel Barlow,  a  practical  and  successful  farmer  of 
Lynn  Township,  and  the  mother  of  eight  children, 
four  living  and  four  deceased;  Mamie  married 
Manuel  Erickson,  and  they  reside  in  Galva,  where 
Mr.  E.  is  employed  as  assistant  cashier  in  L.  M. 
Yocum  &  Co.'s  Bank. 

After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gross  continued  to 
reside  in  Lebanon  County  until  1856.  During  that 
year  they  came  to  this  State  and  for  one  year  re- 
sided in  Galva.  In  1857  they  moved  to  this  county 
and  made  settlement  in  Lynn  Township  on  section 
17.  At  this  writing  Mr.  Gross  is  the  proprietor  of  a 
fine  farm  for  200  acres  of  good  and  productive  land, 
on  which  are  located  substantial  improvements.  He 
also  owns  32  acres  of  land,  which  he  holds  as  a  be- 
quest for  his  daughter.  In  Galva  he  has  an  improved 
lot,  and  it  is  his  intention  to  soon  remove  there  and 
retire  from  the  active  labors  of  the  farm.  He  is  a 
believer  in  the  Unitarian  doctrine  and  his  wife  in 
the  Baptist.  All  the  children  in  the  family  are  like- 
wise members  of  the  latter  church,  and,  in  politics, 
Mr.  Gross  is  independent.  He  has  represented  his 
township  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  has  been 
active  in  political  circles. 


[nthony  "W.  Caldwell  is  a  successful  faruier 
j^  and  a  representative  citizen  of  Knox  Coun- 
ty, whose  homestead  lies  on  section  30,  and 
who  is  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Baird) 
Caldwell,  both  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They 
came  to  Knox  County  from  Pennsylvania 
in  1839,  and  settled  in  Persifer  Township  among 
other  pioneers,  and  from  its  infancy  have  watched 
the  growth  of  the  county  as  it  assumed  larger  and 
larger  proportions  and  its  boundaries  extended  far- 
ther, until  slie  stands  to-day  one  of  the  populous  and 
prosperous  counties  of  Illinois. 

Mr.  Caldwell  is  the  third  child  in  order  of  birth  of 
a  family  of  nine,  and  was  born  in  Lycoming  County, 
Pa  ,  Aug.  30,  1824.  He  was  rs  years  of  age  when 
he  came  to  Knox  County  with  his  parents,  and,  at- 
tending the  common  schools,  gained  a  moderately 
good  education.  He  remained  at  home  until  he 
attained  the  age  of  24  years,  when  he  made  up  his 
mind  to  take  a  trip  to  California,  and  in  1850  started 
across  the  plains.     He  was  absent  from  home  almost 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


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two  years,  and,  returning  to  Knox  County,  remained 
only  a  short  time  and  again  went  back  to  the  land  of 
gold.  In  the  fall  of  1856  his  heart  again  sought  the 
familiar  scenes  of  his  youth,  and  he  set  his  face  east- 
ward, this  time  remaining  contentedly  at  home  until 
1862,  when  he  again  went  to  the  Golden  Slate,  and 
tarried  for  the  period  of  15  months.  After  this  inter- 
val had  elapsed,  he  came  back  to  Persifer  Township, 
where  he  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming  and 
stock-raising.  He  was  a  miner  while  in  Califor- 
nia, and  met  with  moderate  success.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  159  acres  in  Persifer  Township,  in  which 
section  of  the  country  he  was  married  Dec.  10,  1857, 
to  Sarah  M.  Manley,  daughter  of  George  W.  and 
Lucretia  (Weed)  Manley,  natives  of  Massachusetts 
and  New  York  respectively.  They  came  to  Knox 
County  in  1838  from  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
settled  in  Persifer  Township,  where  they  passed  the 
remainder  of  their  days  and  were  there  buried.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  Mrs. 
C.  was  the  youngest.  She  was  born  in  Chautauqua 
County,  Aug.  r6,  i83r,  and  is  the  mother  of  five 
children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Those  living 
are  John  W  ,  William,  residing  in  Knox  County, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  farming,  and  Charles  A.,  still 
under  the  paternal  roof. 

Mr.  Caldwell  takes  some  interest  in  public  matters 
and  casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party. 


J  orris  Grifflth.oneof  the  enterprising  farm- 
ers of  this  county,  resides  on  section  35, 
'  Galesburg  Township,  and  is  the  son  of 
Abel  and  Hannah  (Gore)  Griffith,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  Abel  was  born  in  1803  and 
died  in  October,  1875,  in  this  State.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  October,  1813, 
and  they  had  three  girls  and  five  boys  in  their  fam- 
ily, as  follows:  Morris,  born  Feb.  20,  1836;  John 
X.,  Ann  E.,  Mary  E.,  William,  Rebecca,  George, 
Howard  and  Belle  F.  The  mother  is  still  living  at 
the  old  home  in  Cedar  Township. 

Mr.  Morris  Griffith  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Harmony,  Dec.  27,  1859,  by  Rev.  T.  S.  Vail,  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  Knoxville.  She  was 
born  Feb  3,  1834,  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  and  is 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Eve  (Zumbro)  Harmony. 
Her  parents  are   still   living;  they   were  natives  of 


Pennsylvania,  the  father  being  born  in  1801  and  the 
mother  in  February,  1802.  They  were  married  in 
May,  1825,  and  have  seven  children,  as  follows: 
John,  Ellinor,  Elizabeth,  William,  Annie,  Mahala  and 
Franklin.  This  aged  couple  came  to  Illinois  in  1853 
and  located  at  Knoxville,  where  they  still  reside  and 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  old 
gentleman  is  a  Democrat  in  politics. 

Mr.  Griffith,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  has  six 
children  living  and  one  deceased,  as  follows  :  Her- 
bert R.,  born  Jan.  8,  1861  ;  Etta  O,  May  22,  1862; 
WiHiam  E.,  Jan.  18,  1864;  Arthur  A.,  Jan.  22,1866; 
Frank  M.,  Aug.  24,  r868;  Jessie  A.,  June  2r,  1877, 
and  Mary  E.,  April  2r,  r87i,  dying   Sept.    21,  r873. 

Mr.  Griffith,  through  industry  and  frugality,  has 
become  the  owner  of  280  acres  of  choice  land,  120 
of  which  are  in  this  township  and  the  balance  in  Ce- 
dar Township.  Like  most  of  the  enterprising  farm- 
ers of  the  State,  he  takes  pride  in  improving  his 
property  and  has  a  fine  dwelling  with  an  excellent 
barn  on  his  premises,  and  has  800  rods  of  tile  drain-  1 
age  on  the  farm.  The  stock  which  roam  over  his 
fertile  fields  are  of  the  best  quality — fine  thorough-  1 
breds.  ^ 

Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffith  are  members  of  the  I 
Presbyterian  Church,  at  Knoxville.  Mr.  Griffith  has 
held  the  office  of  Commissioner  of  Highways,  and  is  ^ 
a  Republican  in  ix)litics.  Yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  he 
has  secured  a  competency,  and  by  honesty  and 
strict  attention  to  the  duties  devolving  u|X)n  him,  he 
holds  a  high  place  in  the  respect  of  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. He  is  a  native  of  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  where 
he  was  born  in  1836,  coming  to  Illinois  in  October, 
1852,  where  he  has  since  remained.  Three  of  Mr. 
G.'s  brothers,  by  name  John  X.,  William  and  George, 
were  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  all  passed 
through  without  a  scratch. 


[Cohn  W.  Woolsey.    Among  those  who  have 
passed  the  major  portion  of  life  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  who  by  their  per- 
severing labor  and  economy,  and   assisted  by 
^r     the  active  co-operation  of  thetr  good  helpmeets 
\       and  children,  have  met  witii   success,   is   the 
subject  of  this  notice.   He  is  pleasantly  located  upon 
his  fine  farm  on  section  17,  Orange  Township,  and  is 


^^ 


■*4— 


4-i 


602 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-^^ 


there  passing  the  sunset  of  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
sufficiency,  and  surrounded  by  a  happy  family  in  his 
pleasant  home.  Ohio  is  the  State  of  his  nativity,  and 
the  date  of  his  birth  April  23,  1821,  his  father  being 
Thomas,  and  his  mother  Parthenia  (Umsted)  Wool- 
sey.  Thomas  Woolsey  was  born  in  New  York  State 
in  1809,  and  moved  from  there  to  Ohio  in  1819. 
From  the  time  he  was  20  years  of  age  until  within  a 
few  years  prior  to  his  death,  lie  was  an  earnest  advo- 
cate of  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  an  eloquent  preaclier 
of  the  Gospel.  While  yet  a  young  man  he  was  an  ex- 
horter,  and  afterivard  an  ordained  minister  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  emigrated  to  this 
State  from  Ohio,  in  1839,  and  made  settlement  at 
Sycamore,  De  Kalb  County,  where  he  continued  to 
reside  until  his  demise,  which  occurred  in  1865.  His 
wife  died  at  the  same  place  in  1879,  and  they  lie 
buried  side  by  side  in  the  cemetery  at  Sycamore. 

Mr.  Woolsey,  of  this  notice,  married  Miss  Mary 
Warren  in  1849,  and  they  became  the  parents  of 
'  nine  children:  Celia,  born  Jan.  1,  1850,  is  now  de- 
ceased; Thena  was  born  Dec.  20,  r853,  and  is  also 
deceased;  Elvira,  born  May  6,  1855  ;  Florence,  born 
Nov.  8,  1858,  is  deceased;  Carrie,  born  Feb.  29,  i860; 
Delia,  April  22,  1862;  Jennie,  April  12,  1864;  May, 
May  14,  1866;  and  Maud,  May  29,  1870.  The  good 
wife  and  kind  mother  departed  this  hfe  July  14, 
1873.  Mr.  Woolsey  formed  a  second  matrmional 
alliance  Jan.  8,  1877,  his  wife  being  the  widow  of 
Wright  Woolsey.  Her  maiden  name  was  Rebecca 
Yeager,  and  of  her  union  with  Wright  Woolsey,  tlieir 
marriage  having  occurred  Jan.  27,  1842,  the  follow- 
ing children  were  born:  Prudence,  Dec.  12,  1842; 
Hannah  S.,  April  7,  1844;  Mary  E.,  Oct.  13,  1845, 
deceased;  George  W.,  April  17,1847;  William  H., 
June  15,  r848;  Ehza  A.,  July  27,  1849;  Almira  C, 
Nov.  21,  1851,  deceased;  Cardinal  B.,  June  10, 
1853, deceased  ;  Susan  A.,  July  r 4,  1857  ;  Chauncey, 
April  4,  i860;  John  G.,  Oct.  3,  1863  ;  and  LutherC, 
July  15,  1869. 

The  farm  where  Mr.  Woolsey  resides  is  all  under 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  There  is  a  substantial 
residence  on  tlie  place,  together  with  a  good  bs-rn  and 
out-buildings,  and  everything  about  the  farm  is  in- 
dicative of  that  push  and  energy  of  which  its  proprietor 
is  possessed.  Mr.  Woolsey  started  in  life  a  poor  boy, 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools,  and 
has  attained  success  through  honest  toil  and  individ 


ual  effort.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  in  ix)litics  he  votes 
for  the  success  of  tlie  Republican  party. 

-^^ #*-! 


^ 


fi|*MijTeter  Gibson  is  a  retired  farmer  and  resides 
|ii^i  on  Walnut  street,  in  Altona.  He  is  a  na- 
Ites?^  live  of  Sweden,  and  emigrated  fiom  there 
l|j  to  America,  arriving  in  this  country  in  1854, 
|li^  at  a  period  which  witnessed  the  earliest  strug. 
*  gles  of  our  most  sturdy  pioneers.  Mr.  Peter 
Gibson  was  born  in  June,  1829,  and  was  a  son  of 
a  Swedish  farmer.  As  was  the  custom  in  those 
days,  he  remained  at  his  parents'  home  far  into 
his  boyhood  years.  After  the  decease  of  his  father 
and  mother  he  resolved  to  seek  the  Western  hemi- 
sphere, and  set  to  sea,  accompanied  by  some  friends 
and  a  few  relatives. 

It  was  only  for  a  few  months  that  he  settled  in  Bu- 
reau County,  III,  locaUng  subsequently,  in  1855,  in 
Ontario  Township,  Knox  County,  where  he  rented  a 
farm  for  some  years,  and  he  afterward  rented  a  larger 
tract  of  land  near  Galva,  Henry  County,  remainingW 
there  until  his  departure  for  Knox  County,  where  he 
purchased  80  acres  in  Rio  Township.  Four  years 
later,  however,  having  made  some  important  improve- 
ments, he  sold  this  estate  and  came  to  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  where  he  bought  196  acres  on  sections  15 
and  22.  The  land  was  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, and  soon  became  one  of  the  most  productive 
farms  in  that  locality.  As  a  successful  stock-raiser 
and  dealer  in  Short-horn  cattle  there  are  a  few  men 
among  Mr.  Gibson's  acquaintances  who  can  equal 
him  in  this  respect. 

On  the  26th  day  of  March,  1856,  Mr.  Gibson  was 
married  to  Anna  Lierburg,  a  native  of  his  own  coun- 
try. To  the  great  sorrow  of  Mr.  Gibson,  this  lady 
died  at  her  home  in  Galva,  Henry  Co.,  and  on  the 
30th  of  April,  1861,  our  subject  married  Anna  Eng, 
also  of  Swedish  descent.  This  latter  lady  died  at 
her  home  in  Walnut  Grove  Township,  June  3,  1880, 
leaving  three  children— Oscar  W.,  now  in  Nebraska  ; 
Mary  O.  and  Emma  H.,  the  latter  two  being  yet  at 
home. 

For  a  third  time  Mr.  Gibson  married,  the  lady  be- 
ing Mrs.  Barrie  Buckley  Engstrom.  This  occurred 
Aug.  26,  1885,  in  Aldrich,  Phelps  Co.,  Neb.  This 
last  wife  was  born  in  Sedden  on  the  iiih  of  October, 


d 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


603 


1852,  and  came  to  this  country  with  her  parents 
while  yet  a  girl.  She  had  no  children  by  her  former 
marriage.  Her  parents,  remarkable  for  their  integ- 
rity, reside  in  Phelps  Co.,  Neb.,  where  they  will  prob- 
ably remain  for  life. 

As  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  filling 
the  position  of  Clerk,  Mr.  Gibson  has  gathered 
around  him  a  number  of  substantial  friends  willing 
to  aid  in  any  particular  or  further  any  movement 
affecting  the  good  of  the  congregation.  While  hold- 
ing not  a  few  of  tlie  township  offices,  this  gentleman, 
by  his  adhesion  to  princi[)le  and  efficiency  in  work, 
has  won  to  himself  the  good-will  and  regard  of  his 
associates. 

Being  a  solid  Republican  in  politics,  and  differing 
from  those  "  who  would  depart,"  as  he  terms  it,  from 
the  direct  path,  Mr.  Gibson  furnishes  a  favorable  ex- 
ample of  the  old-school  politician.  Without  waver- 
ing or  looking  back,  through  a  long  course  of  years 
he  has  steadfastly  shown  himself  in  favor  of  sound 
political  principles  and  men. 

With  persistent  industry,  and  sometimes  under  ad- 
verse circumstances,  this  gentleman  has  achieved  a 
1^  place  among  his  fellows  deserving  our  thoughtful 
consideration.  Amidst  trials  and  losses  he  has 
bravely  and  manfully  pushed  forward,  with  a  clear 
conscience  and  little  cause  to  feel  that  he  has  acted 
unwisely  in  the  emergencies  of  life.  While  he  has 
secured  to  himself  a  goodly  competence  he  withal 
trusts  in  Providence.  The  sustaining  effect  of  this 
course,  coupled  with  the  good  will  of  his  commu- 
nity, ensures  him  a  happy  close  to  a  life  alike  honor- 
able and  useful. 

t^ans  Johnson  is  a  general  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser,  residing  on  section  7,  Lynn  Town- 
ship, and  is  the  son  of  Hans  Johnson,  Sr. 
He  was  born  in  Noithern  Sweden,  Mar.  24,  1837, 
and  his  father  lived  and  died  in  that  country. 
Our  suijject  was,  at  the  time  of  his  father's 
death,  about  six  years  of  age.  His  mother,  Cathe- 
rine Carlson,  came  to  this  county  and  died  in  1857, 
shortly  after  her  arrival  here. 

Our  subject  was  the  younger  of  four  children,  and 
came  with  his  mother  and  two  sisters  to  the  West, 
arriving  here  Sept.  29,  1857,  locating  in  Galva, 
whither  one  of  his  sisters  had  preceded  them  in  1855. 


After  his  mother's  death,  Hans  began  to  work  about 
at  odd  jobs  on  farms,  to  earn  his  own  living.  His 
efforts  were  crowned  witii  success,  and  he  purchased 
his  present  home  with  his  first  earnings,  in  1882, 
which  contains  80  acres  of  well-improved  and  highly 
cultivated  land. 

September  21,  1878,  he  met  and  married  Miss 
Betsie  M.  Johnson,  born  in  Northern  Sweden,  Oct. 
22,  1855.  She  was  the  youngest  daugliter  of  her 
mother's  family,  consisting  of  two  girls,  and  was  nine 
years  of  age  when  her  parents  came  to  this  county, 
arriving  July  14,  1865.  They  settled  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township,  where  they  now  live,  owning  80 
acres  of  land.  Mrs.  Johnson  of  this  notice  lived  at 
home  and  received  the  benefits  of  a  limited  education 
in  the  common  schools.  She  is  the  mother  of  two 
children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased — Einila  E.,  born 
March  24,  1882,  a  remarkably  sweet  and  intelligent 
child,  and  Albert  E.,  born  Dec.  17,  1879,  died  Jan. 
3,  1886,  and  buried  in  Altona  Jan.  6,  1886.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Johnson  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  of  Altona,  and  are  true  and  devoted  Chris- 
tians. 

#^-.^^^ 

heophilus  T.  Parmenter.  Among  the 
early  settlers  of  Knox  County  is  the  re- 
r^  spected  citizen  whose  name  heads  this  bio- 
graphical notice.  He  was  born  near  the 
village  of  Greenfield,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass., 
in  1809.  The  death  of  his  mother  occurred 
when  he  was  seven  years  of  age.  The  boy,  Theoph- 
ilus,  was  sent  to  his  grandfather  Parmenter,  with 
whom  he  remained  about  two  years,  after  which  he 
made  his  home  with  his  uncle,  who  resided  at  Ver- 
non, Conn.,  for  seven  years,  assisting  in  the  duties 
of  the  farm.  At  the  age  of  16  he  went  to  North- 
field,  Mass.,  where  he  served  an  apprenticeship  of 
four  years  at  the  tanner's  and  shoemaker's  trade. 
Having  completed  this,  he  went  to  Rutland,  Vt., 
where  he  worked  for  a  few  months  at  the  tanner's 
trade.  From  that  place  he  went  to  the  village  of 
Brandon,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  boots 
and  shoes  for  a  short  time.  In  the  spring  of  1829 
he  entered  into  partnership  with  Isaac  Patch,  in  the 
town  of  Fairhaver?,  Vt.,  and  followed  his  trade. 

October  16,  1832,  Mr.  Parmenter  was  married,  the 
lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss  Roxana  Warner.  In 
the  spring  of  1833,  he  sold  out  his  interest   to  Mr. 


H^ 


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604 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Patch,  and,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  emigrated  to 
Albion,  Erie  Co.,  Pa.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  booi- 
and-shoe  business,  and  in  the  fall  of  1837,  with  his 
wife  and  family,  came  to  Knoxville,  and  has  since 
made  this  his  home.  Until  within  the  last  few  years 
he  has  been  engaged  in  the  bool-and-shoe  trade. 
The  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Parmenter  has  been 
brightened  by  the  birth  of  eight  children — six  boys 
and  two  girls,  seven  of  whom  survive. 

The  life  of  our  subject  ha.-i  been  a  very  checkered 
one  ;  sometimes  light  and  sometimes  very  dark.  He 
has  always  found  friends  \\\\o  have  been  ready  to 
extend  a  hand  of  sympathy.  Some  of  them  have 
been  called  to  their  reward,  while  others  still  remain. 

The  names  of  the  children  born  to  our  subject  and 
wife  are  as  follows :  George,  who  lives  in  Knoxville ; 
William,  resident  of  Cambridge,  Mass.;  Allan,  who 
lives  at  Knoxville;  Cliarley  also  resides  at  that 
place  ;  Elizabeih  became  the  wife  of  J.  W.  Craig  and 
lives  in  Warren  County ;  Frederick  resides  at  Peoria  ; 
John,  deceased;  and  Mary  A,  for  several  years  a 
successful  teacher  in  the  public  schools  in  Knoxville. 


\ K®i t  ideon  A.  Barlow.     Prominent  among  the 
'■'    ^         well-to-do  and  successful  farmers  of  Knox 


'M~  "  County,  as  well  as  respected  and  honored 
''y|v  '  citizens,  is    the    gentleman    whose    name   we 

\      place  at   the  beginning  of  this  sketch.     He  is 

?  a  farmer  by  vocation,  and  resides  on  section 
16,  Lynn  Township,  on  a  fine  and  well-improved 
farm  of  600  acres,  where  he  is  actively  engaged  in 
the  prosecution  of  his  independent  calling. 

Gideon  A.  Barlow  was  born  in  Sullivan  County, 
N.  Y.,  July  16,  1833,  his  father,  Nathan,  being  a 
native  of  the  same  county,  and  a  farmer  by  vocation. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  were  for  a  portion  of  the 
time  residents  of  Virginia  and  Rhode  Island,  and 
were  of  English  lineage.  The  grandparents  of  Gid- 
eon A.  came  with  their  families  to  the  United  States 
and  located  in  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y.,  during  the 
early  settlement  of  that  part  of  the  State.  They 
lived  to  attain  a  ripe  old  age,  and  died  in  tliat  county, 
with  no  stain  upon  their  past  record. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  second  in  order 
of  birth  of  a  family  of  three  sons.  The  eldest  lived 
and  died  in  Sullivan  County  at  an  advanced  age. 
He  was  a  boot-and-shoe  merchant,  and  reared  a  large 


and  prosperous  family.  The  fatlier  of  our  subject 
was  next  in  order  of  birth.  Thomas  lived  in  Sulli- 
van County  until  after  his  marriage,  when  he  went 
to  Ulster  County,  and  there  died  in  the  fall  of  1884, 
after  having  passed  an  active  and  useful  life  upon  the 
farm.  Nathan,  Gideon's  father,  was  reared  in  Sulli- 
van County  to  the  independent  calling  of  a  farmer, 
and  was  there  married  to  Athalia  Gillett.  She  was 
of  Irish  descent  and  American  parentage,  and  resided 
with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  In  1838  the 
parents  of  our  subject  came  West  and  made  settle- 
ment in  La  Fayette,  Stark  County,  when  that  village 
was  a  hamlet  of  three  houses.  Some  two  years  after 
their  settlement  there  the  family  came  to  this  county, 
and  located  in  Lynn  Township,  on  a  tract  of  land  in 
the  east  part  of  the  township,  on  section  24.  The 
father  erected  a  house  at  Fraker  Grove,  named  in 
honor  of  Michael  Fraker,  the  first  settler  in  Lynn 
Township,  the  settlement  being  made  in  1832.  After 
.settling  at  the  Grove  and  residing  there  for  awhile, 
Mr.  Fraker  found  that  it  was  necessary,  in  order  to. 
protect  the  lives  of  his  family  from  the  Indians  who 
were  so  numerous  at  that  time,  that  he  leave  there, 
but  he  was  told  by  the  Indians  that,  for  his  kindness 
in  grinding  their  corn  with  his  buhrs,  neither  he  nor 
his  family  would  be  molested.  Notwithstanding  this, 
he  feared  treachery  and  moved  to  Henderson  Grove.  ^ 
Mr.  Barlow  built  a  house  at  the  Grove,  on  the  east 
of  Fraker's,  which  was  erected  for  use  as  a  country 
tavern,  and  known  as  the  Travelers'  Home.  During 
the  years  1849, '50  and  '51,  his  house  was  a  great 
resort  for  travelers  en  route  for  the  gold  fields  of 
Cahfornia.  Mr.  Barlow  continued  to  run  the  Trav- 
elers' Home  until  1852,  when  he  disposed  of  it  and 
went  to  La  Fayette,  where  he  ran  the  La  Fayette 
House  until  1861.  It  was  at  the  latter  place  that 
his  good  wife  died,  the  date  of  her  demise  being 
1859.  Mr.  Barlow  afterward  lived  with  his  son,  the 
subject  of  tliis  notice,  until  his  death,  Feb.  16,  1867, 
aged  63  years.  He  was  a  kind  father,  loving  hus- 
band and  respected  and  honored  citizen  of  all  com- 
munities in  which  he  resided,  and  had  the  happy 
faculty  of  retaining  the  friendship  of  all  with  whom 
he  became  acquainted. 

Gideon  Barlow  was  about  six  years  of  age  when 
his  parents  came  to  this  Stale.  He  is  the  second  of 
a  family  of  three  sons  who  lived  to  maturity,  two 
having  died  in  infancy.  Gideon  was  reared  on  his 
father's   farm    and    there    alternately   labored    and 


LAJr 


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LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

i:!IVERSITY  OF  ILUV""? 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


607 


attended  the  common  schools  until  23  years  of  his 
life  had  passed.  At  that  age,  accepting  the  advice 
of  his  father,  he  moved  to  Lynn  Township  and  selected 
an  80-acre  tract  of  land  from  the  320  acres  which 
his  father  owned,  and  which  the  father  gave  him. 
With  nothing  but  a  yoke  of  oxen,  a  span  of  horses 
and  a  breaking-plow,  he  moved  upon  his  unbroken 
tract  of  land  and  at  once  commenced  its  improve- 
ment. All  around  on  ever)-  hand  stretched  the 
broad,  unbroken  prairie,  with  but  few,  if  any,  settle- 
ments upon  it.  Mr.  Barlow  was  nevertheless  deter- 
mined to  succeed  and  had  great  faith  in  the  future 
of  the  country.  He  therefore  laboied  hard  upon 
his  land  and  raised  his  first  crop  tliereon  pnor  10  the 
erection  of  a  building.  He  camped  out  on  the  tract 
and  the  night  was  made  hideous  by  the  howling 
wolves,  and  deer  were  plenty.  Subsequently  he 
erected  his  residence  on  the  land  and  continued  to 
add  improvemeiits  as  the  years  rolled  by  until  to-day 
he  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  Knox  County.  His 
success  in  his  calling  and  against  the  trials  through 
which  he  passed  and  the  obstacles  he  overcame  is 
attributable  to  his  energy,  pluck  and  perseverance. 
Mr.  Barlow  was  united  in  marriage  in  Stark  County, 
j  111.,  May  20,  1S56,  to  Miss  Mariha  B.  Peterson.  She 
I  was  born  in  Sweden  Oct.  8,  1836,  and  came  with  her 
I  parents  to  this  country  when  seven  years  of  age,  at 
the  same  lime  the  Johnson  colony  came  here  and 
with  whom  the  parents  were  connected.  Three 
years  later  the  parents  left  the  colony  and  came  to 
this  county,  making  settlement  in  Copley  Township. 
It  was  there  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Barlow  died.  Sub- 
sequently her  father  removed  to  Henry  County,  where 
he  is  at  present  residing  and  the  proprietor  of  240 
acres  of  good  farming  land.  He  is  past  82  years  of 
age,  and  lives  retired  from  the  active  labors  of  the 
farm.  Mrs.  Barlow  is  the  eldest  but  one  of  her  parents' 
family  of  three  children  now  living.  She  lived  with 
her  husband's  parents  for  seven  years  prior  to  her 
marriage,  and  is  the  mother  of  eight  children:  Ames 
married  Celinda  Hathaway  and  is  a  farmer  in  Lynn 
Township;  William  Frederick  married  Clara  Fisher 
and  is  also  a  farmer  on  his  father's  farm ;  Gid- 
eon B.  resides  on  the  old  homestead;  Ada  L.  lives 
at  home  and  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools ;  Sher- 
man A.  also  lives  at  home,  but  is  attending  school 
at  Galva;  Franklin,  Horace  and  Lewis  likewise 
reside  with  their  parents. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barlow  are  members  of  the  Baptist 


Church.  Mr.  Barlow  is  the  present  .Assessor  of  his 
township,  and  has  also  held  the  office  of  Collector 
and  Commissioner  of  Highways.  He  takes  great 
interest  in  educational  matters,  and  votes  with  the 
Republican  party. 

'VSft  illiam  Wallace  Campbell,  whose  portrait 

kSSW  we  present  in  connection  with  this  brief 
outline  of  his  life,  was  for  many  years  one 
of  the  leading  and  most  influential  men  in 
Knox  County.  He  was  born  April  6,  1819, 
in  Bourbon  County,  Ky.  He  came  to  this 
county  in  1863  and  at  once  took  an  active  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  community  in  which  he  settled.  Before 
coming  here  he  had  resided  in  Scott  County,  Ky.  His 
parentage  is  referred  to  in  the  sketch  of  his  brother, 
James  L.  Campbell,  on  page  237.  From  the  notice 
of  his  death,  apf)earing  in  the  .Abingdon  paper  Dec. 
20,  1876,  two  days  after  his  death,  we  glean  the 
following  facts,  as  well  showing  forth  the  exalted 
opinion  the  community  in  which  he  lived  had  of  him. 
It  says : 

"  Although  he  came  to  us  in  stormy  times  from  a 
Southern  State,  he  won  his  way  at  once  into  our  con- 
fidence and  esteem,  and  as  early  as  1869  was  elected 
Township  .Assessor,  and  was  re-elected  four  success- 
ive times. 

"  In  1870  he  received  the  nomination  of  his  party  lo 
the  Legislature,  and  though  his  party  was  unable  ^t 
that  time  to  elect,  he  was  seldom  afterward  allowed 
to  pass  an  election  without  some  office  voluntarily  be- 
stowed by  his  township,  and  in  1874  was  elected 
Supervisor,  which  position  he  conrinued  to  fill  with 
great  satisfaction  during  tlie  rest  of  his  life. 

"  On  coming  to  Illinois  he  imported  from  Ken- 
tucky, for  his  sister,  with  whom  he  thenceforward  re- 
sided, the  nucleus  of  that  herd  of  Short-horns 
which,  under  his  guidance  and  direction,  has  since 
become  so  famous  throughout  the  Northwestern 
States  as  Mrs.  Byram's  herd.  Fond  to  enthusiasm 
of  the  Short-horn  cattle,  and  devoted  to  his  sister 
and  her  fine  family  of  children,  who  returned  his 
affectionate  and  almost  more  than  fatherly  solicitude 
and  care  with  usurious  interest,  and  the  pet  man  of 
all  the  country  round,  he  lived  his  serene  and  cheer- 
ful life  literally  in  an  atmosphere  of  love.  His  aged 
mother  was  able  to  follow  his  remains  to  the  chapel 
and  sustained  her  burden  of  grief  with  more  fortitude 


==Jk^ 


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608 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


than  her  descendants,  strengthened,  doubtless,  by 
the  confident  hope  of  an  earlier  reunion  in  the  hap- 
pier land. 

"  But  '  Billy  '  Campbell  is  no  more.  Indian  Point 
has  lost  her  Supervisor  and  cannot  replace  him.  The 
Christian  Church  has  lost  a  loyal  friend  and  will 
greatly  miss  him.  Hickory  Grove  herd  has  lost  its 
masterful  hand  and  will  mutely  mourn  him.  The 
neighborhood  has  lost  a  genial  and  a  useful  man. 
On  the  streets  in  Abingdon  he  was  like  a  morning  in 
June.  As  he  moved  along  with  his  burly  figure  and 
his  merry  smile  and  his  kindly  greeting,  the  icicles 
would  drop  from  the  chilled  heart,  and  cankering 
care  would  hide  itself  and  even  grief  would  feel  as- 
suaged. Rich  and  poor,  high  and  low  were  all  the 
same,  for  it  was  only  the  golden  nuggets  within  the 
man  he  valued.  Both  rich  and  poor  himself,  by 
turns,  he  mourned  no  change  of  fortune,  nor  let  down 
in  dignity  and  self-respect  at  the  beck  and  frowns  of 
fortune.  He  loved  a  good  preacher,  a  good  lawyer, 
a  good  stump  speaker,  and  a  farmer,  and  loved  to 
praise  them  and  show  their  points.  In  the  show- 
ring  he  was  himself  without  a  rival,  and  often  won 
^  the  judges  as  much  as  his  cattle.  As  a  breeder  of 
Short-horns,  his  reputation  extended  over  the  best 
cattle  States,  and  in  his  line  he  had  no  superior.  He 
'  bred  for  use  and  beauty  more  than  fashion,  and  his 
judgment  was  sound  and  his  taste  most  excellent. 
It  is  probable  he  contributed  more  than  almost  any 
one  man  toward  bringing  the  general  stock  of  this 
region  to  its  present  high  standard.  But  we  shall  see 
him  no  more  in  the  show-ring,  no  more  at  our  homes, 
no  more  at  church,  no  more  at  public  meetings.  May 
perennial  flowers  bloom  around  him,  reflecting  his 
memories  and  his  traits. 

"He  died  in  full  communion  with  his  beloved 
church,  enjoying  tiie  richest  comfort  of  a  Christian's 
faith.  Calmly,  like  an  infant  on  its  mother's  breast, 
he  dropped  asleep,  sitting  in  his  chair,  and  never 
awoke." 

'-j^Wli?  illiam  T.  Moore,  one  of  the  leading 
i,,^^^!^  f^^fiiers  and  prominent  men  of  Knox 
j|;vS  ^^^'^  County,  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
J'|j^>  sketch,  a  brief  narration  of  the  particulars 
■4ij^       of  whose  life  is  given  in  the  ensuing  para- 

1^  graphs.  He  owns  160  acres  of  land  in  Indian 
Point   Township,    situated   two  and    three-quarters 


miles  from  Abingdon,  and  his  home  is  located  on 
section  2.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  breeding  of 
fine  cattle  and  has  a  male  of  the  Short-horn  breed. 
He  also  possesses  a  fine  lot  of  hogs  of  the  Poland- 
China  breed. 

Mr.  Moore  was  born  March  17,  1845,  and  reared 
on  his  father's  farm  in  Ohio,  coming  to  Illinois  in 
1856  with  his  parents,  Paul  and  Jane  (Hartsook) 
Moore.  His  father  was  born  in  Virginia  and  his 
mother  in  Ohio,  but  his  mother  died  in  Knox  County 
May  8,  1875.  To  them  were  born  five  children: 
Sarah  J.  is  the  wife  of  Morgan  Carruthers  ;  William 
T.  is  next  in  order;  Charles,  who  married  Miss 
Panina  Richmond ;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  a  Mr, 
Clarke;  and  Martha,  who  married  Mr.  James 
Spencer. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Hardsty,  Feb.  24, 
1870.  She  was  born  April  3,  1852,  in  Indiana,  and  is 
daughter  of  John  and  Abigail  (Callison)  Hardsty: 
Her  father  died  in  1885,  and  her  mother  Aug.  5, 
1877,  in  the  State  of  Indiana.  There  were  born  to 
them  six  children,  consisting  of  four  girls  and  two 
boys. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren— Daisey  A.,  born  Aug.  24, 1875  ;  John  C,  Sept. 
6,  1877;  William  H.,  Nov.  28,  1882;  George  C, 
Nov.  8,  1885;  and  Leonard  P.,  born  Feb.  4,  1872; 
Tondella  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Moore  is  an  active 
public  man,  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  politics.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  sentiment  and  vote. 


I  Ifred  Thurman,  deceased,  came  to  Knox 
County  about  1851,  and  for  a  time  taught 
school  in  Salem  Township,  after  which  he 
MJS'  worked  out  by  the  month  on  a  farm.  He  sub- 
lip^  sequently  formed  a  partnership  with  a  Mr. 
1  Steel  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  Farraington. 
This  they  carried  on  successfully  for  a  short  time, 
when  our  subject  removed  to  Uniontown,  Salem 
Township,  where  he  purchased  a  dry  goods  store 
and  remained  there  for  four  years,  then  returned  to 
Farmington,  carrying  on  this  business  for  some 
months.  His  next  removal  was  to  Maquon  Town- 
ship, whither  he  removed  his  stock  of  dry  goods, 
locating  his  store  near  the  distillery.  He  remained 
there  for  some  time,  after  which  he  went  to  Leaven- 


UL!= 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


—il^ 


609 


worth,  Kan.,  and  one  year  later  again  returned  to 
Maquon.  During  all  this  time  he  was  engaged  in 
the  mercantile  business.  Upon  his  final  settlement 
at  Maquon  he  formed  a  partnership  with  David 
Housh,  where  he  remained  until  his  demise. 

Mr.  Thurman  was  married  to  Barbara  Housh,  at 
Knoxville,  Aug.  3,  1854.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
David  and  Elizabeth  (Thornbrough)  Housh.  (See 
sketch  of  A.  C.  Housh.)  Mrs.  Tliurman  was  born 
in  Haw  Creek  Township,  Aug.  20,  1836,  and  by  this 
union  became  the  mother  of  two  daughters — Flor- 
ence and  Emma  C.  Florence  M.  is  the  wife  of 
Benjamin  S.  Green,  and  they  are  at  present  residing 
at  Peoria;  Mrs.  Green  is  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren, viz.:  George  A.,  Sophia  B.  and  Benjamin  J.; 
Emma  C.  died  when  three  months  old. 

Mrs.  Thurman  was  again  married,  in  Haw  Cieek 
Township,    this    time    to    William    H.    H.   Green. 
Mr.  Green  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and  settled  in 
Maquon  Township,  where  he  and  his  brother  pur- 
r  chased  a  distillery  of  David  Housh,  which  they  car- 
1   ried   on   for  some    years.       He   afterward   followed 
.   farming  and  subsequently  removed  to  the  village  of 
Maquon,  where  his  death  occurred   Sept.   5,    18S2. 
Mr.  Green's   first  wife  was  Amanda  Housh,  a  sister 
of  his  second.     The  former  was  the  mother  of  two 
children — Sophia  E.   and  George   B.     Her  demise 
took  place   in   November,  1870.     George  died  in  in- 
fancy.    By  his  second  marriage  he  had  born  to  him 
three  children — Harry  D.,  Clinton  B.  and  Annie  E. ; 
the  first  died  in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Green  is  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 


jTlJi  ohn  Shumaker.  Coi.spicuous  among  the 
leading  citizens  and  farmers  whose  names 
are  recorded  in  the  annals  of  Knox  County, 
and  stand  o  it  in  that  bold  relief  which  the  re- 
flected honor  of  well-spent  and  industrious 
lives  lends  to  them,  is  that  of  John  Shumaker, 
whose  homestead  stands  on  section  12  of  Indian 
Point  Township,  and  who  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
best  informed  agriculturists  in  this  section  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  Shumaker  was  born  in  Jackson  County,  Ohio, 
Sept.  25,  1819,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  this 


county  in  1839,  settling  here  where  John  Shumaker 
now  lives.  The  name  of  his  father  was  John  and 
of  his  mother  Sally  ( Wolfe nbarger)  Shumaker;  the 
former  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America 
when  but  four  years  of  age,  settling  in  Greenbrier 
County,  Va.  Subsequently  he  moved  to  Ohio,  where 
he  died.  The  date  of  his  birth  was  March  26,  1785, 
and  he  passed  from  earth  in  1859.  The  mother, 
who  survived  him  ten  years,  died  in  1869,  the  date 
of  her  birth  being  March  3,  1780.  She  was  born  in 
Greenbrier  County,  Va. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  narrative  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Abigail  Leigh,  who  was  born 
Sept.  2,  1827,  in  Gallia  County,  Ohio.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Booth)  Leigh.  The 
date  of  their  marriage  was  Sept.  4,  1844,  and  the 
ceremony  performed  by  Esquire  Massey.of  Herman. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Shumaker  were  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, the  father  in  1795,  and  his  wife  Sept  14, 
1805.  He  died  at  Illinois  in  May,  1866,  and  his  wife, 
who  survives  him,  resides  at  Herman.  The  broth- 
ers and  sisters  of  Mrs.  Shumaker  are:  .'Vdeline,  who 
married  A.  Long,  is  dead  ;  she  left  two  children,  both 
sons;  Booth;  Caroline,  who  married  William  Berry;  IJ 
both  she  and  her  husband  are  dead,  having  left  two 
daughters  and  one  son  ;  Benjamin  died  in  September, 
1866,  and  left  a  widow  and  two  children;  Clarke  . 
and  Elizabeth.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of  her  hus- 
band are  as  follows  :  Polly,  Catherine,  Jacob,  James, 
Peggy  and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  Jacob  died 
Nov.  19,  1881,  in  his  seventh  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shumaker  have  a  family  consisting 
of  17  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  viz.: 
Robert,  born  Sept.  2,  1845,  married  Jane  Shumaker 
and  lives  in  Knox  County;  Fidelia,  born  Oct.  27, 
1846,  died  May  22,  1862;  Harrison,  born  April  9, 
1848,  married  Miss  Prudy  Shumaker;  Sally,  born 
Oct.  25,  1849,  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  S.  Meek;  Mary, 
born  Aug.  25,  185  i,  married  Mr.  M.  Snyder;  Will- 
iam, born  March  29,  1853,  married  Miss  Ella  Cash- 
man;  Charles  E,  born  Feb.  29,  1855,  died  at  the 
early  age  of  two  years,  Sept.  20,  1856  ;  Clarke,  born 
Jan.  24,  1857.  married  Miss  Annie  Fuller;  Ida,  born 
April  24,  1858,  died  Nov.  30,  1878;  she  was  the 
wife  of  Franklin  Bond,  of  this  township,  and  they 
had  one  son,  named  Harley  Bond;  Niles,  born 
March  12,  i860,  died  Dec.  24,  1S63;  James,  born 
Jan.  8,  1862,  died  April  5,  1864;  Theodore,  l)orn 
Oct.   7,  1863,  died  Feb.   12,  1865;  Dell,  born  April 


kJli^ 


^M- 


*^^l 


6io 


KJVOX  COUNTY. 


4-^ 


S,  1865;  Carrie,  born  Nov.  28,  1866,  died  in  1868; 
Cora,  born  Sept.  24,  1868;  and  Edna,  March  16, 
1870. 

Mr.  Shumaker  is  the  owner  of  190  acres  of  excel- 
lent land;  he  has  a  good  dwelling-house  and  con- 
venient out-buildings,  and  is  engaged  in  the  rearing 
of  cattle  and  horses.  He  has  14  head  of  Short -horn 
cattle,  and  a  bull,  named  Gladstone,  two  years  of 
age.  The  name  of  Mr.  Sliumaker's  farm  is  the 
"  Gold  Mine  Herd  Farm,"  and  it  is  located  four  and 
a  half  miles  southeast  of  Abingdon,  about  two  and  a 
half  miles  northwest  from  Herman.  His  location  is 
beautiful,  giving  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try, with  its  gently  undulating  surface  and  fields  of 
waving  grain.  Looking  it  over,  he  may  well  think 
proudly,  "I  am  monarch  of  all  I  survey."  In  con- 
nection with  his  farming  interests  and  breeding  of 
cattle,  he  raises  Clydesdale  horses,  and  has  an  inter- 
est in  two  stallions — Romeo  and  Western  Monarch, 
three  and  five  years  of  age  respectively.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  stock-raising  ventures, 
and,  in  truth,  in  nearly  everything  he  has  attempted. 
jl^Both  himself  and  wife  are  able  and  useful  members 
^of  the  society  in  which  they  mingle,  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Her- 
man. He  is  an  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  saying, 
J  "  Nothing  succeeds  like  success."  In  politics  he 
was  originally  an  old-line  Whig,  and  when  the  Re- 
publican party  came  into  power  he  joined  that  or- 
ganization and  has  been  a  Republican  ever  since. 

^1  eorge  Houston,  deceased,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Lynn  Township,  and  a 
gentleman  highly  respected  as  a  citizen 
and  successful  as  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  is 
he  of  whom  we  write.  George  Houston  was 
born  in  Steuben  County,  N.  Y.,  July  11,  1804. 
He  was  the  son  of  Alex,  and  Elizabeth  (Mills) 
Houston,  natives  of  York  State,  and  his  father  a 
farmer  by  vocation. 

When  George  Houston,  who  was  one  of  11  chil- 
dren, was  three  years  of  age,  his  parents  moved  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  There,  four  years  later,  George's 
father  died,  and  his  mother,  together  with  her  family 
of  children,  moved  to  Hamilton,  Butler  County,  in 
that  State,  and  it  was  while  living  there  that  the  de- 


mise of  our  subject's  mother  occurred  when  in  her 
71st  year.  It  was  also  in  that  county,  at  Hamilton, 
that  George  grew  to  manhood,  in  the  meantime  de- 
voting his  time  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Almost  the 
first  thing  he  did  after  attaining  his  majority — that 
is,  after  he  had  had  about  four  years  to  think  the 
matter  over — was  to  unite  himself  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Susan  Stewart,  the  date  of  their  nuptials  being 
Nov.  12,  1839.  His.  bride  was  born  in  Clermont 
County,  and  was  there  reared  to  womanhood,  and 
there  resided  until  within  a  short  time  prior  to  her 
marriage.  Her  father  was  a  farmer,  and  both  her 
parents  died  in  Indiana,  the  major  portion  of  their 
lives,  however,  having  been  passed  in  Ohio.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Houston  became  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren. Matilda  became  the  wife  of  Fred  Mack,  a 
machinist  by  trade ;  Martin  was  married  and  is  at 
present  a  resident  of  Utah.  It  was  while  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Houston  were  living  near  Hamilton.  Butler  Co., 
Ohio,  that  the  wife  and  mother  died,  the  date  of  her 
demise  being  in  1844. 

Mr.  Houston  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alli- 
ance with  Miss  Nancy  J.  Harr,  Aug.  21,  1851  ;  she 
was  born  near  Hami'ton,  Ohio,  Feb.  26,  1829.  She 
is  a  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Moudy)  Harr. 
Mrs.  Harr  was  born  in  Hagerstown,  Washington 
Co.,  Md.,  in  1798;  the  father  in  Lancaster  County, 
Pa.,  in  1786.  The  father  was  reared  in  his  native 
county,  but  went  to  Washington  County,  Md.,  prior 
to  his  marriage,  where  he  was  engaged  in  farming. 
Shordy  after  his  marriage  he  moved  to  Butler  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  became  actively  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death — 1855 — 
owned  a  valuable  property.  Later  his  wife,  mother 
of  Mrs.  Houston,  went  to  Clay  County,  Ind.,  where 
her  demise  occurred,  in  March,  1868. 

Mrs.  Houston  was  the  younger  but  two  of  a  family 
of  1 1  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living  at  this  writ- 
ing, and  all  married.  One  lives  in  Iowa,  three  in 
Indiana,  two  in  Missouri  and  one  in  this  State.  Mrs. 
Houston  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
continued  to  reside  with  her  parents  until  her  mar- 
riage. She  is  an  intelligent  lady,  and  has  kept  time 
with  the  progress  of  events  since  the  time  of  her 
school  days,  by  continual  reading. 

The  same  year  that  our  subject  was  married  they 
came  to  this  State  and  located  in  what  is  now  the 
thriving  city  of  Peoria.  There  Mr.  Houston  was  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  for  a  number  of  years, 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


6ii 


meeting  with  more  than  ordinary  success.  In  1856 
he  abandoned  the  busy  life  of  a  city,  came  to  this 
county,  and  purchased  320  acres  of  wild  prairie  land, 
on  section  4,  in  Lynn  Township,  on  which  he  located 
with  his  family  and  at  once  engaged  in  its  improve- 
ment and  cultivation,  and  where  he  continued  to  re- 
side until  his  death.  The  tract  which  he  originally 
purchased  presents  afar  different  appearance  to  day, 
it  being  under  advanced  cultivation  and  having 
thereon  elegant  improvements,  and  valued  at  §85 
per  acre.  This  fine  competency  Mr.  Houston  left 
unincumbered  to  his  wife  and  children  at  the  date  of 
his  demise.  He  was  a  gentleman  active  and  ener- 
getic in  every  measure  he  thought  was  for  the  benefit 
of  the  community  in  which  he  resided,  and  was  never 
known  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  true  charily,  and  died 
respected  by  all  who  knew  him  for  his  honesty  and 
straightforwardness.  His  death  occurred  at  his  home 
while  his  good  wife  was  visiting  at  Hamilton,  Ohio, 
Dec.  22,  1874,  the  cause  being  heart  disease,  he 
having  suffered  considerable  for  some  years  prior  to 
his  death.  In  politics  he  was  a  stanch  Democrat ; 
in  religion  liberal,  and  socially  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  belonging  to  the  Blue  Lodge  at 
Galva,  and  the  Chapter  at  Kewanee. 

Since  the  death  of  her  husband  Mrs.  Houston  has 
successfully  managed  the  farm,  together  with  the 
assistance  of  her  sons.  She  has  at  the  same  time 
devoted  considerable  of  her  time  to  the  education  of 
her  children,  and  in  every  instance  has  been  re- 
warded by  their  success  in  acquiring  knowledge. 
The  issue  of  her  union  with  Mr.  Houston  was  11 
children.  The  living  are  Jennie  K.,  wife  of  Byron 
H.  Richardson,  a  resident  of  Eureka,  Kan.;  he  is  en- 
gaged in  the  lumber  business  at  that  place,  in  which 
he  is  meeting  with  success  ;  they  have  three  children 
living,  whose  names  are  Clara  B.,  George  E.  and 
Evalina.  Josephine  became  the  wife  of  John  W. 
Guthrie,  wuo  is  an  extensive  cattle-dealer  at 
Omio,  Kan.;  they  have  three  children,  namel  Vir- 
gia,  Nancy  and  Deborah  Maud.  Delxjrah  was  the 
wife  of  J.  F.  Cuuimings,  deceased.  Frances  C.  mar- 
ried Albert  Stuckey,  a  farmer  in  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship, and  has  one  child,  named  Glenn  H.  Alex.  C. 
lives  at  Hamilton,  Kan.,  and  is  engaged  in  the  lum- 
ber business  in  connection  with  Mr.  Richardson. 
Delia  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  this 
county;  she  is  a  graduate  of  the  High  School  at 
Galva,  and  also  of  Knox  College,  Galesburg.   George 


M.  attended  the  Business  College  at  Davenport, 
Iowa,  and  is  superintending  a  farm  now.  Sam  J. 
resides  near  Randall,  Kan  ,  and  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  Mills  R.  lives  at  home  and 
assists  his  mother  in  running  the  farm.  Luella  was 
born  Nov.  27,  1870,  and  died  Feb.  8,  187  i.  Laura 
N.  also  resides  on  the  old  homestead  and  assists  her 
mother  at  the  household  duties,  having  received  n 
good  education  in  the  common  schools.  Mrs.  Hous- 
ton, together  with  five  of  her  daughters  and  one  of 
her  sons,  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

— #^ — 


artin  W.  Gay,  President  of  tiie  Second 
National  Bank,  Galesburg,  capitalist,  real 
estate    and    money  broker  at   that  city, 
is  a  native  of  Bridgeport,  Addison  Co.,  Vt., 
^     whence  his  parents,  Luther  and  Eliza  (VVaier- 

)  man)  Gay,  removed  with  their  family  to  Knox 
County  in  1836. 

The  farm  upon  which  the  senior  Mr.  Gay  located 
was  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  3,  lying  in  "l 
Galesburg  Township  and  about  two  miles  north  of  the 
town  as  then  laid  out.  Here  the  old  gentleman  spent 
the  rest  of  his  life,  dying  in  1858,  in  the  60th  year  of 
his  age.  His  widow  survived  him  only  about  one  year 
and  died  at  the  age  of  59  years.  The  Gay  family,  so 
far  as  is  known,  came  originally  from  England ;  the 
Waterman  family  probably  came  from  Ireland  and 
were  of  Scotch  ancestry.  Both  families  were  found 
to  have  been  among  the  colonists  of  New  England, 
where  their  names  are  more  familiar  to-day  than  in 
any  other  part  of  the  country. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  the  eldest  of  three 
sons,  the  two  younger  being  Theodore  R.  Gay,  now 
of  San  Diego,  Cal.,  and  William  H.  Gay,  Ticket 
Agent  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  at  Aurora,  111.  M.  W. 
Gay  was  born  Dec.  17,  1822  ;  he  was  therefore  a  lad 
of  14  years  when  the  family  arrived  here.  At  that 
time  the  schools  of  Galesburg  were  of  a  most  excel- 
lent character,  a  fact  easily  traceable  in  the  lives  of 
the  men  who  were  lx)ys  here  50  years  ago.  Young 
Gay  attended  the  Galesburg  school,  acquiring  thereat 
a  thorough  English  education.  His  early  desire,  and 
intention  in  fact,  was  to  study  law.  but  from  some 
cause  that  idea  was  abandoned,  and  the  only  thing 
he  ever  embarked  in  approximating  a  profession  was 


-fr^Z 


612 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


""^f* 


that  of  school  teacher.  In  1849  he  started  a  gen- 
eral store  in  Henderson  Township,  and  conducted  it 
with  more  or  less  success  for  about  seven  years.  In 
1864  he  came  to  Galesburg  and  engaged  at  once  in 
his  present  business  and  lias  here  remained.  He  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Second  National  Bank  of 
this  city,  a  member  of  its  first  Board  of  Directors,  and 
of  every  succeeding  Board,  except  one  year.  Mr.  Gay 
is  a  reliable  Republican;  no  office  seeker,  never  held 
or  desired  to  hold  a  political  office  in  his  life ;  is 
identified  with  no  particular  church  and  has  never 
belonged  to  any  secret  order.  He  was  married  at 
Galesburg,  Oct.  3,  1872,  to  Miss  Loraine  E.  Gay, 
who  is  a  native  of  Vermont.  Her  parents  came  to 
this  county  in  1857.  They  were  Joseph  and  Maria 
(Rhodes)  Gay,  both  deceased. 


■.o4o..@y^><A^..0.»O.- 


^>V«i^-o 


|Ustin  Gaines,  one  of  the  retired  farmers  of 
Knox  County,  is  the  occupant  of  a  hand- 
some residence  on  section  24,  Copley 
Township,  and  ranks  high  among  the  good 
men  of  the  county — not  only  morally  good,  but 
possessing  the  enterprise,  perseverance  and  in- 
tegrity which  are  the  attributes  of  all  citizens  to 
'  whom  the  term  is  properly  applied.  He  was  born  in 
Connecticut,  Oct.  10,  1812,  and  his  parents  are  Sam- 
uel and  Esther  (Blakesly)  Gaines,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut. The  father  died  in  September,  1834,  in 
Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  while  the  mother  came  to 
Illinois  in  1842,  and  lived  with  her  children  a  num- 
ber of  years,  her  death  occurring  in  r862.  They  had 
a  family  of  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing—Austin,  Linda,  Nelson  and  Harriet ;  those  de- 
ceased are  Esther,  Clarissa,  Sylvester  and  Elmira. 

The  subject  of  our  biography  was  the  second  child 
in  order  of  birth.  He  comitienced  to  learn  the  wagon 
trade  at  the  age  of  17,  served  four  years,  and  then 
went  to  work  for  himself,  continuing  at  his  trade  for 
27  years.  He  moved  to  Ohio  in  1836,  and  ^lere 
lived  three  years.  He  then  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
which  was  at  the  beginning  of  1840.  Settling  in  Cop- 
ley Township,  he  purchased  80  acres  on  section  2,  and 
lived  on  the  same  eight  years.  At  the  e.vpiration  of 
that  time,  he  sold  out  and  purchased  220  acres  in  sec- 
tion 25,  Copley  Township,  afterward  adding  almost 
400  acres.  On  this  he  hved  until  r884.  He  then 
moved  onto  section  24,  where  he  now  lives. 


He  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1836,  with  Henrietta 
Olmsted,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
five  still  hving — Darius,  Homer,  George,  Harvey  and 
Chauncey.  Darius  is  married  to  Vashti  Cherington, 
and  of  their  union  three  children  have  been  born, 
as  follows:  Samuel,  Clara  and  Chauncey  E. ;  they 
are  now  living  in  Adair  County,  Iowa ;  Homer 
is  a  merchant  in  Greenfield,  Iowa;  he  married 
Martha  Boyer,  and  the  result  of  their  union  is  six 
boys — Frank,  Judson,  Arthur,  Harley,  Daniel  and 
Robert;  George  Gaines  united  in  marriage  with 
Rachel  Knapp,  and  four  children  are  the  result  of 
this  alliance — William  C,  Myra,  Clinton  and  George; 
he  has  a  farm  in  Copley  Township ;  Harvey  took  to 
wife  Ellen  Cook  ;  three  children  were  born  to  them — 
Susan  Henrietta,  Angie  Belle  and  Elton  H. ;  they  are 
living  on  the  old  homestead;  Mrs.  Harvey  Gaines 
died  April  20,  1885  ;  Chauncey  married  Charity  Rick- 
son,  and  they  have  four  children — Clarence  A.,  Ma- 
bel, Irene  and  Howard  R.;  Chauncey  is  cashier  of  a 
bank  in  Oakland,  California;  Mrs  Austin  Gaines 
died  July  20,  1865. 

For  his  second  wife,  Mr.  Gaines  married  Mrs.  Ange- 
line  Dales,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Betsy  Ann  (Dur- 
ham) Levalley.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  1843,  and 
settled  in  Henderson  Township,  where  they  lived  until 
the  death  of  the  father  in  i860  ;  the  mother  survived  ' 
him  a  number  of  years,  and  died  in  187 1.  Mr. 
Gaines  was  in  the  grocery  business  in  Galva,  Henry 
County,  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Austin  Gaines  is  in  conversation  a  markedly 
pleasant  and  congenial  man,  and  by  his  affable  man- 
ners and  agreeable  behavior,  coupled  with  sterling 
worth,  has  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  those  about 
him,  and  could  be  elected  to  any  office  in  his  town- 
ship, and  probably  in  his  county.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  held  the  offices  of  Constable  and 
Township  Collector.  Mrs.  Gaines  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church. 

obert  D.  Thompson  is  a  farmer  and  stock- 
breeder of  Knox  County  whose  prominence 
and  influence  are  unquestioned,  while  his 
ability  in  his  chosen  field  has  brought  decided 
success.     He  is  a  man  of  extreme  usefulness 
in  the  community,  and    spares    no  effort  to 
forward  all    moral    and  religious  movements   intro 


t 


§4: 


-•^^-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


6'3 


duced,  both  by  personal  endeavor  and  with  financial 
support. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  Monmouth  Coimty, 
N.  J.,  Nov.  24,  i8i2.  and  at  the  age  of  13  emigrated 
with  his  parents  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Land  was  pur- 
chased in  Clermont  County,  where  our  subject  lived 
until  1855,  in  the  fall  of  which  year  he  came  to  Illi- 
nois, locating  on  section  11,  in  Chestnut  Township, 
where  he  now  lives. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  matri- 
mony with  Miss  Margaret  Sloan,  in  1831.  She  was 
a  native  of  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  born  in  1809,  and 
departed  this  life  in  1853,  leaving  a  large  family  cir- 
cle, consisting  of  13  children.  Her  remains  were  in- 
terred at  Edenton,  Ohio.  The  names  of  her  chil- 
dren were  as  follows:  James,  William,  Elizabeth, 
Benton,  Malvina,  Jane,  Robert,  Alice  and  five  who 
died  in  infancy. 

In  1854  our  subject  formed  a  second  matrimonial 
connection  with  Miss  Aime  J.  Baremor,  a  native  of 
the  State  of  New  Jersey.  She  was  born  April  21, 
1826,  and  resulting  from  this  union  was  the  birth  of 
•  seven  children,  four  living  and  the  remainder  de- 
ceased. The  names  of  the  living  are  David, 
Charles,  Ella  and  Lillie.  David  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Clara  Nichols  ;  Charles  married  Miss  Clara 
Rockenfield  and  they  have  three  children,  and  are 
residents  of  Barber  County,  Kan  ;  Ella  is  the  wife  of 
Henry  Gibson,  of  Iowa,  and  they  have  two  children ; 
Lillie  remains  at  home. 

Mr.  T.  is  the  owner  of  345  acres  of  land,  alLin  one 
body,  on  which  stand  two  convenient  and  pleasant 
dwelling-houses.  He  is  a  man  of  considerable  pop- 
ularity and  ixjwer;  is  a  member  of  Maquon  Lodge, 
No.  530,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  joining  the  fraternity  in 
1855.  He  belongs  to  Knoxville  Chapter  and  Gales- 
burg  Commandery,  No.  8,  K.  T.  He  has  filled  the 
stations  in  the  South  and  West  at  different  limes,  and 
esteras  and  upholds  Masonic  principles  with  unabat- 
ed zeal.  He  also  belongs  to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  having 
joined  the  order  in  185  i,  and  is  a  member  of  the  En- 
campment at  Abingdon.  He  has  filled  all  the  offices 
in  the  subordinate  lodge,  and  has  proved  a  help 
rather  than  a  hindrance,  in  that  he  has  never  drawn 
upon  them  financially  to  any  extent.  He  is  of  a  lit- 
erary turn  of  mind  and  possessed  of  high  mental  at- 
tainments. He  was  educated  in  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal doctrines  by  his  parents,  but  is  at  the  present 


time  a  Univcrsalist  in  belief,  besides  being  the  pos- 
sessor of  pure  and  high  morality  and  a  strong  belief 
in  the  Golden  Rule.  He  donated  liberally  toward 
the  erection  of  the  First  Methodist  Church  at  Ma- 
quon, and  is  ever  ready  to  forward  all  church  move- 
ments or  anything  in  which  the  good  of  the  commu- 
nity at  large  is  concerned.  He  is  well  known  as  a 
devoted  husband  and  father,  and  his  latter  days  have 
passed  by  peacefully  "  as  a  tale  that  is  told."  Evi- 
dently he  is  a  man  of  deeds,  not  of  words.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  Jeffersonian  Democrat,  and  has  stuck  to 
his  party  principles  through  evil  as  well  as  good  re- 
port. 


ohu  Wilson,  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
27,  Galesburg  Township,  was  born  in  Per- 
sifer Township  Sept.  23,  1 84 1.  He  is  the 
son  of  Francis  and  Elizabeth  (McPherrin)  Wil- 
|C  son.  (See  sketch  of  Francis  Wilson.)  Mr.  Wil- 
son was  born  March  t,  i8og,  in  Pennsylvania. 
She  was  born  Dec.  15,  1819,  and  died  Aug.  15,  1882; 
the  former  is  still  living.  She  moved  to  Illinois  in 
1835,  and  married  Mr.  Wilson  Nov.  26,  1840,  in 
Knoxville,  this  county.  They  had  five  children,  as 
follows  :  John,  James  A.,  Francis  M.,  Drucilla  J.  and 
Mary  E. ;  the  two  girls  being  deceased. 

Mr.  John  Wilson  married  Miss  Annie  Carr  Sept. 
5,  1865.  She  was  born  in  Vinton  County,  Ohio, 
Dec.  21,  1843,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1864.  They 
have  two  children  living — William  C,  born  July  27, 
1866,  and  Katie  M.,  born  June  6,  1875.  Mrs.  Wil- 
son is  the  daughter  of  Cornelius  and  Catherine 
(Lotts)  Carr.  He  was  a  native  of  Connecticut, 
where  he  was  born  in  1801,  inheriting  the  rugged  vir- 
tues of  that  land  of  steady  habits,  and  died  in  Ohio, 
Sept.  5,  1877.  His  wife  was  born  July  4,  1804,  and 
is  still  living  in  the  latter  State.  They  had  si.\  chil- 
dren—Marshall P.,  Caroline  Carr,  Sylvester,  John  K., 
Annie  and  Harriet  S.  Annie,  the  youngest  of  the 
family,  married  Mr.  John  Wilson,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  Mr.  Wilson  is  really  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
this  county,  having  been  born,  as  above  stated,  within 
its  limits,  and  has  witnessed  its  growth  from  the 
wilds  of  the  prairie  to  one  of  the  most  populous  and 
thrifty  counties  of  the  State.  He  has  280  acres  of 
fine  land  in  this  section,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. He  has  a  fine  ciwelling-house,  two  stories 
high  and  built  at  a  cost  of  §4,000.     It  is  elegantly 


u 


614 


£;j\rOX  COUNTY. 


finished  in  all  its  departments,  and  has  a  fine  base- 
ment under  the  entire  building.  Mr.  Wilson  bought 
this  farm  m  187  i,  and  has  since  begun  the  breeding  of 
Polled-Angus  catde,  thus  keepii.g  pace  with  the  enter- 
prise and  improvement  of  the  day.  He  has  on  his  farm 
2,4Co  rods  of  tile  draining,  of  from  four  to  eight  inch 
tile;  he  has  also  three  miles  of  good  hedge  fence  and 
a  beautiful  maple  grove  around  his  dwelling. 

Mr.  Wilson  is  a  Democrat  like  his  father  before 
him,  and  practices  the  principles  of  toleration  pecul- 
iar to  the  Declaration  of  Independence  as  enunciated 
by  Thomas  Jefferson.  He  is  an  enterprising,  public- 
spirited  citizen,  a  good  neiphbor  and  a  successful 
business  man,  and  keeps  up  with  the  improvements 
of  his  time. 

— >S— * o<s«^»)>-fa?-o— #— ?<— 

rank  S.  Beamer,  a  goodly  land  owner  of 
Persifer   Township,   and   one    of  the    re- 
spected and  honored  citizens  of  the  county, 
as  well  as  successful  farmers,  is  the  gentleman 
whose  biographical  notice  we  write.     He  re.- 
sides  on  section   8,  in   Persifer  Township,  and 
J  is  there  industriously  engaged   in  the  prosecution  of 
that  most  independent  of  all  callings,  farming,  meet- 
ing with  signal  success. 

Mr.  Beamer  came  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of 
1867,  from  Adams  County,  Pa  ,  and  made  settlement 
in  Knox  Township.  There  he  lived  and  labored, 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  for  about  ten  years, 
when  he  moved  to  Persifer  Township,  and  settled  on 
the  farm  on  which  he  is  at  present  residing,  which 
now  consists  of  about  175  acres,  finely  cultivated. 

Mr.  Beamer  was  born  in  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  March 
10,  1844,  and  was  the  fourth  child  of  a  family  of  ten 
children,  viz. :  Henry  H.,  Harriet  E.,  Walter  J.,  F. 
S.  (our  subject),  John,  Jacob  H.,  Emma,  Philip, 
Charles  and  Martha.  John,  Charles  and  Martha  are 
deceased. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  a  resident  of  his 
native  State  until  he  came  to  this  county.  Soon 
after  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  in  October, 
1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  165th  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.  for  nine 
months.  He  afterward  served  in  an  independent 
company  for  100  days,  and  in  February,  1865,  again 
enlisted,  this  time  joining  the  74th  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  His  business  has 
been  that  of  agriculture,  in  which  he  has  met  with 
success  through   his  own  energy  and   perseverance. 


Mr.  Beamer  was  married  in  Knoxville,  Feb.  25, 
1869,  to  Mary  A.  England,  a  daughter  of  James  and 
Elizabeth  (Koons)  England.  (See  sketch  of  the 
England  family.)  Mrs.  Beamer  was  born  in  Bedford 
County,  Pa.,  May  17,  1850,  and  two  children  have 
been  born  to  them — Harry  E.,  born  May  12,  1870, 
and  Maggie  A.,  born  April  25,  1872. 

Mr.  Beamer  has  held  the  office  of  School  Director 
and  likewise  that  of  School  Trustee  and  Commis- 
sioner of  Highways.  His  parents  were  Jacob  and 
Polly  (Wentz)  Beamer,  natives  of  the  Keystone  State, 
and  his  father  was  a  farmer  by  vocation.  In  politics 
our  subject  casts  his  vote  with  the  Republican  party. 


harles  G.  Gibbs,  present  Supervisior  of 
p^^  Lynn  Township,  was  born  Sept.  8,  1842, 
1^"  in  Camden  County,  New  Jersey.  He  is  the 
®fe)  eldest  son  of  Joseph  D.  and  Elizabeth  (Get- 
j\  singer)  Giblxs.  His  father  was  born  in  1817, 
'  in  the  same  county  and  State.  His  mother  is 
a  native  of  Cape  May  County,  N.  J.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Christopher  and  Catherine  (Allman)  Get- 
singer.  Both  the  parents  s'ill  survive,  and  are  resi- 
dents of  Lynn  Township.  They  removed  to  Phila- 
delphia in  1843,  and  in  1857  came  West  to  Knox 
County,  111.  Charles  G.  remained  at  home  until  the 
breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  D, 
ist  111.  Cav.  The  regiment  was  mustered  in  at  St. 
Louis.  They  remained  in  service  until  1862,  when 
they  were  mustered  out  and  discharged.  The  com- 
mand was  captured  and  released  on  parole,  in  which 
was  specified  that  they  were  "  not  to  bear  arms 
against  the  Southern  Confederacy."  This  mistake  in 
the  papers  compelled  their  discharge  from  the  serv- 
ice. He  subsequently  enlisted  in  the  31st  Mo.  Vol, 
Inf,and  was  mustered  out  and  honorably  discharged 
in  1863.  He  then  returned  home  and  engaged  in, 
farming,  in  which  he  still  continues.  November  16, 
1869,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rebecca  F. 
Gibbs,  a  daughter  of  Jonathan  Gibbs.  Four  children 
have  been  born  to  them.  One  died  in  infancy  and 
one  in  its  third  year.  Wallace  and  Pearl  are  the 
names  of  those  living,  aged  respectively  ten  and  five 
years.  Mr.  Gibbs  is  a  member  of  Galva  Post,  No.  33, 
G.  A.  R.,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity. Politically  he  has  always  been  a  stanch  Re- 
publican. At  present  he  represents  his  township  in 
the  Board  of  Supervisors. 


*v 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


6<S 


g^'^'  ervey  D.  EareL  The  Earel  family  are  de- 
^^J;  --cended  from  English  ancestry  on  the  pa- 
gji^i^**  ternal  side,  and  from  Irish  on  the  maternal. 
f\  James  Earel,  Sr.,  was  bom  in  England  in  April, 
**■  1745.  He  emigrated  to  America  and  settle! 
in  Maryland,  where  he  died  in  1830.  Susanah, 
his  wife,  was  born  in  Ireland  in  July,  1745,  and  died 
also  in  Maryland,  July  21,  1830.  Among  the  chil- 
dren of  Tames  and  Susanah  Earel  was  James  Earel, 
Jr.  He  was  born  in  Maryland  June  21,  1794,  and 
died  Oct.  6,  1846,  at  Columbus,  Adams  Co.,  111.  He 
married  Margaret  Given,  who  was  born  in  West 
Virginia,  March  16,  1801.  The  date  of  the  marriage 
was  Feb.  9,  1826.  She  died  at  Columbus,  Adams 
County,  Dec.  22,  1885.  There  was  born  to  James 
Earel,  Jr.,  and  Margaret,  his  wife,  the  following 
named  children :  John  Maguire,  bom  in  Virginia. 
April  6,  1S27  ;  Hervey  D.,  born  in  Virginia,  Sept.  25, 
1828;  Selden  G.,  born  in  Ohio,  Nov.  22,  1836;  Bar- 
zillia,  born  in  Illinois,  June  4,  1839;  Angeline  G., 
born  Aug.  14.  1830,  died  Feb.  13,  1835;  Alcinda, 
born  April  28,  1832,  died  Feb.  23,  1835;  Margaret 
A.,  born  March  21,  1834,  died  April  7,  1835;  Ange- 
line, born  April  16,  1841,  died  Feb.  2,  1842,  in  Illi- 
nois. These  three  children  died  in  Ohio  from  scarlet 
fever  and  the  latter  in  Adams  County,  111. 

Hervey  D.  Earel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
reared  at  home  and  received  the  rudiments  of  a  fair 
English  education.  The  family  removed  to  Ohio, 
and  settled  in  Athens  County,  where  they  remained 
until  1838,  when  they  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in 
Adams  County.  He  remained  at  home  with  his  par- 
ents until  his  marriage,  which  took  place  in  Adams 
County.  The  name  of  his  wife  was  Margaret  A.  Sam- 
roons;  the  date  of  the  marriage  was  Feb.  26,  1852. 
Margaret  A.  Sammons  was  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Jennie  (Robinson)  Sammons,  natives  of  Virginia, 
but  residents  of  Ohio,  where  Mrs.  Earel  was  born. 
The  date  of  her  birth  was  Sept.  14,  1832.  She  died 
Aug.  14,  1862,  in  Adams  County,  III.  By  this  union 
there  were  five  children  ;  the  following  are  the  names 
in  the  order  of  their  birth:  Mary  E.,  born  Sept.  28, 
1853,  and  died  April  10,  1858.  Erasmus  J.,  born 
March  28,  1855,  and  married  May  EUwell,  July  3, 
1878,  and  is  a  farmer  in  Indian  Point  Township,  in 
this  county.     Silas  R.,  born  Jan.  18,  1857,  and  mar- 


ried Rosa  A.  Williamson,  April  24,  1879;  is  a 
farmer  in  Phelps  County,  Neb.  Mary  Francis,  bom 
Feb.  7,  1859,  died  Jan.  14,  1863.  Florence  J.,  born 
Jan.  23,  1 86 1,  married  Nelse  A.  Nelson,  Sept.  3, 
1884,  and  is  residing  in  the  township.  All  of  the 
above  children  were  born  in  Adams  County,  III. 

Mr.  Earel  contracted  a  second  marriage  on  the 
27lh  of  November,  1862,  with  Miss  Abigail  Linn, 
who  was  bom  March  13,  1831,  in  Indiana.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  John  and  Nancy  (Gaunt)  Linn.  John 
Linn  was  of  English  extraction,  while  his  wife  was 
of  Irish  descent.  Mr.  Linn  was  born  May  1,  1804, 
and  died  Nov  17,  1881.  His  wife,  the  mother  of 
Mrs.  Earel,  is  still  living.  She  was  born  March  9, 
1809.  John  and  Nancy  (Gaunt)  Linn  were  married 
Sept.  9,  1828,  in  Indiana.  There  were  11  children, 
the  offspring  of  John  and  Nancy  Linn.  The  follow- 
ing are  their  names  and  the  dates  of  their  birth  : 
William,  born  Oct.  17,  1829;  Abigail,  born  March  13, 
1831 ;  George  W.,  born  Aug.  17,  1832;  David  C, 
born  March  18,  1834;  Amos  L.,  born.  Dec.  5,  1836; 
John  F.,  born  March  29,  1838;  Albert,  born  Feb.  25, 
1840,  died  March  11,  1875;  Mary  J.,  born  June  30, 
1844;  Francis  A.,  born  Nov.  12,  1846;  Charles  W.,  li 
born  April  8,  1850;    Emma,  born  March  23,  1852. 

By  the  union  of  Hervey  D.  and  Abigail  (Linn)  Earel 
there  have  been  born  three  children  ;  their  names  are . 
Charles  F.,  born  Sept.  10,  1863,  and  died  Jan.  6, 
1865;  Albert  M.,  bom  June  22,  1866,  is  now  a 
student  at  Knox  College,  Galesburg;  John  W.  H., 
born  April  22,  1869,  at  the  present  time  still  beneath 
the  parental  roof.  Mr.  Earel  came  to  Knox  County 
in  1865,  and  engaged  in  the  livery  and  hotel  business 
in  Abingdon  for  a  few  months.  In  the  fall  of  the 
same  year  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now 
resides.  In  1869,  he  built  the  present  large  and 
commodious  farm-house.  He  has  a  fine  farm  under 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He  is,  in  addirion  to 
farming,  engaged  in  the  raising  of  fine  stock,  and  has 
a  herd  of  70  head  of  high-grade  cattle.  His  horses 
are  of  the  Clyde  and  Norman  breeds. 

Polirically  Mr.  Earel  is  a  Republican,  and  takes 
an  active  interest  in  the  promotion  and  advancement 
of  the  principles  of  that  party.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Earel  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  They  joined  the  church  at  Columbus, 
Adams  County,  in  1842.  Both  were  connected  with 
the  same  society,  and  not  long  after  Mr.  Earel  was 
appointed   Class    Leader   as   well    as    Steward  and 


=A^ 


6i6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Trustee.  In  this  county  he  has  filled  similar  posi- 
tions. He  also  served  as  Supervisor  for  Columbus 
Township,  Adams  County,  for  two  years,  and  acted 
as  Road  Commissioner  for  seven  years,  and  served 
as  Commissioner  in  Cedar  Township  for  15  years. 
He,  in  company  with  J.  M.  Earel,  Givens  and  oth- 
ers, in  1872,  started  the  first  bank  in  Abingdon. 

foshua  Moore.  Knox  County  includes 
within  her  borders  many  worthy  and  enter- 
prising citizens,  and  prominent  among  them 
for  strength  of  purpose  and  prompt  execution 
may  be  found  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice,  who  resides  on  section  10,  Indian  Point 
Township.  Mr.  Moore  is  a  native  of  the  North  of 
Ireland,  and  was  born  April  5,  1827.  In  the  fall  of 
rSsi,  when  a  young  man  of  24,  he  emigrated  to 
America,  and  landed  in  New  York  City,  where  he  re- 
mained for  seven  years,  working  for  R.  G.  Dun  & 
Co.,  who  were  engaged  in  the  mercantile  agency  bus- 
iness. He  pleased  them  by  his  application  and  in- 
dustry, and  had  charge  of  their  books  of  reports, 
devoting  himself  assiduously  to  his  duties,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  his  service  removed  to  Abingdon, 
III.  Here  he  rented  a  farm  near  by,  and  in  1874 
purchased  80  acres  of  land  on  section  10,  one  and 
three-fourths  milcS  from  the  city  of  Abingdon,  on 
which  he  now  resides.  To  this  he  has  added  40 
more,  makirg  in  all  120  acres. 

Mr.  Moore  is  the  son  of  John  and  Alice  Moore. 
Both  were  born  in  Ireland,  from  which  place  they  de- 
parted this  life.  The  father  was  born  in  1794,  and 
died  in  1866,  at  the  advanced  age  of  72.  His  wife 
followed  him  in  1878,  and  the  date  of  her  birth  was 
1806.  Their  family  consisted  of  1 2  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  George,  Mar)',  Thomas,  Jason,  Amelia,  Mar- 
garet, Angelina,  John,  Risdon,  Joshua,  William  and 
Fannie. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Catherine  Sylvia  McCarty,  April  26, 
1854,  and  their  nuptials  were  celebrated  in  New 
York  City,  where  she  was  born  Feb.  7,  1836.  Her 
father  was  from  Ireland  and  her  mother  from  Con- 
necticut. The  former  parent  was  born  in  1802,  and 
after  64  years  of  life  and  usefulness  closed  his  eyes 
to  things  of  earth  in  1866,  and  was  buried  in   Lee 


County,  111.  Her  mother  was  born  July  7,  1808, 
and  died  Sept.  5,  i86i,  at  Abingdon.  Their  family 
consisted  of  seven  children,  their  names  being  as 
follows  :  Sarah  A.,  Catherine  S.,  William  R.,  John 
D.,  Mahala,  James  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  of  this  notice  have  been 
born  ten  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The 
living  are  as  follows:  Emma,  George  L.,  Mahala 
E.,  William  J.,  Carrie  A.,  Charles  M.,  Eddy  A.  and 
Minnie  M. 

Mr.  Moore  makes  a  specialty  of  breeding  graded 
stock,  among  them  Short-horn  cattle  and  Poland- 
China  swine.  He  is  also  said  to  have  the  finest  col- 
lection of  poultry  in  the  county.  They  are  pure- 
blooded  ;  among  them  are  the  Light  Brahmas,  and  his 
stock  includes  pure  breeders  which  cost  as  high  as 
$6  apiece. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  are  kind-hearted  and  genial 
friends  and  neighbors  and  are  exceedingly  hospita- 
ble. They  are  devoted  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Abingdon.  Politically  he 
is  a  Republican  and  upholds  and  votes  with  that 
party,  the  doctrines  of  which  he  frankly  and  earnestly 
believes  in. 

eorge  S.  Moshier  is  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  2,  Galesburg  Township.  He  was 
born  in  Warren  County,  111.,  or  the  22d 
^V€^  of  February,  1844,  and  is  the  son  of  Timothy 
"'■"  Moshier,  a  native  of  New  York,  born  in  18 r2, 
'  but  coming  to  Illinois  in  1842.  Mr.  Moshier, 
Sr.,  married  Miss  Sarah  Garwood,  who  was  a  native 
of  Michigan,  where  she  was  born  in  1815,  her  de- 
cease taking  place  Feb.  22,  1851. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  biography 
married  Miss  Hattie  Meeks,  Feb.  24,  1868.  She  was 
born  on  the  23d  of  February,  1848,  in  Knox  County, 
and  by  her  marriage  has  four  children — Claudie, 
born  Dec.  14,  1868;  Maud,  Dec.  4.  1870;  George, 
Aug.  22,  1872,  and  Clay,  Feb.  15,  1876.  The  father 
of  our  subject  had  albO  four  children,  all  of  whom  are 
still  living— David  H.,  George  S.,  H.  C.  and  Addie. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Moshier  were  Daniel  and  Salina 
(Dolph)  Meeks.  The  father,  Daniel  Meeks,  was 
born  in  1798,  in  Pulaski  County,  Ky.,  and  his  de- 
cease took  place  March  16,  1873.  His  wife  is  also 
deceased. 

Our  subject  has  a  farm  of  260  prime  acres  of  land, 


*r 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


617 


on  which  is  erected  a  fine  brick  dwelling-house,  three 
stories  high  and  measuring  32  x  50  feet.  The  house 
is  finished  in  the  most  modern  style,  and  is  un- 
doubtedly the  handsomest  farm  residence  in  Knox 
County.  Mr.  M.  is  engaged  in  breeding  trotting 
stock  from  the  best  blood  of  Kentucky.  This  de- 
partment Mr.  Moshier  has  made  a  specialty  until  he 
has  produced  some  of  the  finest  trotting  and  running 
horses  in  the  country.  Of  these  latter  he  has  15 
head  at  present  in  his  possession,  which  number 
among  the  finest  stock  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Moshier  is  a  Republican  of  the  most  decided 
type,  and  enlisted  in  Co.  D  of  the  ist  111.  Cav.,  in 
April,  i86r.  He  was  mustered  in  at  Quincy,  III,  in 
the  same  month,  under  Capt.  Smith  and  Col.  Mar- 
shall. He  participated  in  the  celebrated  battle  of 
Lexington,  and  fought  during  the  month  of  Septem- 
ber of  the  year  named.  Here  he  was  wounded  in 
the  left  leg  just  below  the  knee,  and  was  taken  pris- 
oner by  Gen.  Price's  force.  The  wounded  were  re- 
tained by  the  General  for  ten  days,  and  were  then 
removed  to  St.  Louis.  Here  Mr.  Moshier's  discharge 
took  place.  He  was  a  good  soldier,  and  for  his 
wounds  is  drawing  a  small  pension.  He  is  a  man 
genially  disposed  and  makes  a  host  of  friends. 


•^%(unry>' 


fustin  Grant.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  we 
write  these  few  facts  gathered  from  the  life 
of  one  of  Knox  County's  most  respected  and 
honored  citizens  as  well  as  successful  and 
well-to-do  farmers.  Austin  Grant  is  one  of 
the  oldest  settlers  living  who  made  settlement 
in  Lynn  Township,  and  there,  on  section  13,  he  may 
be  found  actively  and  energetically  engaged  in  that 
most  independent  of  all  callings,  agriculture,  together 
with  the  raising  of  stock.  His  farm  is  a  fine  one, 
and  surrounded  by  a  happy  family  he  is  passing  the 
sunset  of  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  well-earned  com- 
petency, respected  by  all  who  know  him  and  hon- 
ored for  his  sterling  worth  and  integrity. 

Mr.  Grant  was  born  in  Windsor,  Broome  Co., 
N.  Y.,  Dec.  30,  1807.  His  father,  Joshua  Grant,  was 
a  native  of  Connecticut  and  was  formerly  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business,  but  during  the  latter  portion  of 
his  life  followed  the  vocation  of  farming.  He  was 
married  in  Sullivan  County,  N.  Y.,  to  Thalia  Howard, 


who  was  born  and  reared  in  that  county.  The 
Grants  were  of  New  England  parentage  and  Scotch 
descent,  and  the  Howards  of  English  ancestry.  The 
grandmother  of  our  subject,  Betlie  Davis,  nee  Stone, 
was  born  in  England,  and  while  yet  young  in  life  em- 
igrated to  the  United  States.  By  her  former  marriage 
with  Josiah  Stone  she  had  two  children,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased,  one  having  been  drowned  in  a 
well.  The  paternal  and  maternal  grandparents  of 
our  subject  died  in  the  Eastern  States. 

The  parents  of  Austin  Grant  came  West  in  1839, 
and  made  settlement  in  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
near  Altona.  They  were  very  early  settlers  there,  and 
at  that  time  the  country  was  unimproved  and  the 
hand  of  civilization  hardly  visible.  The  father  of  our 
subject  secured  a  tract  of  raw  prairie  land,  on  which 
he  located  with  his  family  and  engaged  actively  in  its 
cultivation  and  improvement,  and  there  lived  and  la- 
bored until  his  death,  which  occurred  Jan.  6,  1867. 
He  was  a  Whig  prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  at  which  time  he  joined  the  ranks  of 
the  latter  and  continued  to  vote  with  it  until  his  de- 
mise. The  mother  of  our  subject  died  May  4,  1853. 
They  were  in  moderate  circumstances,  honest,  genial 
and  industrious,  and  members  of  the  Christian 
Church. 

Austin  Grant's  early  life  was  spent  with  his  father 
and  mother,  and  he  succeeded  in  securing  a  fair  ed- 
ucation at  the  common  schools.  While  he  was  yet 
young  his  parents  moved  to  Ontario  County,  N.  Y. 
On  becoming  a  young  man,  at  the  age  of  18,  he 
bought  his  time  of  his  father,  and  went  to  Sullivan 
County,  in  his  native  State,  and  while  there  worked 
for  a  second  cousin,  Amos  Grant.  When  20  years 
of  age  our  subject  formed  the  acquaintance  of  Sarah 
J.  Gillette,  of  Sullivan  County,  to  whom  he  was  mar- 
ried Nov.  27,  1828.  She  was  born  and  reared  in  Sul- 
livan County,  and  her  father  followed  farming  and 
turning  of  woodenware  for  a  livelihood,  and  died  in 
that  county  and  State.  Mrs.  Grant  continued  to  re- 
side with  them  during  her  early  life  and  until  het 
marriage  with  the  subject  of  this  notice.  She  became 
the  mother  of  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased :  Helen  became  the  wife  of  Maj.  Samuel 
White,  a  resident  of  La  Fayette,  Stark  Co.  III., 
a  successful  business  man  and  manufacturer  of  tile, 
etc.  Mrs.  White  has  borne  her  husband  tour  chil- 
dren,  two  of  whom  are  living — Gillette  Jane  and 


•M— « 


-k^ 


6i8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


left  Knox 

(the  gold 
riving  in  I 
^and  in  C< 


Ulysses  Grant ;  Louisa  and  Austin   John  died,  aged 
II  and  loj^  years  respectively. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grant  for  ten  years  after  their  mar- 
riage lived  in  Sullivan  County,  where  Mr.  Grant  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  and  tanner's  business  and  va- 
rious other  interests.  In  1838  he  and  his  brother-in- 
law  built  a  flatboat  and  came  down  the  Ohio  River  to 
Cincinnati,  and  thence  by  steamer  to  St.  Louis,  and 
lived  on  the  American  Bottom,  near  East  St.  Louis, 
where  Mr.  G.  worked  for  Ames  Hall,  who  recognized 
his  energy  and  ability  to  such  an  extent  that  he  was 
willing  to  pay  and  did  pay  twice  what  he  paid  to 
others  for  the  same  work.  Mr.  Grant  returned  sev- 
eral times  to  work  for  Mr.  Hall,  and  received  good 
wages,  this  being  all  the  ready  money  he  could  then 
obtain.  After  coming  to  this  county  he  worked 
around  for  a  while,  and  finally  determined  to  "  make 
a  stake,"  and  consequently  went  to  California,  hoping 
to  better  his  financial  condition  by  digging  gold.  He 
left  Kno.x  County  May  11, 1849,  during  the  year  that 
fever  was  at  its  height  in  this  country,  ar- 
Salt  Lake  City  in  October  of  the  same  year, 
•jand  m  California  in    July,  1850.     He  was  gone  from 

there  three  years  and  a  half,  and  contrary  to  the  ex- 
perience of  a  large  majority  of  persons  who  went  there 
to  dig  a  fortune  from  the  earth,  and  who  returned 
'  penniless,  our  subject  was  successful  and  made  con- 
siderable money.  He  nevertheless,  while  in  Califor- 
nia, went  through  many  trials  and  suffered  consider- 
ably from  sickness,  but  his  success  was  assured  and 
he  returned  to  this  county  well  remunerated  for  his 
time  and  labor.  Commg  back  to  this  county  in  No- 
vember, 1852,  our  subject,  in  the  spring,  bought  the 
land  where  he  now  lives,  the  northeast  quarter  of 
section  24,  and  at  once  began  to  make  improvements 
and  perfect  his  title  tliereto.  His  landed  possessions 
at  the  present  time  are  264  acres,  and  he  has  one  of  the 
best  improved  farms  in  the  county,  well  stocked.  In 
addition  to  the  cultivation  of  his  land,  he  has  to  no 
inconsiderable  extent  devoted  his  time  to  the  raising 
of  stock.  He  has  given  his  daughter  a  goodly  prop- 
erty, and  yet  has  a  sufficiency  for  hmiself.  The  sad- 
dest event  which  has  marked  the  life  of  our  subject 
was  that  which  occurred  Aug.  21,  1875,  when  his 
faithful  companion,  who  had  borne  her  part  of  the 
trials  through  which  they  passed  to  prosperity,  died. 
She  was  a  most  estimable  lady,  a  good  wife,  a  kind 
mother  and  a  generous  friend  and  neighbor;  relig- 
iously a  Baptist.     Mr.  Grant  is  a  Universalist  in  his 


rehgious  views,  and  politically  a  Republican.  He  is 
a  gentleman  who  has  never  sought  office,  but  has 
been  honored  with  that  of  Road  Commissioner,  as 
well  as  others  of  minor  import.  Seventy-nine  years 
of  life  have  silvered  his  tairs,  and  his  reputation  is 
that  of  an  honorable  and  upright  man,  generous  to  a 
fault  and  ever  turning  a  listening  ear  to  charity.  Ev- 
ery enterprise  that  is  calculated  to  benefit  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  resides  finds  in  him  a  strong  ad- 
vocate and  friend.  He  has  contributed  largely  of  his 
means  to  the  Lombard  University  at  Galesburg,  and 
the  poor  of  Lynn  Township  recognize  in  him  a  true 
friend  and  benefactor. 


jfmes  A.  Barlow.  Knox  County  is  dotted 
over  with  as  rich  and  productive  farms  as 
^^  "  are  to  be  found  anywhere  within  the  bor- 
ders of  the  great  Prairie  State,  and  on  them  are 
found  fine  improvements,  brought  about  by  the  ' 
economy  and  energy  of  the  proprietors.  As  a 
truly  representative  citizen  of  this  county,  and  one 
possessing  the  necessary  qualifications  for  success  as  )>< 
an  agriculturist,  we  take  pleasure  in  mentioning  the 
subject  of  this  biographical  notice.  He  is  a  son  of 
Gideon  A.  Barlow,  of  whom  we  have  spoken  else- 
where in  this  work.  Ames  Barlow  was  born  in  La 
Fayette,  Stark  Co.,  111.,  Feb.  25,  1857.  His  early  life 
was  spent  at  home,  assisting  his  parents  and  attend- 
ing the  common  schools,  until  he  was  about  22  years 
of  age.  His  education  was  supplemented  by  attend- 
ance at  the  Galva  and  Davenport  (Iowa)  schools, 
from  which  latter  he  graduated  in  the  commercial 
department,  March  29,  1879. 

Soon  after  graduating  at  Davenport,  Mr.  Barlow, 
Aug.  17,  1879,  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Celinda  Hathaway,  the  intelligent  and  accomplished 
daughter  of  Arthur  T.  and  Jane  (Mowatt)  Hathaway, 
natives  of  Massachusetts  and  Scotland  respectively. 
Miss  Mowatt's  father  came  to  the  United  States  when 
quite  young.  Mr.  Hathaway  was  married  in  Chicago, 
and  later  went  to  Muskegon,  Mich.,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  and  wlience  he 
came  to  Galva,  111.  Mrs.  Barlow's  father  was  born 
Oct.  21,  i82i,in  Berkshire  County,  Mass.,  of  En- 
glish parentage.  He  was  reared  in  Massachusetts, 
and  when  15  years  of  age  came  West.  In  1839  he 
went  to  Chicago,  and  11  years  later,  in  1850,  made 


*T" 


*4U^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


6,9 


'^* 


a  trip  to  California  overland.  He  remained  in  that 
country  until  1852,  when  he  returned  to  New  York, 
and  from  there  he  went  to  Michigan  and  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business.  Jan.  12,  1856,  he  went  to 
Galva,  and  was  occupied  in  the  lumber  business  in 
that  place  until  1S74.  then  farmed  till  1883,  when  he 
removed  to  Galva,  where  he  is  at  present  residing. 
He  has  been  successful  in  business  and  is  the  owner 
of  600  acres  of  land  near  Galva,  besides  considerable 
in  Iowa.  His  wife  was  Jane  Mowatt,  of  Scotland, 
who  was  the  mother  of  six  children,  four  of  whom 
survive.  Celinda,  who  married  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice,  was  born  July  10,  t856;  she  was 
a  resident  of  her  father's  household  until  her  mar- 
riage with  Mr.  Barlow,  having  prior  to  that  time  re- 
ceived a  good  education  at  the  High  School  in 
Galva. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barlow  two  children 

have  been  born — Lawrence   W.,  Dec.  4,   1880,  and 

Mabel.  April  i,  18S3.     After  their  marriage  Mr.  and 

f  Mrs.  Barlow  settled  on  the  farm  of  60  acres  which 

I  Mr.  B.  had   previously  purchased.     At  this  writing 

1  Mr.  Barlow,  in  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  is 

?  operating  some   400   acres  of  land.     They  are  to  a 

considerable  extent  engaged  in   stock-breeding,  the 

Percheron  horses  being  their  specialty. 

Mr.  Barlow  has  held  the  office  of  Township  Clerk 
for  five  years,  and  is  the  present  incumbent  of  that 
office.  In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  in 
his  chosen  vocation  is  meeting  with  that  success 
which  energy  and  perseverance  are  sure  to  bring. 


^B^l'.  oshua  Brown.  Prominent  among  the  old 
i^SB',~  and  reliable  citizens  of  Knox  County,  and 
WS>"  tnofc  especially  among  the  members  of  the 
"'(•'ji  agricultural  community,  may  be  found  the  sub- 
j^t  ject  of  this  biography,  some  of  the  imjwrtant 
\  f>oints  in  whose  life  history  are  herein  written. 
Mr.  Brown  was  born  in  Meade  County,  Ky.,  May 
10,  1815,  and  was  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Henrietta 
(Hobbs)  Brown.  The  former  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  moved  to  Kentucky,  where  he  married. 
His  wife  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  Mr.  Brown 
died  in  that  State  when  his  son  was  about  14  years 
of  age.  His  widow  subsequently,  in  November, 
1 830,  removed  with  five  of  her  unmarried  children 


to  Knox  County.  Her  elder  sons  purchased  land 
and  commenced  farming,  while  the  mother  continued 
to  live  with  her  children  until  her  death,  which  took 
place  in  1861.  Joshua  Brown  was  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  under  Capt.  McMurtrie,  and  received 
his  land  warrant  for  160  acres.  He  was  too  old  to 
lake  an  active  part  in  the  late  war,  but  he  con- 
tributed of  his  means  and  with  his  influence  from  his 
home.  He  was  selected  by  the  members  of  Co.  B, 
io2d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  to  distribute  to  their  families 
their  hard  earnings,  all  uniting  in  desiring  Mr.  B. 
to  accept  the  trust. 

In  the  fall  of  1830  our  subject  emigrated  from 
Kentucky  to  Knox  County.  In  this  place  he  settled, 
with  a  heart  full  of  energy  and  a  strong  right  arm  to 
work  out  his  projects.  He  made  Henderson  Town- 
ship the  field  of  his  operations,  and  has  lived  in  that 
section  of  country  ever  since,  with  the  exception  of 
two  years  spent  in  the  city  of  Galesburg,  while  still 
continuing  to  direct  the  cultivation  of  the  farm.  He 
has  devoted  his  attention  wholly  to  agricultural  pur-  1 
suits  since  his  initiatory  steps  into  Knox  County, 
and  at  the  present  time  is  in  possession  of  about  200 
acres  in  Knox  County,  under  good  cultivation,  and  "^ 
80  acres  in  Warren  County,  with  good,  substantial 
buildings. 

In  Warren  County  he  took  to  his  heart  and  home  ^ 
a  life  companion  in  the  person  of  Miss  Mary  Ste- 
vens, daughter  of  James  and  Nancy  (Miles)  Stevens, 
natives  of  Indiana.  Mrs.  Brown  was  born  in  Harri- 
son County,  Ind.,  April  3,  1823,  and  has  borne  her 
husband  two  children — Henrietta  and  Marshall  J., 
the  latter  of  whom  died  Aug.  11,  1876,  and  since  the 
death  of  his  son  Mr.  Brown  has  rented  his  farm, 
though  continuing  to  live  on  the  old  homestead, 
having  on  his  place  a  comfortable  tenant  house. 
Marshall  J.  was  married  to  Martha  Bandy,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  left  three  children — George  F., 
Mary  and  Laura,  an  infant  who  died  at  the  age  of 
ten  months.  His  farm  joins  that  of  his  father  on 
the  south.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Universalist 
society  in  this  neighborhood,  and  a  man  of  fine  char- 
acter and  integrity.  He  was  active  and  enterprising 
in  his  business  and  more  than  ordinarily  successful. 
Henrietta  is  the  wife  of  Samuel  Fletcher,  and  has  a 
home  in  the  city  of  Galesburg.  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a 
merchant  tailor.  They  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren— Mark  Brown,  Samuel  Earl,  Carl  Joshua  and 
Ralph  Benjamin ;  the  two  eldest  are  deceased. 


-H^ 


■±~ 


4* 


620 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


In  religious  faith  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  are  Uni- 
versalists,  and  Mr.  B.  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 
Agriculture  has  been  his  leading  pursuit,  although 
for  many  years  he  has  been  encraged  in  stock  raising 
and  breeding.  A  view  of  the  homestead  of  Mr. 
Brown  is  given  on  another  page  in  this  Album. 


<^ 


ddisou  P.  Higgins  resides  on  section  4  of 
j(  Galesburg  Township,  and  follows  the  call- 
'^  ing  of  farming.  He  is  largely  a  self-made 
man,  and  was  born  Nov.  2,  1844.  He  is  the 
son  of  Americus  C.  Higgins,  the  latter  being 
born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1815,  on 
the  7th  of  August.  This  latter  came  to  Illinois  in 
1807  and  located  in  Knox  County,  where  he  married 
Miss  Lucy  Gridly,  in  1840.  She  was  a  native  of 
Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.,  where  she  was  born  April 
3,  1815.  This  lady  was  of  English  origin,  and  by  her 
'  union  with  Americus  Higgins  became  the  mother  of 
three  children — Phineas  C,  born  in  1842;  Addison 
P.  on  Nov.  2,  1844,  and  Frank  G.  on  Dec.  22,  1846. 
The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  mar- 
ried Mattie  J.  Meacham  on  Feb.  19,  1874.  She  was 
born  Nov.  23,  1848,  in  DuPage  County,  111.,  at  her 
home  in  Bloomingdale.  Her  parents  were  Cyrus  and 
Lyma  S.  (Atwood)  Meacham.  Her  father  was  born 
in  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  18,  181 1.  Her  mother  was 
born  in  New  Elstade,  N.  H  ,  in  the  year  1812.  This 
good  lady  died  on  the  5th  of  April,  1865.  She  was 
the  happy  mother  of  five  children,  viz.:  Almeda  E., 
born  June  23,  1843;  Harriet  L.,  born  April  2,  1844; 
Sarah  A.,  in  1846;  Mattie  J.,  Nov.  23,  1848,  and 
Helen,  April  13,  1852.  This  latter  child  died  on 
the  i6th  of  May,  1884. 

With  the  exception  of  Almeda,  all  these  children 
are  married  and  settled  in  life.  Mr.  Meacham  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Phelps  on  the  8th  of  October,  1866,  for  his 
second  wife.  S'le  was  born  in  New  York  in  1840, 
and  located  in  Galesburg  subsequently.  There  were 
no  children  born  to  this  last  marriage,  and  Mr. 
Meacham  and  his  wife  now  reside  at  Oak  Park,  111. 
Mr.  Higgins'  brother,  Phineas,  is  the  father  of  six 
children,  viz.  :  Jennie,  born  in  1874;  Paul,  1866; 
Lucian,  1868;  Alva,  1870;  Money,  1883,  and  Tliyra 
in  1884. 

The  marriage  of  which  the  above  children  are  the 
issue  proved  exceedingly  happy.     On  the   i8th  of 


February,  1864,  Mr.  Higgins'  brother  married  Miss 
Mary  R.  Jinks,  and  is  now  residing  in  California. 
The  father  of  the  present  Mrs.  Higgins  was  Cyrus 
Meacham,  a  direct  descendant  of  Miles  Standish, 
Captain  of  the  Mayflower,  that  landed  the  Pilgrims 
at  Plymouth  Rock  in  1620. 

The  subject  of  this  history  has  160  acres  of  land, 
all  of  which  is  first-class  in  quality,  also  640  acres  in 
Nebraska.  His  home  farm  is  well  improved,  on 
which  there  are  four  barns  erected,  and  a  good  two- 
story  dwelling-house.  Fronting  the  dwelling  there 
is  a  fine  grove  of  evergreens,  and  altogether  the  home 
of  this  gentleman  strikes  one  with  a  sense  of  com- 
fort. He  possesses  20  head  of  Jersey  cattle,  three 
high  grades  of  Holsteins,  and  has  one  span  of  draft 
horses.  The  family  are  members  of  the  First  Church 
of  Christ  in  Galesburg,  where  they  are  regular  at- 
tendants, and  stand  high  in  the  estimation  of  that 
body. 

Our  subject  is  a  stanch  and  consistent  Prohibition 
Republican. 

-1= 


ichael  Hahn.  This  worthy  citizen,  now 
deceased,  came  first  to  Knox  County  in 
1836.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  , 
5^^^  and  three  children  from  Hamilton  County, 
'■^  Ohio,  and  settling  in  Henderson  Township,  re- 
solved to  take  up  agriculture  as  his  occupation. 
This  calling  he  pursued  up  to  the  date  of  his  death, 
July  21,  1876.  His  marriage,  which  was  a  most  pro- 
pitious event,  took  place  in  Hamilton  County,  Ohio, 
Nov.  22,  1829,  with  Miss  Rebecca  Edwards,  a  lady 
of  very  estimable  character,  and  a  native  of  Clermont 
County,  Ohio,  born  Feb.  i,  1807.  By  this  happy 
marriage  there  were  nine  children,  only  three  of 
whom  are  now  living — Ira,  Wilson  and  N.  S.  Ira 
resides  in  Kansas  and  is  becoming  successful  in  life. 
Wilson  and  N.  S.  reside  in  Henderson  Township. 

Mrs.  Hahn,  the  widow  of  the  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy, is  the  owner  of  255  acres  of  good  land,  100 
of  which  is,  however,  under  timber.  She  is  a  woman 
of  rare  qualities  of  mind,  and  very  much  beloved  by 
those  who  know  her  best.  She  is  of  Welsh  extrac- 
tion; her  grandfather,  Samuel  Edwards,  was  born  in 
Wales.  Mrs.  Edwards  to-day  is  a  woman  well  pre- 
served, and  has  all  her  intellectual  powers,  though 
she  is  80  years  of  age.     Her  brgther,  William  Ed- 


T 


i^ 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


621 


^> 


wards,  and  his  wife,  of  Cincinnati,  in  18S3  celebrated 
the  60th  anniversary  of  their  marriage.  The  En- 
quirer gave  a  column  report  of  the  occasion,  which 
was  attended  by  numbers  of  Cincinnati's  best  citi- 
zens. The  grandfather  of  Michael  Hahn  came  to 
this  country  from  Germany,  about  the  year  1770, 
settling  in  New  York,  where  he  remained  during  the 
War  for  Independence.  About  1778  he  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  what  was  then 
the  village  and  trading  point  of  Cincinnati,  where 
he  was  killed  by  the  Indians.  Below  is  an  extract 
clipped  from  the  Cincinnati  Enquirer,  from  an 
article  headed  "  Early  Days  of  the  Pioneers  of  Cin- 
cinnati," pubUshed  under  date  of  Dec.  2,  188.3  : 

"  In  April,  1792,  Martin  Burkhardt,  Michael  Hahn 
and  Michael  Lutz  went  out  above  the  town  to  view 
some  lots.     On  their  arrival  at  the  point  of  destina- 
tion the  Indians  shot  and  scalped  Lutz.     Hahn  was 
wounded,  bat  was  making  a  good  race  for  Fort  Wash- 
ington, when  another  shot  dropped  him  dead.    Burk- 
I  hardt  took  to  the  river,  but  being  badly  wounded  he 
;  soon  drowned,  his  body  being  found  at  North  Bend 
1  six  weeks  after  the  above  event." 

His  son,  Joseph  Hahn,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
18 1 2,  and  was  under  Hull  when  he  surrendered 
Detroit  to  Gen.  Brock  and  Tecumseh. 

•>~'V/^.■'^A^J^.^•®^^««4^J^->*^^S.'^OT»^~•V^/^~ 

^^^jfjl  onathan  Gibbs.     Among  the  old  pioHeers 

^^J^JjT  who  are   yet    living   to   tell   of  the   trials 

Y^^^       through  which  they  passed  in   making  an 

^ji    early  settlement  in  the  county  is  he  of  whom 

JC     we  write,  residing  on  section  35,  Lynn  Town- 

1       ship      Mr.  Gibbs  came  to  this  county  in  1838, 

and,  having  resided  here  constantly  since  that  time, 

has  witnessed  its  wonderful  development  from  the 

primitive  condition  in  which  it  was  then  to  the  fine 

agricultural  stand  it  takes  in  comparison  with  other 

counties  of  the  State  at  the  present  time.     He  came 

here  from  Camden  County,  N.  J.,  where  he  was  born 

Dec.  22,  1808. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Gibbs,  Mattin  Gibbs,  was  a 
farmer  by  calling,  was  born,  reared  and  married  in 
New  Jersey,  and  was  of  New  England  ancestry  and 
English  descent.  His  forefathers  came  over  with 
William  Penn,  in  1682,  and  belonged  to  the  Quakers.  I 
His  wife,  Hannah  Beck,  was  born  in  the  same  State,  I 
'\ 


and  of  Irish  extraction.  To  them  seven  children 
came  to  brighten  their  lives,  a  part  of  ^^  hom  grew  up 
to  man  and  womanhood  in  Burlington  County,  and 
part  in  Camden. 

Jonathan  Gibbs  was  the  eldest  of  his  parents' 
children — four  sons  and  three  daughters.  He  lived 
with  the  old  folks  and  assisted  in  the  labors  of 
the  farm  until  20  winters  of  his  life  had  passed,  at 
which  time  he  engaged  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  glass- 
blower,  at  Waterford,  Camden  Co.,  N.  J.  He  pur- 
sued this  calling  for  nine  years,  including  his  ap- 
prenticeship, and  until  he  came  West.  It  was 
during  this  time  that  he  became  acquainted  with 
Miss  Tamar  Norcross,  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mar- 
tha (Duble)  Norcross,  natives  of  New  Jersey,  and 
they  were  married  .Aug.  14,  1832.  Her  parents  were 
resident  in  Camden  County,  where  her  father  fol- 
lowed farming  and  where  they  both  lived  until  their 
demise.  It  was  there  that  Mrs.  Gibbs  was  born. 
May  II,  i8ii,and  there  she  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated and  lived  until  her  marriage.  Of  her  union 
with  Mr.  Gibbs  six  children  have  been  born — Joseph 
P.,  a  resident  of  Galva  and  a  mason  by  trade;  Will- 
iam H.  married  Julia  Grant  and  is  also  a  resident  of 
Galva  and  a  master  of  the  same  trade  ;  Clayton  mar- 
ried Julia  Bavier,  and  lives  at  Marshalltown,  Iowa, 
where  he  is  engaged  in  blacksmithing;  Richard  T. 
married  Mary  Reed  and  lives  on  the  old  homestead  ; 
Phoebe  became  the  wife  of  A.  D.  Bradley,  who  is  a 
farmer  of  Lynn  Township;  Rebecca  married  Ciiarles 
G.  Gibbs,  also  a  resident  of  Lynn  Township. 

In  183S  the  parents  of  our  subject  came  with  their 
family  to  this  county  and  located  on  land  now  owned 
by  our  subject.  They  made  the  trip  to  the  Far  West 
in  wagops  and  were  six  weeks  on  the  road.  The 
house  Jonathan  Gibbs  now  lives  in  was  built  in  1854. 
He  built  a  saw-mill  in  1849.  which  he  run  for  17 
years.  He  now  owns  238  acres  of  land,  the  major 
portion  of  which  is  under  an  advanced  state  of  culti- 
vation, and  in  this,  his  afternoon  of  life,  he  is  enjoy- 
ing a  well-earned  competency,  surrounded  by  a 
happy  family.  He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
12  years  and  Supervisor  of  his  township  for  many 
terms.  He  was  the  second  Assistant-Supervisor. 
In  ]X)litics  he  was  an  old-line  Whig,  but  joined  the 
ranks  of  the  Republican  party  upon  its  organization 
and  has  voted  with  it  ever  since.  The  Wall-street 
king,  of  New  York  City,  S.  V.  White,  boarded  with 
our   subject  while  he  was  teaching  school  in    Mr. 


t 


622 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Gibbs'  district,  during  the  winter  of  1853-4,  and  our 
subject  visited  his  old  friend  on  Wall  street  recently, 
and  was  heartily  entertained  and  presented  by  him 
with  a  fine  gold  watch,  as  a  memento  of  their  former 
friendship.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity  since  1854  and  helped  organize  the  lodge 
at  Galva,  111. 

— a ^t-^^S 


I  Wl 


avid  Russell.  Merit  deserves  mention,  and 

it   is  therefore  with   pleasure  that  we  pen 

V,.    ■     this  short  sketch  of  a  gentleman  who  has 

7!,'»'     made   what    he    has   of  this    world's    goods 

f  through  his  own  individual  effort,  and  not  as 
the  recipient  of  any  legacy  from  any  source 
whatsoever.  He  is  a  representative  of  the  agricult- 
ural class  of  this  county,  aiid  follows  his  vocation  on 
section  5,  Persifer  Township,  where  he  owns  a  fine 
property. 

Mr.  Russell  was  born  in  Gallia  County,  Ohio, 
Sept.  27,  1822,  apd  had  attained  the  age  of  15  years 
!>i  when  he  came  to  this  county.  He  is  an  old  pioneer 
of  Persifer  Township,  having  made  settlement  there 
in  the  fall  of  1837,  and  has  continued  to  reside  in 
that  township  until  this  writing,  a  period  of  upward 
of  50  years.  We  cannot,  in  this  brief  notice,  inform 
the  reader  of  all  the  trials  through  which  David  Rus- 
sell passed  in  making  his  early  settlement  here;  suf- 
fice it  to  say  that  they  were  similar  to  those  of  many 
others,  which  we  fully  enumerate  in  the  historical 
part  of  this  work.  After  making  settlement  here,  he 
was  for  many  years  engaged  in  thrashing,  after  which 
he  operated  a  steam  saw-mill  in  Persifer  Township. 
Aside  from  this  he  has  been  occupied  almost  contin- 
uously in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is  at  present  the 
owner  of  80  acres  of  land,  the  greater  portion  of 
which  is  in  good,  tillable  condition. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Russell  took  place  in  Persifer 
Township,  Dec.  13,  1849,  at  which  time  Miss  Mary 
A.  Ranibo,  daughter  of  Reuben  and  Charity  (Hap- 
tonstall)  Rambo,  became  his  wife.  She  was  born  in 
Gallia  County,  Ohio,  May  9,  1832,  and  was  r2  years 
of  age  when  her  parents  came  to  this  county.  Of  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Russell  six  children  have 
been  born — Frances  E.,  Lucy  J.,  OUve  L.,  Charles 
E.,  Elizabeth  C.  and  George  D.  Frances  E.  is  the 
wife  of  Thomas  Osborne,  a  resident  of  Haw  Creek 


Township ;  Lucy  J.  married  Alonzo  Ward,  resides  in 
Knox  Township,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed 
by  the  birth  of  six  children — Effie  ]\L,  Elizabeth  E., 
Maggie,  Thomas,  Oscar  D.  and  John;  Elizabeth  and 
Maggie  are  deceased.  Olive  Russell,  ne,xt  in  order 
of  birth  of  the  children  of  our  subject,  is  the  wife  of 
George  L.  Lacy,  a  resident  of  Haw  Creek  Township, 
and  has  borne  her  husband  two  children — Retta  E. 
and  Clarence  R.  The  remaining  children  are  at 
home. 

Mr.  Russell,  although  a  gentleman  not  seeking 
office,  has  been  Constable,  Collector  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  He  and  his  good  wife  are  members  of  the 
United  Btethren  Church,  and  in  politics  he  votes 
with  the  Republican  party. 


eorge  M.  Swan,  a   successful  farmer  and 
stock-raiser,    lives  on    section    rr,  Lynn 
Township,  and   is   considered  one  of  the  ^ 
most  progressive  and  reliable  citizens  resident 
within  the  boundaries  of  Knox  County.  '    Mr. 
Swan  was  born  in  or  near  New  London,  Jeffer- 
son Co.,  Ind.,  on  the  Ohio  River,  Feb.  25,  1835. 

His  father,  Cranston  T.  Swan,  was  a  blacksmith  by 
occupation,  was  of  Scotch  ancestry,  came  to  the  Unit- 
ed States  and  located  in  Kentucky  when  a  young 
man.  He  was  married  in  the  latter  State  to  Mar- 
garet Dodd,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  She  was 
of  German  and  Scotch  lineage,  and  came  to  Kentucky 
with  her  father  when  a  young  girl.  Sometime  after, 
the  family  moved  to  Jefferson  County  ;  later  to  Law- 
rence County,  same  State,  and  in  1859  most  of  the 
family,  including  Mrs.  Swan,  made  up  their  minds  to 
settle  in  the  interior,  where  the  parents  lived  out 
their  lives,  he  dying  in  1866,  and  she  in  1874. 

Mr.  Swan,  of  this  writing,  was  the  fourth  of  a  fam- 
ily of  seven,  four  sons  and  three  daughters  ;  two  of 
the  latter  are  now  dead.  Mr.  S.  was  educated  in  the 
district  school,  and  lived  at  home  until  his  marriage. 
He  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony  in  Jeffer- 
son County,  Ind.,  Feb.  26,  1855,  with  Miss  Elizabeth 
Munson.  She  was  born  in  Lawrence  County,  Ind., 
Oct.  15,  1835.  She  is  the  mother  of  12  chidren, 
four  deceased  and  two  married  :  Margaret  E.  is  the 
wife  of  George  F.  Bates,  who  resides  in  Galva,  and 
they  have  five  children;  Catherina,  wife  of  Thomas 
Hayes, and  resident  of  Lynn  Township;  Mr.  H.  is 


I 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L..iVERSITY  OF  ILUM::3 


.'% 


/     s£/ 


*, 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


62s 


a  Tiop-raiser ;  Jonathan  H.  resides  in  Galva,  his  oc- 
cupation being  that  of  a  clerk  ;  Cranston  is  at  home  ; 
DeEmery,  Fred.  E.,  Addie  M.  and  Mary  Effie  are  at 
home.  The  deceased  are  David,  Edward,  Albertus  and 
James;  the  latter  lived  to  be  nearly  25  years  of  age. 
After  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Swan  lived  in  Law- 
rence County,  Ind.,  until  1859,  when  they  came  to 
Illinois,  and  in  September,  the  next  year,  went  to 
Lynn  Township,  so  that  with  the  exception  of  one 
year  tliey  have  passed  their  married  lives  in  that 
township. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ssvan  are  the  owners  of  r6o  acres  of 
well-improved  and  productive  land.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Cluirch,  and  labor  for  the 
good  of  that  organization  with  heart  and  mind. 


rs.    Mary    A.  Jjowrey.     This   lady,    the 
widow  of  Shaftoe  Lowrey,  deceased — who 
^  was  the  seventh  son  in  a  family  of  nine 

^'^A  children,  seven  sons  and  two  daughters — is 
known  as  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  enter- 
prising women  of  Cedar  Township,  and  pos- 
sesses a  large  business  capability,  and  is  endowed 
.with  more  than  ordinary  financial  acuteness  and  fore- 
sight. Slie  was  born  in  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  8,  1817, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  (Barron)  Arm- 
strong. The  former  was  of  Scotch  lineage  and  blood, 
but  was  American  born,  claiming  the  State  of  New 
Jersey  as  his  birthplace.  The  mother  was  of  En- 
glish ancestry.  Mr.  Armstrong  died  of  pneumonia, 
in  1852,  while  visiting  in  Canada,  and  his  wife,  in 
1879,  in  Iowa.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  as  follows:  John  lives  in  Missouri ;  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Nancy  Morrison,  who  died,  when  he  again 
married ;  Harriet  married  Wm.  Tracy  and  lives  in  San 
Francisco,  Cal.;  Matilda  married  H.  J.  Sanders,  and 
lives  in  Abingdon;  \Villiani  A.  died  in  California,  in 
1850;  Rebecca  is  married  and  lives  in  Minneapolis; 
Margery  married  G.  H.  Flanders;  and  the  subject 
of  our  sketch. 

Mr.  Lowrey  was  born  near  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  4, 
1814,  and  died  July  12,  1870,  having  only  reached 
middle  life.  He  united  heart  and  hand  with  the  sub- 
ject of  this  narration,  Oct.  4.  1842,  and  a  few  years 
after  his  marriage,  in  1849,  he  went  to  Canada  West, 
where,  on  Grand   River,  he  engaged   in   lumi)ering, 


1     UIIUCIIIC^     lllC 

:ellar  are  com-      I 
ily    lined    with 
house  include     ' 


which  occupation  he  followed  for  the  space  of  six 
years.  A  brother-in-law,  Mr.  J.  Z.  Reed,  whose  home 
was  in  Buffolo,  N.  Y.,  was  associated  with  him  in 
business  as  a  partner.  Tiiey  subsequently  added  a 
lumber-yard  to  the  original  enterprise.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  the  six  years,  Mr.  Lowrey  came  West  and 
purchased  260  acres  of  land,  where  he  lived  con- 
tentedly until  called  home  by  death.  Mrs.  Lowrey's 
bereavement  occurred  July  12,  1870,  but,  bravely 
putting  aside  her  womanly  weakness,  she  took  her 
place  courageously  at  the  head  of  the  business  affairs 
of  the  farm,  which  she  managed  until  two  years  ago, 
reflecting  great  credit  upon  herself  by  her  judicious 
planning  and  e.xecution.  At  that  time  she  rented  the 
greater  portion  of  her  farm,  and  in  1877  erected  a 
handsome  dwelling,  two  stories  high  and  finely  fin- 
ished in  every  particular.  She  was  the  sole  super- 
intendent and  designer  of  the  building,  and  when  it 
was  finished  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,  it  was  the  pride  of 
tiiat  part  of  the  county.  It  stands  on  a  heavy  foun- 
dation, enclosing  a  large  cellar,  which  underlies  the 
entire  structure.  The  walls  of  the  cella 
posed  of  Sagetown  limestone,  heavil 
brick.  Tlie  grounds  surrounding  the 
about  two  acres  and  are  laid  out  in  the  most  tasteful 
and  attractive  manner,  forming  a  beautiful  lawn  in 
front,  planted  with  evergreens.  This  is  made  still 
more  inviting  by  the  addition  of  rustic  seats,  flower 
beds,  etc.  She  has  one  large  barn,  31  x  60  feet,  and 
another  not  so  large,  but  finely  finished.  She  is  engaged 
quite  extensively  in  the  breeding  of  blooded  fowls — 
the  Light  Brahmas,  White  Leghorns  and  Plymouth 
Rocks.  The  quarters  provided  for  them  are  elegant 
and  are  supposed  to  be  among  the  finest  in  the 
county,  the  houses  being  finished  with  zinc  floors  and 
plastered.  Among  her  other  enterprises  is  the  breed- 
ing of  (ialloway  cattle,  which  has  proved  very  profit- 
able. She  bought  Prince  Jumbo  at  a  high  price.  He 
is  nimibered  2180,  in  the  American  Herd-book,  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  finest  animals  in  the  coun- 
try. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowrey  was  product- 
ive of  three  children,  all  girls,  who  were  born  as 
follows:  Alice  M.,  July  6,  1844;  she  married 
Charles  Mount,  and  died  Sept.  23,  1875,  leaving  one 
son — Shaftoe  Lowrey  ;  Mary  M.,  June  3,  1846,  died  in 
Canada,  Dec.  24,  1852;  and  Jane  E.,  was  born  Dec. 
12,  1847,  and  was  married  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  to 
Franklin  Mount,  and  died  Aug.  4,  1874,  leaving  two 

1"  


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daughters- -Jennie  and  Matilda.  Matilda  lives  with 
our  subject.  Jennie  is  endowed  with  a  remarkable 
artistic  talent,  specimens  of  her  painting  showing  skill 
seldom  met  with  in  one  of  her  years.  Mrs.  Lowrey 
is  educating  both  of  the  granddaughters,  giving  them 
the  best  advantages  in  music  and  painting  that  the 
schools  afford. 

Mr.  Lowrey,  husband  of  our  subject,  was  quite 
prominent  in  public  affairs,  and  a  useful  man  socially. 
He  was  for  20  years  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Super- 
visor, and  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  School  Treas- 
urer, which  ofifice  he  held  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
was  a  man  of  affable  and  courteous  manner  and  pos- 
sessed of  a  first-class  education,  besides  being  truly 
cultured  and  refined.  By  calling  he  was  a  farmer, 
and  his  hearty  and  frank  manner  gained  him  friends 
on  all  sides,  so  that  he  was  widely  lamented  at  his 
death.  He  made  a  religious  profession  of  the  Prot- 
estant Methodist  faith,  and  lived  in  his  daily  life  the 
true  principles  of  that  noble  Chistianity  as  shown  in 
the  Word  of  God.  Mrs.  Lowrey  is  a  Baptist  by  pro- 
fession, joining  their  church  when  15  years  of  age, 
but  was  congenial  in  spirit  with  the  faith  of  her  hus- 
^band,  who  lingered  for  some  time  with  that  deceptive 
disease,  consumption,  but  who  finally  yielded  up  life 
in  patient  resignment.  He  was  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, and  an  honest,  upriglit,  conscientious  man; 
striving  to  do  unto  his  neighbors  as  he  would  have 
them  do  unto  him.  Among  the  numerous  persons 
who  are  represented  in  the  portrait  department  of  tliis 
Album,  none  are  more  deserving  than  of  Mr.  Lowrey. 


Thomas  R.  Walter  is  a  successful  farmer 
and  stock-raiser,  residing  on  his  productive 
1^"*  farm  on  section  16,  Maquon  Township. 
He  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  agri- 
cultural development  of  the  county  since  his 
arrival  here  in  the  (all  of  1837.  He  emigrated 
to  this  county  from  Highland  County,  Ohio,  with  his 
parents,  and  resided  on  the  home  farm  in  Maquon 
Township,  west  of  Maquon,  remaining  there  until 
his  final  settlement  on  his  farm  on  section  16.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Walter  are  John  W.  and  Hannah 
(Sumner)  Walter.  The  father  was  born  in  Virginia 
and  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  motiier 
was  a  native  of  South  Carolina.      Mr.  Walter  is  the 


third  ill  order  of  birth  in  a  family  of  ten  children, 
namely  :  Betsey  (deceased),  William  J.,  our  subject, 
Jincy,  Lettice  (deceased),  James  (deceased),  Bowater, 
John  W.  (deceased),  Cynthia  (deceased)  and  Rich- 
eson  C.  William  J.  married  Catherine  Housh 
and  they  live  in  Nebraska ;  Betsey  was  the  wife  of 
Edward  Smithson,  deceased;  subsequently  she  mar- 
ried Isaiah  Stephenson ;  Jincy  became  the  wife  of 
Milo  Preston,  deceased,  and  she  lives  in  Iowa  ;  James 
married  Catherine  Lawrence;  Lettice  became  the  wife 
of  Joshua  Needles,  now  deceased  ;  she  was  a  second 
time  married  to  William  Darnell;  Cynthia  became 
the  wife  of  Joel  Darnell ;  and  Richeson  C.  became 
the  husband  of  Polly  Hall;  the  latter  resides  in  Ne- 
braska. 

Mr.  Walter's  first  purchase  of  land  was  160  acres, 
on  which  he  erected  a  set  of  comfortable  and  sub- 
stantial buildings  and  made  other  convenient  im- 
provements, subsequently  adding  to  his  first  purchase 
until  he  is  now  the  proprietor  of  1,481  acres  of  well- 
improved  and  cultivated  land  in  Knox  County.  He 
is  also  the  owner  of  property  in  the  village  of  Ma- 
quon. 

Thomas  Walter  was  born  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  Sept.  30,  1817.  He  had  attained  the  age  of 
19  years  upon  his  arrival  in  this  county,  and  has  al- 
ways followed  the  honorable  calling  of  an  agricult- 
urist. It  is  needless  to  say  that  he  is  one  of  the 
largest  land-owners  and  most  substantial  farmers 
within  the  county  of  Knox. 

The  date  of  the  marriage  of  our  subject,  in  Ma- 
quon Township,  was  Aug.  8,  1854.  The  lady  of  his 
choice  was  Sarah  J.  Stephenson,  daughter  of  Edward 
and  Mary  (Keys)  Stephenson.  The  father  was  a 
native  of  Maryland  and  the  mother  of  Delaware.  In 
June,  1840,  the  date  of  the  arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
S.  in  Knox  County,  they  settled  in  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship, subsequently  removing  to  the  township  of 
Maquon,  where  they  passed  the  remainder  of  their 
lives.  Their  family  consisted  of  six  children,  and 
bear  the  names  of  Sarah  J.,  William,  John,  James 
K.,  Lewis  N.  and  Edward  O.  Sarah  J.,  the  wife  of 
our  subject,  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Ohio,  Sept. 
24,  1835. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Walter,  of  wh  )m  we  write,  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  ten  children,  as  follows : 
Vianna,  Mary  E.,  Ethzelda,  two  who  died  in  in- 
fancy, Lyman,  Elnora,  Thomas  Ulysses,  Laura  B. 
and  Albertie.     Vianna  is  the  wife  of  B.'  F.  Adams 


t 


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627 


and  resides  in  Peoria ;  Ethzelda  married  Frank  D. 
Pickrel ;  this  lady  died  in  Haw  Creek  Township 
June  2,  1 88 1.  Mary  E.  is  deceased,  and  the  remain- 
ing children  reside  at  home. 

Mr.  Walter  has  held  the  position  of  Road  Com- 
missioner and  also  that  of  School  Director.  In  pol- 
itics he  affiliates  with  the  Republican  par'y.  The 
publishers  take  pleasure  in  presenting  a  view  of  Mr. 
Walter's  fine  homestead  .in  connection  witli  this 
sketch. 


-^ 


£3- 


on.  Joseph  E.  Latimer.  The  name  of  the 
subject  who  lieads  tiiis  brief  sketch,  apart 
from  liis  connection  with  one  of  the  most 
striking  family  records  in  Knox  County,  is  suf- 
ficiently known  to  need  but  little  comment.  He 
is  by  occupation  a  farmer  and  breeder  of  pure- 
blooded  Jersey  and  Short-horn  cattle;  his  farm  and 
residence  are  located  on  sections  28  and  29,  of  Cedar 
Township. 

As  one  among  the  oldest  and  most  venerated  fam- 
ilies of  Kno.x  County,  this  gentleman  has  won  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  not  only'  his  immediate 
neighbors,  but  hundreds  of  substantial  friends 
throughout  the  country.  He  was  born  on  the  15th  of 
Apfil,  1840,  within  the  township  and  upon  the  farm 
where  he  now  resides,  and  is  the  son  of  Jonathan 
and  Nancy  (West)  Latimer.  Brought  up  on  his 
father's  farm,  he  received  his  earliest  educational 
course  at  the  district  schools  and  Cherry  Grove  Sem- 
inary. Subsequently  he  entered  Knox  College,  and 
in  the  class  of  1864  graduated. 

He  enlisted  in  the  army  on  the  5th  day  of  June, 
1864,  and  was  commissioned  Lieutenant  in  Co.  G,  of 
the  137th  111.  Inf.;  is  now  a  member  of  Abingdon 
Post,  No.  580,  G.  A.  R. 

After  his  return  from  the  army  he  was  appointed 
Principal  of  the  Cherry  Grove  Seminary,  a  position 
which  he  held  one  year.  Elected  to  the  chair  of  Nat- 
ural Sciences,  in  Lincoln  University,  Lincoln,  111., 
he  proved  beyond  a  doubt  his  skill  as  an  instructor. 
This  post  was  given  him  in  1866,  but,  little  more  than 
a  year  later,  he  was  compelled  to  resign  in  conse- 
quence of  his  failing  eyesight.  Soon,  again,  he  re- 
sumed farming  in  Cedar  Township. 

He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.     In  politics,  the  subject  of  this  sketch   has 


always  been  an  earnest  Republican ;  although  an 
active  member  of  his  party,  he  holds  liberal  views, 
allowing  no  party  to  dictate  on  ix)ints  of  conscience; 
believing  that  honesty  should  characterize  a  man's 
actions  in  politics,  as  well  as  in  other  affairs  of  life. 
He  was  elected  in  1870  as  Representative  for  the  22d 
Dis'rict  to  the  27th  Assembly.  He  removed  to  Iowa 
in  1872.  Returning  to  Illinois,  Mr.  Latimer  was 
elected  to  the  301)1  and  31st  Assemblies.  During 
the  last  campaign  the  electors  gave  him  a  majority 
of  700  votes  over  and  above  the  regular  ticket. 
His  influence  and  ability  as  a  legislator  were  recog- 
nized during  the  last  two  Assemblies,  and  he  was 
given  the  Chairmansliip  of  the  Committee  on  Towns 
and  Township  Organization,  besides  serving  on 
other  important  committees. 

He  was  married  in  Atchison,  Kan.,  on  the  19th 
day  of  November,  1872,  to  Miss  Joanna  Humiston, 
daughter  of  Hartson  and  Mary  (Church)  Humiston. 
His  wife,  Mrs.  Latimer,  was  born  in  Broome  County, 
N.  Y.  Among  the  early  pioneers  of  Knox  County, 
this  lady's  parents  and  paternal  grandparents  were 
numbered  among  the  most  sturdy  and  praisesvorthy 
of  the  settlers.  In  1836  the  grandfather  first  settled  **■ 
here,  and  in  1846  her  father  took  up  his  abode  in 
the  vicinity. 

To  the  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Latimer  there 
were  two  children  born,  a  son  and  a  daughter :  Jon- 
athan G.  was  born  in  Iowa,  near  Hopkins,  Mo.,  on 
Nov.  25,1874;  and  Lillian  H.,  in  Cedar  Township, 
Knox  County,  Aug.  9,  1876. 

Mr.  Latimer's  farm  is  in  a  highly  improved  condi- 
tion and  numbers  327  acres.  It  is  situated  just  north 
of  the  city  of  Abingdon  and  one  mile  distant  from 
that  place.  The  residence  wliich  he  now  occupies 
was  erected  in  1875. 

-'(''{     ranklin  Parsons.     The  subject  of  the  fol- 
i^Ii     T    lowing  sketch  is  without  doubt  one  of  the 
iW^^'  ''^   thoroughly  representative  men  of  Hender- 
^1^  son  Township,  and  resides  on  section  25.     In 
^^^  his  farming  operations  he  has   proved   himself 
\.      a  man  of  wide  and  practical  experience.     Ar- 
riving from   Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  in    1844,  he 
settled  in   Knox  County,  and  was  first  compelled  to 
work  out  by  the  month  and  continued  to  do  so  for 


^C  Y 


628 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


two  successive  years.  Subsequently  he  rented  land 
and  worked  it  profitably  for  a  number  of  years.  He 
then  took  up  his  farm  in  Henderson  Township 
(which  he  had  previously  purchased),  and  in  a  short 
space  of  time  turned  the  same  into  highly  productive 
land.  He  is  now  extensively  occupied  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  and  has  erected  some  excellent  build- 
ings and  outhouses  on  his  farm.  Of  his  370  acres 
30  only  are  under  timber.  He  keeps  about  60  head 
of  horned  cattle,  and  it  takes  about  five  teams  to 
properly  conduct  his  farming  operations.  He  fat- 
tens annually  about  170  hogs,  all  of  a  good  breed. 

Mr.  Parsons  was  born  in  Hampden  County,  Mass., 
on    the  9th   of  January,    1826.     His    parents  were 
David  Hastings  and  LydiaT.  (Warren)  Parsons,  na- 
tives of  Massachusetts.     On  the  paternal  side  he  is 
of  English  origin,  and  on  the  maternal  side,  as  far  as 
can    be   traced,   of    New    England    ancestry.     The 
grandfather  of  Mr.  Parsons,  Mr.  Warren,  was  of  Irish 
descent  and  fought  in  the  War  of  18 12,  in  which  he 
r  was  killed.     Mr.  P.  was  the  third  son  in  a  family  of 
nine,  five  of  whom  are  deceased.     The  father  and 
\  mother  came  to  Knox  County  from  Ohio,  in  1843, 
•  with  their  family.     The  mother  is  now  deceased,  her 
I  death  taking  place  in  1883.     The  father  is  living  at 
this  writing  (June,  1886),  at  Galesburg,  at  the  ad- 
f  vanced  age  of  85  years. 

Franklin  Parsons  was  quite  young  when  his  par- 
ents came  westward.  While  a  mere  youth  he  worked 
out  by  the  month,  and  often  received  but  two  dollars 
in  the  whole  30  days  as  remuneration.  His  educa- 
tional advantages  were  of  the  most  limited  order, 
but  by  application  and  perseverance  he  has  learned 
much  since  those  early  days. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  first  married  in 
Kno-wille,  111.,  to  Sarah  BuUard,  on  the  ist  of 
March,  1S48.  She  was  ihe  daughter  of  Daniel  and 
Elizabeth  (Gilchrist)  BuUard,  and  was  born  in  Can- 
ada in  1828.  Her  father  was  a  native  of  Vermont 
and  her  mother  of  Canada,  of  Scottish  parentage. 
She  was  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children.  The 
father  died  in  Knox  County  in  1867.  The  mother 
still  survives  and  lives  in  Iowa,  at  the  age  of  77 
years.  Mrs.  Parsons  became  the  mother  of  nine 
children— Leonard  U.,  Edatha  E.,  Frank  D.,  Ellen 
A.,  John  R.,  Lincoln  E.,  Sarah  L.,  M.  Emma 
and  Effa  M.  Of  these,  Leonard  married  Jennie 
Redfield,  a  very  estimable  lady,  and  resides  in  Ne- 
braska; four  children  were  born  to  this  union,  all  of 


whom  are  living,  namely :  Cora,  Arthur,  Joseph  and 
George;  Edathy  is  the  wife  of  Howard  Griffith  and 
now  resides  in  Cedar  Township;  she  has  one  child 
named  Warren  T. ;  Frank  D.  is  married  to  Carrie 
M.  Walker  and  lives  in  Henderson  Township ;  they 
have  two  children — Lillia  B.  and  George  F. ;  Ellen 
A.  was  the  wife  of  Charles  Shepherd,  and  resided  in 
Henderson ;  by  this  union  there  was  one  child — 
Frank  D. ;  this  good  mother  and  careful  wife  is  now 
deceased;  John  R.  died  in  Henderson  Township 
when  only  in  his  17th  year;  Lincoln  E.  is  married  to 
Clara  Goff,  and  resides  in  Henderson ;  Sarah  died  in 
Henderson  in  her  infancy;  M.  Emma  resides  at 
home;  Effa  also  died  in  infancy. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Parsons  died  in  this  town- 
ship on  the  25th  of  March,  1S69.  He  was  again 
married,  on  the  5th  of  September,  187 1,  to  Miss 
Actus  Baxter,  an  excellent  lady  and  a  native  of 
Ohio.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Actus 
(GorsuchJ  Baxter.  The  mother  was  a  native  of 
Maryland,  and  of  English  origin;  the  father  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  descended  from  the  Germans. 
Mrs.  Parsons  was  born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio, 
Nov.  25,  1836.  She  came  to  Knox  County  with  herW 
parents,  who  left  the  aljove  county  in  1863.  She  is 
the  sixth  in  order  of  birth  of  a  family  of  ten  children, 
only  one  of  whom  is  deceased.  The  father  died 
Jan.  21,  1864,  the  demise  of  the  mother  occurring 
June  g,  1878. 

Mr.  Parsons  is  identified  with  politics  as  a  stalwart 
Republican,  and  has  been  a  firm  supporter  of  that 
party's  policy  since  its  organization.  He  is  thor- 
oughly posted  in  the  general  topics  of  the  day,  and 
is  a  man  who  reads  much  and  keeps  abreast  of  the 
times. 

We  take    pleasure    in    presenting,    in   connection 

with  this  sketch,  a  view  of  the  handsome  home  of 

Mr.  Parsons. 

.    pro    - 
-    000    • 

lipenjamin  Lombard,  Jr.,  President  of  the 
Lombard  Investment  Company,  Boston, 
Mass.,  and  London,  Eng. ;  President  of 
the  Bank  of  Creston,  Creston,  Iowa ;  Presi- 
dent of  the  Kansas  State  Bank,  Wichitai 
Kan.;  and  the  head  of  the  banking  house  of 
Lombard  Bros.,  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  was  born  at 
Truro,  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  May  30,  1836. 

The  Lombards  came  to  England  with  William  the 


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Conqiierer,  and  the  name  has  been  familiar  in  Lon- 
don for  centuries.  The  immediate  ancestor  of  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  David  Lombard,  native  of 
Cai)e  Cod.  town  of  Truro,  where  he  was  born  Nov. 
16,  1796.  He  was  a  seafaring  man  and  most  of  his 
life  was  spent  on  the  ocean  as  captain  of  a  vessel. 
He  was  married  at  Truro,  Dec.  10,  1820.  His  wife, 
me  Anna  Gross,  was  also  a  native  of  Ca|)e  Cod, 
tracing  her  ancestry  back  to  the  Puritans.  Capt. 
Lombard  and  wife  lived  together  over  61  years,  Mrs. 
Lombard  dying  in  October,  1881.  The}  reared  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  Benjamin  Lombard,  Jr.,  be- 
ing the  youngest  of  the  family. 

Benjamin  Lombard,  Jr.,  our  subject,  was  but  nine 
years  of  age  when  he  began  as  clerk  in  a  general 
store  and  was  there  so  employed  for  several  years, 
spending  the  winter,  however,  at  the  district  schools. 
In  1849  he  came  West  and  began  work  in  a  land- 
office  with  his  uncle,  at  Henr)',  Marshall  Co.,  111., 
at  a  salary  of  §175  a  year,  out  of  which  he  paid  Si-5 
per  week  for  his  board.  When  we  are  told  that  he 
saved  money  from  his  first  year's  earnings,  the  key  to 
much  of  his  subsequent  success  is  at  hand.  Siinply 
••  unadulterated  economy  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fort- 
une. His  great  operations  in  life,  where  thousands 
and  thousands  of  dollars  have  been  involved,  of 
course  were  not  influenced  by  economy,  but  economy 
formed  his  ground  plan.  For  two  years  he  was  em- 
ployed upon  the  records  and  abstracts  of  titles  of  the 
Military  Tract  in  Illinois,  and  while  working  at  this 
he  was  shrewd  enough  to  recognize  the  opportunities 
offered  for  speculation.  He  was  about  16  years  of 
age  when  he  made  his  first  investment  of  lands  in  the 
Military  Tract,  and  the  deal  netted  him  $3,700. 

After  finishing  the  record  work,  our  subject  trav- 
eled for  tiis  old  employers  until  he  was  22  years  of 
age.  About  this  lime,  or  on  Oct.  5,  185S,  he  was 
married  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  to  Miss  Julia  E.  Lom- 
bard, daughter  of  the  late  Benjamin  Lombard,  found- 
er of  the  Lombard  University,  Galesburg,  111.  After 
marriage  he  made  his  residence  near  Boston,  making 
journeys  Westward  occasionally  on  business,  and  in 
1 86 1  located  at  Galesburg.  Here  he  dealt  largely  in 
real  estate,  with  fortune  always  in  his  favor.  In  fact 
it  appears  that  fro.u  boyhood  to  this  writing  (June, 
1886)  everj'thing  that  Benjamin  Lombard,  Jr.,  has 
touched  turned  to  gold. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  the  early  stockholders  in 
the  First  National  Bank  at  Galesburg,  and  was  many 


years  its  Vice-President.  In  1873  he  started  the  bank 
at  Creston,  Iowa,  and  in  1882  organized  the  Ix)mhard 
Investment  Company,  the  largest  institution  of  the 
kind  in  the  United  States.  Their  investments  will 
average  $750,000  per  month,  and  .while  in  the  aggre- 
gate it  amounts  to  millions,  no  man  has  ever  lost  a 
dollar  by  them.  His  bank  at  Wichita,  Kan.,  was 
started  in  January,  1881,  and  the  Kansas  City  house 
some  time  later.  In  addition  to  these  large  financial 
concerns  over  which  he  presides,  his  landed  interests 
are  immense.  He  has  upward  of  10,000  acres  of 
l.md,  under  cultivation  by  tenantry  and  otherwise, 
and  his  unimproved  lands  in  Kansas,  Iowa  and  Ne- 
braska would,  if  thrown  together,  rival  in  area  the 
Slate  of  Rhode  Island.  The  writer  knows  that  Mr. 
Lombard  would  protest  against  this  publication  if  he 
could,  but  it  is  a  license  we  sometimes  take,  espe- 
cially when  as  a  chronicler  of  facts  to  be  read  by  un- 
known thousands,  both  m  America  and  Europe,  we 
wish  to  illustrate  by  example  the  unparalleled  possi- 
bilities of  the  youth  of  our  country,  be  their  start  in 
life  ever  so  poor.  This  is  sufficient  apology  for  the 
brief  mention  made  of  the  financial  success  of  the 
most  remarkable  man  in  Galesbnrg. 

Mr.  Lombard's  sons  are  named  respectively  Will- 
iam Alden,  who  is  secretary  of  the  Lombard  Invest- 
ment Co. ;  Harry  Dana,  an  extensive  stock  farmer 
residing  in  Monona  County,  Iowa;  Martin  Gay,  a  stu- 
dent; and  a  daughter,  Hazel.  The  Eastern  residence 
of  Mr.  Lombard  is  at  Brookline,  Mass. 


7^ 


•^     'I'      '^ 


ames  Hammond.  One  of  the  oldest  resi- 
dents of  Ontario  Township,  as  well  as  one 
of  the  most  successful  farmers  and  re- 
spected and  honored  citizens  of  the  same,  is  the 
jC  subject  of  this  notice.  The  origin  of  the 
\  Hammonds  in  the  United  States  dates  back 
to  1634,  at  which  time  a  family  of  that  name  came 
here  from  England  and  made  settlement.  Of  that 
family  two  sons  were  born — Thomas  and  Nathaniel, 
and  it  is  from  the  former  son  that  the  subject  of  this 
biographical  notice  is  descended.  Tlie  family  has 
numerous  branches  throughout  the  United  States, 
and  especially  in  New  England. 

The  father  of  our  subject  moved  from  Connecti- 
cut to  Ohio  in  18 10.  There  he  engaged  in  the  voca- 
tion of  farming,  and  was  thus  occupied  all  his  life. 


4^ 


-eX-^ 


^==-J-* 


630 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


He  was  married  in  Summit  County,  that  State,  to 
Miss  Rebecca  Farnham,  the  daughter  of  John  and 
granddaughter  of  Gad  Farnham,  whose  great-great- 
grandfather came  from  England  about  the  time  the 
first  family  of  Hammonds  came  to  this  country. 
She  removed  to  the  State  of  Ohio  when  quite  a 
young  lady.  After  their  marriage  the  parents  of 
James  Hammond  settled  on  a  farm  in  Summit 
County,  Ohio.  Of  their  union  five  children  were  born. 
The  mother  died  when  James  was  three  months  of 
age.  In  due  time  the  father  was  again  married, 
Miss  Mary  Fisk,  of  Summit  County,  Ohio,  becoming 
his  wife.  The  father  and  stepmother  came  to  Knox 
County  in  1847,  whither  the  subject  of  this  notice 
had  preceded  them  three  years.  On  the  roth  day 
of  September,  T844,  when  Mr.  Hammond  was  20 
years  of  age,  he  started  from  Bath,  Summit  County, 
Ohio,  with  Royal  Hammond,  a  distant  relative,  and 
two  men  as  assistants,  with  a  flock  of  1,300  sheep, 
to  drive  them  a  distance  of  over  500  miles.  The 
party  had  to  walk  all  the  distance.  They  had  a  team 
of  horses  to  carry  camping  utensils,  etc.  The  party, 
with  their  sheep,  arrived  in  this  township  Oct.  28, 
1844,  averaging,  from  the  time  they  starled  to  the 
time  they  arrived,  14^^  miles  per  day.  During  the 
long  drive  they  lost  about  150  sheep.  During  the 
following  winter,  from  loss  by  wolves,  change  of  food 
and  want  of  proper  sheltering  for  them,  the  herd 
dwindled  down  to  about  400 — -a  loss  of  about  900. 
Mr.  H.  experienced  great  difficulty  in  properly  car- 
ing for  the  sheep  on  the  road.  Prairie  fires  had  to  be 
fought;  wolves  were  plentiful,  and  it  was  all  the 
party  could  do  to  contend  successfully  against  all 
these  obstacles.  Mr.  H.  tended  the  flock  for  three 
years.  He  says  he  had  a  tough  time,  but  the  expe- 
rience he  gained  was  a  world  of  benefit  to  him  in 
after  life. 

On  the  arrival  of  his  father  and  stepmother  they 
settled  in  Galesburg,  where  the  father  died  Sept.  3, 
1856;  his  wife  survived  him  until  April  30,  1885,  her 
demise  occurring  at  the  residence  of  her  son,  Theo- 
dore, at  Victoria,  this  county.  She  was  born  Sept.  18, 
1 802,  and  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  of  her  parents' 
family  of  13  children.  Of  her  union  with  Mr.  H.  ir 
children  were  born.  Her  husband,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  an  early  settler  in  Ohio,  as  well  as  in  Knox 
County,  and  while  here  held  many  of  the  local  offices 
of  his  township. 

James   Hammond  remained  with  his  parents  on 


the  old  farm  the  major  portion  of  his  time  until  his 
marriage.  He  began  teaching  school  in  Ontario 
Township  when  quite  a  young  man,  and  at  this  writ- 
ing numerous  citizens  of  this  township  can  testify  to 
his  competency  as  a  teacher,  many  of  them  having 
been  his  pupils.  Oct.  7,  1847,  he  was  married  in 
Ontario  Township,  to  Miss  Susan  P.  Powell,  born  in 
Deerfield,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  5,  1821.  Her 
motlier,  Maria  (Wilson)  Powell,  died  when  she  was 
only  five  years  old,  and  she  afterward  made  her 
home  in  the  family  of  her  aunt  and  uncle,  Charles  F. 
Camp,  who  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  old 
settlers  who  first  came  to  this  county,  and  with  whom 
she  came  west  in  1838,  and  settled  in  Ontario  Town- 
ship before  Oneida  was  laid  out. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Hammond  on  the  paternal 
side  were  of  German-Welsh  origin,  and  on  the  ma- 
ternal side  were  of  Irish  origin.  Of  the  first  marriage 
of  Mr.  Powell,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Hammond,  two 
children  were  born — Mrs.  H.  and  Horace;  the  latter 
is  deceased.  The  father  married  a  second  time  ' 
Evaline  Brainard,  who  was  a  sister  of  Dr.  Brainard, 
of  Chicago.  The  result  of  this  marriage  was  eight 
children,  two  of  whom  are  now  deceased,  viz. ;  ^ 
Brainard  and  Catherine.  The  former  was  a  soldier 
in  the  late  war,  and,  after  passing  through  three  years 
of  service,  he  re-enlisted  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  ' 
of  Lookout  Mountain.  Those  now  hving  are  Har- 
vey, Charles,  Edwin,  Orville,  Eugene  and  Luciene. 
The  four  latter  were  soldiers  in  the  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion. Edwin  was  surgeon,  and  served  during  the 
whole  war.  Orville  went  in  as  color-bearer,  and  was 
mustered  out  Captain;  he  lay  14  months  in  South- 
ern prisons  ;  the  most  of  the  time  he  was  in  Libby. 
He  escaped  from  Columbia  prison,  S.  C,  and  was 
two  months  getting  through  to  the  Federal  lines.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Powell  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812;  the  father  of  Mr.  P.  a  soldier  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary War. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hammond  are  the  parents  of  six 
children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased  :  Park  H.  married 
Mary  L.  Wetmore,  and  resides  on  a  farm  in  Rio 
Township;  Ella  M.  is  living  at  home;  Fanny  C.  is 
likewise  an  inmate  of  the  family  household,  and  Ira 
E.  is  engaged  in  working  on  the  farm  Both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hammond  are  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church. 

Mr.  Hamniond,  of  this  notice,  has  met  with  far 
more  than  ordinary  success  as  an  agriculturist  since 


*^ 


^ 


'th^ 


JU 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


631 


coming  to  this  county.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  July  7, 
1824;  was  educated  in  the  log  schoolhouse  at  Ham- 
mond  Corners,  Bath,  Ohio,  where  it  is  re|X)rted  he 
received  the  usual  amount  of"  thrashings."  He  came 
to  this  county  in  1S44,  and  made  settlement  in  Onta- 
rio Township,  and  there  resided  until  184S,  when  he 
removed  to  Galesburg.  Remaining  in  the  latter  city 
one  year,  he  moved  to  Kno.x  Township,  and  in  185X 
again  moved  back  to  Ontario  Township.  He  has  fol- 
lowed agricultural  pursuits  all  his  life,  and  his  landed 
possessions  in  the  county  consist  of  upward  of  500 
acres.  His  home  farm  is  beautifully  located,  with  a 
large  two-story  brick  residence  upon  it,  finished  with 
hardwood  and  well-furnished.  The  home  has  been 
beautified  by  the  setting  out  of  evergreens,  and  the 
barns  and  out-buildings  are  all  of  the  most  substan- 
tial nature.  His  land  is  all  under  an  advanced  stale 
of  cultivation,  and  in  the  prosecution  of  his  vocation 
Mr.  Hammond  is  meeting  with  that  success  which 
energy  and  perseverance  are  sure  to  bring.  Politic- 
ally, he  votes  with  the  Republican  party.  He  has 
been  Supervisor  of  his  township  for  six  years,  and 
also  held  the  office  of  Road  Commissioner  and  other 
local  oflSces  of  minor  import. 

— > ^^ v^ 


W.  Elliott,  a  well-known  and   prosperous 

agriculturist,  residing  on  section   25,  Vic- 

lyiNS^"^  toria  Township,  was  born  Oct.  18, 1842,  in 
^^W^  Knox  County.  His  parents  were  Thomas  and 
Y  Hannah  (Reece)  Elliott,  natives  respectively 
1  of  Ohio  and  South  Carolina.  The  senior  Mr. 
Elliott  was  married  in  Ohio.  He  came  to  Illinois 
and  made  settlement  in  Persifer  Township  in  1837, 
being  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  town.  In 
1856  he  removed  to  Victoria  Township,  where  he 
purchased  160  acres  of  land  on  section  25.  Upon 
this  tract  the  family  remained  until  1868,  when,  dis- 
posing of  the  same,  they  removed  to  Missouri,  where 
the  father  purchased  80  acres,  and  where  they  resided 
until  his  demise  in  1880.  His  wife  still  survives 
him  and  is  residing  upon  the  old  home  fami.  The 
parental  family  consisted  of  14  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  still  living  and  bear  the  names  of  Burgess, 
George  \V.,  Samantha,  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Hannah  and 
Thomas. 

G.  W.  Elliott  of  this  biographical  notice  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until   he  had  attained  his 


majority,  in  the  meantime  assisting  his  father  upon 
the  farm  and  attending  the  common  schools  of  his 
neighborhood.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  enlisted  in 
defense  of  his  country,  joining  Co.  D,  69ih  111.  Vol. 
Inf.  At  Vicksburg  he  was  assigned  to  guard  duty, 
and  was  thus  occupied  until  mustered  out  at  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  enlistment. 

Upon  his  return  home  our  subject  engaged  in  the 
tilling  of  the  soil.  His  first  purchase  of  land  con- 
sisted of  40  acres  on  the  quarter-section  where  he 
now  resides,  afterward  adding,  at  different  limes,  120 
acres,  27  acres  of  timber  land,  and  80  acres  each  on 
sections  23  and  15.  Upon  his  fine  farm  he  erected, 
in  1879,  a  handsome  dwelling  valued  at  $2,000. 
Three  years  previous  to  this  he  built  a  barn,  which 
was  burned  in  1881.  He  is  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  grain  and  stock  quite  extensively,  and  is  meeting 
with  success  in  his  chosen  vocation. 

The  lady  chosen  by  Mr.  Elliott  to  share  his  heart 
and  home  was  Miss  Albina  Mosher,  a  native  of  Illi- 
nois and  daughter  of  Seneca  and  Nancy  (Buck) 
Mosher.  The  marriage  was  solemnized  April  13, 
1865.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Elliott  were  natives  of 
New  York  and  Vermont,  and  were  married  in  Ohio 
in  1838.  Three  years  later  they  came  to  Illinois, 
locating  in  Knox  County.  At  present  they  are  resi- 
dents of  Victoria.  The  parental  family  of  Mrs. 
Elliott  numbered  to  children.  Those  living  are 
Sarah  A.,  Albina,  wife  of  our  subject,  Frances  and 
Man  ford. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  had  born  to  them  six 
children,  as  followa:  James  F,  Emma,  Susan  A., 
Hannah,  George  and  John.  Mr.  Elliott  affiliates 
with  the  Greenback  party,  and  has  served  his  town- 
ship in  the  offices  of  Constable,  School  Director  and 
Pathmaster.  What  Mr.  Elliott  has  of  ihis  world's 
goods  has  been  acquired  by  his  own  efforts,  the  result 
of  industry  and  economy,  and  he  is  a  fail  sample  of 
the  men  who  form  the  bone  and  sinew  of  the  com- 
munity. 

— >t  1 

!  alius  D.  Bragg,  at  present  residing  on  his 
fine  farm,  located  on  section  3,  Chestnut 
Township,  was  born  in  Jefferson  County, 
Iowa,  Aug.  10,  1844.  He  is  the  son  of  Dab- 
nar  and  Julia  A.  (Carpenter)  Bragg.  The 
former  was  born  in  Virginia  and  died  in  1844, 
and  the  latter  was  born  in  1817,  and  is  still  living  in 
Glasgow,    Jefferson   Co.,  Iowa.     There   were   eight 


nXi 


632 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^^ 


children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy;  those  hving 
are  Clara,  Sophora,  ^Hattie,  Albert,  Decatur  and 
Cynthia. 

Mr.  Bragg  of  this  sketch  was  married  Oct.  27, 
1868,  to  Mary  M.  Harper.  She  was  born  in  Knox 
County  Oct.  i,  1849,  and  has  become  the  mother  of 
five  children — Jennie,  born  Sept.  i,  1869;  Clara, 
Aug.  17,  1871;  Burrell,  Oct.  4,  1874;  Gertrude, 
Sept.  9,  1877,  and  Carrie,  April  21,  1879.  Our  sub- 
ject is  the  proprietor  of  170  acres  of  good  farm 
land,  all  under  an  excellent  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Bragg  gives  considerable  attention  to  the 
breeding  of  Short-horn  cattle,  of  which  he  has  some 
very  fine  specimens,  among  which  is  one  pure-blood 
bull.  Five  head  of  his  splendid  herd,  which  are  of 
the  Rosemary  and  Miss  Mott  families,  are  recorded 
in  the  Short-horn  Herd-book.  He  also  breeds  swine 
rather  extensively  chiefly,  however,  for  shipping 
purposes. 

Mr.  Bragg  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war,  having 
enlisted  in  Co.  G,  ,^oth  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Col. 
Abbott,  Aug.  8,  1862,  and  was  mustered  into  service 
in  September  of  the  same  year  at  Keokuk,  Iowa. 
The  command  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis,  from  there 
to  Helena,  Ark.,  then  to  Chickasaw  Bluffs,  back  to 
Arkansas  Post,  up  the  White  River,  then  to  Milli- 
ken's  Bend,  where  our  subject  aided  in  the  opening 
of  the  canal.  He  participated  in  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg,  remaining  there  about  no  days,  and  June  22 
marched  into  the  city  with  his  regiment.  He  was 
at  the  battle  of  Jacksonville,  and  with  Sherman  in 
his  famous  march  to  the  sea.  His  regiment  was  in 
32  general  engagements,  and  was  in  Raleigh,  N.  C, 
when  Lee  surrendered.  His  last  battle  was  fought 
at  Belmont,  N.  C.  June  22,  1865,  he  received  an 
honorable  and  final  discharge,  but  was  mustered  out 
at  Washington  in  May,  1865.  Politically  he  is  a  firm 
adherent  to  the  Democratic  party.  Mrs.  Bragg  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church. 


&ean  C.  Hurlbutt.     Among  the  large  land- 

I    owners,  respected  citizens  and  well-to-do 

3jr^~^     farmers  of  this  county  is   the    gentleman 
WRi      whose   name  heads  this   biographical  notice. 
Mr.    Hurlbutt    is    the    son   of  Asa   and    Mary 
(Jones)   Hurlbutt,  natives  of  the  Green   Moun- 
tain Slate  and  New  Hampshire  respectively. 


The  parents  of  our  subject,  soon  after  their  mar- 
riage, located  in  Dalton,  N.  H.,  and  lived  there  for 
some  years,  then  moved  to  Lancaster,  in  the  same 
State.  From  that  place  they  emigrated  to  this 
county  in  1854,  and  made  settlement  in  Elba  Town- 
ship, on  section  14,  where  they  continued  to  reside 
until  they  died.  Their  family  of  children  are  11  in 
number,  and  were  named  Mary  A.,  Charles  N.,  Dean 
C,  Mary  Ann,  John,  Caroline,  Sarah,  Henry,  Laura, 
Alice  and  George. 

Dean  C.  Hurlbutt  was  born  in  Dalton,  N.  H., 
Feb.  13,  1834,  and  had  nearly  obtained  his  majority 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  this  county,  at- 
tracted to  this  locality  by  an  uncle,  who  lived  in 
Truro  Township  Almost  continuously  since  his  lo- 
cation here  he  has  been  a  resident  of  Elba  Town- 
ship, and  has  been  closely  connected  with  its  agri- 
cultural development.  The  education  of  Mr.  Hurl- 
butt was  received  in  the  common  school  and  supple- 
mented by  continuous  reading  at  home,  and  he  has 
passed  his  entire  life  in  that  most  independent  of  all 
callings,  agriculture.  His  landed  possessions  at  this 
writing  amount  to  520  acres,  the  major  portion  of 
which  is  good,  tillable  land,  making  him  one  of  the 
large  land-owners  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Hurlbutt  was  married  m  Truro  Township,  Dec. 
20,  1856,  to  Elizabeth  (Lambert)  Butts,  widow  of 
Stewart  M.  Butts,  who  was  murdered  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  city  of  Peoria  Mr.  Butts'  team  was 
found  in  a  cornfield,  and  he  was  lying  close  to  it 
with  his  throat  cut.  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Hurlbutt  two  children,  Mary  A.  and  Julia  A.,  have 
been  born.  Mary  became  the  wife  of  Guy  Davis, 
and  lived  with  him  a  happy  life  in  Elba  Township 
until  her  demise,  leaving  to  his  care  one  child,  Roy; 
her  death  occurred  April  i,  1881.  Julia,  the  other 
child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.,  departed  this  life  Nov.  6, 
1879. 

Mr.  Hurlbutt  has  never  sought  position,  and  al- 
though well  qualified  to  serve  the  people  in  many  of 
the  minor  offices,  he  has  found  it  to  his  interest  to 
attend  to  his  own  business  and  leave  politicians  to 
fight  for  the  offices.  He  nevertheless  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  always  votes  for  that  party  when 
opportunity  affords. 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  we  take  pleasure  in 
presenting  a  view  of  the  homestead  of  Mr.  Hurlbutt, 
on  another  page  in  this  volume. 


i^ 


LA^ 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


633 


^> 


^{fpil^harles  Cramer.     Knox  County  compares 
Seffs^    favorably  with  any  other  in  the  State  for 
^S*    fine  and  productive  farms  together  with  hand- 
?  J^     some    and  costly  residences,  as  likewise  do 
y\      her  agricultural   citizens    compare   favorably 
with  those  of  any  other  community  found  any- 
where within  the  borders  of  this  republic  for  energy 
and  perseverance.  The  large  majority  of  the  successful 
agriculturists  of  this  coimty  came  here  poor  in  pock- 
et, but  rich  in  determination,  and  most  of  them  are 
now  enjoying  the  accumulation  of  a  handsome  com- 
petency, and  have  a  clear  title  to  their  lands.  Among 
those  living   independent  lives     in    their    pleasant 
homes,  surrounded  by  bright  and  intelligent  children, 
is  the  gentleman  whose    name  heads  this  brief  bio- 
graphical sketch,  who  is  engaged  in   tlie  honorable 
calling  of  a  farmer,  stock  raiser  and  dealer,  on  sec- 
tion 21,  Orange  Township. 

Mr.  Cramer  was  born  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio, 
Sept.  8,  1 84 1,  his  father  being  James  and  his  mother 
Ancline  (Jones)  Cramer,  natives  of  Maryland,  his 
father  being  a  farmer  by  occupation.  Charles  re- 
mained on  the  old  homestead  m  his  native  State 
•  until  1851,  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  this 
State.  His  parents  continued  to  reside  here  until 
1867,  when  his  father  returned  to  Ohio,  taking  with 
him  two  of  his  sons.  Our  subject  continued  to  re- 
main here  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farming. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  died  previous  to  the  fath- 
er's return  to  Ohio,  and  on  his  arrival  in  that  State 
the  father  was  again  married  to  Mrs.  Margaret  Jones, 
widow  of  Benedict  Jones,  and  uncle  of  the  subject 
of  this  notice.  James  Cramer  died  on  his  farm  in 
Ohio,  in  1877,  and  his  second  wife  is  also  deceased, 
her  demise  occurring  in  187  8. 

Mr.  Cramer,  of  this  sketch,  and  Miss  Mary  E. 
Lawrence  became  man  and  wife  Aug.  16,  1862.  She 
is  the  daughter  of  John  S.  and  Abigail  (Farlow)  Law- 
rence, and  has  borne  her  husband  five  children,  of 
which  the  record  is  as  follows:  George  L.,  born  May 
16,  1865;  Laura  M.,  Jan.  28,  1875;  Nellie  A.,  Dee. 
1,  t88o;  Clarence  M.,  Jan.  5,  1882,  and  one  who 
died  in  infancy  unnamed. 

The  fine  farm  of  our  subject  contains  179  acres  of 
good  and  productive  land.  1 19  of  it  being  located  on 
section  21,  and  40  acres,  which  is  young  timber,  on 


section  35.  He  has  a  good  frame  dwelling  on  his 
place,  together  with  barns  and  sheds  for  his  cattle, 
cribs  for  his  cereals,  -and  all  other  necessarj'  out- 
i  buildings  for  the  carrying  on  of  his  vocation.  In 
1879  our  subject  rented  his  farm  and  moved  to  Gil- 
son,  where  he  engaged  in  the  grain  and  lumber  trade 
in  partnership  with  W.  R.  Lawrence.  The  partner- 
ship continued  for  about  two  years,  when  Mr.  Cramer 
sold  his  interest  in  the  grain  part  of  their  business  to 
Mr.  Lawrence  and  purchased  his  interest  in  the  lum- 
ber part  of  the  business  and  continued  that  for  three 
years  longer.  He  then  closed  out  his  lumber  inter- 
est at  Gilson,  and  went  back  to  his  first  love,  farming, 
in  which  occupation  he  has  been  continuously  en- 
aged,  and  with  the  exceptions  named  has  followed 
all  his  life.  At  the  time  of  disposing  of  his  business 
at  Gilson,  he  was  in  ill  health  and  left  the  labors  of 
the  office  to  recuperate  while  enjoying  the  fresh 
breezes  of  the  country  air  and  tilling  the  soil.  Mr. 
Cramer  is  a  member  of  the  beneficiary  order  of  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  No.  126,  at  Kno.xville.  Politically  he  is  a 
believer  in  and  a  supporter  of  the  principles  advo- 
cated by  the  Republican  party,  and  a  truly  repre- 
sentative citizen  of  Knox  County.  His  wife  is  a  r 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


W.  McCallister,  a  well-to-do  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  stock  raiser,  is  prose- 
cuting his  chosen  vocation  on  his  property 
located  on  section  12,  Orange  Township, 
'j^  He  is  a  native  of  this  State,  having  been  born 
in  White  County,  Sept.  7,  1830,  and  is  the  son 
of  Simeon  and  Mary  (Ooley)  McCallister,  natives  of 
Kentucky. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  from  one  of  the  old 
Ranger  families,  a  farmer  by  vocation,  and  followed 
liis  calling  in  his  native  State,  and  after  coming  to 
this  county,  which  was  in  1832,  up  to  the  date  of  his 
demise,  April  14,  1850.  His  good  wife,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  likewise  died  here,  in  April,  1864. 

Mr.  McCallister  of  this  notice  was  reared  to  the 
honorable  calling  which  he  has  followed  thus  far 
durmg  his  life.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  school,  and  the  most  happy  event  in  the 
history  of  his  past  took  place  March  17,  1859,  at 
which  time  Miss  Harriet  L.  Reed   became  his  wife. 


=Jt^ 


^^ 


^-^ 


t 


634 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


■^^ 


athew  Fooks  is  a  farmer  of  prominence, 
and  a  representative  citizen,  living  on  sec- 
tion  16,  Galesburg  Township.     He  was 


^'  born  in  Somersetshire,  England,  June  15, 
1821,  where  he  remained  with  his  parents  up 
to  his  2ist  year,  attending  the  common  schools 
and  working  on  his  father's  farm.  He  emigrated  to 
America  in  1846,  landed  at  New  York  and  came  on 
to  Galesburg.  Here  he  permanently  located  about 
one  mile  from  the  Public  Square  of  that  city.  His 
residence  is  on  the  Monmouth  road  and  he  has  t4S 
acres  of  first-class  land  under  a  high  state  of  culti- 
vation. His  divelling-house  ii  beautifully  gotten  up 
and  well  furnished,  and  he  lives  the  life  of  a  bach- 
elor.    He  is  retiring  and  of  a  studious  turn. 

His  parents  were  Thomas  and  Phebe  (Wheeler) 
Fooks,  both  natives  of  England,  where  they  lived  and 
died.  His  mother  was  born  in  17  84  and  died  on  the 
20th  of  July,  r864.  His  father's  birth  took  place  in 
1782  and  hedied  in  1862.  They  were  both  members 
of  the  Congregational  Church,  and  Mr.  Fooks,  Sr., 


She  is  the  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Mason) 
Reed,  and  was  born  in  this  county  May  r5,  1841. 
Her  parents  were  old  settlers  in  this  county,  coming 
here  in  t837  Two  children  have  come  to  brighten 
the  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCallister — Mary 
L.,  born  Dec.  6,  i86r  ;  and  Silas  H.,  Jan.  15,  1865. 
The  first,  when  a  bright-eyed  little  girl  of  seven  years, 
was  called  from  earth,  Dec.  7,  1868. 

M.  W.  McCallister  has  served  his  township  as 
Supervisor  one  term,  and  as  Assessor  and  School 
Trustee  for  two  years.  He  has  a  fine  farm,  consist- 
ing of  t87  acres  of  prime  land,  121  of  which  are  ' 
located  in  Orange  Township  and  66  acres  in  Haw 
Creek  Township.  A  comfortable  residence  has  been 
erected  on  the  place,  and  there  also  may  be  found  a 
good  barn  and  necessary  out-buildings,  and  in  his 
vocation  our  subject  is  meeting  with  deserved  suc- 
cess. Socially  Mr.  McCallister  is  a  member  of  the 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  belonging  to  Lodge  No.  66,  at  Kno.x- 
ville,  and  Rabboni  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.  He  and  his 
wife  are  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  In  politics  our  subject  votes  for  that  party 
which  sprang  into  existence  in  1856  and  was  first 
\  successful  in  the  election  of  our  martyred  President. 


was  a  Whig  politician  of  the  old  English  school. 
Their  family  consisted  of  four  boys  and  four  girls, 
viz.:  Mathew,  Mark,  Thomas,  William,  Mary  A., 
Elizabeth,  Phebe  and  Eliza;  the  last  of  these 
but  one  is  living  in  Wataga,  111.  Mathew,  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch,  adopted  a  niece,  Etta  Fooks,  seven 
years  ago.  She  is  a  bright  and  interesting  girl  r4 
years  of  age,  and  is  now  receiving  a  careful  training 
and  education.  Her  uncle  is  an  attendant  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  is  a  consistent  and 
practical  adherent.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  a  stanch  sup[X)rter  of  any  measure  likely  to 
strengthen  the  hold  of  that  party  on  American 
institutions. 


jjjohn  Harpman.  Knox  County's  boundaries 
include  the  handsome  homes  of  many 
prosperous  and  wealthy  farmers,  successful 
merchants  and  worthy  and  able  citizens,  and 
noteworthy  among  the  first  and  last  classes  is 
found  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  whose  farm 
lies  on  section  36,  in  Copley  Township,  and  whose 
prosperity  and  triumph  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor 
are  only  equaled  by  his  noble  record  as  a  soldier 
fighting  in  the  defence  of  a  well-loved  country. 

Mr.  Harpman  was  born  in  Sweden,  March  29, 
1836,  his  parents,  Jonas  and  Eliza  (Skinner)  Harp- 
man, being  natives  of  Sweden  also.  They  came  to 
America  in  1850,  and  settled  in  Knox  County,  where 
the  mother  died  in  1850.  The  father  went  to  Wash- 
ington County,  Minn.,  and  died  in  1851.  They  had 
a  family  of  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing: Martha,  now  Mrs.  Rosengrand ;  John,  Andrew 
and  William.  Our  subject  remained  at  home  with  his 
parents  until  their  death,  but  not  long  after  this  be- 
reavement, longing  to  find  a  n^w  field  and  a  broader 
sphere,  he  removed  to  Peoria,  where  he  hired 
out  for  $3  per  month  for  one  year.  On  this  mere 
pittance,  however,  he  managed  to  subsist,  and 
after  one  year  he  came  to  Knox  County,  where  he 
worked  out  by  the  month  for  two  years  ;  thence  he 
went  to  Copley  Township,  and  from  there  to  Abing- 
don, attending  school  in  Hedding  College,  and  work- 
ing out.  He  continued  at  this  for  five  years,  then, 
considering  himself  fitted  so  to  do,  he  went  to  Wash- 
ington County,  Minn.,  where  he  taught  school  and 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


635 


handled  an  interest  in  a  saw-mill,  in  which  section 
of  the  country  he  remained  until  1861. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  Mr.  Harpman  enlisted 
in  the  army.  His  heart  beat  high  with  patriotism, 
and  the  earnest,  manly  desire  lo  lend  the  strength  of 
his  own  right  arm  to  sustain  the  cause  of  his  country. 
Fighting  bravely  "  for  God,  and  home  and  native 
land,"  he  took  his  place  in  the  regiment,  enlisting  in 
Co.  I,  6th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  there  three  years. 
He  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing, 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  other  important  engai^e- 
ments.  At  the  battle  of  Shiloh  he  was  dangerously 
wounded  and  taken  to  the  St.  Louis  hospital.  From 
there  he  was  removed  to  Keokuk,  and  rejoined  his 
regiment  in  Tennessee.  He  was  in  the  campaign 
against  Vicksburg  and  came  back  to  Chattanooga 
and  Missionary  Ridge,  besides  Lookout  Mountain. 
He  then  went  to  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  and  after  that 
figured  in  Sherman's  "march  to  the  sea."  He  was 
honorably  discharged  after  three  years  of  service.  He 
was  commissary  clerk,  which  position  he  held  after 
his  service  in  the  army  proper.  He  returned  to  Illi- 
nois first  on  leaving  his  regiment,  and  again  adopted 
the  life  of  a  farmer,  and  teaching  in  the  winter. 

In  1867  he  purchased  160  acres  in  Persifer  Town- 
ship, to  which  he  afterward  added  40  acres,  all  wild 
land.  This  he  commenced  on,  and  it  did  indeed  ap- 
pear a  hopeless  field,  but  grubbing,  breaking  and 
fencing  made  a  vast  difference,  and  when  he  had 
erected  a  neat  little  log  cabin,  16x18,  it  did  not  have 
so  cheerless  an  appearance.  With  indomitable  will 
and  patience  that  never  tired,  he  kept  up  his  chosen 
work,  and,  when  he  had  replaced  his  log  cabin  with 
a  nice  house  valued  at  $1,000,  the  metamorphosis  was 
complete.  This  was  in  1868,  and  he  remained  on 
his  homestead  until  1875,  at  which  time  he  purchased 
160  acres  more  where  he  now  is. 

In  1865  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mar- 
garet, who  was  a  daughter  of  Herman  and  Christine 
Rosenleaf.  These  were  natives  of  Sweden,  and 
came  to  America  in  1850.  Accompanied  by  his  most 
excellent  helpmeet,  Mr.  Harpman's  work  was 
crowned  with  success,  and  she  proved  in  the  fullest 
sense  how  excellent  is  the  help  of  a  good  wife.  Her 
parents,  on  arriving  in  America,  came  to  Illinois  and 
settled  in  La  Fayette,  Stark  Co.  There  the  father 
followed  blacksmitliing  for  five  years,  and  in  1855  he 
moved  to  Copley  Township,  Knox  County,  where  he 
purchased  120  acres  of  land  on  section  26.    In  1862 


he  enlisted  and  went  away  with  others  from  his 
happy  home  in  behalf  of  his  country.  He  was  killed 
at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  The  mother  still 
lives,  making  her  lioine  at  Victoria.  Their  family 
consisted  of  nine  children,  six  still  living,  as  follows: 
Margaret  C ,  who  married  and  is  now  Mrs.  John 
Harpman ;  Annie  C,  now  Mrs.  Andrew  Harpman  ; 
Adelaide  E.,  now  Mrs.  Christover;  Rebecca,  wife  of 
Mr.  Bassett;  Sarah,  married  to  Mr.  Stringer,  and 
Thomas. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harpman,  of  this  writing,  have  a 
lileasant  and  attractive  home,  and  a  congenial  and 
delightful  family  circle.  They  are  the  parents  of 
eight  children — Alpha  E  ,  Albert  J.,  Hilmer  V.,  Sarah 
A.,  Charles  A.,  Alice  M.,  Junie  A.  and  Arthur  O. 
Good  cheer  is  always  found  about  their  hearthstone, 
and  their  home  may,  indeed,  be  said  to  be  "  one  of 
sweet  content  and  an  abiding  place  for  the  stranger 
within  the  gates." 

"'*  1^^  i* 

I  3  (0^!^ avid  p.  Harper.     Prominent  among  tliose  , 
\-[\kMM^    men  who  have  been  identified  with  Knox  ; 
'  ItSV  ^     County  for  an  interval  of  over  30  years, 
0«i      and  who  have  during  that  time  been  deeply  _ 
interested  in  its  agricultural  progress,  stands  the 
subject  of  this  personal  history.     In  his  partic- 
ular field  of  life  work  he  has  been  extremely  success- 
ful, and  may  be  cited  to-day  as  one  of  the  most  solid 
and   substantial   men   in    Chestnut  Township.     His 
home  is   situated  on  section  2,  and   to   his  farming 
pursuits  he  adds  the  breeding  of  fine  blooded  stock, 
among  which  he  possesses  a  number  of  magnificent 
animals  in  which  he  feels  a  pardonable  pride. 

Mr.  Harper  is  the  son  of  David  and  Sarah  (Parks) 
Harper,  natives  of  Ohio,  and  was  born  July  26,  1854. 
His  father  was  born  Aug.  2,  18 14,  and  is  still  living, 
while  his  mother,  born  Jan.  23,  1817,  died  Dec.  3r, 
1884,  and  was  buried  at  Herman,  111. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harper,  Sr.,  there 
were  born  13  children,  four  of  whom  are  now  living, 
and  are  named  respectively  Lydia  A.;  Mary  M.,  wife 
of  Julius  Bragg,  of  this  county;  Jennie,  wife  of 
Knox  Marks,  also  residing  in  this  county,  and  David, 
who  united  in  the  bonds  of  holy  matrimony  with 
Mary  A.  Hamrick.  Mrs.  Harper  was  born  July  4, 
1850,  and  is  the  daughter  of  J.  G.  and  Sarah  A^ 


636 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


<^ 


(Ferris)  Hamrick.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ohio 
Feb.  2,  1825,  and  her  mother  in  Kentucky  Feb.  5, 
1828,  now  living  in  Seward  County,  Neb.  Their 
home  is  in  the  latter  county,  and  they  are  the  par- 
ents of  four  children :  Josephine,  wife  of  Mr.  Hen- 
derson, of  Nebraska;  Calista,  who  married  J.  A. 
Walker,  and  lives  in  Thomas  County,  Kan. ;  Charlie, 
who  married  Miss  Sarepta  Beeson,  and  lives  in 
Nebraska,  and  Mary  A. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  David  Harper  are  the  parents  of 
three  children,  bearing  the  names  of  Kittie,  born 
May  27,  1874;  Lucy,  May  12,  1876,  and  Roberta, 
Aug.  26,  1878.  Their  family  circle  is  a  happy  and 
congenial  one,  and  their  home  is  among  the  most 
pleasant  in  the  county.  On  his  homestead  of  180 
acres  of  highly  cultivated  land  Mr.  Harper  has 
erected  a  handsome  house  of  modern  appearance 
and  conveniences,  and  further  embellished  and  bet- 
tered his  property  by  the  addition  of  commodious 
barns  and  out-buildings,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 

[feel  a  pardonable  pride  in  their  home. 
Mr.  Harper's  barns  were  erected  largely  with  the 
idea  of  forwarding  his  business  as  a  stock  raiser  and 
>"breeder.     He  has  a  fii:e  bull,  by  name  Gallant  Duke, 

J  whose  number,  5  1665,  is  recorded  in  the  Short-horn 
Herd-book.  He  is  a  large,  handsome  animal,  bought 
of  W.  H.  Heller,  of  Abingdon,  111.,  and  is  of  deep- 
red  color,  weighing  1,730  lb.;  was  calved  Nov.  12, 
1882,  and  is  of  the  Rose  of  Sharon  strain.  Another, 
Victoria  Ann,  of  the  Rosemary  breed,  may  be  na"ied 
as  one  of  the  finest  in  the  county;  is  seven  years  of 
age,  and  was  calved  July  21,  1879.  Rose  IV  stands 
next  on  the  list,  a  handsome  roan,  calved  June  15, 
1878,  and  whose  history  is  found  in  Vol.  23,  Amer- 
ican Herd-Book.  Rose  V,  calved  April  14,  1879,  is 
a  handsome  red  in  color,  and  quoted  in  Vol.  23. 
Rose  Belle,  calved  June  16,  1878,  is  also  red,  and  is 
quoted  in  the  same  Herd-book.  Lady  Ann,  a  mag- 
nificent roan  animal,  calved  June  6,  1877,  is  of  the 
Rosemary  blood,  and  Daisy,  calved  Nov.  14,  1879, 
of  the  Miss  Mott  line  of  stock,  and  of  a  handsome 
red  color.  Mr.  Harper  feels  an  interest  and  strong 
pride  in  these  wonderfully  handsome  and  finely 
blooded  animals,  which  may  be  stated  as  among  the 
best  in  the  county.  He  is  a  feeder  and  shipper  of 
stock  to  the  Chicago  markets,  and  is  successful  in  his 
enterprise.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  upholds 
the  principles  of  that  party,  voting  with  and  for  it, 
and  is,  in  short,  not  only  an  active,  energetic  business 


man,  but  is  wide-awake  to  the  interests  of  the  public 
at  large,  and  well  informed  in  public  and  private 
political  work. 


■>— 4- 


|^^3[  A.  Snyder.  Among  the  principal  men  of 
Knox  County,  and  the  noteworthy  citizens 
^  remembered  for  substantial  worth,  is  named 
the  subject  of  this  biography,  a  summary  of 
whose  life  history  is  given  below.  His  home 
is  located  on  section  i,  Lynn  Township,  and 
included  in  his  landed  estate  are  196  acres. 

Our  subject  was  born  Nov.  29,  1849.  (For  sketch 
of  parental  history  see  biography  of  John  Snyder,  in 
this  work.)  He  lived  under  the  parental  roof  until 
he  became  of  age.  His  marriage  took  place  in 
Lynn  Township  Jan.  13,  1872,  with  Miss  Martha 
Mahaffey.  The  parents  of  his  wife,  Nain  and  Deb- 
orah (Wright)  Mahaffey,  were  natives  of  Ohio  and  New 
York  respectively.  Her  father  was  a  stone  mason 
by  occupation.  They  came  west  to  Peoria  County 
early  in  the  settlement  of  that  county,  and  it  was 
there  that  Mrs.  Snyder  of  this  notice  was  born,  Oct.  ' 
22,  1849.  She  is  the  oldest  living  child  in  a  family 
of  four  children.  Her  parents  are  now  living  in 
Lynn  Township.  Miss  Mahaffey  lived  at  home 
until  the  date  of  her  marriage,  and  is  the  mother  of 
two  children — Minnie  M.  and  Perry  O.  After  mar- 
riage Mr.  Snyder  lived  east  of  La  Fayette,  Stark 
Co.,  111.,  for  some  six  years.  He  then  purchased 
and  settled  in  this  township  on  the  farm  on  which 
he  is  at  present  residing,  on  section  i.  They  have 
been  prosperous  and  successful  in  their  united  efforts 
to  procure  a  competency.  In  politics  Mr.  Snyder  is 
a  Republican,  supporting  the  party  with  zeal  and 
ardor.     Farming  has  been  his  occupation  through  life. 


J^enjamin  Hudson.  Merit  deserves  men- 
tion, and  it  is  therefore  with  pleasure  that 
^  we  have  procured  facts  which  enable 
us  to  state  that  he  whose  short  biogra- 
phy we  write  is  not  only  an  honored  and 
respected  citizen  of  Knox  County,  but  one  of 
her  successful  agriculturists,  who  has  made  what  he 
has  of  this  world's  goods  through  his  own  individual 
effort.     Benjamin  Hudson  was  bom  in  Oneida,  N, 


r 


1-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


637 


Y.,  Oct.  8,  1837,  and  is  a  son  of  William  and  Anna 
Hudson.  In  his  younger  days  he  lived  at  home, 
assisting  his  father  on  the  farm  and  attending  the 
common  school,  developing  into  manhood 

The  marriage  of  Benjamin  Hudson  to  Miss  Mary 
Ann  Hudson  took  place  Nov.  26,  1874.  She  is  the 
daughter  of  Isaiah  and  Fannie  Hudson,  and  has 
borne  her  husband  four  children,  the  record  be- 
ing as  follows :  Kittie  F., born  Feb.  5,  1876;  Clif- 
ford B.,  Jan.  7,  1879;  Cora  E.,  March  21,  i88i; 
Nina  C,  Julys,  1885.  Mrs.  Hudson  was  bom  in 
this  county  Sept.  7,  1847.  The  father  and  mother 
of  our  subject  were  born  in  Lincolnshire,  England, 
and  the  father  is  yet  living  in  McHenry  County,  111., 
while  the  mother  passed  to  the  land  beyond.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Isaiah  Hudson  were  also  natives  of 
Lincolnshire.  England,  and  the  demise  of  her  father 
occurred  in  this  county,  where  his  widow  is  yet  liv- 
ing, her  residence  being  at  Knoxville. 

The  farm  of  Mr.  Hudson  comprises  160  acres  of 
A  No.  I  land,  the  major  portion  of  it  being  under 
an  advanced  state  of  cultivation.  On  the  place  is  a 
comfortable  house,  together  with  a  good  barn  and 
''necessary  out-buildings,  and  our  subject  is  meeting 
with  far  more  than  ordinary  success  in  his  vocation. 
In  politics  he  votes  with  that  old  party  of  which  Jef- 
^  ferson  was  the  founder  and  exponent. 


jSvid  Woolsey,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
whose  homestead  lies  on  section  13,  of 
Haw  Creek  Township,  is  one  of  the  prom- 
inent citizens  and  able  men  of  that  vicinty. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  residents  of 
that  section  of  country,  and  quite  an  e.xtensive 
land-owner,  being  in  possession  of  about  484  acres 
of  land,  124  in  Haw  Creek  Township  and  a  lialf-sec- 
tion  in  Elba  Township.  He  also  owns  80  acres  in 
Truro  Township,  and,  in  connection  with  his  farm- 
ing pursuits,  is  interested  in  stock-raising. 

Mr.  Woolsey  was  born  in  Ulster  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  3, 
1828,  and  is  the  son  of  Hezekiah  and  Hannah  (Cut- 
ler) Woolsey.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1849,  and  aft- 
erward worked  at  job  work,  building  fences,  making 
rails,  or  at  any  branch  of  labor  that  fell  into  his 
hands.  At  these  odd  jobs  he  continued  about  five 
years,  when  he  went  to  farming  in  Maquon  Town- 


ship, and  in  1855  moved  to  where  he  now  lives,  and 
has  been  exceedingly  successful  in  his  subsequent 
pursuits. 

On  the  2sth  of  August,  1850,  he  took  to  his  heart 
and  home  a  helpmeet  in  the  person  of  Elizabeth 
Fry,  who  was  born  May  25,  1828,  in  the  State  of 
Ohio.  The  family  moved  to  Marion  County,  Ohio, 
and  there  Mr.  Fry  died  in  1852.  There  were  Will- 
iam, David,  Jane.  Deborah,  Elizabeth,  Walter,  Isaac, 
Martha,  Mary,  Darius,  Emily  and  Silas  ;  six  of  them 
survive  the  parents.  The  mother,  after  the  death  of 
her  husband,  came  West  and  died  here  in  the  year 
i860,  at  Elmwood.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  were  blessed 
with  three  children — Lefee  A.,  born  June  7,  185 1, 
who  departed  this  life  Feb.  1 1, 1854,  having  only  at- 
tained to  the  winning  and  happy  age  of  three  years, 
and  at  this  most  joyous  period  of  childhood,  which 
wins  all  hearts,  was  gathered  home  by  the  reaper 
Death.  Hezekiah  died  in  infancy;  William  Cyrus, 
born  April  26,  1853,  is  also  deceased. 

Our  subject's  second  matrimonial  alliance  was  with 
Mildred  Logan,  May  4,  1856.  She  was  born  April 
28,  1837,  in  Amherst  County,  Va.,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  it  children,  viz.:  L.  V.  R.,  born  Sept.  27. 
1857;  Alonzo,  Nov.  28,  1858,  now  deceased;  Louisa, 
born  Feb.  26,  1859,  also  deceased;  William,  born 
Aug.  II,  1861  ;  Arzella,  Feb.  13,  1863;  Deborah  A., 
Feb.  6,  1865  ;  Lenora  M.,  Jan.  14,  1867  ;  Julia  A., 
April  20,  1869;  Charles.  March  4,  187 1;  Delbert, 
Feb.  28,  1873,  deceased;  and  Clyde,  .Aug.  15,  1877. 

Mrs.  Woolsey  is  the  daughter  of  Alexander  and 
Elizabeth  (Wright)  Logan,  natives  of  Virginia,  and 
now  deceased.  L.  V.  R.  married  Miss  Flora  Hall, 
and  is  a  farmer  in  Truro  Township;  they  have  two 
children,  named  Myrtle  and  Mabel.  William  mar- 
ried Miss  Nora  Taylor  and  is  a  resident  of  Caldwell 
County,  Mo. ;  they  have  one  child.  Arzella  is  the 
wife  of  F.  E.  Nelson  ;  they  are  residents  of  Elba 
Township  and  have  one  child,  named  Floyd  E. 

Mr.  Woolsey  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  which  training,  united  with  his  keen  obser- 
vation and  worldly  experience,  has  resulted  in  his  be- 
coming a  well-informed  man.  He  has  been  pros- 
perous in  the  extreme,  and  stands  high  in  the  social 
and  financial  world.  He  is  a  man  of  large  sympa- 
thies, and  with  his  wife  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church.  Several  members  of  his  family  are 
also  connected  with  this  organization.  In  politics  he 
affiliates  with  the  Republican  party ,  the  sentiments  of 


a 


-^ 


JL 


638 


XJ\^OX  COUNTY. 


which  party  he  actively  upholds  with  voice  and  vote. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Maquon 
Lodge,  No.  256,  and  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  of  Maquon 
Lodge. 


^S= 


=&i- 


"T~T 


,,  .|C  Wallace  Hopkins  is  senior  member  of  the 
??/!:  i  j^j.|^-|  jjf  Hypkiiis  Bros.,  liverymen,  of  Altona , 
111.,  in  which  business  he  is  associated  with 
his  brother,  C.  A.  Ho|)kins.  Mr.  Hopkins  was 
born  in  Oswego,  Kendall  Co.,  111.,  May  17, 
1842.  (For  paternal  history  see  sketch  of  C.  A. 
Hopkins,  of  Altona.)  His  early  life  was  spent  at 
home  under  parental  charge  and  discipline.  A  share 
of  this  time  was  spent  in  gaining  an  education,  he 
being  allowed  the  winter  season  for  attending  the  pub- 
lic school.  This  remained  his  privilege  till  the  death 
of  his  mother,  which  occurred  in  Iowa.  The  father, 
r  who  yet  survives  the  mother,  lives  with  his  children. 
J.  Wallace's  parents  left  Kendall  County,  thinking  to 
better  their  worldly  condition,  and  went  West  to  the 
>*  State  of  Iowa,  while  he  was  a  small  boy. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  J.  Wallace  was  en- 
gaged in  various  situations,  and  roamed  about  in  dif- 
ferent parts  of  the  State,  till  the  news  was  brought 
that  the  first  gun  had  been  fired  on  Fort  Sumter, 
when  he  immediately  responded  to  the  President's  call 
for  soldiers  and  enlisted  under  the  stars  and  stripes. 
He  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  sgth  Reg.  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  under 
command  of  Capt.  Clayton  Hall,  of  Knoxville,  but, 
unfortunately,  immediately  after  entering  the  army 
he  was  taken  seriously  ill,  suffering  at  times  violently 
from  temporary  loss  of  sight  as  well  as  from  other 
bodily  ailments.  Without  actively  filling  the  place 
he  was  so  well  qualified  for,  he  received  an  honora- 
ble discharge  at  the  St.  Louis  Arsenal,  and,  although 
bitterly  disappointed,  he  found  his  services  were 
wholly  dispensed  with  ;  but  so  keen  an  interest  did  he 
feel  in  the  struggle  for  the  rights  and  honor  of  his 
country,  that  he  soon  re-entered  the  service  of  the 
Government  as  carpenter,  at  which  he  continued  for 
18  months.  After  his  return  from  the  army,  via  New 
York,  he  remained  in  that  city  for  some  time  with 
hospitable  relatives,  one  of  whom  became  so  interested 
in  him  that  he  made  the  generous  offer  to  assume  all 
personal  expense  for  him  if  he  would  enter  and  at- 
tend the  public  schools.     This  golden  opportunity, 


which  Mr.  Hopkins  lost  by  refusing  to  comply  with 
his  wishes,  he  has  never  ceased  regretting.  Some 
time  later  he  came  to  Altona,  where,  as  previously 
slated,  he  made  a  venture  in  the  direction  of  a  liv- 
ery stable,  since  which  time  he  has  been  gratified 
with  a  flourishing  business.  In  the  conducting  of 
the  trade  Mr.  Hopkins  and  his  partner,  his  brother,- 
C.  A.,  have  both  eminently  proved  their  skill  and 
ability  in  this  direction,  and  every  adjunct  of  their 
business  is  first-class,  while  both  are  well  known  for 
honesty  and  fair  dealing  with  their  fellow-man. 

Mr.  Hopkins  was  married  in  Rockford,  111.,  Oct. 
9,  1871,  to  Miss  Mattie  Pittney,  a  lady  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  Rockford  ;  but  after  experiencing  a 
short  season  of  matrimonial  happiness,  she  departed 
this  life  at  Elmwood,  Peoria  Co.,  111.  The  second 
marriage  was  celebrated  at  Altona,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Mrs.  Emma  N.  Rood,«^«'  Cadwell,  born 
in  Knox  County.  By  her  former  marriage  Mrs. (Rood) 
Hopkins  is  the  mother  of  one  child — Lottie,  whom 
she  lost  by  death  at  the  early  age  of  seven  years.  The  ' 
issue  of  the  present  union  is  three  children — Nettie 
M.,  Minnie  and  Carl  J.  E.  Mr.  Hopkins  takes  an 
active  part  in  all  public  affairs,  is  keenly  interested'*^ 
in  political  matters  and  is  Democratic  in  politics. 

-^ #^ ^ 


^harles  B.  Johnson  is  a  representative  man 
in  and  around   his  vicinity,    and    follows 
Sj^?^    the  calling  of  brickmaker   in   Galesburg 
^^     Township.     He  is  a  native  of  the   southern 
^      part  of  Sweden,  from  which  he  emigrated   in 
I       the  year  1852,  arriving  on  the  4th  of  .\ugust 
in  the  city  of  New  Vork.    Coming  West  immediately, 
for  a  time  he  located  at  Rock  Island,  where   he  re- 
mained four  years,  meanwhile  working  at  Mr.  Atkin- 
son's   brickyard    for   the    remuneration    of  $9    per 
month.     Thence  he  proceeded  to  Galesburg,  where 
for  seven  years  he  worked  steadily  in  the  brickyard 
of  Slater  &  Stafford.     In   the  year  t864   he  located 
west  of  the  Public  Square,  on  the  Monmouth  road, 
where  he  purchased  11  acres  of  land  ai.d  started  his 
own    brickyard.      Through    the    summer    time    he 
usually  employs  22   hands,  and  as  a  rule   turns  out 
1,500,000  brick  per  year. 

Mr.  Johnson's  birth  occurred  on  tlie  12th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1829.  He  is  the  son  of  Carl  Johnson,  born 
in   1799  and  subsequently  married  to   Miss    Mary 


I 


—  .^f^  ■     . 

^NOX  COUNTY. 


639 


Samuelson  in  1826.  This  good  lady  was  born  in 
1802;  her  decease  took  place  in  1878.  Her  hus- 
band's demise  occurred  on  the  25th  of  February, 
1854.  They  were  both  natives  of  Sweden  and  the 
parents  of  five  children,  viz. :  Samuel,  Charles,  John, 
Alexander  and  Louisa. 

The  gentleman  who5e  name  heads  this  sketch 
married  Miss  Hattie  Matilda  Nelson  on  the  21st  of 
March,  1864.  She  was  born  in  Sweden  in  1837, 
but  her  parents  are  both  deceased.  Our  subject 
and  his  amiable  wife  are  the  parents  of  four  children, 
viz.:  Sarah  A.,  born  May  6,  1865;  Albert,  March 
15,  1867;  Cora,  April  25,  1S69;  and  Eddie,  Feb.  4, 
1872.  These  are  all  students  at  the  English  schools 
and  form  a  bright,  intelligent  family. 

In  his  business  Mr.  Johnson  is  a  master  mechanic, 
and  has  furnished  more  brick  for  public  and  private 
buildings  in  Galesburg  than  any  other  manufacturer 
in  that  vicinity.  He  has  the  best  trade  of  the  place, 
and  is  a  substantial  man  among  his  fellows.  He 
has  built  for  himself  a  fine  dwelling-house  and  barn, 
his  out-buildings  being  ample  and  commodious.  He 
and  his  wife  are  leading  members  of  the  First 
Lutheran  Church  at  Galesburg,  where  he  has  filled 
the  position  of  Trustee  for  over  nine  years.  He  is  a 
reliable  Republican  and  watches  all  public  and 
social  measures  likely  to  be  of  interest  to  and  in  sup- 
port of  his  party. 


illiam  F.  Barlow.  .\mong  the  young 
and  energetic  farmers  of  Knox  County, 
who  have  made  a  successful  start  in  life 
through  the  energy  and  perseverance  with 
which  they  are  [wssessed,  is  William  F.  Bar- 
low. He  is  the  son  of  Gideon  A.  Barlow 
(see  sketch),  and  is  following  the  vocation  of  farniing 
on  section  9,  Lynn  Township. 

Mr.  Barlow  was  born  in  the  township  in  which  he 
is  at  present  rtsiding,  Dec.  24,  1858.  His  early 
education  was  acquired  in  the  common  school,  and 
suppleraenied  by  an  attendance  at  the  High  School 
at  Galva.  He  resided  at  home  with  his  parents,  as- 
sisting on  the  farm,  and  developed  into  manhood. 
He  was  married  at  the  residence  of  his  bride's  par- 
ents in  Peoria  County,  Feb.  21,  1884,  to  Miss  Clara 
Fisher,  daughter  of  James  and  Sarah  (Clark)  Fisher, 


natives  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York  respectively. 
Her  parents  came  to  this  State  and  made  settlement 
in  Peoria  County  prior  to  their  marriage.  Her  father 
is  a  wheelwright,  and  both  of  her  parents  are  yet 
livi.ig  and  reside  in  that  county.  Mrs.  Barlow  was 
born  in  Brimfield,  that  county,  Feb.  3,  1863.  She 
lived  with  her  parents  and  grandparents  until  her 
marriage  with  Mr.  Barlow,  having  in  the  raeantiiTie 
received  a  good  education  in  the  common  school. 
Her  parents' family  of  children  were  nine  in  number, 
eight  of  whom  are  living,  four  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. Since  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barlow 
they  have  continued  to  reside  on  the  farm  on  which 
they  are  at  present  living,  and  in  their  united  efforts 
in  life  are  meeting  with  success.  The  issue  of  their 
union  has  been  one  child,  and  their  household  was 
saddened  by  its  death,  Dec.  5,  1884,  when  little 
Jessie  P.  passed  to  the  land  beyond.  Mrs.  Barlow 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
our  subject  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  principles 
advocated  by  the  Republican  party. 


onathan  F.  Hubbell.  Very  few  gentle 
men  whose  names  figure  in  the  prominent 
historical  data  of  Knox  County  can  show 
a  more  decided  record  than  the  subject  of  this 
biography.  He  is,  in  fact,  one  of  the  county's 
representative  men,  and  at  present  a  well-to-do 
retired  farmer,  and  Justice  of  the  Peace  as  well  as 
Notary  Public.  His  home,  a  spacious  residence,  is 
situated  in  Altona.  Mr.  Manessa  Hubbell  was  the 
father  of  this  gentleman,  and  a  farmer  and  native  of 
Seneca  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  in  turn  the  son  of 
Ephraim  and  a  descendant  of  Richard  Hubbell,  who 
arrived  from  Wales  and  niade  his  home  in  the  United 
Slates  about  200  years  ago. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice  is 
one  of  the  eighth  generation  of  that  family  in  this 
country.  The  father  of  J.  F.  Hulibell  arrived  in 
Delaware  County,  Ohio,  while  a  boy,  and  on  Nov. 
20,  1827,  married  Philena  Buck,  who  was  born  in 
Seneca  County,  N.  Y.  She  was  a  descendant  of  a 
large  family  by  that  name,  whose  influence  in  the 
Empire  State  was  known  far  and  wide. 

Our  subject  was  the  oldest  child  but  one  of  ten 
children.     By  the  union  there  were  six  sons  and  four 


- 


640 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


daughters,  two  of  the  latter  being  now  dead.  Six  of 
the  children  were  born  in  Delaware  (now  Morrow) 
County,  Ohio,  and  one  child  in  Christian  County,  111. 
The  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  at  which  date 
the  father  was  in  very  feeble  health.  iMoving  from 
Christian  into  Kno.\  County  in  1841,  they  located  in 
Victoria  Township,  where,  after  three  years'  stay, 
the  father  regained  his  broken  health,  after  which  he 
lived  to  secure  a  fair  competency,  and  died  Dec.  28, 
1884.  This  gentleman  was  born  April  6,  1806.  His 
wife  still  survives,  and  is  in  her  79th  year,  her  place 
of  residence  being  still  in  Victoria.  Our  subject's 
father  was  of  the  old  school  of  Whig  ixsliticians,  but 
ultimately  became  a  Republican  and  Abolitionist, 
and  took  an  active  part  in  that  direction.  For  some 
time  he  held  many  important  and  minor  offices. 

The  present  Mr.  Hubbell  was  only  in  his  tenth 
year  when  he  came  to  this  country.  Here  he  was 
educated  until  his  nineteenth  year  had  been  attained, 
when  he  engaged  in  teaching,  and  followed  this  pro- 
fession during  the  winters  of  six  years.     During  this 

I      period  he  was  married  in   Knoxville,  on  March   16, 
1854,  to  Miss  Mary  Maxey,  from  Hart  County,  Ky. 

f^  This  lady  was  born  March  22,  1834.  She  was  of 
Southern  parentage  and  arrived  here  with  her  people 
in  1838.  While  yet  a  child,  her  parents  died  in 
Knoxville,  111.  Her  death  took  place  at  her  home  in 
Altona  May  14,  1878.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine 
children,  seven  of  whom  survived  her.  She  was  an 
admirable  mother  and  a  good  woman,  and  a  very 
active  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
during  her  life.  As  a  wife  she  was  remarkable  for 
her  good  sense  and  devotion  to  her  husband's  interests. 
The  children  born  to  this  union  are  as  follows: 
Emma  A.,,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  D  Stocking,  now  residing 
in  Clarendon,  Tex. ;  Charles,  residing  at  Denver, 
Colo.,  and  assistant  treasurer  and  cashier  in  an 
insurance  office  ;  he  is  also  civil  engineer  and  stenog- 
rapher ;  for  some  time  he  worked  for  the  Denver  & 
Rio  Grande  Railroad  Company,  and  is  a  very  promi- 
nent business  man.  Ruth  is  now  a  telegraph  oper- 
ator in  Terrill,  Tex.,  and  one  among  the  most 
skillful  in  the  office.  Frances  is  in  Omaha,  Neb., 
and  follows  the  occupation  of  stenographer  and 
type-writer,  being  considered  well  educated  and 
skillful  in  her  profession.  Hattie  is  at  present  a  stu- 
dent in  Knox  College,  and,  it  is  hoped,  will  complete 
her  course  in  two  years.  John  E.  lives  at  home.  Of 
those   deceased   are   Arthur,  who   died   in  infancy; 


-I- 


Martha  Alice,  who  died  at  27,  and  was  a  good 
scholar  and  ardent  student.  She  had  attended  Hed- 
ding  College,  Abingdon,  where  she  graduated,  and 
Mr.  H.  remembers  her  with  pride  as  one  who  by  her 
scholarship  and  noble  life  shed  a  halo  around  her 
family  ar.d  won  the  esteem  of  friends  far  and  near. 
Maxie  died  aged  20  months. 

Mr.  H.  celebrated  his  second  marriage  at  Ma- 
comb, III.,  on  the  13th  of  January,  1880,  with  Miss 
Mary  Kersey,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  born  at 
Knoxville  March  16,  1837.  Her  parents,  Levan 
and  Prudence  (Godfrey)  Kersey,  were  early  settlers 
in  Knox  County,  having  come  here  from  Ross 
County,  Ohio.  Settling  in  this  State  in  1830,  they 
commenced  farming;  three  years  later  in  Knox 
County.  In  1867  the  father  died.  The  mother  was 
born  Jan.  i,  1799,  and  died  March  3,  1886.  Mrs. 
H.,wife  of  the  subject  of  this  sketcli,  was  educated 
and  reared  in  this  county,  and  remained  with  her 
parents  to  the  time  of  her  death. 

Mr.  H.  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  in  1852, 
which  consisted  of  40  acres  with  improvements.  He 
subsequently  purchased  other  land  in  anoiher  part 
of  the  township,  on  sections  26  and  35,  containing]  ( 
320  acres  of  excellent  farm  land.  He  also  is  the 
owner  of  95  acres,  which  is  all  within  the  village 
limits  and  on  which  is  located  a  very  desirable  resi- 
dence. Mr.  H.  is  quite  an  extensive  cattle-breeder, 
and  in  this  particular  has  been  most  successful. 

Mr.  Hubbell  is  a  gentleman  of  whom  anyone  can- 
not speak  too  highly,  his  good  sense  and  large 
sympathies  attracting  many  and  substantial  admirers. 

j.(^'ohnston  S.  Brewer.  One  of  the  principal 
business  men  and  leading  citizens  of  his  sec- 
tion, and  a  prominent  druggist  of  Knox- 
ville, is  Johnston  S.  Brewer,  who  is  named  as 
the  subject  of  this  detailed  personal  narration. 
His  business  relations  to  the  community  are  of 
the  most  satisfactorj'  character,  and  he  carries  a  first- 
class  assortment  of  all  such  goods  as  are  essential  to 
his  special  line  of  trade,  while  his  courteous  treat- 
ment of  patrons  and  friends  makes  him  one  of  the 
most  popular  men  in  that  vicinity. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  on 
the  10th  day  of  July,  1831,  and  his  father  was  Adam 
Brewer,  a  native  of  the  same  county.  Jacob  Brewer, 
his  grandfather,  came  of  a  direct  line  of  old  German 


LA^ 


I 


imm 

OF  THE 
L..iVERSITV  Of  tLUmid 


f-i- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


643 


*f 


ancestry,  and  the  patronymic  was  originally  spelled 
Brua.  He  came  to  America,  accompanied  by  his 
family,  and  settled  in  Franklin  County,  where  he 
passed  his  entire  life.  His  son,  father  of  the  subject, 
was  reared  from  boyhood  on  the  old  homestead  in 
his  native  county,  and  received  his  early  education 
in  the  common  schools,  fitting  himself  for  a  teacher. 
He  engaged  in  this  work  and  occasionally  did  a  lit- 
tle surveying,  remaining  in  Franklin  County  until 
1839,  when  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he  emigrated  to 
Fulton  County,  111.,  where  he  located  at  Canton.  In 
this  section  of  the  country  he  Ixjught  a  farm,  be- 
coming interested  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  en- 
gaging in  them  until  1S49,  when  he  removed  to 
Kno.vville  and  lived  a  retired  life,  which  was  closed 
by  the  grim  destroyer  of  all  men  in  1877. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mr.  Brewer's  wife  was  Marie 
Johnston,  and  she  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Md.  Their  union  was  a  happy  and  productive  one, 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom 
still  live,  viz. :  Jacob  \V.,  M.  I).,  who  is  a  druggist  at 
Monmouth  ;  Margaret,  wife  of  A.  H.  Boyd,  who  lives 
in  Tarrant  County,  Texas;  Laura,  wife  of  Brewer 
r  Cushwa,  who  lives  in  Mercer  County,  Pa.;  Marion, 
wife  of  J.  W.  Sample,  whose  home  is  in  Knoxville, 
and  our  subject,  who  is  the  youngest  child  of  the 
family.  He  was  eight  years  of  age  when  brought  by 
his  parents  to  Illinois,  and  18  when  he  came  to 
Knoxville.  He  received  his  education  in  the  public 
schools,  and  entered  his  brother's  store  as  clerk  with 
a  view  to  learning  the  business.  Here  he  worked 
from  1850  till  1854  as  prescription  and  compounding 
clerk,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  removed  to  Mus- 
catine, Iowa,  where  he  went  into  a  drug  store  and 
there  remained,  learning  thoroughly  the  secrets  of 
that  branch  of  commerce,  until  i860.  From  this 
city  he  came  back  and  bought  out  his  brother's  bus- 
iness, and  has  figured  as  one  of  the  best  druggists  in 
that  section  of  the  country  ever  since. 

Matrimonial  honors  were  conferred  upon  him  by 
Miss  Georgie,  daugliter  of  Ephraim  and  Cordelia 
(Mcllvain)  Sionesipher,  who  was  born  in  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  was  a  much  admired  and  popu- 
lar young  lady.  Resulting  from  their  alliance  has 
been  the  birth  of  two  children,  Clifford  W.  and  Pansy 
L.,  and  their  family  circle  includes  the  joys  of  a 
home  blessed  with  contentment  and  the  true  beauties 
of  genuine  goodness. 

Mr.  Brewer  is  an  active  public  worker  and  a  stir- 

A 


ring,  wide-awake  member  of  the  social  circles  to 
which  he  belongs.  He  is  a  stockholder  and  Director 
in  the  Farmers'  National  Bank  of  his  home  town, 
and  politically  is  alive  to  the  questions  of  the  day. 
He  is  Democratic  in  belief  and  sentiment,  and  votes 
in  the  interests  of  that  party. 

eorge  W.  Brown,  distinguished  as  the  in- 
^  ventor  and  manufacturer  of  the  famous 
-Mi\3^^  corn-planter  bearing  his  name,  is  a  native 
'  /  C^ '  of  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born 

'^  Oct.  29,  1815.  His  parents,  Valentine  and 
Bethany  (Spink)  Brown,  were  New  Englanders, 
and  moved  West  to  York  State  when  the  latter  place 
was  comparatively  a  new  country.  Valentine  Brown 
was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  had  he  lived  would 
probably  have  trained  his  sons  up  to  that  vocation. 
He  died  when  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  about 
two  and  a  half  years  of  age. 

One  of  the  elder  sons  of  Valentine  Brown  became 
a  carpenter,  and  at  the  age  of  14  years  George  W.  <* 
left  the  farm  and  began  with  his  brother  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  carpenter  and  joiner.  When  about  21 
years  of  age,  or  in  1836,  after  having  assisted  in  the  , 
construction  of  the  second  line  of  railroad  in  New 
York,  viz.,  the  line  between  Albany  and  Schenectady, 
of  which  road  he  was  for  a  time  Trackmaster,  he 
came  West.  He  located  first  in  Warren  County, 
where  he  carried  on  farming  and  car|)entering  up  to 
1855.  In  1848  he  conceived  the  idea  of  a  machine 
for  planting  corn,  and  his  first  effort  at  such  a  con- 
struction was  an  attempt  to  combine  the  planter  with 
the  corn  cultivator,  which  he  had  previously  invented. 
The  idea  was  to  plant  three  rows  at  a  time. 
The  shovels  of  the  cultivator  were  placed  a  proper 
distance  apart  for  the  separate  rows  ;  a  man  walked 
in  the  rear  and  manipulated  the  "  dropper,"  and  three 
sections  of  a  sawlog  took  their  respective  places  im- 
mediately behind  the  plows  to  press  the  dirt  over  the 
grain.  The  roller  principle  is  the  same  to  the  present 
day. 

The  spring  of  1851  arrived,  and  with  it  Mr. 
Brown's  "  two-wheeled  corn-planter,"  which  was  to 
revolutionize  the  planting  of  the  principal  cereals  of 
the  world  ;  this  brought  the  unknown  Warren  County 
farmer  forth  from  obscurity,  elevated  him  to  the  top- 


^r^ 


=^^> 


644 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


most  rung  in  the  ladder  of  local  invention,  and  made 
him  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  the  vicinity  where 
he  resided.  Mr.  Brown  has  added  to  the  planter  of 
1 85  I  hundreds  of  minor  appliances,  all  tending  in 
the  direction  of  real  improvements,  but  the  essential 
features  of  the  first  machine  remain  unchanged.  In 
1855  Mr.  Brown  removed  to  Galesburg  and  began 
the  manufacture  of  planters  in  earnest.  The  demand 
for  them  increased  according  as  their  merits  became 
known  to  the  people,  and  the  success  attained  in  a 
financial  way  was  fully  commensurate  with  the  great 
value  of  the  invention  to  the  corn-belt  of  the  coun- 
try. From  1861  to  1864,  inclusive,  George  W.  Brown 
reaped  a  harvest.  By  this  time  dealers  in  farm  im- 
plements began  to  exhibit  a  lively  interest  in  the 
great  enterprise,  and,  contrary  to  Mr.  Brown's  better 
judgment,  a  large  number  of  machines,  almost  doub- 
ling that  of  any  previous  year,  were  ordered  and  built 
for  the  market  of  1865.  As  is  known,  the  spring  of 
that  year  saw  the  close  of  the  war,  consequent  upon 
which  agricultural  commerce  came  to  a  standstill. 
Mr.  Brown  had  thus  scattered  throughout  the  entire 
country  over  2,500  planters,  and  his  balance  sheet 
the  following  spring  showed  that  the  accumulations 
of  ten  years  were  about  swept  away.  However,  with 
credit  unimpaired,  and  with  a  brave  heart  and  a 
strong  arm,  he  borrowed  in  the  summer  of  1866  $25- 
000,  and  proceeded  to  build  3,000  more  machines, 
which  he  threw  upon  the  market  and  realized  upon 
and  closed  the  year  with  a  handsome  profit.  And 
so  it  has  since  been.  To  meet  an  increasing  market 
the  capacity  was  increased  from  time  to  time,  and 
tlie  product  has  yielded  proportionate  results. 

In  1880  Mr.  Brown  re -organized  his  business  and 
converted  it  into  a  stock  company,  of  which  he  is  not 
only  tlie  President,  but  the  head  and  front,  and  it  is 
his  great  ability,  his  unswerving  integrity  and  his 
genius  more  than  all  else  that  has  given  character  to 
the  firm,  and  ranks  its  transactions  among  the  lead- 
ing industries  of  the  Great  West,  placing  it  pre- 
eminently at  the  head  of  Knox  County  enterprises. 
(See  history  of  the  Brown  Corn-Planter  Works,  this 
volume.) 

George  W.  Brown  is  purely  a  self  made  man.  The 
sum  of  his  inheritance  did  not  exceed  $150,  and  he 
brought  with  him  to  Illinois,  aside  from  his  family,  a 
wagon  and  a  span  of  horses,  and  on  arriving  here  had 
only  $28  left.  His  schooling  was  meager  indeed,  but 
his  good  common  sense,  sound  judgment  and  de- 


termination (without    ostentation)   to   succeed  were 
more  than  equivalent  to  academic  accomplishment. 

His  inventive  genius  from  time  to  time  has  found 
outlet  in  various  agricultural  implements,  but  the 
things  to  which  his  attention  is  most  directed  are  the 
planter,  cultivator  and  check-rower.  Public  spirited 
at  all  times  and  liberal  to  a  fault,  Galesburg  will  find 
it  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  replace  this  man 
when  in  time  he  shall  be  gathered  unto  his  fathers. 
At  no  time  in  his  life  a  politician  or  office-seeker  (his 
only  official  experience  being  limited  to  one  terra  as 
Mayor  of  Galesburg),  Mr.  Brown  has  found  plenty  of 
time  to  attend  to  his  own  business.  He  has  never 
been  a  man  for  "  dress  parade,"  but  is  quiet  and  un- 
assuming in  his  demeanor,  consistent  alike  in  his 
pretensions  and  his  actions.  Such  was  George  W. 
Brown  as  Roadmaster,  as  farmer,  as  manufacturer, 
and  now  as  capitalist. 

Mr.  Brown  was  married  at  Clifton  Park,  Saratoga 
County,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  i,  1835,  to  Miss  Maria  Turpen- 
ing.  His  son,  James  E.  Brown,  is  Treasurer  of  the' 
G.  W.  Brown  &  Co.  Corn-Planter  Works ;  one  of  his 
daughters  is  married  to  M.  T.  Perrin,  and  another  to 
W.  S.  Cowan,  both  of  Galesburg. 

Mr.  Brown  and  wife  have  been  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  since  1835,  and  during 
the  early  days  as  a  farmer  his  house  was  frequently 
made  a  temporary  home  by  the  clergymen.  He  has 
contributed  very  largely  to  the  erection  of  the  hand- 
some church  building  owned  by  the  congregation  in 
Galesburg  of  which  he  is  a  member,  and  the  church 
and  the  cause  of  Christ  have  always  found  in  him  a 
most  earnest  and  pious  supporter,  and  the  missionary 
and  Sunday-school  cause  a  devoted  friend  and  lib- 
eral patron.  His  residence  is  about  two  miles  from 
the  center  of  Galesburg,  on  his  handsome  and  well- 
improved  farm,  which  consists  of  400  acres  all  well 
tilled.  There  is  a  beautiful  lake  of  five  acres,  sit- 
uated about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  his  residence. 
There  is  a  pumping-house,  with  large  boilers  and 
pumps  that  force  water  up  to  his  residence  and  barns 
through  a  series  of  water  mains,  which  are  tapped  at 
short  intervals,  and  water  plugs  placed  in  position. 
He  has  several  hundred  feet  of  rubber  hose  for 
watering  his  gardens  and  for  fire  purposes.  Taking 
it  all  together,  it  is  one  of  the  model  farms  in  this 
State.  His  city  residence,  corner  of  Kellogg  and 
Tompkins  streets,  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  in  the 
city.     The  lawn  is  beautifully  laid   out   with   walks 


4> 


M^. 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


645 


and  flower  beds.  In  politics  Mr.  B.  has  been  a  Re- 
publican since  the  organization  of  that  party.  We 
give  the  portrait  of  .Mr.  Brown  in  connection  with 
this  sketch,  and  a  fine  double- page  view  of  his  resi- 
dence is  shown  on  page  652. 

-^ ^-*^ ^ 

•gBJBi  lien  Moore  Parmenter.     One  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Knoxville  in   matters  con- 

~(^'       cerning    public   good,    and    prominent   in 

'-  works  of  temperance  and  morality,  is  the  sub- 
ject of  this  biographical  notice,  the  principal 
hardware  merchant  of  the  town.  He  holds 
many  local  offices,  is  foremost  in  the  church  circles, 
upholds  prohibition  and  is  an  active,  hearty  laborer 
in  all  the  societies  organized  for  the  good  of  the 
people  at  large. 

Mr.  Parmenter  was  born  in  Kno.vville,  Dec.  25, 
1846,  and  was  the  fifth  son  of  Theophilus  T.  and 
Roxana  (Warner)  Parmenter  (see  sketch).  His 
early  education  was  attained  through  the  medium  of 
the  public  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  14  years  he 
ii  went  to  the  city  of  Peoria  and  there  served  three 
years'  apprenticeship  to  a  tinner,  learning  the  trade. 
At  the  end  of  this  time,  a  youth  of  17  years,  he  trav- 
.  eled  East  with  a  view  to  seeing  the  country  and  pur- 
suing his  vocation,  and  stopped  at  Boston,  Mass. 
In  this  city  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  the  Eastern 
Railroad  Company  for  one  year,  and  after^vard  for 
Seavey  &  Co.'s  stamping  and  manufacturing  works. 
With  this  company  he  continued  thiee  years  and  at 
the  end  of  that  time  returned  to  Knoxville,  and  pur- 
chased the  patent  right  of  the  "  Monitor  Brace  and 
Bit,"  and  subse<|uenlly  went  back  to  the  Eastern 
States,  stopping  in  Seymour,  Conn.  In  this  place 
he  entered  the  Humphreysville  Manufacturing  Com- 
pany, and  under  their  auspices  manufactured  the 
patent  bit,  representing  the  company,  with  it,  as 
traveling  salesman,  one  year. 

From  here  he  went  to  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
worked  as  coppersmith  one  year,  then  entered  the 
firm  of  Tii)betts  &  Co.,  as  tinsmith,  where  he  worked 
for  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  returned 
to  Knoxville,  and,  with  his  father  as  partner,  en- 
gaged in  the  boot-and-shoe  business.  In  1875  he 
opened  a  house-furnishing  store,  with  a  small  stock 
of  goods,  adding  to  it  as  his  success  in  business 
warranted  him  in  doing.     To  this,  in  1881,  he  added 


a  hardware  depaitment,  the  first  bill  of  hardware 
being  $8,  and  in  time  built  up  a  good  trade,  so  that 
at  the  present  time  he  has  a  well-stocked  business 
house,  carrying  every  kind  of  article  included  in  this 
class  of  goods.  He  has  gained  a  flattering  patronage 
and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  undertaking. 
Added  to  his  business  house  is  a  tinshop,  and  in 
1883  he  began  the  sale  of  agricultural  implements 
and  in  that  particular  line  has  had  a  big  "  boom." 

In  the  year  1872,  Dec.  25,  he  espoused  Miss  Kate 
E.  Rosenberg,  of  Quincy,  Pa.,  who  was  born  in  that 
city  March  28,  1850.  Into  their  pleasant  liousehold 
have  come  four  children — Willie,  Harvey,  Harry  and 
Morris.  Willie  was  born  Sept.  23,  1874,  but  was 
early  taken  away  by  diphtheria,  Dec.  25,  1880, 
which  dread  disease  also  attacked  Harvey,  who  was 
born  June  7,  1876,  and  died  at  the  interesting  age  of 
five  years,  on  the  14th  of  January,  1S81,  so  that  to 
the  parents  of  this  happy  family  there  remain  but 
two  of  their  little  flock — Harry  A.,  who  was  born 
Aug.  8,  1882,  and  Morris,  born  Feb.  16,  18S4. 

Mr.  Parmenter  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  in  good  and  regular  standing,  and 
his  wife  worships  under  the  doctrines  of  faith  as 
repiesenied  by  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  is  a  Sun- 
day-school worker  of  much  ability  and  has  filled  the 
office  of  Su|)erintendent  for  six  years.  He  is  a 
charter  member  of  Knox  Lodge,  No.  1 26,  A.  O.  U. 
W.,  and  of  the  Supreme  Lodge  and  Grand  Lodge  of 
the  same  order.  U[X)n  him  was  conferred  the  some- 
what difficult  honor  of  selecting  a  title  for  the  first- 
named  lodge,  and  to  it  he  gave  the  one  previously 
mentioned.  He  is  a  member  as  well  of  Knoxville 
Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Rabboni  Chapter,  No. 
95,  and  Illinois  Council,  No.  i.  He  is  ably  qnalified 
for  the  social  position  he  holds,  and  is  in  life  and 
character  a  direct  proof  the  assertion  that  "  life  is 
what  we  make  it." 


^^■^ 


amuel  F.  Patton.     Situated  on  section  32, 
of  Copley  Township,  is  the  pleasant  home 
of  the  gentleman  of  whom  this   history  is 
written.     He  may  tjuoted  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial  and   reliable   men  of  this   section  of 
country  and  as  one  of  the  representative  citi- 
of  Knox  County.   In  his  chosen  sphere  of  labor, 
of  a  farmer's  life,  he  has  achieved  that  success 


T 


X. 


646 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


which  is  the  outgrowth  of  unwearied  perseverance, 
thrift  and  a  true  idea  of  "  the  eternal  fitness  of 
things." 

Mr.  Patton  was  born  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
March  13,  1839.  Both  parents  were  from  Highland 
County  and  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1843,  settling  in 
Persifer  Township,  Knox  County.  Their  names  are 
recorded  among  those  of  the  pioneers,  and  they  have 
taken  a  keen  interest  in  the  rapid  growth  and  develop- 
ment of  the  county.  They  purchased  80  acres  of  land 
after  arriving  and  soon  afterward  added  360  acres,  on 
which  he  has  since  resided.  To  their  home  a  family 
of  six  children  was  added,  as  follows :  William,  Sam- 
uel F.,  James  H.,  Elizabeth  S.,  Hugh  T.  and  John  J. 
Mrs.  Patton  died  May  10,  1876. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  until  he  was  22 
years  of  age.  He  then  enlisted,  determined  to  go  forth 
in  behalf  of  the  country.  He  was  in  Co.  A,  59th  111. 
Vol.  Inf  This  regiment  was  organized  as  the  9th 
Mo.  Inf.  and   changed   to  the  59th  111.     Mr.  Patton 

(remained  with  it  from  June,  1861,  to  January,  1866, 
taking  part  in  the  terrible  battles  which  in  one's 
.remembrance  stand  out  vividly  in  "  the  gallery  of 
I  tragedy  " — Pea  Ridge,  Ark. ;  Perryville,  Ky. ;  Stone 
I  River,  Tenn. ;  Tullahoma,  Tenn. ;  Chickamauga,  Ga. ; 
I  Lookout  Mountain,  Tenn.;  Missionary  Ridge, 
f  Tenn. ;  Ringgold,  Ga.  Mr.  Patton  was  also  in  the 
Atlanta  campaign,  passing  through  the  entire  ser- 
vice. He  was  wounded  several  times,  and  almost 
fatally  Dec.  16,  1864.  At  that  time  a  minie  ball 
passed  through  his  body  and  lodged  near  the  back- 
bone. He  remained  in  a  iiospital  about  five  months, 
lying  in  a  very  low  condition,  and  was  then  returned 
to  the  regiment,  where  he  staid  until  the  close  of  the 
war.  He  received  an  honorable  discharge  after  he 
was  wounded  and  was  promoted  to  a  First  Lieuten- 
antship  for  his  undaunted  courage,  that  "  never 
flinched  a  single  inch  when  cannons  played,"  and 
after  the  war  he  returned  home  with  honor  attending 
him. 

On  leaving  the  service  Mr.  Patton  went  onto  his 
farm,  which  he  engaged  in  improving  and  cultivating 
for  two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Sheriff  of  Knox  County.  This  oflSce 
he  held  from  186S  to  1870,  being  then  elected  as 
Sheriff.  At  this  he  served  two  years,  living  in  Knox- 
ville.  After  returning  from  his  public  duties  to  the 
quiet  and  unexciting  vocation  of  fanning,  he  settled 
in  Copley  Township,  and  there  lives  at  the   present 


time.  In  company  with  a  brother,  William  N.,  he 
owns  a  farm  of  350  acres,  on  which  they  are  engaged 
in  stock  and  grain  raising. 

Samuel  F.  Patton  was  mauled  Nov.  4,  1871,  to 
Miss  Frances,  a  daughter  of  Hugh  D.  and  Sallie 
(McKnight)  Heagg  ;  both  were  from  Pennsylvania 
and  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1851.  They  settled  at 
Kno.wille,  where  he  lived  up  to  the  date  of  his  death, 
wiiich  occurred  in  1882.  The  mother,  who  still  sur- 
vives him,  lives  at  Knoxvilleand  has  attained  a  good 
old  age,  remaining  in  full  possession  of  her  faculties. 
Mr.  Patton  is  a  public  worker  and  has  held  the  of- 
fices of  Sheriff,  Assessor,  Commissioner  of  Highways 
and  Collector,  and  is  at  present  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  While  acting  in  the  capacity  of  Deputy 
Sheriff  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Patton  to  assist  in  the 
execution  of  John  M.  Osborne,  who,  during  the  year 
1872,  brutally  murdered  Mrs.  John  H.  Mathews — - 
one  of  the  most  heinous  crimes  that  was  ever  com- 
mitted in  the  county.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
devoting  himself  exclusively  to  the  interests  of  that 
party.  In  common  with  other  soldiers,  he  belongs 
to  the  G.  A.  R.,  which  organization  holds  him  in 
high  esteem. 

j^ornelius  Runkle.  If  anything  can  be 
*^  said  that  will  add  credit  to  the  already 
widely-known  reputation  of  the  name  above 
given,  to  pen  this  here  would  be  a  pleasing 
task.  In  the  bustle  of  life  much  good  in  the 
the  lives  of  prominent  men,  though  not  prac- 
tically lost  to  the  community  at  large,  is  rarely  re- 
corded and  remembered.  This  is  most  true  of  the 
present  subject,  whose  quieter  and  less  ostentatious 
deeds  have  so  often  borne  good  fruit. 

Cornelius  Runkle  was  born  in  the  town  of  Water- 
vliet,  Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19,  1810.  His  father, 
Mr.  John  Runkle,  was  a  native  of  the  same  State 
and  of  Holland  descent.  His  mother  was  Helen 
Van  Woort,  also  of  New  York  State  and  descendant 
of  Holland  parentage.  Mr.  Runkle  was  but  a  child 
of  three  years  of  age  when  his  father  died,  and  with 
his  mother  succeeded  to  the  old  homestead,  tlie  lat- 
ter's  death  occurring  when  he  was  in  his  1 6th  year. 
By  this  time  he  had  acquired  what  is  considered 
a  good  business  education  in  the  common  school. 
At  this  date  four  brothers  and  two  sisters  were  at 
home,    where    they   remained   until   August,    1834, 


£-^ 


•H^ 


Jh- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


647 


when  Mr.  R.  set  out  westward  in  search  of  a  location 
for  the  future.  His  elder  brothers,  John  and  Henry, 
had  come  to  Illinois  the  year  previously,  the  former 
settling  in  Peoria  County,  town  of  Hanna  City,  where 
he  still  resides,  while  Henry  located  in  Knoxville. 

In  the  year  1 835  the  subject  of  this  biography  ar- 
rived in  Kno.wille,  and  with  his  brother  formed  a 
partnership  in  the  mercantile  trade,  which  lasted 
over  one  and  a  half  years,  at  the  close  of  which  Mr. 
Runkle  proceeded  to  Mt.  Pleasant,  Henry  Co.,  Iowa, 
where  he  became  one  of  the  earliest  settlers.  Here 
he  engaged  again  in  trade  until  1847,  when,  return- 
ing to  Kno.xville,  he  became  clerk  to  his  brother 
Henry,  a  position  which  he  filled  successfully  until 
elected  Sheriff  in  1854. 

The  Whig  party  discovered  in  Mr.  Runkle  a  man 
whose  aptitude  in  politics  and  bearing  as  a  straight- 
forward business  man  were  calculated  to  secure  him 
the  ear  of  those  {lossessing  influence  with  the  party. 
Through  his  direct  agency  numerous  and  imiwrtant 
measures  were  considered  and  finally  adopted  that 
helped  largely  to  promote  his  party's  interests.  He 
held  the  office  of  Sheriff  two  years,  and  then,  enter- 
ing into  partnership  with  his  brother,  the  firm  of 
Runkle  &  Co.  was  established,  the  house  running 
successfully  for  eight  years.  It  was  finally  wound 
up  and  a  National  Bank  opened.  Tliis  was  des- 
tined to  become  in  time  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Knoxville,  with  Mr.  Cornelius  Runkle  at  its  head  as 
President.  In  this  jKjsilion  he  continued  to  direct 
the  affairs  of  the  institution  until  January,  1885.  For 
financial  sagacity  and  a  keen  insight  into  human 
nature  the  President  of  the  First  National  Bank  was 
notable  and  was  met  by  very  few  men  who  did  not 
speedily  recognize  these  qualities.  Often  when 
questions  of  financial  importance,  affecting  alike  his 
own  community  and  that  of  adjoining  districts,  might 
have  fallen  to  the  consideration  of  men  in  higher 
places,  the  good  sense  of  those  connected  w'ith  Mr. 
Runkle  induced  them  invariably  to  seek  his  advice 
and  help.  During  his  connection  with  the  bank  the 
following  occurrence  startled  the  community  : 

On  the  night  of  Feb.  6,  1880  (he  had  his  private 
sleeping-room  in  the  bank  building),  after  he  had 
retired  and  gone  to  sleep,  he  was  awakened  by 
three  men  in  his  room.  They  blindfolded  and 
gagged  him,  after  which  they  took  him  to  the  safe 
and  ordered  him  to  unlock  it.  Not  having  the  com- 
bination, he  could  not  do  so,  and  says  he   "  would 


not  have  done  so  even  if  he  had  known  the  combina- 
tion."    In  order  to  compel  him  to  acquiesce  in  their 
demands  they  hung  him  up  by  the  neck,   then  let 
him  down  ;  he  still  refused.     Then  they  laid  him  in 
bed,  drew  his  feet  over  the  footboard  and   held  the 
lamp  underneath  them,  burning  him  and   torturing 
him  in  a   most    fearful    manner.     They   left    about 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  but  before  going  they 
tied   Mr.  Runkle  securely,  as  they  thought,  in  bed, 
but  he  succeeded  after  a  couple  of  hours  in  releasing      ! 
himself,  and  when  he  went  to  breakfast  he  gave  the      j 
alarm.    The  thieves,  however,  secured  $3,500,  which      ! 
they  found  in  a  small,  old-fashioned  safe,  the  key  of     | 
which  was  in  Mr.   Runkle's   pocket.     It   was   about 
two  months  before  he  fully  recovered  from  the  shock 
to   his  system  and   the  effects  of  the  burning.     The 
thieves  were  never  caught. 

Living  at  present  in  comparative  retirement,  Mr. 
Runkle   has   drawn   around   him  many  substantial 
and  trusty  friends,  who  share  his  genialty  and   good     \ 
will  and  to  whom  his  living  presence  is  a  source  of  1 
great  comfort  and  enjoyment.  j 


««iZJ2fi-'©i®^ 


|?4 »'^^SWW»»• 


■-v^^i  amuel  G.  Marsh.  One  of  the  active  bus- 
iness men  of  Knoxville,  and  an  energetic 
disciple  of  his  trade,  is  the  subject  of  this 
historical  sketch,  who  is  a  resident  of  some 
years'  standing  and  a  carpenter  and  joiner  of 
no  restricted  ability.  Mr.  Marsh  opened  his 
eyes  to  the  light  of  day  in  Lycoming  County,  Pa., 
seven  miles  below  Williamsport,  on  the  Susquehan- 
na River,  on  July  18,  1825.  His  father,  George 
Marsh,  was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German 
origin  and  blood.  The  great-grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  Northampton  County ;  two  of  his 
brothers  were  soldiers  in  that  never-to-be-forgotten 
struggle  for  American  liberty,  the  Revolutionary 
War.  One  of  these  brothers,  fighting  in  behalf  of 
his  country,  was  taken  by  the  British  as  prisoner,  and 
while  in  their  hands  died,  gaining  the  larger  liberty 
for  which  he  was  struggling  in  the  great  hereafter. 
The  grandfather  of  Samuel  was  an  early  settler  in 
Lycoming  County,  in  Wild  Deer  Valley,  where  he 
closed  his  existence,  spending  his  last  days  there 
from  choice.     His  son,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 


^^ 


-H- 


Jt 


648 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


i 


•reared  on  a  farm,  and  in  1809  married  Margaret 
Fribley,  who  was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  and 
was  of  German  ancestry.  The  young  man  rented  a 
farm  in  Lycoming  County  immediately  after  securing 
his  "  right-hand  supporter,"  and  together  the  two  be- 
gan life.  Working  unitedly,  they  continued  in  this 
place  until  about  1837,  when  they  removed  to  Ohio, 
and  settled  in  what  is  now  called  Summit  County. 
A  year  previous  he  had  visited  the  State  with  a  view 
to  locating  there,  and  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Green 
Township,  on  which  they  took  up  their  abode  the 
next  spring,  there  remaining  until  1853.  At  this 
time  he  removed  to  the  village  of  Manchester,  where 
he  lived  a  retired  life  until  1S64,  at  which  time  the 
reaper,  Death,  gathered  him  into  the  ranks  of  those 
gone  before,  at  the  ripe  age  of  83  years,  thus  closing 
a  life  of  usefulness  and  goodness.  The  faithful  wife 
and  mother  died  March  31,  1875,  aged  82  years  1 1 
months  and  19  days. 

The    marriage   of  George    Marsh   with  Margaret 

'  Fribley  resulted  in  the  birth  of  14  children,  named 

Mar\-,  George,  Elizabeth,   Adam,  John,  Catherine, 

Abraham,  Peter,  Christine,  Samuel,  Margaret,  Jacob, 

r*  Christopher  and  Sarah  ;  all  lived  to  maturity,  but  six 

are  dead  now. 

When  the  subject  of  this  notice  had  reached  the 
*  age  of  21,  having  remained  with  his  parents  up  to 
this  time,  working  on  the  farm,  he  engaged  with  a 
carpenter  and  joiner  in  Manchester,  with  whom  he 
labored,  receiving  the  meager  sum  of  $3  per  month 
for  eight  months.  Following  this,  he  worked  as 
journeyman  carpenter  until  1848,  when  he  went  into 
the  State  of  Indiana  and  taught  school  through  the 
winter.  In  the  spring  he  set  his  face  Illinoisward, 
and,  reaching  Joliet,  spent  three  months  working  at 
his  trade.  Two  months  of  enforced  idleness  followed, 
and  at  the  end  of  his  unwelcome  vacation  he  returned 
to  Indiana,  and,  obeying  the  industrious  promptings 
that  bade  him  take  what  he  could  get,  worked  in  the 
harvest  field  for  a  few  weeks.  At  the  end  of  this 
time  he  went  to  Ohio,  w-here  he  worked  at  his  trade 
until  1855.  Again  heading  for  Illinois,  he  spent 
three  months  in  Kewanee.  He  next  came  to  Knox- 
ville,  July  8,  1855,  where  Jje  secured  work  at  his 
trade,  and  has  since  remained  a  resident  of  that  city. 

In  spirit  and  disposition  Mr.  Marsh  is  a  man  of 
correct  theories  and  generous  impulses.  His  eyes 
are  wide  open  to  the  condition  of  the  affairs  of  the 
nation,  and  he  is  liberal  in  politics.     In  religious  be- 


lief and  sentiment  he  is  broad-minded  and  unbiased 
by  any  sp)ecial  denominational  creed.  He  has  a  good 
recollection  of  former  times,  in  that  his  first  presi- 
dential vote  was  cast  for  Gen.  Scott. 


^if^l  ..arl  Lucan.  The  subject  of  this  historical 
t^'P^Si  notice  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  in- 
gl'R/^'*'  fluential  men  resident  within  the  county, 
V^     from  a  business   point  of  view  no  less  than 

^      from  his  personal  characteristics,  which  enable 

\  him  to  succeed  largely  in  ever)-  venture  to 
which  he  turns  his  attention.  He  is  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation, but  adds  to  this  branch  of  local  industry 
that  of  stock  buying  and  shipping,  besides  being  a 
tanner.  His  home  is  located  on  section  34,  of  Chest- 
nut Township,  and  he  may  be  reckoned  one  of  our 
best  men. 

Mr.  Lucan  was  bom  in  Prussia,  June  17,  1836,  and 
came  to  America  in  1854,  in  company  with  two  other 
young  men,  landing  in  New  York.  They  went  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  remained  six  weeks,  and  from 
there  removed  to  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  where  he 
engaged  in  an  iron-ore  mine.  Leaving  that,  he  took 
up  farming,  at  which  he  continued  for  two  years,  then 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  entering  Fulton  County  near 
Canton,  where  he  remained  until  1873.  His  next 
move  was  to  Knox  County,  where  he  engaged  in  buy- 
ing, selling  and  shipping  stock,  and  in  which  branch 
of  business  he  was  unusually  successful. 

September  13,  r86i,  Mr.  Lucan  was  united  in 
marriage  w^ith  Philecia  Lloyd,  who  was  bom  in  Knox 
Count)',  111.,  Dec.  7,  1843.  Mrs.  Lucan  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Malachi  and  Ruey  Ann  (Mitchell)  Lloyd,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ohio,  and  the  latter  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  husband  died  in  1840,  in  Ful- 
ton County,  but  his  widow  slUl  survives  him,  liv-ing 
in  the  vicinity  of  Canton,  111.  She  was  the  mother 
of  six  children  by  her  first  marriage,  and  in  the  year 
1841  was  again  married  to  Mr.  John  Coleman,  of 
Fulton  Count)',  to  whom  she  has  borne  four  children. 
The  children  of  the  Lloyd  family  are  as  follows : 
Francis,  Lewis,  James,  Albert,  Philecia  and  Mala- 
chi. The  names  of  the  Coleman  children  are  Har- 
riet, R.  Anna,  Benjamin  F.  and  James  A. 

Mr.  Lucan,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  son  of  Henry  and 
Anna  M.  (Oesterheld)  Lucan,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many.    His  father  was  born   in  1809,  and  departed 


\ 


^t^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


649 


this  life  in  1882,  at  the  ripe  age  of  73  years,  while  his 
wife,  who  was  born  in  1812,  died  in  1879.  They 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  namely :  William 
H.,  Sophia,  Carl,  Elizabeth  and  Mary.  Carl  was  the 
third  in  order  of  birth,  and  was  the  only  member  of 
his  father's  family  that  emigrated  to  America.  He  is 
the  father  of  five  children,  all  living:  William  H., 
born  May  5,  1862,  married  Miss  Ida  M.  Pettingill 
Nov.  8,  1883  ;  she  was  born  in  Knox  County,  May 
27,  1864.  Mary  E  ,  born  Oct  7,  1863,  married  H.  M. 
Hall,  of  Fulton  County,  Jan.  26,  1S82,  and  they  have 
one  child;  Mr.  Hall  was  born  in  Fulton  County, Oct. 
23,  1854.  Philecia  E.,  born  April  24,  1865,  is  the 
wife  of  Alexander  E.  Ogle,  the  date  of  their  marriage 
being  Dec.  27,  18S3,  and  they  have  one  child;  Mr. 
Ogle  was  born  in  Adams  County,  111.,  May  17,  1861. 
Annie  S.,  born  July  25,  1867  ;  and  Gracy  Carl,  born 
Dec.  25,  1881. 

Mr.  Lucan  in  religious  belief  inclines  to  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Christian  Church.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  \x)litics,  is  stirring  and  active  and  has  a  deep  in- 
terest in  educational  matters,  having  held  the  office 
of  School  Director  for  two  years. 


-^ 


A     A 


1~T 


£>- 


^bfjii;.' ames  W.  MeCown.      Among  the  leading 
1j^ji(-  business  men  of  Abingdon,  and  those  note- 


worthy  for  good  citizenship  and  practical 
worth  and  ability,  may  be  found  James  W. 
^r  McCown,  merchant  tailor  and  dealer  in  gentle- 
men's furnishing  goods.  This  business  was 
established  in  1879,  and  the  firm  at  that  time  con- 
sisted of  Curtis  A.  Lee  and  Mr.  McCown.  The 
partnership  continued  until  the  spring  of  1882,  when 
Mr.  V.  W.  Kennisli  purchased  Mr.  Lee's  interest. 
Jan.  I,  1885,  Mr.  McCown  sold  out  to  A.  D.  Harvey, 
and  in  the  ensuing  August  bought  out  both  gentle- 
men, since  which  time  he  has  conducted  the  business 
alone.  He  estimates  his  stock  at  §6,000  or  §7,000, 
does  custom  work  and  receives  a  very  flattering 
patronage. 

Mr.  McCown  was  born  in  Rockbridge  County, 
Va.,  Dec.  24,  1836,  and  is  the  son  of  James  G.  and 
Mary  (Sproul)  McCown.  Both  parents  were  born  in 
the  Slate  of  Virginia,  of  Scotch-Irish  parents.  Our 
subject  was  reared  in  his  native  State  and  began  bus- 
iness at  Midway,  Va.,  as  a  merchant's  clerk.     When 


he  came  to  Knox  County,  in  r868,  he  was  for  a  time 
engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1879  came  to  Abingdon 
and  began  his  present  business. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Christiana, 
daughter  of  Stuart  and  Martha  E.  (Hickman)  Tay- 
lor. Mrs.  McCown  was  also  born  in  Rockbridge 
County,  and  was  a  schoolmate  of  her  husband.  They 
are  both  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
in  which  faith  they  worship.  The  husband  is  a  man 
of  busy  life,  but  something  of  a  politician,  and  votes 
the  Republican  ticket,  of  which  party  he  is  an 
earnest  supporter. 


-i=«= 


=?- 


W-l  amuel  Milroy.  Among  the  leading  and 
\  fc^il  progressive  citizens  of  Knox  County  and 
■{'  .'.r     '    her   more  solid  and   substantial  men  may 

i'^  be  quoted  the  name  of  Mr.  Milroy,  who  is  a 
farmer  in  that  section  of  the  country,  devoted 
enthusiastically  to  his  business,  and  whose  fine 
farm  of  160  acres  lies  on  section  2  1,  of  Copley  Town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Milroy  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1825,  and  his  "^ 
parents  were  Samuel  and  Agnes  (Forsythe)  Milroy, 
both  natives  of  Scotland.  They  had  a  family  of 
seven  children,  as  follows :  Margaret,  John,  Will- 
iam, Martin,  Agnes,  Samuel  and  Alexander.  The 
parents  died  in  their  native  land  in  i860  and  1829 
respectively. 

Mr.  Milroy  remained  at  home  until  30  years  of 
age,  working  on  the  farm  of  1,500  acres,  whereon  were 
large  numbers  of  sheep,  cattle,  and  every  accompa- 
niment necessary  to  the  success  of  this  branch  of 
industry.  After  leaving  home  he  rented  a  house  at 
Newton,  and  after  living  there  ten  months  came  to 
America  in  185  i,  and  remained  in  New  York  State 
four  months.  In  October  of  that  year  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  settled  in  Copley  Township,  Knox  Coun- 
ty, where  he  purchased  160  acres  and  made  all 
needed  improvements.  Here  he  built  up  a  home, 
erecting  a  residence  which  cost  him  about  §2,000, 
and  setting  out  fruit  and  shade  trees,  and  carried  on 
mixed  farming. 

Samuel  Milroy  was  married  in  1849  to  Miss  Mar- 
garet McMish,  the  daughter  of  Nathaniel  and  Jane 
(McGoch)  McNish.  They  were  natives  of  Scotland 
and  had  a  family  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Mar- 
garet,   William,     Alexander,     Isabelle,     Nathaniel, 


Jt=: 


i 


:*L_y> 


650 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


James,  David  and  John.  The  parents  died  in  the 
land  of  their  birth  in  1847  and  1848.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Samuel  Milroy  have  three  children  :  John  E.,  who 
married  Rachel  Waffle  and  is  father  of  four  children — 
Alice,  Alfred,  James  and  Bessie;  Nathaniel  married 
Isabella  Cooke  and  has  two  children — Mary  A.  and 
William  Maurice ;  Isabelle  united  in  marriage  with 
Hugh  McCormack  and  is  the  mother  of  two  children 
— Guy  H.  and  Adda  Mabel. 

Mr.  Milroy  is  a  Republican,  and  has  held  the  of- 
fice of  School  Director  for  several  terms  and  also 
that  of  Commissioner  of  Highways.  With  his  wife 
he  belongs  to  the  Presbyterian  Church,  which  he  up- 
holds and  helps  by  his  presence  and  financially. 

~v\/-..-v«i2j2a;©^5«-^^^->i^>SW3^'*>~'vv~<. 

eorge  Mather.  Among  the  prosperous  farm- 
ers of  Orange  Township  who  have  attained 
'  success  by  energy  and  industry  in  their 
chosen  vocation  is  the  subject  of  this  notice. 
He  is  a  self-m.ide  man  in  every  sense  the 
word  implies,  and  is  engaged  in  his  calling  on 
section  27,  Orange  Township.  Mr.  Mather  was  born 
in  the  township  in  wiiich  he  resides,  Oct.  21,  1843. 
His  father  was  I^aac  and  his  mother  Mary  A.  (Fot- 
ner)  Mather,  the  former  being  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  Jan.  19,  [79r.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation  and  followed  his  calling  until 
his  demise  in  this  county,  Feb.  28,  187  i.  He  came  to 
Illinois  in  1833,  and  settled  on  the  place  where 
George  now  lives.  The  first  year  he  and  his  family 
lived  in  blockhouses  in  order  to  be  protected  against 
the  Indians.  His  wife,  mother  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Virginia,  Dec.  5,  1800,  and  died  in  this 
county  July  25,  1870. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  joined  the  army  of  bene- 
dicts April  8,  1866,  by  uniting  with  Jane  Cramer,  the 
intelligent  and  accomplished  daughter  of  James  hnd 
Anseline  (Jones)  Cramer.  She  was  born  in  Cler- 
mont Co.,  Oliio,  March  17,  1848.  Her  parents  were 
born  in  Maryland,  the  father  April  15,  i8[6,  and  her 
mother  Feb.  4,  182 1.  The  father  died  in  Ohio  in 
1877,  and  the  mother  in  this  county  July  6,  1865: 
Our  subject  secured  hii  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  county  and  was  here  brought 
up  to  the  calling  in  which  he  is  at  present  engaged. 
He  is  the  owner  of  182  acres  of  good  land,  located  on 


section  27,  Orange  Township,  where  he  is  actively 
and  energetically  engaged  in  the  prosecution  of  his 
calling.  On  his  place  he  has  a  frame  residence  one 
and  one-half  stories  in  height,  of  the  most  modern 
architecture,  and  likewise  a  good  barn  and  necessary 
out-buildings,  and  his  farm  is  second  to  none  in  Or- 
ange Township. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.ither  the  follow- 
ing children  were  born:  Emory  E.,  born  Nov.  3, 
1867,  died  Feb.  28,  of  the  same  year;  Raymond,  born 
June  10,  1868,  died  July  14,  i88r  ;  Amanda  E.,  born 
June  17,  1881,  died  July  16,  of  the  same  year;  Arthur, 
born  in  August,  1873,  died  July  4,  1881;  Martha, 
born  Sept.  30,  1875;  Frank,  Dec.  13,  1876,  died  Jan. 
25,  1877. 

Politically  Mr.  Mather  is  a  believer  in  and  a  sup- 
porter of  the  principles  advocated  by  the  Republican 
party.  As  a  representative  of  the  agricultural  class 
of  Orange  Township  he  may  certainly  be  classified 
as  the  peer  of  any.  He  is  not  a  member  of  any 
church  organization,  but  is  a  believer  in  the  Golden 
Rule,  and  liberal  in  his  views. 


'homas  Andrews.  This  gentleman  has  a 
delightful  farm  on  section  6,  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  and  in  his  occupation  is  consid- 
ered good  authority.  He  is  the  son  of  Hugh 
Andrews,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this  work. 
The  subject  of  this  history  was  born  in  Ayr- 
shire, Scotland,  April  18,  1847.  He  was  only  in  his 
eighth  year  when  his  parents  came  to  this  country 
and  settled  in  the  township  named.  Remaining  at 
home  and  working  with  his  father  during  the  sum- 
mer, he  in  the  winter  months  attended  the  district 
schools.  His  marriage  took  place  Jan.  15,  1880,  to 
Miss  Emma  McClatchy,  daughter  of  William  and 
Margaret  (Foster)  McClatchy,  both  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, but  descended  from  Scotch  ancestry.  Her 
father  was  a  farmer  living  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa., 
when  Mrs.  Andrews  of  this  notice  was  born.  Her 
birthday  was  Oct.  18,  1858. 

She  was  the  youngest  of  eight  children — three 
sons  and  five  daughters.  The  family  arrived  in  Illi- 
nois in  1865,  and  settled  in  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship, where  Mrs.  A.  was  educated  partially,  and  aft- 
erward at  Altona.     Her  parents  now  reside  in  Knox- 


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Residemceof   Hon.  Geo.W.  Bi; 


vi,  ONE  Mile  EAST  of  Galesburg. 


,;;.VER^  OF  y^' 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


655 


ville.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Andrews  there  have 
been  three  children  born — Maggie  G.,  Lydia  A.  and 
Mary.  Soon  after  this  marriage  the  family  settled  on 
his  father's  old  homestead  before  referred  to.  Here 
he  has  300  acres  of  well-improved  land,  which  is 
amply  supplied  with  valuable  stock.  His  residence 
and  farm  buildings  compare  favorably  with  the  best 
in  the  county,  and  altogether  the  subject  of  this  his- 
tory is  deemed  one  of  the  most  successful  farmers 
in  Knox  County. 

As  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  this  fam- 
ily are  in  excellent  standing  and  thought  highly  of 
by  their  community. 

For  some  time  Mr.  .Andrews  has  lield  the  office  of 
Township  Trustee.  In  politics  he  is  a  representa- 
tive Republican,  who  holds  dear  the  principles  of 
that  party,  and  is  always  fou-nd  ready  to  utter  his 
convictions,  no  matter  where  or  when. 


^rank  D.  Huggins.  Standing  prominent 
among  the  more  influential  and  popular 
citizens  and  worthy  men  of  Knox  County 
is  found  the  subject  of  this  biography,  who  is 
!f^  proprietor  of  a  book  and  stationery  store  in 
Knoxville.  He  is  well  known  as  one  of  the 
most  notable  and  reliable  residents  of  that  city,  his 
keen  foresight,  energetic  purix)se  and  active  execu- 
tion making  this  estimate  of  him  a  correct  one. 

Mr.  Huggins  was  born  in  Knoxville,  Sept.  2,  1S52, 
and  although  yet  a  young  man  has  shown  marked 
business  ability.  His  father,  David  B.  Huggins,  a 
resident  of  Knoxville,  is  a  native  of  the  Green 
Mountain  State,  where  he  was  born  Aug.  31,  1834, 
in  Orleans  County,  his  father  being  Deacon  David 
Huggins,  a  pioneer  of  Knox  County  (see  sketch  of 
ExJson  Huggins).  David  B.  Huggins,  the  father  of 
our  subject,  was  1 1  years  of  age  wlien  he  came  to 
Knox  County,  and  he  grew  to  manhood,  assisting  his 
father  in  improving  the  farm  and  attending  the  dis- 
trict school.  He  often  went  to  Galena,  Burlington 
and  Peorii,  the  then  nearest  market  [xsints. 

David  Huggins  was  united  in  marriage  Dec.  26, 
1847,  with  Miss  Harmony  Doty,  who  was  born  in 
Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio.  At  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage he  located  on  the  old  homestead  and  there  re- 
mained until  1855,  when  he  started  with  his  wife  and 


child  for  California.  They  went  by  the  stage  road 
to  Bloomington,  by  railroad  to  Cairo,  thence  by 
steamer  to  New  Orleans,  taking  the  Nicaraugua  route 
to  San  Francisco,  and  thence  to  San  Jose.  At  this 
place  he  took  charge  of  a  hospital  eight  months.  He 
then  traveled  in  different  parts  of  the  State,  and  one 
year  worked  a  farm.  In  1857  he  returned  by  the 
Panama  and  New  York  route,  and  resumed  his  ag- 
ricultural pursuits,  on  the  farm  he  now  owns  and 
occupies.  He  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville, 
and  now  owns  200  acres  of  land  in  Knox  County 
and  300  in  Taylor  County,  Iowa,  divided  into  three 
farms.  The  subject  is  his  only  child.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Huggins  are  active  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  at  Knoxville,  and,  though  somewhat  ad- 
vanced in  years,  Mr.  H.  is  interested  in  politics,  in 
which  he  supports  the  Republican  party. 

Frank  Huggins,  of  whom  this  biography  is  written, 
was  reared  to  agricultural  pursuits,  receiving  his  early 
education  in  the  Knoxville  schools,  After  leaving 
these  he  spent  six  months  at  the  Gem  City  Business 
College,  Quincy,  111.,  at  which  place  he  received  the 
silver  medal  offered  for  the  greatest  improvement  in 
penmanship  made  during  that  period  of  time  by  any  1  i 
pupil.  The  class  numbered  upward  of  100,  and  he 
was  considered  to  have  attained  a  high  honor.  He 
graduated  from  that  institution  in  1873,  and  after  re- 
turning home  engaged  in  farming  until  1875,  at  which 
time  he  became  clerk  in  a  bookstore  for  J.  C.  Cover, 
and  was  Deputy  Postmaster.  He  was  engaged  in 
clerking  18  months,  at  which  he  showed  e.xcellent 
tact  and  business  capability,  but,  leaving  it,  he  went 
back  to  the  farm  and  there  continued  till  1882.  In 
September  of  that  year,  he  entered  as  associate  part- 
ner with  J.  C.  Sheeley,  and  the  firm  bought  out  J.  C. 
CoTer  &  Son,  book  and  stationery  dealers.  These 
two  partners  continued  together  one  year,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  he  bought  Mr.  Sheeley 's  interest  and 
has  since  conducted  the  business  alone. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  Oct.  25,  1877,  his 
chosen  life-companion  being  Ella,  daughter  of  James 
W.  and  Elizabeth  Sheeley.  This  young  lady  was  an 
active  member  of  society  and  a  most  popular  and 
admired  friend  and  companion  ;  and  in  consequence 
of  a  sympathy  of  tastes  the  union  has  proved  a  con- 
genial and  pleasant  one.  To  them  has  been  born 
one  child,  a  daughter,  named  Blanche.  Mr.  Hug- 
gins takes  an  interest  in  outside  affairs  and  is  a 
member  of  Knoxville  Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 

*■•  '. 


V 


•t-A- 


?=^i 


656 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knoxville  Lodge,  No. 
126,  A.  O.  U.  W.  Mr.  Huggins  at  the  city  election 
April  20,  1886,  was  elected  as  Alderman  to  represent 
his  ward  in  the  city  of  his  residence. 


S.  Chalmers,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  leading 
physicians  and  surgeons  of  Altona,  and  at 
'^  the  present  time  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Township  Clerk,  is  the  gentleman  named  in 
this  personal  narrative.  He  has  held  the 
offices  before  mentioned,  the  first  since  April, 
and  the  latter  for  the  past  two  years.  He  is  a 
member  in  high  standing  in  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  in  both  of  which  orders  he  has 
held  the  highest  official  positions. 

Dr.  Chalmers  was  born  in  Aberdeenshire,  Scot- 
land, March  26,  1845.  His  father,  John  Chalmers, 
who  was  likewise  born  in  this  shire,  was  by  occupa- 
tion a  boot  and  shoe  manufacturer  and  salesman  and 
a  very  successful  business  man.  In  conducting  tliis 
branch  of  trade  in  his  native  country,  he  met  with 
hearty  support  and  patronage  from  the  people  with 
whom  he  spent  a  life  of  usefulness,  which  closed  ni 
1870.  His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Robinson,  was  also  a  native 
of  this  section  of  the  old  country  and  still  survives 
him. 

George  was  the  eldest  son  in  a  pleasant  family 
circle  including  seven  children,  of  whom  three  died 
in  infancy  and  one  at  birth.  During  the  years  of  his 
boyhood  he  received  substantial  educational  advan- 
tages, which  he  conscientiously  improved  and  by 
which  he  obtained  a  first-class  education.  He  was 
possessed  naturally  of  intelligence  and  rare  mental 
abilities,  and  while  yet  young,  his  father  being  in 
delicate  health,  he  bent  every  energy  toward  ac- 
quiring that  which  would  eventually  win  his  way  in 
the  world.  He  learned  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  serving 
his  apprenticeship  and  pursuing  his  studies  at  the 
same  time.  Concluding  that  the  world  was  wide, 
and  desiring  that  large  independence  so  widely 
talked  of  as  existing  in  the  United  States,  where 
every  man  is  his  own  sovereign,  he,  in  April,  1872, 
left  his  native  country  and  came  to  America.  Long 
before  this  his  mind  was  made  up  and  his  heart  set 
upon  becoming  a  pliysician,  but  restricted  in  finances 
he  found  it  impossible  to  enter  a  medical  school  at 


that  time,  so,  purchasing  a  few  books  of  the  proper 
class,  he  began  his  studies  alone.  On  reaching  this 
country  he  first  located  in  Odell,  Livingston  Co.,  111., 
from  which  place  he  removed  later  to  Pontiac.  At 
that  place  he  began  his  studies  under  a  prominent 
physician,  and  afterward  attended  lectures  at  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  and  before  completing  his  medical  ed- 
ucation built  up  a  neat  little  practice,  both  at  Gales- 
burg  and  Knoxville,  where  he  followed  his  profession 
nearly  five  years.  In  1880  he  came  to  Altona,  which 
he  has  since  made  his  permanent  residence,  laboring 
faithfully  for  the  good  of  the  community,  gaining 
success  and  popularity  rapidly. 

Dr.  Chalmers  entered  the  ranks  of  benedicts,  at 
Knoxville,  Sept.  30,  1876,  Miss  Adeha  J.  Copley  be- 
ing his  chosen  bride.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Isaac  Copley  (after  whom  the  township  was  named), 
and  was  born  in  Victoria,  but  reared  principally  in 
this  township.  To  this  happy  home  have  keen  added 
six  children,  three  of  whom  the  parents  have  lost  by 
death.  Those  living  are  as  follows :  Bessie  A., 
Paul  G.  and  John  G. 

In  addition  to  his  interest  in  the  health  of  the 
community.  Dr.  Chalmers  is  wide-awake  in  public 
matters  and  questions  relative  to  the  good  of  the 
State  and  country.  He  has  held  the  offices  before 
mentioned  and  successfully  discharged  the  duties 
incident  to  them  with  credit  to  himself  and  satisfac- 
tion to  the  community,  and  he  strongly  advocates 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 


««4£i2'S^'"— fr^|;'^^^.| 


*^^!OOT»- 


1^ 


lijah  Cramer.  Among  those  who  have  at- 
tained success  in  following  a  profession 
which  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  in- 
°^^  dependent  of  all  callings  is  he  whose  brief 
historical  sketch  we  here  give.  Mr.  Cramer  is, 
and  has  been  since  he  came  to  the  county,  en- 
ergetically and  industriously  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  on  section  32,  Orange  Township.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ohio,  having  been  born  in  Clermont  County 
June  29,  1833. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  Ohio, 
his  parents,  William  and  Sarah  A.  (Shute)  Cramer, 
having  emigrated  to  this  State  in  1852,  making  the 
journey  overland  and  camping  by  the  wayside  to 
prepare  their  frugal  meals.     The  father,  on  his  ar- 


ir 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


657 


f 


rival  here,  made  his  first  purchase  of  land,  consist- 
ing of  90  acres,  in  Chestnut  Township.  The  land 
was  somewhat  improved  when  he  bought  it,  and  he 
located  \ipon  it  with  his  family  and  continued  its 
improvement  and  cultivation,  and  added  to  the 
same  until  he  had  400  acres  of  land,  a  large  portion 
of  which  was  under  a  fine  state  of  cultivation  at  the 
time  of  his  demise,  which  occurred  in  1875.  His 
wife  died  on  the  same  farm  in  187  c,  and  they  lie 
buried  side  by  side  in  the  Harper  Cemetery  in  Chest- 
nut Township. 

The  subject  of  this  brief  notice  was  one  of  a  fam- 
ily of  twelve  children  and  the  seventh  in  order  of 
birth,  the  record  being  as  follows:  Richard  S., 
Adam  (deceased),  Mary  A.,  Eliza  J.,  Rebecca,  Will- 
iam, Elijah,  Benjamin,  Malah  and  Mahala  (twins), 
and  Anseline,  together  with  one  who  died  in  infancy 
unnamed.  William  Cramer,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  second  time  married,  Mrs.  Jacobs  becom- 
ing his  wife,  but  their  union  was  without  issue. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Miss 
Jennie  Haynes,  Jan.  20,  1861.  She  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Harmon  L.  and  Cerilda  Haynes,  and  was  born 
in  1839  in  Orange  Township.  Six  children  have 
been  born  to  brighten  the  home  of  our  subject,  named 
as  follows.  Haney,  born  March  25,  1862  ;  Cerilda, 
born  Sept.  8,  1864,  deceased;  Emma  M.,  born  .^pril 
21,  1866;  Lewis  H.,  Nov.  r  6,  1868;  Sarah  A.,  June 
25,  187 1  ;  and  Edwin  D.,  March  26,  1877.  The 
wife  and  mother  died  Feb.  20,  1881,  and  lies  buried 
in  the  cemetery  at  Knoxville. 

For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Cramer  of  this  notice 
married  Mrs.  Nancy  Mather,  widow  of  Lewis  R. 
Mather,  the  ceremony  taking  place  April  19,  1883, 
and  of  their  union  there  has  been  no  issue.  By  hui 
former  marriage  she  had  three  children— Francis, 
born  June  8,  1859,  deceased;  Joseph  M.,  born  July 
19,  1861;  and  Lewis  R.,  born  Nov.  20,  1862. 

Elijah  Cramer,  although  not  a  gentleman  seeking 
office,  has  held  that  of  Commissioner  of  Highways 
for  12  years.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  and  his  landed  interests  in  the 
township  comprise  212  acres,  goof  which  are  located 
on  section  32,  where  his  home  residence  is,  75  acres 
on  section  30  and  38  acres  on  section  31.  All  the 
land  is  located  in  Orange  Township,  and  the  90  on 
which  he  resides  is  under  an  advanced  state  of  cul- 
tivation, has  a  good  two-story  frame  building  upon 
it  and  a  fine  barn,  40  x  56  feet  in  dimensions,  cost- 


ing about  St,ooo.  Our  subject  has  met  with  success 
in  his  calling,  and  the  same  is  attributable  to  no 
legacy,  but  to  honest  labor  and  fair  dealing.  He  is 
a  stanch  Republican  in  politics. 


ames  McMaster.  This  gentlenian  is  one 
"  one  of  the  older  members  of  the  McMaster 
family,  who  are  numbered  among  the  most 
prominent  farmers  of  Knox  County,  especially 
in  the  district  of  Walnut  Grove  and  Copley 
Townships.  At  present  he  resides  on  section 
2,^,-,  in  the  former  township.  Here  he  owns  160  acres 
of  good  land,  bearing  the  improvements  of  his  own 
liands.  He  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  April  30, 
1832,  where  he  spent  his  early  life  with  his  father's 
family  until  emigrating  to  the  United  Slates  in  1852. 
Since  this  date  he  has  passed  his  time  in  farming 
near  Walnut  Grove  and  Copley  Townships.  For 
many  years  he  was  partner  with  his  brother  in  stock- 
growing  and  agricultural  pursuits.  The  joint  bus- 
iness continued  up  to  1878,  since  which  time  he  has 
farmed  entirely  on  his  own  account.  That  this  gen- 
tleman has  been  thoroughly  successful  in  life  is 
readily  seen  from  his  spacious  home  and  the  number 
of  good  friends  wlio  recognize  his  ability  and  [wsition. 
Though  a  Republican,  he  has  a  thorough  abhorrence 
of  office -seeking  politicians.  In  him  the  cause  of 
Republicanism  has  always  found  a  stanch  supporter. 
Mr.  James  McMaster  still  leads  a  bachelor's  life. 

.L    rancis  G. 


r; 


Sanburn.  Among  the  promi- 
_  „  nent  citizens  of  Knox  County  and  business 
ij^"  '"  "^^"  °^  Knoxville  whose  interests  have 
r^  been  identified  with  the  growth  and  develop- 
■^k^  ment  of  the  latter  place,  from  childhood  to  the 
i  present  time,  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
sketch.  He  was  born  in  Knoxville  Oct.  4,  1843,  for 
43  years  has  been  a  resident  of  that  place,  and  is  at 
present  one  of  its  most  substantial  and  respected 
citizens,  holding  the  position  of  President  of  the 
Fanners'  National  Bank. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Sanburn,  John  Gold  Sanburn, 
was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Knox  County,  and 
was  born  in  Canandaigua,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  March 
i3>   I797-     His  father,  Nathaniel   Sanburn,  was   a 


V 


± 


658 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


native  of  Connecticut,  and  born  Feb.  6,  1757  ;  and 
his  father,  Jedediah  Sanburn,  was  a  resident  of 
Massachusetts. 

Nathaniel  Sanborn,  paternal  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  was  a  farmer  and  singing-master  by  voca- 
tion ;  that  is,  he  devoted  his  time  to  agricultural 
pursuits,  except  during  the  winter  months,  when  he 
was  engaged  in  teaching  music  in  what  was  then 
known  as  the  winter-evening  singing-school.  His 
wife  was  formerly  a  Miss  Hannah  Gold,  a  native  of 
Connecticut,  and  born  Feb.  17,  1763.  She  was  a 
woman  of  great  energy  and  enterprise.  In  1790, 
Nathaniel  Sanburn  emigrated  with  his  family  to  what 
was  then  called  the  "  Far  West,"  and  located  on  the 
present  site  of  the  busy  city  of  Canandaigua,  where 
he  purchased  a  tract  of  timbered  land,  which  is  at 
the  present  time  included  within  the  corporate  limits 
of  that  city,  and  fronts  on  Main  street.  A  few  years 
after  their  location  there  Mrs.  Sanburn  returned  to 
her  native  home,  making  the  entire  journey  alone 

'  through  the  trackless  wilderness  on  horseback. 
Their  house  at  Canandaigua  was  open  to  the  travel- 
ing  public  and   became  a  favorite    stopping  place. 

'He  died  at  that  place  June  25,  18 14,  aged  57  years. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  an  old 
pioneer  of  that  county,  and  a  gentleman  loved  and 

I  respected  by  all  who  knew  him.  His  wife  survived 
him  many  years,  her  death  occurring  Nov.  6,  1856, 
at  the  venerable  age  of  94  years.  From  the  history 
of  the  Holland  Land  Company's  Purchase,  published 
by  O.  Turner  in  i8sr,  we  quote:  "Mrs.  Hannah 
Sanburn  is  the  oldest  surviving  resident  of  the  vil- 
lage (Canandaigua)  and  with  few  exceptions  the  oldest 
upon  Phelps  &  Gorham's  purchase.  She  is  now  in 
her  88th  year,  and  exhibits  but  few  of  the  infirmities 
of  that  advanced  age,  with  faculties,  especially  that 
of  memory  of  early  events,  but  slightly  impaired. 
The  author  found  her  in  high  spirits,  even  gay  and 
humorous,  enjoying  the  hearty  laugh  of  middle  age 
when  her  memory  called  up  some  mirthful  reminis- 
cence. Upon  her  table  were  some  of  the  latest 
publications,  and  she  alluded  in  conversation  to 
Headley's  fine  descriptions  in  his  '  Sacred  Mountains,' 
as  if  she  had  enjoyed  them  with  all  the  zest  of  her 
younger  days.  She  had  just  finished  a  letter  in  a 
fair  hand,  showing  but  little  of  the  tremor  of  age, 
which  was  to  be  addressed  to  a  great-granddaughter. 
To  Mrs.  Sanburn  I  am  greatly  indebted  for  reminis- 
cences of  pioneer  events  at  Canandaigua.     Nathaniel 


Sanburn,  husband  of  Hannah  Sanburn,  died  in  1814. 
There  is  scarcely  a  pioneer  settler  in  the  Genesee 
country  that  did  not  know  the  early  landlord  and 
landlady.  Mrs.  S.  was  the  daughter  of  James  Gold, 
of  Lyme,  Conn.,  and  the  aunt  of  James  Gold,  of 
Albany.  Her  sons,  John,  William  and  Nathaniel, 
live  in  Illinois.  Her  third  daughter  was  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Canandaigua,  is  now  60  years  of 
age,  and  the  wife  of  Dr.  Jacobs,  of  that  city.  Another 
daughter  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Fellows  of  Penfield, 
and  another  is  the  wife  of  Erastus  Granger,  of  Buf- 
falo, while  a  fourth  is  a  maiden  daughter  residing 
with  her  mother.  Early  in  the  spring  of  1790,  Mr. 
Sanburn  came  with  his  wife  and  two  young  children 
to  Schenectady,  where  he  joined  Judah  Colt,  and  the 
two  chartered  a  boat,  with  which  they  came  to  the 
head  of  navigation  of  the  Canandaigua  outlet.  Mrs. 
S  gives  us  a  graphic  account  of  this  journey.  The 
last  house  the  party  slept  in  after  leaving  Schenec- 
tady, until  they  arrived  at  the  cabin  on  the  Canan- 
daigua outlet,  was  the  then  one  log  house  in  the  now 
thriving  and  busy  city  of  Utica.  It  was  then  crowded 
with  boatmen  from  Niagara.  Mrs.  Sanburn  spread 
her  bed  upon  the  floor  for  herself,  husband  and  chil-  '1 
dren,  and  the  boatmen  begged  tlie  privilege  of  laying 
their  weary  heads  upon  its  borders;  after  that  they 
camped  wherever  night  overtook  them;  on  the 
Oswego  River  they  took  possession  of  a  deserted 
camp,  and  just  as  they  had  prepared  their  frugal 
meal,  two  stout  Indians  came  and  claimed  the  camp 
and  threatened  to  eject  them.  The  conflicting  claim 
was  amicably  adjusted,  but  Mrs.  S.  says  it  was  the 
first  of  the  Indian  race  she  had  ever  seen,  and  she 
could  not  help  but  become  a  little  frightened.  Mr. 
Sanburn  moved  into  the  log  hut  that  he  had  erected 
in  the  Robinson  neighborhood,  where,  however,  they 
staid  but  a  short  time,  Mrs.  S.  choosing  to  go  where 
she  could  have  more  than  one  neighbor  within  eight 
miles,  and  they  consequently  removed  to  the  little 
village  of  Canandaigua.  Mrs.  S.  says  that  in  May, 
1790,  there  were  residing  at  that  place  Joseph  Smith, 
living  on  the  bank  of  the  lake;  Daniel  Brainard,  in 
a  little  log  house  near  the  present  cemetery  ;  Capt. 
Martin  Dudley,  in  the  house  built  by  Mr.  Walker, 
and  James  D.  Fish,  in  a  log  house  down  near  the 
lake.  Gen.  Chapin,  who  had  been  there  the  fall 
before,  had  erected  a  small  frame  house  for  his  fam- 
ily, but  it  was  unoccupied,  and  Mr.  Sanburn  moved 
into  it  until  he  was  enabled  to  erect  a  small  frame 


^ 


i* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


659 


house  on  the  Atwater  comer,  and  after  moving  into 
it  engaged  as  "  mine  host,  "  which,  witli  exception  of 
that  which  had  been  kept  by  Joseph  Smith,  was  the 
first  tavern  west  of  Seneca  Lake,  and  was  the  only 
one  for  four  years.  Mrs.  Sanburn  enumerated  among 
her  early  i^uests  many  who  became  prominent  in  the 
country's  history,  such  as  Oliver  Phelps,  Charles 
Williamson,  Aaron  Burr,  Thomas  Morris,  Rev.  M. 
Kirkland,  Augustus  and  Peter  B.  Porter,  James  and 
William  Wadsworth,  early  judges  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  this  State,  Bishop  Chase  and  many  other 
eminent  men,  but  few  of  whom  are  living  at  this 
writing.  Mrs.  Sanburn  well  remembers  the  Picker- 
ing treaty  of  1794,  and  gives  a  graphic  description 
of  scenes  and  incidents  of  this  treaty,  which  space 
will  not  permit  me  to  copy.  The  first  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  and  General  Sessions  was  held  at  the 
house  of  Nathaniel  Sanburn  in  Canandaigua  in 
1794;  there  was  a  grand  jury  and  one  indictment 
found.  The  first  permanent  church  organization 
was  that  of  St.  Matthew's  Church,  organized  Feb.  4, 
1799,  at  the  house  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanburn,  at 
Canandaigua." 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  the 
sixth  child  in  order  of  birth  of  his  parents'  family. 
He  was  raised  on  the  farm  and  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  county,  receiving  an  academical  education 
at  Canandaigua  Academy.  In  1817  he  went  to 
Ohio,  where  he  taught  school  one  year.  In  1818, 
he  started  West  on  a  i)rospecting  tour  in  company 
with  some  other  young  men.  They  made  their  way 
to  the  Ohio  River,  where  they  secured  a  small  boat 
and  drifted  down  the  waters  of  that  river  to  a  little 
above  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  River.  During  this 
trip  they  visited  Illinois,  and  later  he  returned  to 
New  York,  having  made  the  greater  portion  of  the 
return  journey  on  foot.  After  his  return  home  he 
engaged  in  clerking  at  Black  Rock,  which  he  con- 
tinued until  1825.  That  year  he  again  started  West 
and  joined  an  elder  brother,  who  was  in  the  land 
business  at  Vandalia,  111.,  and  assisted  his  brother, 
and  dealt  in  land  to  some  considerable  extent  until 
1830.  He  then  came  to  this  county  and  located  at 
Henderson  Grove,  where  he  put  in  a  stock  of  goods 
and  was  the  first  to  engage  in  mercantile  pursuits  at 
that  place.  He  continued  to  do  business  there  until 
the  county  seat  was  located  at  Knoxville,  in  the 
spring  of  1832,  when  he  removed  his  stock  of  goods 
to  that  city.     Mr.  Sanburn  had  been  instrumental  in 


securing  the  organization  of  the  county,  being  secre- 
tary of  the  meeting  which  was  called  to  elect  a 
cc>mmittee  to  present  a  petition  to  the  Judge  of  Ful- 
ton County  for  the  organization,  and  when  the  county 
was  organized  he  became  the  first  Circuit  Clerk. 
When  the  land  of  this  county  was  placed  in  market 
by  the  Government,  Mr.  Sanburn  entered  a  tract, 
which  he  superintended  and  had  cultivated  and 
improved,  although  he  continued  to  reside  in  the 
city.  After  continuing  in  active  mercantile  business 
for  a  few  years  he  retired  from  the  same,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  April  14,  1865,  he  was  the  owner 
of  quite  a  tract  of  land,  a  portion  of  which  has  since 
been  made  a  part  of  the  present  city  of  Knoxville. 
He  also  owned  at  the  date  of  his  demise  a  well- 
improved  farm  adjoining  the  city.  He  was  married 
Nov.  3,  1 83 1,  to  Alethea  Owen.  She  was  Imrn  near 
Geneva,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  Dr.  Noah  and  Elizabeth  (Gilmore)  Ov\en.  Her 
father  having  died,  she,  in  company  with  her  mother 
and  brother,  came  to  this  county  in  1829  and  settled 
near  the  present  site  of  Gilson.  There  were  seven 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sanborn — Elizabeth, 
wife  of  James  Fitch,  a  resident  of  Cleveland,  Ohio; 
Mary  L.,  wife  of  E.  L.  Phillips,  of  Galesburg;  John 
Henry,  died  Dec.  i,  1883,  at  Abingdon;  Charles  W., 
a  resident  of  Berea,  Cuyahoga  Co.,  Ohio ;  Francis 
G.,  subject  of  this  notice  ;  Alethea,  a  teacher,  and 
Walter  G.,  a  resident  of  Chicago.  The  father  had 
filled  various  official  {.ositions,  among  which  were 
Circuit  Clerk,  Clerk  of  the  County  Commissioners' 
Court,  Postmaster  and  also  Assistant  Assessor  of 
Internal  Revenue.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal Church  and  was  Senior  Warden  of  St.  John's 
Church,  Knoxville,  for  many  years. 

Francis  G.  Sanburn  was  educated  in  the  city 
schools  of  Knoxville  and  supplemented  the  same  by 
a  two  years'  course  at  Knox  College.  Upon  his 
father's  death  he  served  his  unexpired  term  as  City 
Clerk,  and  was  elected  to  the  ix)sition  the  following 
election.  In  1866  he  resigned  the  position  to  which 
he  had  been  elected,  to  engage  in  teaching  in  Sparta 
Township.  He  was  ap|)ointed  Assistant  Internal 
Revenue  Assessor,  which  office  he  filled  with  credit. 
In  1868  he  went  to  Kansas,  and  spent  one  season  as 
a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  at  Topeka.  Returning 
to  this  State,  we  find  him,  in  1869,  as  Assistant  Post- 
master at  VVatseka,  where  he  remained  till  the  fall  of 
187 1,  when  he  resigned  and  returned  home.     In  the 


+-^ 


V 


-s5- 


^^ 


660 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


spring  and  winter  of  1872  he  was  industriously  occu- 
pied at  Topeka,  Kan.,  and  in  the  following  fall,  1873, 
he  again  returned  to  this  county  and  was  employed 
by  Phillips  Bros.,  commission  dealers  and  loan  agents, 
with  whom  he  remained  until  the  fall  of  1875. 
November  i  of  that  year  he  accepted  the  position  of 
clerk  in  the  First  National  Bank  of  Knoxville,  and 
in  the  following  December  was  elected  Cashier.  He 
continued  to  act  in  that  capacity  until  the  charter  of 
the  Bank  expired.  In  January,  1885,  the  Farmers' 
National  Bank  of  Knoxville  was  organized,  and  Mr. 
Sanburn  was  elected  its  President. 

He  is  a  gentleman  of  far  more  than  ordinary  bus- 
iness ability,  and  one  who  takes  great  interest  in  the 
development  of  his  city  and  county.  His  past  has 
been  an  honorable  one,  and  his  accumulation  of  this 
world's  goods  is  attributable  to  his  own  indomitable 
energy  and  perseverance.  He  is  a  liberal  contribu- 
tor to  all  measures  calculated  to  advance  the  interest 
of  the  community  in  which  he  resides,  and  likewise 
to  charity. 

Mr.  Sanburn  was  married  Aug.  i,  1878,  to  Miss 
Mary  H.  McCracken.  She  was  born  in  Franklin 
County,  near  Columbus,  Ohio,  Jan.  9,  1852.  She 
died  Feb.  7,  1881,  leaving  one  child — Mary  L.,  born 
Feb.  6,  i88r.  Mr.  Sanburn  cast  his  first  vote  for 
"  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  has  ever  since  voted  with 
that  party  which  he  so  ably  represented.  Religiously, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


r*^- 


Prominent  among  the  more 
^,_j^  influential  and  able  business  men  engaged 
•^yy'  in  actual  service  in  Knox  County  may  be 
2'  found  William  Jones,  manufacturer  of  tile 
and  brick,  who  conducts  his  flourishing  bus- 
iness within  the  limits  of  the  city  of  Knoxville, 
and  who  receives  a  flattering  patronage  from  the  res- 
idents of  that  section  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Crawford  County,  Pa.,  on 
the  31st  of  January,  1834.  His  father,  John  M. 
Jones,  of  the  same  county,  was  born  of  Welsh  ances- 
try, and  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  his  native  county. 
Early  in  life  he  married  Nancy  A.  StMnbrook,  a  na- 
tive of  Crawford  County,  who  was  of  German 
descent.  He  was  by  trade  a  shoemaker  and  at  that 
he  worked  until  1847,  when  he  bought  a  farm  and 


worked  it  until  1862.  At  that  time  he  sold  out  and 
came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Chestnut  Township, 
where  he  died  Nov.  i,  1865.  His  wife  survived  him, 
living  until  April  21,  1881,  when  she  died  at  Knox- 
ville. 

The  fruit  of  this  union  was  10  children — David, of 
whom  the  last  reports  were  received  in  r862,  at 
which  time  he  was  crossing  the  plains,  supposed  to 
have  been  killed  by  the  Indians;  William,  our  sub- 
ject;  Sarah  E.,  wife  of  G.  W.  Fay,  who  has  a 
home  near  Otis,  Mass.;  Easack,  living  in  Warren 
County,  Pa.,  who  served  three  years  in  the  83d  111. 
Vol.  Inf  ;  Eleanor,  now  deceased;  Thomas  W.,who 
served  four  years  in  the  loth  Pa.  Vol.  Inf.,  was  a 
prisoner  at  Anderson  and  Libby  prisons  r8  months, 
and  died  Oct.  10,  1867,  and  was  buried  in  Marmaton, 
Kan.  ;  Daniel,  who  lives  in  Fulton  County,  111.,  and 
served  four  years  in  the  83d  Pa.  Reg.,  participating 
in  29  hard-fought  battles  and  was  twice  wounded 
John,  who  died  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  17  years;  Ru-' 
fus,  who  died  in  1864,  in  Otis,  Mass.;  and  Mary, 
who  married  and  removed  to  Texas. 

Our  subject  was  the  second  child  in  order  of  birth 
and  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  working  at 
with  his  father  and  making  his  home  with  him  in 
Pennsylvania  until  1855,  when  he  started  for  Minne- 
sota, intending  to  join  a  brother.  On  his  way  he 
stopped  to  visit  an  uncle  in  Knox  County,  and  was 
so  much  pleased  with  Illinois,  as  seen  in  that  sec- 
tion, that  he  opened  a  shop  in  Maquon,  and  worked 
at  his  trade  for  two  and  a  half  years.  In  the  summer 
of  1857,  he  visited  the  then  Territories  of  Nebraska 
and  Kansas;  then  returning  to  Maquon, again  resumed 
his  former  work,  continuing  till  1859.  In  the  spring 
of  that  year  he  started  with  a  number  of  others  for 
Pike's  Peak,  but,  as  they  continually  met  persons  re- 
turning with  bad  reports,  they  turned  back  after 
reaching  Ft.  Kearney.  Our  subject  staked  a  claim  in 
Johnson  County,  Neb.,  and  there  remained  from  May 
until  the  following  December,  and  in  the  meantime 
entered  it  at  the  Government  Land-Office.  In  De- 
cember he  returned  to  Knox  County  and  bought  a 
team,  with  which  he  engaged  in  breaking  prairie  and 
in  ditching,  continuing  at  this  until  August,  i86z. 

Mr.  Jones  enlisted  in  the  83d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  the 
year  last  named,  joined  the  regiment  at  Monmouth, 
and  went  South  to  unite  with  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland. He  served  in  his  regiment  as  Sergeant  until 
1863,  when,  in  September,  he  was  ordered  to  Nash- 


t 


44- 


X* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


66i 


ville,  and  examined  by  the  Military  Board  and  com- 
missioned as  Second  Lieutenant  in  Co.  D,  i6tli  Reg. 
U.  S.  C.  I.,  on  the  r5th  of  October,  1863.  He  was 
promoted  to  a  First  Lieutenancy  in  July,  1865,  and 
served  with  his  regiment  until  he  obtained  an  honor- 
able discharge  at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  May  i,  1S66. 

On  his  return  to  Chestnut  Township  he  engaged 
in  farming  on  the  land  that  he  had  bought  previous  to 
enlisting,  and  at  this  he  continued  successfully  until 
1876,  when  he  came  to  Knoxville,  and  established 
his  brick  and  tile  works.  He  at  first  began  on  a  small 
scale,  but  his  trade  increased  from  year  to  year  until 
he  now  does  a  good  business,  estimating  his  annual  in- 
come from  §6,000  to  3S,ooo.  He  still  owns  his  farm  in 
Chestnut  Township,  of  270  acres,  which  is  managed 
by  tenants. 

He  united  in  marriage  Oct,  20,  1868,  with  Hattie 
E.  Mendenhall.  She  was  born  in  Fulton  County, 
111.,  July  15,  1840,  and  was  the  daughter  of  William 
VV.  and  Margaret  Mendenhall.   Her  father  was  a  na- 

-  live  of  North  Carolina  and  her  mother  of  Ohio.  They 
are  the  parents  of  two  children — Harley  J.,  bom  Sept. 

I  24,  187  I  ;  and  Homer  C,  born  Feb.  21,  1873. 

«       Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  are  desirable  members  of  the 

'  society  to  which  they  belong,  Mrs.  J.  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  Galesburg,  and  living 

k  out  the  doctrines  of  its  faith  in  a  consistent  Christian 
exjjerience.  Two  children  have  been  born  to  them 
— Arthur,  the  first-born,  Dec.  25,  1869,  died  in  Sep- 
tember, r87o;  and  Florence,  the  only  daughter,  born 
Aug.  27,  1877,  and  died  Dec.  2r,  1877. 

In  politics  Mr  Jones  is  a  Republican,  his  first  pres- 
idential vote  having  been  cast  for  Gen.  Fremont. 


euben  Castle.  This  gentleman's  farm  is 
located  on  section  12,  in  Cedar  Township. 
He  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  Sept.  ig, 
iv^  1813,  but  came  to  Illinois  with  his  father  in 
1833,  and  took  up  his  position  on  the  present 
section,  where  he  made  a  claim,  but  settled 
here  in  1834,  at  which  time  the  property  came  into 
market.  His  parents  were  Henry  and  Sarah  (Curry) 
Casile.  They  were  both  natives  of  West  Virginia  ; 
his  father  was  born  in  1768,  and  died  in  1840,  in  the 
State  of  Illinois,  at  the  advanced  age  of  72  years. 
His  mother's  bitth  occurred  in  1780,  and  her  death 


in  the  State  of  Virginia  in  i83t.  By  this  desirable 
marriage  there  were  eight  children — George,  Oliver, 
Catharine,  Susanna,  May,  Mary,  Henry,  Reuben  and 
John.  Reuben,  the  seventh  and  the  second  young- 
est child,  the  only  survivor  of  the  family,  married 
Miss  Mary  A.  Long,  March  18,  1841.  She  was  born 
Oct.  18,  1814,  in  Allegheny  County,  near  Pittsburg, 
Pa.  She  came  to  Ohio  with  her  parents,  where  she 
established  herself  with  them  at  Muskingum,  and  re- 
mained up  to  her  20th  year;  with  them  she  removed 
into  Illinois  about  this  date,  where  they  landed  in 
November,  1835. 

After  the  location  of  her  parents  in  Kno.\ville,  they 
remained  here  five  years  and  then  moved  into  Cedar 
Township,  where  they  concluded  the  remainder  of 
their  days  on  the  farm  they  then  possessed.  Their 
names  were  George  and  Catharine  (DuflTcy)  Long. 
He  was  born  in  1780,  and  died  in  1863.  She  was 
born  in  1790,  and  died  in  rSjO.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  1813,  and  by  the  union  nine  children  were 
the  result — Mary  A.,  Sarah,  George  M.,  Eliza  J., 
William,  Margaret,  Charles,  Martha  and  Harriet.  To 
grace  their  household,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reuben  Castle 
have  four  interesting  children — George  H.,born  Aug. 
30,  1843  ;  Rufus,  born  April  12,  1842  ;  Sarah  C,  May 
14,  1845,  and  Curtis  H.,  born  Oct.  4,  1848.  All 
these  children  are  now  happily  married.  Two  of 
them  live  in  Iowa,  and  one  son,  a  physician,  is  at 
Point  Arena,  on  the  Pacific  coast,  whither  he  pro- 
ceeded Nov.  I,  r882. 

Mr.  Castle's  farm  is  land  of  the  first  quality,  and 
consists  of  210  acres.  He  took  it  in  the  wild  state, 
and  has  now  brought  it  to  a  high  degree  of  cultiva- 
tion. Here  he  erected  a  fine  dwelling-house  in  1855. 
He  has  successively  held  the  office  of  School  Director 
and  Commissioner  of  Highways.  Both  he  and  his 
wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
at  Kno.xville,  in  which  church  he  has  held  the  office 
of  Steward,  reflecting  thereby  much  credit  upon  him- 
self and  benefit  upon  the  congregation.  Mr.  Castle 
is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a  stanch  adherent  of 
the  party. 

George  and  Rufus,  his  oldest  sons,  enlisted  in  the 
59lh  and  83d  Regs.  111.  Vol.  Inf.  In  this  jX)sition 
George  remained  five  years,  and  was  present  at  the 
battles  of  Stone  River,  Pea  Ridge.  Perryville  and 
Franklin.  He  went  forward  to  attend  with  Gen. 
Thomas,  and  on  his  way  was  wounded  in  the  left 
jaw.      Owing  to  this  casualty  he  draws   a  regular 


^^ 


-H- 


662 


—        ,x^=r 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


-^ 


H* 


pension.  These  two  sons,  like  their  father,  are  both 
good  Republicans.  Riifus  married  Alice  V.  Boylan, 
March  29,  1869.  They  have  three  children— Carroll 
C,  aged  14  ;  Reuben  Raymond,  aged  11,  and  Faith 
A.,  aged  6  years.  George  H.  married  Gertrude 
Swigert,  and  their  union  has  been  blest  with  six  chil- 
dren—Mary C,  Grace,  George  M.,  Curtis  H.,  Nellie 
M.  and  Ruth.  George  H.  is  an  attorney  at  law,  re- 
siding at  Shenandoah,  Iowa.  Sarah  C.  is  the  wife 
of  John  H.  Griffith.  Their  marriage  was  solemnized 
in  February,  1866,  and  they  have  become  the  parents 
of  five  children,  whose  names  are  Blanche  E.,  Gay- 
lord  C,  Mary  A.,  Edna  E.  and  John  L.  They  re- 
side in  Page  County,  and  he  is  a  fanner  by  occupa- 
tion. Cuitis  H.,  who  is  a  physician,  residing  in  Cal- 
ifornia, was  married  to  Miss  Alma  Taber,  Oct.  9. 
1879.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  children— Grace 
and  Curtis  H.  George  is  a  graduate  of  Knox  Col- 
lege, in  the  class  of  1872,  and  Curtis  at  the  North- 
western University  at  Evanston,  111.  He  also  won 
laurels  for  himself  at  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons  at  Keokuk,  Iowa.  Rufus  enlisted  in  Co. 
C  of  the  83d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served  until  the 
^  close  of  the  war.  George  enlisted  in  Co.  A  of  the 
59th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  i86r,  and  veteranized  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war,  when  he  was  dis- 
charged with  honors  in  February,  1866. 


saac  N.  West,  deceased,  formerly  a  pros- 
perous and  progressive  farmer  and  identi- 
T  fied  with  the  growth  of  Knox  County,  was 
born  in  C'.inton  County,  Ohio,  Oct.  17,  1835, 
and  was  the  third  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(George)  West.  (See  sketch  of  W.  G.  West.) 
He  was  but  ten  years  of  age  when  he  removed  to 
Knox  County  with  his  parents.  He  had  spent  some 
time  previous  on  the  farm  and  in  the  pioneer  schools, 
and  continued  to  assist  his  father,  making  his  home 
under  the  parental  roof,  up  to  the  date  of  his  mar- 
riage. At  this  time  he  started  for  himself,  buying  a 
tract  of  land  on  section  2,  in  Salem  Township.  The 
land  had  been  broken  and  fenced,  but  there  were  no 
buildings  upon  it  at  the  time.  He  at  once  set  to 
work  and  erected  a  frame  house,  and  immediately 
began  further  improvements.  He  was  industrious, 
thrifty  and  prudent,  and  these  characteristics,  united 


with  good  judgment,  assisted  him  toward  success. 
His  death  occurred  Dec.  22,  1883,  at  which  time  he 
was  the  owner  of  400  acres  of  land,  all  improved  and 
considered  very  valuable.  Besides  this  he  had 
erected  a  brick  house  and  a  large  frame  barn,  and 
set  out  shade  trees  and  adorned  his  yards  with  all 
the  comforts  of  a  modern  home. 

Mr.  West  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being 
Charlotte  Hull,  and  his  second  Eliza  A.  Mason,  of 
Ohio.  The  latter  was  born  in  Stark  County,  Ohio, 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Jeremiah  and  Eliza  (Sayler) 
Mason,  and  her  marriage  with  Mr.  West  took  place 
April  21,  1864.  Nine  children  were  born  of  this 
union — Josephine,  Charles,  Owen,  Nora,  Marion, 
Eddie  C,  Edith  and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 
There  was  but  one  child  by  the  first  marriage, 
named  Lottie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Chamber- 
lain, a  resident  of  Salem  Township;  they  have  two 
children. 

S;.;ltephen  Wyman,  one  of  the  principal  citi- 
zens and  valued  men  of  Knox  County, 
1^'^  whose  home  is  situated  on  section  20,  Per-  ^ 
sifer  Township,  and  who  is  identified  some- 
what with  its  growth,  as  he  became  an  inmate 
in  1853,  came  to  this  county  from  Vinton 
County,  Ohio,  when  he  was  in  his  19th  year,  and  is 
the  subject  of  this  biography.  He  lived  at  home 
with  his  parents  until  he  was  21  years  old,  when  he 
purchased  the  farm  whereon  he  has  since  resided. 
He  is  now  the  owner  of  372  acres  of  land,  and  has 
built  himself  a  good  set  of  buildings,  commodious  and 
convenient,  desirable  in  the  extreme. 

He  was  married  first  in  Jefferson  County,  Ind.,  to 
Catherine  Miner,  in  1856.  She  has  borne  him  eight 
children,  as  follows:  Richard  V.,  Francis  M.,  Electa 
A.,  Thomas  J.,  Annis,  George  A.,  Sanford  and  Viola. 
Mrs.  Wyman  died  June  8,  1868,  in  Persifer  Town- 
ship ;  Viola  is  also  deceased.  Mr.  Wyman  was  remar- 
ried in  Knoxville,  to  EmmaF.  Rambo,  .-^pril  i,  1869. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  George  and  Mary  (Flott) 
Rambo.  The  father  was  of  French  and  the  mother 
of  German  origin.  Mrs  W.  was  the  youngest  of  a 
family  of  12  children.  The  father  died  in  1883,  and 
the  mother  in  1864.  Two  of  the  brothers  of  Mrs. 
Wyman  were  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Their 
names  were  George  and  John.  George  was  killed  at 
the  battle  of  Lookout  Mountain  ;  John  served  during 


T^ 


4: 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


663 


the  war  and  was  honorably  discharged.  Mr.  Rambo 
was  one  of  Ihe  first  to  cross  the  plains  in  the  year 
1849,  in  search  of  gold.  By  this  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wyman  have  five  children,  to  wit:  Jasper  N., 
Walter  S.,  Ira,  Hattie  L.  and  Lewis  S.  Richard  re- 
sides in  Persifer  Township;  Electa  is  the  wife  of 
Cornelius  Ward,  and  her  home  is  in  Knox  County; 
Thomas  is  in  Persifer  Township ;  Annis  is  the  wife 
of  Chester  Morey,  and  has  a  home  in  Washington 
Territory,  and  Sanford  is  in  Iowa. 

Two  of  the  brothers  of  Mr.  Wyman,  Levi  and 
Arthur,  were  in  the  Civil  War.  Levi  was  in  a  Mis- 
souri regiment ;  Arthur  enlisted  in  a  Knoxville  com- 
pany. Both  the  brothers,  after  passing  through 
many  battles,  died  from  sickness  contracted  from 
hardships  endured  in  the  service.  Arthur  was  taken 
prisoner,  was  paroled  and  went  into  the  service  the 
second  time. 

Mr.  W.  is  quite  prominent  in  local  affairs,  has  been 
School  Director  for  some  time,  and  is  a  Republican 
politically.  His  parents  were  Arthur  and  Anna 
(Sollz)  Wyman.  They  came  to  Knox  County  in 
1853,  and  settled  in  Persifer  Township,  where  they 
•  I  died — the  father  May  18,  1875,  and  the  mother  in 
January,  1884.  Mr.  Wyman  is  a  useful  man  in  the 
community,  and  is  an  example  of  native  worth, 
strength  of  character  and  genuine  ability. 


ames  S.  Latimer.  The  subject  of  this 
\^  sketch  is  a  prominent  farmer,  Short-horn 
breeder  and  stock  shipper  of  this  coun- 
ty, having  his  location  in  Cedar  Township,  on 
section  21.  He  was  born  in  the  township  in 
which  he  now  lives,  Nov.  27,  1836,  and  is  the 
son  of  Alexander  and  Eunice  (Guthrie)  Latimer  (see 
sketch  and  portrait  of  Alexander  Latimer).  He  was 
reared  upon  the  farm  and  received  his  education  in 
the  district  schools  of  his  neighborhood.  His  oppor- 
tunities were  limited  to  three  months'  attendance  in 
the  winter  season.  This,  however,  was  further  sup- 
plemented by  one  year's  attendance  at  the  Academy 
at  Cherr)'  Grove.  He  remained  at  home  until  1854, 
when  he  married  and  then  rented  land  for  one  year, 
after  which  he  determined  to  go  to  the  Northwest. 
He  accordingly  loaded  up  his  household  effects  in  a 
wagon,  and  with   an  ox  team  started   for  Faribault 


County,  Minn.,  where  he  preempted  i6o  acres  of  land, 
built  a  cabin  and  remained  for  ten  years.  When  he 
first  settled  there  his  nearest  neighbors  were  five 
miles  away.  He  was  in  the  midst  of  the  Indians, 
who  afterward  became  hostile  and  committed  depre- 
dations of  the  most  atrocious  kind.  The  Spirit  Lake 
and  New  Ulm  massacres  will  long  be  remembered 
by  the  settlers  of  the  Northwest.  During  the  Indian 
troubles  Mr.  Latimer  volunteered  and  assisted  in 
subduing  the  hostiles. 

In  1867  Mr.  Latimer  returned  to  Knox  County, 
and  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  He 
is  the  owner  of  250  acres  where  he  lives,  and  coo  in 
Mercer  County,  III.  About  ten  years  ago  he  em- 
barked in  the  breeding  of  Short-horn  cattle,  and  in 
this  department  is  recognized  as  being  among  the 
leading  breeders  in  the  State.  Since  engaging  in  the 
business  he  has  shipped  over  8,000  head  to  the 
Southwestern  and  Northwestern  States  and  Terri- 
tories. His  cattle  are  more  extensively  known  than 
those  of  any  other  breeder  in  the  West.  He  also  has 
been  an  extensive  shipper  of  fat  stock  to  Chicago 
and  other  markets. 

In  1854,  Mr.  Latimer  was  united  in  marriage  to  \ 
Miss  Sarah  A.  Beard,  the  ceremony  being  performed 
by  Rev.  J.  P.  Roach.  Mrs.  Latimer  was  born  in  Sum- 
ner County,  Tenn.,  June  17,  r834,  and  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  and  Larena  (Neal)  Beard,  natives  of 
Tennessee.  Mr.  Beard  was  born  Nov.  16,  1802,  and 
died  Sept.  5,  1864;  his  wife,  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Latimer,  was  born  Nov.  ry,  1804.  Her  marriage 
took  place  Nov.  17,  1825.  She  died  Oct.  2,  1838, 
leaving  seven  children,  viz.  :  William,  David,  James 
W.,  Samuel  H.,  Sarah  A,  John  S.  and  E.  J.  Beard. 
After  the  death  of  his  wife  Mr.  Beard  contracted  a 
second  marriage  with  Miss  Hannah  Sloan,  the  date 
of  which  was  Feb.  22,  1842.  By  the  latter  union 
there  were  three  children,  viz.  :  Nancy  L.,  Margaret 
and  Hezekiah  G.  By  the  union  of  James  S.  and 
Sarah  A.  Latimer,  there  are  six  children — Ida  E., 
born  Sept.  2,  1855,  and  the  wife  of  W.  B.  Dunlap, 
an  extensive  farmer  of  Chestnut  Township;  EUura, 
born  April  28,  1857,  died  Feb.  18,  1862  ;  Walter,  born 
April  24,  1859,  married  Miss  Jessie  Brook  and  resides 
at  Garnett,  Kan.;  William  A.,  born  July  23,  1861, 
married  Miss  Annie  Dunlap;  he  is  at  present  Cashier 
in  the  First  National  Bank  of  .Abingdon  ;  Orion,  born  " 
Nov.  23,  1863,  and  Washington  D.,  born  Feb.  22, 
1866,  are  yet  under  the  parental  roof. 


¥ 


\X^ 


664 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Mrs.  Latimer  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  takes  an  active  part  in  every  good  work 
emanating  from  or  pertaining  to  that  organiza- 
tion. Politically  Mr.  Latimer  is  a  Republican.  His 
first  presidential  vote  was  cast  for  Abraham  Lincoln, 
in  i860,  and  from  that  time. to  the  present  he  has 
not  swerved  from  the  principles  or  slackened  in  sup- 
port of  that  organization.  He  has  held  various 
offices  of  trust  and  responsibility,  and  has  proved 
himself  thoroughly  competent  and  trustworthy  in  all 
of  them.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  Township 
Treasurer,  and  for  the  past  ten  years  has  represented 
Cedar  Township  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  In 
these  various  offices  lie  has  shown  good  judgment 
and  exercised  a  careful  watchfulness  over  the  inter- 
ests of  the  people  whom  he  represented.  These  fre- 
quent elections  speak  louder  for  his  character  as  a 
man  of  honor  and  probiiy  and  his  worth  as  a  citizen 
than  any  words  of  ours.  While  a  resident  of  Fari- 
bault County,  Minn.,  he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  Sib- 
ley one  of  the  commissioners  to  district  and  lay  out 
the  county  in  townships.  He  held  the  position  of 
enrolling  officer  through  the  war  for  the  north  half 
of  Faribault  County,  Minn.,  and  was  also  Assessor  at 
different  times.  Mr.  Latimer  is  a  genuine  product 
of  the  great  West,  descended  from  a  race  of  pioneers 
— men  who  had  the  advance  of  civilization  at  heart 
above  all  else.  He  early  developed  that  independent 
spirit  so  characteristic  of  those  people.  Starting  in 
life  with  nothing  but  strong  arms,  good  health  and 
the  determination  to  succeed,  Mr.  Latimer  and  his 
excellent  wife  made  their  way  unaided,  and  have 
succeeded  in  carving  out  for  themselves  a  comfort- 
able competency,  and  at  the  same  time  making  and 
maintaining  for  themselves  a  name  for  integrity, 
probity  and  a  due  regard  for  the  rights  of  all — a 
priceless  heritage  to  leave  to  his  posterity. 

Few  men  in  the  country  are  so  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  as  James  S.  Latimer,  of  Cedar  Township. 

II     • DOOO' 


gradu 


Ikharles  P.  Sansbury,  a  well-to-do  farmer, 
residing  on  section  8,  Victoria  Township, 
was  born  in  the  village  of  Cranbury,  N.  J., 
Nov.  10,  1822.   He  is  the  son  of  Horatio  and 
Margaret  (Daniels)  Sansbury,  natives  of  New 
York  City.     The  father  of  our  subject  was  a 
ate  of  Princeton  College,  New  Jersey,  and  was 


a  physician  by  profession.  His  father,  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  was  a  native  of  the  Isle  of  Man.  He  set- 
tled at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  and  at  one  time  was  an  ex- 
tensive land-owner  at  that  place,  keeping  on  his  plan- 
tation 100  slaves.  Horatio  Sansbury  moved  to  Phil- 
adelphia and  practiced  his  profession  in  connection 
with  Dr.  McClellan,  who  was  then  a  famous  physi- 
cian and  one  of  the  Professors  of  Surgery  in  Jefferson 
Medical  College,  and  father  of  Gen.  Geo.  B.  McClel- 
lan, and  also  at  Princeton,  N.  J.,  at  which  latter 
place  his  demise  took  place.  The  parental  family 
consisted  of  five  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing— Mary  E.,  now  Mrs.  Scuder,  who  lives  in  New 
Jersey,  and  Charles  P  ,  our  subject. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  stands  at  the  head  of 
this  notice  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  his 
father's  death.  He  then  resided  with  his  grand- 
mother, Mary  Daniels,  on  a  farm,  remaining  there 
one  year,  when  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  was  en- 
gaged in  copying  letters  in  the  office  of  a  foundry,  at 
the  same  time  doing  the  banking  business  of  Parks  & 
Tierce,  who  were  uncles  on  his  mother's  side,  and 
with  whom  he  remained  one  year.  At  the  expiration 
of  this  time  he  went  on  board  a  ship  as  a  sailor,  and"< 
followed  the  same  for  seven  years.  At  one  time  he 
was  Second  Mate  of  an  East  Indiaman  out  of  Liver- 
pool. In  1844  he  came  to  New  York  on  the  Colum-. 
bus,  a  74- gun  vessel,  and  was  paid  off  and  came  to 
this  State.  He  settled  in  Stark  County,  where  he  re- 
mained for  two  years,  and  then  he  purchased  320 
acres,  on  section  9,  Victoria  Township.  His  land  was 
all  unbroken  prairie,  but  lie  cultivated  and  fenced 
100  acres  the  same  year  of  his  purchase,  and  erected 
there  a  small,  but  commodious  house.  Mr.  Sansbury 
gave  $1,000  for  the  320-acre  tract,  and  was  given  five 
years  to  pay  for  it  at  six  per  cent  interest. 

Our  subject  has  always  resided  upon  his  farm,  with 
the  e.xception  of  seven  years  spent  at  Galva.  He  is 
tlie  owner  of  160  acres  of  fine  land  in  Chase  County, 
Kan.  Mr.  Sansbury  has  always  been  engaged  in 
grain-raising,  and  has  devoted  a  goodly  portion  of  his 
time  to  the  breeding  of  fine  stock,  being  the  first  to 
introduce  the  Chester  White  hog  into  Knox  County, 
and  sold  a  litter  of  pigs  for  $150. 

Miss  Catherine  Lyons  was  tlie  maiden  name  of 
Mrs.  Sansbury.  The  date  of  her  birth  was  May  3, 
1 83 1,  and  that  of  her  marriage  to  our  subject  July 
28,  1847.  She  is  the  daugliter  of  David  and  Jane 
(Sornborger)  Lyons,  natives  of  New  York.     Her  par- 


l 


JCATOX  COUNTY. 


665 


"t 


ents  came  to  the  Prairie  State  in  1843,  and  located  in 
Stark  County,  removing  soon  afterward  to  Victoria 
village,  Knox  County.  The  father  died  in  1846,  and 
the  mother  in  1852.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyons  were  the 
happy  parents  of  eiglu  children,  five  of  whom  are 
living:  Catherine,  now  Mrs.  Sansbury  ;  Alniina,  who 
became  Mrs.  Wilber;  David,  Edwaid  and  Charles. 
The  family  of  our  subject  and  wife  consisted  of  six 
members,  two  of  whom  are  living  at  this  writing: 
Charles  married  Jennie  Milroy,  and  they  have  a 
daughter — Mabel ;  Ellen  (Sansbury)  Green  ;  Hora- 
tio Sansbury,  a  son,  was  in  the  emi)loy  of  the  Ore- 
gon Railway  &  Steamship  Navigation  Company,  and 
was  drowned  when  about  28  years  of  age.  Mr.  Sans- 
bury is  a  Greenbacker  and  has  held  the  office  of  Su- 
pervisor and  Road  Commissioner.  He  is  considered 
one  of  Knox  County's  substantial  men. 


jflKToseph.  E.  Trovillo.  Prominent  among  the 
|^~  worthy  citizens  of  Knox  County  and  her 
enterprising  and  successful  farmers  may 
be  found  the  subject  of  this  recital,  whose  per- 
sonal history  is  herein  given.  His  farm  is  sit- 
uated on  section  3,  Indian  Point  Township. 
In  addition  to  his  marked  success  as  a  tiller  of  the 
soil,  which  under  his  able  management  is  bountifully 
productive,  he  has  given  his  attention  to  the  breed- 
ing of  fine  cattle  and  swine.  Among  the  former  may 
be  named  PoUed-Angus  and  Short-horn.  His  blooded 
swine  are  grown  for  sliipping. 

Mr.  Trovillo  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Warren 
County,  Ohio,  Feb.  10,  1834.  He  moved  to  the  State 
of  Illinois  in  Match,  1869,  and  located  four  and  a 
half  miles  southeast  of  Abingdon,  on  section  22,  and 
lived  there  ten  years,  when  he  bought  the  adjoining 
farm.  He  lived  in  Abingdon  two  years  and  then 
moved  on  the  place  where  he  now  lives.  He  is  the 
son  of  Thomas  and  Maria  (Vandervoort)  Trovillo. 
The  father  was  born  in  Pennsylvana,  near  the  city  of 
Pittsburg,  Aug.  19,  1S07,  and  his  wife  in  Ohio,  Aug. 
16,  1807.  He  departed  this  life  in  1884,  in  Clinton 
County,  Ohio,  on  the  i6th  of  February,  and  she  died 
April  3, 1880,  in  the  same  State.  Mr.  Trovillo  moved 
to  Ohio  in  181 1,  and  the  father  of  Mrs.  Trovillo 
about  1806.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trovillo  have  been 
bom   nine  children,  as  follows:  Paul  J.,  who  mar- 


ried Miss  Hannah  Fisher,  died  in  January,  1864,  at 
Camp  Denison,  Ohio;  Joseph  E.,  our  subject,  who 
married  Rebecca  E.  Vanhorn,  Sept  30,  1855,  Rev. 
Clarkson  Butterworth  officiating;  Martha  E.,  the 
wife  of  J.  Parkhill,  whose  home  is  Warren  County, 
Ohio;  James  M.,  wlio  wedded  Miss  Emily  Johnson  ; 
Sarah  M.,  wife  of  Samuel  Hinman;  William  V., 
whose  wife  was  Mary  J.  Cox,  and  who  died  shortly 
after  their  marriage;  subsequently  he  married  a  Mrs. 
Babbitt ;  Ephraim  K.,  who  took  to  wife  Mary  E. 
Carnehan  ;  Samuel  H.,  husband  of  Miss  Ella  Van- 
dervoort;  and  Mary  E.,  who  married  Mr.  Emniep- 
son  Hickson. 

Our  subject,  as  stated,  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Rebecca  Vanhorn,  who  was  born  March  24, 
1837,  in  Ohio.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Matthew  and 
Nancy  (Hindman)  Vanhorn,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  Ja;i.  13,  1793,  and  died  Feb. 
10,  1868,  in  the  St;ite  of  Ohio.  His  wife  was  born  in 
1799,  and  died  at  the  age  of  76,  in  1875,  in  Ohio. 

Mrs.  Trovillo's  parents  numbered  in  their  family 
circle  nine  children,  viz.  :  Joseph,  who  married  Miss 
Maria  Cox ;  Martha  Jane,  who  married  Mr.  Ezra 
Morrison,  and  whose  home  was  in  Colorado;  she  de-  •< 
parted  this  life  some  years  hence,  in  the  State  of 
Kansas,  the  date  of  her  death  being  in  1875;  Mar- 
garet, the  wife  of  Mr.  J.  Howe,  is  now  deceased,  as 
well  as  her  husband ;  William  married  Miss  Jane 
Schenck,  and  died  in  1877:  James  was  the  husband 
of  Margaret  E.  Minor,  and  their  home  is  in  Ohio; 
Andrew  and  Mary  E.  both  died  in  infancy  ;  Clara  H. 
is  the  wife  of  Mr.  C.  Spence,  and  their  home  is  in 
Ohio;  and  Rebecca  E.  united  in  matrimony  with 
Joseph  E.  Trovillo.  as  previously  stated. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trovillo  have  two  children,  a  son 
and  a  daughter.  Frank  was  born  Aug.  i,  1856, 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Rachel  Lacey  A.  Pence, 
and  is  now  living  in  Knox  County;  they  have  one 
son,  named  Leroy ;  Anna,  born  Sept.  21,  i86o,  is  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Arthur  C.  Harvey,  and  her  home  is  also 
in  Knox  County 

Mr.  Trovillo  has  159  acres  of  land  in  tliis  town- 
ship, in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation  and  productive. 
His  timber  land  lies  in  Fulton  County.  Among  his 
fine  blooded  stock  he  possesses  a  male  of  the  Polled- 
Angus  breed.  Mr.  Trovillo  is  an  active,  industrious 
man,  and  his  energetic  enterprise  has  won  him  pros- 
perity and  many  friends.  He  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics, stanch  and  true,  and  both  himself  and  wife  ur? 


the  first  to  forward  any  enterprise  for  the  good  of  the 
community.  They  are  consistent  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  Abingdon.  He  is 
an  exemplary  citizen,  public-spirited  and  ready  to 
assist  any  enterprise  that  has  for  its  object  the  ulti- 
mate prosperity  of  the  community. 


Sf  ilbert  G.  Weeks.  Conspicuous  among  the 
»M  influential  citizens  of  Knoxville  and  prom- 
lijp  ^  inent  as  a  successful  busiaess  man,  we 
^'-^'^  have  the  gentleman  spoken  of  in  this  historical 
sketch.  He  is  one  of  the  partners  of  the  firm 
of  G.  G.  Weeks  &  Son,  grain-dealers,  and  is 
known  to  be  a  prompt,  energetic  and  enterprising 
trader. 

Mr.  Weeks  was  born  in  Dutchess   County,  N.  Y., 
March  23,  1809.     His  father,  George  Weeks,  hailed 
from  the  same  county,  and  was  born  in  1779.     His 
father,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  first  saw  the 
light  of  day  on   Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  and  was  at  the 
time  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle  a  resident  of  Or- 
'ange  County,  N.  Y.     In  this  war  he  served,  holding 
the  rank  of  captain  in  the  army,  and   figured  in  the 
siege  of  Fort  Montgomery.     About  this  date  he  set- 
•  tied  in  Dutchess  County,  purchasing  a  tract  of  land, 
fixing  its  boundaries    and  beginning  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  what  was  afterward  a  most  de- 
sirable farm,  and  upon  which  he  passed  the  remainder 
of  his  days.     The  father  of  Mr.  Weeks  of  this  his- 
tory, grew  up  under  the  care  of  his    parents  on  the 
home  place,  continuing  with  them   until  he  reached 
his  majority.     In  his  native  county  he  met  and  sub- 
sequently married  Jemima  Van  Amburg,  who   came 
from  Holland  ancestry,  and  whose  forefathers  were 
prominent  among  the  early  settlers  on  the  Hudson 
River.     The  newly  married  pair  settled  on  the  old 
homestead,  where   they  remained    until    1828,  then, 
disposing  of  the  property,  removed  to  Orange  Coun- 
ty, where  they  purchased    a  farm    and   there   spent 
the  remainder  of  their  days.     At  this  place  the  hus- 
band died,  about  1835,  and  his  wife,  surviving  some 
time,  also  departed   this  life    about  1845.     To  them 
had  been  given  ten   children,  of  whom   our  subject, 
Gilbert  G.  Weeks,  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

In  his  native  township  Mr.  Weeks  grew  to  man- 
hood, receiving  a  part  of  his  early  education  in  the 
subscription  school,  and  later  entering  Fishkill  Acad- 


emy, where  he  received  as  good  advantages  as  were 
afforded  in  that  day.  At  the  age  of  19  years,  he  went 
to  Orange  County  with  his  parents,  with  whom  he 
lived,  and  worked  until  1833,  and  in  that  year  took 
to  himself  a  wife  in  the  person  of  Cornelia  Maria 
Miller.  Their  nuptials  were  celebrated  December 
24,  and  the  bride  was  born  in  Orange  County,  N.  Y., 
in  August,  1808.  She  was  the  daughter  of  George 
and  Julia  (Young)  Miller,  both  of  whom  came  from 
Orange  County.  At  the  'time  of  his  marriage  Mr. 
Weeks  purchased  a  farm  adjoining  the  old  home- 
stead, which  he  occupied  and  worked  until  1843,  an 
interval  of  ten  years.  At  this  date  he  sold  out,  re- 
moving to  Long  Island,  where  he  took  charge  of  the 
estate  of  Gardner  G.  Howland,  where  he  continued  for 
five  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  proprietor 
died  and  the  estate  was  sold  for  the  benefit  of  the 
heirs.  Leaving  the  situation  he  had  so  faithfully  and 
so  satisfactorily  filled,  Mr.  Weeks  next  went  to  Flush- 
ing, L.  I.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business, 
and  as  a  manufacturer  of  tin,  sheet-iron  and  copper 
ware.  At  the  end  of  three  years  he  sold  this  bus- 
iness and  turned  his  face  toward  the  West,  then 
known  as  the  Eden  of  laboring  men.  Purchasing  a 
farm  in  Knox  Township,  on  section  35,  he  engaged 
in  the  calling  of  an  agriculturist,  which  he  followed 
for  a  period  of  nine  years  and  which  he  left  to  come 
to  Knoxville.  Entering  his  present  branch  of  com- 
merce, the  grain  and  lumber  trade,  he  remained 
therein  ten  years,  when  he  sold  the  lumber  depart- 
ment and  has  since  remained  a  grain  buyer  and 
shipper. 

His  son,  Charles  M.,  is  associated  with  him  as  his 
business  partner,  and  the  firm,  which  has  been  very 
successful,  has  enlarged  the  business  by  the  addition 
of  two  large  warehouses  and  two  elevators,  the  stor- 
age capacity  of  which  is  40,000  bushels. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weeks  has  been  blest 
by  the  advent  of  four  children,  named  Sarah,  wife  of 
Albert  L.  Burdett,  who  lives  in  Butler  County,  Kan. ; 
Cornelia,  who  wedded  J.  H.  Ewing,  and  is  also  a  res- 
ident of  Butlei  County  ;  Charles  M.,  whose  home,  as 
previously  stated,  is  Knoxville,  and  George  M.,  of 
Lincoln  County,  Kan. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weeks  are  both  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  to  which  religious  denomina- 
tion they  attached  themselves  in  1832.  Following 
their  entrance  into  this  body,  he  was  a  short  time 
after  elected  Elder,  in  which  capacity  he  has  served 


— :p 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


667 


a  number  of  years.  There  was  no  Presbyterian 
Church  at  Flushing,  and  while  a  resident  of  that 
place  he  engaged  in  the  work  of  organizing  a  Con- 
gregational Church,  where  he  acted  as  Deacon.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  courteous,  affable  people,  and 
are  considered  agreeable  additions  to  the  society  of 
which  they  are  members. 


^  arvey  Ouderkirk.  There  are  many  suc- 
cessful and  well-to-do  farmers  in  Knox 
*^**  County,  and  Maquon  Township  certainly 
has  its  quota.  Prominent  among  those  who 
have  obtained  success  in  life  through  their  own 
I  energy  and  perseverance  is  Ihe  subject  of  this 
narrative,  residing  on  section  6,  Maquon  Township, 
where  he  is  pursuing  his  chosen  vocation,  agricult- 
ure. His  parents  were  Jacob  and  Nancy  (Wafle) 
Ouderkirk,  who  were  natives  of  New  York,  in  which 
State  they  were  married,  and  subsequently  moved  to 
Ohio.  In  the  year  1835  they  came  to  Knox  County 
and  located  in  what  is  now  known  as  the  thrivmg 
and  picturesque  little  village  of  Maquon.  They  aft- 
erward removed  just  across  the  line  into  Haw  Creek 
Township,  in  which  place  they  lived  until  the  death 
of  the  father,  which  event  took  place  May  29,  1882. 
The  mother  is  still  living  and  resides  in  Maquon 
Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jacob  Ouderkirk  became 
the  happy  parents  of  nine  children,  seven  girls  and 
two  boys,  Harvey  being  the  third  child  in  order  of 
birth. 

Oar  subject  first  saw  the  light  of  day  at  Maquon, 
Dec  15,  1838.  He  remained  under  the  parental 
rooftree  until  he  had  attained  the  age  of  24  years,  at 
which  time  he  rented  a  farm  in  Maquon  Township 
and  afterward  bought  a  farm  in  Chestnut  Township, 
where  he  lived  from  1867  to  1880,  when  he  traded 
for  land  in  Maquon  Township.  In  the  year  18S0  he 
removed  upon  the  tract  he  purchased  in  the  latter 
township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  is  at  this 
writing  the  owner  of  340  acres  of  well-improved 
and  highly-cultivated  land. 

Harvey  Ouderkirk's  marriage  took  place  Dec.  13, 
1862,  at  which  time  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  John  and 
Hettie  (Holloway)  Cook,  united  her  fortune  with  his. 
Miss  Cook's  father  was  a  native  of  Ohio,  her  mother 
being  born  in  Maryland.  They  came  to  Knox  County 


in  1848  and  settled  in  Orange  Township,  where  the 
mother  died  July  21,  1868,  the  father's  death  occur- 
ring in  Kansas,  Aug.  10,  1882.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  five  boys  and  four  girls,  Mrs.  O.  being  the 
fifth  child  in  order  of  birth.  She  was  born  in  Picka- 
way County,  Ohio,  Feb.  16,  1839. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  O.  of  this  notice  have  been  blessed 
with  the  birth  of  five  children,  one  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  Those  living  are  Henry  J.,  Clara  E.,.  Os- 
car B.  and  EInora  E.  Mr.  O.  has  been  honored  by 
the  ])eople  of  his  township  by  the  positions  of  Over- 
seer of  Highways  and  School  Director.  In  politics 
he  identifies  himself  with  the  Republican  party. 


eorge  M.  Soriiborger,  a  gentleman  of  push 
and  energy  among  the  numerous  citizens  of 
his  community,  resides  on  section  9,  Victo- 
ria Township.  He  was  born  in  Knox  County, 
April  I,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of  Anson  and' 
Catherine  (Wilbur)  Sornborger.  His  parents 
were  natives  of  New  York  and  came  to  this  State  in 
1838,  locating  on  section  7,  Victoria  Township,  where  "^ 
they  purchased  60  acres  of  land.  They  are  at  pres- 
ent living  in  Copley  Township,  on  section  11.  The 
family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anson  Sornborger  numbered 
ten  children.  Those  living  are  six  in  number  and 
bear  the  names  of  George  M.,  Charles  D.,  Ford  W., 
Alexander,  Cass  and  Loue  E. 

Mr.  George  Sornborger  worked  upon  his  father's 
farm  until  21  years  of  his  life  had  passed,  and  also  in 
the  interim  attended  the  district  school.  After  leav- 
ing home  he  enlisted  in  Co.  C,  83d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  for 
three  years,  and  participated  in  the  battle  of  Fort 
Donelson  and  numerous  skirmishes.  He  was  taken 
ill  and  confined  in  the  hospital  at  Fort  Donelson  for 
two  months,receiving  an  honorable  discharge  July  17, 
1863.  Upon  returning  home  he,  in  1865,  engaged  in 
farming  on  section  12,  Copley  Township,  where  for 
two  years  he  rented  land,  when  he  removed  to 
section  17,  Victoria  Township,  which  place  he  also 
rented  for  a  period  of  three  years.  From  that  place, 
in  1868,  he  removed  to  his  present  fine  farm  on  sec- 
tion 9,  which  contains  160  acres,  and  the  same  year 
he  secured  80  acres  on  section  17,  Victoria  Township. 
Mr.  Sornborger  is  extensively  engaged  in  grain  and 
stock  raising,  and  also  buys  and  sells  cattle  and  hogs. 
In  1865,  Mr.  Sornborger  was  married  to  the  lady  of 


668 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


=t* 


i 


his  choice,  Miss  Frances  Sydan.  She  was  born  Dec. 
i8,  1848,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John  T.  and  Hen- 
rietta (Sholett)  Sydan,  natives  of  the  Empire  State, 
whence  they  came  to  Victoria  Township,  Knox 
County,  in  1852.  Mr.  Sydan  enlisted  in  1862,  in  Co. 
K,  83d  III.  Vol.  Inf.  He  is  now  deceased.  His  wife 
is  still  living  and  residing  at  Galva  with  her  son, 
William  O.  Of  the  seven  children  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sydan,  two  still  survive — Frances  E.,  wife  of 
our  subject,  and  William  O. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sornborger  of  this 
notice  are  Clarence  T.,  born  Sept.  20,  1866  ;  George 
A.,  Dec.  29,  1868;  Lolette  K.,  Sept.  i,  1872;  Mary 
E.,  Oct.,  28,  1876;  Claude,  May  25,  1878;  Floyd, 
Sept.  10  1881  ;  Gracie  F.,  April  5,  1884.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  supporter  of  the  Greenback  party,  and  has 
served  his  township  as  Assessor. 

lames  Alexander  Wilson,  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative farmers  of  Galesburg  Township, 
residing  on  section  27,  was  born  in  Persifer 

Township  May  20,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of 
IC      Francis   and     Elizabeth    (McPherrin)   Wilson 

(see  sketch).  He  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm,  at  intervals  attending  the  district  schools, 
which  was  all  the  schooling  he  ever  received.  He 
remained  with  his  parents  until  he  gained  his  ma- 
jority, whqn  he  married  Miss  Martha  Wertman,  in 
January,  1868.  She  was  born  Sept.  iS,  r848,  in 
Columbia  Couiity,  Pa. 

Mrs.  Wilson  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents  in 
1862  and  located  in  this  county.  Their  names  were 
Elias  and  Mary  (Kistler)  Wertman.  They  were  na- 
tives of  Pennsylvania  ;  the  father,  born  Feb.  3,  1809, 
is  still  living;  the  mother  was  born  in  18 13,  also  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  died  Sept.  23,  1875.  They  had 
eight  children,  namely :  Agnes  (deceased),  William, 
Daniel,  Sarah,  Mary  E.,  Lloyd,  Martha  J.  and  Charlie. 
The  parents  of  Mr.  Wilson  of  our  sketch  had  eight 
children — George,  Thomas,  Elizabeth,  John,  James 
Ale.xander,  Francis,  Drusilla  and  Mary. 

Mr.  Wilson  has  erected  an  elegant  residence  on 
his  farm,  two  stories  high,  60  x  32  feet  in  dimensions, 
with  a  fine  cellar  under  the  entire  structure.  It  is 
finely  finished  inside  and  cost  §4,000.  He  is  doing 
a  general  farm  business,  and  is  a  Democrat  in  poli- 


tics and  one  of  the  most  enterprising  farmers  in  the 
county.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilson  are  the  happy  par- 
ents of  five  children,  as  follows:  Charles  E.,  born 
Nov.  30,  1869;  Arthur  C,  born  July  12,  1872  ;  Lyle, 
Aug.  29,  1874;  Ray,  June  5,  1877;  and  Mary  A., 
May  16,  1885. 

Mr.  Wilson  has  been  a  life-long  resident  of  this 
county,  is  highly  esteemed  by  his  many  friends,  is 
faithful  in  all  the  relations  of  life  and  is  a  successful 
business  man. 

-^ -¥^ ^ 

'  ^BJ!  atriek  Shehan.     The  subject  of  this  narra- 
tive is  a  general  farmer,  residing  on  section 
^3^    II,  Walnut  Grove  Township.     He  is  the 


^  son  of  Patrick  and   Berdelia  (Riley)  Shehan, 
both  natives  of  Ireland,  where  they  were  mar- 


ried, but  subsequently  came  to  the  United 
States.  They  at  first  located  in  NewYork  City,  where 
all  their  children  were  born.  By  this  happy  union 
there  were  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  Mr.  She- 
han, Jr.,  being  the  younger  son,  and  the  youngest  but 
two  of  the  family.  He  was  born  on  the  5th  of  Au- 
gust, 1857.  In  1866,  the  family  all  came  Westward 
and  settled  on  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  the  township 
above  referred  to.  A  portion  of  the  family  still  re- 
side on  the  original  homestead,  where  the  father  died 
Oct.  14,  1874.  The  mother  is  in  her  65th  year,  a 
venerable  and  kindly-hearted  old  lady,  still  living  on 
the  homestead,  and  to  which  the  children  have  added 
80  acres  since  the  death  of  their  father.  The  farm 
is  now  owned  and  operated  by  the  son,  Thomas  S. 

Mr.  Shehan,  of  this  biography,  resided  at  his  par- 
ents' home  until  he  was  married,  in  Wataga,  Knox 
County,  Sept.  i,  1880,  to  Miss  Dora  Wickham,  a 
native  of  New  York  City,  where  she  was  born  March 
12,  1862.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Elias  and  Nettie 
Davis,  of  New  York  State.  The  parents  were  farm- 
ers, and  first  came  to  Illinois  in  1865,  settling  in 
Galva,  later  at  Altona,  where  they  purchased  a  farm 
of  240  acres  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  This  they 
made  their  home  for  eight  years  and  then  proceeded 
to  the  State  of  Nebraska,  where  they  arrived  in  1881 
and  took  up  a  farm  of  r,i2o  acres  in  Merrick  County. 
This  opened  an  opportunity  for  extensive  stock-rais- 
ing, which  was  carried  on  with  success  and  profit. 
Mrs.  Shehan  was  educated  in  Knox  County  and  re- 
sided with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.     By  this 


^ 


Hr 


I 


OF  THE 
I  DIVERSITY  OF  ILUN' 


'U^^,ddJ^ 


•»— — ^)— 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


669 


union  one  child  has  been  born — Maud,  May  17, 
1881.  For  a  few  years  after  his  mairiage  Mr.  She- 
han  o|>erated  a  portion  of  the  old  homestead  farm, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1885  lie  took  up  his  present  loca- 
tion, which  consists  of  about  144  acres,  in  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  cultivation. 

These  good  |)eople  are  lioih  active  and  consistent 
inenil>ers  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  in  which  they 
are  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  By  jjolitical  i)er- 
suasion  Mr.  Shehan  is  a  Democrat,  who  is  always 
willing  and  ready  to  give  his  earnest  sup|X)rt  to  any 
measure  calculated  to  further  the  interests  of  the 
party  whose  iwlicy  he  believes  to  be  for  the  good  of 
the  country. 


I^enry  K.  Whiting  is  a  prominent  represent- 
ative fanner,  residing  on  section  21,  in 
Walnut  Grove  Township,  and  the  owner  of 
164  acres,  mostly  improved  land,  and  57  acres 
of  timber.  He  is  numbered  among  the  most 
successful  fainiers  who  early  came  to  Illinois. 
He  located  here  in  1851,  and  was  born  in  Hartford, 
Conn.,  April  1,  1808.  His  father,  Joseph,  was  a 
fanntr  and  native  of  Connecticut,  the  family  having 
their  origin  in  the  United  States  nearly  two  centuries 
ago.  Three  brothers  from  Kngland  were  the  found- 
ers of  the  family.  The  mother  of  the  gentleman 
whose  name  heads  this  sketch  was  Mary  Goodwin, 
also  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  of  old  American 
ancestry. 

The  family  consisted  of  11  children,  Mr.  Whiting 
being  the  youngest  and  the  only  one  living.  The 
father  of  this  large  family  was  born  Aug.  7,  1763; 
the  mother  March  16,  1766,  the  children  resulting 
from  this  union  being  as  fallows  :  Joseph,  born  July 
23,  1784;  Mary,  June  29,1786;  Allen,  July  4, 
1788;  Delia,  Sept.  18,  1790;  Sallie  G.,  Dec.  8, 
179a;  Emily,  June  20,  1795;  Flavia,  Aug.  17,  1797; 
David,  Aug.  4,  1799;  Nathan,  Sept.  1,  1801;  and 
Eliza  A.,  Feb  19,  1804.  These  men  and  women 
have  all  lived  useful  and  successful  lives,  their  de- 
cease taking  place  in  their  native  State. 

Henry  K.  Whiting  was  educated  in  the  public 
schcols  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  in  his  lM>yh(Kx]  lived 
at  home  on  his  father's  farm.  He  was  married  in 
his  native  county  on  the  3d  of  May,  r835,  to  Miss 
Maty    Fhilleo.      She    was   a    native    of   Farrington, 


Litchfield  Co.,  Conn.,  and  was  born  Dec.  28,  1814. 
Hir  parents  were  natives  of  New  York  Slate  and 
Connecticut  resjHfctively,  and  of  French  descent  on 
the  father's  side,  who  was  a  stone-cutter  by  trade. 
Toward  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  however,  he  had 
taken  to  farming.  The  mother's  dece.isc  t»xjk  place 
in  Connecticut,  while  the  father  lies  buried  in  Rock 
Island,  111.  The  former  died  at  the  age  of  44,  and 
the  latter  at  the  advanced  age  of  88. 

'i'he  present  Mrs.  Whiling  was  one  of  a  family  of 
fifteen  children.  She  is  herself  the  mother  of  five 
children,  two  now  living,  viz.:  Virginia,  wife  of  W. 
H.  Ware,  of  Walnut  Grove;  and  l)elA>ss  P.,  who 
married  Miss  Mary  A.  Mack  and  is  residing  on  their 
farm  near  Galesburg.  This  ntarriage  took  place 
Jan.  I,  t862. 

C.  H.  Whiling,  the  second  son,  was  l)orn  March 
2  1,  1840,  and  proceeded  South  to  Te.xas  Ikjfore  the 
war.  Here  he  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  I-ost  Cause, 
and  died  soon  after  his  return  North.  Wilbert  L. 
was  a  volunteer  in  the  Army  of  the  Republic,  in  the  , 
42d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  killed  by  a  gunshot  from 
the  enemy  at  the  battle  of  Resaca.  He  was  norn 
Nov.  30,  1845,  and  enlisted  in  defense  of  the  Union  [ 
Aug.  10,  1861,  when  he  was  but  15  years  old.  It  ; 
will  be  seen  hereinafter  that  this  made  him  a  veteran 
soldier  before  he  reached  the  age  of  19  jears.  He  _ 
then  re-enlisted  for  the  war,  receiving  $400  bounty 
with  30  days'  furlough.  This  was  on  March  2, 
1864.  He  returned  to  his  regiment  and  started  with 
Sherman  on  his  march  to  the  sea  This  time,  how- 
ever, the  fates  ordained  that  he  was  to  forfeit  his 
young  life  in  defense  of  his  country.  He  fell  at 
Calhoun,  Ga.,  May  16,  1864.  Being  under  age,  he 
had  never  as  yet  cast  a  vote  in  deciding  the  |Kiliiics 
of  his  country,  but  for  all  that  was  a  patriot  of  the 
first  standing.  His  remains  lie  at  rest,  over  which  a 
monument  has  been  erected  to  his  memory,  in  Altona 
Cemetery.  The  following  is  a  copy  of  this  young 
soldier's  discharge : 

"  Wilbert  L.  Whiting,  a  private  of  Capt.  Wal- 
worth's Company  C,  42d  Regiment  of  Illinois  In- 
fantry Volunteers,  who  was  enrolled  on  the  loth  day 
of  August,  i86t,  to  serve  three  years  or  during  the 
war,  is  hereby  discharged  from  the  service  of  the 
United  Stales,  to  date  the  31st  day  of  Dei:cml>er, 
1863,  at  Stone  Mills,  Tennessee,  by  reason  of  re- 
cnlistmcnt  as  a  Veteran  Volunteer.  Given  at  Chat- 
I   tanooga,  Tenn.,  the  16th  day  of  February,  1864." 


-M- 


4 


670 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


X 


After  Mr.  Whiting's  marriage  he  took  up  his  resi- 
dence in  West  Hartford  from  1835  to  1851,  when 
the  family  removed  to  Illinois  and  located  o.i  the 
land  where  they  are  now  living.  This  farm  had 
been  secured  by  a  brother  of  Mrs.  W.  early  in  tlie 
history  of  the  county  and  township.  Since  making 
their  home  here  they  have  as  citizens  rendered  val- 
uable service  to  the  community,  their  sterling  worth 
and  honesty  being  noticeable  throughout  the  vicinity. 
As  a  Republican  in  politics  Mr.  W.  has  shown  him- 
self a  strong  supporter  of  the  party.  He  and  his 
wife  are  active  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 


:  M.  Tiffany,  of  Allona,  is  manager  of  a  large 
drug  and  notion  store,  and  carries  on   bus- 
iness  under  the  firm  name  of  H.  Tiffany, 
and  which  was  established  Jan.  26,  1885,  suc- 
ceeding   John    Becker,    M.    D.,   the    previous 
owner  and  manager.     Mr.  Tiffany,  before  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  trade  at  Altona,  had  been  in  the 
i      same  business  at  Union,  Hardin  Co.,  Iowa,  where  he 
continued  for  seven  years,  removing,  after  success- 
fully carrying  on   the  business  there,  to  his  present 
location. 

Mr.  Tiffany  was  born  in  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
October  ir,  1854.  His  father,  Horace  Tiffany,  was 
formerly  by  occupation  a  farmer,  but  feeling  himself 
Called  to  the  ministry,  he  abandoned  this  work,  en- 
gaging with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomination, 
in  which  church  he  has  since  labored.  He  resides  at 
Cornell,  Livingston  Co.,  111.,  to  which  place  he  came 
in  187  I.  He  was  married  while  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  to  Lucy  J.  Teel,  who  was  a  native  of  that 
State,  and  who  with  him  entered  his  chosen  field  of 
work.  She  is  yet  living  and  is  his  helpful  and  ap- 
preciative com  par  ion. 

Our  subject  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth  in  a 
family  of  seven  children.  At  the  time  of  his  parents' 
removal  to  Illinois  he  was  two  years  of  age,  and  after 
attaining  a  scholastic  age  was  sent  to  the  public 
schools  of  Livingston  County,  and  after  reaching 
years  of  discretion,  during  which  he  grew  to  truly  es- 
timate the  value  of  an  education,  he  was  sent  to 
Hedding  College,  Abingdon,  111.  He  was  15  years 
old  at  this  time,  but  developed  beyond  his 'age,  men- 
tally, and  was  of  serious  and  dignified  disposition. 


He  began  teaching  in  the  public  schools  in  this 
State  and  in  Iowa,  about  this  time.  He  pursued  his 
chosen  vocation  up  to  the  time  that  he  engaged  as 
druggist  at  Union,  Iowa.  In  Cornell,  111.,  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Miss  Flora  C,  the  daughter  of 
Harrison  Carroll,  a  farmer  of  Livingston  County. 
Their  friendship  ripened  into  a  warmer  sentiment, 
and  on  April  15,  1877,  their  marriage  took  place. 
Her  father  still  lives  in  this  section  of  the  country,  in 
which  Mrs.  Tiffany  was  born,  receiving  her  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tiffany  has  been 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  three  children,  named  re- 
spectively Harry  M.,  Nellie  M.  and  Frederick.  Mr. 
Tiffany  is  a  wide-awake  and  energetic  member  of 
society,  and  takes  a  keen  interest  in  public  matters, 
upon  which  he  is  an  able  thinker.  Politically  be  is 
a  Republican. 


^^1  ric  Ericson  is  a  farmer  on  section  10,  Vic- 
s.^^il!'     toria  Township.     He  was  born  in  Sweden,  ' 


M®^°^  March  20,  1836,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and 
Sarah  (Monson)  Ericson,  natives  of  Sweden. 
ThQ  parents  were  married  in  1831,  and  left  "^ 
their  native  land,  coming  to  the  United  States 
in  1850,  making  their  first  settlement  in  Manitowoc 
County,  Wis.,  where  they  purchased  160  acres  of' 
land,  remaining  there  for  20  years.  Upon  disposing 
of  his  farm  Mr.  Ericson  came  to  Knox  County  and 
located  80  acres  on  section  15,  Victoria  Township. 
Upon  this  place  they  resided  until  1882,  since  which 
time  they  have  made  their  home  with  their  son  Eric. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children,  the  three  liv- 
ing bearing  the  names  of  Eric,  Magnus  and  Mar- 
garet, now  Mrs.  Ryan.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
died  in  187 1,  in  Wisconsin. 

Eric  Ericson  remained  at  home  until  28  years  of 
age,  assisting  his  father  in  the  duties  of  tiie  farm. 
On  coming  to  Knox  County,  in  1864,  he  located  in 
Victoria  Township,  section  13,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  of  70  acres.  This  had  some  improvements  on 
it  which  had  been  there  since  1853.  He  has  since 
added  99  acres  to  his  landed  interests.  In  1884  Mr. 
Ericson  erected  on  his  fine  farm  a  handsome  resi- 
dence, with  all  modern  conveniences,  valued  at 
$2,ono.  He  also  has  a  fine  granary  and  has  made 
many  other  substantial  improvements. 

His  marriage  took  place  Feb.  6,  1862,  at  which 


n 


'K  — 


,^ 


OF  THE 

l::jversity  of  illin' 


A 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


673 


time  Miss  Christina  Bloom,  daughter  of  Michael  and 
Gurlin  (Swanson)  Bloom,  became  his  wife.  Her  par- 
ents were  natives  of  Sweden,  and  in  1850  came  to 
America,  and  for  three  years  slopped  in  New  York. 
In  1853  they  purchased  120  acres  of  land  in  Mani- 
towoc County,  Wis.,  remaining  on  the  same  until 
1872.  The  mother  died  in  1S60,  and  the  father  re- 
moved to  Dakota,  which  Territory  he  has  since  made 
his  home.  Of  the  five  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ericson,  four  are  still  living  and  are  named  Samuel; 
Christina,  wife  of  our  subject ;  I'eier  and  Mary,  who 
became  Mrs.  Norse. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ericson  are  the  parents  of  one  son, 
John  E.,  who  is  in  attendance  at  the  Business  Col- 
lege at  Galesburg.  In  political  faith  our  subject 
affiliates  with  the  Republican  party.  Both  himself 
and  wife  are  consistent  members  of  the  Swedish 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  E.  has  served  his 
township  in  the  offices  of  Commissioner  of  Highways 
and  Pathmaster;  while  residing  in  Wisconsin  he 
'was  School  Director. 


lexander  Latiraer.  The  subject  of  this 
If  sketch,  formerly  a  pioneer  of  Kno.x  County, 
was  born  in  Tennessee,  Sept.  7,  1807.  He 
is  a  son  of  Elder  Joseph  Latimer,  bom  in 
New  London,  Conn.,  in  1766,  and  grandson  of 
Col.  Latimer,  of  Revolutionary  fame.  (See 
sketch  of  Elder  Joseph  Latimer.)  The  Latimer 
family  are  descended  from  English  stock.  They  orig- 
inally settled  in  Connecticut  at  a  period  long  before 
the  Revolutionary  War.  The  grandfather  of  Alexan- 
der, and  great-grandfather  of  the  present  family  of 
Latimers  in  Knox  County,  was  a  Colonel  in  the  War 
for  Independence,  and  his  12  sons  served  under  him. 
The  Latimer  family  removed  to  the  Territory  of 
Tennessee,  in  1790,  where  Ale.vander  was  born,  as 
above  stated.  In  1828  he  married  Miss  Eunice  Guth- 
rie, a  native  of  Robinson  County,  Tenn.;  she  was 
born  in  1808  and  departed  this  life  in  1842.  Soon 
after  his  marriage  Alexander  removed  to  Illinois  and 
stopped  in  Sangamon  County.  The  Black  Hawk 
war  was  in  progress  at  this  time,  and  he  joined  the 
forces  under  Col.  G.  G.  Latimer,  and  continued  in 
the  service  until  the  Indians  were  driven  across  the 
river.     Soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  Indian  diffi- 


f-^ 


culty  he  was  joined  by  his  wife  and  they  came  to  this 
county  in  1834,  locating  in  Indian  Point  Township, 
and  two  years  later  settled  on  section  21,  Cedar 
Township.  In  T851  he  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits in  the  village  of  Abingdon,  in  which  he  con- 
tinued for  a  number  of  years.  In  i860  he  removed 
to  Minnesota,  and  there  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits, and  is  still  a  resident  of  that  State. 

By  the  union  of  our  subject  and  Eunice  Guthrie 
there  were  six  children  born.  The  following  is  the 
record  :  Elizabeth,  born  in  1834,  died  in  1842  ;  Wm. 
G.  is  a  resident  of  Washington  Ter.;  Mary  Louisa  is 
the  wife  of  Henderson  Ritchie,  a  native  of  Hender- 
son County,  this  State,  and  the  first  white  child  born 
in  that  county  ;  he  now  resides  in  Council  Grove, 
Kan.;  James  S.  is  a  resident  of  Knox  County  ;  Rob- 
ert A.  and  Joseph  M.  died  in  infancy.  After  the 
death  of  his  first  wife  Mr.  Latimer  married  Miss  Julia 
Hart,  a  native  of  Indiana.  She  died  in  1850,  leaving 
four  children,  whose  record  is  as  follows  :  Washington 
K.,  Pleasant  H.;  Sarah  J.',  wife  of  John  W.  Dawdy, 
and  Cora  A.,  wife  of  C.  M.  Phipps,  a  resident  of 
Minnesota.  In  1852  Mr.  Latimer  contracted  a  third 
marriage,  Miss  Sarah  Chesney,  a  native  of  Indiana,  f* 
becoming  his  wife.  By  this  union  there  are  five 
children,  named  as  follows :  Narcissa  L.,  who  is  a 
teacher  in  the  High  School  of  Seattle,  Washington 
Ter.;  Alice,  who  occupies  a  similar  jwsition  in  Min- 
nesota; Harriet  E.,  wife  of  Charles  Stephens,  a  farmer 
ai.d  resident  of  this  county ;  Clara  C,  a  teacher  in 
Minnesota;  Emma  C,  wife  of  Charles  B.  Reynolds, 
telegrapher,  Lanesboro,  Minn. 

As  intimated  before,  the  Latimers  came  from  a 
patriotic  race.  During  the  late  war  all  the  sons  of 
Alexander  Latimer  were  in  the  service.  William  G. 
enlisted  in  Co.  G.,  83d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  upon  the 
organization  of  the  company  was  elected  Second 
Lieutenant.  He  was  soon  after  promoted  to  First 
Lieutenant  and  then  to  Brigade  Inspector,  and  served 
in  that  capacity  until  the  close  of  the  war.  After  his 
three  years'  enlistment  had  expired  he  veteranized. 
He  distinguished  himself  at  the  battle  and  capture  of 
Fort  Donelson,  and  the  sword  he  captured  there 
from  a  Confederate  officer  still  remains  in  his  |X)sses- 
sion  as  a  trophy  of  his  prowess.  Washington  K.  was 
a  private  in  Co.  K,  9th  Reg.  Minn.  Vol.  Inf  He 
was  in  the  command  under  Gen.  Sturgis,  in  his  ill- 
fated  expedition  and  disaster  in  1863,  and  was  capt- 
ured, taken  to   Andersonville,   and   there    died    in 

1"  


-i- 


-H- 


674 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1865,  only  a  few  days  before  the  surrender  of  Lee's 
army  at  Appomattox.  Pleasant  H.  was  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Co.  K,  9th  Minn.  Vol.  Inf,  was  in  same  en- 
gagement, but  escaped  the  disaster  of  his  brother; 
served  until  close  of  the  war,  and  at  present  resides 
at  Seneca,  Kan. 

Alexander  Latimer  in  politics  was  originally  a 
Democrat,  but  opposed  to  the  system  of  slavery. 
Upon  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  he 
joined  its  ranks  and  has  ever  since  voted  with  it.  He 
was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterian  Church.  During  his  early  life,  he,  in 
connection  with  his  brothers  Jonathan  and  George, 
was  the  principal  originator  and  builderof  the  Cherry 
Grove  Seminary,  and  they  contributed  largely  of  their 
means  to  aid  in  its  construction.  From  the  fact  of 
there  being  no  church  of  his  denomination  in  the 
locality  where  he  now  lives,  both  he  and  his  wife 
joined  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  During 
his  residence  here  he  was  for  many  years  Justice  of 
'  the  Peace,  and  in  fact  held  the  office  until  his  re- 
moval from  the  State,  and  was  known  by  everyone 
as  'Squire  Latimer. 

The  publishers  of  tliis  Album  are  pleased  at  being 
able  to  present  the  features  of  this  well  known  "grand 
old  man  "  among  the  portraits  of  other  distinguished 
citizens. 


||i  saac  Q.  Armstrong,  a  farmer,  residing  on 
section  18,  Knox  Township,  is  the  subject 
of  this  biographical  sketch,  and  is  note- 
worthy as  being  a  substantial  citizen,  and  suc- 
cessful in  his  chosen  field  of  labor.  His  farm 
is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  highly  improved 
and  supplied  with  a  first-class  set  of  farm  buildings, 
furnished  with  all  modern  conveniences.  The  farm 
is  well  stocked  with  blooded  animals,  and  nothing  is 
lacking  to  complete  and  perfect  his  possessions.  Mr. 
Armstrong  was  born  in  Adams  Co.,  Pa.,  June  21, 
183 1,  and  his  father,  Isaac  Armstrong,  Sr.,  was  also 
born  in  Adams  County,  April  6,  1797.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject  likewise  bore  the  Christian  name 
of  Isaac,  and  was  a  resident  of  the  same  county  as 
the  son  and  grandson  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He 
was  born  of  English  progenitors,  but  was  of  Ameri- 
can adoption. 

The  father  of  our  subject  grew  to  manhood  in  his 


native  county,  and  was  married  there  to  Miss  Mary 
Campbell.  She  was  born  in  Adams  County  in  1808, 
and  was  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  In  1835  he 
removed  to  Franklin  County,  Pa.,  and  there  rented 
land.  He  lived  there  19  years,  and  in  1854,  accom- 
panied by  his  wife  and  eight  children,  emigrated  to 
Illinois.  They  started  the  4th  day  of  May  with 
horses,  covered  wagons  and  a  rockaway  carriage, 
and  drove  overland  to  their  destination.  They 
landed  in  Knoxville,  June  12,  where  the  father 
rented  a  house  for  his  family  in  the  village,  and 
started  out  to  find  a  suitable  and  permanent  location. 
He  purchased  307  acres  on  section  18,  Knox  Town- 
ship. There  was  a  log  house  and  stable  on  it,  and 
the  land  was  partly  under  cultivation;  the  family 
lived  in  the  cabin  for  a  few  years,  then  erected  a 
frame  house  and  added  other  improvements.  He 
died  on  this  place  in  June,  1878,  and  his  wife  in 
May,  1879. 

Eight  children  were  born  to  Isaac  Armstrong:  Alex- 
ander lives  in  Nemaha  County,  Neb. ;  Isaac,  of  whom  • 
we  write ;    James,  who  lives  in    Knox   Township ; 
Agnes,  whose  home  is  in  Orange  Township;  Jane, 
wife  of  D.  H.  Stewart,  lives  in  Jefferson  County,  la.;  ■ 
Rebecca,  wife  of  Wilson  Wood,  lives  in   Cheyenne, 
Wyoming  Ter. ;  Thomas  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Knox  Township  ;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Webb  ■ 
Sipherd,  and  lives  in  Polk  County,  Neb. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  but  four  years  of 
age  when  he  removed  to  Franklin  County,  Pa.  He 
grew  to  manhood  there,  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and 
educated  in  the  district  schools.  He  came  to  Illi- 
nois with  his  parents,  and  remained  with  them  until 
his  marriage  in  1862.  At  that  time  he  united  with 
Margaret  Saddler,  who  was  born  in  Adams  County, 
Pa.  Eighteen  months  afterward  she  died,  leaving 
one  child,  a  son  named  Harry.  His  second  marriage 
was  contracted  Nov.  13,  1866,  with  Elizabeth 
Rogers.  She  was  born  in  Trumbull  County,  Ohro 
and  is  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Eliza  (Phillips) 
Rogers,  the  father  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  her 
mother  of  England.  One  child  was  the  result  of 
this  latter  union,  a  daughter  named  Lottie.  At  the 
time  of  marriage  they  settled  on  that  part  of  their 
homestead  which  Mr.  Armstrong  now  owns  and 
occupies. 

In  the  spring  of  1865  Mr.  Armstrong,  with  others, 

engaged  in  the  employ  of  the  Government,  and  went 

1   South  to  Chattanooga  and  to  different  parts  of  East 


±* 


-I 


•*>■ 


jK^nox  county. 


675 


Tennessee.  There  he  continued  until  the  close  of 
the  war.  At  the  present  time  he  is  engaged  in  the 
joint  business  of  farming  and  stock-raising.  Mr. 
Armstrong  is  a  valued  member  of  the  community, 
an  alert  thinker,  and  wide-awake  to  the  political 
situation.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
warmly  supports  that  party  wiih  sentiment  and  vote. 
His  wife  is  an  enrolled  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  and  he  is  liberal  in  religious  sentiment, 
though  connected  with  no  special  organization. 


I, -\«iia2'©-^'''^^^^-»*^i-S>'3'W»v» -wx^ 


%:^ 


1829. 


44 


W.  Sornborger.  One  of  the  most  exten- 
^   sive  farmers  and  large  land-owners  of  this 
county  is  B.  \V.  Sornborger,  residing  upon 
section  9,  Victoria  Township.  He  is  a  native 
of  the  township  in  which  he  is    at   present 
residing,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  May  22, 
His  parents  were    Peter  and  Phelia  (Wilber) 
j  Sornborger.     They  were  natives  of  New   York,  and 
i  in  1836  came  to  this  State,  where  the  father  secured 
>■  126   acres  of  land   located  on    section    7,    Victoria 
Township.     Upon  this  farm  he  resided  until  his  de- 
mise in  1845.     The  marriage  of  the  senior  Mr.  Sorn- 
■  borger  was  the  first  wedding  celebrated  in  this  town- 
'    ship,  and  took  place  April  16  (Easter  Sunday),  1838. 
I    Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  were  members  of  tlie  Methodist 
!    Church.     The  family  of  Peter  Sornborger  remained 
■    upon  the  old  farm  on  section  7  until  the  year  1878, 
when,  selling  it,  they  purchased  the  place  where  the 
1    subject  of  this   sketch  now   resides,  and   where  the 
'    mother  died  in  1879,  one  year  later.  Of  the  parental 
family  of  our  subject,  B.   W.  is  the  only   one  who 
hved  to  attain  the  age  of  majority. 
'        Briggs   W.    Sornborger,   of    this    personal    notice, 
spent  his  earlier  days  upon  the  farm,  and  in  acquir- 
ing a  good   English   education.     He  has    had    the 
entire  management  of  the  farm   since   16  years  of 
age,  with  the  exception  of  one  year  when  he  worked 
out.     He  is  at  present  extensively  engaged  in  stock 
and  grain  raising,  and  is  meeting  with  success  in  his 
chosen  vocation.     Besides  possessing  the  old  home- 
stead, he  also  owns  25  i  acres  of  well-cultivated  land 
in  Truro  Township. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Sornborger  with  Miss  Helen 
A.  Cadwell  was  celebrated  March  6,  1859.  She 
was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  daughter  of 


John  P.  and  Mary  E.  (Porter)  Cadwell.  Her  parents 
came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  and  purchased  a  large  tract 
of  land  upon  sections  10  and  11,  Truro  Township. 
They  remained  upon  this  farm  until  1866,  and  then 
removed  to  the  village  of  Altona,  where  they  lived 
for  six  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  they  returned 
to  the  old  farm  in  Truro  Townsliip,  where  the  mother 
died  in  1874.  Two  years  later  the  father  returned 
to  Altona,  residing  there  until  his  death  in  1880.  We 
give  the  following  brief  memoranda  of  the  seven 
surviving  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cadwell :  Sarah 
A.  married  S.  S.  Seward,  and  they  reside  in  Missouri ; 
James  M.,  next  in  order  of  birth;  Mary  J.,  at  pres- 
ent Mrs.  J.  W.  Stanley,  with  her  husband  makes 
Kansas  her  home;  Helen  A.,  the  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject; Sylvia  is  the  wife  of  D.  A.  Pierce,  and  resides 
at  Altona  ;  Nancy  E.  married  J.  W.  Hopkins,  and 
also  resides  at  Altona  ;  Malinda  married  Nehemiah 
Gale,  and  they  are  residing  in  the  State  of  Nebraska. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  been  blessed  by  a 
family  of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Sarah  N.  mar- 
ried Alfred  Williams,  and  they  have  a  son,  Earnest 
B.,  and  are  at  present  residing  on  section  4;  Peter 
A.  Sornborger,  third  in  order  of  birth  ;  Mary  L.  be- 
came Mrs.  Edgar  Conner;  Clarence  is  the  name  of 
their  only  child.  The  remaining  four  children  are 
Cora  A.,  Lucy  M.,  John  B.  and  Jessie  B. 

Politically  Mr.  S.  affiliates  with  the  Greenback 
party,  and  has  served  his  district  in  the  capacity  of 
School  Director.  He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  together  with  his  wife  holds 
membership  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


M£CrS^* 


Vi — ^>^:%iUVlSt<i' 


"j?^!:  on.  George  V.  Dieterich,  general  dealer  in 
J; -J  coal-oil,  at  Galesburg,  was  born  in  Wash- 
^""*'  ington  County,  Md.,  Feb.  14,  1812.  His 
parents,  Frederick  and  Eva  (Gilbert)  Dieterich, 
were  married  in  Washington  County,  where  the 
old  gentleman  spent  many  years  of  his  life  and 
where  he  finally  died.  He  was  born  in  Germany, 
and  in  1798  came  to  America.  His  wife  was  a  na- 
tive of  Washington  County,  Md.  They  removed  to 
Pennsylvania  early  in  life  and  lived  at  Waynesboro 
for  nine  years.  Returning  to  Maryland,  Mr.  D. 
died  in  1864,  being  upward  of  91  years  of  age,  and 
his  widow  followed   hiro  two  years   later,  aged  84 


ir^ 


^    A- 


676 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^> 


years.  They  reared  five  sons  and  three  daughters, 
George  V.  being  the  eldest  of  the  sons  and  the  sec- 
ond child.  The  Pennsylvania  schools  furnished  him 
a  liberal  education,  and  at  the  age  of  18  he  was  em- 
ployed as  clerk  by  a  Leitersburg  (Md.)  merchant, 
receiving  for  his  first  year's  services  $60,  for  his  sec- 
ond $75  and  for  his  third  $100.  In  1834  he  decided 
to  go  West,  and  having  so  informed  his  employer, 
that  gentleman  surprised  him  by  increasing  the 
stipend  of  his  three  years'  labor  to  $100,  $200  and 
$300  respectively.  With  this  sum  of  money  our 
young  man,  more  than  a  half  century  ago,  landed  at 
Canton,  Ohio,  where  he  lost  no  time  for  the  succeed- 
ing five  years.  This  was  the  experience  he  had 
sought,  and,  feeling  that  he  knew  something  of  West- 
ern traffic,  he  returned  East  and  sought  employment 
in  Philadelphia.  John  H.  Brown  &  Co.,  of  that  city, 
were  then  the  great  jobbers,  and  being  anxious  to 
improve  any  and  every  opportunity  for  extending 
their  trade,  closed  a  contract  with  Mr.  D.  at  a  salary 
of  $1,200  per  year.  The  second  year  they  advanced 
his  pay  to  $2,500,  the  third  year  to  $3,000,  and  the 
fourth    year   to   $3,500.     These    figures    tend    very 

^largely    to  contradict  the  recollections  of  the  anti- 
quarians who  remind  us  daily  of  what  "  used  to  be." 
From  Brown  &  Co.  Mr.  D.  transferred  to  the  great 

^  firm  of  McFarland,  Evans  &  Co.,  who  paid  him 
$3,500  a  year  for  ten  consecutive  years.  He  was 
their  confidential  man  and  looked  particularly  after 
their  Western  business;  and  in  those  days,  when  the 
principal  mode  of  travel  was  on  horseback,  the  ex- 
periences of  the  pioneer  commercial  traveler  would 
fill  a  volume.  One  incident  here  will  be  pardoned, 
as  it  reflects  the  ingenuity  of  necessity  and  proves 
that  ready  native  wit  is  not  confined  to  the  product 
of  the  Emerald  Isle  :  In  the  vicinity  of  Delaware, 
Ohio,  young  Dieterich  had  collected  on  his  trip  about 
$8,000 ;  the  night  was  well  set  in  and  the  density  of 
the  virgin  forests  added  much  to  the  gloom  of  his 
lonely  road.  The  money  was  stowed  away  in  a  pair 
of  old  saddle-bags,  upon  which  he  sat  as  the  trusty 
old  nag  paced  slowly  ahead  in  the  direction  of  the 
town,  yet  several  miles  in  the  distance.  "  Halt!" 
and  a  strong  hand  seized  the  bridle  and  brought 
the  horse  to  a  sudden  stand.  A  bright  little  star 
cast  a  single  ray  through  an  opening  in  the  foliage 
and  reflected  itself  in  a  gleam  along  the  polished 
steel,  and  showed  the  traveler  that  he  was  fully  cov- 
ered by  a  very  dangerous-looking  weapon.     "  Your 


money  or  your  life!"  demanded  the  highwayman. 
Dropping  the  reins  and  throwing  up  his  hands,  the 
commercial  traveler  burst  forth  in  a  guffaw  of  laugh- 
ter that  echoed  through  the  forest  and  frightened 
into   screaming  hysterics    all    the   night-hawks   and 

screech-owls  for  miles  away.     "What  in  the  d 1 

are  you  laughing  at.'"  and  as  soon  as  he  could  suf- 
ficiently suppress  his  risibilities,  he  said,  "To  think 
that  a  country  doctor,  who  peddles  his  pills  both 
night  and  day  among  a  people  so  poor  that  they  can- 
not buy  bread,  much  less  pay  for  physic,  should  be 
held  up  for  money,  was  irresistibly  funny."  He  then 
offered  to  give  the  "  road  agent  "  pills  enough  to 
"  regulate  "  him  for  a  whole  year,  and  that  worthy 
gentleman  shoved  the  horse's  head  avi^ay  from  him 
in  disgust,  and  muttering  all  sorts  of  imprecations 
upon  his  own  ill  luck,  politely  told  the  "  doctor  "  to 

"go  to ,"  and  strode  back  into  the  shadows  of 

the  hazel  and  the  thorn.  Mr.  D.  removed  to  Canton, 
Ohio,  in  1857,  and  was  there  engaged  in  mercantile 
business  up  to  his  coming  to  Galesburg,  in  1862. 
Here  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business,  which  he 
only  quitted  in  1880. 

An  old -line  Whig  up  to  1854,  he  in  that  year 
helped  to  nominate  William  B.  Thomas,  Republican 
candidate  for  Mayor  of  Philadelphia.  In  that,  proba- 
bly the  pioneer  contest  of  the  new  party,  72,000 
votes  were  cast,  of  which  number  Mr.  Thomas  re- 
ceived III.  Though  a  strong  temperance  advocate, 
Mr.  D.  has  always  opposed  a  third  party,  and  while 
his  efforts  in  private  life  have  been  expended  in  be- 
half of  temperance,  he  has  steadily  urged  its  entire 
divorcement  from  politics.  He  has  never  been  an 
office-seeker,  though  the  fact  of  his  having  repre- 
sented the  Republican  party  as  their  delegate  from 
this  district  to  every  Senatorial  convention  since  he 
came  to  the  State  is  conclusive  that  he  could  have 
had  almost  anything  that  he  would  accept.  It  is  a 
part  of  history  that  in  1872  he  caused  the  defeat  of 
Schuyler  Colfax  for  the  nomination  with  Gen.  Grant 
for  the  second  term;  and  as  a  result  Henry  Wilson 
became  Vice-President  of  the  United  States.  Mr. 
D.  was  in  possession  of  the  fact  that  Mr.  Colfax  had 
repeatedly  declared  that  he  would  not  be  a  candi- 
date for  renomination ;  he  had  so  written  Mr.  Die- 
terich in  response  to  that  gentleman's  inquiry,  and 
when  the  friends  of  Colfax  announced  that  he  had 
withdrawn  his  protests  and  placed  himself  in  their 
hands,  Mr.  D.  took  occasion  to  "  speak  his   piece  " 


J 


"T 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


677 


10  the  Illinois  delegation,  bringing  befoie  them  the 
truth  in  the  premises.  This  brought  the  facts  to 
discussion  and  defeated  the  gentleman  from  Indiana. 

In  1868  Mr.  Dieterich  was  elected  Supervisor  and 
held  the  office  15  years,  which  is  about  the  only 
public  trust  he  has  ever  discharged.  While  a  citi- 
zen of  Leitersburg,  Md.,  he  led  in  the  organization  of 
amateur  debating  upon  current  questions,  and  there 
developed  a  faculty  for  public  speaking.  He  is  truly 
a  self-made  man;  began  life  as  a  poor  boy,  learned 
early  much  of  the  hardships  of  a  battle  that  the  poor 
must  wage  for  success,  but  he  rounds  up  a  ripe  old 
age  with  a  handsome  competency  and  in  the  enjay- 
mentof  the  knowledge  of  having  wronged  no  man. 

Mr.  D.  was  married  in  Stark  County,  Oliio,  July 
26,  1846,  to  Eliza  R.  Goodwill,  and  his  three  chil- 
dren are  as  follows :  Helen  F.  (deceased),  Corwin 
G.  and  Ion  G.  Corwin  G.  owns  a  ranch  in  Kansas, 
and  Ion  G.  is  cashier  of  the  Farmers' and  Mechanics' 
Bank  of  Galesburg. 

^ ^.#. •^ 


obert  Smead,  M.  D.,  a  prominent  physician, 

residing  at   Victoria,  was  born    near  San- 

*.^7.   dusky  City,  Ohio,  Dec.    13,  1839.     He  is 

P.  the  son  of  Dr.  Alonzo  and  Elizabeth  M. 
(Crane)  Smead.  The  parents  were  natives  of 
Seneca  County,  N.  Y.  The  fatiier  of  Dr. 
Alonzo,  John  Smead,  settled  in  New  York  about  the 
year  1800,  and  was  by  occupation  a  farmer.  It  is 
believed  that  they  were  descended  from  the  Welsh. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  when  a  boy,  conceived  the 
idea  that  it  would  suit  his  taste  to  become  a  canal 
teamster,  in  which  pursuit  he  engaged,  but  only  for 
a  short  period,  afterward  attending  school.  We  find 
him  at  the  age  of  25  County  Superintendent  of 
Schools.  In  1838  he  removed  to  Ohio,  there  became 
Principal  of  a  high  school  and  also  had  charge  of  the 
schools  of  the  county.  In  1840  he  commenced  the 
study  of  medicine  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in 
1851,  having  received  his  diploma.  He  accepted 
the  doctrines  of  Universalism,  and  became  one  of  its 
pioneer  preachers.  In  Ohio  his  circuit  extended  from 
Columbus  to  Sandusky.  Dr.  Alonzo  Smead  was  a 
prominent  debater  and  held  many  discussions  with 
the  prominent  divines  of  America.  He  abandoned 
his  ministerial  labors,  and  continued  the  practice  of 
medicine  in  the  States  of  Ohio,   Illinois,  Wisconsin 


and  Michigan,  in  which  latter  State  he  died  in  1867. 
Our  subject  was  the  eldest  child  of  a  family  of  five, 
three  of  whom  are  living.  The  remaining  two  are 
Mary  C,  now  Mrs.  David  Knowland,  who  resides  at 
Havelock,  Pocahontas  Co.,  Iowa,  and  Dr.  Cassius  C. 
Smead,  who  also  resides  in  Iowa,  and  with  whom  his 
mother,  Mrs.  Dr.  Alonzo  Smead,  makes  her  home. 
Dr.  Robert  of  this  sketch  at  the  age  of  17  years  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  Deputy  in  the  Auditor's  office. 
He  had  received  an  excellent  education  in  the  city 
schools  and  academies.  He  remained  in  the  Audit- 
or's office  for  three  years,  and  the  greater  portion  of 
the  time  had  the  entire  management  of  the  office. 
During  the  three  years  spent  in  that  position  his 
spare  moments  were  utilized  in  reading  medicine 
under  the  instruction  of  his  father  and  Drs.  Mc- 
Cann  and  Harrison.  The  date  of  his  removal  to 
Illinois  was  i860,  and  at  Marion,  Williamson  County, 
he  pursued  the  study  of  medicine,  and  also  attended 
the  Ohio  Medical  College  at  Cincinnati,  and  the 
Keokuk  College  of  Iowa.  Receiving  his  diploma, 
he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  1861. 
and  one  year  later  located  at  La  Fayette,  Stark  Co. 
111.  Our  subject  has  been  in  the  service  in  the  United 
States  Army  as  physician  and  surgeon  at  Fort  Hall, 
Idaho  Ter.  He  was  also  engaged  in  practice  for  five 
years  in  Madison  County,  Texas. 

Dr.  Robert  B.  Smead  married  Miss  Lucy  Harri- 
son, in  April,  1859  She  is  the  daughter  of  Talman 
L.  and  Ellen  Harrison,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land. The  Doctor  affiliates  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 
He  is  also  connected  with  the  Military  Tract  and 
State  MedicalAssociations  of  Illinois,  and  is  oneofthe 
))rominent  physicians  of  Knox  County.  Mrs.  Smead 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


.imon  S.  Stuckey.  The  gentleman  here 
named  is  one  of  the  most  widely  known, 
respected,  well-to-do  citizens  of  Walnut 
Grove  Township.  He  is  located  on  sections 
I  and  3,  and  is  successfully  engaged  in  farm- 
ing operations.  He  originally  came  from  Bed- 
ford County,  Pa.,  where  he  was  born  Dec.  8,  1823. 
His  father,  Samuel,  was  a  farmer  and  native  of  the 
same  county  and  State.  This  latter  gentleman  was 
the  son  of  Simon  Stuckey,  born  in  Shenandoah  Val- 


-llsKl 


:^^SH 


678 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ley,  Va.,  and  of  direct  German  ancestry.  He  was 
married  to  Margaret  Snyder,  a  native  of  Virginia,  of 
Dutch  parentage ;  botli  these  good  people  died  in 
Bedford,  Pa.  The  grandfather  in  early  life  was  a 
tanner,  and  the  father  of  oar  subject  a  farmer  of  some 
prominence. 

The  Stuckey  family  was  founded  in  the  United 
States  by  three  brothers  who  came  from  Germany. 
Mr.  Stuckey's  father  married  Ann  Silver,  of  Bedford 
County,  Pa.,  of  English  descent.  Both  these  good 
people  were  noted  for  their  active  and  useful  lives, 
Mr.  Stuckey  always  taking  a  warm  interest  in  local 
politics.  The  quick  suppression  of  the  rebellion  was 
a  point  on  which  he  felt  warmly  and  acted  decisively 
toward  bringing  about  the  result  attained.  His  de- 
cease took  place  in  1864,  he  having  been  one  of  the 
old  Whig  politicians,  but  a  noted  Republican  at  the 
date  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Stuckey,  of  this  notice,  was  the  oldest  but  one 
of  his  parents'  family.  Of  these  tliere  were  six  sons 
and  five  daughters,  one  of  whom  died  youug.  Our 
subject  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  now  living 
in  Illinois.  He  struggled  for  an  education  in  those 
early  days  when  public  schools  were  unknown,  and 
worked  at  home  on  his  father's  farm  for  some  years, 
learning  as  best  he  could  the  elements  of  English, 
^mathematics,  etc.  He  was  married  in  Bedford 
County,  Pa.,  Dec.  25,  1849,  to  Miss  Caroline  Border, 
also  a  native  of  Bedford  County,  born  May  3,  1828. 
This  lady  was  the  daughter  of  David  and  Cathe'rine 
(Kegg)  Border,  natives  of  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania 
respectively.  They  were  prominent  people  in  their 
community  and  of  German  descent  on  the  mother's 
side,  but  English  on  that  of  the  father.  After  their 
marriage  they  lived  for  a  number  of  years  in  Bedford 
County,  the  father  finally  dying  in  Maryland.  The 
mother's  decease  took  place  June  29,  1832.  After 
the  decease  of  her  mother  Mrs.  Stuckey  resided  at 
her  paternal  home  up  to  the  date  of  her  marriage. 
About  this  date  her  father  also  married. 

About  five  years  subsequent  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Stuckey's  marriage  they  came  to  the  State  of  Illinois 
and  located  where  he  at  present  lives.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  the  township,  and  the  unbroken 
prairie  he  had  procured  had  for  the  first  time  to  be 
turned.  He  purchased  240  acres,  which  he  has  ever 
since  retained.  It  is  now  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, on  which  are  a  fine  residence  and  other  necessary 
farm  buildings.     The  issue  of  this  family  consists  of 


five  sons  and  four  daughters  :  Albert  married  Fran- 
ces Hustin  and  resides  on  section  2,  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  and  is  a  farmer;  Elwood  resides  in  Clin- 
ton County,  Mo.;  Lathrop  follows  the  occupation  of 
stock-breeder;  Ellen  B.  is  the  wife  of  D.  S.  Brill- 
hart  ;  they  also  reside  in  Chnton  County,  Mo.  Mr. 
BriUhart  for  some  time  followed  the  profession  of 
teacher  in  the  public  schools,  but  is  at  present  en- 
gaged as  a  hardware  merchant;  Avis  married  Mr. 
C.  W.  Main,  a  resident  of  this  township;  Maggie  is 
the  wife  of  W.  D.  Cook,  residing  in  this  township; 
Samuel  L.  resides  in  Lathrop,  Clinton  Co.,  Mo.;  A. 
A.  resides  in  Custer  Co.,  Neb.,  and  is  a  stock-dealer; 
Ida  M.  is  a  music  teacher  of  much  talent  and  re- 
sides at  home,  and  William  C.  is  also  living  with  his 
father. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  are  prominent  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  Mr.  S.  having  held  the  office  of 
Trustee  for  more  than  15  years.  He  has  also  ac- 
quitted himself  with  much  credit  in  the  offices  of  his 
township,  and  has  held  that  of  Road  Commissioner 
for  several  years. 

As  a  solid  and  reliable  Republican  in  politics  there 
are  few  gentlemen  in  his  township  who  can  say  they 
have  interested  themselves  more  intently  for  the  good 
of  the  cause  than  he. 


&■{  Kl&harles  H.  Mathews,  deceased,  was  born  at 
Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  i,  1823,  and 
died  at  Galesburg,  March  12, 1883.  His  par- 
ents, John  and  Letitia  (Humphreys)  Mathews, 
were  born,  reared  and  married  in  County 
Tyrone,  Ireland,  where  their  first  child  was 
born  and  whence  they  came  to  America.  The  senior 
Mr.  M.  was  many  years  a  merchant  at  Schenectady, 
where  he  died  in  187  r,  aged  about  70  years.  Though 
very  successful  in  business,  he  died  almost  pen- 
niless by  reason  of  failures  that  came  upon  him  at 
such  times  as  he  was  unable  to  rally  by  reason  of  ad- 
vanced old  age.  His  son  therefore  inherited  no 
fortune,  but  made  what  of  this  world's  goods  he  pos- 
sessed by  his  own  industry,  and  was  rated  one  of  the 
wealthiest  men  of  Galesburg  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
Charles  Mathews  received  something  of  a  common- 
school  education  ;  began  clerking  at  Schenectady  in 
a  stgre  when  he  was  but  13  years  of  age;  going  from 


*T 


-_^-¥ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


679 


there  to  New  York  City  in  business  for  himself  some 
years;  returning  to  his  native  place  and  carrying  on 
a  large  dry  goods  establishment  up  to  1856.  In  this 
ytar  he  came  to  Galesbiirg  and  here  followed  the 
mercantile  business  until  1864;  and  in  1865  became 
identified  with  the  First  National  Bank.  In  tlie 
autumn  of  this  year  he  removed  to  Schenectady, 
probably  with  a  view  to  final  retirement  from  bus- 
iness. In  1874,  his  Galesburg  interests  having  as- 
sumed such  shape  as  imperatively  required  his 
personal  attention,  he  returned  to  Galesburg  and  re- 
engaged in  the  dry  goods  business.  He  finally  re- 
tired from  business  in  January,  i88i.  Mr.  M.  was  a 
man  devoid  of  ostentation  or  display  ;  belonged  to  no 
secret  order,  look  no  leading  part  in  politics,  thougli 
always  an  ardent  Republican. 

Mr.  Mathews  was  married  at  Amsterdam,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  18,  1855,  to  Miss  Eliza  Sheldon,  daughter  of 
the  late  Alexander  Sheldon,  for  many  years  a  dis- 
tinguished member  of  the  Albany  (N.  Y.)  bar.  He 
died  at  Amsterdam,  that  State,  in  i860,  at  the  age  of 
90  years.  His  wife,  nee  Miss  Jackson,  died  in  Florida 
in  1845.  Mr.  Slieldon  left  a  large  estate,  of  which 
V  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Mathews,  became  executor.  The 
Sheldons  came  originally  from  England,  and  in 
America  many  of  them  have  attained  distinction  in 
business  and  professions.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sheldon 
had  born  to  them  five  children,  as  follows:  Alice 
Sheldon,  deceased;  Letitia,  Charles  H.,  deceased; 
Mary  and  Annie  \V. 


44 


ames  M  Scott.  Within  the  limits  of  Knox 
County  may  be  found  many  reliable  and 
!^^^  worthy  citizens  known  for  their  enterprise 
and  business  ability,  and  foremost  in  their 
rinks  may  be  quoted  the  gentleman  a  few  points 
of  whose  career  are  recorded  herein.  He 
owns  a  highly  cultivated  farm,  situated  on  section  8, 
Knox  Township,  comprising  680  acres. 

James  M.  Scott  was  born  on  the  farm  he  now 
owns  and  occupies  May  5,  1843.  His  father.  Gad- 
dial  Scott,  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Knox  County 
and  noteworthy  as  one  of  those  early  settlers  who 
have  watclied  its  gradual  growth.  In  1827,  at  which 
time  he  was  a  resident  of  Sangamon  County,  accom- 
panied by  Andy  Osborn,  John  Slatten  and  Andrew 


Scott,  he  came  to  Knox  ('ounty  on  a  little  pleasure 
trip  and  seeking  for  wild  honey.  They  found  two 
well-filled  trees  and  soon  became  jxissessors  of  their 
delicious  contents.  It  was  "  hale  fellow  well  met  " 
with  this  jolly  crew,  and  they  camped  for  one  week 
on  the  dividing  line  of  Knox  and  Warren  Counties. 
During  that  entire  time  they  saw  no  living  person. 
The  only  white  people  these  explorers  met  from  the 
time  of  leavii  g  Sangamon  County  until  tlieir  return 
were  Mr.  Atwood  and  son,  who  lived  south  of  the 
Galena  road.  Mr.  Scott  returned  home  and  gave 
glowing  accounts  of  the  country,  foreseeing  its  great- 
ness. 

In  1834,  with  his  family,  he  removed  from  San- 
gamon County  and  staked  a  claim  on  section  8,  in 
Knox  Township.  His  home  circle  consisted  at  that 
time  of  a  wife  and  one  child.  Erecting  a  log  house 
near  a  wonderfully  cool  and  clear  spring  that  bub- 
bled up  from  the  earth  about  200  yards  southeast  of 
the  present  homestead,  he  made  a  puncheon  floor 
and  used  shakes  to  cover  the  roof.  In  Quincy  he 
entered  the  land  at  the  Government  LandOtfice, 
and  this  quaint  little  structure  that  he  had  built,  for 
many  years  the  family  residence,  was  their  home  in 
1852.  At  that  time  he  replaced  it  with  a  frame 
house,  drawing  all  his  lumber  overland  from  Rock 
Island.  With  the  native  energy  common  to  those 
pioneers  he  could  not  fail  to  succeed,  and  by  his 
u|>right  character  and  his  honest  dealings  with  his 
felbw-man  he  showed  forth  the  truth — "  Before  man 
made  us  citizens,  great  Nature  made  us  men."  At 
the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  the  owner  of  a  large 
tract  of  land  and  was  iirospered  beyond  his  expecta- 
tions. He  was  a  native  of  Tennessee,  and  was  born 
Aug.  9,  1809. 

The  grandfatlier  of  our  subject.  Rev.  Andrew 
Scott,  was  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Christian 
denomination,  and  was  a  native  of  North  Carolina. 
'I"he  dale  of  his  birth  was  Nov.  21,  1786,  and  he  was 
a  veritable  pioneer,  having  been  an  early  settler  in 
lackson  County,  Tenn.  From  there  he  removed, 
about  1800,  to  Kentucky,  later  to  Indiana,  and  from 
there  to  Sangamon  County,  III,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers.  There  he  took  up  a 
tract  of  land,  which  he  improved  and  cultivated  into 
a  first-class  farm.  There  he  lived  in  contentment 
and  peace  until  the  date  of  his  death. 

Gaddial  Scott  made  the  several  removals  with  his 
parents,  and  so  his  younger  days  weie  spent  on  the 


^lArr 


68o 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


fronlier.  He  married,  July  25,  1833.  Miss  Susan 
Sexton,  who  was  born  in  Knox  County,  Ky.,  May 
25,  1810,  and  who  died  Jan.  22,  i87S_.  By  this  mar- 
riage there  were  seven  children,  the  names  and  dales 
of  whose  birth  are  as  follows  :  William  M.,  born 
July  21,  1834,  and  who  died  in  early  manhood,  July 
18,  1863;  John  W.,  born  March  26,  1836,  and  who 
died  Oct.  6,  1862.  He  enlisted  in  Co.  E,  83d  111. 
Vol.  Inf.,  and  gave  his  life  for  his  country  at  Padu- 
cah,  Ky.;  Elizabeth  S.,  born  April  27,  1839,  died 
Feb.  22,  1864;  Enoch  S.  (see  sketch);  James  M., 
thesubject;  Jacob,  born  Oct.  14,  1846,  died  May  3, 
1865;  and  Olive,  born  April  21,  1852,  died  at  the 
early 'age  of  15  years,  Aug.  24,  1867.  His  second 
matrimonial  alliance  was  formed  in  1876,  with  Sarah 
M.  Hobbs,  who  departed  this  life  June  8,  1880,  and 
Mr.  Scott,  who  had  lived  a  good  and  true  life,  fol- 
lowed her  June  18,  1880,  only  ten  days  later.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and  a  con- 
sistent and  devoted  follower  of  the  beautiful  truths 
'  that  were  shown  forth  in  the  life  of  Jesus.  Up  to 
the  time  of  his  death  his  faculties  remained  unim- 
paired, and  he  was  possessed  of  a  most  remarkable 
memory,  often  delighting  the  young  people  with 
stories  of  pioneer  life. 

James  M.  Scott,  the  subject  of  this  liistory,  was 
reared  on  a  farm  and  educated  in  the  district  school. 
He  made  his  home  with  his  parents,  and  on  the  loth 
of  May,  1864,  set  out  for  California,  making  the 
journey  overland,  and  arrived  at  Chico,  near  the 
Sacramento  Riv^r,  having  performed  the  journey  in 
four  months  and  ten  days.  In  that  State  he  passed 
a  year,  remaining  until  May,  1865,  when  he  started 
on  his  way  back,  going  via  Panama  and  New  York  ; 
he  arrived  home  about  the  ist  of  July.  He  has  since 
lived  on  the  old  homestead,  which  he  still  owns.  His 
possessions  include  680  acres  of  land,  all  in  Knox 
Township,  and  well  cultivated  and  improved.  He 
takes  an  active  interest  in  the  raising  of  cereals  and 
blooded  stock. 

On  the  23d  of  February,  1870,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Delia  Lotts,  a  native  of  Haw  Creek 
Township,  and  the  daughter  of  Milton  and  Elizabeth 
(Ward)  Lotts.  She  was  born  June  21,  1848.  Their 
family  circle  has  been  enlarged  by  the  advent  of 
three  new  members — Forrest  R.,  Olive  Pearl  and 
Ella  Eileen.  Mr  Scott  is  a  useful  man  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  is  a  member  of  Pacific  Lodge, 
No.   400,  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  of  Rabboni  Chapter, 


No.  95.  He  possesses  an  inquiring  mind  and  takes 
a  keen  interest  in  national  affairs.  He  is  Democratic 
in  politics,  and  aids  and  supports  by  voice  and  vote 
the  doctrines  of  that  party. 


1;  eter  Dechant,  by  occupation  a  brick  and 
stone  mason,  is  also  a  farmer  on  section  23, 
H^'^  of  Cedar  Township.  He  was  born  in 
Montgomery  County,  Ohio,  on  Nov.  17,  1820, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  P.  and  Louisa  (Holtz- 
housen)  Dechant;  both  parents  were  born  in 
Hesse-Cassel,  Germany.  The  father  was  born  in 
1778  and  died  in  1823.  His  death  was  caused  by 
the  falling  of  a  tree  while  engaged  in  chopping  in  the 
woods,  and  he  survived  but  two  hours  after  the  acci- 
dent. This  gentleman  was  educated  for  the  minis- 
try of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  but  never  oc- 
cupied the  pulpit  until  he  came  to  this  country  in 
1814.  Being  well  posted  in  general  merchandising, 
he  engaged  in  this  for  a  short  while.  John  P.  had  five 
children,  one  son  and  four  daughters  — Peter,  Hen- 
rietta, Wilhelmina,  Louisa  and  Rebecca.  Peter,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  fourth  child  of  the 
family,  and  married  Miss  Nancy  J.  Hall, on  the  12th 
of  October,  1843.  His  wife  was  born  in  Clermont 
County,  Ohio,  on  Feb.  2,  1827,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  William  and  .Maria  (South)  Hall,  natives  of  Ohio. 
Mr.  Hall  was  born  Dec.  7,  1800,  and  died  in  1839. 
His  wife  was  born  March  it,  1806,  her  demise  tak- 
ing plai  e  July  20,  1885.  By  the  marriage  there  were 
seven  children — Nancy,  Jeremiah,  Frances  M.,  Silas 
S.,  William,  Isaac  P.  and  Maria. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dechant,  of  this  biography,  are  the 
parents  of  11  children:  Jeremiah,  born  Oct.  17, 
1844;  Permelia,  Aug.  8,  1846;  Maria  L.,  June  16, 
1848;  Frances,  Feb.  ii,  1850;  Peter  H.,  Dec.  8, 
185 1;  Wilhelmina,  May  22,  1854;  Chase,  Feb.  3, 
1856;  Nancy  J.,  Jan.  25,  1859;  William  P.,  June 
27,  1862;  John  S.,  Feb.  24,  1864;  Grant,  Feb.  3, 
1866.  Of  these  children  there  are  now  ;married 
Permelia,  April  9,  1863,  to  Mr.  Peter  R.  Akey,  and  is 
the  mother  of  six  children;  Frances  W.,  to  Wm.  G. 
Jarvis,  March  6,  1867;  Jeremiah,  to  Miss  S.  J.  For- 
ray,  April  18,  1867;  Maria  L.,  to  Purley  Murdoch, 
Dec.  18,  1867;  Nancy  J.,  to  Robert  Ritchie,  March 


*t^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


68i 


7,  1S77;  Chase,  to  Miss  Jerusha  C.  Neil,  Jan.  i, 
1878;  Will.  P.,  to  Mary  Peterson,  Nov.  23,  1882. 

Mr.  Dechant  owns  168  acres  of  prime  land, 
and  in  the  year  1877  erected  a  fine  two-story  brick 
dwelling,  29x31  feet,  with  a  basement  under  the  en- 
tire house.  He  is  a  leading  member  of  the  I. 
O.  O.  F.,  of  Abingdon  Lodge,  No.  184,  of  whicii 
he  is  the  oldest  member.  As  a  politician,  he  is 
prominent  in  the  Republican  party,  and  has  encircled 
around  him  numerous  and  substantial  friends. 

He  believes  that  in  the  present  labor  troubles  the 
laborer  will  get  his  reward  according  to  individual 
merit,  as  he  should,  and  not  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  the  labor  unions. 


^IJohn  C.  Eiker.  Among  the  well-to-do  and 
^^ftj"  successful  farmers  of  Kno.x  County,  who 
have  accumulated  what  they  possess  of 
this  world's  goods  through  their  own  persever- 
ance and  energy,  and  not  as  the  recipients  of 
any  legacy,  may  be  mentioned  the  name  of  the 
S'lbject  of  this  notice.  He  is  a  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  by  vocation,  and  is  engaged  in  the  prosecution 
of  the  same  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  17,  Orange 
Township. 

Mr.  Eiker  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Pa  ,  Jan. 
24,  1833,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Charlotte 
(Myers)  Eiker,  natives  of  Frederick  County,  Md. 
John  Eiker  was  a  miller  by  trade  and  also  followed 
the  noble  calling  of  a  farmer.  He  was  born  Feb.  i, 
1795,  and  emigrated  to  this  State  in  1852,  making 
the  trip  overland  with  teams.  The  first  two  years 
he  followed  farming,  after  which,  in  company  with 
his  son,  David  M.,  he  purchased  a  flouring-mill  of 
Charles  &  Small,  of  Knoxville,  and  they  operated 
the  same  until  1864.  Previous  to  that  date,  how- 
ever, in  1853,  he  entered  a  tract  of  land  in  Iowa, 
and  in  1864,  after  disposing  of  his  interest  in  the 
mill,  he,  in  company  with  his  wife,  three  daughters 
and  one  son,  together  with  a  granddaughter,  moved 
there  and  labored  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
there  in  1875.  The  demise  of  his  wife  took  place 
during  the  same  year. 

John  C.  Eiker  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  with 
Sarah  A.  Armstrong,  March  4,  1858.  She  is  tlie 
daughter  of  Isaac  and  Mary  (Campbell)  Armstrong, 


and  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  March  20, 
1825.  Her  parents  were  both  natives  of  that  State 
and  were  reared  in  Adams  County.  Her  father,  in 
his  younger  days,  was  a  miller  by  trade,  but  subse- 
quently followed  farming.  Both  heads  of  the  family 
are  deceased,  the  father  dying  in  June,  1877,  and 
the  mother  in  May,  1878,  both  in  the  vicinity  of 
Knoxville,  this  county. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eiker  has  been  blest 
by  the  birth  of  six  children,  who  were  named  as  fol- 
lows :  Calvin  A.,  born  Dec.  23,  1858,  is  a  farmer 
and  married  Sallie  Stafford  and  is  living  in  Hamilton 
County,  Iowa;  Edith  M.  was  born  Dec.  5,  i860; 
Blanche,  Feb.  4,  1862,  and  is  the  wife  of  A.  R. 
Green,  a  resident  of  Galesburg ;  Elmer  Grant  was 
born  Dec.  24,  1864;  Ix)ttie,  June  14,  1868;  Roy  L., 
Nov.  3,  1875. 

Mr.  Eiker,  although  a  gentleman  never  seeking 
office,  has  been  Supervisor  of  his  township  for  three 
terms  and  held  several  other  minor  offices.  He  has 
been  President  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Insurance 
Company  of  this  county  since  1875.  His  fine  farm 
comprises  180  acres  of  land  on  sections  17  and  18, 
Orange  Township,  all  of  which  is  under  an  advanced 
state  of  cultivation.  On  the  place  is  a  comfortable 
two-story  frame  dwelling,  together  with  a  good  barn 
and  substantial  out-buildings,  and  in  his  chosen  vo- 
cation he  is  meeting  with  that  success  which  perse- 
verance, energy  and  good  judgment  are  sure  to 
bring.  He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  in  <x)litics  Mr.  Eiker  votes  for 
the  Republican  party. 


.._^|f  rwin  Addis.  Among  the  prominent  and 
^jRJit  energetic  farmers  who  came  to  Illinois  in 
yWr  1853,  is  Irwin  Addis,  who  is  at  present  re- 
tt(j  siding  on  his  fine  farm  on  section  12,  Victoria 
/*)  Township.  He  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  Dec. 
r_  28,  1849,  and  is  the  son  of  Simon  and  Anna 
(Little)  Addis.  The  parents  were  natives  of  New 
Jersey,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1853,  locating  in  West 
Jersey  Township,  Stark  County.  At  this  place  the 
father  made  a  purchase  of  500  acres  of  fine  land,  and 
is  at  present  residing  ujwn  this  tract.  Mr.  Addis  is 
one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  six  of  whom  still 
1   survive — John    L.,  Daniel  O.,    James,   our   subject, 

I"  


rH 


682 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Mary  E.  (now  Mrs.  Anderson) ;  Sarah  E.  became  the 
wife  of  Mr.  Smith.  The  father  of  our  subject  traces 
his  ancestry  back  to  the  English. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
24  years  of  age,  and  on  attaining  his  majority  rented 
land  of  his  father.  He  had  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and  after  leaving  home  he  came  to 
Knox  County,  locating  in  Victoria  Township,  where 
his  first  purchase  consisted  of  160  acres,  to  which  he 
afterward  added  117  more.  He  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  the  breeding  of  blooded  stock  and  also  in 
the  raising  of  the  cereals. 

Mr.  Addis  was  married  in  1874  to  Miss  Catharine 
Ayers,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  who  was  born  March 
21,  1857.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Archibald  and 
Catharine  (Becker)  Ayers,  natives  of  New  Jersey 
and  New  York  respectively.  The  parents  of  Miss 
Ayers  came  to  Illinois  at  an  early  day,  and  settled  in 
Stark  County,  but  remained  there  only  a  few  years, 
when  they  removed  to  this  county  and  settled  on 
section  i  2,  Victoria  Township,  where  the  father  had 
previously  purchased  and  where  they  resided  until 
the  latter's  death,  which  occurred  in  t88r.  The  pa- 
rental family  consisted  of  three  children,  viz. :  Rob- 
ert, Fannie  M.  (Mrs.  Ingals),  and  Catharine,  wife  of 
our  subject. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Addis  are  the  happy  parents  of  three 
children — Arcliie  A.,  Gracie  and  Robert  C.  In 
political  faith  Mr.  k.  firmly  adheres  to  the  principles 
advocated  by  the  Republican  party.  Our  subject  is 
a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  while  his  wife  is  an  attendant  in  high  stand- 
ing at  the  Congregational. 


;  lof  Hanson.     Many   of   the  early    settlers 
in  this  county  were  from  foreign  climes  and 
many   of  those   who    subsequently   settled 
here  were   born  beyond  the  ocean.     Sweden 
has  furnished    her   quota  of  active,  energetic 
men    who  have  contributed  their  part  toward 
the  agricultural  development  of  tliis  county. 

Prominent  among  those  who  came  here  more  than 
30  years  ago,  and  who  have  been  identified  with  the 
agricultural  interests  of  the  county  si.ice  that  time, 
is  the  subject  of  this  brief  sketch,  following  the  voca- 
tion of  a  farmer  on  section  8,  Lynn  Township. 
Mr.  Hanson  was  born  in  Sweden,  August  6,  1835. 


His  father,  Ha,ns  Ericson,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
country  and  lived  there,  encraged  in  the  calling  of  a 
farmer,  until  his  demise,  which  took  place  in  the 
spring  of  1856.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Anna  Anderson,  died  when  Olof 
was  but  eight  years  of  age.  She  suffered  for  seven 
long  years  with  sickness.  Olof  Hanson  was  the 
youngest  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters.  In  com- 
pany with  three  older  sisters,  he  started  for  the 
United  States,  Aug.  6,  1855,  landing  at  an  Eastern 
seaport,  and  from  which  he  came  directly  to  this 
county,  arriving  here  October  20  of  the  same  year.  At 
that  time  the  county  was  sparsely  settled,  and  but 
very  few  farmhouses  were  to  be  seen  upon  the  broad, 
uncultivated  prairie.  He  combined  his  farm  work 
with  that  of  coal-digging  and  brick-making,  and  also 
worked  at  the  carpenter's  trade,  which  he  had  par- 
tially learned  in  his  native  country.  As  will  be  seen 
from  the  foregoing  statement,  Olof  was  orphaned 
when  but  about  eight  years  of  age,  and  having  re- 
ceived no  legacy  whatsoever,  he  can  certainly  be 
classified  among  those  who  are  denominated  self- 
made  men. 

Mr.  Hanson  purchased  his  first  land  in  Sparta 
Township,  this  county,  in  1862.  The  tract  was 
small,  containing  only  about  rs  acres.  He  built  a 
house  on  it,  which  was  the  first  home  he  ever  owned. 
This  was  one  year  after  his  marriage,  that  event  hav- 
ing occurred  at  Knoxville,  March  18,  1861,  when 
Elizabeth  Anderson  became  his  wife.  She  was  born 
in  the  same  part  of  Sweden  as  our  subject,  Oct.  4, 
1834.  Her  father,  Andrew  Olson,  was  a  farmer  and 
died  in  his  native  country  in  1852.  Mrs.  Hanson's 
mother,  together  with  her  only  son,  who  died  in  the 
army  near  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  in  1863,  and  two  daugh- 
ters, came  to  the  United  States  in  1857,  and  settled 
in  Sparta  Township,  this  county.  The  mother  has 
made  her  home  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Hanson, 
since  1861.     She  is  83  years  of  age. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanson  of  this  notice  are  the  par- 
ents of  six  children,  one  of  whom,  Anna  Christina, 
married  John  E.  Williamson,  a  farmer  residing  near 
Wataga;  Emma,  Joseph,  Abner,  Andrew  and  Mary 
A.  reside  at  home.  Aug.  6,  1862,  just  eight  years 
after  he  had  left  his  native  Sweden  for  the  United 
States,  Mr.  Hanson  enlisted  in  the  Union  Army  and 
went  forth  to  fight  for  his  adopted  country.  He 
joined  the  io2d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  Co.  I,  organized  by 
Col.  Smith,  of  Galesburg.     The  company  was  in  the 


t 


:m^\ 


■H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


683 


Army  of  the  Cumberland,  ist  Brigade,  3d  Div.  of 
the  20th  Army  Corps,  and  our  subji;ct  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Resaca,  New  Hope  Church  and 
Kenesaw  Mountain,  in  which  latter  engagement  our 
subject  was  taken  with  a  severe  case  of  illness,  from 
which  he  suffered  for  some  time.  He  had  also  been 
in  several  skirmishes,  but  after  his  recovery  was  un- 
able to  take  an  active  place  in  the  ranks  of  his  com- 
pany, and  was  honorably  discharged  on  account  of 
disability.  During  his  service  he  received  no  serious 
wound,  although  twice  hit  by  bullets  from  the  enemy. 
While  in  the  army  he  contracted  erysipelas  and  has 
suffered  from  the  same  up  to  the  present  time.  Re- 
turning from  the  war,  Mr.  Hanson  followed  his  trade, 
that  of  carpenter,  and  was  also  engaged  in  farming 
up  to  the  time  that  he  made  his  second  purchase  of 
land,  which  was  in  the  fall  of  1867.  This  purchase 
consisted  of  80  acres  on  section  8,  where  he  now 
lives.  He  now  owns  160  acres,  supplied  with  first- 
class  improvements  and  well  stocked,  all  of  which 
f  improvements  have  been  made  by  Mr.  Hanson  since 
I  that  time.  In  addition  to  his  acreage  in  this  county, 
i  he  owns  240  acres  of  wild  land  in  Minnesota. 
T  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanson,  with  one  of  their  daughters, 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
He  is  a  Road  Commissioner  and  in  politics  a  stanch 
Republican. 


rank  A.  Johnson.  This  gentleman,  now 
deceased,  was  a  prominent  farmer,  living 
fei--  on  section  it.  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
^i^  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  Aug.  16,  1835,  and 
^^  died  at  his  home  in  the  above-named  town- 
i  ship,  May  20,  1884.  After  the  death  of  his 
father  in  his  native  land,  he  came  to  the  United 
States  alone,  in  1867.  His  mother  afterward  emi- 
grated to  this  country.  She  is  now  living  with  her 
daughter-in-law,  Mrs.  Johnson,  and  is  in  her  8ist 
year.  When  she  married  the  elder  Mr.  Johnson  he 
was  the  owner  of  1 00  acres  of  good  land,  on  which  the 
widow  of  Mr.  Frank  A.  Johnson  still  resides.  This 
farm  was  beautifully  improved  before  the  death  of 
her  son,  Frank  A. 

Our  subject  was  a  successful  farmer  and  a  very  esti- 
mable man.  He  married  Miss  Caroline  Anderson, 
in  Galesburg,  April  18,  1872.  She  was  a  native  of 
Sweden,   born    March    to,  1845,   and   came   to  the 


United  States  in  187  i.  By  her  happy  union  with 
Mr.  Johnson  there  were  born  four  children— Ida, 
Charles,  David  and  Augustus.  By  a  former  marriage 
Mr.  Johnson  had  one  child,  Hilda. 

Mr.  Frank  Jolinson  and  wife  were  devoted  Lu- 
therans, and  in  their  community  were  held  in  the 
highest  esteem.  In  politics  Mr.  Johnson  was  a  Re- 
publican of  the  stanchest  order,  and  a  citizen  whose 
demise  was  universally  regreted. 


^r^furgess  Elliott.     Among  the  respected  cit- 
f ijlj^   izens   and   well-to-do   farmers    of    Knox 

Jl^p^  County,  who  have  made  what  they  have 
W"  of  this  world's  goods  by  their  own  unaided 
T  efforts,  is  he  whose  name  heads  this  bio- 
'  graphical  notice.  He  is  at  present  following 
the  vocation  of  a  farmer  on  his  fine  farm  on  section 
35,  Victoria  Township.  He  was  born  in  Knox 
County,  Aug.  7,  1837,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas  and 
Hannah  (Reece)  Elliott.  The  parents  were  natives  -<| 
of  Ohio  and  South  Carolina  respectively,  their  mar-  ' 
riage  taking  place  in  the  former  State  in  1835.  Two 
years  after  their  marriage  the  parents  came  to  Illi-  J 
nois  and  Knox  County,  locating  in  Persifer  Town- 
ship, and  in  1858  removed  to  Victoria  Township, 
where  the  father  had  previously  purchased  160  acres 
of  land  on  section  25.  On  this  section  they  re- 
mained until  1868,  when  they  disposed  of  their  land 
and  went  to  Missouri.  The  father's  death  occurred 
in  1882.  His  widow  still  survives  and  is  living  on 
the  old  homestead.  Their  family  circle  consisted  of 
14  children,  seven  of  whom  still  survive  and  who  are 
named  Burgess,  George  W.,  Samaniha,  Sarah,  Eliz- 
abe'.h,  Hannah  and  Thomas. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  under  the  pa- 
rental roof  until  27  years  old,  and  in  the  meantime 
assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  and  attended  the 
district  schools.  After  leaving  home  he  purchased 
40  acres  of  land  on  section  25,  Victoria  Township, 
remaining  on  this  for  eight  years,  when,  having  im- 
proved the  same  by  the  erection  of  good  farm  build- 
ings, he  sold  it.  The  ne.xt  purchase  consisted  of  80 
acres  on  section  26,  in  the  same  township,  and  40  on 
section  34,  to  which  he  afterward  added  80  acres  and 
lived  on  it  until   1882.     He  then  bought  50  acres 


*r 


t 


1 


684 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


where  he  now  resides,  and  is  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  cereals  and  stock. 

Mr.  Elliott  was  married  June  14,  1865,  to  Miss 
Achsah  Rugh,  a  native  of  Indiana.  She  is  the  daugh- 
ter of  Michael  and  Mary  (Fudger)  Rugh,  the  parents 
being  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  and  their 
demise  occurring  in  1846  and  1855  respectively. 
The  family  consisted  of  three  children — Lucy,  Han- 
nah and  Achsah,  the  latter  being  the  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject. Mrs.  Elliott  came  to  Illinois  with  a  half  sister 
in  the  year  1863.  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  the 
parents  of  two  children — William  B.  and  Charles  W. 
Mr.  Elliott  Is  a  stanch  Greenbacker  and  has  held  the 
offices  of  School  Director  and  Pathmaster,  and  is  one 
of  the  representative  men  of  Victoria  Township. 


-^ — ^; 


1 


.eWitt  C.  Winne,  a  respected  citizen  of  this 
|.  county,  and  a  successful  and  well-to-do 
farmer,  residing  on  section  i,  Lynn  Town- 
ship, was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  Feb. 
4,  1847.  His  father,  Francis  Winne,  was  like- 
wise a  native  of  that  county  and  there  reared  to 
manhood  and  married  Margaret  Vanderworker  in 
Schoharie  County,  that  State.  She  was  of  German 
descent,  and  they  continued  to  reside  in  New  York 
State  until  1869,  since  which  time  they  have  lived 
with  their  children  in  this  and  Henry  Counties. 

When  17  years  of  age  DeWitt  C.  Winne  turned 
his  face  toward  the  setting  sun,  with  the  hope  of 
betteiing  his  financial  condition.  Leaving  his  na- 
tive home,  he  went  to  Lenawee  County,  Mich.,  and 
there  engaged  in  various  occupations  until  his  re- 
moval to  Henry  County,  this  State.  Here  he  en- 
gaged in  manual  labor  for  some  three  years,  in  the 
meantime  economizing  to  the  end  that  he  might  be 
enabled  to  purchase  a  home  of  his  own.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  this  time  he  had  accumulated  sufficient 
means  to  carry  on  farming  on  rented  land,  and  oc- 
cupied his  time  thus  in  Galva  Township  until  1879, 
when  he  was  enabled  to  purchase  a  farm  of  his  own, 
the  place  on  which  he  is  at  present  residing.  His 
farm  consists  of  80  acres  of  good  and  productive 
land,  on  which  are  located  substantial  improvements, 
and  there  he  is  meeting  with  success  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  his  chosen  vocation. 

Mr.  Winne  was  married  at  the  residence  of  his 


bride's  parents,  in  Weathersfield  Township,  Henry 
County,  Feb.  2,  1874,  to  Miss  Adelia  Dunbar,  who 
was  born  in  the  township  in  which  they  were  married 
Nov.  24,  1854,  and  was  a  daughter  of  Washington 
and  Anner  (Lee)  Dunbar.  Her  parents  are  yet  liv- 
ing and  reside  in  Weathersfield  Township,  where  her 
father  is  meetmg  witli  success  as  a  sturdy  tiller  of 
the  soil.  Mrs.  Winne  resided  with  her  parents,  at- 
tending the  common  schools  and  assisting  her 
mother  in  the  household  duties,  until  her  marriage. 
She  is  one  of  a  pair  of  twins,  and  in  her  parents' 
family  there  were  three  older  than  herself  and  four 
\ounger  children. 

The  household  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Winne  has  been 
gladdened  by  the  birth  of  two  children — Claude  A., 
born  April  12,  1875,  and  Arthur  C,  May  21,  1878. 
In  politics  Mr.  Winne  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
principles  advocated  by  the  Democratic  party.  He 
is  a  self-made  man,  and  his  accumulations  are  the 
result  of  his  own  industry  as  applied  to  his  farm  la- 
bors and  his  good  judgment  in  the  disbursement  of 
the  means  thus  acquired. 


•<iajmf%^^—m 


--^-SWJflWv 


j^enry  G.  Collinson  is  a  retired  farmer,  resid- 
ing on  section  5,  in  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship. He  is  a  native  of  Lynn  Township, 
Knox  County,  and  was  born  Jan.  4,  1840.  We 
have  referred  more  at  length  to  the  family  his- 
tory of  this  gentleman  in  the  biographical  sketch 
of  S.  L.  Collinson.  The  subject  of  this  history  re- 
mained at  home  until  he  had  grown  up,  when  he 
employed  himself  for  the  first  time  in  breaking  a 
quantity  of  the  new  prairie  land  in  Lynn  and  Walnut 
Grove  Townships. 

On  the  7th  of  March,  1867,  he  was  married  at 
Victoria  to  Miss  Jenette  McKie,  a  native  of  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  who  came  to  this  country  with  her  parents 
Aug.  26,  1844.  On  their  arrival  in  America  they  oc- 
cupied themselves  with  farming.  In  1848  they  lo- 
cated in  Copley  Township,  where  her  father,  John 
McKie,  died  in  February,  1880.  Her  mother  still 
resides  with  two  daughters  in  Galva.  Mrs.  C.  of  this 
notice  remained  a  resident  at  her  father's  house  up  to 
the  date  of  her  marriage.  She  has  been  the  mother 
of  three    children,  now   deceased.     This  lady  is  a 


4--K 


^ 


A 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


68s 


member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  her  hus- 
band is  a  prominent  Democrat. 

The  fact  must  not  be  omitted  that  Mr.  CoUinson 
enlisted  d-iring  the  War  for  the  Union,  Aug.  9,  1862. 
He  joined  Co.  G,  89th  III  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt.  T. 
Whiting,  and  his  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.  Mr.  C.  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Stone  River,  Tallahassee,  Rocky  Ledge,  Chat- 
tanooga and  others,  and  was  finally  taken  prisoner  at 
Mills'  Springs,  near  Atlanta,  Ga.,  May  27,  1864.  He 
was  immediately  thrown  into  Andersonville  prison, 
where  he  was  held  four  months,  when  he  was  con- 
veyed to  Savannah  and  later  still  to  Florence,  where 
he  was  detained  some  months.  He  was  altogether 
imprisoned  nine  months  before  being  paroled,  after 
which  he  received  h:s  discharge.  It  was  during  this 
time  that  his  health  was  almost  wrecked,  and  it  took 
him  two  years  to  recover  his  strength.  His  discharge 
took  place  at  Springfield  in  July,  1S65.  Even  now 
he  has  not  wholly  recovered  from  the  efTecis  of  his 
war  life. 

Mr.  CoUinson  is  a  genial  gentleman  and  thought 
highly  of  in  his  community.  He  is  entertaining  and 
full  of  war  anecdotes,  and  has  always  a  kind  word 
for  those  seeking  his  assistance.  He  is  a  Democrat 
in  politics. 


avid  M.  Eiker.     When  nearing  the  end  of 
r„    a  busy  life,  it  is  the  desire  of  most  men  to 


seek  retirement  and  cultivate  those  finer 
feelings  which,  in  the  general  rush  of  life  at 
high  pressure,  cannot  be  gratified.  The 
above  gentleman  is  one  of  those  whose  ac- 
tivity and  industr)'  have  received  their  reward,  and  he 
is  now  enabled  to  retire  from  active  labor  and  at  his 
handsome  home  in  Knoxville  reflect  upon  the  labors 
of  the  past  while  still  having  reasonable  thought  for 
the  future. 

He  was  born  in  Hagerstown,  Washington  Co.,  Md., 
on  the  nth  of  February,  1826.  His  father,  John 
Eiker,  was  a  native  of  Adams  County,  Pa.,  where  the 
grandfather  of  David  M.  resided.  The  latter  was 
named  after  his  grandfather,  who  was  of  German  e.x- 
traction.  The  great-grandfather  was  .Abraham  Eiker, 
a  native  of  Germany,  the  name  of  the  family  in  that 
country  being  spelled  Echert.  This  latter  gentle- 
man through  varying  fortunes  fought  his  way  upward, 


and  ultimately  won  for  himself  an  ample  competence. 
As  owner  of  a  grist-mill  in  Middle  Creek,  Adams  Co., 
Pa.,  his  untiring  industry  and  strict  economy, 
coupled  with  promptness  in  all  his  business  trans- 
aclions,  paved  the  way  to  the  success  he  finally 
achieved.  He  was  devoted  to  his  milling  occupa- 
tion until  within  a  very  few  years  of  his  death.  The 
father  of  the  present  gentleman,  in  his  youth,  was 
apprenticed  to.  the  miller's  trade,  but  proceeded  to 
Maryland  when  a  young  man,  in  which  State  he 
wooed  and  married  Charlotte  Myers,  the  daughter  of 
Michael  Myers.  Mrs.  Eiker  was  born  and  brought 
up  in  Frederick  County,  Md. 

At  the  date  of  his  marriage,  Mr.  Eiker  decided  on  \ 
locating  in  Hagerstown,  and  accordingly  rented  a 
flour-mill  in  that  vicinity.  Removing  in  1832  to  his 
old  quarters  in  Frederick,  he  took  up  his  abode  there 
for  one  year,  when  he  moved  into  Adams  County, 
Pa.,  and  purchased  a  farm,  where  he  continued  up 
to  1852.  Selling  this  farm,  he  journeyed  to  Knox  [ 
County  the  same  year,  and  engaged  in  farming  for  a 
brief  time.  Soon  afterward  he  decided  to  purchase  a 
residence  in  Knoxville,  where  he  lived  until  1864, 
when  he  removed  to  Iowa,  and  setded  in  Decatur  7 
County,  where  he  purchased  both  improved  and  un- 
improved land.  Here  he  resided  until  his  death  in 
1872;  his  beloved  wife  died  but  a  few  months  later, 
leaving  nine  children  to  mourn  her  loss ;  of  these 
six  are  living:  David  M.  is  the  oldest;  Melissa  is 
the  wife  of  D.  H.  McCleary,  now  living  in  Ringgold 
County,  Iowa;  JohnC.  resides  in  Orange  Township; 
Harriet  is  the  wife  of  C.  O.  Oberholtzer,  who  resides 
in  Decatur  County,  Iowa;  Miranda,  wite  of  Edwin 
Kirkindall,  is  living  in  Decatur  County  also,  and 
James  M.  resides  in  the  last  named  county  and 
State. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
grew  into  manhood  in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  and  while 
on  his  father's  farm  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  At  the  age  of  19  he  determined  to  make 
iiis  start  in  life,  and  forthwith  set  out  for  Franklin 
County,  where  he  eng.iged  himself  to  a  miller,  and 
learned  the  trade  whicl>  ultimately  led  to  his  success 
in  busmess.  In  this  position  he  held  his  own,  and 
worked  untiringly  until  the  year  1852,  when  he  en- 
tered upon  purely  agricultural  pursuits  in  Franklin 
County,  up  to  1854,  when  he  first  came  to  Knox 
County,  and  settled  in  Knoxville,  where  in  the  course 
of  the  first  year  he  purchased   the   Knoxville  City 


4 


±^ 


686 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Mills.  _For  more  than  27  years  he  operated  these 
mills  with  decided  success,  and  finally  sold  out  in 
1881. 

Feelnig  that  he  was  in  a  position  to  retire,  he  re- 
solved on  his  present  mode  of  life,  investing,  how- 
ever, in  lands  situated  in  Decatur  and  Hamilton 
Counties,  Iowa.  Much  of  his  time  is  given  to  im- 
provement of  liis  Iowa  lands,  while  his  home  and 
private  interests  occupy  much  of  his  attention. 

On  Oct.  I,  1850,  he  married  Helen  Jacobs,  this 
lady  being  a  daughter  of  George  and  Susan  (Bell) 
Jacobs.  His  wife,  a  lady  of  excellent  qualities,  was 
born  in  Washington  County,  Md.,  Nov.  17,  1826. 
Of  this  marriage  there  were  five  children,  of  whom 
one,  Nellie,  survives.  He  gave  his  daughter  the  ben- 
efit of  a  good  education.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eiker  are 
among  the  foremost  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  where  their  presence  and  influence  are  reg- 
ularly felt. 

In  the  old  school  of  politics  Mr.  Eiker  was  of  the 
Whig  persuasion,  the  principles  of  which  he  has 
warmly  advocated  in  times  gone,  as  he  is  steadfast  in 
his  Republican  ideas  to-day.  The  party  find  in 
their  sujiport  a  man  worthy  of  their  trust,  and  always 
ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  in  directing  Republican 
politics.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of 
ihe  City  Council,  and  on  the  Board  of  Supervisors, 
and  is  representative  of  both  strength  in  action 
and  efficiency  in  the  accomplishment  of  measures. 

.^I^^Wustin  Smith.  Among  the  prosperous  farm- 
If  ers  of  this  county  is  the  subject  of  this 
""^^  notice,  residing  on  section  26,  Lynn  Town- 
ship. There  on  his  fine  farm  he  is  passing  the 
afternoon  of  life  surrounded  by  a  happy  family 
and  meeting  with  success  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  chosen  vocation.  Mr.  Smith  was  born  in  Cort- 
land County,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  16,  1823. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  William  Smith,  was  a 
native  of  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y.,  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation, and  resided  in  Cortland  County.  He  was 
one  of  the  elder  children  of  Robert  Smith,  who  was 
born,  reared  and  married  near  Leeds,  England. 
SI\ortly  after  marriage  the  grandfather  and  his  bride 
set  out  for  the  United  States,  landnig  in  York  Stale, 
and  settling  near  Albany  about  the  time  of  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Revolutionary  War.     He  enlisted.. 


on  the  side  of  the  colonists,  and  was  engaged  in 
fighting  for  their  rights  for  seven  years,  or  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  escaped  from  the  contest  un- 
hurt, and  received  an  honorable  discharge.  By  vir- 
tue of  his  services  he  was  entitled  to  a  quarter-section 
of  government  land,  which  he  located  in  Freetown 
Township,  Cortland  Co.,  N.  Y.  On  this  tract  of  land 
the  grandfather  settled  with  his  family,  and  was 
occupied  in  its  improvement  and  cultivation  for 
awhile,  when  he  removed  into  an  adjoining  township, 
and  there  followed  his  vocation  until  his  demise, 
being  at  that  time  a  little  more  than  80  years  of  age. 
His  wife,  Grace  Braithwait,  died  at  the  same  place 
some  few  years  later,  and  at  the  time  of  her  demise 
was  about  the  same  age  as  her  husband. 

William  Smith,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  one 
of  eight  children,  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  born 
to  his  parents,  and  was  a  native  of  Schoharie  County, 
N.  Y.  He  removed  with  his  parents  to  Cortland 
County,  that  State,  and  was  there  reared  to  the  hon- 
orable calling  of  a  farmer,  and  there  married  Miss 
Lorinda  Badger,  a  native  of  that  State,  and  who  was 
the  oldest  of  her  father's  family.  William  Smith 
after  marriage  continued  in  his  vocation  in  Cortland 
County,  and  there  to  himself  and  wife  were  born  ten 
children,  seven  sons  and  three  daughters.  In  1844 
the  parents,  together  with  their  eight  children,  two  ' 
having  died  in  Cortland  County,  came  to  this  State 
and  county,  and  located  on  an  unimproved  tract  of 
land  on  section  27,  Lynn  Township.  Here  the 
father  entered  upon  the  labor  of  improving  a  wild 
tract  of  land,  and  here  lived  until  his  demise  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1880,  aged  92  years.  He  was  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church.  His  good  wife,  mother 
of  our  subject,  is  yet  living,  and  resides  with  her 
youngest  son,  H.  P.  Smith,  in  Lynn  Township,  and 
is  aged  96  years,  and  probably  the  oldest  lady  in  the 
county.  She  was  born  Dec.  15,  1790,  and  is  as  act- 
ive as  many  25  years  her  junior. 

After  Austin  Smith  had  accompanied  his  parents 
to  this  county,  he  still  continued  to  reside  with  them 
for  two  years,  assisting  by  his  labors  in  the  mainten- 
ance of  the  family.  He  was  married  in  Toulon, 
Stark  County,  this  State,  Jan.  10,  1855,  to  Miss  Sarah 
McNaught,  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Eliza  (Custard) 
McNaught,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Her  parents 
were  married  near  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  after  the  birth 
of  four  children  in  that  State,  they  removed  to  Rich- 
land County,  Ohio,  and  subsequently  six  additional 


"v 


*r 


^H^ 


»  Ta- 


^iVCX  COUNTY. 


687 


children  were  born  to  them,  Mrs.  Smith  being  the 
youngest  but  one. 

Of  the  children  of  Mrs.  Smith's  parents,  five  are 
yet  living,  and  one  beside  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  resident 
of  this  State.  Mrs.  Smith  was  about  six  years  of 
age  when  her  parents  came  to  this  county  and 
settled  in  Lynn  Township.  There  her  father  died, 
Nov.  23,  1857,  and  her  mother  in  Stark  County,  Dec. 
•Si  '873.  Her  father  was  a  carpenter  and  cabinet- 
maker by  trade. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  seven  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  three  of  whom  are  deceased. 
May  C.  is  a  graduate  in  dentistry,  having  received  her 
honors  at  Ann  Arbor,  and  is  at  present  following  her 
profession  in  Minneapolis,  Minn.  Ruth  B,  was  edu- 
cated at  Galva  and  Geneseo,  and  is  a  teacher  in  the 
public  schools.  A.  Furn  resides  at  home,  as  does 
Charles  A.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  have  resided  on 
their  present  farm,  which  comprises  120  acres  of  good 
and  productive  land,  since  1857,3  period  of  nearly 
30  years,  and  have  met  with  success  in  their  united 
labor.  She  and  her  eldest  daughter  are  members  of 
the  Christian  Church.  In  politics,  Mr.  Smith  was 
!■  formerly  a  Democrat,  but  since  the  Prohibition  party 
has  sprung  into  existence  he  has  been  an  earnest 
advocate  of  its  principles. 


-^-*-S 


-1--^ 


fhomas  L.  Gilbert,  who  was  born  March  17, 
1 830,  and  «  hose  business  as  a  lumber  dealer 
has  so  successfully  increased  within  recent 
'■'^S^  date  is  a  gentleman  of  whom  it  may  be  truly 
(^  said  that  perseverance  and  rectitude  will  lead 
1  to  any  position  to  which  one  may  aim.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Gilbert  was  a  farmer  in  Knox  County, 
and  originally  a  native  of  New  Lebanon,  Columbia 
Co.,  Conn.,  wliere  he  was  born  Oct.  26,  1788.  He 
was  the  son  of  Thomas  and  Zelpha  (Fellows)  Gil- 
bert. Thomas  Gilbert  was  born  atMiddletown.Conn., 
April  I,  1752,  the  birthday  of  his  wife  Zelpha  being 
May  19.  1755.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolution- 
ary War,  under  Wasliington's  command,  a  position 
in  which  his  valor  won  him  distinction.  Karly  in 
his  life  he  removed  10  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  considered  one  of  the  earliest  pioneers.  Here 
he  purchased  land  five  miles  from  the  present  site  of 


Rome.  Seeing  the  necessity  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try for  a  good  hotel,  he  opened  his  house  to  the  trav- 
eling public,  and  in  this  calling  remained  until  his 
death,  Aug.  15,  1818,  his  wife  having  died  fouryears 
previously. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  six  years  old  when 
he  went  to  Oneida  County  with  his  parents,  and 
there  grew  to  manhood.  From  here  he  jjroceeded  to 
Ogdensburg,  and  engaged  in  mercantile  business,  and 
while  prosecuting  this  calling  enlisted  in  the  War  of 
1812  in  defense  of  the  city.  During  the  capture  of 
the  place  by  the  British,  he  was  wounded  in  the  foot 
and  the  musket  ball  fired  is  still  in  the  possession  of 
the  family.  At  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812,  he  went 
to  Mackinaw  and  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  to  participate  in  the  Indian  trade  being 
then  carried  on  there.  This  was  about  the  date  of 
his  father's  death,  and  after  tliis  he  returned  to 
Oneida  County  and  settled  on  the  old  homestead, 
managing  the  farm  and  hotel. 

The  marriage  of  Thomas  Gilbert  with  Annis  Dib- 
ble occurred  Dec.  4,  1807.  She  was  a  native  of 
Stanford,  Dutchess  Co.,  N.  Y..  born  Feb.  23,  1801, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Rachel  (Mitch- 
ell) Dibble,  her  father  being  a  native  of  Long  Island 
and  her  mother  of  Connecticut.  They  occupied  the 
old  homestead  until  December,  1833,  when  they  re- 
moved to  the  Wright  settlement,  two  miles  from  Rome. 
Leaving  his  family  here,  in  1833,  he  started  west- 
ward in  search  of  a  home,  coming  via  canal  and  the 
lakes  a  part  of  the  way,  then  purchasing  a  horse  and 
riding  and  exploring  the  country  while  in  the  saddle. 
In  the  fall  he  returned  with  stock,  and  in  the  spring 
of  1835  was  appointed  one  of  the  committee  to  seek 
a  location  for  a  colony.  His  assistants  were  Nehe- 
miah  West  and  Tim-Jthy  Jarvis.  They  visited  Knox 
County,  and  Mr.  Gilbert  bought  a  claim  on  section 
5,  township  10,  range  2  (now  Orange).  His  assist- 
ants were  far  from  pleased  with  the  county  and  ac- 
cordingly re|X)rted  adversely.  On  this  account  Mr. 
Gilbert  did  not  return  with  them,  but  soon  after  re- 
traced his  steps  and  gave  an  excellent  account  of 
K.UOX  County,  reporting  that  he  had  purchased  a 
claim  and  entered  upon  a  half-section  of  land.  On 
making  it  known  that  it  was  his  intention  to  settle 
here,  and  on  his  representation,  the  colony  sent  their 
purchasing  agent  out  to  buy  the  present  site  of  (.Jales- 
burg  Township.  Mr  Gilbert  of  this  sketch  has  still 
in  his  possession  the  letter  of  instructions  in  regard 


M 


688 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


k^ 


to  the  site  the  committee  were  recommended  to  select. 
In  this  there  is  a  minute  description  of  a  desirable 
location,  the  document  being  carried  by  his  father 
on  the  trip  westward.  In  the  fall  of  the  year  Mr. 
Gilbert  started  with  his  wife  and  four  children,  trav- 
eling via  the  Erie  Canal  to  Buffalo,  then  to  Cleve- 
land via  the  lakes,  and  thence  by  canal  to  Ports- 
mouth and  by  the  Ohio,  Mississippi  and  Illinois 
Rivers  to  Copperas  Creek  Landing.  Here,  hiring  a 
team,  he  proceeded  to  Knox  Township  and  staid  for 
a  short  time  in  Knoxville,  until  he  could  put  a  roof 
over  his  cabin  and  put  in  a  puncheon  floor  and 
chink  in  with  clay,  as  was  then  the  method.  He 
entered  this  land  in  the  Land-Office  at  Dixon,  the 
only  great  central  place  in  those  days.  Soon  he  im- 
proved his  farm  and  erected  a  brick  house  and  de- 
termined to  remain  there  until  1865,  when  he  re 
moved  to  Knoxville,  where  he  purchased  land  and 
a  very  desirable  residence,  which  he  retained  up  to 
the  date  of  his  death,  Feb.  16,  1872.  He  was  Super- 
■  visor  of  Orange  Township,  a  post  he  admirably  filled, 
and  himself,  wife  and  children  were  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  His  widow  still  resides  in 
>*  Knoxville.  By  the  mirriage  referred  to  there  were 
six  children  born,  four  of  whom  are  now  living — 
Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Cliaffee;  Thomas  L., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  ;  Zenana,  a  maiden  lady 
residing  with  her  mother,  and  Jane,  wife  of  S.  H. 
Tompkins. 

In  politics  Mr.  Gilbert,  the  subject  of  our  sketch, 
is  a  Republican  ;  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  When  he  first  came  to  the 
county  he  was  only  in  his  fifth  year,  and  not  far  in 
advance  of  this  tender  age  assisted  his  parents  on 
the  farm  and  attended  the  public  school.  Up  to 
the  date  of  his  marriage  he  made  his  home  with  his 
parents,  this  latter  event  occurring  April  24,  1856, 
his  wife  being  Harriet  Hebard.  This  lady  was  the 
daughter  of  Benj.imin  and  Eliza  (Clisby)  Hebard,  and 
a  native  of  Ohio.  The  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Gilbert,  a  daughter,  Eflfie,  resides  with  her  parents.  At 
the  date  of  his  marriage  he  settled  on  a  farm  then 
included  in  section  8  of  Orange  Township,  and  fol- 
lowed farming  until  the  spring  of  1866,  when  he 
rented  his  farm  and  removed  to  Knoxville,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  grocery  and  live-stock  business,  and 
was  thus  occupied  until  1 868,  when  he  sold  out  and 
bought  a  half  interest  in  a  hardware  store,  which  re- 
ceived his  attention  until  1871,  when  he  disposed  of 


his  inteiest  therein.  In  1873  Mr.  Gilbert  became 
engaged  in  the  lumber  business,  to  which  he  has  since 
devoted  his  attention  with  the  exception  of  one  and 
a  half  years. 


C.  Brooks  is  one  of  Knox  County's  promi- 
nent farmers,  residing  on  section  3,  Victo- 
ria Township.  He  was  born  in  Ohio,  Feb. 
1834,  and  his  parents  were  Solomon  and 
Mary  (CoUamar)  Brooks,  natives  of  Lincoln 
County,  Maine.  The  grandparents  of  our 
subject  were  David  and  Thankful  (CoUamar)  Brooks, 
natives  of  the  Pine  Tree  State.  They  trace  their 
ancestry  back  to  the  English.  The  grandfather  of 
our  subject  came  to  Ohio  at  a  very  early  day.  He 
was  born  July  27,  1772,  and  died  in  the  State  of 
Ohio,  Jan.  24,  1831.  His  \vife  was  born  April  17, 
1771,  and  her  demise  occurred  in  Victoria  Township, 
111.,  Aug.  13,  1837. 

Solomon  Brooks,  father  of  our  subject,  was  mar- 
ried Jan.  24,  1825.  Three  years  later  he  removed 
to  the  State  of  Ohio,  where  he  resided  for  nine  , 
years,  and  in  1837  came  to  Knox  County,  where  he 
passed  the  remainder  of  his  days.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  born  Jan.  18,  1800,  in  Lincoln 
County,  Maine,  and  after  48  years  of  married  life 
she  and  her  husband  were  compelled  by  death  to 
part  company  for  a  season,  his  demise  occurring 
March  20,  1873,  the  faithful  wife  following  Dec.  29, 
1 88s. 

Solomon  Brooks  was  born  May  13,  r8o3,  and  on 
coming  to  Illinois  settled  on  section  3,  Victoria  Town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  240  acres.  This  he  im- 
proved and  beautified,  making  his  home  there  until 
his  death.  The  family  consisted  of  seven  children, 
four  of  whom  are  living,  namely  :  Caleb,  Frances, 
Thomas  C.  and  Sarah  F.,  now  Mrs.  CoUinson.  Caleb, 
who  was  born  Nov.  19,  1827,  resides  in  Webster 
County,  Iowa;  Frances,  born  Aug.  26,  1831,  is  a 
resident  in  Henry  County,  111. ;  Thomas  C,  born 
Feb.  5.  1834,  resides  in  Victoria  Township;  Sarah  F., 
born  July  16,  1839,  resides  at  Walnut  Grove,  111. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  has  always  remained 
upon  the  old  homestead,  and  is  now  the  possessor 
of  293  acres  of  fine  farm  land,  and  is  engaged  in 
grain  and  stock  raising.  August  27,  1868,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Sarah  Murphy,  who  was  born  April 


-^^ 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
L.;iVERSITY  OF  ILU^'; 


LIBRARy 

OF  THE 

L.^iVERSITY  OF  ILL!N:'3 


u 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


693 


9,  1850.  Her  parents  were  John  and  Martha  (Hes- 
ter) Murphy,  natives  of  Richland  and  Chnton  Coun- 
ties, Ohio.  The  father  was  born  May  25,  1816,  and 
the  mother  April  10,  18 18.  They  came  to  Illinois 
about  the  year  1845,  and  are  at  present  residing  in 
Victoria  Township.  There  were  eight  children.  The 
family  on  the  father's  side  was  of  Scoich-Irish  an- 
cestry. Our  suliject  and  wife  have  been  blest  by 
the  birth  of  four  children — John  H.,  born  Sept.  10, 
1869  ;  Lucy  B.,  March  12,  1875,  and  EldoM.,  May 
25,  1883  ;  David  Harrison  died  April  5,  1882.  Mr. 
Brooks  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  has  held  the 
office  of  Pathmaster  of  his  township.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Stark  Lodge,  No. 
501,  La  Fayette,  and  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  at  La  Fayette, 
Lodge  No.  657,  also  Galva  Camp,  No.  174.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Brooks  were  Free-Will  Baptists,  and 
in  politics  he  was  an  old-line  Whig,  and  latterly  a 
Republican.  Mr.  Brooks,  during  the  war,  enlisted 
in  Co.  F,  83d  Regt.  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  but  was  soon 
rafter  discharged  for  disability. 


enry  Ferris,  now  a  retired  capitalist,  was 
the  first  one  of  the  settlers  in  the  Galesburg 
Colony.  Mr.  Ferris  was  born  in  Herki- 
mer County,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  18,  1809.  His  father 
was  Sylvanus  Ferris,  and  his  mother  a  Miss 
Sallie  Olmsted.  They  were  united  in  mar- 
riage ill  Connecticut,  and  moved  at  once  to  Norway, 
in  the  above-named  county,  and  while  living  in  that 
State  they  had  a  family  of  seven  sons  and  three 
daughters  born  to  them. 

Henry,  our  subject,  was  his  parents'  sixth  child  in 
order  of  birth,  and  was  brought  up  on  the  farm,  and 
at  the  district  schools  acquired  the  rudiments  of  an 
English  education,  with  one  year  at  Oneida  Institute, 
N.  Y. ;  one  year  in  an  academy,  where  he  studied 
languages,  and  one  year  at  Marion  College,  Ma- 
rion County,  Mo.  In  1 833  he  emigrated  to  Mis- 
souri ;  was  there  two  years  and  came  to  Knox 
County,  Galesburg,  in  1835.  His  father  there  made 
an  entry  of  some  lands  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Galesburg  Colony,  and  was  one  of  the  purchasing 
committee.  Upon  the  grounds  now  occupied  by  the 
Female  Department  of  Knox  College,  and  south  be- 
yond the  present  depot  grounds,  young  Ferris  first 


broke  prairie.  He  quitted  the  vocation  of  an  agri- 
culturist in  1857,  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  bus- 
iness, which  he  followed  for  a  few  years  only,  and 
then  returned  again  to  his  old  occupation  of  farming. 
It  is  on  record  that  he  tried  his  hand  awhile  at  mer- 
cantile business,  but  for  a  short  time  only,  as  he 
found  it  unprofitable.  Farming  appears  to  have  been 
his  favorite  pursuit,  and  at  this  he  has  been  ex- 
tremely successful.  He  was  one  of  the  first  men  to 
agitate  the  construction  of  what  took  form  as  the 
Military  Tract  Railroad,  and  to  it  subscribed  the  first 
Si,ooo,  soon  after  increasing  his  subscription  to  $10- 
000 ;  and  tiis  father  and  brother-in-law  each  took 
Sio.ooo,  making  in  all  Sjo.ooo  '"  'he  family.  He  is 
the  owner  of  and  has  in  his  possession  one  of  the  first 
certificates  of  stock  issued  by  the  company.  As  it  is 
probably  the  only  one  in  existence,  we  give  a  copy 
of  it  in  full.  It  is  a  printed  form,  written  in  with  pen 
and  ink,  upon  a  piece  of  common  writing  paper 
2}4  -^  aVx  inches  in  size  : 

"Centr.\l  Military  Tr.\ct  R.\ilroad  Company, 
Galesburg,  April  12,  185 1. 
"  This  is  to  certify  that  Henry  Ferris  is  the  holder 
of  ten  shares  to  the  capital  stock  of  Central  Military 
Tract  Railroad  Company,  and  that  ten  dollars  on 
each  has  been  paid. 

(Signed)  "  VV.  A.  Wood,  Sec." 

"No.  26,  N.  B. — This  certificate  transferable  en 
books  of  the  company." 

In  this  connection  we  will  simply  add  that  Mr. 
Ferris  from  the  beginning  was  jxjssessed  of  wisdom 
and  foresight  enough  to  hold  onto  all  the  railroad 
stock  that  came  into  his  hands,  and  the  large  revenue 
derived  therefrom  has  had  much  to  do  in  making  him 
one  of  the  wealthiest  men  of  the  community. 

Aug.  31,  1836,  in  a  little,  old  log  cabin,  at  Hen- 
derson Grove,  the  first  marriage  ceremony  occurring 
in  the  Galesburg  Colony  was  performed,  and  the 
contracUng  parlies  were  Henry  Ferris  and  Elizabeth 
Hudson.  Miss  Hudson  was  a  native  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  came  West  with  Nehemiah  West's  family 
as  a  school  teacher.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris  have  be- 
come the  parents  of  seven  children,  of  whom  we 
have  the  following  memoranda:  The  oldest,  Alfred 
G.,  was  born  Nov.  17,  1837,  grew  to  manhood,  emi- 
grated to  Nevada  and  has  not  been  heard  from  for  20 
j  years;  Harriet  M.  (Mrs.  Charies  A.  McLaughlin), 
i   born   Dec.  ii,  1839;  Ella  G.  (Mrs.  Frank  Arnold), 

«■■ 


■^4^ 


+H 


694 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Nov.  29,  1842;  Timothy  H.,  born  Nov.  27,  1845, 
married  Mary  Drew;  Henry  B.,  born  Sept.  29,  1848, 
is  deceased  ;  Caroline  E.,  born  June  1 8,  185  i,  is  also 
deceased;  Lillie  C.  (Mrs.  George  Prince),  born  April 
13,  1856. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris  are  members  of  the  "  Old 
First  Church,"  the  Congregational.  During  all  his 
life  Mr.  Ferris  has  never  held  or  sought  office.  He 
boasts  of  having  voted  for  every  Abolition  candidate 
for  the  Presidency  from  James  (Sillespie  Birney  down 
to  James  Gillespie  Blaine. 

The  portraits  of  Mr.  Ferris  and  wife  will  be  seen 
elsewhere  in  our  Album,  and  will  be  recognized  by 
friends  and  neighbors  with  pleasure.  For  years  the 
genial  light  of  his  countenance  has  beamed  upon 
them,  and  the  volume  would  be  indeed  incomplete 
without  their  pleasant  faces  and  personal  history. 


1^ 


p^dwin  ]:.aflFerty.      Throughout  this  county 

I    the  observing  traveler  cannot  fail  to  note 

^*^^  the  large  number  of  fine  and  productive 
^  farms  with  their  substantial  improveuients, 
where  live  men  ot  enterprise,  industry  and 
I  economy,  whose  interests  have  been  long  identi- 
fied with  the  prosperity  and  development  of  the 
county.  Affong  the  class  referred  to  is  the  subject 
of  this  notice,  residing  on  section  13,  of  Victoria 
Township,  who  has  lived  here  all  the  days  of  his 
life,  having  first  seen  light  within  its  boundaries  Sept. 
4,  1842. 

His  parents  were  John  and  Sallie  (Slocomb)  Laf- 
ferty.  They  were  natives  of  Ashland  Co.,  Ohio,  and 
came  to  IlHnois,  settling  in  Lynn  Township,  Knox 
County,  at  an  early  day.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
settlers  on  section  36,  where  he  purchased  the  sec- 
lion,  on  which  he  built  a  log  cabin  16x28,  and  made 
all  necessary  and  desirable  improvements,  and  where 
he  remained  until  his  death  in  1867.  The  mother 
still  survives  and  is  spending  the  sunset  of  her  life 
on  the  homestead.  They  had  a  family  of  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  still  survive  and  who  are 
named  as  follows:  Euphemia,  Eleazar,  Edwin, 
Rosa,  Ophelia  and  John. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
he  was  19  years  of  age,  receiving  a  good  common- 
school  education  and  at  intervals  assisting  his  father 


on  the  farm.  Upon  leaving  home,  our  subject's 
father  presented  him  with  80  acres  of  land,  upon 
which  he  at  present  resides,  having  improved  the 
same  by  setting  out  various  kinds  of  trees  and  build- 
ing good  and  substantial  fences.  Here  he  has  suc- 
cessfully carried  on  the  raising  of  cereals  and  stock. 

Mr.  Lafferty  was  united  in  marriage  Feb.  28, 1861, 
with  Miss  Margaret  Johnson,  daughter  of  Joseph 
and  Margaret  Johnson,  natives  of  Sweden,  who  came 
to  America  in  1846  and  settled  in  Victoria  Town- 
ship, on  section  16,  where  they  purchased  40  acres 
of  prime  land,  and  there  continued  to  reside  until 
his  demise,  which  occurred  in  the  same  year  of  their 
settlement  here.  The  mother  died  in  1S63.  Their 
children  were  seven  in  number — Christina,  Peter, 
Jonas,  William,  Andrew,  Margaret,  who  became 
Mrs.  Lafferty,  and  George. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lafferty,  six 
children  been  born  :  Sarah,  who  became  Mrs.  Wilber, 
and  bore  her  husband  two  children — Arthur  and 
Susan  B. ;  Wealthy  Lafferty  married  a  Mr.  Grant,  . 
and  the  remaining  children  are  Nellie,  Huldah,  Hat- 
lie  and  Edna  R. 

Mr.  Lafferty  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  is  Path- 
master  in  his  township  and  one  of  the  representa- 
tive citizens  of  the  agricultural  class  of  Victoria 
Township. 

-^  :  \  Cj^  \  \  ^^ 

roward  P.  Grant,  present  Supervisor  of 
Lynn  Township,  and  one  of  Knox  County's 
respected  and  honored  citizens,  as  well  as 
a  successful  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  was  born 
in  Peoria  County,  III,  Aug.  26,  1 835 .  His  father, 
Nelson  Grant,  was  also  a  farmer  by  vocation, 
and  born,  reared  and  married  in  New  York.  Shortly 
after  the  father's  marriage  he  came  to  this  State  and 
located  in  Peoria  County,  and  at  that  time  was  one 
of  the  early  pioneers  on  La  Salle  Prairie,  where  he 
located. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  when  he  arrived  in  Peo- 
ria County,  had  but  $1.50  in  money,  and  gave  that  to 
a  gentleman  to  take  him  12  miles  into  the  country. 
It  was  shortly  after  the  parents  arrived  there  that 
the  subject  of  this  notice  was  born.  They  soon  left 
there  and  came  to  this  county,  making  settlement  in 
Lynn  Township  They  afterward  moved  to  Mis- 
souri, where    they  resided   for  some  lime,  and  are  at 


t 


■Hr 


:^J^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


69s 


present  living  in  La  Fayette,  Stark  County,  111., 
where  they  are  passing  the  sunset  of  life  in  peace 
and  quiet,  enjoying  the  accumulations  of  the  past. 
They  have  been  man  and  wife  for  5  i  years,  and  have 
left  an  honorable  record  for  their  children  to  pattern 
after.  The  mother's  maiden  name  was  Polly  Chat- 
field,  and  she  was  born  and  reared  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y.,  living  there  until  she  attained  womanhood,  and, 
as  stated,  was  there  married.  She  bore  her  husband 
eight  childien,  five  sons  and  three  daughters ;  and 
one  of  the  former  is  deceased.  The  remaining  chil- 
dren ^re  all  married  and  settled  down  in  life. 

Mr.  Grant,  of  this  notice,  received  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  Stark  County,  and  was  an 
inmate  of  the  paternal  household  until  1 7  winters  of 
his  life  had  passed.  He  was  united  in  marriage  at 
Toulon,  111.,  with  Lucy,  daughter  of  Birdsey  and 
Clarissa  (Wilcox)  Norton.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  were  married  in  New  York,  where 
Mrs.  Grant  of  this  notice  was  born,  June  11,  1837, 
f  being  the  only  child  bom  of  her  parents'  union.  Her 
I  parents  had  both  been  previously  married  and  had 
children  by  their  former  unions.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Grant  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  died  in  Connect- 
icut, when  Mrs.  Grant  was  but  1 1  years  of  age.  His 
widow  afterward  came  to  this  State,  locating  in  Stark 
County,  in  1855,  whither  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Grant, 
had  preceded  her  in  1853,  and  where,  in  Goshen 
Township,  the  mother  died  June  15,  i86i,aged  a 
little  more  than  70  years.  Mrs.  Grant  had  come  to 
this  State  and  located  in  Stark  County  with  a  half 
brother,  with  whom  she  continued  to  reside  until  her 
marriage,  being  occupied  in  the  meanwnile,  a  portion 
of  her  time,  in  teaching  school  in  Henry  and  Knox 
Counties. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grant  have  seven  children  :  F. 
Ellen  is  the  wife  of  John  Reed,  a  farmer  of  Victoria 
Township;  .\rthur  N.  married  Wealthy  Laflferty,  and 
is  a  fanner  of  Lynn  Township.  Jessie  I.,  Fred  I., 
Maude,  N.  Birdsey  and  Harold  reside  at  home 
Shortly  after  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Grant  located 
in  this  county,  and  some  three  years  afterward  be- 
came permanent  settlers  of  Lynn  Township.  Mr. 
Grant  is  at  this  writing  proprietor  of  a  fine  farm  of 
200  acres  of  rich  and  productive  land.  When  he 
first  made  his  location  on  his  present  farm,  his  means 
only  footed  up  S.S°°-  The  first  day  he  began  to  plow 
one  of  his  horses  died,  which  made  him  still  poorer; 
but  he  was  not  the  man  to  become  discouraged,  and 


kept  on  in  the  even  tenor  of  his  way,  working  hard 
and  economizing,  and  the  fruits  of  his  success  are 
shown  in  the  fine  place  on  which  he  lives  at  the 
piesent  time.  It  is  true  that  our  subject  is  a  self- 
made  man  in  every  sense.  He  began  life  with  noth- 
ing and  has  accumulated  a  handsome  competency 
through  his  own  energy  and  perseverance,  and  on 
his  fine  farm,  surrounded  by  his  happy  family,  he  is 
enjoying  life,  as  well  he  may.  Mr.  Grant  was  .Assess- 
or of  his  township  and  also  Collector  and  Road  Com- 
missioner. In  1885  he  was  elected  Supervisor  of 
Lynn  Township,  of  which  office  he  is  the  present  in- 
cumbent.    In  politics  he  is  a  stanch  Republican. 


'H'M  nson  Sornborger  is  one  of  the  representa- 
tive citizens  and  progressive  fanners  of 
Knox  County.  His  home  is  located  on 
section  ri,  Copley  Township.  He  was  born 
April  24,  1817,  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y., 
and  his  parents  were  George  ami  Katie  (Wol- 
cott)  Sornborger,  natives  of  New  York.  They  were 
farmers  by  occupation  and  had  a  family  of  13  chil-  «^ 
dren,  of  whom  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the 
youngest.  His  father  was  a  teamster  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  who  came  from  his  home  to  Illinois  . 
in  1838,  and  settled  at  Victoria  with  his  family. 

Anson  Sornborger  took  up  63  acres  of  land  on 
section  ir,  in  Copley  Township,  which  he  improved, 
by  fencing,  building  a  log  house,  setting  out  trees, 
etc.,  and  in  this  pleasant  little  home,  cozy  notwith- 
standing its  inconveniences,  they  lived  until  1850. 
At  that  time  he  sold  out  and  purchased  the  place 
where  he  now  lives,  including  160  acres  prairie  and 
40  acres  timber.  On  the  160  acres  he  has  made  all 
the  improvements  possible  and  values  his  land  at 
365  per  acre.  His  parents  made  their  home  with 
him  up  to  the  time  of  their  deaths,  which  occurred  in 
1 84 1  and  1846  respectively.  He  has  been  more 
than  successful  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor,  and  has 
a  branch  interest  in  the  raising  and  shipping  of 
stock. 

Mr.  Sornborger  was  united  in  marriage  in  1840 
with  Miss  Catherine  Wilbur,  who  was  born  in  Coo- 
perstown,  N.  Y.,  in  1814,  and  is  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Dorothy  (Frymyer)  Wilbur.  Her  parents  were 
natives  of  New  York  and  lived  in  that  State  up  to 
the  lime  of  their  death.     Mr.  and   Mrs.  Sornborger 


4^ 

■4- 


696 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


*--H^ 


are  the  parents  of  ten  cliildren,  fourof  whom  are  de- 
ceased :  George  M.,  Charles  D.,  Ford  W.,  Alexan- 
der, Cass  and  Loue  E.  Those  deceased  are  Willie, 
Clare,  Henry  and  Jordan. 

George  M.  is  the  husband  of  Frances  Sydam,  and 
they  have  seven  children — Clarence,  George  A., 
Loleite,  Mary,  Claude,  Floyd  and  Grace.  Charles 
married  Marion  Clarke,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
two  children— Clifford  and  Clyde;  Mrs.  Sornborger 
died  in  1879,  and  her  husband  remarried.  His  sec- 
ond matrimonial  alliance  was  with  Irene  Brown. 
Henry  was  the  husband  of  Emily  Files,  but  died  in 
1870.  Jordan  united  in  marriage  with  Hannah 
Woolsey  and  they  were  the  parents  of  two  children 
—Minerva  C.  and  Harold  J.;  Jordan  died  in  May, 
1878.  Ford  W.  married  Viola  Abernathy;  she  is 
deceased  and  he  was  again  married,  to  Viola  Childs, 
who  has  borne  him  two  children — Bertha  and  Ella  A. 
Alexander  married  Frances  Clarke  and  they  have 
two  children — Lillias  A.  and  Susie  M.  Cass  mar- 
ried Isabelle  Cummings  ;  they  have  one  child. 

Mr.  Sornborger  is  a  Greenbacker   in    politics  and 
'.has  been  Commissioner  of  Highways  and   Overseer 
'  of  the  Poor  for  some  time.  With  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter he  is  an   earnest  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  of  Victoria,  and  is  one  of  the  best  and  most 
helpful  men  that  the  county  contains. 


■w^A-vvtac^/©-^^! 


v^%,'!nnrfv."!jyy\r. 


javid  T.  Kennedy,  son  of  Andrew  J. 
ajto  and  Catherine  (Raney)  Kennedy,  and  a 
farmer,  residing  on  section  7,  Rio  Town- 
ship, is  the  subject  of  this  historical  sketch, 
-(K  and  is  known  and  respected  for  his  persevering 
industry  and  the  unflagging  zeal  and  energy 
with  which  he  carries  on  his  chosen  vocation,  that  of 
a  farmer. 

The  subject  herein  written  of  was  born  in  Orange 
Township,  Knox  County,  May  4,  1858,  and  was 
reared  to  manhood  by  his  parents,  receiving  the  ad- 
vantages that  were  to  be  acquired  from  the  common 
schools  of  his  county.  He  grew  up  familiar  with  no 
other  home  than  this  immediate  section  of  country, 
in  which  he  knows  every  rock  and  rill,  every  dale 
and  running  brook. 

He  was  trained  to  follow  the  calling  of  his  father, 
and  Sept.  16,  1880,  he  engaged,  as  assistant.  Miss 


Lillie  Nicholson,  daughter  of  Solomon  and  Rachel 
(Wood)  Nicholson.  They  were  united  in  marriage 
in  Lincoln,  Neb.,  and  immediately  began  the  erec- 
tion of  a  pleasant  little  home.  Having  "  hung  the 
crane,"  they  were  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of 
house  and  home  keeping,  and,  bending  their  united 
energies  toward  achieving  prosperity,  they  can  hardly 
fail  to  gain  the  goal  for  which  they  toil.  Mrs.  Ken- 
nedy was  born  in  Fall  River,  Wis.,  Dec.  2,  1861, 
and  is  the  mother  of  two  children — Herman  E. 
and  Leroy  E.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  is  also  an  Odd  Fellow.  In  politics  he 
is  identified  with  the  Republican  party.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  popular  with  the  young  people  of 
their  section,  who  always  find  a  cordial  welcome 
awaiting  them  within  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kennedy. 


L.  Hedstrom.  Every  community  is  de- 
pendent upon  the  go-ahead  and  enterpris- 
ing men,  who  are  chiefly  instrumental  in 
building  up  and  finally  securing  its  prosperity. 
Distinguished  among  this  class  of  citizens  isV 
Mr.  Hedstrom,  residingon  section  18,  Victoria 
Township.  He  was  born  in  Victoria  village,  Aug. 
23,  1853.  His  parents,  Jonas  and  Diantha  (Sorn- 
borger)Hedstrom,  were  natives  respectively  of  Sweden 
and  New  York  State.  The  elder  Hedstrom  was  born 
in  1812,  married  Aug.  17,  1839,  and  died  in  May, 
1859,  being  at  the  date  of  his  demise  47  years  of  age. 
The  mother  was  also  born  in  1812,  and  died  July  6, 
1874.  The  parental  family  consisted  of  five  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  are  living — Almina,  who  mar- 
ried C.  S.Clark;  Jane,  now  Mrs.  F.  Becker;  and 
George  L. 

Jonas  J.  Hedstrom,  father  of  our  subject,  emigrated 
to  the  New  World  when  a  young  man.  He  was  a 
minister  of  the  Gospel  and  established  the  First 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Galesburg, 
in  the  year  1852,  and  also  one  in  Victoria  two 
years  previously.  The  parents  came  to  Illinois  in 
1835,  and  for  four  years  were  residents  of  Farming- 
ton,  Fulton  County,  where  the  father  engaged  in 
blacksmithing.  In  1843  the  family  removed  to  Knox 
(bounty,  where  they  secured  60  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 18,  and  with  the  aid  of  others  laid  out  the  vil- 
lage of  Victoria  in  1849,  one-third  of  this  being  on 
his   estate.     He   also  followed  blacksmithing  for   a 


i^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


697 


number  of  years  in  Victoria,  and  was  ordained  minis- 
ter about  1S40.  He  was  a  prominent  man  and  was 
loved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

G.  L.  Hedstrom,  of  this  notice,  has  always  re-  ' 
mained  at  home,  receiving  a  good  common-school 
education  and  following  the  pursuit  of  agriculture. 
His  farm  comprises  62  acres,  lying  beside  the  village 
plat.  He  is  also  engaged  quite  extensively  in  the 
breeding  of  stock.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Emma 
Tripp  Oct.  14,  1875.  Slie  is  the  daughter  of  David 
and  Elizabeth  (Sydam)  Tripp,  natives  of  New  York. 
Her  parents'  family  numbered  five  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living— Emma  L.,  wife  of  our  subject,  and 
Luella,  now  Mrs.  Van  Buren.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Hedstrom  died  in  1881.  Her  mother  is  still  Uviug  in 
Victoria  village. 

Horace  J.  and  Ava  are  the  names  of  the  children 
born  to  our  subject  and  wife.  Politically  Mr.  H.  is 
a  Democrat,  and  he  has  held  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector. Since  removing  to  his  farm  he  has  improved 
it  by  the  erection  of  numerous  and  substantial  farm- 
buildings,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  thrifty 
farmers  of  Victoria  Township. 


^^^^lex.   Henderson.     Conspicuous  among  the 
leading   farmers  and  the   more    influential 
residents  of  Knox  County  may  be  named 
^^  the  subject  of  this  historical  narration,  one  of 
JT^      the  most  enterprising  business  men   and  able 
J        financiers  in  that  section  of  country. 
Mr.  Henderson  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  spring 
of  1883   from   Henry  County,   and   settled    in    Rio 
Township,  bu)-ing  160  acres,  where  he  now  resides. 
He  was  born  in  Fayette  County,   Pa.,  July   2,  1846, 
and  removed  to  Henry  County  at  the  age  of  30,  ar- 
riving there  in  the  fall  of  1876.     In  that  county  he 
has  lived   ever  since,  with  the  exception  of   eight 
months  which  he  spent  in  Mercer  County,  until  the 
date  of  his  coming  to  Knox  County. 

Mr.  Henderson  was  united  in  marriage  Dec.  7, 
1876,  to  Sarah  A.  White,  daughter  of  Thomas  and 
Almira  (Hamilton)  White.  Her  father  was  a  native 
of  England,  but  Mrs.  H.  was  born  in  Henry  County, 
Jan.'  15,  i860.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henderson  are  the 
parents  of  two  children — Mar)-  E.  and  Flora  E.  In 
the   spring  of    1885    Mr.    Henderson    was    elected 


Assessor  of  Rio  Township.  Mrs.  Henderson  is  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  a 
most  estimable  Christian  lady,  whose  gentleness  and 
large  sympathies  win  her  many  friends.  Mr.  H.  is 
a  young  man  of  good  judgment,  is  wide-awake  to  the 
(XDlitical  interests  of  the  country,  and  is  in  voice  and 
vote  a  Republican.  j 


'm 


'E^Sreonard  B.  Brown.  This  gentleman  was 
\  LteJ"^  '^"^  of  '1^^  "^°*'  highly  respected  citizens  of 
'•ijj^  Walnut  Grove  Township.  He  was  for. 
merly  a  resident  on  section  13,  in  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  where  his  widow  now  lives.  Mr. 
Brown  was  born  in  Cheshire  County,  N.  H., 
Dec.  6,  1825.  His  fatlier.  Squire  Brown,  was  a  farm- 
er and  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  of  New  En- 
gland ancestry.  Here  he  lived  and  died.  Leonard 
B.  Brown  was  the  only  child  of  his  parent-;.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Irene  Blanchard ;  she 
was  a  Vermont  lady,  of  New  England  parentage, 
who  lived  and  married  in  her  native  State.  Subse- 
quently she  went  to  New  Hampshire,  but  returned 
to  Vermont,  where  she  died  in  June,  1875. 

Mr.  Brown's  early  education  was  obtained  in  the 
State  of  his  nativity,  where  he  lived  up  to  the  date 
of  his  arrival  in  Illinois,  in  1855.  He  had  prior  to 
this  time  lived  in  Boston,  and  in  1849  went  from 
there  to  California.  He  was  205  days  making  the 
trip  via  Cape  Horn,  and  remained  there  two  years, 
when  he  returned  to  Boston.  He  located  in  this 
township,  purchasing  his  first  land  in  January,  1858, 
which  embraced  160  acres  on  section  13,  and  is  now 
the  home  of  his  wife.  This  was  worked  into  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  from  the  rough,  unbroken  prairie. 
The  residence  and  buildings  on  the  farm  are  well 
erected  and  desirably  situated.  He  married  at  the 
home  of  his  bride's  uncle,  k.  W.  Buckley,  on  June 
I.  1856,  in  Copley  Township.  His  bride  was  Miss 
Isabel  Williams,  born  Feb  11,  1858,  at  Rahway, 
N.  J.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Sarah  M. 
(Couenhoven)  Williams,  natives  of  New  York  City, 
where  they  were  brought  up  and  educated.  The 
father  was  of  English  and  the  mother  of  Dutch  pa- 
rentage. Soon  after  their  marriage  they  proceeded  to 
New  Jersey,  and  after  the  birth  of  their  daughter, 
the  present  Mrs.  Brown,  they  returned  again  to  New 
York   City,   where   they  remaiiied    until    this    lady 


t 


-H^ 


698 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


reached  her  i6th  year,  when,  in  1854,  the  whole  fam- 
ily, with  the  exception  of  two  sons,  came  to  Illinois 
and  took  up  their  abode  in  Copley  Township.  They 
subsequently  went  to  Altona,  where  the  mother  died 
Sept.  7,  1862.  The  father  afterward  lived  with  the 
daughter,  Mrs.  Brown,  up  to  his  death,  Jan.  16, 
1870.  After  Mr.  Brown's  marriage  he  at  once  set- 
tled in  the  home  where  his  widow  now  resides.  This 
good  gentleman's  demise  took  place  April  24,  1880. 
Mr.  Brown  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by 
those  in  his  township  who  had  the  good  fortune  to 
be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  nobility  of  nature. 
He  was  an  excellent  and  loving  husband,  whose 
death  caused  a  severe  blank  in  one  of  the  happiest 
of  homes.  Mrs.  Brown  is  the  mother  of  11  interest- 
ing children,  four  of  whom  are  dead.  The  list  is  as 
follows :  Irena  A.  is  the  wife  of  Charles  D.  Sorn- 
borger,  now  residing  on  her  husband's  farm  in  Vic- 
toria Township;  Sarah  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
three  years  ;  Mary  F.,  residing  at  home  ;  George  L., 
who  now  resides  in  Nebraska,  and  follows  the 
occupation  of  farmer;  Hattie  B.,  residing  at  home; 
Elbridge  Ingalls,  deceased;  Sumner  B ,  Horatio 
'  Seymour,  Ira  L.,  Nellie  O.,  deceased,  and  Squire  W. 
All  these  children  were  educated  at  the  public  schools 
and  show  the  thorough  training  of  the  careful  mother 
and  father. 

Mr.  B.,  in  politics,  was  a  Democrat  in  good  stand- 
ing and  a  strongsupporter  of  the  principles  held  most 
dear  by  that  party.  He  was  a  member  of  Altona 
Lodge,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Altona,  III. 

The  publishers  of  this  Album  take  pleasure  in 
presenting  a  view  of  the  comfortable  homestead 
founded  by  the  excellent  man  and  citizen  whose 
name  stands  at  the  head  of  this  brief  history. 

-^ #^ ^ 


^^^f  G.  LaflFerty,  of  the  firm  of  Lass,  Larson 
^!^H.i<"  '^  Lafferty,  wall- paper  merchants,  hang- 
liW'  ^'■^  ^""^  decorators,  of  Galesburg,  III.,  was 
%W  born  at  Ottawa,  111.,  Nov.  25,  1850.  His  par- 
]C^  ents,  James  and  Mary  (Bassnette)  Lafferty, 
1  natives  respectively  of  Ireland  and  England, 
reared  two  sons  and  five  daughters,  J.  G.  being  the 
eldest  of  the  sons.  He  was  taught  at  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  place,  where  he  also  learned 
the  trade  of  a  paper-hanger  and  painter,  at  each  of 


which  he  early  became  recognized   as  quite  skillful, 
if  not  an  expert. 

He  came  to  Galesburg  in  1876,  and  in  1884  be- 
came a  member  of  the  present  firm.  He  was  mar- 
ried at  Lewistown,  Fulton  Co.,  111.,  in  May,  1883,  to 
Miss  Mary  Shugart,  a  native  of  Ohio. 


Ikamuel  G.  Jarvis  is  of  more  than  ordinary 
reputation  as  a  farmer,  and  is  a  resident  on 
■'^IK-*'  ''^  section  8,  Victoria  Township.  He  was  born 
vIn  ^^^-  5'  '^^^' '"  ^"^°^''  County,  Long  Island, 
!]{  and  is  the  son  of  Jonas  and  Mary  A.  (Gould) 
I  Jarvis,  also  natives  of  Long  Island,  where  the 
the  father  died  when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  S'x 
years.  The  mother  still  survives  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1865,  and  one  year  later  to  Knox  County.  At 
Victoria  village,  in  1869,  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  again  married,  this  time  to  Moses  Robinson. 

Samuel  G.  is  the  only  surviving  member  of  his 
parents'  family  of  four  children.  He  remained  at 
home  until  16  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  live  with  W 
an  uncle,  remaining  with  him  for  two  years.  Subse- 
quently he  learned  the  carpenter's  trade  in  New  York 
City,  followed  the  same  in  New  York  State  until 
1855,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Illinois  and  to 
Knox  County.  Here  he  followed  the  same  business 
until  his  enlistment  in  October,  1862,  in  the  9th  111. 
Cav.,  and  was  in  the  service  until  October  of  the  fol- 
lowing year.  He  was  on  detached  service  most  of 
the  time,  but  being  confined  in  the  hospital  at  Keo- 
kuk, Iowa,  for  six  months,  from  August,  1862,  until 
July,  1863,  he  was  then  sent  to  his  regiment  and  re- 
ceived an  honorable  discharge  Oct.  12,  1863.  Re- 
turning to  Illinois,  he  re-engaged  at  his  trade,  which 
he  followed  until  1870.  At  Galva  he  embarked  in 
the  retail  grocery  business,  which  he"  carried  on  for 
seven  years,  at  which  time  he  lost  his  entire  stock  by 
fire.  Subsequent  to  that  disaster  he  was  chosen 
Marshal  of  the  city  of  Galva  for  one  year.  He  then 
settled  in  Victoria  Township,  where  he  purchased  the 
place  where  he  at  present  resides  and  which  con- 
tains 160  acres.  Mr.  Jarvis  has  a  finely  improved 
farm  and  is  chiefly  interested  in  raising  grain.  He 
values  his  land  at  $50  per  acre. 

Miss  Mary  E.  Dean  was  the  maiden   name  of  the 
wife  of  our  subject,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1857. 


■4" 


JU 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


699 


She  is  a  daughter  ot  David  D.  and  Mary  A  (Smith) 
Dean,  natives  of  the  Empire  State.  Her  father  died 
the  year  of  their  removal  to  Oliio  (1S37).  Her  mother 
was  again  married  to  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Na- 
thaniel Marshall.  After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M. 
removed  to  Winnebago  County,  111.,  and  thence,  in 
1853,  to  Knox  County.  They  resided  in  Victoria 
until  their  deaths,  in  1868  and  1867  resi>ectively. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jarvis  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren— Fannie,  Jennie  and  Hattie.  Our  subject  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  which 
he  joined  in  1S65,  at  .-Mtona,  and  afterward  affiliated 
with  the  lodge  at  Galva,  in  1869,  and  in  which  he 
was  Worshipful  Master  for  four  years,  then  dimitted 
and  in  March,  187  i,  connected  himself  with  the  Al- 
tona  Lodge.  In  January-,  1883,  he  was  elected  Wor- 
shipful Master  of  Altona  Lodge,  and  in  July,  1874, 
took  capitular  degrees  in  Kewanee  Chapter.  In 
1883  he  was  created  Knight  Templar  in  Galesburg 
Commandery,  No.  8.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
G.  A.  R.  Mr.  J.  votes  for  the  Republican  ticket,  and 
together  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  Fannie,  attends 
worship  at  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Our 
J^  subject  has  served  his  community  in  the  capacity  of 
School  Director. 


K  liver  Norval.  N'ote worthy  a:nong  the  sub- 
stantial citizens  and  men  of  industry  of 
Fulton  County,  and  who  is  identified  with 
it  as  one  active  in  all  enterprises  calculated  to 
advance  and  benefit  the  county,  is  the  subject 
I  of  this  notice.  He  is  engaged  in  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  and  largely  interested  in  the  grow- 
ing and  breeding  of  stock,  Short-horn  cattle  being 
among  the  better  grades.  His  present  homestead  is 
on  section  i,  in  Young  Hickory  Township,  and  its 
attractive  and  pleasant  appearance  indicates  that 
good  fortune  has  smiled  ujxjn  his  efforts. 

Oliver  Norval  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  Feb. 
26,  1807,  and  came  to  Illinois  April  26,  1836,  locat- 
ing in  Knox  County.  There  he  remained  for  one 
year,  then  moved  across  the  line  to  Fulton  County, 
his  present  home.  His  marriage,  which  was  cele- 
brated with  Miss  PoUie  Dunn,  a  native  of  North 
Carolina,  Feb.  15,  1829,  was  blest  witti  seven  chil- 
dren, as  follows  :    Charity,  Betsy  A.,  James  H.,  John 


H.,  Cornelius,  Drusilla,  and  Oliver,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy. Mrs.  Norval  was  born  in  1809,  and  died 
May  29,  1842,  in  early  womanhood,  departing  this 
life  at  the  early  age  of  33. 

His  second  matrimonial  connection  was  with  Mar)' 
J.  Sampson,  a  rrative  of  Maryland,  and  was  cele- 
brated Feb.  29,  1844.  She  came  with  her  parents  to 
Illinois  in  1835,  at  the  age  of  11,  the  date  of  her 
birth  being  Nov.  14,  1824.  She  was  the  oldest  child 
of  her  father's  family,  consisting  of  1 1,  one  of  whom 
died  in  infancy.  Tiie  children  of  Mrs.  Norval  bear 
the  following  names:  Samuel,  born  June  14,  1845  ; 
Theopliilus,  Aug.  26,  1847;  Richard  S.,  Oct.  18, 
1849;  William  O.,  Sept.  15,  1851;  Mary  J.  and 
Joseph  (twins),  April  15,  1853;  Enoch,  April  23, 
1855;  Benjamin  F.,  Dec.  2,  1857;  Jesse  C,  July 
21.  1859;  Rebecca,  April  10,  1861;  Haney,  May  2, 
1862;  Julia  .A.,  May  2,  1864;  and  Margaret  E., 
Sept.  5,  1866.  Those  deceased  are  Samuel,  Re- 
becca, Joseph,  Haney  and  Julia  A. 

Mrs.  Norval  is  of  English  ancestry,  and  her  hus- 
band is  of  Scotch  lineage.  He  has  been  prospered 
in  his  worldly  undertakings  and  is  at  the  present 
time  in  possession  of  385  acres  of  land,  all  of  which 
is  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  well  improved  and 
valuable.  He  owns  a  herd  of  40  head  of  Short-horn 
cattle,  his  favorite  breed  of  stock.  He  has  given  un- 
divided attention  to  their  improvement  and  has  con- 
tinued in  that  branch  of  industry  for  a  period  of  25 
years.  He  bought  his  first  male  of  Peter  Godfrey, 
of  Knox  County,  which  is  a  handsome  and  valuable 
animal. 

Mr.  Norval  and  family  are  active  workers  in  every 
good  cause  and  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  adopting  veritably  the  "  good  old  re- 
ligion." They  are  warm  admirers  of  the  doctrines 
of  faith  as  held  up  to  the  people  by  the  old  pioneer 
minister  of  that  time,  Richard  Haney,  of  Monmouth, 
.Mr.  Norval  being  baptized  by  him,  together  with  five 
of  liis  children.  He  is  a  man  who  figures  actively 
in  church  work,  has  been  Class  Leader  for  alKJUt  40 
years  and  also  Steward  in  the  church  to  which  he 
belongs.  He  always  speaks  when  moved  by  that 
emotion  which  bids  him  honor  the  Master  to  whom 
lie  has  rendered  loving  allegiance  an  entire  lifetime, 
and  his  cffbrts  are  always  for  good  In  jwlitics  he  is 
a  stanch  Republican,  and  is  true  to  his  principles  as 
strongly  in  the  minor  duties  of  life  as  in  the  greater 
ones.     He  is  the  grandfather  of  27  children  and  has 


^^ 


700 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


three  great-grandchildren.  William,  one  of  the  sons, 
is  a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  denomina- 
tion, his  labors  being  in  the  State  of  Nebraska; 
Theophilus,  another  son,  is  District  Judge  in  the 
same  State.  Richard  is  counselor  at  law,  and  Ben- 
jamin F.  follows  the  same  profession.  They  gradu- 
ated at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  and  have  shown  themselves 
worthy  of  both  the  father  and  mother  they  honor  by 
those  attributes  which  constitute  nobility  of  soul  and 
true  manhood.  They  have  proven  that  "  a  dutiful 
son  is  a  crown  to  his  father."  The  father  of  Oliver 
Nerval,  by  name  Theophilus,  and  his  grandfather, 
Solomon  Norval,  were  born  in  Scotland. 


■  j.  ;  (I    ohn  MeMaster  is  one  of  the  well-known 
.'  ISiij.     MeMaster  brothers  and  member  of  a  fani- 
Sf'''"  ""    ily  of  influential  standing  in  Walnut  Grove 
and  Copley  Townships.     His  farm  consists  of 
350    acres,    and    Mr.    MeMaster    is    himself 
deemed  one  of  the  most  successful   farmers  in 
j  the  country  around.      The  value  of  his  land   has 
gradually  increased,  and  to  his  own  labor  is  due  the 
valuable  improvements  existing  upon  it.     He  is  lo- 
cated on  section  27,  Walnut  Grove  Township.     The 
subject  of  this  brief  history  is  the  son  of  John  Me- 
Master, Sr.,    a   native   of  Ayrshire,   Scotland,    who 
was  born  in  May,  1796,  and  brought  up  in  his  native 
shire.     All  his  descendants  were  of  pure  Scottish 
blood.      His  good    mother,   Anna   (Struthers)    Me- 
Master, was  a  native  of  the  same   shire.     Through 
this  marriage  there  were  five  sons  and  one  daughter. 
The  subject  of  this  biography  was  the  elder  son, 
born  in  May,  1830.     He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Scotland  before  the   family   emigrated  to 
this  country,  in  August,  1852.     They  first  came  to 
Peoria  and  not   long   afterward   took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  this  county,  settling  in  Copley  Township, 
when  the  country  around  presented  a  surface  mostly 
of  unbroken  land.     The  portion  upon  which  our  sub- 
ject's family  settled  (in  all  80  acres)  had  never  been 
broken  or  in  the  least   improved — in   fact,   the  sod 
was  first  turned  by  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  now 
write,    and    subsequently    became    part   of  Walnut 
Grove  Township. 

The  father  of  Mr.  MeMaster  is   still  living.     The 
death  of  his  mother  took  place  Dec.  4,  1883,  at  the 


venerable  age  of  81  years.  Our  subject  lived  at 
home  on  his  father's  farm  until  the  date  of  his  mar- 
riage, which  took  place  Aug.  22,  i86r,  the  lady  be- 
ing Lorinda  Multer.  She  was  born  in  Oswego 
County,  N.  Y.,  May  10,  1838,  and  was  the  daughter 
of  a  New  York  farmer,  by  name  Joseph  Multer;  she 
was  educated  and  lived  upon  her  father's  estate  up 
to  i860,  when  she  came  to  Illinois.  She  is  the 
mother  of  five  children,  making  in  all  a  most  inter- 
esting family,  of  which  Mr.  MeMaster  is  very  proud. 
The  children  in  order  are  Chauncy  J.,  David  M., 
Anna  S.,  John  E.  and  Mary  E. 

After  his  marriage  Mr.  MeMaster  and  wife  settled 
and  still  lives  in  the  township  referred  to.  Of  him 
it  may  be  truly  said  that  he  has  carved  out  his  own 
fortunes,  and  by  his  successful  efforts  as  a  farmer 
has  shown  how  beautiful  a  country  home  can  be 
made.  By  his  uprightness  and  adherence  to  princi- 
ple he  has  attracted  around  him  friends  of  whom  any 
man  might  be  proud.  His  wife,  Mrs.  MeMaster,  is 
a  regular  and  stanch  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  McM.  has  always  been 
identified  with  and  is  likely  to  remain  a  strong  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party.  Those  who  represent 
the  party  in  his  community  have  always  looked  to 
him  as  the  promoter  of  measures  calculated  to  secure 
its  success. 


'JJipl^iif  H.  Gordon,  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
^^^^Jlf,  12  of  Copley  Township,  Knox  County,  was 
IIEC  born  in  that  township  Oct.  18,1851.  His 
|!}S^  parents,  Peter  and  Mary  A.  (McDowell)  Gor- 
l|^  don,  were  natives  of  Scotland  and  came  to 
j  America  in  1840.  They  settled  in  Copley 
Township,  locating  on  section  10.  Here  they  lived 
and  reared  a  family  of  six  children,  four  of  whom 
are  still  living — James,  Mary  E.,  Alexander  H.  and 
Albinus  M. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  remained 
at  home  until  he  was  22  years  of  age,  assisting  on 
the  farm  and  receiving  a  limited  education ;  he  then 
took  up  a  part  of  the  homestead  for  two  years.  At 
the  end  of  that  time,  in  1876,  he  moved  onto  160 
acres  of  land,  where  he  has  since  resided,  raising 
stock  and  grain.  He  was  married  Oct.  19,  1873,  to 
Miss  Mary  C.  Olmsted,  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Catherine  (Wilder)  Olmsted.     Her  parents  were  na- 


LArr 


t 


-•- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


701 


lives  of  Xew  York,  and  she  was  born  Sept.  17,  1855, 
hir  birthplace  being  Delaware  County,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gordon  have  four  children,  by  name 
Arthur  O.,  Eva  L.,  John  H.  and  James  P.  Arthur 
O.  was  born  Aug.  8,  1874;  Eva  L.  was  born  Jan.  5, 
1877  ;  John  H.,  Dec.  31,  1878, and  James  P.,  May  24, 
1882. 

Mr.  Gordon  is  in  politics  a  stanch  Republican, 
zealously  supporting  and  voting  for  that  parly.  He 
is  School  Director  and  has  a  keen  interest  in  educa- 
tional matters.  Both  himself  and  wite  are  earnest 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  worshiping 
under  its  doctrines  of  faith  and  showing  forth  the 
noble  principles  of  a  Christian  religion  in  their  daily 
lives.  Mr.  Gordon  is  one  of  the  representative  men 
of  Knox  County,  and  for  solid  and  substantial  traits 
of  character  and  nobility  of  purpose  has  no  superior 
in  this  section  of  countr\-. 


Iff  B.  Faulkner.  Prominent  among  the  well- 
to-do  agriculturists  of  Sparta  Township 
who  have  been  deservedly  successful  in 
their  chosen  vocation  is  the  gentleman  whose 
biographical  sketch  is  here  indited.  He  is  at 
present  residing  on  section  29,  where  his  ac- 
cumulations enable  him  to  pass  the  sunset  of  life  re- 
tired from  active  labor.  He  was  born  in  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1819,  his  father  being  Will- 
iam J.  and  his  mother  Isabelle  (Bushfield)  Faulkner, 
both  natives  of  Xew  York. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  went  to  Michigan  in 
1829,  and  were  residents  of  that  State  for  ten  years, 
his  father  being  engaged  in  the  occupation  of  farm- 
ing near  Pontiac,  Oakland  County.  In  1839  they 
sold  their  interest  in  Michigan  and  came  to  this 
State,  settling  in  Warren  County,  where  they  resided 
for  seven  years.  In  1848  the  parents  made  a  third 
remove,  this  time  coming  to  Knox  County,  and  lo- 
cating on  section  19,  Spana  Township,  where  the 
father  of  our  subject  purchased  160  acres  of  land, 
and  on  which  the  two  old  folks  lived  until  their 
death,  that  of  the  father  occurring  May  15,  1875, 
and  the  mother  Feb.  17,  1863.  Their  children  were 
eight  in  number — William  J.,  Catherine  Ann., 
Thomas  B.,  Gardner  S.,  Esther  Eliza,  George  W, 
Mary  J.  and  our  subject. 
The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  remained 


an  inmate  of  the  parental  household  and  shared  the 
joys  which  clustered  around  the  family  hearthstone 
as  long  as  his  good  parents  lived.  His  younger  days 
wore  spent  in  attending  the  common  schools  and  as- 
sisting in  farming,  which  vocation  he  has  followed 
all  his  life.  He  is  to-day  the  proprietor  of  170 
acres  of  good,  tillable  land,  where  he  resides,  having 
met  wiih  that  success  which  energy  and  persever- 
ance are  sure  to  bring.  He  now  devotes  the  major 
portion  of  his  time  to  the  raising  of  stock.  The 
place  on  which  he  resides,  and  on  which  he  first 
made  settlement,  was  a  tract  of  wild,  unbroken 
prairie  land,  which  he  has  brought  to  a  high  state  of 
cultivation.  He  has  a  fine  residence  ujx)n  his  place, 
together  with  a  good  barn,  and  an  orchard  equal  to 
any  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Faulkner  was  united  in  marriage  June  21, 
1855,  with  Miss  Sarah  F.  Goff,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  their  home  has  been  brightened,  as  well  as  their 
hearts  gladdened,  by  the  birth  of  five  children,  whom 
they  named  Laura  O.,  James  L.,  Charles  L.,  Saddie 
A.  and  Henry  F.  Saddie  married  Miles  A.  Buffum, 
March  5,  1884;  she  died  in  California,  Jan.  8,  1885, 
and  is  buried  in  this  county.  J.  L  Faulkner  mar-  ^ 
ried  Sarah,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kane,  of  Iowa,  Dec.  31,  1885.  The  mother 
of  these  five  children  died  June  i,  1864,  and  Mr. 
Faulkner  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance,  with 
Mrs.  Paulina  (Anderson)  Shannon.  She  was  the 
widow  of  Harrison  Shannon,  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
and  was  the  daughter  of  Edwin  and  Beersheba 
(Payne)  Anderson. 

Mr.  Faulkner  is  an  ardent  and  active  supporter  of 
the  principles  advocated  by  the  Republican  party. 
He  has  held  the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner  and 
Constable,  and  is  a  gentleman  whose  word  is  consid- 
ered as  good  as  his  bond. 


:eiijamin  Carey.     In  the  vicinity  of  Gales- 
burg  few  men  stand  more  highly  respected 
than  the  subject  of  this  biography.     He 
is  a   farmer,  residing  on  section    28,  in   that 
township,  and  was  born  in  the  town  of  Cas- 
tile,  Wyoming   Co.,  N.   Y.,  on  the  13th  of 
August,  1828.     He  remained  at   his  parents'  home 
until  his  21st  year,  meanwhile  working  on  the  farm 


•J<^ 


^-^ 


702 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


T^ 


and  attending  the  district  schools.  By  this  means 
he  obtained  the  only  education  he  ever  received  out- 
side that  resulting  from  his  own  personal  efforts  in 
after  life. 

He  first  came  to  Illinois  in  1855  and  took  up  his 
location  at  Galesburg,  vi^here  he  remained  several 
years.  Here  he  kept  a  large  warehouse  at  Saluda, 
five  miles  south  of  Galesburg.  In  this  occupation 
he  continued  for  nine  years,  and  bought  large  quan- 
tities of  grain  from  Mr.  Belding,  of  Galesburg.  From 
this  point  in  one  year  he  has  been  known  to  ship 
70,000  bushels  of  grain. 

He  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Marks  on  the  17th  of 
September,  1863,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by 
Rev.  C.  P.  West,  of  Galesburg.  This  lady  was  born 
in  Cedar  Township,  near  Saluda,  on  the  17th  of  July, 
1827.  Her  parents  were  Benjamin  and  Mary  M. 
(Bishop)  Marks,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky, where  her  father  was  born  in  1800,  and  her 
mother  about  the  year  1808.  His  death  took  place 
'in  Knox  County,  111.,  in  1844.  These  parents  had 
seven  children — Lavina  E.,  Benjamin  C,  Mary  A., 
JSarilda  E.,  William  P.,  Wayne  D.  and  Penelope  A. 
tTwo  of  these  children  are  now  deceased.  Tlie  par- 
I  ents  of  Mr.  Carey  of  this  history  were  George  and 
I  Adaline  (Burlingham)  Carey.  They  were  both  na- 
tives and  prominent  citizens  of  New  York  State. 
The  father's  birthplace  was  in  Washington  County, 
and  the  date  1804.  In  1844  he  died  in  his  native 
place.  His  wife  was  born  in  Saratoga  County  in 
1802,  and  died  in  her  native  State  in  1865.  By  this 
happy  marriage  there  were  two  children — John  and 
Benjamin,  our  subject.  Mr.  Carey's  brother  John 
still  resides  on  the  home  farm  in  New  York.  He 
has  a  family  of  three  giris,  viz. :  Adeline,  Ida  and 
Alice.  The  former  two  are  now  married  ;  the  latter 
is  still  single  and  lives  at  home.  To  our  subject's 
desirable  union  were  born  a  daughter,  Addie,  Aug. 
17,  1864,  and  William  Norman,  April  24,  1867.  The 
latter's  decease  took  place  on  the  2 2d  of  February, 
1882,  his  ailment  being  sciatic  rheumatism,  with 
which  he  lay  ill  for  four  months.  This  death  was  a 
great  sorrow  to  the  parents,  as  he  was  a  most  prom- 
ising youth.  Mr.  Carey  took  possession  of  his  pres- 
ent beautiful  farm  of  120  acres  in  the  year  1866,  and 
upon  it  he  has  made  such  substantial  improvements 
in  fencing  and  other  important  particulars  that  it  is 
now  a  valuable  property.  His  out-buildings  measure 
26x36  feet.     Mr.  Carey  has  800  rods  of  tile  on  his 


farm,  which  is  distributed  in  such  manner  as  to  put 
the  place  in  a  good,  tillable  condition. 

In  a  political  sense  Mr.  Carey  is  a  thorough-going 
Republican,  and  is  always  anxious  to  learn  and  know 
the  best  means  and  most  practical  way  of  supporting 
the  party  to  which  he  belongs.  He  is  a  highly  re- 
spected member  of  his  township,  and  one  of  its  rep- 
resentative men. 


B.  Hodgeman,  hardware  merchant  in  Vic- 
toria village,  was  born  in  Saratoga  County, 
^  ^"  N.  Y.,  Jan.  19,  1832.  He  is  the  son  of  Will- 
}\^  iam  and  Mary  (Blood)  Hodgeman,  natives  of 
the  Green  Mountain  State.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  farmer,  who  emigrated  to 
Medina  County,  Ohio,  where  he  resided  until  1857. 
His  first  purchase  was  a  25-acre  farm,  which  he  dis- 
posed of  and  went  to  Pepin  County,  Wis.,  purchas- 
ing at  that  place  40  acres  of  land.  On  leaving  Wis- 
consin, in  1875,  he  came  to  the  Prairie  State,  locat- 
ing in  Victoria  village,  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days  with  his  children,  his  demise  occurring  in 
March,  1880.  The  mother  died  in  Ohio  in  1845. 
The  family  of  the  senior  Mr.  Hodgeman  and  wife 
consisted  of  eight  children,  five  of  whom  are  living — 
Eunice  (now  Mrs.  Jennings),  Caroline  (Mrs.  Britton), 
William,  Leonard  and  Ransom  B. 

The  father  of  our  subject  lived  to  attain  the  ven- 
erable age  of  98  years.  His  younger  days  were 
spent  in  the  lumber  regions  of  the  Green  Mountains, 
but  during  the  latter  period  of  his  life  he  was  engaged 
in  agriculture.  In  181 2  he  was  called  into  the  field, 
together  with  many  others,  who  were  given  the  name 
of  minute  men.  Their  duty  was  to  stop  the  smug- 
gling of  goods,  and  for  his  share  William  Hodgeman 
received  a  cow  and  steer.  Being  a  Yankee,  he  took 
his  stock  home  the  s?me  night,  while  his  comrades 
enclosed  their  stock  in  a  yard  and  the  next  morning 
found  to  their  sorrow  that  the  cattle  had  been  stolen. 
Hewas  strictly  a  temperate  man,  not  even  indulging 
in  the  use  of  tobacco  in  any  form.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  cast 
his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party  in  1848,  but  since 
that  time  has  been  Republican. 

R.  B.  Hodgeman  of  this  sketch  left  home  at  the 
age  of  14  years.     Up  to  this  time  he  attended  the 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


703 


district  schools.  His  first  removal  was  to  Buffalo, 
where  he  learned  the  copper,  tin  and  sheet-iron  bus- 
iness, remaining  there  for  six  years.  He  then  worked 
as  a  "jour"  for  18  months,  when  in  1854  he  came  to 
Illinois  and  carried  on  a  tinshop  for  seven  years  at 
Victoria  village.  We  next  find  him  at  Wataga, 
whither  he  had  removed  with  his  stock  of  goods,  re- 
maining there  five  years,  and,  selling  out,  went  to 
Taylor  County,  Iowa,  where  he  purchased  5°  acres 
of  land  and  engaged  in  farming  for  nearly  three 
years.  He  then  returned  to  Victoria,  and  engaged 
in  the  tin  and  hardware  business,  his  establishment 
being  the  only  one  of  the  kind  in  the  village. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Hodgeman  was  Alsina 
D.  Ray,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1856.  She  was 
a  native  of  Medina  County,  Ohio,  and  daughter  of 
Ephraim  and  Abigail  (Low)  Ray,  natives  respectively 
of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio.  The  parents  of  Miss 
Ray  settled  at  Vic'oria  Township  in  1845,  where 
they  purchased  a  farm  of  50  acres  on  section  16,  and 
upon  which  they  are  af  present  residing.  Their  fam- 
ily numbered  three  children,  two  of  whom  survive — 
Alsina,  wife  of  our  subject,  and  Cassius. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren :  Isabella  (now  Mrs.  Hammond)  became  the 
mother  of  two  children — Julia  A.  and  Mabel ;  Alvin 
R.  Hodgeman  married  Miss  Ida  M.  Heaton,  and 
they  are  the  parents  of  a  son — Earl  B.;  Alvin  is  en- 
gaged with  his  fatlier  in  the  hardware  business  ;  the 
remaining  children  are  Ira  E.,  Carl  W.  and  Ray- 
mond. In  political  faith  our  subject  is  Republican 
and  has  served  his  township  in  the  office  of  School 
Director  for  12  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  is  a  strong  temperance  man. 


Tohn  M.  A.  Miller.  The  elegant  home  and 
highly  cultivated  farm  of  this  gentleman 
show  very  plainly  that  he  has  not  spent  a 
life  of  idleness.  His  240  acres  of  improved 
land  on  section  i.  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
Knox  Co.,  111.,  are  only  equaled  by  the  best 
farms  in  the  county.  He  first  came  from  Peoria  to 
this  county  March  12,  1856,  first  settling  there  in 
1836.  He  originally  came  from  Cortland  County, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  ist  of  October,  1836.  His  father,  Ben- 
jamin, was   a  farmer  of  prominence  from    Otsego 


County,  N.  Y.,  his  ancestry  being  of  English  and 
French  extraction.  He  married,  in  the  last-uamed 
State  and  county,  Miss  Julia  O.  Garrett,  a  native  of 
Connecticut  and  of  New  England  ancestry.  Her 
people  were  old  settlers  of  the  East,  members  of  the 
family  tracing  back  tlieir  parentage  for  more  than 
200  years.  Many  of  their  men  took  prominent  parts 
in  the  Revolutionary  and  Indian  Wars.  The  grand- 
father on  the  Miller  side,  wliose  name  was  Benjamin, 
was  prominent  in  the  Revolution  and  the  War  of 
1812.  His  decease  took  place  in  Otsego  County,  N. 
Y.,  when  he  had  attained  the  age  of  100  years,  less 
four  months.  During  one  of  the  Indian  wars  the 
Garrett  family  were  burned  out,  at  Cherry  Valley, 
Conn.  The  grandfather,  Mr.  Mills  Garrett,  who 
was  a  prominent  merchant  of  his  time,  was  taken 
prisoner  and  his  body  quartered  after  the  burning  of 
the  town.  After  his  head  had  been  severed,  the 
four  quarters  of  his  body  were  placed  on  the  corners 
of  the  principal  streets,  while  his  head  was  exhibited 
on  a  pole  in  the  center.  Around  this  the  Indians 
assembled,  dancing  and  singing  tlieir  characteristic 
songs. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  came  to  Illinois  in " 
October,  1836,  and  settled  in  Rosefield  Township, 
near  Peoria,  111.,  where  the  father  owned  nearly  900 
acres  of  prime  land  and  on  which  they  lived  up  to 
the  date  of  his  death,  in  March,  1875.  His  demise 
took  place  at  the  age  of  77.  The  motlier  died  in 
January,  1868,  beloved  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
The  father  was  a  prominent  Democrat  and  held 
many  of  the  local  offices,  which  he  discharged  with 
credit.  Among  these  were  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Postmaster.  The  parents  were  members  of  the 
Christian  Church,  a  community  in  which  ihey  won 
the  good  will  of  the  humblest  as  well  as  the  highest. 

Our  subject,  Mr.  Miller, .^as  educated  at  Knox 
College,  Galesburg,  which  he  left  in  1849.  The 
same  year  he,  with  his  brother,  Dr.  Hiram,  and  150 
others,  formed  a  company  in  Peoria  and  proceeded 
to  California  via  the  Santa  Fe  route,  arriving  in  San 
Diego  about  the  20th  of  December,  1849.  Thence 
they  proceeded  to  San  Francisco  and  on  to  Marys- 
ville,  and  thence  to  the  Yuba  and  Feather  Rivers,  in 
Nevada  County.  Here  they  devoted  their  attention 
entirely  to  gold-mining.  At  the  close  of  one  year, 
in  December,  1850,  they  set  out  by  vessel  via  the 
Panama  route  and  Mississippi  River  for  home.  The 
privations  and  sufferings  incident  to  such  a  trip  were 


4^ 


704 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


X 


neither  few  nor  light.  They,  however,  secured  a 
fair  competency  in  return  for  their  efforts.  Subse- 
quently our  subject  was  married,  on  the  17th  of 
March,  1852,  in  Trivoli,  Peoria  Co.,  Ill,  to  Miss 
Harriet  Robinson,  who  was  born  in  Otsego  County, 
N.  Y.,  April  15,  1830.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
George  and  Maria  (Gaylord)  Robinson,  natives  of 
New  York  and  Connecticut  respectively,  but  at  the 
date  of  their  marriage  residents  of  Otsego  County. 
On  June  2,  1836,  they  arrived  in  Trivoli,  Peoria  Co., 
111.,  and  there  lived  and  died.  The  father  died  Nov. 
7,  1873,  and  the  mother  March  4,  1881,  in  her  77th 
year.  They  were  active  members  of  society  and 
had  won  the  good  will  and  general  respect  of  all 
with  whom  they  came  in  contact.  Mrs.  Miller  was 
the  fifth  child  of  a  family  of  12.  She  was  well  edu- 
cated, and  engaged  in  school-teaching  shortly  before 
her  marriage.  She  has  been  the  mother  of  13  chil- 
dren, three  now  deceased:  Fannie  R.  M.  is  the 
wife  of  J.  T.  Newland,  a  farmer,  residing  near  Galva, 
Ida  Co.,  Iowa;  Benjamin  M.  married  Margaret  No- 
lan, and  is  farming  in  the  same  town  and  county  in 
Iowa;  Joseph  A.  married  Agnes  Quinn,  and  resides 
g  in  Galva,  111.,  where  he  is  a  newsdealer  and  book- 
I  seller;  Leroy  A.  resides  at  Galva,  Iowa,  and  is  a 
teacher  by  profession  ;  Mary  A.  resides  at  Galva, 
Iowa ;  Julia  A.  is  teaching  and  residing  at  home ; 
Almanda  E.  resides  at  home;  Emma  J.  lives  at 
home,  also  William  W. ;  Charles  T.  died  in  his  tenth 
year;  George  D.,  at  two  and  a  half  years;  Marion, 
when  five  months  old;  Herman  J.,  the  youngest  of 
the  children,  aged  12  years,  is  also  residing  at  home. 
For  four  years  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Miller  had  their  residence  in  Peoria  County,  where 
they  engaged  in  farming.  On  the  12th  of  March, 
1856,  they  came  to  this  county  and  purchased  their 
present  home  on  section  i,  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
and  have  since  owned  and  operated  their  delightful 
farm  of  240  acres.  Our  subject's  children  are  now 
being  educated  in  the  High  Schools  of  Galva.  The 
parents  are  prominent  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  in  which  connection  Mr.  Miller  has  held 
the  joint  office  of  Deacon  and  Trustee  for  20  years. 
Politically  he  is  a  thorough- going  Democrat  and 
warm  supporter  of  any  measure  likely  to  promote  the 
Democratic  cause.  He  enjoys  keeping  himself  well 
posted  in  the  movements  of  not  only  local  politics, 
but  those  of  the  nation.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I. 
0.  O.  F.,  Lodge  No.  408,  Galva,  111.,  and  Galva 


Grange,  No.  1591,  and  is  the  Master  and  has  been 
for  the  past  seven  years.  He  has  been  the  Repre- 
sentative to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  since 
1872,  except  for  four  years,  and  is  at  present. 

A  view  of  the  beautiful   home  of  Mr.   Miller  is 
given  on  another  page. 

5-K-i4#=^-V>-J— 

[lenjamin  M.  Harvey.  One  of  the  bright- 
p  est  examples  of  industry  and  enterprise 
may  be  found  in  the  person  of  Benjamin 
M.  Harvey,  a  partial  account  of  whose  per- 
sonal history  is  herein  recorded.  He  is  one 
of  the  leading  citizens  of  Knox  County,  and 
was,  during  the  administration  of  President  Buchan- 
an, appointed  Postmaster  of  Rio,  which  office  he 
held  for  six  years,  discharging  the  numerous  duties 
devolving  upon  him  with  a  promptness  and  hearty 
interest  that  won  the  approbation  of  the  people 
among  whom  he  labored. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  came  to  Knox  County 
in  1845,  from  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  on  section  21, 
Rio  Township,  where  he  lived  almost  four  years,  and  ^ 
then  returned  to  New  York,  where  he  passed  an  in- 
terval of  two  or  three  years.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time  he  returned  to  Knox  County,  and  has  since 
been  a  resident  here.  His  first  purchase  was  80 
acres  of  land  on  section  21,  to  which  he  has  added 
45  acres.  All  his  land  is  tillable,  and  the  humble 
beginning  of  many  years  ago  has  resulted  in  his 
present  residence  and  home  so  desirable  and  conven- 
ient. 

Mr.  Harvey  claims  as  his  birthplace  Norwich, 
England,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  is  Feb.  ri,  1822. 
At  the  age  of  six  years  he  was  brought  by  his  parents 
to  America,  and  here  the  little  family  took  up  their 
abode,  residing  at  or  near  Utica,  where  they  contin- 
ued, he  remaining  under  the  parental  roof  until  he 
came  to  Knox  County.  He  received  all  the  educa- 
tional advantages  that  a  common  school  could  sup- 
ply, and,  while  still  quite  a  young  man,  learned  the 
trade  of  shoemaker,  but  although  good  at  this  special 
line  of  work,  his  life  has  been  spent  at  agricultural 
pursuits. 

He  entered  into  the  matrimonial  state  at  New 
York  Mills,  N.  Y.,  on  the  rpth  of  July,  185 1,  and 
the  lady  who  became  his  wife  was  Alice  Smith, 
daughter  of  William  and  Ellen  (Thorpe)  Smith,  both 


^ 


<-• 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


705 


natives  of  England.  His  %vife  was  but  13  years  of 
age  when  her  parents  came  to  America,  and  with 
thera  she  resided  up  to  the  date  of  her  marriage.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harvey  have  been  given  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  William  H.,  John  A.  and  Agr.es 
M.  William  H.  and  John  A.  are  deceased,  leaving 
but  one  child  of  this  happy  little  family.  William 
died  Sept.  19,  18S0,  when  28  years  of  age,  a  young 
man  in  the  full  bloom  and  vigor  of  early  life,  cut 
down  by  the  reaper.  Death.  John  A.  was  also  just 
entering  young  manhood,  being  23  years  of  age,  and 
the  possessor  of  high  hopes  and  ambitious  aims  which 
death  ended,  and  the  bereaved  parents  were  com- 
pelled to  bow  to  the  dispensations  of  Providence  and 
try  to  believe  in  full  Christian  faith  that  "  He  doeth 
all  things  well."  Agnes  wedded  Charles  Weir  and 
resides  in  Rio  Township.  Her  nuptials  were  cele- 
brated April  28,  1885.  Mr.  Harvey,  as  previously 
stated,  has  occupied  many  local  offices,  and  takes  an 
interest  in  educational  affairs.  He  has  been  Direct- 
or of  his  home  school  district. 

Both   Mr.   and   Mrs.  Harvey   are  active  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  are  useful 
<f  and  desirable  workers  in  society,  supporting  all  good 
and  worthy  institutions.     In  politics  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 

-^ -#-# '^ 

Ijilliam  Craig,  deceased,  a  farmer,  who  re- 

>^  sided  on   section    15,  Victoria  Township, 

j^^^*  and  one  of  Knox  County's  prominent  and 

^>  progressive  citizens,  is  the  subject  of  this 
historical  sketch.  He  was  born  in  Ayrshire, 
-Scotland,  Feb.  11,  1823,  and  his  parents,  James 
and  Agnes  (Crawford)  Craig,  were  natives  of  that 
country. 

Mr.  Craig,  Sr.,  was  by  occupation  a  stone-dresser, 
and  also  mined  and  followed  farming  as  a  vocation. 
He  died  in  1854,  in  Scotland,  aged  67  years  and 
3  months.  His  family  consisted  of  12  children, 
seven  of  whom  survive,  as  follows  :  John,  Robert, 
Archibald,  James,  Margaret,  Mary  and  Agnes. 

Mrs.  Craig  came  to  America  in  1855,  and  settled 
in  Allegheny  County,  Pa.,  where  she  lived  until 
1862.  She  then  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in  Victoria 
Township,  where  she  purchased  40  acres  of  land 
and  there  resided  for  three  years.  Leaving  this,  she 
again  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville,  remain- 


ing three  years,  and  then  moved  to  Galva,  where  she 
continued  until  her  demise,  in  1872. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  until  he  attained 
the  age  of   19,  receiving,  in  the  intervening  years,  a 
common-school    education.      He  then    entered   the 
ironstone  mines,  and,  owing  to  his  superior  ability, 
was  at  20  appointed  foreman  over  49  men  working  in 
the   shaft.     Remaining  one   year,   he    resigned  his 
position  and  contracted  to  work  the  ironstone  mines 
for  the  Glen  Gardner  Company,  following  the  same 
until   he   came    to  America,  in   1847.     Locating  in 
Pennsylvania,  he  engaged  in  Schuylkill   County  in 
mining,  contracting,  sinking  shafts,  furnishing  sup- 
plies, and  lastly  in  running  a  tunnel  under  the  Sweet 
Arrow  Creek  above   the   Fall    known   by  the   same 
name.     This  tunnel  was  400  feet  in  length,  and  5x7 
feet  in  dimensions.     On   its  completion  he  went  to 
Allegheny  County,  where  he  re-engaged  in  mining, 
opening  the   Maryland  Coal  Mine,  remaining  eight 
years.     He  first  came  to  Illinois  in   1858,  and  staid 
only  one  year,  which  he  spent  in  the  coal  mines  at  ^ 
Abingdon.      He  then  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  and 
after  staying  seven  months  came  back  to  Illinois  and 
spent  one  month   at   Abingdon,  from  which  city  he  ^ 
moved  to  Oneida.    Working  in  the  shop  for  one  year, 
he  bought  out  Robert  McCormack's  interest  in  the 
coal  mine  in  Copley  Township,  and  there  worked  one  , 
year.    At  the  end  of  that  time  he  moved  into  Victoria 
Township,  buying  three  coal  banks  and  214  acres  of 
land,  upon  which  he  remained  for  20  years.     By  this 
time  prosperity  had  smiled  upon  him,  and  selling  his 
land  he  purchased  the  home  where  his  widow  now 
lives,  including  320  acres  on  sections  14  and  15,  in 
Victoria  Township,  where,  in  addition  to  his  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  he  was  engaged  in  the  raising  of  stock. 
Mr.  Craig  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Isa- 
belle,   daughter   of    John    and    Margaret   (Garner) 
Martin,  in   1845.     Her  parents  were  born  in  Scot- 
land, and  her  father  was  by  trade  a  weaver  of  Pais- 
ley shawls,  which  business  he  followed  in   his  own 
country.     They  were  the   parents   of  si.\   children, 
three  surviving,  to  wit:    Isabelle,  now  Mrs.  Ciaig; 
William  and  Mathew.    The  parents  of  these  children 
died  in  Scotland,  both  in  the  same  year,  1873. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  ('raig  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  a  family  of  12  children,  nine  still  living: 
.\gnes,  Mrs.  James  Daniels,  is  the  mother  of  seven 
children— William,  John,  James,  Belle,  Bird,  David 
and  Nellie ;  Belle,  Mrs.  Obed  Beadle,  is  the  mother  of 


H^ 


7o6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


four  children— Leon,  Bruce,  Amanda  and  Crawford; 
Margaret,  now  Mrs.  David  Webster,  is  the  mother  of 
three  children— Robert,  Frank  and  Maud;  Mary, 
Mrs.  James  Webster,  has  borne  her  husband  thr-ie 
children— Homer,  Mary  and  Keith;  James  married 
Amanda  Adkin,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  one  child 
—William;  the  remaining  children  are  William  D., 
Mattie,  Joseph  and  Jeanie.  Mr.  Craig  also  adopted 
a  boy  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  in  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  who  was  eventually  given  into  his  protection. 
He  bore  the  name  of  Samuel  Skimmes  Craig,  and 
went  into  the  Union  army  in  1863,  at  the  age  of  17. 
When  the  war  closed,  possessing  a  keen  desire  to  see 
the  country,  he  went  to  Arizona,  and  nothing  has 
been  heard  of  him  since. 

Politically  Mr.  Craig  was  a  Republican,  supporting 
that  party  firmly  and  honorably.  In  theological  be- 
lief he  accepted  the  religion  of  the  Christian  Church, 
of  which  he  was  a  member  from  his  i6th  year.  His 
wife  belongs  to  the  same  church,  and  they  were 
united  in  purpose,  inspired  by  the  noble  precepts  of 
Christianity,  as  they  were  one  in  heart  and  name. 
Mr.  C.  figured  actively  as  a  man  of  large  usefulness 
in  his  own  community,  his  fitness  for  the  local 
offices  frequently  giving  him  place.  He  had  been 
Supervisor  and  School  Director,  and  he  may  be 
reckoned  as  having  been  one  of  the  most  substantial 
men  in  this  section  of  the  country.  There  being  no 
church  of  his  denomination  in  this  vicinity,  both  he 
and  his  wife  were  at  the  time  of  his  death  associated 
with  the  Methodist  Epiiscopal  Church.  He  was  a 
Free  and  Accepted  Mason,  and  held  membership  with 
Altona  Lodge,  and  was  buried  by  that  lodge  with  due 
and  appropriate  Masonic  ceremony. 

Highland  H.  Clay  is  a  prominent  citi- 
zen and  farmer,  residing  on  section  29, 
.  ^  Galesburg  Township.  He  was  born  in 
<^  \  Windsor  County,  in  the  town  of  Chester,  Vt., 
His  parents  moved  to  Illinois  in 
1840  and  located  in  this  section.  Here  he  re- 
mained with  his  parents,  working  on  the  farm  and  at 
the  same  time  attending  the  district  school,  until  he 
was  14  years  old,  when  for  two  years  from  that  time 
he  attended  the  Lombard  College,  Galesburg. 

His  father's  name  was   John   L.  and  his  mothers 

' ^T 


Louisa  M.  (Balch)  Clay,  both  natives  of  Vermont, 
the  former  being  born  on  the  3d  of  October,  1802, 
and  the  latter  on  April  13,  1804.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  March,  1827,  and  13  years  subsequently  came 
westward.  Tliey  had  a  family  of  five  children — A. 
C.  Clay,  William  L.,  a  daughter  who  died  in  infancy, 
Warren  W.  and  Highland  H. 

The  subject  of  this  history  and  the  youngest  of  his 
parents'  children  married  Miss  Jennie  E.  Clay,  on 
the  14th  of  October,  1878.  The  service  was  per- 
formed by  Rev.  William  Copland,  of  the  Univer- 
salist  Church  at  Gaysville,  Vt.  They  have  four  in- 
teresting children — Don  Scott,  born  July  21,  1879; 
Emma,  born  June  22,  1880;  John  L.,  born  June  i, 
1882;  and  Waller  T.,  April  26,  1884.  Mrs.  Clay  is 
the  daughter  of  James  M.  and  Charlotte  (Orcutt) 
Clay,  both  natives  of  Vermont.  Her  father  was  born 
Aug.  22,  1825,  in  Windsor  County,  and  her  mother 
in  Bridgeport,  on  the  19th  of  April,  1827. 

These  excellent  people  were  married  on  the  24th 
of  March,  1847,  and  still  reside  in  Windsor  County,' 
Vt.,  where  they  keep  a  hotel,  and  have  a  family  of 
four  children — Emma  A.  (Mrs.  Highland  H.  Clay), 
born  Oct.  17,  1848;  Cassius  M.,  Sept.  14,  1850;  Jen-^ 
nie  E.,  Jan.  12,  1854;  and  Effie  L.,  May  13,  1861. 
The  paternal  parent  of  Mrs.  Clay  is  a  Republican  in 
principle,  and  he  always  voted  that  ticket  in  its  thor-' 
ough  and  unadulterated  form.  Cassius  M.  Clay, 
their  son,  is  now  residing  in  Nebraska.  The  father 
of  our  subject  died  on  the  7  th  of  November,  1877,  but 
his  mother  still  survives,  and  is  living  in  the  city  of 
Galesburg,  in  her  83d  year. 

Mr.  Highland  H.  Clay  enhsted  in  the  io2d  Reg. 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  created  First  Lieuienant  of  Co. 
D,  of  said  regiment,  previous  to  his  leaving  Gales- 
burg. He  held  the  office  for  five  months  and  was 
promoted  to  Captain  of  the  same  company,  which  po- 
sition he  held  for  two  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  was  promoted  to  Major  of  the  same  regiment, 
which  position  he  held  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He 
was  in  the  Army  of  the  Cumberland  with  Sherman 
and  took  part  in  the  Atlanta  campaign.  He  also 
participated  in  the  battles  of  Resaca,  Ga. ;  New 
Hope  Church,  Cassville,  Kenesaw  Mountain,  Mari- 
etta, Peach  Tree  Creek  and  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  be- 
sides many  smaller  battles  and  skirmishes. 

From  that  date  he  took  command  of  the  regiment  and 
marched  with  Sherman  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  On 
the  6th  of  June,  1865,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  he  was 


*4" 


— , .'^^^ . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


707 


^- 


mustered  out  at  the  city  of  Washington.  During  his 
whole  career  as  a  soldier  he  escaped  from  receiving 
the  slightest  wound.  Being  thoroughly  patriotic,  he 
nnade  an  excellent  soldier  and  fine  officer.  He  was 
held  in  high  esteem  by  his  comrades  in  arms,  and 
by  his  genial  disposition,  natural  strength  of  char- 
acter and  general  upright  bearing,  won  to  himself  an 
extended  respect  with  his  regiment  and  from  all  out- 
side who  knew  him. 

Mr.  Clay  is  now  the  owner  of  320  acres  of  im- 
proved land,  thoroughly  cultivated.  His  beautiful 
dwelling-house  is  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  fine  for- 
est trees,  and  his  out-buildings  are  of  the  substantial 
kind.  In  theology  his  views  are  liberal.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  theG.  A.  R.,  No.  45,  at  Galesburg.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  a  firm  supporter  of  that 
school  of  thought.  The  grandparents  of  Mrs.  Clay 
were  Leonard  Orcutt,  born  July  i,  1 791,  and  Miss  Sal- 
lie  Breed,  Aug.  8,  1791 ;  they  were  natives  of  Vermont 
and  had  a  family  of  six  children — Tirzah,  born  July 
28,  1816 ;  Clarissa,  Nov.  29,  1813  ;  Willard,  June  14, 
1820;  George,  Feb.  5,  1834;  Melinda  and  Char- 
lotte. The  present  Mr.  Clay's  grandfather  was 
V*  Timothy  Clay,  a  native  of  Taunton,  Mass.,  where 
he  was  born  in  1760  and  died  in  1832.  He  married 
Miss  Rhoda  Lawson,  a  lady  of  very  amiable  character 
^  and  high  mental  attainments. 

-^v o*o-®X®-o*<> v^ 

^^^ICohn  Bees,  a  general  farmer,  residing  on 
5^^SK^  section  19,  Walnut  Grove  Township,  is  the 
1^^  owner  of  76  acres,  mostly  improved  land. 
^l^  He  came  to  the  county  in  1866,  from  kna- 
l^t  strong  County,  Pa.,  of  which  place  he  was  a 
\  native,  being  born  where  Parker  City  now 
stands,  on  March  3,  1825.  His  father,  Jenkins  J., 
was  a  farmer  and  miner  and  lived  and  died  in  Penn- 
sylvania. 

This  latter  gentleman  was  born  in  South  Wales, 
but  came  to  the  United  States  soon  after  his  mar- 
riage. His  wife,  Catherine  Jenkins,  was  also  a 
native  of  South  Wales.  They  were  both  of  Welsh 
parentage.  Her  decease  took  place  in  Armstrong 
County,  Pa. 

The  subject  of  this  history  was  the  youngest  but 
two  of  seven  children.  He  lived  with  his  parents 
until  he  came  to  Illinois,  in  1866,  and  was  married  in 


Oneida,  January  i  of  the  following  year,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Finch,  born  in  Ontario  County,  N.  Y., 
April  8,  1838.  In  her  i6th  year  she  came  to  Illinois 
with  her  parents.  They  were  prominent  farmers,  who 
had  lived  in  Altona  most  of  their  lives,  since  1855, 
and  they  lie  buried  there  now.  Her  father,  Benja- 
min, died  in  1858,  and  the  mother  in  September, 
1884.  This  lady's  maiden  name  was  Matilda  Ben- 
nett, and  she  descended  of  old  American  parentage. 
The  present  Mrs.  R.  has  eight  interesting  children 
now  living — Charles  E.,  Walter  F.,  John,  Arthur,  Ida, 
Edith,  Carrie  and  Jenkins  B. 

Mr.  Ree/was  formerly  identified  with  the  Repub- 
lican party,  but  in  recent  years  he  has  become  a 
Democrat  and  a  consistent  supporter  of  Democratic 
measures. 


^amuel  G.  Stephenson.  As  we  have  pre- 
viously explained,  in  Knox  County  remark- 
able changes  have  been  made  since  Daniel 
Robertson  located  here.  Many  men  have  felt 
an  interest  in  this,  not  wholly  selfish.  They 
are  of  reliability  and  substantial  worth  of 
character,  and  among  these  may  be  reckoned  the 
subject  of  our  sketch,  whose  perseverance  in  a  good 
cause  and  his  foresight  in  making  his  home  just 
when  and  where  he  did,  as  well  as  his  uprightness 
and  integrity  of  character,  have  all  tended  to  retain 
for  him  the  high  position  which  he  now  occupies. 

Mr.  Stephenson's  home  is  situated  on  section  8, 
Lynn  Township,  and  he  was  born  in  Eastern  Swe- 
den, May  20,  1834.  He  was  the  third  child  in  a 
family  of  six,  and  the  son  of  a  Swedish  farmer  who 
lived  and  died  in  his  native  country,  and  whose  name 
was  Stephenson  Johnson.  The  mother,  Sarah  (Orin- 
son)  Johnson,  also  died  in  the  country  of  her  nativity. 
Our  subject  lived  at  home  until  he  was  reared  to 
manhood,  and  was  married  at  that  time,  in  April, 
1853;  his  wife,  Anna  Larson,  was  born  Aug.  10, 
1828.  She  was  born  in  Eastern  Sweden,  and  her 
parents  were  farmers  who  lived  and  died  in  their  na- 
tive country.  After  marriage  our  subject  lived  and 
worked  at  general  labor  in  his  native  Sweden,  and  in 
June,  1868,  he  and  his  wife  and  five  children  came  to 
the  West.  They  came  directly  to  Henry  County, 
where  they  lived  for  fine  years.  They  left  that 
place,  and,  removing  to    Knox   County,   have   since 


<^ 


=¥; 


708 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


resided  here,  in  Lynn  Township.  Their  farm  they 
have  beautified  and  improved,  having  held  it  since 
1882.  He  owns  160  acres  in  his  present  homestead, 
and  they  have  raised  a  family  often  children,  five  of 
whom  are  deceased.  The  following  are  their  names  : 
Matilda,  wife  of  John  Farraander,  who  resides  in 
Phelps  County,  Neb.,  and  is  a  farmer;  Charles  G.  is 
married  to  Carrie  Yden,  and  lives  in  Polk  County, 
Neb.,  and  is  also  a  farmer;  Alfred  J.,  now  residing  in 
Polk  County,  Neb. ;  Louis  and  Annie  L.  both  reside 
at  home. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stephenson  are  agreeable  and  con- 
genial people,  who  occupy  a  wide  spherS  of  useful- 
ness, and  belong  to  the  Swedish  Lutheran  Church. 
Mr.  Stephenson  is  an  earnest  Republican,  and  sel- 
dom fails  to  vote  for  his  party. 


FI^MI  illi^°i  Overlander,  one  of  Knox  County's 

I^A,    prominent  and  successful  farmers,  resid- 


r 


ing  on  section  30,  Victoria  Township,  was 


born  in  Richland  County,  Ohio,  April  17, 
"1^'  1835.  He  was  a  son  of  William  and  Mary 
IJ  (Neal)  Overlander,  natives  of  Pennsylvania 
and  Ohio  respectively.  The  parents  were  married 
in  Ohio,  where  they  remained  until  1835,  the  date  of 
their  removal  to  Illinois,  and  to  Victoria  Township 
in  the  following  year,  locating  on  section  30,  their 
present  home,  wliere  the  father  had  purchased  some 
400  acres  of  land.  Upon  this  place  they  remained 
until  their  death,  Dec.  10,  1847,  and  in  1877  respect- 
ively. Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  five 
of  whom  still  survive  and  of  whom  we  give  the  fol- 
lowing brief  memoranda  :  Rebecca  Overlander,  now 
Mrs.  VVilco.x;  William;  Nancy,  now  Mrs.  Wilson ; 
Sarah  Ann,  now  Mrs.  Gillaspi,  and  Mary  J.  Haw- 
kin  son. 

The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  came  to 
Victoria  Township  with  his  parents  when  but  one 
year  of  age.  At  this  place  he  attended  the  district 
schools,  and  when  a  lad  of  17  years  emigrated  to 
California,  in  search  of  gold,  and  remained  there  two 
years,  when  he  returned  to  Victoria  Township  and 
made  it  his  home  until  1855.  We  next  hear  of  him 
in  the  States  of  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Missouri  and  Kan- 
sas, looking  for  a  location  in  which  to  invest  his 
means  in  productive  land.     He  afterward  purchased 


200  acres  in  Nebraska,  in  1858,  14  miles  from  the 
city  of  Omaha,  and  lived  on  the  same  for  two  years, 
when  he  again  returned  to  Victoria  Township  and 
made  a  purchase  of  67  acres  on  section  30,  to  which 
he  has  subsequently  added  until  at  present  he  is  the 
owner  of  180  acres.  He  has  always  followed  farm- 
ing pursuits  and  is  at  present  engaged  in  the  raising 
of  cereals  and  also  the  breeding  of  stock. 

In  i860  occurred  the  marriage  of  Mr.  Overlander, 
at  which  time  Miss  Lucy  J.  Olmstead  became  his 
wife.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Stephen  and  Clarissa 
(McMorris)  Olmstead,  natives  of  the  Empire  State. 
The  parents  emigrated  to  the  Prairie  State  in  1856, 
and  located  in  Victoria  Township.  Their  family 
circle  numbers  ten  members,  nine  of  whom  still  sur- 
vive. The  record  is  as  follows  :  Phoebe  A.,  now 
Mrs.  Harrington;  William  H.,  John  R.  ;  Lucy  J., 
wife  of  our  subject;  James  L.,  Stephen  A.,  Elmer 
D.,  Sarah  J.,  now  Mrs.  Waffle,  and  Walter  M. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Overlander  have  a  family  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  we  give  the  following  :  Ellen  M.,' 
Lillie  v.,  William  S.,  Effie  N.,  Katie,  EveHne,  Lucy, 
Reuben  and  Clara. 

Our  subject  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  held  theofficeii 
of  Pathmaster  and  also  that  of  School  Director,  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  solid  and  substantial  men 
of  Victoria  Township. 


Il^dward  M.  Collins.  In  1848  there  came 
from  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  Michael  Col- 
lins and  his  family,  and  located  in  Knox 
!||^  Township.  He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and 
had  chosen  for  his  wife  Miss  Margaret  Griffith. 
Early  in  life  she  came  to  this  country,  and  in 
the  year  stated  had  become  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
beautiful  county.  The  family  later  moved  into  Cop- 
ley Township,  where  the  husband  and  father  died  in 
1 86 1,  and  the  widow  and  mother  in  the  autumn  of 
1864.  They  had  reared  a  family  of  eight  children, 
of  whom  Edward  M.  was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 
He  was  born  April  29,  1839,  while  his  parents  were 
residents  of  Pickaway  County. 

Our  subject  was  only  nine  years  of  age  when  he 
was  brought  to  this  county  with  his  parents.  Here 
he  was  reared,  spending  his  youth  in  assisting  his 
father  in   cultivating  the  farm,  and  attending  such 


X 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
L.,iVERS!Ty  OF  ILLIV; 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


7U 


schools  as  the  neighborhood  afforded.  When  he 
grew  to  manhood  he  embarked  on  the  uncertain  sea 
of  life,  himself  alone  at  the  helm.  He  has  steered 
his  craft  free  of  the  breakers  upon  which  so  many  go 
down,  and  to-day  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  well-to- 
do  and  leading  agriculturists  in  his  township.  He  is 
the  possessor  of  290  acres  of  land,  200  of  which  are 
tillable. 

Dec.  29,  1S68,  Mr.  Collins  and  Miss  Hannah  E. 
Young  united  their  fortunes  in  the  holy  bonds  of 
matrimony.  Mrs.  Collins  was  the  daughter  of  Robert 
and  Mary  (Johnston)  Young.  (A  sketch  of  the 
former  is  given  in  this  volume.)  She  was  born  in 
Persifer,  Feb.  10,  1850.  The  names  of  the  five  chil- 
dren born  to  them  are  Katie  M.,  Robert  R.,  Ella  G., 
Rollin  E.  and  Jessie  M. 

Mr.  Collins  takes  considerable  interest  in  the 
public  affairs  of  his  community,  and  lends  his  as- 
sistance toward  the  progress  and  welfare  of  the 
neighborhood.  He  is  especially  interested  in  edu- 
cational matters,  and  at  present  is  serving  as  School 
Director.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  jx)litically  is  a  Democrat.  He  and  his  wife  and 
eldest  daughter,  Katie,  are  members  of  the  Metliodisi 
Episcopal  Church. 


I^dmund  Smith.  Of  the  names  among  the 
records  of  Knox  County  there  stands  out  in 
bold  relief  that  of  Edmund  Smith,  who 
entered  its  precincts  in  1844,  settling  on  section 
31,  Persifer  Township,  in  which  township  he 
no.v  owns  55  acres.  He  has  watched  the 
gradual  growth  of  this  section  of  country,  and  feels 
that  keen  interest  in  its  progress  known  only  to  those 
who  first  knew  it  in  its  lonely  primitive  state,  dotted 
here  and  there  with  the  humble  log  cabins  which 
constituted  the  homes  of  its  residents  in  the  early 
days. 

Our  subject  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Granby, 
Mass.,  June  9,  1809,  and  had  attained  the  age  of  23 
years  when  he  came  to  Ohio.  In  that  State  he  re- 
sided until  moving  to  Knox  County;  he  had  followed 
the  vocation  of  clerk  in  a  store,  after  which  he  pur- 
sued mercantile  business  for  himself  a  short  time 
On  coming  to  Knox  County  he  bought  a  farm  in  Haw 
Creek  Township,  where  he  lived  for  seven  years. 
Accompanied  by  his  wife  and  four  children,  in  1844, 


he  settled  in  Persifer  Township,  renting  land,  soon 
after  which  he  purchased  40  acres  in  the  same  town- 
ship, upon  which  he  remained  four  years.  The  third 
year  of  Mr.  Smith's  residence  upon  this  little  farm, 
his  dog  went  mad,  and,  attacking  his  master,  bit  him 
severely.  Mr.  Smith  heard  of  a  madstone  at  Liver- 
pool, a  little  town  on  the  Illinois  River,  and  immedi- 
ately repaired  there  to  test  its  efficacy.  To  his  great 
joy,  it  proved  all  that  had  been  claimed  for  it ;  his 
life  was  saved,  and  he  has  since  felt  no  discomfort 
from  the  wound.  Mr.  Smith  naturally  recommends 
the  madstone  to  all  who  may  meet  with  the  misfort- 
une which  he  did.  He  states  that  the  animal  was 
raving  mad  and  chewed  its  own  tongue  off. 

Mr.  Smith  subsequently  sold  this  land  and  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  at  Gilson.  He  was 
married  in  Gallia  County,  Ohio,  August  15,  1837,  to 
Sarah  P.  Rambo,  who  was  born  in  the  same  county, 
June  9,  1 8 18.  Their  family  was  large,  consisting  of 
12  children,  as  follows:  Benjamin,  Reuben  and 
Henry  are  deceased ;  Louisa  is  the  wife  of  LewHs  F. 
Roe,  and  resides  in  Adams  County,  111.;  Charles 
makes  his  home  in  Haw  Creek  Township  ;  Abraham 
is  under  the  parental  roof;  William  resides  in  Iowa; 
Rachel  has  3  home  in  Knoxville;  Cynthia  is  the  wife 
of  John  Hughes,  and  resides  in  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship ;  Edmund's  home  is  in  Texas ;  Sarah  is  the  ' 
wife  of  John  Lindsey,  and  lives  in  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  Maggie  still  continues  at  home.  Two  sons 
were  in  the  Union  Army,  in  the  77th  111.  Vol.  Inf — 
Charles  and  William  ;  the  latter  was  for  a  time  in  a 
Te.xas  prison,  and  both  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war. 

In  politics  Mr.  Smith  is  a  Republican,  which  party 
he  supjwrts  with  voice  and  vote,  and  is  an  energetic 
worker  in  public  affairs.  He  is  also  intelligent  and 
interested  in  educational  matters. 


lohn  A.  Stuckey,  Sheriff  of  Knox  County 
and  one  of  the  most  faithful  officials  the 
county  was  ever  favored  with,  is  the  son  of 
K^    George  W.  and   Mary  (Compher)  Stuckey,  na- 
jr     tives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German  and  En- 
\      glish  extraction  respectively.     He  was  bom  in 
Bedford  County,   Pa.,  Nov.   29,  1835.     The  senior 
Mr.  Stuckey  was  a  farmer  in  earlier  life,  and  still  re- 
sides  in  his   native  county  at  the  age  of  73  years. 


■0- 


712 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


His  wife's  death  occurred  in  1861.  They  reared  three 
sons  and  three  daughters,  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
being  the  eldest  of  the  family. 

John  A.  Stuckey  grew  to  manhood  upon  his  fath- 
er's farm,  alternating  the  duties  thereon  with  attend- 
ance at  the  common  schools,  where  he  acquired  the 
rudiments  of  an  English  education.  He  came  to 
Knox  County  in  the  fall  of  1856,  locating  first  at  Al- 
tona.  He  removed  from  there  in  1862,  to  a  farm 
near  Knoxville,  but  returned  in  1865  to  Altona  and 
there  was  engaged  in  the  hardware  and  agricultural 
implement  business  up  to  1873.  From  the  year  1873 
to  1877,  he  devoted  his  time  to  ditching  and  ditching 
machines,  and  in  1877-80,  he  was  Deputy  Sheriff  un- 
A.  W.  Berggren.  In  the  fall  of  1880  he  was  elected 
Sheriff  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  served  two 
years,  at  which  time,  the  law  increasing  the  tenure  of 
the  office  having  gone  into  effect,  he  was  re-elected 
in  1882  for  the  ensuing  four  years. 

Mr.  Stuckey  was  united  in  marriage  at  Knoxville,  in 
i860,  wth  Miss  Margaret  Norris,  a  native  of  Mar)'- 
land,  and  the  four  children  born  to  them  are  George 
N.,  a  bookkeeper;  Samuel  B.,  Deputy  Sheriff;  Nel- 
lie and  Johnnie.  Mr.  Stuckey  is  known  as  an  active 
Repullican;  has  filled  many  minor  offices  of  the 
township  in  which  he  so  long  resided  ;  is  a  member 
of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. ;  identified  with  no  particular 
church,  and  enjoys  the  friendship  and  confidence  of 
all  the  better  elements  of  the  community.  Though 
not  wealthy,  he  is  in  comfortable  circumstances,  and, 
like  a  majority  of  the  men  worthy  of  a  place  in  this 
volume,  what  of  this  world's  goods  he  has  has  been 
acquired  by  his  own  individual  effort  and  industry.  It 
is  gratifying  to  the  publishers  to  present  a  portrait  of 
this  gentleman  in  connection  with  this  brief  outline 
of  his  life,  and  we  know  his  friends,  who  are  found  in 
all  parts  of  the  county,  will  be  highly  pleased.  Mr. 
Stuckey  is  a  stern,  matter-of-fact  sort  of  a  man  and 
admirably  fitted  for  the  responsible  position  he  holds. 


■t  owry  J.  Edgar  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
farmers  of   Knox  County,  and  resides  on 
section   25,  in  Galesburg  Township.     He 
was  born   in   Hart  County,  Ky.,  in  1827,  and 
came  to  Illinois  in  1835,  with  his  parents,  who 
located  on  the  above  section.      He   is  the  son 
of  James   and    Sarah    (Trowbridge)    Edgar.      The 


father  was  bom  in  Iredell  County,  N.  C,  Jan.  5, 
1 78 1,  and  died  Jan.  17,  1863,  in  this  county.  The 
mother  was  born  in  Essex  County,  N.  J.,  April  10, 
1787,  and  died  Jan.  ir,  1877,  in  Knox  County. 

They  were  married  in  Kentucky  in  the  year  1807 
or  1808,  and  were  the  parents  of  11  children,  bom 
and  named  as  follows:  Thomas,  born  Jan.  19,  1809; 
David,  May  27,  1810;  William,  Jan.  15,  1812; 
Jane,  March  11,  1814;  Job,  Mays,  1816;  James, 
Feb.  I,  1818;  Martha,  Jan.  4,  1820;  John,  Sept.  12, 
1822;  Sarah,  Oct.  5,  1824;  Emma,  Sept.  12,  1829, 
and  Lowry  J.  as  above  stated. 

Lowr)-  J.,  the  tenth  child,  married  Miss  Martha 
A.  Brown,  March  6,  1859;  she  was  born  in  June, 
1833,  in  Hart  County,  Ky.  Her  parents,  Armsted 
and  Sarah  (Ferguson)  Brown,  were  also  natives  of 
Kentucky,  the  father  being  born  Dec.  18,  1808,  and 
d)-ing  Dec.  17,  185 1,  in  Knox  Count)-,  and  the 
mother  was  born  Nov.  23,  1808,  and  died  Feb.  25, 
1874,  also  in  Illinois.  They  were  married  March  3, 
1 83 1,  in  Kentucky,  and  had  six  children— Martha 
A.,  born  June  18,  1833  ;  David  M.,  Nov.  15,  1835  ; 
Mary  J.,  May  9,  1838;  WilHam  T.,  March  12,  1841; 
John  H.,  Sept.  23,  1843,  and  James  L.,  April  i,  1848. 
Mrs.  Edgar's  father  belonged  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  both  father  and  mother  were  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church.  All  of  these  children  were  bom  in 
this  county  except  Martha  A.  She  is  the  only  sur- 
viving member  of  her  family,  all  the  others  having 
died  in  this  county.  Mary  J.  died  Aug.  17,  1851, 
aged  13  years  3  months  and  &days;  William  died 
Aug.  4,  1851,  aged  10  years  and  5  months;  John  H., 
Aug.  23,  185 1,  aged  7  years  and  11  months;  James 
L.,  Aug.  5,  1 85 1,  aged  3  years  4  months  and  5  days. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edgar  have  four  children,  one  of 
whom  is  deceased:  Willett  S.,  bom  Dec.  27,  1859; 
Lillian  J.,  bora  Sept.  23,  1 861,  now  deceased  ;  Frank 
L.,  bom  Aug.  30,  1865,  and  Charlie  C,  born  Jan.  i6, 
1869.  The  following  obituar)-  of  Lillian  J.  is  copied 
from  a  local  paper:  "Lillian  J.,  only  daughter  of 
L.  J.  and  Martha  Edgar,  died  Sept.  12,  1880,  of  con- 
sumption, at  her  father's  residence  in  Galesburg 
Township,  three  miles  west  of  Knoxx-ille,  aged  18 
years  1 1  months  and  1 1  days.  She  was  a  young  lady 
of  unusual  promise,  and  was  dearly  beloved  by  a  large 
circle  of  acquaintances,  and  her  sorrowing  parents 
have  the  sympathy  of  the  community  in  this  sore 
bereavement." 

Mr.  Edgar  has  180  acres  of  fine  land,  on  which  is 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


7'3 


an  elegant  residence  35x35  feel  in  size,  and  two 
stories  high.  His  barn  is  30x44.  He  is  doing  a 
general  farming  busir.ess.  Nov.  20,  1849,  he  started 
for  California,  going  via  New  Orleans  and  the  Isthmus 
of  Panama,  landing  at  San  Francisco  and  going  into 
the  gold  mines.  Remaining  on  the  Pacific  slope  four 
years  and  a  half,  having  accumulated  a  little  stock 
in  the  world,  in  the  spring  of  1854  he  returned  to 
Illinois,  where  he  has  ever  since  remained. 

Mr.  Edgar  is  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and 
was  made  a  Mason  in  Pacific  Lodge,  No.  400,  Kno.v- 
ville,  111.,  in  1864.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
Coming  of  pioneer  parentage,  and  growing  up  with 
the  country,  he  has  well  kept  pace  with  the  advance 
of  his  time  and  has  carved  out  for  himself  in  his 
adopted  county  and  State  not  only  a  competency, 
but  a  character  for  rigid  honesty,  and  has  secured 
the  confidence  and  respect  of  his  neighbors. 


Herbert  Judd,  M.  D.,  a  distinguished  physician 
and  surgeon,  residing  at  Galesburg,  was  born 
at  Franklin,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  22,  1843.  He  graduated  at 
Auburn,  N.  Y.,  in  1867,  and  came  to  this  city  in  1868. 


W^ 


B.  Olmsted,  a  gentleman  who  is  closely 
.  ^Ms  identified  with  the  agricultural  progress  of 
^Ifc  "°  Knox  County,  is  a  retired  farmer,  residing 
on  his  beautiful  farm,  located  in  the  township 
of  Victoria.  He  was  born  Dec.  18,  1809,  in 
Schoharie  County,  N.  Y.  His  parents  were 
Stephen  and  Cornelia  (Van  Buren)  Olmsted,  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  New  York  respectively.  The 
father  departed  for  the  better  land  in  1834,  his  de- 
mise occurring  in  New  York  State.  The  mother 
came  to  Illinois  in  1832  and  settled  near  Alton, 
Madison  County,  and  her  death  occurred  about  1850. 
The  parental  family  of  Mr.  Olmsted  consisted  of  1 1 
children,  five  now  living — Henry  B.,  Stephen,  John, 
Sarah  and  Eunice.  Stephen  Olmsted  and  wife  were  j 
devout  members  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  O. 
was  a  Jacksonian  Democrat,  and  professionally  a 
teacher,  giving  instruction  at  the  district  schools  ;  he 
was  also  a  teacher  of  vocal  music  of  considerable 
talent. 
Our  subject  remained  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
-A 


til  16  years  of  age,  when  he  engaged  with  a  mer- 
chant as  traveling  salesman.  This  he  followed  up 
to  the  age  of  21.  Then,  with  the  money  saved  from 
his  earnings,  Mr.  Olmsted  purchased  an  8o-acre 
farm,  to  which  he  subsetiuently  added  100  acres. 
This  farm  was  located  in  Otsego  County,  N.  Y. 
He  remained  ujMjn  this  purchase,  cultivating  the 
same,  until  1857,  the  date  of  his  arrival  and  settle- 
ment in  Copley  Township,  Knox  County,  upon  80 
acres  of  land.  Here  he  remained  for  the  space  of 
six  years,  when  he  came  to  Victoria  village.  In 
Victoria  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  for 
a  period  of  three  years.  He  then  removed  to  the 
place  where  he  now  lives,  which  consists  of  40  acres. 
He  is  also  the  owner  of  village  property. 

The  gentleman  whose  biography  we  write  was  mar- 
ried Sept.  t6,  1S31,  to  Miss  Sarah  Bemis,  daughter 
of  Zacheus  and  Susanah  (Farnham)  Bemis.  They 
are  the  parents  of  three  children,  only  one  of  whom 
is  living,  named  Susanah,  and  now  Mrs.  William  G. 
Carnes.  She  is  the  mother  of  one  child,  a  son, 
Amos.  Mrs.  O.  died  in  1838,  and  our  subject  was 
the  second  time  married,  to  Catherine  Wilder,  Aug. 
4,  1838.  She  was  the  accomplished  daughter  of -^ 
Charles  and  Leah  (Romans)  Wilder,  natives  of  the 
New  York,  who  died  in  Otsego  County,  the  mother 
in  December,  1831,  and  the  father  in  October,  1836. 
Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living  and  bear  the  names  of  Catherine, 
wife  of  our  subject;  Bernard,  the  second  in  order  of 
birth  ;  Jane,  now  Mrs.  Osinan  ;  John  L.,  second  son, 
and  Rachel,  now  Mrs.  James  Marshall. 

The  result  of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Olmsted 
was  ten  children  ;  Charies  W.  married  Mary  V.  Wet- 
more,  and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren— Edgar,  Arthur,  Cora,  Peari  and  Harry  G.  Sa- 
rah Olmsted  became  the  wife  of  William  M.  Wool- 
sey,  and  four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  by 
name  Harriet  H.,  Henry  B.,  Bert  and  Catherine 
(Harriet  Woolsey  married  Enoch  Robinson  and  is 
the  mother  of  one  little  giri,  Milred).  Mahlon  M.  be- 
came the  husband  of  Annie  Osirander,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  four  children,  viz.:  Jennie,  Elroy, 
Mertia  and  Charies.  Milion  Z.  Olmsted  took  to  wife 
Luna  Foster,  and  they  have  one  child — Jack.  Henry 
K.  married  Agnes  Ross ;  he  had  previously  married 
Chariotte  Tripp;  she  died,  leaving  no  issue.  Will 
O.  Olmsted  is  the  husband  of  Ora  Whitman,  and 
their  children  are  Maud,  Susie,  Lucy  and   Robert. 


V 


^^^^ 


714 


x^rox  COUNTY. 


Aaron  W.  Olmsted  is  the  husband  of  Ettie  Robbins 
and  their  family  circle  numbers  four  children,  namely, 
Lester,  Harry,  Paul  and  Blanche;  Mary  C.  Olmsted 
became  the  wife  of  Alexander  Ha,rry  Gordon,  and  to 
them  four  children  have  been  born — Arthur,  Eflfie, 
John  and  James  P.  Stephen  Edgar  Olmsted  was 
an  Orderly  in  the  7  th  111.  Cav.,  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion.  He  was  taken  ill,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
25  years,  in  1862,  from  typhoid  fever  contracted 
while  in  Camp  Butler,  Springfield,  111.  Reuben  died 
at  the  age  of  six  years,  and  Osman  died  when  an  in- 
fant of  nine  weeks. 

Our  subject  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  in  which  denomination  he  is 
Trustee  and  Steward.  In  politics  the  entire  family 
adheres  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican  party. 
Mr.  Olmsted  has  served  Copley  Township  as  Assess- 
or for  four  consecutive  years,  and  is  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  Victoria  Township. 

'  fl^si:  imeon  L.  CoUinson.  Among  the  most 
i^^i  substantial  business  men  and  best  known 
[Ks  '  farmers  of  Walnut  Grove  Township  is  Mr. 
\V.  Collinson,  who  has  always  maintained  a  posi- 
{  tion  entitUng  him  to  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  the  community.  He  is  now  retired  and 
resides  on  section  25,  in  this  township.  He  was  born 
in  Yorkshire,  England,  July  7, 1806.  His  father  was 
a  farmer  in  the  same  county  and  died  at  the  age  of 
82  years,  at  that  place,  after  the  son  was  grown  to 
manhood. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  graces  this  history 
spent  his  early  days  in  farm  life  in  England  until  his 
2Sth  year,  when  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
embarking  Nov.  4,  1831.  He  was  seven  weeks 
and  five  days  crossing  the  Atlantic,  and  landed  at 
New  York  City.  In  January  of  the  following  year  he 
proceeded  to  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  Wilkesbarre.  In  1838  he  first  came  to  Knox 
County,  where  he  has  remained  ever  since,  becoming 
one  of  the  wealthiest  land-owners  in  the  district.  At 
a  period  not  long  ago  he  owned  not  less  than  2,400 
acres  of  good  land,  and  gave  to  each  of  his  children 
by  his  first  wife  200  acres  of  this,  improved.  To  one 
child  by  his  last  wife  he  deeded  300  acres.  His  farm 
at  present  consists  of  200  acres  of  improved  property. 


Much  of  his  land  has  been  worked  up  to  its  present 
state  of  cultivation  from  originally  unbroken  prairie 
land,  indicating  an  energy  and  perseverance  in  Mr. 
Collinson  not  often  met  with. 

He  was  first  married  in  Pennsylvania  to  Mary  M. 
Craver.  She  was  a  German  lady  and  born  in  that 
State.  After  a  short  illness  she  died  at  her  home  in 
this  township,  April  18,  1874,  aged  61  years  and  28 
days.  She  was  an  earnest  and  thorough  helpmate  to 
Mr.  C,  a  careful  mother,  and  respected  near  and  far 
by  those  who  knew  her  best.  Mr.  Collinson's  family 
consists  of  eight  children,  who  evince  to  the  observer 
the  good  bringing  up  and  careful  Christian  training 
of  devoted  parents. 

His  marriage  with  Mrs.  Jane  McClure,  «tv  Carna- 
han,  in  Victoria  Township,  was  an  event  of  much  in- 
terest and  took  place  Nov.  i,  1874.  This  amiable 
lady  was  born  in  Scotland,  Sept.  17,  1837,  and 
arrived  in  the  United  States  in  July,  1867,  and  at 
once  settled  at  Altona,  Knox  County.  She  is  the 
mother  of  one  child  by  the  latter  union,  named  Er- 
nest T.,  born  October  17,  1875.  By  her  first  marriage 
she  has  had  three  children,  one  deceased.  The  two 
now  living  are  named  Robert  and  Thomas.  The  fam- 
ily are  attendants  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
where  they  are  held  in  high  esteem.  Almost  all  the 
offices  in  connection  with  the  township  have  been 
ably  filled  from  time  to  time  by  Mr.  Collinson.  He 
was  Assessor  during  the  first  two  years  after  the  or- 
ganization of  the  township  of  Walnut  Grove.  His 
political  convictions  are  in  the  fullest  sense  Demo- 
cratic, his  consistent  attachment  to  principle  in  this 
regard  winning  him  the  good  will  of  the  party. 


^amuel  O.  Stevens,  one  of  the  representa- 
tive men  of  Walnut  Grove  Township,  is  a 
resident  of  his  farm  of  150  acres,  situated 
on  section  30.  This  gentleman  was  born  in 
Castile,  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  24th  of 
July,  1830.  His  father.  Orange  Stevens,  was 
.1  native  of  Connecticut  and  married  Parmela 
Belden,  who  was  from  Oneida  County,  N.  Y. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  the  oldest  but  one  of  six  children, 
two  sons  and  four  daughters.  Three  of  these  daugh- 
ters and  one  son  survive.  His  father  followed  the 
calling  of  tanner,  currier  and  shoemaker,  in  which 


H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


7'S 


\ 


business  he  operated  successfully.  When  our  sub- 
ject was  five  years  old,  the  whole  family  went  to 
Pennsylvania,  and  in  the  year  1835  they  settled  in 
Erie  County.  It  was  only  two  years  subsequent  to 
this  that  the  father  was  accidentally  killed  by  the 
falling  of  a  tree  while  chopping  in  the  woods.  His 
death  took  place  in  September,  1837.  The  mother, 
being  an  educated  lady,  became  a  proficient  teacher, 
and  practiced  medicine  for  a  number  of  years  before 
her  death,  which  occurred  in  Galesburg,  111.  Many 
prominent  students  of  Illinois,  now  grown  to  man 
and  womanhood,  will  remember  her  genial  disposi- 
tion and  earnestness  as  a  teacher.  Her  arrival  in 
Chicago  occurred  in  1839,  when  she  first  came  from 
Pennsylvania.  Finally  the  family  arrived  in  Knox 
County,  and,  to  maintain  her  family,  Mrs.  Stevens 
took  up  the  occupation  of  teacher  in  the  public  school. 
Her  family  were  educated  by  her  own  efforts. 

Mr.  Stevens  received  his  education  at  Knox  Col- 
lege, Galesburg,  111.  With  his  two  sisters,  he  com- 
menced teaching  while  yet  young,  attaining  to 
proficiency  in  his  17th  year.  At  14  he  had 
attained  to  great  proficiency  in  mathematics, 
and  at  Galesburg  assisted  in  this  department. 
Up  to  the  year  1831  he  vigorously  pursued  his  pro- 
fession as  teacher,  in  connection  with  farming.  In 
this  capacity  his  success  has  been  assured  beyond  a 
doubt.  The  mother  of  this  gentleman  died  at  Cen- 
ter Point  in  1859. 

Mr.  Stevens  was  married  in  Galesburg,  111.,  Nov. 
25,  1851,  to  Miss  Marinda  Burge,  who  was  a  native 
of  I>orain  County,  Ohio,  and  born  September  15, 
1831.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Adam  and  Ma- 
rinda (Close)  Burge,  both  natives  of  New  York  State. 
Her  mother's  decease  took  place  in  Sullivan,  Ix)rain 
County,  Ohio,  in  1833.  The  present  lady  was  her 
mother's  only  daughter  and  came  to  Illinois  in  her 
seventh  year  in  183S,  and  she  has  since  been  a  resi- 
dent in  Knox  County.  In  Galesburg  she  received 
her  education  and  began  teaching  in  her  i8th 
year,  which  profession  she  pursued  for  three  years. 
She  has  been  the  happy  mother  of  ten  children,  one 
of  whom  is  deceased;  .Adella  is  the  wife  of  Leslie  W. 
Close,  a  grain-dealer,  who  resides  at  Deer  Creek, 
Minn.;  Orange  B.  married  Amanda  Stake  and  lives 
in  Page  County,  Iowa  ;  has  for  several  years  been  en- 
gaged in  teaching;  Martha  O.  is  the  wife  of  .Mbert 
Wallace  Kendall,  a  farmer  of  Garden  City,  Blue 
Earth  County,  Minn.;  Arthur  A.  is  now  in   Lincoln, 


Neb.,  and  a  teacher  by  profession;  Edwin  L.  is  in 
Western  Kansas;  Mary  A.  is  engaged  in  dressmak- 
ing and  resides  at  home;  Addie  E.,  a  milliner,  also 
residing  at  home ;  Alva  R.  and  Minnie  E.  are  at 
home,  and  Frank  E.  is  deceased. 

The  family  are  connected  with  the  Congregational 
Church  at  Oneida.  Politically,  Mr.  Stevens  may  be 
numbered  among  the  solid  Republicans  of  his  vi- 
cinity. 


iUiam  Main  is  a  general  farmer  and  stock- 
^^  raiser  on  section  8  of  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
He  was  bom  in  Ayrshire,  Scot- 
land, on  the  1 2th  of  May,  1845.  The  his- 
tory of  his  parentage  is  referred  to  at  length 
in  our  sketch  of  Andrew  Main.  After  the  death 
of  our  subject's  mother,  he  came  with  his  lather  and 
other  members  of  the  family  to  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Main  was  the  oldest  of  his  parents'  children. 
.\bout  one  year  after  his  father  came  to  this  country, 
locating  as  already  stated,  William  set  out  to  make 
his  own  living.  In  July,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the 
cause  of  the  Union,  joining  the  io2d  111.  Vol.  Inf., 
Co.  I,  Capt.  E.  H.  Conger.  He  participated  in  the 
battles  of  Resaca,  Dalton,  Cassville,  New  Hope, 
Burnt  Hic'Kor)'  and  Lost  Mountain  ;  also  Peach  Tree 
Creek  and  the  siege  in  and  around  Atlanta.  In  Sa- 
vannah, Ga.,  he  also  saw  some  active  service,  and 
subsequently  at  Bentonville,  which  closed  the  list  of 
principal  battles. 

In  all  these  our  subject  escaped  unhurt.  For  a 
brief  time  he  was  detained  as  forager,  and  was  dis- 
charged June  15,  1865  ;  returning  again  to  Illinois,  he 
engaged  with  his  old  employer,  .\braham  Clearwater, 
of  Ontario  Township,  for  whom  he  had  previously 
worked  eight  years.  In  company  with  his  brother 
.Andrew,  he  purchased  his  first  land,  a  tract  of  160 
acres.  The  latter  now  lives  in  this  township.  The 
present  farm  of  160  acres  was  purchased  in  1875. 
This  is  in  an  exceedingly  high  state  of  cultivation, 
and  his  success  as  a  farmer  has  made  itself  appar- 
ent in  almost  every  department  in  which  he  has  had 
a  hand. 

On  the  19th  of  February,  1873,  he  was  married  at 
the  home  of  the  bride's  parents,  in  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  to  .Ann,  daughter  of  Hugh  Andrews 
(referred  to  in  our  bbgraphies  of  Hugh  and  John 


^^ 


4 


716 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


H' 


Andrews).  Mrs.  Main  of  this  notice  was  bom  in 
Ayrshire,  Scotland,  on  the  rsth  of  May,  1849,  and 
was  only  six  years  old  when  her  parents  first  came 
to  the  United  States.  She  received  her  education 
in  Altona,  and  resided  with  her  parents  up  to  the 
date  of  her  marriage.  By  this  union  there  have  been 
three  children— Thomas  P.,  Maggie  M.  and  Jennie 
G.  Mrs.  Main  is  a  leading  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  is  an  excellent  mother  and  care- 
ful wife.  The  Republican  party  has  in  Mr.  Main  a  gen- 
tleman who  has  always  stood  firm  to  its  prii  ciples. 
Though  not  ostentatious  in  his  political  expressions, 
he,  however,  keeps  a  watchful  eye  upon  the  political 
movements  of  his  time. 


on.  John  C.  Cover  is  the  present  Mayor  of 
the  city  of  Knoxville.      He  is  a  stanch  Re- 
^1^  publican  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  local 

politics.  Mayor  Cover  was  born  eight  miles 
from  Gettysburg,  Adams  Co  ,  Pa.,  on  the  9th  of 
March,  1829,  and  is  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
>^  (Jones)  Cover,  both  natives  of  Maryland.  He  grew 
up  from  boyhood  in  tlie  county  of  his  birth,  and  his 
father,  who  was  a  tanner  by  trade,  took  him  as  an 
apprentice  to  learn  the  same  when  he  was  14  years 
of  age.  Learning  the  trade,  John  followed  it  until 
1854,  at  which  time,  being  a  young  man  of  25,  with 
an  earnest  wish  to  get  on  in  the  world,  and  sturdy 
business  principles,  he  launched  his  little  boat  on 
the  wide  sea  of  commerce,  and  purchased  for  him- 
self a  general  store  in  Adams  County,  Pa.,  at  a  point 
known  as  Flohr's  Church.  His  efforts  being  pros- 
pered, he  sold  out  after  a  successful  trade  which 
lasted  until  1856,  and  at  this  time,  having  disposed 
of  his  property  to  his  satisfaction,  he  came  to  Gales- 
burg,  where  he  bought  out  a  clothing  store  and  com- 
menced in  this  line  of  trade.  This  store  he  retained 
but  a  short  time,  coming  to  Knoxville  in  1857,  and 
opening  a  provision  store.  At  the  end  of  one  year 
devoted  to  this  business  he  was  elected  City  Marshal 
and  apix)inted  Deputy  Sheriff  at  the  same  time. 
These  offices  he  held  four  years,  and  in  1862  was 
elected  Sheriff  for  a  term  of  two  years,  afterward  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Sheriff,  and  in  1866,  he,  with  Will- 
iam Armstrong,  took  a  contract  for  the  erection  of 
an  almshouse  for  the  county.  This  was  completed 
in  1 867 ,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  he  opened  a  boo^ 


and  stationery  store,  in  which  he  continued  up  to 
1883,  when  he  disposed  of  the  same  and  changed  to 
the  druggist's  business.  This  he  followed  only  one 
year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  sold  out  to 
his  son,  who  still  carries  on  the  business. 

In  the  year  1866-67,  Mr.  Cover  was  elected  Al- 
derman, and  in  r869-7o  Mayor,  which  office  he  has 
filled  in  a  manner  reflecting  much  credit  upon  him 
and  his  many  friends,  by  his  just  and  equitable  man- 
ner of  dispensing  pubhc  affairs.  He  holds  '.he  office 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  to  which  he  was  appointed 
in  r885,  the -date  of  his  re-election  to  the  Mayoralty. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  formed  a  matrimonial 
alliance  with  Isabella  Mary  L.  Cooper,  who  was  born 
at  Gettysburg,  Pa.,  Aug.  30,  1831.  This  happy 
event  was  celebrated  Nov.  r6,  1852.  Mrs.  Cover  is 
the  only  daughter  of  Thomas  J.  and  Margaret  (Barr) 
Cooper.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cover  have  been  bovn 
one  son  and  three  daughters,  as  follows:  Margaret 
E.,  vvife  of  Frederick  Smith,  whose  home  is  in  Corn- 
ing, Iowa;  John  P.;  Mary  Alice,  who  wedded  Orton  ' 
B.  Arras,  and  who  resides  in  Knoxville,  and  Mabel 
L.,  the  youngest  daughter,  at  home  with  her  parents. 
Mr.  Cover  has  given  his  children  the  benefit  of  a  ^ 
thorough  education,  the  two  older  daughters  being 
graduates  of  St.  Mary's  School. 

As  previously  stated,  our  subject  is  a  public  worker 
in  all  that  has  for  its  object  the  advancement  of  the 
moral  and  material  welfare  of  the  community  in 
which  he  resides.  He  comes  of  the  old-line  Whigs 
and  entered  the  Republican  party  as  one  of  its  char- 
ter members,  being  one  of  the  very  first  to  join  it  at 
the  time  of  its  founding.  He  cast  his  first  presiden- 
tial vote  for  Gen.  Scott  and  his  second  for  John  C. 
Fremont,  and  has  upheld  the  doctrines  of  the  party 
represented  by  the  latter  since  that  time.  Mrs. 
Cover  came  of  a  direct  hne  of  Scotch  ancestr)',  al- 
though her  father  and  mother  were  both  American- 
born,  the  latter  entering  life  in  Pennsylvania  and  the 
former  in  Maryland. 


larles  S.  Clark,  engaged  as  an  agricult- 
urist on  section  7  of  Victoria  Township, 
where  he  is  enjojnng  success  in  his  voca- 
tion and  is  regarded  as  one  of  Knox  County's 
respected  citizens,  was  born  in  Roxbury,  Del- 
aware County,  N.  Y.,  June  4,  1835.     He  is  a 
son  of  Job  W.  and  Hepsey  (Wood)  Clark,  natives  of 


-4- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


717 


the  Empire  State,  who  were  married  in  Delaware 
County  in  1833.  The  family  of  the  senior  Mr. 
Clark  and  wife  numbered  six  children,  four  of  whom 
are  still  living  and  bear  the  names  of  Charles  S., 
William  P.,  Sarah  E.  (Mrs.  Powell)  and  Luman  R. 
Those  dead  are  Marion,  who  married  C.  D.  Sorn- 
borger  and  left  two  children  named  Clifford  and 
Clyde.  The.  Judson  died  in  infancy.  Upon  arrival 
in  Illinois,  in  1S55,  they  first  located  at  Victoria 
Township,  remaining  there  for  two  years,  when  they 
removed  to  Copley  Township,  purchasing  160  acres 
on  section  13,  and  lived  upon  the  same  for  one  year. 
Thence  they  removed  to  the  village  of  Victoria.  By 
subsequent  purchase  Mr.  Clark,  Sr.,  added  to  his  al- 
ready accumulated  possessions  240  acres.  Mr.  Job 
W.  Clark  died  January  24,  1884.  His  widow  still 
survives  him  and  is  residing  at  Victoria  village,  aged 
70  years. 

Charles  S.  Clark,  at  the  age  of  21  years,  com- 
menced to  clerk  for  Whiting  &  Copley,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  two  years.  He  then 'engaged  with 
his  father  in  farming  on  shares  on  section  13,  in  Cop- 
ley. He  worked  in  this  way  for  three  years,  when,  in 
i860,  he  visited  Pike's  Peak  and  mined  there  for 
about  nine  months.  On  returning  to  Illinois,  he  re- 
sumed farming  on  section  13,  where  he  remained  for 
four  years.  In  1S65  Mr.  C.  purchased  160  acres  on 
section  8,  Victoria  Township,  and  followed  farming 
there  for  one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he 
launched  into  the  mercantile  business  at  Victoria,  1:. 
company  with  Homer  Gaines,  the  partnership  exist- 
ing for  one  year.  He  then  purchased  1 1  o  acres 
where  he  now  lives,  adding  to  the  same  by  subsequent 
purchases  until  he  is  now  the  owner  of  710  acres  of 
highly  cultivated  land,  the  greater  portion  of  which  is 
valued  at  §75  per  acre.  Upon  his  fine  farm  he  has 
erected  a  handsome  dwelling  with  surrounding  im- 
provements, costing,  together  with  other  necessary 
and  substanual  buildings,  §2,500.  He  is  extensively 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  Short-horn  cattle  and  the 
raising  of  cereals. 

March  21,  1861,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Almiiia 
Hedstrom.  She  was  born  at  Farmington,  October 
12,  1840,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Jonas  J.  and  Diantha 
(Sornborger)  Hedstrom,  natives  of  Sweden  and  New 
York  respectively.  The  parents  came  to  Illinois  in 
1835,  and  the  father  engaged  in  blacksmithing  at 
Farmington,  Fulton  County,  and  lived  at   that  place 


for  four  years.  In  1843  he  purchased  60  acres  on 
section  18,  Victoria  Township,  and  witli  others  joined 
in  laying  out  the  village  of  Victoria,  May  11,  1849, 
one-third  of  the  village  plat  being  located  on  his 
land.  At  that  place  he  also  engaged  in  blacksmith- 
ing and  followed  the  trade  for  some  years.  Mr.  Hed- 
strom was  ordained  minister  in  1840,  and  was  the  or- 
ganizer of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  (Ameri- 
can), in  1847,  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
(Swedibh),  at  Galesburg,  in  1852,  and  the  Swedish 
Church  of  Victoria  in  1850.  Jonas  J.  Hedstrom 
continued  to  preach  and  organize  churches  until  his 
death.  May  ii,  1859;  his  wife  died  July  6,  1874. 
The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  consisted  of  five  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  survive,  and  are  named  Ahnina, 
wife  of  our  subject ;  Jane,  who  married  a  Mr.  Becker, 
and  George  L. 

The  names  of  the  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Clark  are  Irwin  J.,  Marj- L,  who  became  Mrs.  N.C. 
Robbins;  Charles  D.,  Jennie  B.  and  John  P.  In 
political  principles,  our  subject  is  a  Greenbacker. 
He  has  held  the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner,  School 
Trustee  and  Director,  and  is  the  present  incumbent 
of  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  this  town. 


•^aasQfS^^ 


|4?4— --^^-aOTv 


"  ..(^C^lr^iamuel   Caulkins.     Prominent    among   the 
-    ^  '    public  men  of  Knoxville,  and  holding  the 
■    office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  is  the  subject 
jlV;    of  this  brief  personal  sketch.      He  ranks  high 
in   educational  circles,  which  enlist  his  sym- 
pathies and  attention  in  a  marked  degree.    He 
is  also  a  deep  thinker  on  matters  of  public  and  pri- 
vate good,  and  is  an  important  factor  in  the  Repub- 
lican party  as  represented  in  his  locality. 

Mr.  Caulkins  was  born  in  Washington  County, 
Ind.,  Oct.  28,  1821,  and  his  father  was  a  native  of 
New  York,  being  born  in  Onondaga  County  in  1782. 
His  grandfather,  who,  like  his  son,  bore  the  name  of 
Joel,  was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  a  soldier  of 
Revolutionary  fame,  claiming  Washington  as  a  com- 
mander, and  drawing  a  pension  all  the  later  years  of 
his  life.  He  departed  this  life  in  Onondaga  County, 
N.  Y.,  in  which  part  of  the  State  the  father  of  the 
subject  grew  to  manhood.  Eariy  in  life  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  and    subsequently  married    Desire 


=lJL! 


7i8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Barnard,  also  a  native  of  that  county.  The  newly 
wedded  pair  lived  in  that  county  until  1819,  at  which 
time  they  removed  into  Washington  County,  in  which 
section  of  the  country  they  were  pioneers.  Buying  a 
tract  of  timber,  he  laid  out  his  farm,  locating  its 
boundaries  and  making  that  their  home  until  1857, 
when  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
Iroquois  County.  H*re  he  bought  a  farm  and  com- 
menced to  work  it,  which  he  continued  the  remainder 
of  his  life.  His  death  occurred  May  5,  1879,  and 
that  of  his  wife  in  1858.  In  their  family  Samuel  was 
the  seventh  child  in  order  of  birth. 

Mr.  Caulkins  reached  maturity  in  the  county  which 
gave  him  birth,  and  during  the  years  of  his  boyhood 
and  younger  manhood  assisted  his  father  on  the  home 
farm  and  attended  the  district  school  for  the  purpose 
of  cultivating  himself  and  adding  to  his  education. 
He  had  a  keen  appreciation  of  advantages  of  this 
character  and  improved  them  assiduously.  He  con- 
tinued at  home  up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage,  which 
was  celebrated  Dec.  8,  1842,  with  Sarah  Ann  Stewart, 
a  native  of  Ohio.  Near  the  old  homestead  he  bought 
land,  which  he  worked  until  1855,  and  then  sold  it 
and  came  to  Knox  County,  where  he  bought  200 
acres  of  land,  on  which  a  log  cabin  stood,  and  this, 
with  the  14  acres  of  broken  land,  constituted  all  the 
improvements  on  the  place.  Nevertheless  he  began 
the  cultivation  of  the  same  undiscouraged,  hedged  it 
with  osage  orange,  erected  a  neat  frame  house,  com- 
modious and  durable,  and  planted  fruit  and  shade 
trees.  His  effoiis  were  to  his  credit,  and  the  results 
were  soon  plainly  apparent.  He  continued  on  his 
farm  until  1882,  when  he  sold  and  came  to  Knox- 
ville,  buying  his  present  residence  on  North  street, 
and  a  little  farm  of  58  acres  inside  the  corporate 
limits  of  Knoxville. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caulkins  have  calmly  and  unitedly 
trodden  the  path  of  life  together,  one  in  interest, 
affection  and  purpose,  and  their  home  has  been 
brightened  by  the  advent  of  seven  children,  viz. : 
EUzabeth,  wife  of  Samuel  Harper,  living  in  Knox 
Townsliip;  William,  whose  home  is  in  Orange  Town- 
ship; Henry,  who  also  resides  in  Knox  Township; 
John,  living  in  Knoxville ;  Martha,  wife  of  Frank 
Peterson,  wliose  home  is  in  Orange  Township,  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Perry  Harper,  a  resident  of  Knoxville. 
Mr.  Caulkins  and  wife  are  devoted  working  members 
of  the  Presbyterian    Church,  and  support   by  their 


help  and  presence  all  philanthropic,  charitable  and 
worthy  enterprises,  and  are  highly  esteemed  as  true 
friends  and  desirable  neighbors. 

J.  Ross,  owning  70  acres  of  land  in  Victoria 
Township,  upon  which  he  resides,  is  en- 
gaged in  the  calling  of  an  agriculturist  and 
1^  also  to  some  extent  in  the  raising  of  fine  stock. 
His  farm  is  located  on  section  10.  Our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  New  Jersey,  April  14,  1835, 
and  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Nancy  (Norcross) 
Ross,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  The  parents  were 
farmers  and  had  a  family  of  11  children,  nine  of 
whom  survive,  namely:  Joseph,  Roxana,  Samuel, 
Andrew  J.,  Patience,  Benjamin,  William,  Edward 
and  Hannah.  The  elder  Mr.  Ross  died  in  1856. 
His  widow  is  still  living  and  makes  her  home  with 
her  daughter  Patience. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school education  and  remained  upon  the  home 
farm  until  22  years  of  age.  After  leaving  home  he  ,  | 
engaged  to  work  out  by  the  month  on  the  farm  for 
three  years,  and  in  1858  came  to  Illinois,  locating  in 
Knox  County.  At  Walnut  Creek  he  rented  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  remained  for  two  years,  removing 
thence  to  near  Galva,  where  he  rented  another  farm 
for  one  year.  He  then  removed  to  Henry  County, 
where  he  again  rented  a  farm  two  miles  north  of 
Galva.  From  there  he  returned  to  Walnut  Creek, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years,  and  in  1864  re- 
moved to  New  Jersey,  and  there  lived  for  18  months. 
Six  months  of  this  time  he  worked  in  a  saw-mill  and 
the  remainder  of  the  time  on  a  farm.  In  1866  he 
returned  to  Walnut  Creek  and  rented  until  1870, 
when  he  purchased  70  acres  of  land,  upon  which  is 
his  present  home,  and  where  he  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing and  the  breeding  of  stock.  He  has  made  all  the 
necessary  improvements  on  his  farm,  and  has  beau- 
tified the  same  by  setting  out  shade,  fruit  and  orna- 
mental trees.  Sept.  5,  1858,  our  subject  was  married 
to  Miss  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Patience 
(Chew)  Downs,  natives  of  New  Jersey.  Her  parents 
were  farmers  in  their  native  State.  Mary  A.  was  the 
youngest  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  only  three  of 
whom  survive.  The  record  is  as  follows  :  Bennijah, 
Charity  and  Mary  A.,  now  Mrs.  Ross.     Mr.  Downs 


•-Kn 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 
l.liVERSITY  OF  ILUH' 


-e-f 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


721 


^^ 


died  in  1865.     His  widow  is  still  suiviving  and  re- 
sides with  her  son,  Bennijah. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  has  been  hlest 
by  the  birth  of  two  children — Ella  and  Lizzie,  the 
latter  of  whom  became  the  wife  of  John  GofT,  Sept. 
3,  1885.     Mr.  Ross  is  a  Greenbacker  in  politics. 

jj^rjLiklark  E.  Carr.  Sometime  in  the  first  half 
iil^S*  of  the  17th  century,  Rev.  John  Clark,  for 
^hp  ^  alleged  heresy,  consisting  in  the  advocacy 
^; ;  of  a  doctrine  objectionable  to  some  of  those 
K  Puritans  whom  Mrs.  Hemans  said  "  left  un- 
j  stained  what  there  they  found,  freedom  to 
worship  God,"  considered  it  necessary  for  him  to  leave 
Massachusetts,  and  he  joined  Roger  Williams  in 
Rhode  Island,  where  he  was  Acting  Governor  of  the 
Province  in  1669.  About  the  same  time  Caleb  Carr 
also  took  up  his  abode  in  Rhode  Island,  where  he 
died  while  Governor  of  that  colony,  Dec.  17,  1695. 
(See  Arnold's  History  of  Rhode  Island.)  The  son 
of  one  and  a  daughter  of  the  other  of  these  two 
gentlemen,  Carr  and  Clark,  intermarried,  hence 
the  union  of  the  Carrs  and  Clarks,  the  two  names 
whereof  have  since  been  handed  down  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  and  hence  the  name  of  the  sub- 
ject of  our  sketch,  Clark  E.  Carr,  great-great-grand- 
son of  the  two  old  colonial  Governors  of  Rhode 
Island.  His  father  was  Clark  M.  Carr,  and  his 
mother  before  marriage  was  Delia  A.  Torrey.  One 
of  her  ancestors,  Samuel  Torrey,  was  for  many  years 
a  Presbyterian  pastor  at  Salem,  Mass.,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  17  th  century,  and  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  he  took  a  hand  in  the  persecutions  which  re- 
sulted in  driving  the  Clarks  and  Carrs  out  of  Massa- 
chusetts. Clark  M.  and  Delia  A.  (Torrey)  Carr, 
natives  respectively  of  New  York  and  Connecticut, 
were  united  in  marriage  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  where 
their  four  sons,  now  Gen.  E.  A.  Carr,  of  the  United 
States  regular  army;  Col.  B.  O.  Carr,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  California;  Rev.  H.  M.  Carr,  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  Clark  E.  Carr,  were  born,  and  where  Mrs. 
Carr,  their  mother,  died  in  1 839.  The  father  remar- 
ried in  Erie  County,  and  by  his  second  wife,  nee  Fan- 
nie L.  Yaw,  reared  a  son,  Capt.  George  P.  Carr,  de- 
ceased, and  a  daughter,  now  Mrs.  J.  C.  Fahnnestock, 
of  Galesburg.     The  family  came  West  in  1850,  spent 


some  time  in  Henry  County,  and  located  at  Gales- 
burg, in  the  fall  of  185  i,  where  the  father,  Clark  M. 
Carr,  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  and  honored 
citizen.     He  died  in  1876,  at  the  age  of  72  years. 

Clark  E.  Carr  was  born  at  Boston  Corners,  Erie 
(-0.,  N.  Y.,  May  20,  1836.  From  the  age  of  five 
years  he  was  kept  quite  regularly  at  school,  and  after 
coming  to  Galesburg  went  through  the  Sophomore 
year  in  Knox  College.  From  here  he  went  to 
I'oughkeepsie  (N.  Y.)  Law  School,  where  he  re- 
mained a  year,  subsequently  entering  the  Albany 
Law  School,  from  which  institution  he  graduated  in 
1857,  with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  Returning  to  Gales- 
burg, he  at  once  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Thomas  Harrison  in  the  practice  of  the  law,  and 
three  years  later  with  Hon.  O.  F.  Price  as  Carr  & 
Price,  the  latter  partnership  lasting  about  two  years. 
He  subsequently  purchased  the  Galesburg  Repub- 
lican, and  for  four  years,  as  editor,  made  it  a  red-hot 
political  paper  (see  Republican- Register ,  this  volume). 
In  March,  1861,  soon  after  the  inauguration  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln,  Mr.  Carr  was  appointed  Postmaster  at 
Galesburg.  He  held  this  position  si.x  full  terms — 24 
years — under  Piesidents  Lincoln,  Johnson,  Granti  '" 
Hayes,  Garfield  and  Arthur,  all  the  time  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  in  power.  He  was  a  faithful  and 
conscientious  officer,  and  during  his  entire  adminis- 
tration he  was  never  censured  by  the  department, 
and  scarcely  ever  criticized.  He  always  surrounded 
himself  with  worthy  and  capable  assistants,  and  it  is 
his  boast  that,  with  scarcely  an  e.xception,  the  young 
men  who  have  grown  up  in  the  post-office  have  taken 
high  rank  as  worthy  and  honorable  citizens. 

Col.  Carr  has  labored  actively  in  politics  since  he 
was  20  years  of  age,  during  all  of  which  time  the 
Republican  parly  has  been  the  recipient  of  his  best 
efforts.  He  stumped  his  county  for  Fremont  and 
Dayton,  in  1856,  and  in  the  various  campaigns  since 
that  date  his  voice  has  been  heard  in  almost  every 
State  in  the  Union.  He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
most  powerful  and  effective  stump  speakers  in  the 
United  States,  and  has  a  rare  faculty  of  not  only  en- 
tertaining his  audiences,  but  convincing  them.  Dur- 
ing the  last  four  or  five  great  presidential  campaigns 
few  men  have  been  of  greater  service  to  his  party  on 
the  stump  than  Col.  Clark  E.  Carr.  He  has  been  a 
lK)wer  felt  in  the  East  as  well  as  the  West,  and  in  the 
largest  cities  of  the  country.  He  is  grapliic  in  his 
description  of  both  men  and  measures,  and  no  man 


-^ 


722 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


in  the  nation  has  greater  use  of  the  powerful  weapons 
of  wit  and  sarcasm  than  he.    He  is  a  speaker  of  force 
and  ability,  and  many  of  his  addresses,  other  than 
purely    political,  have   been    published,  republished 
and  favorably  commented  upon  by  the  leading  papers 
of  the  country.     At  the  great  Union  mass  meeting  of 
all  ix.litical  parties,  held  at  Chicago,  Sept.  23,  1863, 
called   together  for  the  purpose  of  sustaining  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  and  encouraging  him  in  his  purpose  of 
issuing  his  great    Emancipation    Proclamation,  Mr. 
Carr  was  one  of  the  principal  speakers.    We  are  per- 
mitted to  make  a  few  extracts  from   his  address  on 
that  occasion.     In  the  course  of  his  address  he  said  : 
"  We  are  assembled  here,  citizens  of  this   great  re- 
public, for  the   purpose  of  taking  counsel  together 
upon  questions  of  the  greatest  importance.     Let   no 
man  call  himself  a  Democrat  to-night,  or  a  Republi- 
can, or  a  Whig,  but  let  us  all,  without  party  trammels 
or  partisan  interest,  turn  our  attention  to  our  beloved 
country  and  ask  how  we  can  best  assist   her  in  this 
hour  of  her  great  adversity.     Let  none  fear  that  he 
will  lose  his  political  party.     When  the  proper  time 
comes,  when  the  country  is  saved,  when  the  breakers 
tare  past  and  the  ship  of  state  shall  once  more  reach 
the  open  sea,  then  we  can  call  into  existence  parties. 
But  at  this  time,  when  treason  raises  its  head  in  our 
very  midst,  let  us  not  talk  of  party."    ***** 
After  paying  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
Stephen   A.  Douglas,  Mr.  Carr  continued:     "lam 
for  the  Emancipation  Proclamation.    I  believe  it  is 
just  and  right  and  constitutional.     The  Constitution 
gives  the  President  authority  to  put  down  insurrec- 
tion, and  it  follows  that  he  has  the  right  to  make  use  of 
■all  necessary  power  to  do  so.  If  confiscation  or  eman- 
cipation, the  President  is  authorized  to  proclaim  con- 
fiscation or  emancipation.     It  is  our  duty  to  use  every- 
thing in  our  power  to  weaken  the  rebels  and  strength 
en  ourselves.     In  the  language  that  fell  from  the  in- 
spired lips  of  Patrick  Henry  :  '  We  are  not  weak  if  we 
make  the  proper  use  of  the  means  which  God  and 
nature  have  placed  in  our  power.'     At  this  time  God 
has  placed  emancipation  in  our  power,  as  a  means 
to  put  down  rebellion,  and  it  is  our  duty  to  make  a 
'  a  proper  use  of  it.'     *      *      *      *       ig  it  possible 
that  a  loyal  man  can  think  the  proclamation  unjust?" 
*     *     *     *     (A  Voice — "You  are  an  Abolitionist.") 
"  You  may  call  me  an  Abolitionist  or  anything  if  you 
do  not  call  me  a  traitor  or  a  sympathizer  with  trai- 
tors.    What  loyal  man  can  object  to  the  proclama- 


tion ?     If  you  are  in  favor  of  making  use  of  all  other 
means  to  put  down  the  rebellion,  why  not   make  use 
of  this  ?    Certainly  we  have  the  right,  under  the  rules 
of  war,   to  cripple  the  enemy  in   every  way  in  our 
power.      *      *      *      *     Soldiers  in  the  Rebel  Army 
have  slaves  in  their  places  on  the  plantation.       Free 
the  slaves  and  the  soldiers  must  go  home.     *     *     * 
*     I  am  for  the  Constitution  which  gives   the   Presi- 
dent authority  to  put  down   insurrection.     It   is  the 
watchword  of  the  enemies  of  the  Government  that 
they  are  for  the   Union  as  it  was.     I  am  not  for  the 
'  Union    as    it   was"     when    James  Buchanan    was 
President— a  union  that  would  allow  a  member  of  the 
Cabinet  to  steal  the  arms  and  money  of  the  Govern- 
ment for  the  traitors  ;  a  union  that  would  allow  State 
after  State  to  secede,  without  an  effort  to  restrain ;  a 
union  that  would  quietly  see  batteries  planted  against 
the  fort  on  which  waved  the  banner  of  the  Republic. 
No,  I  am  not  for  the  Union  as  it  was  in  those  degen- 
erate times.      But  I  am  for  the  Union  as  it  was  in 
the  days  of  the  Fathers,  when  the  power  of  the  Gov- 
ernment was  respected,  when  pure  and  wise  men  oc- 
cupied high  positions,  when  plunder  of  the  public 
property  was  regarded  as  a  crime,  when  insurrection 
and  rebellion  were  put  down,  when  the  genius  of  lib- 
erty presided  at  the  capital.     I  am   for   '  the  Union 
as  it  was.' " 

Of  an  address  delivered  by  Mr.  Carr  at  a  Fourth- 
of-July  picnic  in  1878,  the  Chicago  Times  editorially 
says:  "Among  the  public  speeches  on  the  recent 
Fourth  of  July,  one  of  the  most  sensible  and  timely 
was  the  plain  talk  of  Col.  Clark  E.  Carr,  of  Gales- 
burg.  It  was  one  of  the  best  Fourth-of-July  orations 
ever  delivered,  because,  in  the  first  place,  the  speaker 
did  not  say  one  word  about  the  '  glorious  Fourth,' 
or'  the  day  we  celebrate  ; '  or  '  the  Nation's  birthday' 
(which  it  is  not),  or  rehearse  any  of  the  other  cheap 
claptrap  with  which  for  a  whole  century  Americans 
have  been  supplied  by  conceited  asses,  ad  nauseam." 
It  was  a  plain  talk  by  a  plain  man,  addressing  him- 
self to  an  ordinary,  plain,  common-sense  people  in 
relation  to  one  of  the  most  contemptible  of  all  the 
colossal  shams  of  the  times."  This  address  was 
very  generally  copied  by  the  press  of  the  country. 
Almost  every  leading  journal  upon  the  continent 
copied  it  with  favorable  comments,  as  did  also  the 
leading  periodicals  for  the  instruction  of  the  youth  of 
the  land. 

It  was  delivered  at  a  time   when  the  country  was 


r 


h 


1-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


723 


agitated  by  the  socialistic  elements  then  threatening 
the  disruption  of  our  internal  system  of  commerce, 
and  arrested  general  attention  because  it  was  a  con- 
clusive contradiction  of  the  claim  that  the  laboring 
classes  were  mercilessly  ground  to  the  earth,  and 
without  hope  of  relief  other  than  in  revolution. 
After  a  vivid  comparison  of  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions endured  by  the  pioneers  of  Knox  County  with 
the  opportunities  now  opened  by  other  Western  and 
Southern  States.  Col.  Carr  continued  :  "  If  those 
men  who  shouted  themselves  hoarse  in  applause  of 
the  speakers  at  the  socialistic  meeting,  recently  held 
in  Chicago,  would  make  half  the  sacrifices  and  go 
through  half  of  the  hardships,  and  practice  half  the 
self-denial  practiced  by  the  men  who  came  1,500 
miles  through  the  wilderness  forty -two  years  ago  to 
locate  this  Galesburg  colony,  they  would  in  a  very  few 
years  be  settled  in  life  with  such  comforts  as  our  pio- 
neers in  this  community  enjoy.  What  a  difference 
there  is  between  emigrating  now  to  the  West  and  that 
of  coming  when  those  two  boys,  Abraham  Lincoln 
and  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  made  their  way  to  Illinois. 
Now  in  Nebraska  and  Kansas  and  Texas,  and  in 
most  of  the  new  Stales  you  can  have  a  railroad  run- 
ning to  your  very  door.  Talk  about  hard  times  now. 
The  young  man  who  came  to  Illinois  and  started  a 
farm  when  Galesburg  was  settled  had  to  give  half  a 
bushel  of  wheat  or  a  whole  ham  to  pay  the  postage 
on  a  letter  to  his  sweetheart." 

So,  throughout,  the  entire  address  is  replete  with 
shining  and  striking  parallels  and  irrefutable  argu- 
ment, and  we  repeat  our  regret  that  our  lack  of  space 
forbids  us  to  reproduce  it  in  full. 

Glancing  over  a  scrap-book  filled  with  Mr.  Carr 's 
speeches  and  treating  upon  every  subject  with  which 
the  people  are  familiar,  and  all  worthy  of  reproduc- 
tion, the  writer  is  so  struck  with  the  concluding  re- 
marks uttered  in  his  memorial  address  upon  Gen. 
Grant,  delivered  at  Galesburg,  Aug.  8,  1885,  that  he 
gives  them  place  in  this  sketch  : 

"  It  is  now  too  early  to  properly  estimate  Gen. 
Grant.  We  are  too  near  him.  We  are  still  in  the 
shadow.  As,  drawn  by  the  inexorable  drive-wheels 
of  time,  humanity  moves  away  from  the  rocky  moun- 
tain defiles  of  war,  in  which  so  many  were  over- 
whelmed, down  the  foot-hills  and  out  upon  the  wide 
plains  of  ordinary,  commonplace  history  and  ex- 
perience, men  and  women  will  pause  again  and 
again  at  each  passing   station,  and  contemplate   the 


sublime  heights  from  which  they  are  regretfully  re- 
ceding. Then  the  great  character  of  Gen.  Grant,  in 
all  its  majesty  and  grandeur,  will  stand  out  before 
them,  sublime,  eternal,  and  they  will  appreciate,  as 
we  cannot  to-day,  the  life  which  has  just  been 
rounded  up.  They  will  see  the  rugged  inequalities, 
the  clouds  and  darkness,  and  the  sunlit  glones,  and 
they  will  in  some  degree  comprehend  its  height  and 
depth,  its  length  and  breadth. 

"  How  loth  we  are  to  leave  this  sacred  dust  to 
mix  forever  with  the  elements,  to  be  brother  to  the 
insensible  rock  and  to  the  sluggish  clod !  How  with 
Ibnd,  earnest  look  a  whole  great  Nation  lingers  around 
the  bier  of  this  man,  who 

'"Taiight  US  how  to  live  aud  Oli!  too  high 

The  prii-fi  of  knowledf^e,  taujjht  us  how  to  die." 

"This  is  no  hero  worship.  His  was  not  mere 
military  glory.  There  is  no  path,  however  weary  and 
sorrowful,  which  he  has  not  trod.  He  drank  to  the 
dregs  the  bitter  cups  of  poverty  and  want,  of  humili- . 
ation,  of  sorrow.  He  stood  before  kings,  and  was 
himself  a  ruler  mightier  than  they.  Without  brilliant 
personal  endowments  such  as  arrest  the  attention  and, 
dazzle  the  eye,  by  the  quiet  force  of  persistent  efforts, 
directed  by  sound  discretion  and  constant  devotion 
to  duty,  he  performed  where  so  many  failed. 

"The  record  of  his  extraordinary  life  is  all  made 
up.  His  courage,  his  fortitude,  his  gentleness,  his 
simple,  unaffected  devotion,  his  patience,  his  con- 
stancy will  be  themes  of  encomium  and  panegyric  so 
long  as  men  think  and  act  and  labor  and  love. 

"  Farewell,  great  leader,  illustrious  citizen,  noble 
benefactor,  generous,  faithful  friend.  Rest  forever 
in  that  peace  which  your  own  deeds  achieved,  and 
your  own  voice  commended.  Rest  forever  upon  the 
bosom  of  humanity,  close  to  that  gentle  Master  in 
whose  service  you  never  faltered.  '  The  whole  earth 
is  your  sepulcher."  'All  time  is  the  millenium  of 
your  glory.' " 

In  publishing  here  part  of  the  several  addres«- 
es  delivered  upon  widely  different  occasions  by  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  we  do  so  purely  on  the  merits 
of  the  itiatter  reproduced,  and  wholly  disconnected 
with  any  purpose  of  either  pro  or  con  influencing  any 
one  of  the  thousands  of  readers  whose  eyes  will 
scan  these  pages,  both  within  and  without  the  State 
of  Illinois.  In  writing  of  a  living  man  it  is  not  the 
province  of  the  biographer  to  state  many  conclusions, 


-M» 


i 


724 


J^JVOX  COUNTY. 


but  it  is  his  duty  to  publish  such  facts  as  will  tend  to 
present  fairly,  even  to  strangers,  something  approxi- 
mating, if  possible,  the  worth  and  merit  of  the  sub- 
ject treated. 

After  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  Gov.  Yates  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Carr  upon  his    staff,  with  the    rank  of 
Colonel,  and  from  that  time  to  the  close  of  the  war 
we  find  that  much  of  his  attention  was   given  to  the 
organization  of  regiments  at  Springfield  ;  visiting  the 
army  in  the  field  upon  special   service;  carrying  or- 
ders; bringing  home  the  sick  and  wounded  ;  and,  in 
short,  as  expressed    by  letter  written  by  Gov.   Yates 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  "  No  man  not  directly  in  the 
army  did  more  for  the  service."     He  was  a  delegate 
to  the  National  Convention  at  Baltimore,  which  met 
in  1864,  and  renominated  our  martyred   President, 
Lincoln,  and  was  also  a  delegate-al -large   in    1884 
and    assisted   in  the    nomination   of  J.   G.    Blaine. 
He   was   one   of    the   Board  of  Commissioners    of 
t    Illinois  of  the   National  Cemetery  at  Gettysburg.   It 
If  may  not  be  generally  known  that  it  was  this  Board 
II  that  invited  Mr.  Lincoln  to  be  present   upon   that 
li.,memorable  occasion. 

I  Col.  Carr  was  united  in  matrimonial  bonds  with 
I  Miss  Grace  Mills,  a  native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y. 
I  Their  nuptials  wjre  celebrated  Dec.  31,  1873,  at 
,■  Mount  Carroll,  111.  She  was  a  daughter  of  the  late 
Hon.  Henry  A  Mills.  The  two  children  of  Col.  and 
Mrs.  Carr  are  by  name  Julia  C.  and  Clark  M. 

G.  Anderson  is  senior  partner  of  the  firm 
of  Anderson  &  Johnson,  proprietors  of  the 
"City  Mills,"  Galesburg,  III.  (See  biog- 
raphy of  N.  O.  G.  Johnson,  this  volume.) 
These  mills  are  located  at  123  South  Kellogg 
street,  and  have  a  capacity  of  about  40  barrels 
per  day;  they  were  built  in  1870  or  187  i,  and  came 
into  the  hands  of  their  present  owners  in  r88o;from 
1882  to  1885  A.  R.  Stover  was  interested  with  them. 
The  mill  produces  an  extra  fine  quality  of  flour,  the 
entire  product  for  home  consumption.  Mill  and 
property  are  all  owned  by  Anderson  &  Johnson. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  born  near  Falkoping,  Sweden, 
Oct.  26,  1844,  and  came  to  America  with  his  parents, 
Andrew  and  Anne  Mary  Anderson,  in  1864.  They 
came  directly  to  Galesburg,  where  the  father  died  in 


1869,  and  where  Mrs.  A.  yet  lives.  They  reared  a 
family  of  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  A.  G.  being 
the  eldest.  He  was  educated  in  Sweden  and  brought 
up  to  the  milling  business  under  his  father.  His  first 
employment  here  was  as  brakeman  for  the  C,  B.  & 
Q.  R.  R.  Co.  He  followed  railroading  for  15  years, 
the  last  13  being  in  the  capacity  of  freight  conductor. 
He  was  elected  to  the  Galesburg  City  Council  from 
the  Second  Ward  in  1881,  and  re-elected  twice  there- 
after. 

Nov.  13,  1870,  at  Galesburg,  Mr.  Anderson  was 
married  to  Miss  Kate  Lundquist,  a  native  of  Sweden, 
and  they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Estella  Luvina  and  an  infant  deceased.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Anderson  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
and  Mr.  A.  is  a  Master  Mason. 


illiam  McCornack  is  a  farmer  living  on  > 
section  8  of  Copley  Township,  Knox 
!ounty,  and  was  born  in  Creetown  village, 
on  the  Cree  River,  Scotland,  March  22, 
1832.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Jenette 
(Tait)  McCornack  They  were  natives  of  Scot- 
land; the  father  by  trade  was  a  carpenter,  and,  also 
owning  a  saw-mill,  had  a  good  source  of  income. 
They  came  to  America  in  1839,  and  settled  four 
miles  east  of  Knoxville.  There  they  purchased  40 
acres  of  land,  on  which  they  remained  until  1852. 
They  then  removed  into  Copley  Township  and  pur- 
chased 160  acres  on  section  8,  on  which  they  lived 
until  1872.  He  then  moved  into  Oneida  village  and 
erected  a  house,  living  there  until  the  death  of  the 
husband  and  father,  in  1878.  The  mother  followed 
him  in  1880.  Their  family  consisted  of  four  children, 
as  follows:  William,  Margaret,  James  and  Andrew. 
James  died  in  1874. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
he  reached  the  age  of  29  years.  He  studied  two 
years  at  Monmouth  College,  and  was  a  well-informed 
and  intelligent  youth.  His  general  knowledge  of 
things  and  his  worldly  experience  were  fairly  good, 
and  he  was  liked  and  respected  by  those  he  met 
during  these  years. 

He  was  married  on  the  4th  of  March,  1861,  to 
Miss  Angeline  Bacon,  daughter  of  Jirah  and  Maria 
(Reeves)  Bacon.     Five  boys  and  one  girl  were  the 


r 


*v 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


725 


result  of  this  union — Jirah  S.,  Edwin  B.,  Ivan  W., 
VVillard  H.  and  James  L.  The  little  girl  died  in  less 
than  a  year  after  birth.  Mrs.  McCornack  died  the 
22d  of  July,  1S80,  and  Mr.  McCornack  remarried 
Sept.  27,  18S3,  the  second  lady  of  his  choice  being 
Miss  Ellen  Doak,  daughter  of  William  and  Helen 
(McKee)  Doak,  natives  of  Scotland.  They  died  in 
the  land  of  their  birth  Sept.  8,  1S78,  and  Feb.  6, 
1879,  respectively. 

Mr.  McCornack  moved  onto  the  place  he  now 
occupies  in  i86i,and  at  that  lime  laid  the  foundation 
of  his  present  home.  He  is  now  the  owner  of  640 
acres.  320  in  Knox  County  and  320  in  Iowa.  He 
devotes  his  attention  chiefly  to  the  raising  of  grain, 
hogs  and  cattle,  and  is  very  successful.  He  values 
his  land  at  §40  per  acre.  In  politics  Mr.  McCornack 
is  a  Republican,  and  has  held  some  of  the  minor 
offices  of  his  county,  being  Collector  and  School 
Treasurer  for  several  years.  He  takes  a  deep  in- 
terest in  education  and  the  prosperity  of  the  schools 

f  of  his  county.     He  and  his  wife,  hand  in  hand  a 
,  I  Christian  bond  of  union,  are  enrolled  as  members  of 

1  the  Presbyterian  Church. 


^ 


\  eter  Nelson,  the  subject  of  this  brief  per- 
sonal history,  ranks  among  the  successful 
fc3'-i?f  business  men  of  Galesburg.  He  was  born 
in  Christianstadt  Gualof,  Sweden,  1840,  and 
is  the  son  of  Nels  Anderson  and  Betsey 
(Truakson)  Nelson.  Our  subject  had  learned 
the  cabinet-making  trade  from  his  father,  and,  being 
an.xious  to  apply  his  talents  in  the  New  World,  in  i860 
set  sail  for  America.  Upon  his  arrival  on  the  Ameri- 
can shores  he  came  almost  immediately  to  Gales- 
burg. Here  he  applied  himself  to  his  trade,  which 
he  followed  for  16  years  and  then  embarked  in  the 
grocery  business,  which  he  has  very  successfully 
carried  on  since  that  time,  doing  an  annual  business 
of  $50,000.  In  1884  he  joined  Mr.  McChesney,  and 
added  the  ice  business  to  his  already  extensive  oper- 
ations. 

Peter  Nelson  was  married  at  Galesburg  to  Miss 
Anne  Maria,  daughter  of  August  Nelson,  a  native  of 
Sweden,  and  who  departed  this  life  in  1864,  after 
having  become  the  mother  of  a  daughter,  Hilma  R. 
Our  subject  was  again  married  to  Mrs.  Ella   Edvall, 


nte  Nelson.  Mrs,  Edvall  was  a  daughter  of  Sebe 
Nelson,  also  a  native  of  Sweden.  This  union  was 
blest  with  a  son  and  daughter,  who  bear  the  names  of 
Harry  and  Jennie. 

Mr.  Nelson  and  family  attend  worship  at  the  First 
Lutheran  Church.  He  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  all 
measures  tending  toward  the  advancement  of  his 
adopted  city,  and  although  averse  to  holding  public 
office,  he  gives  considerable  attention  to  the  i)lacing 
of  worthy  men  in  public  positions,  regardless  of 
party. 


els  Peterson,  manufacturer  of  snuff,  Gales- 
burg, was  born  in  Southern  Sweden,  near 
Christianstadt,  June  11,  1834.  His  parents 
were  Peter  and  OUe  (Olson)  Nelson.  In 
1863  Mr.  Peterson  came  to  America,  and  on 
July  I  of  that  year  landed  at  Galesburg.  He 
learned  the  art  of  snufT-making  thereafter,  while  on  y 
a  visit  to  his  native  country,  but  did  not  utilize  his 
knowledge  until  1869. 

To  the  energetic  foreigner  landing  on  our  shores, 
and  without  employment  of  the  kind  to  which  he 
has  been  accustomed,  it  proves  a  great  trial,  more 
especially  as  he  must  not  only  acquire  the  language 
spoken  here,  but  must  adopt  the  different  customs 
and  habits  peculiar  to  our  people.  These  difficulties 
Mr.  Peterson  resolved  to  overcome,  and  bent  himself 
to  the  herculean  task.  After  working  for  two  years 
in  the  railway  service  he  engaged  with  George  W. 
Brown  &  Co.,  with  which  company  he  worked  for 
eleven  winters.  In  1867  he  brought  his  widowed 
mother  to  this  country,  where  she  died  in  1S81,  and 
was  buried  here  with  a  son's  kind  care.  He  also 
brought  a  sister,  Celia,  who  was  afterward  married 
to  Frank  Lilliedahl,  and  they  are  now  residing  in 
Nebraska.  In  1869  Mr.  Peterson  built  a  small 
factory  for  the  purpose  of  snufT-making,  and  began 
business,  working  at  it  in  the  summer  seasons  and 
in  the  George  W.  Brown  &  Co.  factory  in  the  win- 
ter. He  gradually  kept  increasing  his  business  as 
his  circumstances  would  permit,  and  to-day  he  has 
an  extensive  trade,  his  last  year  sales  amounting  to 
64,000  pounds  of  snufT,  or  in  value  over  $20,000. 
He  has  built  himself  a  comfortable  residence,  and 
owns  and  controls  a  valuable  property. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  married,  at  Galesburg,  to  Ellen 


-H- 


-f 


-^ 


726 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Monson,  also  born  in  Sweden  in  1830.  Their  union 
was  blest  with  two  daughters,  now  estimable  and 
intelligent  young  ladies.  Esther  Othelia,  the  eldest, 
is  a  graduate  of  the  High  School,  and  has  passed 
a  full  commercial  course  of  study  in  the  Business 
College  at  Galesburg.  She  is  a  young  lady  of  many 
accomplishments.  The  younger  daughter,  Annie 
Nathalia,  is  very  bright  in  her  studies  and  will 
graduate  from  the  High  School  this  year  (1886). 
The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Our  subject  is  a  worthy  example  of  what  may  be 
attained  by  diligence  and  persistent  industry.  He 
is  a  much  respected  citizen,  and  contributes  liberally 
to  all  measures  pertaining  to  the  public  good. 

-^ ^#^ ^ 


.dward  A.  Cardiff  is  a  general  farmer 
on  section  2,  Lynn  Township,  and  has 
been  in  this  vicinity  since  December,  1865. 
He  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  Pa.,  July  7, 
1845,  and  his  father,  William  F.,  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  that  State  and  county.  William  F. 
Cardiff  was  a  merchant  by  vocation,  and  was  mar- 
ried in  Fulton  County,  Pa.,  to  Catherine  Sipes  (see 
sketch  of  J.  M.  Sipes).  They  came  to  Illinois,  in  April, 
1864,  locating  near  Galva,  where  the  mother  died 
in  March,  1869.  The  father  is  still  living,  in  Galva. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  religion  a  Meth- 
odist. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  Hved  at  home  up  to  the 
time  he  enlisted  as  a  soldier,  going  from  Fulton 
County,  Pa.,  Feb.  28,  1864,  into  the  22d  Pa.  Vol. 
Cav.,  Co.  H,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Jolly.  He 
took  an  active  part  in  the  engagements  under  Gen. 
Sheridan,  through  the  Shenandoah  Valley  and  at  the 
battles  of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek, 
besides  the  Western  Virginia  campaign,  and  others; 
his  horse  was  shot  from  under  him  at  Cedar  Creek, 
Va.  He  was  never  excused  from  duty  on  account  of 
sickness  and  participated  in  every  engagement  of  his 
regiment — 24  in  all — and  was  honorably  discharged 
at  the  end  of  the  war  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  Nov.  25, 
1865. 

Shortly  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr.  Cardiff 
came  to  Illinois,  where  his  parents  had  arrived  the 
year  before.  His  father  was  Captain  of  Co.  B,  3d 
Md.  Vol.  Inf.     He  was  out  two  and  one-half  years 


and  at  no  time  wounded,  but  was  taken  prisoner  at 
Harper's  Ferry.  He  held  his  commission  during  the 
whole  time,  being  paroled  when  captured,  and  was 
honorably  discharged.  This  was  before  he  came  to 
Illinois. 

Mr.  Cardiff  was  married  March  13,  1872,  at  Lynn 
Township,  to  Miss  Latrode  R.  Sellon,  born  in  Lynn 
Township,  Aug.  6,  1849.  Her  parents  are  both  dead. 
Her  father  was  for  many  years  a  minister  of  the 
Protestant  Methodist  Church,  and  lived  on  his  farm. 
They  came  from  England  to  this  country  prior  to 
their  marriage,  and  made  settlement  at  an  early  day 
in  Knox  County.  The  father,  whose  name  was  Ed- 
ward Sellon,  departed  this  life  Dec.  23,  1883,  in 
Galva,  and  the  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Elizabeth  Charles,  died  Oct.  3,  1873.  Mrs.  Cardiff 
lived  at  home  until  her  marriage  with  our  subject. 
She  is  the  mother  of  five  children — Ira  D.,  Bessie  C, 
Ada  J.,  Nellie  I.  and  William  E. 

Mr.  Cardiff  has  lived  at  his  present  residence  since 
1874.     He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the   Meth- ' 
odist  Episcopal  Church,  at  Galva,  attending  it  when 
convenient.     Mr.  Cardiff  is  Republican  in  politics.      ^ 


.iram  R.  King.  Prominent  among  the  lead- 
ing citizens  and  general  farmers  residing  in 
this  section  may  be  named  the  subject  of 
this  biography,  who  resides  in  tlie  vicinity  of 
Galva,  on  section  28,  Lynn  Township.  He  came 
to  this  county  in  1854,  from  Crawford  County, 
Ind.,  having  been  born  in  Summit,  111.,  Jan.  21,  1839. 
His  father,  Ambrose  King,  was  a  farmer  and  a  native 
of  New  York  State,  and  went  to  Luzerne  County, 
Pa.,  when  young  and  was  married  in  Summit  County, 
Ohio,  where  he  had  gone.  His  bride  was  Sallie  Root, 
who  was  born  and  reared  in  Ohio.  A  family  of  five 
children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter  (three  of  the 
former  now  living),  were  born  to  them.  The  moth- 
er's health  failed  and  her  death  occurred  in  Summit 
County,  in  1840.  The  father  was  again  married,  this 
time  to  Harriet  Porter,  and  afterward,  after  the  birth 
of  three  children  in  Crawford  County,  Ohio,  the  fam- 
ily came  to  Illinois  in  1854,  settling  on  a  partly  im- 
proved farm,  which,  however,  became  the  father's 
home  until  his  death,  in  January,  1878.  He  was  78 
years  old.  Mr.  King  was  a  solid  Republican  all  his 
life,  and  his  convictions  of  liberty  and  stout  efforts 


V' 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


7'1 


toward  reform  were  manifest  and  creditable.  His 
second  wife  died  in  Victoria  Townsliip,  Knox  County, 
in  December,  1885,  at  the  age  of  66. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  all  Baptists,  and 
he  was  the  eldest  but  two  in  the  family  of  five  chil- 
dren. On  the  coming  of  his  father  to  the  State  of 
Illinois,  he  set  out  to  earn  his  own  livelihood,  farm- 
ing and  operating  a  thrashing-machine.  He  has 
broken  many  acres  of  the  prairies  of  Victoria  Town- 
ship. He  purchased  a  quarter-section  of  new  land 
in  1867,  in  Victoria  Township,  and  Feb.  13,  1862,  he 
was  married  in  \\'alnut  Grove,  to  Lydia  CoUinson, 
daughter  of  Simeon  L.  Collinson.  (See  sketch  of  the 
same.)  She  was  born  in  Wilkesbarre,  Luzerne  Co.. 
Pa.,  Aug.  12,  1837,  and  came  with  her  parents  when 
they  emigrated  to  Knox  County,  III.,  with  whom  she 
lived  until  her  marriage.  She  is  the  motlier  of  six 
children,  one  deceased — Stephen  A.,  Susan  L., 
Hattie  M.,  Simeon  H.,  Royal  M.  and  Nina  J.,  all  at 
home.     One  daughter  is  married. 

Mr.  King  lived  in  Victoria  Township.  He  then 
went  to  California  and  settled  in  Santa  Clara  County, 
where  he  conducted  a  dairy  for  one  year.  Before 
marriage  he  spent  nearly  three  years  in  the  same 
county;  was  there  in  1859,  remaining  until  1862, 
most  of  the  time  in  the  dairy  business,  in  which  he 
met  with  fair  success,  but  finally  returned  to  Illinois, 
in  1864.  He  there  began  to  farm,  and  in  1866  he 
settled  where  he  now  resides,  on  his  wife's  farm  of 
160  acres.  He  owns  120  acres  in  Lynn  Township, 
40  acres  of  which  is  timber.  In  politics  Mr.  King  is 
a  Greenbacker.  In  religious  belief  he  and  his  wife 
are  Adventists. 

-^ .#.#. ^ 


T.  Perrin,  Superintendent  of  the  George 
W.  Brown  &  (^o.  Corn-Planter  Works,  of 
Galesburg,  111.,  was  born  in  Masachusetts, 
<  '^\  June  29,  1832,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1854. 
Here  he  began  work  for  this  company,  and  with 
the  exception  of  the  intervals  between  1857  and 
1863,  and  from  1864  to  1869,  has  remained  with 
them  ever  since.  He  was,  during  those  years,  farm- 
ing in  Iowa. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Horace  and  Clarissa 
(Richardson)  Perrin,  were  natives  of  Connecticut, 
and  of  French  and  EngUsh  descent,  and  the   father 


was  a  woolen-manufacturer.  Mr.  Perrin  was  the 
recipient  of  a  good  education  in  the  Massachusetts 
public  schools,  attending  at  Lee,  and  as  he  early 
showed  perseverance  and  an  application  to  his  books 
that  accomplished  good  results,  he  soon  ranked  high 
among  the  most  advanced  pupils.  He  accepted  the 
superintendency  of  Brown  &  Co.'s  business  house  in 
1880,  and  discharging  in  an  able  and  worthy  manner 
the  duties  in  hand,  he  soon  won  the  good  will  of  his 
employers  and  the  respect  of  his  patrons.  He  takes 
a  marked  degree  of  interest  in  agricultural  pursuits, 
and  conducts  farming  to  a  considerable  extent. 

In  1858  Mr.  Perrin  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Elizabeth  Brown,  the  daughter  of  G.  VV.  Brown, 
of  the  firm  of  G.  W.  Brown  &  Co.,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  four  children — George,  with  the  Brown 
Company;  Arthur,  a  student;  Myra  and  Jennie. 
Mr.  Perrin  may  be  called  a  self-made  man,  as  he 
started  in  life  with  only  $15.  He  was  among  the 
first  salesmen  for  G.  \V.  Brown,  traveling  in  a  wagon 
fr6m  farm  to  f.irni,  and  by  his  courtesy  and  honor- 
able dealing  soon  won  a  large  circle  of  patrons.  He 
has  in  charge  from  150  to  300  men. 


I  ev.  Nehemiah  White,  Ph.  D.,  President 
of  Lombard  University,  Galesburg,  in 
which  institution  he  is  also  Professor  of 
Theology,  was  born  at  Wallingford,  Rutland 
County,  Vt.,  Jan.  25,  1835.  His  father,  Justin 
M.White,  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and 
was  born  in  the  same  town  and  county  in  Vermont, 
Jan.  20,  1802,  and  died  at  Danby,  in  that  State, 
March  17,  1875.  The  Whites  came  originally  from 
England.  William  and  Sarah  White  were  among  the 
Pilgrims  who  came  over  in  the  Mayflower.  Peregrine, 
their  son,  was  born  on  the  Mayflower,  November  20, 
while  the  vessel  was  in  the  bay  of  Cape  Cod,  and 
from  Peregrine  White  the  present  family  is  de- 
scended. At  Clarendon,  Vt.,  Match  5,  1829,  Mr. 
Justin  M.  White  was  married  to  Lydia  Eddy,  also  a 
native  of  the  Green  Mountain  State,  probably  of 
Scotch  extraction,  and  descended  from  one  of  the 
pioneer  families  of  New  England.  They  reared  but 
two  children — J.  E.  White,  who  is  a  resident  of 
Danby,  Vt.,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

President  White  is  largely  a  self-educated  man. 


H-l- 


728 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


He  laid  the  foundation  for  his  learning  at  the  district 
and  select  schools  of  his  native  town,  where  he  be- 
gan teaching  when  16  years  of  age.  Determined 
upon  the  acquirement  of  a  thorough  education,  if 
possible,  he  taught  at  this  time  no  longer  than  was 
necessary  to  enable  him  to  prosecute  his  studies  in 
higher  schools.  From  Green  Mountain  Institute,  a 
preparatory  school  at  South  Woodstock,  Vt.,  he  en- 
tered Middlebury  (Vt.)  College  in  1853,  and  gradu- 
ated therefrom  in  the  class  of  1857.  Immediately 
following  graduation,  he  was  made  Associate  Princi- 
pal of  the  Green  Mountain  Institute  for  one  year. 
From  here  he  went  to  Clinton,  Oneida  County,  N. 
Y.,  where,  during  the  years  1859-60,  he  was  in 
charge  of  Clinton  Liberal  Institute,  where  his  young 
wife  was  also  employed  as  a  teacher.  Mrs.  White's 
health  failing  her,  they  retired  from  professional  labor 
to  the  farm  of  Mr.  White's  father,  where  they  spent  a 
few  years  in  recuperation.  In  1864  Prof  White  was 
called  to  Pulaski  (Oswego  County,  N.  Y.)  Academy, 
as  Principal  of  that  institution.  He  was  here  one 
year,  when  he  accepted  the  Professorship  of  Mathe- 
matics and  the  Natural  Sciences  of  St.  Lawrence 
University,  Canton,  N.  Y.  He  held  this  position  for 
six  years.  In  r87i  he  went  on  the  farm  for  recu- 
ration,  and  in  September,  1872,  became  Professor  of 
Ancient  Languages  of  Buchtel  College,  Akron,  Ohio, 
from  which  place  he  came  to  Galesburg  in  1875  to 
accept  the  Presidency  of  Lombard  University,  and 
here  he  has  remained  to  the  present  time.  In  1876 
he  received  the  degree  of  Ph.  D.,  from  St.  Lawrence 
University. 

Dr.  White  is  devoted  to  his  work  as  a  professional 
educator.     He  was  ordained  at  Columbus,  Ohio,  in   : 
June,  1875,  to  preach  the  Gospel,  but  the  duties  im-   j 
posed  upon  him  by  the  position  he  occupied  with  the 
Buchtel  College  required  so  much  of  his  time  that  he   \ 
was  not  able  to  fill  the  pulpit,  except  upon  rare  oc- 
casions.    Our  subject   was  married  at  South  Wood- 
stock, Vt.,  the  scene  of  his  first  eflForts  at  teaching 
school,  May  11,  1858,  to  Miss  Frances  M.  White,  an   i 
educated  and  accomplished   young  lady  of  extraor- 
dinary endowments  and  attainments.  In  the  various 
institutions  of  learning  svhere  she  taught  mathematics 
and  languages  her  name  is  written   and  remembered 
among  the  most  honored  of  an   honored  profession. 
Mrs.  White  was  born   at  Wallingford,  Vt.,  July  27, 
1838,  and  there  died  April  29,  1864,  leaving  an  only 
daughter,  Lois  M.,  who  was  born  July  17,  1861,  and    I 

'K 


died  at  Galesburg,  Jan.  i,  1882.  She  was  a  member 
of  the  Sophomore  Class  of  Lombard  University 
when  she  died.  Possessing  the  ennobling  traits  and 
many  of  the  superior  natural  qualities  of  her  mother. 
Miss  White  was  beloved  by  all  who  knew  her,  and 
her  death  left  a  void  in  many  a  heart  that  was  not 
again  to  be  filled. 

President  White  was  the  second  time  married,  in 
Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  May  29,  1871,  to  Miss  Inez 
Ling,  of  Pulaski,  N.  Y.,  a  native  of  Portland,  Me., 
where  she  was  born  Aug.  8,  1851.  Prof  and  Mrs. 
White  have  two  children — Willard  J.  and  Frances 
Cora.  The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Univer- 
salis! Church. 


-S- 


--^^ ei- 


>t^ 

lof  P.  Norine  is  a  native  of  Sulvetsburg, 
Sweden.  He  was  born  Jan.  13,  1837,  and 
came  to  .Amertca  in  1856.  His  parents 
lived  upon  a  farm  in  Sweden,  where  they  both 
died  since  Olof  came  to  this  country.  They 
reared  five  sons  and  a  daughter.  Three  of  the 
sons  came  to  America,  where  one  of  them  subse- 
quently died. 

Olof  Xorine,  our  subject,  was  brought  up  to  the 
farm  hfe,  which  he  followed  in  ihe  old  country,  when 
not  attending  school.  The  first  work  that  he  per- 
formed after  arriving  here  was  for  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
Railroad,  for  which  company  he  worked  one  year. 
Leaving  the  railroad,  he  tried  his  hand  at  teaming  a 
few  months,  and  then  in  the  city  of  Galesburg  set- 
tled hiuiself  down  to  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith. 
This  he  followed  as  a  journeyman  up  to  1865,  when 
he  established  a  shop  for  himself.  In  T879,  he  took 
into  partnership  Mr.  Lindquist,  and  the  firm  is  now 
widely  known  throughout  Knox  County,  as  one  of 
the  most  reliable  and  deserving.  Their  merited 
reputation  brings  them  much  work ;  their  work  brings 
them  money,  and  upon  their  money  they  support 
themselves  and  families  and  have  something  left  to 
lay  by  for  a  rainy  day. 

Mr.  Norine  was  married  at  Galesburg,  in  1864,  to 
Catherine  Stoneburg,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  by 
whom  he  has  had  borne  to  him  five  children,  viz.: 
Oscar,  George,  Eda,  Nellie  and  Bertha.  The  eldest 
son  is  a  clerk  in  a  bank,  and  the  second  one  a  black- 
smith. 


■f. 


-I>- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


729 


4-' 


i  obert  Mcllravy  is  one  of  Knox  County's 

I  successful  farmers,  residing  on  section  8, 
^J^f^P"'  Victoria  Township.  He  was  bom  in  Har- 
''^     rison  County,  Ohio,  March  i,  1835,  and  is  the 

son  of  Hugh  and   Ellen  (Quigley)  Mcllravy. 

The  father  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  ar- 
rived in  New  York  June  17,  181 2.  The  mother  was 
a  native  of  the  Keystone  State.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  three  of  whom  survive  and 
who  bear  the  names  of  David,  Nancy  and  Robert. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  Ohio,  in  1852. 
The  senior  Mr.  Mcllravy  came  to  Illinois  June  11, 
1S66,  and  located  at  Victoria,  where  he  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  80  acres  of  fertile  land.  In  1877  he 
disposed  of  this  property  and  made  his  home  with  his 
son,  Robert,  until  his  demise,  which  occurred  March 
20,  1878,  at  the  venerable  age  of  88  years  and  8 
'days. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  brief  personal  sketch 
is  given  remained  at  home  with  his  parents  until  26 
r  'years  of  age,  in  the  interim  assisting  his  father  upon 
the  farm  and  attending  the  common  school.  In  the 
year  1863  our  subject  came  to  Illinois,  settling  in 
^  Piatt  County,  where,  with  his  brother,  David,  he  pur- 
chased 217  acres  of  good  farm  land,  and  engaged  e.x- 
tensively  in  farming  and  stock-raising.  After  a  stay 
of  one  year  upon  this,  he  disposed  of  it  and  came  to 
Knox  County,  making  his  home  in  Victoria  Town- 
ship, where  he  had  purchased  r6o  acres  on  section 
8,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  David.  Three 
years  later,  Mr.  Mcllravy  bought  his  brother's  inter- 
est in  the  property,  of  which  he  has  since  been  the 
sole  owner,  and  where  he  has  since  been  occupied 
in  the  joint  business  of  stock  and  grain  raising. 
When  our  subject  came  to  this  county  he  was  penni- 
less, and  what  he  has  of  this  world's  goods,  and  a 
goodly  portion  it  is,  he  has  attained  through  unflinch- 
ing perseverance  and  by  practicing  the  closest  econ- 
omy. As  a  result  of  these  admirable  traits  of  char- 
acter, he  has  known  no  such  word  as  fail,  and  may 
truly  be  called  a  self-made  man.  He  erected  the 
store  in  Victoria  now  occupied  by  Mr.  Coleman,  and 
put  in  the  same  a  stock  of  goods  valued  at  S3>S°o- 
This  business  he  carried  on  about  three  months, 
when  he  sold  out  to  Messrs.  Coleman  &  Robinson. 
Our  subject  was  married  June  20,  1861,  to  Miss 


Sarah  West,  who  died  on  the  20th  of  August  one 
year  later,  and  for  his  second  wife  he  chose  Miss 
Mary  E.,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  John  and 
Matilda  (Robinson)  Garrett,  to  whom  he  was  mar- 
ried Oct.  II,  1866.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  In- 
diana and  came  to  the  I'rairie  State  in  1840,  making 
settlement  in  this  county.  Mrs.  Garrett  died  in  1870. 
She  was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  four  of  whom  are 
living — Fannie  E.,  Mary  E.,  Leah  A.  and  Ora  M. 
Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  Mcllravy,  and 
are  Jesse  O.,  Chauncy  D.,  Fannie  M.  and  Fred. 

Mr.  Mcllravy  in  politics  votes  with  the  Republi- 
can party.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Township  As- 
sessor four  terms,  and  also  that  of  School  Trustee, 
and  is  one  of  the  respected  and  honored  citizens  of 
this  county  and  a  good  representative  of  the  agricult- 
ural class. 


iPranklin  Jones,  deceased,  was  a  general 
farmer,  residingon  section  6,  Lynn  Town- 
ship, and  during  his  life  was  successful  in 
his  vocation.  He  was  born  in  Erie  County, 
N.  v.,  Feb.  20,  1816.  He  lived  in  his  native 
county,  working  at  the  vocation  which  he  fol- 
lowed during  his  lifetime  and  receiving  an  education 
in  the  common  schools.  He  was  married  in  Chau- 
tauqua County,  June  10,  1844,  to  Miss  Martha  N. 
Carpenter.  Miss  Carpenter  was  born  in  Windham 
County,  Conn.,  July  19,  1826,  of  New  England  pa 
rentage  and  of  English  extraction.  Her  father  was  a 
farmer  in  Connecticut,  was  there  reared,  married  and 
followed  his  calling  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  New  York  State,  whither  they  had  removed  some 
years  prior,  and  where  his  good  wife  also  died. 

Mrs.  Jones,  of  this  notice,  by  her  union  became 
the  mother  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased :  Franklin  W.,  third  son,  but  eldest  living, 
first  saw  light  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  25,  1851, 
and  was  there  reared  to  manhood  and  married  Ber- 
tha P.  Welch.  Miss  Welch  was  born  in  Galva,  and 
they  now  reside  on  80  acres  of  the  old  homestead  of 
our  subject.  Alfred  B.  Jones  married  Bessie  H. 
Welch,  and  is  engaged  in  fanning  in  Stark  County, 
III.  Jacob  Henry  lives  with  his  mother  on  the  old 
homestead,  in  Lynn  Township,  and  was  born  March 
8,  1864. 

Mr.  Jones  and  his  family,  consisting  of  his  wife  and 
*"  


130 


I^^rOX  COUNTY. 


four  children,  came  to  this  State  in  1855,  and  imme- 
diately located  on  section  6,  Lynn  Township,  where 
he  purchased  160  acres  of  good  farm  land,  but  which 
at  that  time  was  unbroken.  Like  many  others,  he  set- 
tled here  determined  to  make  it  a  future  abiding 
place  for  himself  and  children,  and  succeeded  to  the 
extent  that  at  the  date  of  his  demise  he  left  a  hand- 
some property,  his  land  having  been  brought  to  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  good  and  substantial  improve- 
ments having  been  erected  upon  it.  His  demise  oc- 
curred Oct.  21,  1867.  He  was  an  active  anti-slavery 
man  in  politics,  and  he  and  his  wife  were  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  Church.  Mrs.  Jones  sur- 
vives her  husband  and  resides  on  80  acres  of  the 
original  homestead,  which,  with  the  assistance  of  her 
son,  she  cultivates,  and  is  there  passing  the  sunset 
of  life  in  peace  and  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  her  com- 
petency. 


fscar  Finch  follows  general  farming  upon 
section  20,  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  He 
was  born  in  Ontario  County,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  21, 
[840.  His  father,  Benjamin  Finch,  was  a 
mechanic  and  farmer  by  calling,  and  a  native 
of  the  same  State.  In  Ontario,  he  married 
Matilda  Bennett,  of  his  own  State,  and  came  West 
to  Illinois,  in  1855,  bringing  with  him  four  of  his 
children,  one  having  preceded  him  some  years  before. 
Twelve  children  were  born  to  them.  Four  died  in 
infancy  and  one  at  the  age  of  18.  A  married  daugh- 
ter came  to  Illinois  in  1854.  He  followed  with  his 
wife  and  six  children,  two  of  whom  afterward  died. 
Mr.  Finch  remained  with  his  parents  until  his 
father's  death,  which  took  place  in  1859,  when  he  at 
once  commenced  on  his  own  account  to  face  life  and 
win  a  competency.  The  farm  which  he  now  owns 
consists  of  192  acres,  well  improved.  On  the  29th 
of  September,  1884,  his  mother  died  at  his  home, 
beloved  by  her  surviving  relatives  and  mourned  by 
many  who  had  known  her  integrity  and  steadfastness 
in  duty  during  life. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Ashtabula  County, 
Ohio,  Oct.  18,  1870,  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  AUyn.  This 
lady  was  a  native  of  Hart's  Grove,  in  that  county, 
and  her  father  still  lives  in  that  county,  where  he  fol- 
lows the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  Mrs.  F.  was  reared 
at  home  with  her  parents  up  to  the  date  of  her  mar- 


riage. By  this  union  she  has  become  the  mother  of 
seven  children,  one  of  whom  is  deceased.  There 
are  living  Dean  L.,  EttieR.,  Clarke  E.,  May  T.,  Lee 
and  Jay,  twins.  The  name  of  the  deceased  was 
Winnie  D. 

Since  the  arrival  of  our  subject  in  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  he  has  made  this  vicinity  his  home,  and 
will  probably  close  here  a  very  useful  life^ 

In  politics  Mr.  Finch  is  of  the  Independent 
school,  and  by  the  soundness  of  his  judgment  and 
adherence  to  those  principles  which  he  deems  most 
favorable  to  the  country's  good  has  won  to  himself 
the  good  will  and  alliance  of  his  political  friends. 


I^harles  A.  Hopkins,  junior  member  of  the 
[f^  firm  of  Hopkins  Bros.,  liverj'men,  of  Al- 
tona,  also  figures  prominently  as  grain- 
buyer  for  George  W.  Barnett,  of  Galesburg, 
he  being  engaged  in  grain  buying  and  ship- 
ping. He  entered  the  livery  business  in  the 
year  1865,  and  was  joined  by  his  brother,  John  W., 
senior  member  of  the  firm,  in  the  year  1876,  which  ^ 
was  at  that  time  styled  and  has  since  been  known 
as  Hopkins  Bros.  Their  business  is  conducted  on 
first-class  principles,  and  their  stables  are  fully, 
equipped  with  some  of  the  most  creditable  turnouts 
in  the  village. 

Mr.  Hopkins  possesses  undisputed  ability  in  all 
questions  relative  to  business.  He  is  an  able  finan- 
cier, keen,  wide-awake  and  shrewd  in  all  moneyed 
transactions.  He  commenced  business  as  Mr.  Bar- 
nett's  grain-buyer  in  July,  1885,  to  which  branch  he 
has  given  marked  attention  ever  since,  carrying  it  on, 
however,  in  connection  with  his  livery  business. 

Mr.  Hopkins  was  born  in  Oswego,  Kendall  Co., 
111.,  Aug.  19,  1846.  His  father,  Samuel  B.  Hopkins, 
by  vocation  a  merchant,  was  born  with  a  New  En- 
gland record,  coming  of  a  long  line  of  Eastern  ances- 
tors, whose  history  includes  many  interesting  remi- 
niscences. He  lives  at  Altona.  His  wife,  mother  of 
Charles,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah  A.  King- 
man, now  deceased,  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  N. 
Y.,  and  departed  this  life  at  Exira,  Iowa,  in  1855. 
She  was  of  American  parentage  and  a  lady  of  many 
physical  and  mental  endowments  and  graces. 

Charles,  our  subject,  was  educated  in  the  Kendall 
County  schools,  and  passed  his  boyish  years  and  the 


<>. 


•H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


73' 


earlier  part  of  his  young  manhood  at  home.  In  the 
year  1869,  he  went  to  Chicago  and  engaged  with 
Parrish  &  Brjden,  grocers,  as  clerk.  He  afterward 
entered  the  employ  of  C.  Grunewald.  A  short  time 
later  he  passed  one  year  in  the  vicinity  of  Memphis, 
Tenn.  He  held  the  position  of  collector  for  Rice 
Bros.,  of  Memphis,  and  in  1870  again  returned  to 
Chicago,  figuring  as  a  clerk,  this  time  with  Hopkins 
&  Rogers,  stationers  and  book-dealers.  Soon  after 
the  great  Chicago  fire  of  187 1,  which  caused  such 
wide-spread  financial  havoc  and  panic,  he  left  the 
city,  and  during  that  autumn  went  prospecting  to 
Portland,  Oregon.  Returning  from  his  Western  trip, 
he  again  headed  for  Chicago,  and  entered  the  gro- 
cery house  of  J.  J.  Dwyer,  427  State  street.  Here 
he  served  as  confidential  clerk.  In  1873  he  left 
their  employ,  and  with  a  vague  desire  of  seeing  more 
of  the  country,  went  this  time  to  San  Francisco,  later 
to  Los  Angeles  County,  Cal.  Here  he  remained 
somewhat  longer  than  he  had  originally  intended, 
[lengthening  his  stay  to  three  years.  It  was  here 
j  that  he  exercised  his  mechanical  ability  in  the  run- 
!  ning  of  a  stationary  engine.  In  1876  he  entered  the 
business  in  which  he  is  now  engaged,  as  before 
stated.  Mr.  Hopkins  occupies  a  wide  sphere  of  use- 
fulness, and  is  prominent  in  public  affairs.  He  has 
held  the  office  of  President  of  the  village  Board  of 
Trustees  for  the  past  two  years.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  has  been  for  12  years, 
and  is  Secretary  of  that  organization.  Politically, 
he  is  a  stanch  and  liberal  Republican. 

— — S^ •o»o-@-^'v1§)'»«°'  *<*— 

^^'fl.rohn  Thompson,  one  of  Knox  County's 
^'^gJjV-  promising,  pleasant  and  genial  young  men, 
e;^?«r>4.  j^  ^  resident  of  section  17,  Lynn  Township. 
"'1^  For  one  of  his  years,  he  has  gained  prominence 
^L^  and  made  his  vocation  a  success.  He  makes  a 
\  specialty  of  raising  cereals  and  takes  a  large 
and  deep  interest  in  the  breeding  of  fine  blooded 
animals.  His  property  includes  160  acres,  ample 
room  in  which  to  prosecute  his  vocation. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland, 
July  23,  1853,  and  was  but  a  small  child  when  his 
parents  moved  to  County  Antrim,  Ireland.  There 
he  received  a  good  common-school  education,  and 
there  his  father,  William  Thompson,  died  in  August, 


1874.  His  mother,  Effie  Thompson,  still  resides  in 
County  Antrim. 

Our  subject  was  reared  as  a  farmer  boy,  lived  at 
home  most  of  the  time  until  he  removed  to  the 
United  States  in  1873,  and  for  three  years  previous 
to  his  coming  to  Kno.\  County  he  lived  in  Montgom- 
ery County,  Pa.  On  coming  here  he  began  to  work 
as  a  farm  laborer.  He  was  married,  Sei)t.  21,  1882, 
to  Miss  Belle  Stanton,  who  was  born  in  Ohio,  Dec. 
13,  1855.  Her  parents  came  to  Illinois,  and  settled 
in  Lynn  Township.  She  received  her  education  in 
the  public  schools,  and  is  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren, as  follows  :  William  G.,  born  Sept.  20,  1883  ; 
Harry  S.,  Nov.  18,  1884,  and  an  infant  unnamed, 
Jan.  5,1886. 

Mr.  Thompson  has  the  hardihood  and  conscious 
integrity  of  his  nation,  while  his  persevering  industry 
and  strength  of  character  give  him  a  high  place 
among  the  best  citizens  of  this  section.  In  politics 
he  is  a  leader  in  and  a  supporter  of  the  principles 
advocated  by  the  Republican  party. 

ilkins  Seacord,  Superintendent  of  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  stockyards  at  Galesburg 
%P  and  Quincy,  resident  on  South  Broad  street, 
Galesburg,  III,  traces  the  blood  of  his  pater- 
nal ancestors  to  the  Huguenots  of  France. 
His  grandfather  was  a  subordinate  officer  under 
Marquis  de  La  Fayette,  and,  coming  to  America  with 
the  gallant  hero,  decided  to  remain.  His  son,  Wil- 
kins,  the  immediate  ancestor  of  the  subject  of  this 
notice,  married  Hulda  J.  Morris.  Both  were  natives 
of  New  York,  and  of  the  two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters reared  by  them,  Wilkins,  Jr.,  was  next  to  the 
youngest.  Wilkins,  Sr.,  was  for  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  General  Assembly  of  New  York,  in  which 
State  he  spent  his  entire  life,  dying  in  1862,  at  the 
age  of  62'  years.  His  widow  survived  him  some  15 
or  16  years,  and  died  at  the  age  of  7  i  or  72  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  at  the 
common  schools;  learned  something  of  the  black- 
smith's trade,  worked  at  farming  awhile  ;  left  home 
when  about  22  years  of  age;  drifted  about  through 
Ohio,  Michigan  and  Indiana,  and  finally,  in  October 
of  1855,  landed  at  Galesburg.  Here  he  taught 
school   awhile,  broke  prairie,  and  in  the  spring  of 


^ 


732 


JiTNOX  COUNTY. 


% 


1857  engaged  in  business  at  Oneida.  From  the 
spring  of  1862  to  1868,  he  was  engaged  in  the  meat 
and  live  stock  business,  which  he  abandoned  in  the 
latter  year  and  removed  to  Knoxville,  then  the  coun- 
ty seat  of  Knox  County,  and  there  filled  the  office  of 
Sheriff  during  the  two  years  for  which  he  was  elected. 
In  1870  he  returned  to  Galesburg  and  took  charge 
of  the  stockyards.  In  1876,  the  Superintendency 
of  the  Quincy  yards  was  added  to  his  duties,  and  the 
two  places  have  since  been  under  his  care.  In  con- 
nection with  his  stockyard  labors,  his  extensive  ren- 
dering establishment,  his  three  large  farms,  his  bank- 
ing interests,  etc.,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  Mr.  Seacord 
has  quite  enough  to  keep  him  busy. 

Our  subject  was  born   in   Orange  County,  N.  Y., 

Sept.   20,  1833;  he  was  married  in   Knox  County, 

Oct.  I,  1857,  to  Miss  Keren  L.  Courtright,  who  died 

November,  1869,  leaving  three  children — Fred,  now 

a  prominent   stock- grower  and  farmer;  Louisa  (Mrs. 

John  Wilcox)  and  D.  F.,  an  importer  and  breeder  of 

I  thoroughbred  horses.     Mr.  Seacord  married  his  pres- 

I  ent  wife,  Mrs.  Fannie  M.  Hollowell,  nee  Turner,  at 

L  Kansas  City,  Sept.  20,  1883.     He   is  Republican  in 

^politics,  and  a  member  of  the  A.  F.  &  A.  M.     He  is 

liberal  in  religion,  and  at  one  time  took  an    interest 

in  the  Universalist  Church. 

--*— '^i^' '^ 


.  John  L.  rtfleld,  residing  at  Victoria 
.  village,  was  born  in  Salisbury,  Merrimac 
Co.,  N.  H.  His  parents  were  Peter  and 
Lydia  (Eaton)  Fifield,  natives  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, who  came  there  from  Scotland,  to  which 
the  parents  trace  back  their  ancestry.  The 
parental  family  consisted  of  six  meniDers,  all  of 
whom  grew  up  to  attain  the  age  of  man  and  woman- 
hood. The  record  is  as  follows :  John  L.,  Peter, 
Samuel  E.,  Hiram,  Silas  C.  and  Lucy  J.  The  par- 
ents died  in  1856  and  1880,  respectively. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
17  years  of  age  and  then  engaged  as  a  teacher  and 
attended  school  at  times  until  1830.  He  commenced 
to  study  medicine  in  1826,  and  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession  in  the  same  year  he  left  Dartmouth 
College,  at  Boscawen,  where  he  remained  two  years. 
Then  he  went  to  Sutton,  in  his  native  State,  and 
there  lived  seven  years.     One  year  later  he  came  to 


the  Prairie  State  and  settled  in  Rochester,  Peoria  Co. 
At  this  place  he  continued  the  practice  of  medicine 
for  ten  years  and  then  removed  to  Victoria  village, 
and  was  in  active  practice  until  1870,  when  he  re- 
tired from  his  medical  labors.  He  had  often  to  ride 
a  distance  of  40  or  50  miles  when  he  first  came  to 
Illinois,  before  the  country  was  fairly  settled,  and 
never  refused  to  go  when  duty  called.  In  1850  he 
made  a  purchase  of  53  acres  of  desirable  land,  lo- 
cated on  section  17,  Victoria  Township,  subsequently 
adding  to  his  acreage  an  additional  160,  upon  which 
he  has  since  lived.  Dr.  Fifield  entered  the  matri- 
monial state  in  1836,  at  which  time  he  was  married 
to  Laura,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Joshua 
Cushman.  Her  parents  are  residents  of  Lebanon, 
N.  H.  The  family  of  Dr.  Fifield  numbers  five  mem- 
bers: Laura  A.,  now  Mrs.  G.  S.  Smith,  who  is  the 
mother  of  four  children — Herbert,  Clifton,  Franklin 
and  Nellie.  Lydia  E.  married  E.  S.  Brooks,  and 
their  union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  eight  chil- 
dren— Lora,  Frank,  Sherman,  Etta,  Lulu,  Elliottena, 
and  two  others  not  named.  Marie  Fifield  became 
the  wife  of  Charles  Foster,  and  to  them  have  been 
born  five  children — May,  Lillie,  Carrie,  Katie  and  an  >< 
infant  unnamed.  Mary  H.  has  for  a  husband  J.  N. 
Woolsey,  and  they  are  the  happy  parents  of  four 
children,  by  name  Ralph,  Ross,  Laura  and  Robert. 
John  L.,  Jr.,  married  Miss  Emily  Hammond;  they 
had  two  children — Roy  and  Otis,  and  he  departed  this 
life  in  1877.     Mrs.  Dr.  John  Fifield  died  in  1865. 

Our  subject  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party, 
and  has  been  honored  with  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  prominent 
and  substantial  men  of  his  village. 


^rancis  Orman  Crocker.  After  an  active 
business  life  covering  full  half  a  century, 
Mr.  Crocker  finally  retired  to  private  life 
in  Galesburg  in  1883.  His  parents,  John  and 
Rebecca  (Tibbetts)  Crocker,  natives  of  Maine, 
where  they  were  married,  emigrated  to  Dear- 
born County,  Ind.,  in  1818,  and  Mr.  C.  lived  there 
until  1836,  when  the  senior  Mr.  C.  died  at  the  age  of 
55  years.  His  widow  survived  him  nearly  a  quarter 
of  a  century,  and  died  in  St.  Joseph  County,  Ind.,  in 
1872. 
Our   subject  was  bom  in  Exeter,  Me.,  Aug.  20, 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


733 


1815,  and  was  the  third  child  and  first  son  born  in 
the  family  that  reared  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 
The  paternal  ancestor  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  the  six  sons  were  brought  up  to  that  honorable 
vocation,  and  received  such  learning  as  was  readily 
attainable  at  the  log-cabin  schoolhouse  at  that  day 
in  a  State  famous  for  its  primitiveness  even  unto  this 
time.  In  1841  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to 
Illinois,  and  for  12  years  farmed  in  Henderson 
County.  In  1S55  he  became  a  resident  of  Gales- 
burg  and  entered  soon  afterward  in  the  grocer)-  bus- 
iness, from  which  he  retired  in  1SS3  with  a  handsome 
competency,  the  result  of  his  individual  effort  and 
industr)'.  He  has  held  no  offices,  figured  not  in 
politics,  joined  no  secret  order,  and  proclaimed  no 
sanctification  at  the  shrine  of  any  church. 

He  was  married  in  Dearborn  County,  Ind.,  Sept. 
26,  1840,  to  Miss  Mary  Brimhall,  and  their  three 
children  are:  Oricy  Villa,  bom  April  3,  1843, 
married  George  Nead,  and  on  January  23,  r88o,  she 
'  died  at  Galesburg;  she  left  an  infant  son,  Benjamin, 
who  resides  with  his  grandparents  ;  George  D.,  born 
July  12,  1845,  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  at 
•^  Galesburg;  and  Emeline,  born  Aug.  28,  1848,  mar- 
ried LeRoy  Bates,  and  she  died  June  12,  1882,  at 
Galesburg,  leaving  a  son — Xealy  Bates. 

^*^^©^*-> 

H'drdolph  F.  Nelson.  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  native 
"f,  of  Sweden,  where  he  was  born  in  February, 
1839.  He  may  be  numbered  among  those 
who  have  carved  out  for  themselves,  by  per- 
severance and  steadily  adhering  to  duty,  a 
position  in  life  only  attainable  by  self-made 
men.  He  is  now  engaged  in  general  farming,  on  sec- 
tion 23,  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  His  father, 
Nels  P.  Johnson,  is  still  residing  in  his  native  coun- 
try, with  his  wife,  Joanna  (Stinson)  Johnson. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  notice  lived 
with  his  parents  up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage,  June 
24,  1864.  His  wife.  Miss  Chrisrina  C.  Freid,  was 
born  in  Sweden,  June  ti,  1837,  and  lived  with  her 
parents  up  to  the  date  of  their  demise.  By  her  union 
with  Mr.  Nelson  she  has  become  the  happy  mother 
of  four  children,  two  of  whom  are  now  deceased. 
Carl  G.  was  born  in  Sweden,  Nov.  i,  1865.  and  Anna 
C.  June   II,  1868,  while  her  parents  were  on  their 


way  to  the  United  States.  In  i868  Mr.  Nelson  took 
up  his  residence  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  first  locating 
in  Altona,  where  lie  began  work  as  a  general  laborer 
on  a  farm.  His  first  land  was  purchased  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township,  in  the  year  1874.  This,  however, 
he  had  rented  for  some  years.  He  is  now  the  owner 
of  two  farms,  in  all  consisting  of  280  acres,  and  this 
in  a  highly  improved  condition.  One  of  these  farms 
lies  in  Lynn  Township,  and  includes  124  acres.  His 
Walnut  Grove  farm  has  upon  it  some  very  fine  farm 
buildings. 

The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Swedish  Lu- 
theran Church  at  Altona,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nelson 
are  held  in  the  best  of  esteem  by  their  community. 
Politically  Mr.  Nelson  is  a  sound  Republican  and 
keeps  himself  well  informed  upott  all  matters  asso- 
ciated with  the  body  politic. 


ilas  C.  Whitcomb,  M.  D.  The  subject  of 
this  historical  sketch  is  station  and  express 
agent  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  at 
Oneida,  and  became  connected  with  the  com- 
pany during  the  year  1868,  operating  in  dif- 
ferent places  on  the  main  line  and  its  branches 
ever  since.  While  occupying  a  situation  on  the 
Keithsburg  branch  of  this  line  of  road,  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine,  giving  to  it  a  small  share  of  his 
time.  After  pursuing  it  during  his  spare  hours,  he, 
in  the  winter  of  i88i-82,went  to  Hahnemann  Medical 
College,  in  Chicago,  from  which  he  graduated  Feb. 
20,  1883.  After  returning  to  his  home  in  Oneida, 
his  medical  practice,  in  which  he  was  largely  suc- 
cessful, engrossed  a  fair  share  of  his  lime,  and  at 
this  he  continued  for  si.\  months,  but,  owing  to  a 
vacancy  in  the  oflSce  of  station  agent  of  that  place, 
which  was  tendered  him,  he  at  once  assumed  its 
duties,  which  he  has  from  that  time  successfully  dis- 
charged, conrinuing  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
a  small  share  of  his  time. 

Dr.  Whitcomb  was  born  in  O.xford,  Henry  Co.,  111., 
Jan.  18,  1848.  His  father,  Henry  Whitcomb,  a 
farmer,  resides  in  Montgomery  County,  Kan.,  where 
he  owns  a  valuable  and  productive  farm,  and  is 
highly  esteemed  as  an  industrious  man  and  a  worthy 
citizen.  He  claims  the  Empire  State  as  his  place  of 
birth,  and,  though  of  American  parentage,  is  of  En- 


-^ 


4-^ 


734 


JiTJVOX  COUNTY. 


glish  ancestry  and  blood.  His  marriage  to  Miss 
Fally  Woodman,  who  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Madison 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  was  celebrated  in  Hamilton.  Mrs.  Whit- 
comb  lived,  previous  to  her  marriage,  in  New  York, 
and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  Her  father  was  a  hero  of 
Revolutionary  fame,  and  claimed  Washington  as  a 
commander.  He  died  a  few  years  after  that  never- 
to-be-forgotten  struggle  for  American  liberty  that 
stands  out  with  such  distinctness  on  the  records  of 
the  nation.  He  closed  his  life  in  Madison  County, 
N.  Y.,  having  attained  to  a  hale  old  age.  The  fam- 
ily ancestry  was  similar  in  origin  to  that  of  the  Whit- 
comb  line. 

Dr.  Whitcomb  was  the  youngest  of  a  family  of 
seven  children,  consisting  of  five  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  three  of  the  former  and  one  of  the  lat- 
ter yet  survive.  His  parents,  with  their  little  family, 
came  to  Illinois,  purchasing  new  land,  from  which 
they  hoped  to  create  a  home  for  future  years,  in  Ox- 
ford, Henry  County,  after  having  first  lived  one  year 
in  Knox  County,  which  was  at  that  day  an  unbroken 
expanse  of  prairie  land.  Locating  on  this  wild  tract, 
I  in  Oxford  Township,  the  father  and  sons  began  cul- 
''^tivating  and  improving  the  land,  which  they  con- 
tinued to  reside  upon  till  1866,  when  they  removed 
to  Altona,  Knox  County.  From  this  time  the  father 
""took  no  specially  active  part  in  farm  work,  but 
operated  land  through  the  agency  of  others,  and 
finally  closed  his  business  in  this  State  by  removing 
to  Kansas,  as  before  noted,  in  the  year  1871.  The 
death  of  the  mother  occurred  at  Coffeyville,  Kan., 
Sept.  10,  1885,  which  was  the  56th  anniversary  of 
her  marriage  to  Mr.  Whitcomb.  She  had  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  80  years. 

Dr.  Whitcomb  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's 
farm,  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Ox- 
ford and  Altona.  At  the  age  of  20  years,  naturally 
being  bright  and  intelligent,  with  promising  mind  and 
an  intellectual  bearing,  he  entered  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.  office  and  began  the  study  of  telegraphy. 
Completing  his  knowledge  of  this  art,  he  soon  after 
assumed  the  duties  connected  with  the  office  and  dis- 
charged them  skillfully  and  to  the  entire  satisfaction 
of  his  employers. 

In  March,  1865,  he  enlisted  and  entered  the  Civil 
War  as  a  Union  soldier,  in  the  83d  Reg.  111.  Vol. 
Inf.,  Co.  D,  Capt.  Snyder,  of  the  Cumberland  Divis- 
ion of  the  Federal  Army.  He  participated  in  no 
active  engagement,  but  did  garrison  duty,  at  which 


he  continued  till  he  received  an  honorable  discharge 
at  the  cessation  of  hostihties,  in  September,  1865,  at 
Springfield,  111.  At  Altona,  Knox  County,  March 
II,  1871,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  E. 
Hill,  daughter  of  O.  B.  Hill,  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
and  who,  having  lost  her  mother  early  in  childhood, 
was  reared  by  her  father  and  friends,  with  the  former 
of  whom  she  made  her  home  until  her  marriage. 

To  Dr.  Whitcomb  and  wife  have  been  born  three 
children,  as  follows:  Bertie  E.,  born  Jan.  25,  1872; 
Mabel  V.,  May  i,  1873,  and  Silas  C,  Nov.  22,  1878. 
While  at  Altona,  the  Doctor  was  Village  Clerk  one 
term  ;  at  New  Windsor  he  held  the  same  office  two 
terms,  and,  though  far  from  being  an  office-seeker, 
he  is  eminently  well-fitted  to  fill  any  official  position 
to  which  he  may  be  elected.  In  politics  he  is  an  in- 
dependent Republican,  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in 
the  workings  of  that  party. 

-^ ^-^ ^ 

^^Ldwin  Schwartz,  M.  D.  One  of  the  prin- 
s«™«-'  cipal  citizens  and  more  important  physi- 
cians of  Knoxville,  Dr.  Schwartz,  is  made 
st^  the  subject  of  this  historical  notice,  the  princi- 
pal points  in  his  life  being  herein  recorded. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Military  Tract  Medical 
Society,  and  is  Medical  Examiner  of  Knox  Lodge, 
No.  126,  A.  O.  U.  W.  He  was  appointed  Physi- 
cian to  the  Knox  County  Almshouse,  in  April, 
1886.  He  is  considered  proficient  in  his  knowledge 
of  medicine  and  receives  the  confidence  and  patron- 
age of  the  people  of  his  town. 

Dr.  Schwartz  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Knox 
County,  March  31,  1854.  He  is  the  son  of  Daniel 
and  Elizabeth  (Williamson)  Schwartz  (see  sketch), 
and  was  educated  in  the  district  school  during  his 
boyish  years.  Showing  actual  talent,  keen  intelli- 
gence and  a  strong  inclination  to  devote  himself 
arduously  to  his  studies,  larger  advantages  were  be- 
stowed upon  him.  He  entered  Knox  College,  and 
in  1878  began  the  study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Madi- 
son Reese,  of  Abingdon.  Here  he  continued  working 
untiringly  for  a  period  of  two  yeais,  when  he  went 
into  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  the  better  to 
perfect  himself  in  the  pursuit  of  his  profession. 
From  this  institution  he  graduated  Feb.  22,  1881, 
and  in  the  ensuing  May  began  his  practice,  receiv- 


KSOX  COUNTY. 


73S 


ing,  as  previously  stated,  a  substantial  patronage 
and  flattering  confidence  from  his  old  friends  and 
neighbors. 

On  the  7th  of  December,  1882,  he  took  to  wife 
Miss  Alice  Raridon,  who  was  born  in  Haw  Creek 
Township,  and  who  was  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  (Richmond)  Raridon.  Resulting  from  this 
union  has  been  the  birth  of  one  child — Louise  Feni- 
more.  The  Doctor  and  his  wife  are  considered  de- 
sirable neighbors,  and  are  heartily  esteemed  and 
liked  in  the  community  of  which  they  are  members. 
The  Doctor  takes  an  interest  in  politics  and  is  a 
Democrat  in  sentiment  and  belief.  He  is  a  useful 
man  in  local  and  public  affairs  and  belongs  to  Knox- 
ville  Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  fills  a  wide 
field  of  usefulness,  and  may  be  considered  one  of  the 
most  solid  and  substantial  men  in  that  section  of 
country. 


noble. 


ij.ol.  Leander  H.  Potter,  deceased,  was  born 
at  Midland,  N.  Y.,  March  15,  1829,  and 
died  at  Galesburg  July  11,  1879.  Thus 
briefly  we  chronicle  the  beginning  and  end- 
ing of  a  noble  life.  A  life  devoted  more  to 
the  interest  of  humanity  than  to  self  is  always 
Such  a  life,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  19th 
centur)',  has  become  so  rare  that  he  who  lives  it  is 
isolated  from  the  rest  of  mankind  to  an  extent  that 
involves  sacrifices,  often  of  the  most  serious  and  try- 
ing character. 

If  the  wealthiest  man  in  the  United  States  were  to 
plant  himself  squarely  upon  the  Golden  Rule,  he 
could  not  live  up  to  it  a  decade  without  impoverish- 
ing his  family.  And  yet  there  are  unselfish  men ; 
there  are  men  who  sacrifice  golden  opix)rtuniiies  for 
worldly  advancement  in  devotion  to  a  principle,  tlie 
basis  whereof  is  a  desire  to  benefit  mankind.  Once 
in  awhile  you  find  a  man  who  is  ambitious  and  feels 
that  the  world  is  better  for  his  having  lived  in  it. 

Col.  Potter  left  little  in  this  worlds  goods,  but  he 
scattered  his  bread  upon  the  waters  in  the  faith  that 
it  would  return  at  a  future  day.  At  his  home  in 
Rockford,  III,  whither  his  parents  had  removed,  he 
fitted  himself  for  college,  and  in  1854  graduated 
from  Yale.  Leaving  Yale  College,  he  taught  school 
awhile  in  Maryland ;  later  on  he  had  charge  of  the 
High  School  in  Chicago,  and  in  1859  he  went  to 


Bloomington,  111.,  as  Professor  of  Languages  at  the 
Stale  Normal  University.  He  was  at  Bloomington 
when  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  and  on  Sept.  4,  1861, 
he  enrolled  at  Camp  Butler,  111.,  as  a  private  soldier, 
and  upon  the  organization  of  the  33d  111.  Vol.  Inf. 
("  Normal  ")  he  became  Captain  of  Co.  A.  Sept.  15, 
1862,  he  was  promoted  to  Major  of  the  33d,  and 
May  29,  1863,  to  Lieutenant-Colonel;  the  order  of 
promotion  showing  that  it  was  conferred  as  a  reward 
of  valor.  Sept.  12,  1864,  he  left  the  army,  by 
resignation,  at  Cotton  Plant,  Ark.  He  was  several 
times  wounded  while  in  the  service,  which  led  to  the 
disability  that  caused  his  death. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  army  he  was  called  to  Be- 
loit.  Wis.,  as  Principal  of  a  high  school,  and  from 
there  he  went  to  Fulton,  111.,  as  President  of  a  State 
military  institution.  From  Fulton,  in  1876,  he  came 
to  Galesburg,  where  he  held  a  professorship  in  Knox 
College  two  years,  making  for  himself  a  name  and 
reputation  for  sociability,  intellectuality  and  merit  as 
an  educator  that  should  cause  him  to  be  remembered 
in  the  hearts  of  the  i)eople  who  appreciate  true 
worth  under  all  circumstances. 

Prof.  Potter  was  first  married  at  New  Haven 
Conn.,  July  26,  1858,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Josephine 
Bartlett,  who  died  at  Lowden,  Iowa,  Oct.  15,  1869. 
She  buried  one  child  and  left  four  living:  Charles 
A.,  a  teacher  in  Colorado;  Alice  Sherman,  a  teacher 
in  Galesburg;  Theodore  Bartlett,  a  druggist  at  Chi- 
cago ;  and  Harry  B.  Gray,  a  student.  The  deceased, 
Ella  Gertrude,  was  three  years  and  eight  months  old 
when  she  died,  Jan.  25,  1863.  May  22,  1871,  Col. 
Potter  was  again  married,  his  second  wife  being 
named  Martha  Irwin,  at  Clinton,  Iowa.  The  chil- 
dren born  to  her  and  her  husband  are  Leander  Ir- 
win and  Herman  Hubbel.  Col.  Potter  was  a 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  for  many  years  identi- 
fied with  the  Congregarional  Church,  as  is  also  his 
wife. 


A 


y.  alter  N.  Jones.  Lynnwood  Farm,  located 
on  sections  10,  11  and  14,  Lynn  Town- 
ship, and  comprising  320  acres,  is  the 
property  of  the  gentleman  whose  short  bio- 
graphical sketch  we  here  give.  Walter  N. 
Jones  was  born  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  May 
7,  1838,0!  English  parentage.  His  father,  Charies 
H.   Jones,  was  born  in  1790,  in  Herefordshire,  En- 


73<5 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


gland,  and  was  an  active  business  man  and  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  malting  business. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  quite  a  noted  horse- 
man, his  forte  being  in  the  saddle.  He  continued 
to  reside  in  his  native  land,  developing  into  man- 
hood, and  about  1820  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Caroline  A.  Pickering,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Sir 
William  Pickering,  of  Gloucester  City.  She  was  a 
very  highly  educated  lady,  and  a  devout  and  loving 
Christian  mother  and  faitliful  wife  until  her  death, 
which  occurred  Feb.  19,  1872,  at  Rootstown,  Ohio. 
After  six  children  had  been  born  to  them,  and  after 
sustaining  heavy  financial  losses,  the  parents  deter- 
mined to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  They  con- 
sequently set  sail  in  1835,  and  arriving  in  this 
country  located  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  where  they 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  When  the 
father  first  settled  there  the  country  was  new,  and 
the  laborious  toil  which  is  one  of  the  requisites  of  a 
successful  farmer,  especially  in  a  new  country,  was 
telling  on  him,  as  he  had  performed  no  manual  la- 
bor of  any  consequence  prior  to  that  time.  Living 
there  for  awhile,  the  father  with  his  family  moved 
from  his  original  purchase  to  near  Rootstown,  Port- 
age County,  where  he  bought  a  farm  and  continued 
actively  in  his  calling  until  his  death,  in  r856.  They 
were  both  buried  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Rootstown. 
After  the  parents'  arrival  in  this  country  four  more 
children  were  born  to  them,  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  being  next  to  the  youngest. 

Walter  N.  Jones  resided  on  the  old  farm  with  his 
parents,  until  16  years  of  age.  His  life,  even  prior 
to  that  date,  was  a  busy  one,  the  major  portion  of  it 
being  passed  on  the  farm,  plowing,  clearing  out 
stumps  and  piling  up  the  stones,  as  well  as  chop- 
ping and  clearing  the  land.  He  nevertheless  found 
time  to  attend  the  schools  during  the  winter  season, 
being  compelled  to  walk  two  and  a  half  miles  night 
and  morning  for  that  purpose.  In  1853  Mr.  Jones 
went  to  Wooster,  Wayne  Co.,  Ohio,  to  learn  daguer- 
reotypy,  with  his  brother-in-law,  J.  W.  Wykes, 
and  afterward  learned  ambrotypy  and  photography. 
Buying  out  Mr.  Wykes,  our  subject  continued  to  fol- 
low the  business  until  1863,  meeting  with  success, 
and  in  the  meanwhile  producing  some  of  the  first 
life-sized  photographs  made  in  that  section  of  Ohio, 
also  oil  paintings. 

Jan.  17,  r86o,  Mr.  Jones  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Addie  E.  James,  eldest  daughter  of  J.  C. 


James,  of  Wooster,  Ohio.  Her  parents  were  En- 
glish and  among  the  early  settlers  of  Wooster.  In 
1866  they  removed  to  Aurora,  111.,  where  her  father 
was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  and  followed  the 
same  until  within  a  few  years  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred June  r3,  1879. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones'  first  child,  Carrie  A.,  was 
born  Nov.  10,  i860,  and  died  May  7,  1861,  and  is 
buried  in  the  cemetery  at  Wooster;  Mary  Edith  was 
born  June  15,  1862;  Charles  H.,  Aug.  8,  1864; 
James  W.,  Oct.  27,  1866;  Lottie  A.,  Jan.  29,  1869; 
George  W.,  Aug.  17,  1873;  Emma  Hortense,  Oct. 
16,  1874;  and  William  P.,  Aug.  19,  1883.  Nettie 
J.,  Jessie  M.  and  Howard  S.  died  when  young,  and 
are  buried  in  the  family  cemetery  on  Lynnwood 
Farm. 

In  1863  Mr.  Jones  sold  all  of  his  property  in 
Wooster,  Ohio,  and  made  settlement  in  Lynn  Town- 
ship, on  his  present  fine  farm  of  240  acres,  which  he 
purchased  from  John  Hester.  He  has  since  added 
to  his  original  purchase  80  acres,  and  the  place  at 
this  writing  comprises  320  acres  of  good  land,  under 
an'advanced  state  of  cultivation,  and  is  one  of  the 
very  best  stock  and  grain  farms  in  Knox  County.  It  1  I 
is  three  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  the  pleasant 
little  city  of  Galva,  on  sections  ro,  ii  and  14,  in 
Lynn  Township.  It  has  a  commanding  view  of  the  . 
surrounding  country,  and,  standing  upon  the  highest 
eminence  of  his  land,  one  can  see  six  towns  scattered 
throughout  the  county.  On  this  place  our  subject  is 
living,  engaged  in  the  raising  of  the  cereals,  together 
with  breeding  and  raising  fine  stock.  His  specialty 
in  stock  is  Short-horn  cattle,  fine  sheep  and  Poland- 
China  swine,  together  with  road  and  trotting  horses. 
In  the  different  branches  of  his  vocation  he  is  meet- 
ing with  far  more  than  ordinary  success. 

'W^,  ric  Newburg,  a  retired  farmer,  is  the  sub- 
^^L'   ject  of  this  historical  sketch,  whose  home 
i^tjr«*   lies  on  section  28  of  Copley  Township.  He 
^^    may  be  cited  as  one  of  the   most   progressive 
and   prosperous  men  in  Knox  County  and  one 
of  her  representative  citizens.     He  is  a  vigor- 
ous factor  in  public  affairs,  and  is  considered  one  of 
the  wealthiest  men  of  that  section. 

Mr.  Newburg  was  born  in  Sweden,  Dec.  24,  1814. 
His  parents,  Jonas  and  Anna  (Erickerson)  Ericker- 


'if 


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LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

t»iVERsiTY  OF  illik:: 


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H-i- 


X^NOX  COUNTY. 


739 


l)i 


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son,  were  both  natives  of  Sweden,  in  which  country 
they  departed  this  life.  A  family  of  four  children 
grew  up  about  them,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
eldest.  He  remained  at  home  until  he  reached  the 
age  of  17,  and  up  to  that  time  assisted  on  the  farm, 
attending  school  a  good  share  of  the  time^  By  his 
prompt  attention  to  his  studies,  coupled  with  native 
intelligence,  he  became  well  informed  and  fairly  edu- 
cated. When  he  left  home  he  worked  out  on  a  farm 
until  1846,31  which  time  he  purchased  a  small  place 
and  commenced  in  the  furniture  business.  His  be- 
ginning was  humble,  and  the  outgrowth  of  his  plans 
has  been  a  success  far  exceeding  his  expectations. 
He  came  to  America  in  1850,  and  entered  Henry 
County,  working  at  Bishop  Hill.  Here  he  would  not 
remain  any  length  of  time,  owing  to  his  indignation 
at  a  story  imposed  on  his  too  credulous  wife.  He 
had  married,  in  Sweden,  in  1846,  a  Miss  Lena  Lar- 
son, and  by  persuasions  and  threats  of  the  dire  con- 
sequences that  would  come  upon  her  if  she  left  the 
place,  they  succeeded  in  detaining  her,  so  far  as  Mr. 
Newburg  knows,  for  he  left  Bishop  Hill  and  came  10 
Copley  Township.  He  labored  in  Knox  County  until 
he  obtained  funds  to  purchase  a  team.  He  then  be- 
gan to  work  on  a  railroad,  and,  burning  lime,  sold 
the  same  and  took  land  to  clear  of  wood  and  stumps. 
He  labored  at  this  until  i860,  and  then  purchased 
160  acres  where  he  now  lives.  He  has  built  on  his 
homestead  a  good  residence  and  other  necessary 
buildings,  barns,  sheds,  fences,  etc.,  and  broken  and 
improved  the  land  to  the  highest  degree.  Here  he  ! 
has  carried  on  mixed  farming  and  paid  some  atten- 
tion to  the  raising  of  grain  and  stock. 

He  received  a  divorce  from  the  wife,  who  re- 
mained at  Bishop  Hill,  refusing  to  go  with  him  out 
of  fear  of  the  Prophet,  and  after  this,  in  1859,  he 
took  to  himself  a  second  wife,  Martha  Lawson  by 
name,  a  native  of  Sweden  likewise.  Five  children 
are  the  result  of  this  union,  four  of  whom  are 
still  living — Matilda,  George,  Johanna  and  Christina. 
Frank  died  in  1882,  aged  16.  Mrs.  Newburg  died 
in  1875,  and  his  third  wife,  whom  he  married  in  1884, 
was  Johanna  Johnson,  also  a  Swedish  lady.  She 
came  to  America  in  1880,  having  lost  her  father  in 
her  native  country,  in  1841.  Her  mother  remarried, 
her  second  husband  being  Peter  Peterson;  they  came 
to  America  and  settled  in  Copley  Township,  where 
they  still  live.  Mrs.  Newburg  by  her  former  hus- 
band, Andrew  Johnson,  had  five  children,  by  name 
-A 


Johanna  F.,  Andrew,  Albertina,  Hanson  and  Ida. 
His  third  wife  left  him  in  March,  1886,  and  is  now 
living  in  Copley  Township  with  her  son. 

Mr.  Newburg  is  an  upright  Christian  gentleman, 
and  is  unsurpassed  in  solid  worth  and  the  attributes 
that  constitute  nobility  of  soul.  His  wife  is  also  an 
estimable  member  of  the  society  to  wiiich  she  be- 
longs, and  they  are  united  by  profession  of  faith  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Swedish  Church.  In  poli- 
itcs  our  subject  is  independent. 


eorge  Ekins,  one  of  the  most  highly  es- 
teemed citizens  of  Knox  County,  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  having,  by  the  voice  of  the 
people,  retained  the  office  of  Assessor  of  the 
city  of  Galesburg  for  24  consecutive  years. 
He  was  born  the  town  of  Deal,  County  of 
Kent,  England,  Aug.  6,  1829.  His  father,  George 
Ekins,  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  his  mother, ' 
whose  name  was  Sarah  Bro<vn  before  her  marriage, 
though  of  .Scotch  parentage,  traced  her  ancestry  to 
Spain. 

The  senior  Mr.  Ekins  was  a  merchant  tailor  at 
Deal,  where  he  died  in  185  i .  Our  subject,  when  but 
1 1  years  of  age,  was  put  at  the  tailors  trade  under 
his  father,  and  when  1 6  years  old  was  foreman  of  the 
shop,  in  which  were  employed  six  workmen  and  four 
apprentices.  It  was  about  that  time  that  the  senior 
Mr.  Ekins  failed  in  business,  and  despite  his  every 
effort  the  debtors'  prison  stared  him  in  the  face.  The 
principal  creditor  was  known  to  young  George,  and 
the  lad  went  and  asked  that  the  business  be  for  a 
time  turned  over  to  him,  that  he  be  allowed  to  man- 
age and  direct  it,  that  he  might  pay  his  father's  in- 
debtedness and  so  save  him  from  the  fate  that  so 
surely  awaited  him.  The  creditor  hapijened  to  be  a 
man  not  only  with  some  heart,  but  of  judgment,  and 
he  saw  in  the  youth  liefore  him  a  determination,  an 
honesty  and  sincerity  of  purpose  that  warranted  him 
in  granting  the  request. 

kx.  the  age  of  21  years,  when  ready  to  leave  the 
paternal  roof  and  to  go  forth  into  the  world  and  fight 
the  battles  that  should  confront  him,  young  George 
Ekins,  after  five  years  of  the  most  arduous  labor, 
having  never  slept  over  four  or  five  hours  of  any  24 
that  transpired,  turned  over  to  his  father  the  mer- 
chant tailoring  establishment,  free  from  debt,  stocked 


.^ 


740 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


with  the  choicest  line  of  goods,  and  yielding  an  in- 
come amounting  to  a  competency.  He  was  21}^ 
years  of  age,  in  the  spring  of  1848,  and  possessed  of 
112  pounds  sterling  when  he  came  to  America.  He 
was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  four  other  persons 
from  Deal.  In  New  York  city  they  met  Mr.  Olm- 
stead  Ferris,  from  Galesburg,  and  were  by  him  per- 
suaded to  come  West.  Arriving  here,  Mr.  Ekins  en- 
gaged at  once  in  the  tailoring  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed till  1861.  In  the  spring  of  tluit  year  he  was 
elected  City  Marshal,  and  held  the  office  for  two 
years,  when  he  was  elected  to  the  position  he  has 
since  continued  to  hold,  and  in  which  he  has  made  a 
reputation  unparalleled  in  tlie  history  of  cities. 

For  some  years  during  the  war,  our  subject  was 
employed  as  United  States  Deputy  Marshal  under 
A.  Martin,  of  Kno.wille.  Jan.  i,  1875,  to  April,  1885, 
he  was  in  the  United  States  Revenue  Service  as 
Ganger,  of  the  Fifth  District  of  Illinois.  He  has  al- 
ways been  a  Republican  in  his  political  convictions, 
and  was  a  Radical  in  England,  while  his  father  was 
a  Tory.     He  came  to  tliis  country  fully  imbued  with 

^  the  old-line  Abolition  spirit. 

I  Mr.  Ekins  was  married  in  his  native  town,  Feb. 
28,  1849,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Foster,  who  has  borne  to 
him  three  children — Adelia,  now  Mrs.  Charles  Has- 
brook ;  Frederick,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years,  and  Ethelbert,  who  is  a  student  at  Swartli- 
more  College,  near  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Ekins  is  a 
member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  has  been  an 
extensive  real  estate  dealer,  and  is  now  in  the  in- 
surance business  with  Ed  Clark,  the  firm  being  Ekins 
&  Clark,  and  is  in  every  respect  regarded  as  one 
of  Galesburg's  most  enterprising  and  valued  citizens. 
Perhaps  no  man  in  the  county  is  more  widely  or 
favorably  known  than  Mr.  Ekins,  and  as  onfe  of  its 
truly  representative  men,  the  publishers  are  pleased 
to  include  his  portrait  in  the  gala.xy  of  those  of  lead- 
ing men  of  the  county  given  in  this  Album. 

— >f— «-— <»S]M{(BK«>o — #"5<— 

ohn    T.  Barnett  resides  on  section    18,  in 
Galesburg  Township,  and   is  a   prominent 
farmer  in    his  vicinity.     He   was  born  in 
Sullivan  County,  Tenn.,  on  the  20th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1809,  and  remained  at  his  parents'  home 
up  to  his  2ist  year.     His  father,  James  H., 
was  born  on  the  Oconee  River,  in  the  State  of  Geor- 


gia, on  the  27th  of  September,  1788.  He  moved, 
however,  at  a  later  date,  to  East  Tennessee,  and 
there  entered  into  mercantile  pursuits.  He  subse- 
quently taught  school  for  some  years,  and  died  on  the 
22d  of  September,  1822.  His  wife  was  Miss  Mary 
A.  Tipton,  whom  he  married  about  the  year  1808. 
She  was  born  on  the  3d  of  March,  1793,  in  Shenan- 
doah County,  Va.  She  died  on  her  birthday,  March 
3,  1869,  in  Sangamon  County,  111.  By  the  marriage 
four  children  were  born — John  T.,  William,  Joseph 
H.  and  Nancy.  John  T.  and  Joseph  are  the  only 
survivors  of  the  family.  The  former,  the  subject  of 
this  notice,  married  Miss  Mehnda  Robinson  on  the 
2  2d  of  November,  1831,  in  Sangamon  County,  111. 
This  good  lady  was  born  on  the  nth  of  November, 
1806,  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  By  the  union  there 
were  born  as  follows:  James  R.,  Sept.  22,  1832; 
Charles  M.,  Dec.  24,  1833;  Elkan,  Feb.  2,  1834; 
William,  Jan.  8,  1836;  Mary  E.,  April  i,  1838; 
Emily  J.,  Aug.  7,  1840;  Martha  J,  Aug.  7,  1842, 
and  Joseph  A.,  June  29,  1846. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Barnett  was  Charles  Robinson, 
born  in  New  York  on  the  5th  of  June,  T785.  He 
married  Miss  Jerusha  Kellogg,  who  was  born  Nov.  '*• 
15,  1785,  the  ceremony  taking  place  on  June  22, 
1804.  Her  demise  occurred  on  the  23d  of  August, 
1836.  Charles,  her  husband,  died  on  the  4th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1840.  They  were  both  from  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  had  the  following  children :  Chauncy, 
born  March  27,  1805  ;  Melinda,Nov.  11,  1806;  John 
K.,  Oct.  2,  1808;  James,  Sept.  11,  1810;  Lucinda, 
July  20,  1814;  Louis,  Oct.  28,  1816;  Maria,  Jan.  10, 
1819;  Eliza  R.,  June  4,  1820;  Julia  A.,  Feb.  14, 
1822  ;  Charles,  Feb.  15,  1824,  and  Seth  K.,  Dec.  7, 
1827.  Of  the  above  family  Seth  and  Charles  were 
born  in  Illinois,  and  Chauncy  and  Melinda  in  New 
York.  The  parents  first  arrived  in  Illinois  in 
1822.  The  subject  of  this  biography,  accompanied 
by  his  mother  and  stepfather,  Mr.  Richard  Dunlap, 
came  in  1829.  He  is  now  the  possessor  of  143  acres 
of  prime  land,  on  which  is  erected  a  comfortable 
residence  and  suitable  out-buildings.  On  the  22d  of 
November,  1881,  Mr.  Barnett  had  the  great  pleasure 
of  celebrating  his  golden  wedding.  This  was  a  great 
event  in  his  and  his  wife's  life,  and  drew  around  the 
family  a  large  circle  of  warm  sympathizers  and  old 
acquaintances.  He  has  been  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  and  for  20  years  has  served  in  that  office 
with  special   distinction.       In  the  office  of  County 


^^ 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


741 


Commissioner  for  several  years  he  has  acted  with 
untiring  energy  and  credit  to  himself.  This  latter 
post  he  has  held  in  Hancock  County.  He  has  also 
filled  the  position  of  Assessor  in  Galesburg  Town- 
ship for  five  years,  as  well  as  filling  the  office  of 
Town  Clerk  for  four  years.  Politically  he  has  al- 
ways been  a  Democrat,  and  voted  for  Andrew  Jack- 
son for  President,  in  1832,  and  has  voted  for  Presi- 
dent at  each  presidential  election  since  then.  Now, 
at  the  age  of  77,  we  find  him  hale  and  hearty.  He 
has  always  been  regarded  as  public-spirited  and  en- 
terprising. He  is  a  fair  type  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  the  State  who  are  fast  passing  away. 


homas  M.  Barton  is  a  farmer,  a  resident 
on   section    16,  in   Knox  Township,  and  is 
one  of  the  most  solid  and  substantial  men 
in  that  vicinity.     He  is  well  known  and  popu- 
lar in  his  county  and  township,  and  has  been 
ver>-  prosperous  in  his   chosen  vocation.     He 
!  was  born  in  Chestnut  Township,  Nov.  3,  1840,  and 
is  thesonof  Ozias  and  Rachel  (Massie)  Barton.    He 
[  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm   during  boyhood  and 
was  educated  in  the  district  schools. 

He  made  his  home  under  the  parental  roof  until 
his  marriage,  March  6,  1862.  This  was  celebrated 
with  Amelia  Humphrey  as  the  other  contracting 
party.  She  was  born  in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio, 
Feb.  17,  1845,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Elder  Cyrus 
and  Henrietta  (Baughman)  Humphrey.  At  the  time 
of  his  marriage,  Mr.  Barton  located  in  Chestnut  Town- 
ship, where  he  rented  land  two  years ;  was  then  in 
Knox  Township  two  years,  and  subsequently  bought 
the  farm  he  now  occupies.  Seven  children  were 
born  of  their  union — George  H.,  Rachel  L.,  John  Q., 
Mary  Henrietta,  Cyrus  A.,  Almond  E.  and  Phebe 
Arizona. 

Mr.  Barton  is  a  member  of  Pacific  Lodge,  No.  400, 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Wataga  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and 
Knoxville  Lodge,  K.  of  L.  George  H.  Barton  is 
also  a  member  of  Pacific  Ix)dge,  No.  400. 

Mr.  B.  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics,  and 
takes  considerable  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  na- 
tion, and  has  so  long  been  an  actor  in  political 
affairs  that  he  knows  much  of  the  growth  and  prog- 


He   cast   his  first 


ress  of  the  Republican    party 
vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln. 

In  the  main  Mr.  Barton  has  been  successful  in 
life,  but  was  the  recipient  of  a  heavy  blow  in  the  loss 
of  his  home  in  1875.  His  house  was  a  two-story 
frame  building,  and  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  on 
the  stii  of  August,  in  that  year,  tlie  family  being  all 
at  home,  they  were  rendered  almost  entirely  helpless 
with  terror  by  a  cyclone  striking  the  house.  It  came 
upon  them  with  tremendous  force,  tearing  the  house 
to  atoms,  yet,  by  some  miracle,  or  other  intervention 
of  God's  providence,  no  lives  were  lost,  although  all 
the  family  were  more  or  less  hurt,  Mr.  Barton  hav- 
ing six  ribs  broken.  Parts  of  the  house  were  carried 
in  every  direction  and  for  long  distances.  It  was  an 
hour  of  the  greatest  fear  and  trouble,  yet  so  thankful 
were  they  to  a  protecting  God  for  His  goodness  in 
saving  their  lives,  that  the  loss  of  their  home,  though 
heavy,  seemed  to  them  as  of  minor  consequence. 
The  husband  and  wife  were  laid  up  for  several 
months,  and  cared  for  with  the  utmost  kindness  and 
brotherly  sympathy  by  the  Masonic  fraternity  of 
Knoxville.  All  through  his  illness  they  paid  the  bills 
and  made  good  his  loss  by  rebuilding  the  house,  k 
which  now  stands  where  the  old  one  was  torn  down, 
a  monument  of  that  charity  which  teaches  us  to  do 
unto  others  as  we  would  be  done  by. 

Bro.  E.  T.  Eads  was  Worshipful  Master  of  Pacific 
Lodge,  No.  400,  at  the  time  of  the  cylone.  He  and 
his  wife  were  as  a  father  and  mother  to  the  stricken 
family.  They  left  nothing  undone  that  they  could 
do.     Their  kindness  the  family  will  never  forget. 


ershom  Martin  is  editor  and  proprietor  of 
^__  the  Press  and  People,  a  weekly  Demo- 
ij|w^""K  cratic  paper  published  at  Galesburg  every 
¥^\  Friday  morning.  (See  history  of  the  Gales- 
burg press.)  Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  Picka- 
way County,  Ohio,  Sept.  18,  1826,  and  is  the 
eldest  of  three  sons.  His  father,  Cornelius  Martin, 
was  a  farmer  and  a  pioneer  of  Clark  County,  in  this 
Stale,  where  he  died  in  1845.  "Gersh,"  as  he  will 
long  be  remembered,  left  home  when  he  was  about 
12  years  of  age,  and  from  that  time,  it  is  written,  he 
!  "  hustled  for  himself."  From  Clark  County  to  Joliet, 
over  200  miles,  he  footed  it,  finding,  in  many  in- 
i   stances,  the  houses  jo  miles  apart.     He,  however, 


up 


742 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


safely  reached  his  destination,  and,  like  Gen.  Gar- 
field, began  his  career  as  a  mule-driver  on  the  canal. 
From  the  towpath  he  became  errand-boy  to  the 
Sheriflfof  Will  County,  at  Joliet,  and  from  that  situa- 
tion he  entered  a  printing-office  to  learn  the  trade  to 
which  he  afterward  clung. 

Through  all  the  various  experiences  of  "  devil," 
printer,  reporter,  etc.,  incident  to  a  country  news- 
paper, he  passed  in  succession  until  1852,  when  he 
bought  an  interest  in  the  Du  Page  Coitnty  Observer, 
at  Naperville,  111.,  which  he  edited  for  about  three 
years.  From  Naperville  he  returned  to  Joliet,  and 
managed  a  paper  there  about  one  year.  We  next 
find  him  at  Elgin  for  a  few  months,  and  then  at 
Peoria  as 'night  editor  of  the  Transcript.  He  was 
with  this  latter  paper  about  three  years,  when,  in  co- 
partnership with  E.  F.  Baldwin,  now  of  the  Peoria 
Journal,  he  pi;rchased  the  El  Paso  Journal  and 
published  it  for  about  four  years.  Mr.  B.  remained 
with  the   paper   only   a    few  months.     Under    Mr. 

(Martin's  management  this  paper  became  one  of  the 
strongest  papers  in  Central  Illinois,  a  reputation  it 
has  continued  to  maintain.  The  Journal  made  its 
^'editor  and  proprietor  money,  and  when  he  sold  out 
he  purchased  the  Jllinois  Sentinel,  at  Jacksonville, 
which  he  managed  from  1872  to  1S76.  In  the  lat- 
ter year  he  returned  to  Peoria  where,  between  that 
time  and  1883,  the  Peoria  Democrat  about  depleted 
his  exchequer.  About  February,  1883,  Mr.  Martin 
succeeded  W.  B.  Barnes  in  the  management  of  the 
Press  and  People.  Thus  we  close  a  hasty  view  of 
Gersh.  Martin's  newspaper  career.  A  fair  resume  of 
his  life  would  fill  a  volume. 

As  in  our  mind's  eye  we  see  him,  a  barefooted  boy 
of  12  years  of  age,  start  forth  from  the  roof  that 
should  have  protected  him  yet  many  years,  covered 
with  a  tow  shirt  and  homespun  trousers,  the  pos- 
sessor of  not  a  penny  in  money,  silently  and  often 
tearfully  treading  along  strange  roads,  making  his 
bed  upon  the  unsheltered  grasses  and  eating  the 
scanty  crusts  given  him  by  good-hearted  pioneers, 
scattered  at  distant  intervals  along  his  route — as  we 
think  of  these  things  in  our  sanctum,  hundreds  of 
miles  away  from  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  our 
imagination  draws  pictures  of  a  life  frauglit  with  ma- 
terial worthy  the  pen  of  the  writer  of  romance. 

Mr.  Martin  was  an  Assistant  Doorkeeper  of  the 
Illinois  Legislature  in  1855,  1861  and  1865,  and  was 
Enrolling  Clerk  of  the  Senate  in  1871-72.     He  was 


brought  up  a  Democrat,  and,  barring  the  pro-slavery 
ideas  that  for  a  time  characterized  a  great  portion  of 
that  party,  he  has  stood  by  its  principles. 

An  article  written  by  him  and  published  in  the 
El  Paso  Journal  while  he  was  editing  that  paper  is 
deemed  worthy  of  reproduction  here,  particularly  at 
this  time,  as  both  showing  his  sentiments  and  the 
force  and  logic  of  his  articles :  "  All  value,  all 
wealth  is  the  product  of  labor — of  somebody's  labor. 
Once  the  soil  whereon  Carthage  stood  could  not  be 
bought  for  the  gold  plates  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick 
that  would  cover  each  square  foot ;  now  it  is  a 
sandy,  desert  waste.  Once  its  site  was  covered  with 
temples,  palaces  and  costly  edifices,  for  the  comfort, 
the  convenience  and  luxury  of  its  citizens;  now  its 
site  cannot  be  found.  If  land  of  itself  possessed  any 
intrinsic  value,  then  an  acre  on  top  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains  or  in  the  heart  of  the  Sahara  desert  would 
be  worth  as  much  as  an  acre  in  the  heart  of  Chicago. 
But  it  is  not.  The  hand  of  man,  his  talent,  his  ' 
genius,  his  brain,  his  enterprise,  his  labor,  have  made 
that  acre  in  the  heart  of  Chicago  worth  millions. 
Remove  the  hand  and  presence  of  man,  his  talent, 
enterprise  and  labor,  and  that  acre  in  the  heart  of  *x 
Chicago  would  relapse  into  its  aboriginal  worthless- 
ness  as  a  bottomless  swamp.  Front  street  in  El 
Paso  might  be  built  up  from  Gibson's  residence  to 
Ives'  mill  with  solid  marble  blocks  ;  but  if  there  were 
no  people  here,  no  business,  no  enterprise  and  no  in- 
dustry, they  would  be  as  worthless  as  the  rocks  that 
overhang  the  canons  of  the  Colorado." 

Mr.  Martin  is  an  able  and  conscientious  writer,  and 
under  his  management  and  direction  the  Press  and 
People  has  steadily  risen  to  a  position  not  hitherto 
occupied  by  any  other  Democratic  paper  in  Knox 
County. 


:-eeley  C.  Wood,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  April 
25,  1822,  and  is  the  son  of  Caleb  and  Abi- 
gail (Buckout)  Wood.  The  father  was  a  native 
of  Litchfield  Co., Conn.,  and  was  born  July  29, 
1784,  and  died  at  Sidney,  Delaware  County, 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  22,  1855.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Abi- 
gail Buckout,  in  June,  1806,  and  she  died  Nov. 
6,  1867.  The  date  of  her  birth  was  June  8,  1782. 
They  had  seven  children,  named  as  follows :  Jessie 


+ 


V 


*t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


743 


L.,  Polina  A.,  Mary  St.  John,  Joseph  R.,  Belinda  A., 
Sarah  K.  and  our  subject. 

Joseph  Wood,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  on  Long  Island,  Jan.  25,  1755  ;  he  served  as  a 
privateer  during  the  Revolutionary  War  and  died 
Aug.  4,  1836,  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.  In  March, 
1780,  he  married  Miss  Mary  St.  John,  who  was  born 
in  January,  1761,  in  Connecticut,  and  died  in  New 
York,  in  November,  1832.  They  had  seven  children 
who  grew  to  man  and  womanhood,  as  follows  :  Jo- 
seph, Caleb,  Mary,  Elizabeth,  Sarah,  Lovina  and 
Benjamin,  all  of  whom  have  passed  over  the  River 
and  joined  the  great  majority. 

Seeley  C.  Wood  married  Miss  Susan  Clark,  Feb. 
5, 1846,  who  was  a  native  of  Delaware  County,  N.  Y., 
having  been  born  March  30,  1824.  They  have  five 
children,  all  of  whom  were  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  as  follows  :  John,  born  March  18,  1849;  Wat- 
son, Aug.  2,  1852;  Agnes,  Oct.  22,  1855;  Alice, 
Oct.  I,  1859,  and  Arthur,  Jan.  3,  1869.  Mr.  Wood 
came  to  Illinois  in  1872  and  located  on  section  8, 
Galesburg  Township,  where  he  has  240  acres  of  good 
land,  all  of  which  is  in  a  most  advanced  state  of  cul- 
tivation. He  has  a  fine  dwelling,  built  of  brick,  the 
dimensions  of  the  house  being  36.\38  feet,  two  stories 
higli,  with  a  cellar  under  the  whole  building.  In  ad- 
dition toother  improvements,  this  farm  has  what  are 
probably  the  best  arranged  feeding-lots  for  swine  in 
the  county,  where  hogs  to  the  number  of  200  can  be 
supplied  with  water  and  feed  without  the  owner 
leaving  his  corncribs,  and  all  under  cover  or  shelter. 

Nathan  Clark,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Seeley  C.  Wood, 
was  a  native  of  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  Sept.  ii,  1785.  He  married  Miss  Betsie 
Allen,  a  native  of  the  same  county.  Mr.  Clark  died 
May  12,  1825,  and  his  widow  April  20,  185  i.  They 
had  five  children,  as  follows:  William,  Mary  Ann, 
Milo,  Maria  and  Susan.  William  died  Dec.  30, 1851, 
and  three  of  the  children  are  now  living  in  the  State 
of  New  York. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wood  are  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church  at  Galesburg,  and  he  has  been  afTili- 
ated  with  the  Republican  party  for  the  last  25  years. 
Mr.  Wood  is  an  intelligent,  enterprising  citizen,  a 
good  neighbor  and  a  Christian  gentleman,  and,  al- 
though coming  to  Illinois  after  her  development  from 
the  primitive  prairie  into  splendid  farms  and  her 
hamlets  into  iX)pulou5  towns  and  cities,  Mr.  Wood 
has  not  failed  with  his  industrious  habits  to  contrib- 


ute his  generous  efforts  to  the  continued  growth  and 
prosperity  of  his  adopted  State.  He  arrived  in  this 
county  in  April,  1872.  A  view  of  Mr.  Wood's  home 
is  shown  on  another  page. 

>s\  eter  Anderson  is  a  retired  farmer,  and  re- 
sides on  section  25,  Victoria  Township. 
Mr.  Anderson  was  born  in  Sweden,  May 
13,  1 81 1.  His  parents,  .Andrew  and  Sarah 
(Peterson)  Anderson,  were  also  natives  of 
Sweden  and  farmers  by  occupation.  Their 
family  consisted  of  six  children,  two  of  whom  still 
survive — Peter,  our  subject,  and  a  daughter,  Grace. 
The  old  people  lived  and  died  in  their  native  land. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  brief  personal  sketch 
is  given  remained  at  home  until  14  years  of  age,  and 
then  worked  on  a  farm  by  the  year  for  the  pittance 
of  $4  for  his  year's  labor  and  some  clothing.     Thus  "I 
he  continued    to   work  for  three  years;  for  the  last    ' 
year,  however,  he  received  §25.  \ 

In  1839,  Mr.  Anderson  was  united  in  the  holy  " 
bonds  of  wedlock  with  Miss  Sarah  Anderson,  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Sarah  Anderson.  The  pa- 
rental family  of  Mrs.  Anderson  consisted  of  three  chil- 
dren, two  of  whom  are  still  living,  viz.:  Louisa,  now 
Mrs.  Newberg,  and  Sarah,  wife  of  our  subject.  After 
marriage,  Mr.  Anderson  engaged  in  farming  and  fol- 
lowed that  calling  for  six  years.  At  the  expiration 
of  that  time,  in  1846,  he  left  his  native  land  to  seek 
a  home  in  the  New  World  for  his  wife  and  two  chil- 
dren. Upon  arriving  in  the  United  States,  they  im- 
mediately settled  at  Bishop  Hill,  Henry  County, 
where  they  remained  for  a  brief  period,  when  they 
removed  to  La  Fayette,  Stark  County.  At  that  place 
he  worked  out  for  about  four  years,  and  we  next  find 
him  in  Copley  Township,  Knox  County,  at  which 
place  he  rented  a  farm  for  some  four  years,  and  dur- 
ing that  time  successfully  operated  the  same.  Sub- 
sequent to  this,  in  1856,  he  purchased  the  place 
which  constitutes  his  present  home.  The  farm  con- 
sists of  160  acres,  the  greater  |X)riion  of  which  is  till- 
able and  e.vceedingly  fertile.  Ujwn  the  place  he 
has  erected  a  very  desirable  residence,  valued  at 
$1,200,  and  a  commodious  barn,  cos'.ing  S500.  The 
premises  are  surrounded  by  substantial  fences,  and 
the  property  has  been  highly  embellished  by  the  set. 


«- 


"> 


-^ 


744 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ting  out  of  trees  and  shrubbery  of  various  kinds. 
Our  subject  values  his  home  land  at  $45  per  acre. 
He  has  been  an  extensive  raiser  of  stock  and  grain. 
Mr.  Anderson  is  the  happy  father  of  six  children, 
of  whom  we  give  the  following  brief  memoranda: 
Andrew  married  Rebecca  Wainwright  and  they  have 
five  children — Albert,  Effie,  Emery,  Alma  and  Earl ; 
John  married  Christine  Chelgrain,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  five  cliildren,  named  Udora,  John  Ole, 
Celia,  Leo  and  Dawn;  Charles  married  Miss  Mary 
Monk,  and  they  have  two  children — Pearl  and  an  in- 
fant as  yet  unnamed  ;  Joseph  look  to  wife  Miss  Emma 
Parcel,  and  they  have  one  child — Vera;  Hannah 
became  the  wife  of  Nels  Yelm,  and  is  the  mother  of 
three  children — Charles,  Dellie  and  Henry;  the 
daughter,  Louisa,  is  still  at  home  with  her  parents. 
Mr.  Anderson  adheres  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  in  politics.  In  religious  belief  both  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Anderson  are  devoted  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Anderson  is  gen- 
erally acknowledged  as  one  of  Knox  County's  most 
enterprising  men,  and  one  whose  life  makes  a  de- 
sirable example  for  the  youth  of  to  day,  as  he  has 
gained  all  of  his  possessions  (and  a  goodly  portion 
of  this  world's  goods  are  his)  through  his  own  efforts, 
by  years  of  diligent  toil  and  the  closest  economy,  and 
we  hope  that  he  may  be  permitted  to  spend  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days  in  peace  upon  the  old  home  so 
honestly  won. 


^ohn  F.  Fry,  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
23,  Galesburg  Township,  was  born  in  Wit- 
tenbuig,  Germany,  Feb.  28,  1827.  He 
came  to  America  in  1853,  and,  landing  at  New 
York,  went  to  Philadelphia,  remaining  in  that 
city  for  about  eight  months,  when  he  went  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  worked  at  the  butcher- 
ing business.  His  enterprising  spirit  still  urging 
him  further  to  the  West,  after  residing  in-Ohio  15 
months  he  moved  to  Burlington,  Iowa,  remaining 
there  another  15  months.  In  1856  Mr.  Fry  came  to 
Galesburg  and  located  on  section  23,  where  he  has 
165  acres  of  good  land;  this  cost  him  $roo  per  acre. 
On  it  he  has  a  fine  dwelling-house  and  a  good  barn. 
Mr.  Fry  is  the  son  of  Jacob  F.  and  Elizabeth  (Kem- 
ple)  Fry,  who  were  married  in  1810,  the  father  dying 


in  1834  in  Germany,  the  mother  dying  in  1870. 
They  had  eight  children,  as  follows :  Phillip  F., 
Mary  Ann,  Dora,  Johanna  R.,  Margaret,  John,  Christ, 
and  Johanna  E. 

Mr.  Fry  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Smith  in  1859, 
she  having  been  born  in  March,  1827,  in  France. 
They  are  now  the  parents  of  six  children,  as  follows  : 
Mary  W.,  born  Oct.  15,  i860;  William  F.,  Nov.  29, 
1862;  Clara,  June  24,  1866;  Charles  F.  and  Lottie 
F.,  twins,  Jan.  23,  1870,  and  Emma,  Dec.  25,  1872. 

Mr.  Fry  abandoned  the  butchering  business  in 
1 88 1,  and  turned  his  attention  to  farming  and  ship- 
ping cattle. 

Mr.  Fry  is  a  Protestant,  wliile  his  wife  is  a  member 
of  the  Catholic  Church.  They  are  highly  esteemed 
in  the  community  as  kind  neighbors  and  industrious 
and  valuable  members  of  the  community.  By  strict 
attention  to  business  Mr.  Fry  has  acquired  a  valua- 
ble competency.  In  politics  he  belongs  to  the  Dem- 
ocratic party. 


^fea= 


^ 


^-^^'^^i^^^^^e^^^^^^ 


lijah  Thomas  Eads.  When  an  office  of 
ife-i^'  trust  is  open  for  bestowal,  it  behooves 
||1^'  those  in  whose  gift  it  lies  to  make  the  most 
jt^  appropriate  selection  of  the  individual  destined 
to  fill  it.  If  this  principle  were  more  frequently 
observed,  fewer  persons  unsuited  to  occupy  im- 
portant posts  would  be  encountered  in  life,  and  less 
trouble  to  tlie  community  at  large  would  be  the  re- 
sult. It  would  appear,  from  all  we  know,  that,  in  the 
person  of  the  subject  whose  name  lieads  this  sketch, 
the  right  man  has  been  found  to  fill  the  office  of 
Postmaster  for  Knoxville. 

On  the  2d  day  of  March,  1835,  Mr.  Eads  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Knoxville,  his  father,  John  Eads,  be- 
ing a  native  of  Lexington,  Ky.,  where  he  was  born  in 
October,  1809.  The  grandfather  of  Mr.  Eads  was  a 
native  of  Maryland.  This  last-named  member  of  the 
family  removed  with  his  wife  and  children  to  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Le.xing- 
ton,  where  he  lived  until  1826,  when  he  emigrated 
to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Jacksonville,  Morgan 
County.  Here  he  opened  and  successfully  operated 
a  blacksmith  shop,  at  which  trade  he  made  a  fair 
competency,  and  gave  general  satisfaction.  Accu- 
mulating some  means,  he  later  on  bought  a  farm  in 


I. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


lAl 


Morgan  County,  where  in  his  later  years  he  resided 
at  Waverly. 

Our  subject's  father  was  but  17  years  old  when  he 
arrived  with  his  parents  in  Illinois.  He  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade  from  his  father,  whose  mechanical 
ability  often  embraced  more  delicate  work  than  his 
particular  occupation  called  for.  In  the  year  1833  he 
started  on  horseback  for  Chicago,  bit  his  course  ly- 
ing through  Knoxville,  and  being  enamored  with  tlie 
place,  he  concluded  to  stay  here.  At  this  period  his 
only  worldly  possessions  were  a  horse,  saddle,  bri- 
dle and  $5  in  money,  which  he  resolved  to  use  un- 
der the  trying  circumstances  to  the  best  possible 
advantage.  To  increase  his  funds  he  resolved  on 
selling  his  horse  and  trappings.  For  these  he  ob- 
tained $60.  and  with  tiiis  amount  oi)ened  the  first 
shop  in  Knoxville,  his  quarters  being  located  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Square.  In  the  winter  following, 
however,  he  returned  to  Jacksonville,  where,  in 
1834,  he  married  Margaret  Anderson.  This  lady  was 
a  native  of  Orange  County,  N.  C,  where  she  was 
bom  in  1801.  He  now  thought  it  full  time  to  pro- 
vide a  home  for  himself  and  wife,  and  at  a  neighlwring 
Sheriff's  sale  purchased  a  horse  for  $15,  and,  equip- 
ping himself  and  wife  for  the  journey,  set  out  for 
Knoxville.  Here  he  resumed  work  at  his  trade,  ex- 
'  ecuting  orders  in  general  blacksmithing,  plowshare- 
making,  and  for  what  in  those  days  were  in  large  de- 
mand, shovels,  tongs,  etc.  Horseshoeing  in  those 
early  times  had  become  so  great  a  reiiuisiie  that  the 
energies  of  one  man  in  any  community  were  sorely 
taxed  to  meet  the  demand.  Occupying  every  mo- 
ment of  his  lime  for  two  years,  he  worked  steadily  on 
until,  forming  a  partnership  with  John  Cams,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business.  In  this  calling  he 
remained  until  1850,  when,  making  the  journey  over- 
land, he  proceeded  to  California,  where  he  engaged 
in  mining,  but  only  for  a  few  mjnths. 

To  those  who  have  given  any  thought  to  the  matter 
those  early  days  of  mining  in  California  were  ahva_\s 
replete  with  struggle,  while  success  or  non-success 
largely  became  the  freak  of  fortune.  Many  there  are 
who  can  now  recall  the  colossal  outputs  of  gold, 
which  the  readily-yielding  earth  bestowed  upon  those 
who  were  fortunate  enough  to  select  choice  claims, 
while  on  the  other  hand  vast  numbers  whose  failure 
in  life  is  marked  by  an  unprovided-for  old  age  can 
recall  the  time  when  their  entire  savings,  or  it  may  be 
borrowed  money,  were  spent  among  the  hills  of  Cali- 


I   fornia,  in  the  vain  hope  of  realizing  a  hundred  ihon- 
I   sand-fold   the    sums    invested.       Dajs  of    hardship, 
1   coupled  with  toil  and  always  accompanied  by  a  spirit 
\   of  dariiig,  were  the  rule  of  this    region   when   Mr. 
t    Eads  entered  the  lists  with  his  fellow  soldiers  in  the 
I   battle  with  fortune.     Desirous  of  perhaps  slower  but 
:   more  substantial  returns  from  his  labor,  he  engaged 
t   in  trade  at  Cold  Spring,  Cal.,but  in  1851  resolved  on 
returning  via   Panama,  and,  landing  at  Nicaraugua, 
spent  four  days  at  that  place.     The  ship  on  which  he 
sailed  was  the  first  vessel  known  to  have  landed  at 
that  place.     Quitting   Panama  and  traveling  via  Ja- 
maica and  New  York,  he  soon  found  himself  again  at 
Knoxville,   and,   being    readily    recognized    by   old 
friends  to  whom  his  worth  was  well   known,  he  was 
elected  Sheriff  of  Knox  County,  in  1852.     The  year 
following,  in  company  with  R.  C.  Price,  he  opened  a 
general  store  in   Knoxville,  which   he  continued  to 
successfully  oi>erate    up  to  the  date   of   his  death, 
Sept.  17.  1878.     The  death  of  his  wife  took  place  in 
December,  1845.     Six  children  have  been  left  of  this 
family.     Of  these  the  subject  of  this  biography  is  the 
eldest;  Merthe  A.,    who   married    J.   M.   Ewing,  of 
Jacksonville,  deceased  ;  Eleanor  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  A. 
H.  Mann,  living  at  Toronto,  Kan. ;  Erastus  died  in 
infancy ;    Albert,   Cashier  of    the    Union    National 
Bank,  Macomb ;  Theodore  resides  in  Corning,  Iowa, 
and   is  a  farmer.     Mr.  Eads  was  a  second  time  mar- 
ried, this  time  to  Hannah    Proctor,  widow  of  C.  K. 
Harvey,  who  has  two  children — John  and   Kate,  the 
former  being  dead,  while  Kate  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  E.  H. 
Stilson,  Knoxville. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Eads  was  15  years  old  when  he  accom- 
panied his  father  in  his  journey  across  the  plains  to 
California,  starting  from  Knoxville  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1850,  and  reaching  California  in  the  follow- 
ing August.  I.i  his  father's  service  he  passed  much 
of  his  time  herding  cattle  among  the  mountains,  and 
on  his  return  attended  the  city  schools  until  1853, 
when,  at  the  opcningof  Abingdon  College,  he  entered 
his  name  at  that  institution,  and  with  much  assiduity 
applied  himself  until  the  spring,  when  he  entered  his 
father's  store  and  devoted  his  attention  to  business 
up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage,  which  took  place  on 
the  27ih  of  May,  1857.  His  bride  was  Miss  Mary 
A.  Foreman,  a  native  of  Jacksonville,  and  daughter 
of  Anderson  and  Mary  Foreman,  Iwrn  in  April, 
1836.  Within  a  few  months  after  his  marriage  he 
removed  to  Jacksonville,  and  commencing  in  trade 


^^ 


\ 


746 


■    .  Y^ . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


continued  to  operate  successfully  until  1865,  when  he 
returned  and  purchased  an  interest  in  the  store  of 
Eads  &  Price,  which  he  retained  until  1878,  when  he 
accepted  the  position  of  traveling  salesman  for  the 
firm  of  Miller  Bros.,  Peoria,  representing  that  house 
successfully  up  to  1885,  when  he  resigned,  with  a 
view  to  accepting  the   position   he  now  occupies. 

Mr.  Elijah  Thomas  Eads  has  always  been  a  firm 
and  uncompromising  Democrat.  His  faith  in  De- 
mocracy was  early  stimulated  by  reading  and  obser- 
vation of  events,  and,  though  from  time  to  time 
approached  by  those  who  thought  they  knew  better 
than  he,  never  could  be  induced  to  alter  his  political 
faith  or  subscribe  to  any  principle  that  might  in  the 
least  detract  from  the  faithful  furtherance  of  what  he 
deemed  duty  and  patriotism.  He  voted  for  Bu- 
chanan as  early  as  1856. 

He  has  been  blest  with  nine  children — Harry  W., 
Hettie  K.,  married  to  William  S.  Pierce,  a  merchant, 
of  Wichita,  Kan.;  Martha  L.,  Lena  K.,  John  F., 
Mary  P.,  Lilly  G.,  Mabel  and  Paul  W. 

Considering  what  has  been  noted  here,  and  coup- 
ling with  this  the  estimation  in  which  our  subject  is  at 
>»•  present  held  by  all  classes,  it  is  certain  that  between 
the  present  time  and  the  close  of  his  life,  this  gentle- 
man, who  has  so  successfully  influenced  his  political 
•  party  and  impressed  his  friends  so  favorably,  will 
continue  in  the  esteem  of  all. 


~\«/\.~>t2j2j2-'®^^| 


|.>*@5~SJ/OTZ'*»»'w~>. 


^JB^^c^i 


Ifhomas  Shehan  is  a  general  farmer  and 
well-known  stock-grower,  owning  200  acres 
^  of  well-improved  land  on  sections  11  and 
P^  12,  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  This  gentle- 
man was  born  in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y., 
March  22,  1852.  It  will  be  noticed  that  we 
have  given  the  parental  history  of  this  gentleman  in 
the  biography  of  Patrick  Shehan.  These  parents 
were  born  in  County  Clare,  Ireland,  where  they  also 
married.  Our  subject  was  the  third  son  and  fourth 
child  of  a  family  of  eight — four  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. He  was  15  years  old  when  he  first  came  to 
Illinois  with  his  parents,  who  settled  on  the  very 
spot  where  Mr.  Shehan  now  resides.  He  has  re- 
sided at  home  all  his  life,  and  at  the  date  of  this 
writing  his  aged  mother  still  lives  with  him. 

He  received  his  education  at   the   public  schools, 


and  at  his  father's  death  was  willed  80  acres  of  land. 
He  subsequently  purchased  180  more,  his  whole 
farm  at  present  consisting  of  260  acres  in  a  good 
state  of  cultivation  and  well-stocked.  He  is  an 
active  young  farmer,  and  was  married  Sept.  27,  1881, 
at  Wataga,  Knox  County,  to  Miss  Frances  E.  Hiller- 
by,  who  was  born  in  Weller  Township,  Henry  Coun- 
ty, March  31,  i860.  Her  father,  William,  died  in 
Altona,  Knox  County,  Jan.  13,  1885.  He  had 
charge  of  the  railroad  pump- works  there  for  15  years. 
He  was  a  prominent  farmer  and  came  to  this  coun- 
try after  his  marriage  in  Yorkshire,  England,  to  her 
mother,  Mary  Speed,  who  is  now  residing  with  her 
married  daughter.  She  is  in  her  62d  year  and  a  very 
venerable  old  lady.  Mrs.  Shehan  of  this  notice 
was  educated  in  Altona  and  commenced  the  profes- 
sion of  teaching  when  she  was  17  years  old.  This 
she  followed  up  to  the  date  of  her  marriage.  She  is 
the  mother  of  two  children — Henrietta,  born  July 
31,  1882,  and  Charles  Thomas,  born  Dec.  27,  1884. 
Mr.  Shehan  is  an  active  and  consistent  member  of., 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  He  has  held  the 
minor  offices  attaching  to  his  township,  and  is  a 
Democrat  who  is  looked  up  to  for  his  soundness  of  |( 
principle  and  readiness  to  acquiesce  in  any  measure 
likely  to  further  the  Democratic  cause. 


ev.  Charles  G.  Nelson,  pastor  in  charge  of 
the  Swedish  Methodist  Church,  Galesburg, 
was  born  at  Gemla,  ;.  e.,  Kronbergs,  Lan., 
Sweden,  May  20,  1848,  and  came  to  America 
with  his  parents,  Magnus  and  Ingril  Lena 
(Peterson)  Nelson,  in  1854.  They  settled  in 
Burnett  County,  Wis.,  where  the  senior  Mr.  Nelson 
has  served  his  people  as  County  Judge. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  only  son.  He 
was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm,  attended  the 
public  schools  and  taught  for  some  time  in  Wiscon- 
sin. His  literary  training  was  finished  at  Taylor's 
Falls,  Minn.  He  came  to  Galesburg  from  Chicago, 
where  he  had  spent  two  or  three  years,  in  October, 
1884.  While  a  citizen  of  Wisconsin  he  held  the 
office  of  Clerk  of  Burnett  County  two  years,  and  there 
began  to  study  for  the  ministry.  He  preached  his 
first  regular  sermon  at  Grantsburg,  Wis.,  to  which 
place  he  was  assigned  by  the  Minnesota  Methodist 
Episcopal  Conference  held  at  Owatonna,  Oct.  7,  1870 


*+- 


i 


lIBRApy 
OF  THE 

i::!VERsiTy  of  ilum' 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Ti><i 


He  was  at  Grantsburg  one  year,  when  he  was  as- 
signed to  Stillwater,  Minn.  His  next  move  was  to 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  where  for  three  years  he  had  charge 
of  a  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  going 
from  there  to  Minneapolis  in  charge  of  the  First 
Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  last 
charge  he  held  two  years,  removing  then  to  Chicago, 
where  he  was  pastor  of  the  Second  Swedish  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  for  three  years.  From  1874 
to  1881,  Rev.  Mr.  Nelson  was  the  Presiding  Elder 
for  the  Minneajwlis  District,  being  probably  the 
youngest  man  in  that  position  in  the  State  of  Min- 
nesota. 

His  coming  to  Galesburg  is  already  mentioned. 
He  here  presides  over  a  membership  of  about  300, 
with  the  number  regularly  increasing.  Though  an 
an  accomplished  English  scholar,  his  sermons  are 
preached  in  the  Swedish  language.  He  was  married 
at  Granlsburg,  Wis.,  April  9,  187  i,  to  Miss  I.  Mary 
Jones,  and  their  children  are  Edwin  M.,  Charles  J., 
Albert  D.,  Clarence  G.,  Victor  E.  and  Mary  Grace 
Christine. 


-^^^s6^^^^e^y^k^^-^ 


Slarley  J.  Charles,  long  one  of  the  leading 
^;  merchants  of  Knoxville,  has  won  in  his  bus- 
iness a  large  patronage,  and  also  enjoys  a 
well-deserved  standing  in  the  public  estimation 
His  province  in  his  mercantile  life  is  to  supply 
ready-made  clothing  ar.d  gent's  furnishing  goods 
of  the  best  quality.  His  establishment  ranks  first  in 
Knoxville,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  houses  of  the 
kind  in  the  county. 

The  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  was 
born  in  Knoxville,  on  the  19th  of  October,  1854,  and 
was  the  youngest  son  of  Geo.  A.  and  Dorlinsky 
(Post)  Charles  (see  sketch).  His  early  education  was 
received  in  the  city  schools.  He  subsequently  at- 
tended Lombard  University,  Galesburg,  as  well  as 
Gem  City  Business  College,  Quincy,  111.  He  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Elba  Township  on  his  own  ac- 
count soon  after  leaving  school,  and  continued  in  the 
pursuit  of  agriculture  until  1880,  when  he  became 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Charles  &  Arms,  and 
followed  a  successful  career  in  its  particular  line ; 
that  partnership  continued  six  years,  when,  in  March, 
1886,  he  bought  Mr.  Arms'  interest.  The  firm  name 
is  now  H.J.  Charles  &  Co.     He  is  also  senior  mem- 


ber of  the  firm  of  Charles,  Arms  &  Potts,  of  Elm- 
wood,  who  do  a  prosperous  and  extensive  business. 

Mr.  Charles  and  Miss  Alice  Johnson  were  united 
in  marriage  Nov.  14,  1883.  Mrs.  Charles  was  the 
daughter  of  Nelson  Johnson.  Mr.  Johnson  and  wife 
came  from  New  York  State  in  an  early  day,  and  Alice 
was  lx)rn  in  Sparta  Township.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  Pacific  Lodge,  No.  400,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ; 
Rabboni  Chapter,  No.  95  ;  Illinois  Council,  No.  i; 
and  (Jalesburg  Comniandery,  No.  8,  Knights  Tem- 
plar. Politically  he  is  a  Democrat.  He  served  sev- 
eral terms  as  Alderman  in  the  City  Council  of  Knox- 
ville, and  as  a  member  of  the  Library  Hoard,  and  also 
as  treasurer  of  several  organizations. 

Hy  his  good  judgment,  devotion  to  business  and 
geniality  of  temperament,  he  has  deserved  and  won 
more  than  ordinary  notice  and  recognition  from  his 
townsmen.  Starting  here,  as  he  did,  with  but  a  lim- 
ited knowledge  of  the  business,  he  has,  by  properly 
studying  the  wants  of  his  patrons,  built  up  a  large 
and  flourishing  trade.  This  has  been  accomplished 
largely  through  the  medium  of  honest  business  prin- 
ciples, which  won  for  him  thorough  confidence  among 
business  men  in  this  community.  Besides  the  in- 
terests mentioned,  Mr.  Charles  also  owns  the  fine 
block  opposite  the  Public  Square,  corner  of  Main 
street,where  he  does  business.  It  is  the  finest  business 
block  in  the  city,  in  the  second  story  of  which  is 
the  hall  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  Lodge.  His  handsome 
residence,  a  view  of  which  is  given  rn  the  Album,  is 
located  near  the  depot,  where  he  entertains  his 
friends  with  a  generous  hospitality;  he  also  has  a 
good  stock  farm  of  440  acres  in  Elba  Township, 
which  he  carries  on,  conducting  general  farming  and 
stock-raising. 

^ohn  D.  Besler,  General  Superintendent  of 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  residing  at  Gales- 
burg, takes  prominent  rank  among  the  cit- 
izens of  that  city  and  Knox  County  as  a  bus- 
iness man  and  citizen,  and  is  a  worthy  example 
of  what  maybe  attained  by  a  steady,  persistent 
application  to  any  line  of  business.  He  is  a  native 
of  Southern  Germany,  and  was  born  in  Redingen,  in 
the  kingdom  of  Wurtemburg,  April  10,  1833.  His 
parents  were  Sebastian  and  Frances  Besler,  worthy 
people  of  that  place,  who  gave  to  their  son  as  good 
*■•  


T 


75° 


■  Y. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


J^ 


advantages  for  obtaining  an  education  as  their  cir- 
cumstances would  permit. 

At  the  age  of  19  years  young  Besler  set  sail  for  the 
United  States  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  New  World. 
He  landed  in  New  York  in  1852,  and,  being  depend- 
ent upon  his  own  exertions,  he  turned   his   attention 
to  railroading,  which  at  that  time  offered  him  an  op- 
portunity.     After    spending  some    months   in    New 
York  State,  he  came  West,  and  after  remaining  in 
Wisconsin  a  few  months  longer  he  came  to  Illinois, 
arriving  here  in  1853.     He  then  spent  some  time  in 
working  for  what  is  now  the  Chicago,  Alton  &  St. 
Louis  Railroad,  and  in  1855  first  began  to  work  for 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.   R.  Co.  on  their  track  between 
Mendota  and  Aurora.      In   1856  he  went  to  Galva, 
and  the  following  year  he  became  section  foreman  at 
Prairie  City.     He  held  the  latter  position  until  1859, 
when  he  was  transferred  to  Augusta,  and  there  spent 
four  years,  and  during  which  lime  he  ran  the  con- 
struction train.     In  1863  he  came  to  Galesburg  as 
Assistant  Roadmaster,  a  position  he  worked  at  until 
1865.    He  was  then  appointed  Roadmaster  and  con- 
tinued to  hold  the  position   with  credit  to  himself 
^  until  1873,  when  he  became  Assistant  Superintendent 
of  track,  bridges  and  building.     In   1878   the  cor- 
poration with  which   Mr.  Besler  had  been  so  long 
and  creditably  connected  again  recognized  his  abili- 
ties and  promoted  him  to  the  position  of  Assistant 
Superintendent  of  the  road,  and  in  1881   again  ad- 
vanced him,  making  him  Superintendent  of  the  Illi- 
nois lines.     In  1885,  the  company  once  more  recog- 
nized   the   valuable    services   of   our   subject,    and 
promoted  him  to  the  Ceneral  Superintendency  of  the 
road.    Thus  we  see,  as  an  official  of  this  enterprising 
corporation,  one  of  merit  advancing  steadily  step  by 
step,  from  the  lowest  round  of  the  ladder  to  the  high- 
est, and  this  in  the  face  of  many  competitors.     To 
the  foreigner  landing  on  our  shores  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  our  language,  customs  or  manners,  his  case 
is,  to  say  the  least,  embarrassing;  but  Mr.  Besler  rose 
above  all  embarrassment,  and  in  his  progress  upward 
as  an  official  of  this  road  he  has  had  to  contend  with 
a  fair  share  of  "  native  "  talent. 

Nor  is  this  all.  He  was  happily  married  in  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  to  Miss  Anna  Chopin,  a  lady  of  very 
estimable  attainments,  and  a  native  of  Northern 
Prussia.  The  result  of  his  alliance  has  been  one 
son  and  two  daughters  living.  William,  the  son, 
is  a  young  man  of  considerable  ability,  who,  after 


graduating  from  the  High  School,  completed  a  course 
of  study  in  the  Boston  School  of  Technology,  of 
Boston,  Mass.,  and  is  now  serving  as  private  secre- 
tary to  his  father.  Othelia,  the  eldest  daughter,  is 
an  accomplished  and  intelligent  lady,  and  is  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Van  Clute,  of  Galesburg.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  one  child,  named  Jessie.  Laura,  the  young- 
est daughter,  is  a  graduate  of  Knox  College,  and  still 
shares  the  domestic  circle  of  her  parents.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Besler  have  buried  two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  Theresa  became  an  exceptionally  in- 
telligent lady,  and  departed  this  life  in  1877,  at  the 
age  of  24.  The  other  children  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Besler  attend  worship  at  the  Universalist 
Church.  He  has  always  held  himself  aloof  from  any 
connection  with  public  office  or  secret  society  organ- 
ization, although  he  contributes  liberally  to  all  meas- 
ures attending  the  city's  social  and  industrial  life. 
He  is  a  stockholder  and  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Galesburg  National  Bank. 

fames  J.  Eldriedge.  On  section  5,  of  Per- 
'(r  sifer  Township,  may  be  found  the  subject 
of  this  personal  sketch,  who  is  one  of  the 
prominent  citizens  and  successful  farmers  of 
^^  Knox  County,  and  whose  name  is  identified 
^^  with  its  history.  He  is  the  son  of  Gardner  and 
Permelia  (Mecham)  Eldriedge,  natives  of  New  En- 
gland. On  the  paternal  side  of  the  house  Mr.  El- 
driedge is  of  Irish  origin.  On  the  maternal  side  he 
is  of  Scotch  descent.  They  lived  in  Ohio  and  Penn- 
sylvania, but  removed  to  Iowa  in  the  fall  of  1840, 
and  remained  in  that  State  until  the  spring  of  1845, 
when  thev  came  to  Knox  County  and  settled  in  Cop- 
ley Township.  There  they  lived  until  called  home 
by  death,  the  mother  June  23,  1868,  the  father  Jan. 
18,  1870. 

Their  family  consisted  of  1 2  children,  of  whom 
James  J.  was  the  seventh  in  order  of  birth.  He  was 
born  in  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  April  20,  1832,  and 
came  with  his  parents  to  Iowa  and  Illinois,  living 
with  them  until  he  reached  the  age  of  T9  years.  At 
this  time  he  bought  80  acres  of  land  in  Persifer 
Township,  on  section  5,  where  he  settled  and  has 
since  lived.  He  lias  erected  a  fine  set  of  buildings 
on  his  farm,  and  is  the  possessor  of  880  acres  of  land, 
500  of  which  are  tillable  and  highly  productive. 


X 


t^b^ 


rH- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


75' 


His  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of 
Bruce  and  Rachel  (Haptonstall)  Cherington,  took 
place  in  Persifer  Township,  May  ii,  1851.  Mrs. 
Eldriedge's  parents  were  natives  of  New  Hampshire 
and  Virginia  respectively,  and  she  was  born  in  liallia 
County,  Ohio,  Sept.  24,  1834.  The  father  died 
March  4,  1885  ;  the  mother  is  still  living  with  her 
daughter. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eldriedge  are  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  six  of  whom  survive:  Rachel  L.  became 
the  wife  of  Isaac  Nivel,  and  they  are  the  parents  of 
one  child — William  D. ;  they  live  in  Copley  Township. 
Permelia  C.  married  Sylvanus  Westfall ;  four  children 
have  blest  this  union — Clara  B.,  James  A.,  Clarence 
R.  and  Minnie  E.  Mary  E.  married  Byron  Parkins, 
and  they  have  two  children — (icorge  F.  and  Nellie 
P.  William  E.  took  to  wife  Lucinda  J.  Myrick  ;  two 
children  are  the  result  of  this  union — Edna  May  and 
Jessie  F.  These  all  reside  in  Persifer  Township. 
James  E.  married  Elizabeth  E.  Evans ;  one  child 
has  come  to  bless  this  union — Katie  L. ;  they  live 
in  Copley  Township.  Maggie  resides  with  her  par- 
ents. The  deceased  are  Agnes  E.,  Angeline  C.  and 
Augustus  F. 

He  is  an  active,  energetic  worker  in  public  affairs, 
and  has  held  several  of  the  minor  offices  of  the  town- 
ship. Both  himself  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
United  Brethren  Church,  and  active  workers  in  the 
same.  In  politics  he  affiliates  with  and  supports  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  progress- 
ive and  enterprising  farmer  and  a  leader  in  the  com- 
munity in  which  he  lives. 


-J3= 


T~T 


£*- 


^*^^^  L.  Arnold,  Superintendent  of  the  Carriers' 
Department  in  the  Post-office  at  Galesburg, 
is  one  of  the  worthy  young  men  of  Gales- 
burg, whose  prowess  in  all  the  departments  of 
industrial  life  but  few  cities  in  Illinois  can  ex- 
cel. Our  subject  was  born  in  1858  and  is  the 
son  of  George  L.  and  Emily  (Johnson)  Arnold,  na- 
tives of  the  Empire  State  and  |)ioneers  of  this  county. 
Young  Arnold  received  a  good  literary  training  in 
the  public  schools  of  this  city  and  attended  Lombard 
University,  which  latter  institution  he  left  to  accept 
a  position   in  the  grocery  business.     In   1882,  and 


upon  the  establishment  of  a  letter  carriers'  depart- 
ment at  Galesburg,  he  accepted  the  superinlend- 
ency,  with  which  he  has  been  very  reputably  con- 
nected since  that  time.  He  is  not  alone  in  his  work, 
as  he  has  taken  a  helpmeet  in  the  person  of  Loha, 
daughter  of  Mrs.  L.  C.  Stringham,  widow  of  C.  P. 
Stringham,  deceased. 

H.  L.  Arnold  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.  fraternity  and  of  the  Galesburg  Club  (see  sketch). 
He  and  his  amiable  wife  attend  services  at  the  Meth- 
odist Ei)iscopal  Church.  Our  subject  is  a  success- 
ful public  official,  an  active  and  progressive  citizen, 
and  we  predict  for  him  a  successful  future. 

^^^^ 

|f»^-  rof.  Greorge  Churchill,  Prmcipal  of  Knox 
jPga:;  .Academy  since  September,  1855,  was  born 
J  ;^i-l^   in  Winfield,  N.  Y.,  April  2,  1829,  and  came 

■j  with  his  parents,  Norman  and  Anna  (Eggles- 
ton)  Churchill,  to  Galesburg,  111.,  in  1839' 
He  graduated  from  Kno.x  College  in  June, 
1851,  and  was  immediately  attached  to  the  engineer 
corps  of  the  Central  Military  Tract  Railroad.  One  ■ 
year  later  he  opened  a  High  School  in  Farmington, 
III.,  and  in  the  two  years  sjicnt  there  demonstrated, 
by  his  success,  his  adaptation  to  the  life  of  a  profes- 
sional educator. 

In  1854  he  went  to  Europe  and  spent  an  entire 
year  in  travel,  in  visiting  the  great  cities  with  their 
treasures  of  art,  but  especially  in  e.xamining  the 
great  schools  and  school  systems  of  the  continent, 
thus  preparing  himself  for  his  chosen  profession  of 
teaching.  Upon  his  return  home,  he  found  in  the 
eight  separate  district  schools  of  his  own  town  an 
object  for  educational  reconstruction  and  improve- 
ment. By  means  of  numerous  newspaper  articles 
furnished  by  himself  and  others,  by  lectures  given 
by  educators  from  the  East  brought  here  for  the  pur- 
pose, sufficient  enthusiasm  was  aroused  among  the 
best  citizens  to  set  in  motion  a  movement  which  re- 
sulted in  obtaining  from  the  State  Legislature  a 
special  charter  for  the  schools  of  Galesburg.  from 
which  has  sprung  the  present  popular  system  of  pub- 
lic schools  for  which  the  city  has  been  justly  cele- 
brated. 

Prof.  Churchill's  strongest  accomplishment  as  a 
teacher  is  found  in  his  skill  in  inspiring  young  men 
and  boys  with  a  desire  for  a  higher  and  better  edi<-. 


■4-9* 


••t-f- 


752 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


cation  than  is  afforded  by  the  ordinary  country 
school. 

Prof.  Churchill  has  served  liis  city  14  years  on  the 
Board  of  Education,  nine  years  in  the  Library  Asso- 
ciation, four  years  as  an  Alderman  of  his  ward,  and 
is  now  serving  his  i8th  year  as  City  Engineer. 

His  family  consists  of  his  wife,  Mrs.  Ellen  (San- 
born) Churchill,  daughter  of  Hon.  David  Sanborn, 
deceased  ;  Milton  E.,  instructor  in  Latin  in  Knox 
College,  of  which  he  is  a  graduate,  as  also  of  Yale 
Divinity  School;  Charles  E.,  a  law  student  at  Min- 
neapolis, and  George  B.,  engaged  in  the  hardware 
business  in  Galesburg,  and  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Nellie 
W.  Wetherbee,  of  Galesburg.  The  religious  connec- 
tion of  the  family  is  with  the  Congregational  Church. 

-^ ^^r^ V- 


jarvin  S.  Carr,  M.  D.,  physician  and  sur- 
geon, of  Galesburg,  is  the  son  of  Rev. 
Stutely  and  Elizabeth  (Marvin)  Carr,  na- 

'1  ^1^  tives  respectively  of  the  States  of  New 
York  and  Vermont,  and  of  English  descent, 
was  born  Oct.  6,  1823. 

Rev.  Mr.  Carr,  of  ihe  Baptist  Church,  was  mar- 
ried in  Saratoga  County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  his  son 
and  two  daughters  were  born.  He  accepted  a  charge 
at  Springfield,  Erie  Co.,  Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1852, 
at  the  age  of  54  years.  His  widow  lived  to  be  62 
years  of  age,  and  died  at  Aurora,  111.,  in  1867.  The 
Carrs  appeared  first  in  Rliode  Island  with  Roger 
Williams.  They  are  now  found  in  every  State  in  the 
Union,  numbering  among  them  men  eminent  in  the 
leading  professions,  as  well  as  an  industrious  line  of 
laymen  and  husbandmen.  Dr.  Carr  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  the  common  schools  and  academies  of  his 
native  State,  and  in  1842  began  the  study  of  medi- 
cine at  Unionville,  Ohio,  with  an  uncle  who  was  a 
prominent  physician  of  that  place.  In  1845  he  took 
a  course  of  lectures  at  Castleton,  Vt.,  then  returned 
to  Unionville,  pursued  his  studies  and  began  prac- 
tice. He  next  removed  to  Erie  County,  Pa.,  and 
there  practiced  until  1847.  He  returned  then  to 
Castleton,  Vt.,  finished  his  course,  and  graduated  in 
1848.  In  the  fall  of  rSso  he  left  Erie  County  and 
came  to  Peoria,  where  he  enjoyed  a  lucrative  prac- 
tice till  1858.  His  health  failing,  he  retired  from  the 
profession  until    i860.     He  removed  to  Galesburg, 


where  he  resumed  the  practice  and  continued  until 
1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  14th  111.  Vol.  Cav. 
On  the  organization  of  the  company  he  was  elected 
Captain.  He  remained  in  the  service  until  Feb.  14, 
1864,  when,  his  health  having  again  failed,  he  re- 
signed and  returned  home.  When  he  left  the  ser- 
vice he  was  the  ranking  Captain  of  his  regiment,  and 
had  been  Acting  Major  nearly  all  the  time  he  was  in 
the  service.  Returning  to  Galesburg,  he  turned  his 
attention  to  mercantile  business,  from  which  he  re- 
turned to  his  profession  in  1868.  Since  1849  he  has 
practiced  after  the  homeopathic  school,  and  his 
success  therein  confirms  him  in  the  wisdom  of  his 
selection.  His  patrons  are  numbered  among  the 
best  families ;  his  practice  is  general,  though  gyne- 
cology receives  his  special  attention. 

Dr.  Carr  was  married  at  Peoria,  111.,  May  16,  1854, 
to  Miss  Susan  Esby,  a  native  of  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  three  children,  viz.: 
Nettie  (Mrs.  William  A.  Robbins),  Lillie  and  Rev. 
Edward  S.  Carr,  of  the  Congregational  Church,  of  • 
Humboldt,  Iowa.  The  Doctor  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  American  Institute  of  Homeopathy  and 
the  State  Homeopathic  Association  of  Illinois.  He  X 
takes  no  part  in  politics  ;  devotes  his  time  to  his  pa- 
tients, and  worships  in   the  Congregational  Church. 


ilenry  Biedermann,  proprietor  of  the  Em- 
(1^  pire  Meat  Market,  at  Galesburg,  is  a  worthy 
representative  of  the  meat  interests  of  that 
place.  He  is  a  native  of  Bavaria,  being  born 
in  Goershersdorf,  in  the  town  of  Steinach,  July 
8,  1832.  He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Munich)  Biedermann. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  acquired  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  his  business  in  his  native  land,  and 
concluded  to  try  his  fortune  in  the  New  World.  He 
consequently  set  sail  from  Bremen,  and  landed  in 
New  York  City  Sept.  2,  1854.  From  this  city  he 
traveled  westward  and  settled  at  Joliet,  111.,  where 
for  nine  years  we  find  him  successfully  engaged  at 
his  trade. 

At  Joliet  he  was  married  to  Caroline  Ackerman, 
the  daughter  of  Louis  and  Charlotte  (Streiber)  Ack- 
erman. The  parents  were  natives  of  Wittenburg, 
Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1847.  Mrs. 
Biedermann,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at  Wittenburg, 


4-A- 


I 


rlL 


i. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


753 


Dec.  29,  1840.  After  a  successful  business  career 
at  Joliet,  Mr.  Biedermann  spent  two  years  in  Chicago, 
and  on  Oct.  20,  1866,  he  came  to  Galesburg,  where 
he  has  since  been  favorably  known,  building  up,  in 
the  meantime,  an  excellent  business,  and  contribut- 
ing in  no  small  degree  to  the  general  development  of 
the  social  and  industrial  life  of  the  community. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Biedermann  have  been  born  a 
family  of  one  son  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  well  educated  and  occupying  good  positions  in 
the  social  life  of  their  respective  localities.  Henry 
Biedermann,  the  only  son,  is  associated  with  his  father 
in  the  meat  market,  and  is  a  young  man  of  e.xcep- 
tionally  good  qualifications.  The  eldest  daughter, 
Lizzie,  is  the  wife  of  August  Rosenau,  also  with  the 
firm  ;  Amelia  Biedermann  became  the  wife  of  John  J. 
Shubert,  Esq.,  druggist,  of  Kankakee,  111.;  the  young- 
est daughter,  Julia,  is  residing  at  home,  and  is  un- 
married. 

Mr.  Biedermann  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  I.  O. 
r  O.  F.  Society  and  Encampment,  and  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  in  which  latter,  having  received  an  honor- 
i  able  knighthood,  he  has  been  acceprted  in  the  Consist- 
''  ory  of  the  Order.  In  political  matters,  while  taking 
an  active  interest,  he  has  refused  office,  though  often 
requested  to  become  a  candidate.  He  is  a  thorough- 
ly practical  man,  unostentatious  but  substantial,  a 
strong  friend  of  those  whom  he  considers  worthy,  a 
genial  gentleman,  a  kind  husband  and  father. 

'^^^^r^^ 


Donald  Mackintosh.  Prominent 
■jlL5<a^  among  the  citizens  of  Ontario  Township 
"6'fViJ~'^  who  have  accumulated  a  comi>etency,  and 
'  jt  >  who  have  beautiful  homes  upon  large  and  pro- 
X  ductive  farms  and  are  there  passing  their 
I  lives  in  that  real  enjoyment  which  can  never 
be  obtained  in  a  crowded  city,  is  the  gentleman 
whose  name  heads  this  biography,  and  a  view  of  his 
pleasant  country  home  is  presented  in  this  volume. 
He  is  the  youngest  son  of  his  parents'  family  of  eight 
children,  and  was  born  in  Banff,  Banflfshire,  Scotland,  \ 
Feb.  23,  1 83 1. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Mackintosh  was  a  somewhat  re- 
markable man  as  regards  financial  success.  He  I 
began  with  nothing,  except  a  large  amount  of  per-  I 
severance  and  energy,  and  rose  to  be  one  of  the  i 
wealthiest  and  most  prominent  citizens  of  his  shire  I 
'  -A 


in  Scotland.  He  was  born  near  Banff,  BanfTshire, 
Scotland,  and  early  in  life  learned  the  ship-carpen- 
ter's trade  in  one  of  the  ship-building  yards  of  that 
city.  Soon  after,  he  was  taken  to  Calcutta  on  board 
an  Indiaman,  and  on  his  arrival  in  that  city,  through 
the  influence  of  Dr.  Wilson,  of  notoriety  as  a  traveler 
and  explorer,  young  Mackintosh  secured  an  engage- 
ment as  an  employe  of  the  great  firm  of  Burns  &  Co., 
builders.  He  at  first  accepted  a  position  which 
brought  him  but  litde  remuneration  for  his  ser\nces, 
but  he  worked  early  and  late,  ever  having  the  inter- 
est of  his  employers  in  view,  and  was  promoted  step 
by  step  until  he  rose  to  the  head  of  one  of  the  de- 
partments of  their  business.  The  time  came  when 
both  members  of  the  firm  were  obliged  to  be  absent 
from  their  business  on  account  of  their  health,  and 
young  Mackintosh  had  the  running  of  the  entire  bus- 
iness upon  his  hands,  and  conducted  it  with  such  a 
degree  of  success  that  it  even  surpassed  that  which 
was  accomplished  during  the  presence  of  the  pro- 
prietors. Year  after  year  passed  by  and  success  fol- 
lowed success  until  about  the  year  1822,  when  Mr. 
Mackintosh  returned  to  BanfT  with  a  handsome  fort- 
une. Having  been  married  in  the  meantime,  he 
took  one  of  the  best  mansions  in  that  city,  and  there 
lived  and  entertained  like  a  prince.  For  many  years 
he  continued  to  reside  in  BanfT,  surrounded  by  all 
the  luxuries  wealth  could  procure,  and  would  gladly 
have  remained  there  could  he  have  obtained  such 
property  as  he  desired.  Such  not  being  the  case,  he 
visited  South  Scotland,  and  on  hearing  that  the  es- 
tate of  "  Lamancha,"  in  Pebbleshire,  was  for  sale,  he 
purchased  the  property,  which  had  previously  been 
the  residence  of  Lord  Cochrane.  To  the  old  mansion 
on  this  estate  he  moved  his  family  and  began  the 
improvement  of  the  estate,  which  had  been  neglected 
to  such  an  extent  that  it  presented  a  somewhat  di- 
lapidated appearance.  In  various  ways  he  effected 
the  most  remarkable  improvements  that  were  ever 
made  upon  an  estate  in  that  portion  of  Scotland.  He 
remodeled  the  mansion  and  improved  the  garden, 
adapting  them  to  modern  taste,  and  there  lived  in 
the  enjoyment  of  his  large  accumulation  and  pleas- 
ant surroundings,  until  Feb.  23,  r869,  the  date  of  his 
death.  He  was  an  Elder  in  the  Church  of  Scotland. 
His  marriage  took  place  in  the  East  Indies,  at  which 
time  a  Scottish  lady  who  had  gone  there  when  in 
childhood  became  his  wife.  Her  death  occurred 
subsequent  to  that  of  her  husband. 


-H- 


-6-J-^ 


^^^^^ 


754 


XJVOX  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Mackintosh  of  this  notice  was  but  a  child  ' 
when  his  parents  removed  to  South  Scotland,  and  yet 
he  distinctly  remembers  the  old  mansion,  together 
with  the  beautiful  surroundings,  which  his  father 
owned  and  where  he  li^ed.  Early  in  life  he  was  sent 
to  Edinburgh,  where  he  received  a  good  education. 
Afterward  by  permission  of  his  parents  he  learned 
the  cabinet-maker's  trade.  He  was  then  sent  to  Cal- 
cutta, East  Indies,  and  was  there  during  Lord  Dal- 
housie's  administration.  While  there  he  became 
engaged  in  the  superintendency  of  his  father's  bus- 
iness, which  was  conducted  under  the  firm  name  of 
Mackintosh,  Burns  &  Co.,  architects,  builders  and 
general  agents  for  all  kinds  of  house  material.  Our 
subject  remained  there  engaged  in  business  for  five 
years,  when  lie  returned  to  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  and 
there  remained  until  the  spring  of  1861,  when  he 
set  sail  for  the  United  States.  Disembarking  at  an 
Eastern  seaport,  he  came  directly  to  Oneida,  this 
county,  and  the  same  year,  even  before  he  had  taken 
out  his  naturalization  papers  or  become  a  citizen  of 
the  country,  he  enlisted  in  her  defense,  joining  Co. 
C,  42d  111.  Vol.  Inf ,  under  Capt.  Wadsworth.  His 
'  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  Army  of  the  Cumber- 
land, and  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Pillow, 
Island  No.  10,  Corinth  and  many  others  of  minor 
''  import,  and  he  came  out  of  the  conflict  without  ever 
having  been  a  prisoner  or  receiving  a  wound.  He 
was  honorably  discharged  Dec.  19,  1862,  and  at  once 
returned  home.  He  afterward  engaged  in  fanning, 
and  in  1866  he  purchased  320  acres  of  good,  tillable 
land,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  has  a  fine  resi- 
dence upon  his  place,  together  with  handsome  out- 
buildings, and  his  land  is  under  an  advanced  state 
of  cultivation.  In  fact,  the  scenery  of  his  home  farm 
is  almost  equal  to  that  upon  which  the  old  mansion 
stood  in  the  South  of  Scotland.  In  addition  to  his 
home  farm  he  has  180  acres  of  land  in  Victoria 
Township,  all  of  which  is  well  improved,  besides 
seven  and  a  half  acres  of  timber  in  the  same  town- 
ship. 

Mr.  Mackintosh  has  a  suflBciency  of  this  world's 
goods  to  enable  him  to  retire  from  the  active  labors 
of  life,  and  spends  much  of  his  time  at  prominent 
places  of  resort.  Mr.  M.  owns  a  summer  cottage  on 
Lake  Michigan,  eight  miles  from  Petoskey,  Mich.  In 
September,  187 1,  he  was  united  in  marriage,  at 
Altona,  111.,  with  Miss  Grace  Kirk.  She  was  born 
n  Scotland,  in  1835,  and  emigrated  to  this  country 


with  relatives  when  33  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Mackin- 
tosh's parents  were  Robert  and  Jane  (Linton)  Kirk. 
She  is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  two  children. 
Alexander  Kirk,  of  Liverpool,  England  (her  brother), 
is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Pattinson  &  Kirk,  general 
importers  of  East  India  products.  The  firm  is  one 
of  the  largest  in  Liverpool.  The  father  and  mother 
of  Mrs.  M.  ar-i  deceased,  the  death  of  the  father 
taking  place  in  Whiteside,  Scotland,  in  the  year  1870, 
that  of  the  mother  in  1883.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mackin- 
tosh are  members  of  the  Swedenborgian  Church. 
Politically,  Mr.  Mackintosh  is  a  believer  in  and  sup- 
porter of  the  Republican  party. 

_^V .o♦o••@^^K^^■.o♦o.. V— 

eorge  F.  Abernethy  is  one    of  the  most 

intelligent  farmers  of  Knox  County,  resid- 

"wS^P""'^  ing  on  section  24,  of  Galesburg  Township. 
*^W^  He  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Addison  Co.,  Vt., 
June  10,  1842,  and  remained  with  his  parents 
until  he  gained  his  majority,  working  on  the 
farm  and  attending  the  district  schools.  He  came  *■ 
to  Illinois  in  1854  with  his  parents,  and  located  near 
Altona.  He  is  a  son  of  Abraham  F.  and  Mary  F. 
(Goodridge)  Abernethy,  who  were  natives  of  Ver- 
mont, the  father  being  born  in  181 2  and  dying  in 
1875.  The  mother  was  born  in  July,  1813,  and  is 
still  living  on  the  home  fa:rm.  They  were  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Cornelia  S.,  George  F., 
Mary  J.,  Martha  A.,  David  T.,  Annie  V.,  Albert  P. 
and  Hattie,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Abernethy  married  Miss  Phebe  A.  Mc- 
Clatchey  in  r877.  She  was  born  May  19,  1853,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  two  children — Nellie  E., 
Nov.  29,  1880,  and  George  E.,  Dec.  14,  1883.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  Abernethy  were  William  and  Martha 
(Foster)  McClatchey,  natives  of  Pennsylvania,  her 
father  being  born  Nov.  2.  r8i8,and  her  mother  Dec. 
25,  1825;  both  are  still  living  at  Knoxville,  having 
become  the  parents  of  eight  children,  named  James, 
Martha  E.,  Phebe  R.,  Fremont,  Sarah  E  ,  Keziah  G., 
Mead  and  Nettie  E.,  all  now  living.  The  parents 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church ;  he  is  a 
Republican  and  a  retired  farmer. 

Mr.  Abernethy,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  hav- 
ing come  to  Illinois  nearly  a  generation  ago,  has 
witnessed  the  grand  development  of  the  West,  and 


\ 


V- 


:^^^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


755 


especially  of  his  adopted  State,  which  has  grown 
in  that  period  from  a  small  population  to  be  one  of 
the  leading  States  of  the  Union,  fourth  only  in  pop- 
ulation, while  in  material  resources  and  development 
she  stands  in  some  respects  first  among  the  noble 
sisterhood  of  States.  He  is  the  owner  of  6i  acres 
of  land  in  this  county,  having  a  fine  dwelling-house 
two  stories  high,  35x35  feet  in  size,  with  an  addition 
of  i4Xt4  feet  on  the  north  side;  his  barn  is  a  com- 
modious structure,  26x38  feet  in  size.  He  is  engaged 
also,  in  addition  to  his  fanning  operations,  in  breed- 
ing fine  stock,  principally  Poland-China  swine  of 
pure  blood.  In  this  he  has  been  very  successful, 
disposing  of  his  fine  pigs  to  farmers  for  breeding  pur- 
poses, and  thus  promoting  the  growth  of  graded 
stock  among  his  neighbors.  He  generally  raises 
about  one  hundred  of  these  fine  swine  per  annum, 
and  also  deals  somewhat  in  Short-horn  cattle. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abernethy  are  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  and  the  former  belongs  to  the 
Republican  party.  Coming  from  New  England  and 
Pennsylvania  stock,  it  is  not  strange  to  find  in  these 
good  people  those  excellent  traits  of  character  which 
years  of  cultivation  in  New  England  and  Pennsyl- 
vania homes  have  made  almost  if  not  quite  heredi- 
tary, and  to  find  that  a  coramuiiity  whose  population 
is  largely  composed  of  people  of  their  sterling  worth 
is  so  justly  famous  for  its  advancement  in  all  that 
adorns  our  best  civilization. 


■^^B- 


J.  Allen,  Civil  Engineer  of  the  Galesburg 
r  Division  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  located 
'"■■    at  Galesburg,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.     He 


was  born  at  Prophetstown,  Whiteside  County, 
Dec.  2,  1854,  and  is  a  son  of  Warren  and  Mary 
A.  (Brown)  Allen.  The  parents  are  natives  of 
Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  settled  in  Whiteside  County  at 
an  early  period  in  its  history. 

Our  subject  had  received  a  good  common-school 
education,  and  at  the  age  of  16  years  accepted  em- 
ployment with  the  corporation  he  at  present  repre- 
sents. By  means  of  steady,  persistent  industry,  he 
has  succeded  in  completing  his  profession.  In  1872 
he  left  his  native  town  and  was  occupied  at  difTerent 
places  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  line  in  Illinois.  In 
1876  he  was  transferred  to  the  Iowa  side  of  the  Mis- 


sissippi, where,  after  four  years  spent  in  active  con- 
nection with  the  corporation,  he  came  here  to  accept 
his  present  position,  which  he  worthily  maintains. 
He  is  a  valued  official,  a  respected  citizen  and  a 
genial  gentleman.  He  takes  no  active  part  in  poli- 
tics or  religion,  but  is  conscientiously  liberal  to  all 
creeds. 

He  married  at  Afton,  Iowa,  Miss  Lizzie  R.  Stout, 
a  lady  of  fine  accomplishments  and  a  fitting  helpmate 
to  him  in  his  life  work.  Mr.  Allen  is  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  has  been  exalted 
to  the  Royal  Arch  degree.  He  is  both  public-spirited 
and  enterprising  and  contributes  liberally  to  all  meas- 
ures tending  to  the  development  of  the  social  and 
industrial  life  of  his  adopted  city. 


I^harles  Brechwald,  deceased,  was  born  at 
J^  Klein,  Winterheim,  near  Mentz,  Germany, 
Dec.  31,  1829,  and  came  to  America  in 
1853,  departing  this  life  at  Galesburg,  111., 
Jan.  13,  1884.  The  parents  of  Mr.  B.  were 
residents  of  the  old  country,  in  which  they 
spent  almost  all  their  lives.  They  were  Michael  and  I 
Margaret  (Fleck)  Brechwald,  and  the  father  was  a 
wine-grower.  He  brought  up  his  son  to  farming  j 
pursuits.  Charles  Brechwald  was  allowed  the  best 
educational  privileges  and  received  an  exceptionally 
good  education  in  his  mother  tongue.  Although  he 
made  no  special  efTort  in  this  country  to  speak  the 
English  language,  he  soon  absorbed  sufficient  knowl- 
edge of  it  to  enable  him  to  transact  any  business 
accurately.  In  after  years  his  mind  became  a  store- 
house of  learning  and  information  which  proved  a 
great  benefit  to  him.  His  first  year  in  this  country 
he  spent  on  a  farm  in  Cook  County,  and  his  second 
year  as  a  railroad  contractor.  He  came  to  Gales- 
burg in  1856,  and  from  that  time  up  to  1863  was 
employed  by  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  under  a  con- 
tract with  the  fuel  department.  By  this  time  he  had 
accumulated  considerable  cai)ital,  and  engaged  in 
the  wholesale  liquor  business,  at  which  he  rapidly 
built  up  a  fortune.  He  was  one  of  the  most  public- 
spirited  men  in  the  city,  and  as  such  was  recognized 
by  all  as  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  ability.  He 
was  the  principal  mover  in  the  construction  of  the 
Galesburg  Opera  House,  and  at  his  death  was  the 
principal   owner  of    that  gigantic  building.     From 


44- 


=J^ 


f4^— 


^^^rJ-f 


756 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


\        Th 
4i> 


Eads'  Illustrated  History  of  Galesburg  we  clip  the 
following  as  apropos  in  this  connection,  as  it  reflects 
somewhat  the  business  capability  of  the  late  Mr. 
Brechwald,  now  conducted  by  his  sons: 

"  As  a  representative  house  in  their  line  in  this 
city,  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  oldest,  the  firm 
of  C.  Brechwald  &  Co.  is  entitled  to  more  than  a 
brief  mention  in  our  publication.  Founded  in  1851, 
or  over  a  third  of  a  century  ago,  by  the  late  Mr.  C. 
Brechwald,  who  began  business  upon  a  small  capi- 
tal, the  fortunes  of  the  house  have  been  as  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  development  of  Gales- 
burg as  any  concern  in  the  community.  During 
Mr.  Brechwald's  life  the  business  had  his  personal 
attention,  and  during  that  time  he  had  not  only  es- 
tablished a  reputation  for  honor  and  responsibility 
that  ranked  him  high  among  the  pioneer  business 
men  of  that  city,  but  laid  the  foundation  of  a  great 
monetary  success.  Since  the  deatii  of  Mr.  C.  Brech- 
wald, in  January,  1884,  the  business  has  been  carried 
on  by  his  sons,  Messrs.  Nick  and  Fred  Brechwald, 
who  were  given  a  business  training  by  their  father. 
This  firm  have  commodious  quarters  in  the  Opera 
House  Block,  where  they  carry  a  complete  line 
of  every  variety  of  goods  usually  found  in  a  first- 
class  establishment  of  the  kind." 

Mr.  Brechwald  was  virtually  in  active  business  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  although  he  had  been  an 
invalid  for  several  years.  From  a  local  publication 
of  the  day  succeeding  his  death  we  quote  the  fellow- 
ing  tribute : 

"  His  benevolence  was  proverbial.  No  charitable 
object  was  ever  presented  to  him  to  which  he  did  not 
contribute,  and  no  poor  person  ever  applied  to  him 
for  aid  who  did  not  receive  it.  As  a  man,  his  word 
could  always  be  relied  upon.  As  a  friend,  he  was 
ever  kind  and  true. 

"  He  was  a  member  of  the  Knights  Templar,  of 
which  he  was  Treasurer  for  many  years.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  Amor  Lodge,  No.  594,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

"  The  disease  which  caused  his  death  was  sclerosis. 
His  illness  was  a  long  and  painful  one,  extending 
through  nearly  five  years,  and  of  a  character  such  as 
Would  have  made  most  men  peevish  and  unbearable. 
A  good  part  of  this  time  he  spent  with  his  family. 
But  he  bore  this  infliction  himself  and  inflicted  none 
of  it  on  others.  He  showed  fortitude,  resignation  I 
and  patience,  where  there  was  cause  for  deep  gloom. 
There  were  no  bursts  of  impatience,  but  even  his  ' 
.    •  'A 


illness  made  home  more  homelike,  because  sunned 
by  such  a  disposition.  It  was  here  that  he  knit  his 
family  most  closely  to  his  own  life.  He  sang  with 
them,  he  talked  with  them,  he  read  for  them,  he 
brought  forth  all  tjie  intellectual  treasures  his  mind 
had  accumulated.  This  affection  his  family  recip- 
rocated. 

"The  last  scene  was  a  very  touching  one.  He 
seemed  to  be  feeling  brighter  and  better,  and  so  was 
moved  from  the  bed  to  his  reclining-chair,  to  be 
pushed  into  his  favorite  place  where  the  sunlight  was 
streaming  in  through  the  windows.  Before  the  chair 
had  reached  its  accustomed  place  he  sank  rapidly. 
In  a  moment  or  two,  with  his  family  around  him, 
leaving  a  cheerful  and  tranquil  look  upon  his  face, 
his  spirit  winged  its  flight." 

In  the  death  of  Mr.  Brechwald,  Galesburg  lost  one 
of  her  best  citizens.  He  left  surviving  him  a  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Barbara  Walz,  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  Chicago,  April  2,  1854,  and  they  had 
six  children,  as  follows  :  Nicholas,  Mary,  Helen  M., 
Frederick  C,  Amelia  B.  and  an  infant  unnamed. 
Frank,  their  second-born,  died  at  the  age  of  two 
years,  and  their  youngest  died  in  infancy.  The  sons  "il 
who  succed  Mr.  Brechwald  are  Nicholas  and  Freder- 
ick, who  unitedly  carry  on  the  business.  They  are 
educated  gentlemen,  under  whose  supervision  the 
business  has  grown  to  mammoth  proportions,  and  are 
{wpular  in  the  community  from  whom  they  receive 
hearty  patronage.  The  education  and  refined  and 
cultured  manners  of  the  younger  members  of  the 
family  attest  that  their  father  had  high  appreciation 
of  the  graces  of  life  as  well  as  its  more  substantial 
features. 


■on.  Dennis  Clark,  Judge  of  the  Knox 
County  Court,  was  born  near  Washington, 
Daviess  County,  Ind.,  Aug.  14,  1817,  and 
was  the  second  eldest  son  of  Walter  and  Mary 
(Young)  Clark,  natives  respectively  of  Virginia 
and  New  Jersey.  Our  subject  was  in  early  life 
surrounded  with  but  few  advantages.  His  parents 
were  poor  people ;  his  mother  died  when" he  was  only 
four  years  of  age,  and  from  that  time  until  able  to 
look  out  for  himself  he  led  the  life  of  an  orphan, 
which,  without  embellishment,  tells  its  own  story  to 
the  thoughtful  and  observing. 
Our  subject  was  very  industrious  in  the  acquire- 


LIBRARY 

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KNOX  COUNTY. 


761 


nient  of  an  education,  and  while  yet  a  youth  we  find 
him  teaching  school  during  the  winters  and  working 
on  a  farm  during  the  rest  of  the  year,  and  assidu- 
ously pondering  on  Blackstone,  Coke  upon  Littleton, 
Chitty  et  al.,  determined  upon  applying  himself  to 
the  law.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  the  year  1823,  and 
to  Knox  County  in  1833,  and  has  lived  here  ever 
since.  Up  to  i860  he  devoted  most  of  his  time  to 
farming.  During  that  year  he  began  the  practice  of 
law  before  the  Justices  of  Indian  Point  and  adjoining 
townships,  and  in  1866  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar 
before  the  Supreme  Court,  at  Ottawa.  Before  this 
he  had  filled  various  prominent  offices,  and  in  1865 
was  elected  County  Judge.  With  what  success  he 
administered  this  important  office  is  attested  by  the 
fact  that  from  the  day  of  his  first  installation  Knox 
County  has  known  no  other  County  Judge. 

At  this  writing  (January,  1886),  Judge  Clark  is 
serving  his  21st  year,  with  one  year  before  him, 
which,  when  completed,  will  make  21  years'  service. 
During  the  late  war,  1861-65,  Mr.  Clark,  then  known 
as  Capt.  Clark  from  having  held  that  rank  in  the  mili- 
tia away  back  in  the  "30's,"  was  employed  by  the 
Government  as  Enrolling  Officer.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  Republicans;  was  a  member  in  i860  of  the 
convention  that  selected  the  delegates  to  the  Na- 
tional Convention  that  introduced  Abraham  Lincoln 
to  the  world. 

Judge  Clark's  grandfather,  Dennis  Clark,  came 
from  Ireland  to  America  away  back  in  the  18th  cent- 
ury, joined  the  Colonial  Army  and  with  it  fought  the 
British  from  the  battle  of  Lexington  to  the  surrender 
of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown.  He  subsequently  mar- 
ried, and  his  oldest  son,  Walter  Clark,  the  immediate 
ancestor  of  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads  this 
article,  joined  the  United  States  Army  at  the  out- 
break of  the  War  of  181 2  and  fought  the  ancient 
enemy  to  the  close  of  that  struggle. 

Judge  Clark's  wife,  named  Martha  Meadows,  to 
whom  he  was  married  at  Knoxville,  this  county, 
April  10,  1845,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky  and  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Henry  Meadows,  a  pioneer  of 
Warren  County,  this  State.  Of  the  ten  children 
born  to  them,  five  in  number,  four  sons  and  one 
daughter,  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are  Walter 
H.,  editor  of  the  . Abingdon  ^rg'Wfy  William  Benton, 
a  farmer,  in  Kansas ;  Buford,  farmer,  resident  at  Ab- 
ingdon ;  Horace,  also  a  farmer,  and  Loren  is  a 
printer.     Judge  Clark's  residence  has  been  for  many 


years  at  Abingdon.  He  is  noted  for  his  generosity 
and  his  unselfishness.  Dunn  ghis  unusually  long  serv- 
ice on  the  bench  he  has  rendered  valuable  service  to 
thousands  by  fatherly  and  legal  advice.  He  is  ever 
ready  to  settle  difficulties  by  arbitration,  thus  saving 
attorney  and  court  fees  as  well  as  much  personal 
bitterness.  In  these  and  many  other  ways  his  long 
service  has  been  of  great  worth  to  the  people  of  Knox 
County.  Fidelity,  honesty  and  unselfishness— those 
rare  graces  for  an  official — have  shown  forthwith  un- 
dimmed  brilliancy  during  his  long  judicial  career. 
Not  an  act  of  his  has  ever  clouded  his  record,  nor 
the  reproach  of  his  political  enemies  ever  robbed  him 
of  the  highest  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  general 
public. 


^jfS^i^apt.  George  A.  Charles.  While  modest 
t;  k^3f  worth  and  steadiness  of  principle  continued 
W^^  to  attract  the  general  applause  of  men,  the 
vh  name  of  this  gentleman,  now  deceased,  could 
^      not  h^ve  failed  to  impress  itself  on  the  minds 

'  of  those  who  were  either  directly  brought  into 
contact  with  him  in  every  day  life,  or  indirectly  in-  " 
duced  to  seek  his  favor.  His  boyhood  was  not  at  all 
a  bed  of  roses,  and,  like  most  men  whose  youths 
were  contemporary  with  his  own,  he  had  to  face  the 
customary  difficulties  of  the  hour. 

Mr.  Charles  was  a  farmer  of  Knox  County,  and 
one  of  the  most  successful  operators  of  his  time.  He 
was  born  in  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  25,  1810.  His 
father,  John  Charies,  was  a  narive  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  originally  of  German  parentage.  He  was  born  on 
the  17th  of  October,  1782.  The  mother  of  the  sub- 
ject was  Eunice  Gates,  a  native  of  York  State,  and 
born  June  16,  1788,  her  parents  being  originally 
from  Connecticut.  While  still  a  young  man  John 
Charles  quitted  Pennsylvania,  and  proceeded  to  York 
State,  and  for  a  brief  time  drove  a  stage,  but  later 
became  commander  of  a  vessel  which  sailed  the 
lakes.  In  this  capacity  he  was  known  and  for  years 
afterward  was  called  by  the  cognomen,  Capt.  Charles. 
To  those  who  knew  him  as  a  sailor  he  had  a  special 
charm  of  character  and  manner.  Always  frank, 
generous,  never  suspicious  and  ever  ready  to  help  his 
fellows,  he  created  a  host  of  admirers,  who  did  not 
and  could  not  soon  forget  him. 

A  few  years  passing,  and  tiring  of  his  ship,  Capt. 
Charles  resolved  upon  agricultural  pursuits,  and  set- 


*t~ 


-t 


762 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


tied  upon  a  farm  near  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  This  he  occu- 
pied up  to  the  year  1830,  when,  selling  out  and 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  children,  he  came  west- 
ward in  quest  of  a  home.  Journeying  toward  the 
Ohio  River,  where  he  procured  what  is  known  as  a 
flatboat,  he  pursued  his  course  southward.  The  river 
at  the  tmie  being  exceedingly  low,  he  e.xperienced 
great  difficulty  in  his  forward  course.  Finally,  see- 
ing fit  to  abandon  the  boat,  the  family  engaged  pas- 
sage on  a  steamer  going  to  St.  Louis,  and  thence  to 
Edwardsville,  Madison  County,  a  locality  where  they 
wintered  until  their  arrival  in  Knox  County  ;  the  fol- 
lowing spring  they  located  upon  section  28,  of  what 
is  now  Kno.\  Township.  Beside  a  few  acres  being 
broken,  a  small  log  house  was  found  in  the  vicinity, 
and  without  further  question  the  family  took  up  their 
abode  in  it.  During  the  summer  of  1831  the  family 
stalled  on  foot  for  a  more  remote  and  secluded  spot, 
that  would  insure  them  protection  against  the  inroads 
of  the  Indians.  Returning  shortly,  however,  they 
built  a  hewed-log  house,  adjoining  the  cabin  they  had 
so  recently  quitted.  These  buildings  they  occupied 
for  some  years  previous  to  the  erection  of  a  frame 
house,  which  shortly  before  his  death  became  his 
residence;  his  death  occurred  March  23,  1843.  His 
wife,  an  admirable  and  highly  esteemed  lady,  sur- 
vived him  for  many  years,  her  death  occurring  on  the 
30th  day  of  May,  1876. 

Mr.  George  A.  Charles,  the  gentleman  whose 
name  this  biography  is  intended  to  perpetuate,  was 
the  oldest  of  a  family  of  seven  children — Alvah  G  , 
Susan  A.,  Samuel  M.,  John  N.,  May  A.,  Harvey  P. 
Mr.  Charles  was  in  his  20th  year,  when,  with  his 
parents,  he  arrived  in  Illinois,  where  the  family  made 
their  home,  he  residing  with  them  until  his  marriage 
with  Pomelia  Gardiner.  He  then  purchased  a  claim, 
and  entered  froiri  the  Government  land  on  section 
22,  of  Knox  Township.  Becoming  settled  here,  he, 
with  his  wife,  commenced  housekeeping  in  a  log 
cabin,  wliere  they  resided  until  her  death.  After  his 
marriage  with  his  second  wife  he  also  continued  to 
reside  in  it  for  a  short  time,  until  they  erected  a  frame 
house.  After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  again 
married,  this  time  DorUnsky  Post.  She  is  a  native 
of  New  York  State  and  a  daughter  of  Ezra  and  Patty 
(Pratt)  Post.  The  celebration  of  this  marriage  took 
place  Dec,  5,  1843.  Up  to  the  year  1870  he  con- 
tinued to  live  on  the  farm,  when  he  removed  to 
Kno.xville  and  purchased  a  residence  on  East  Main 


street,  which  remained  his  home  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  5th  of  November,  1878.  By 
the  first  marriage  there  was  one  child,  Rosalia.  She 
became  the  wife  of  James  F.  Earl,  and  lives  in  Ma- 
son City,  Mason  Co.,  111.  By  the  second  marriage 
there  were  four  children  born — Alvira,  who  married 
Robert  Buckley,  and  died  Dec.  10,  1884  (by  which 
marriage  there  was  one  child,  named  Roland); 
Alanson  G.,  Albion  P.  and  Harley  J.  are  the  sons, 
all  highly  respected  and  influential  citizens  of  Knox 
County,  and  represented  in  this  volume  by  personal 
sketches. 

Politically  Mr.  Charles  was  a  Democrat,  and  con- 
sequently a  member  of  the  party  in  the  minority  in 
Knox  County;  yet  he,  even  under  these  circum- 
stances, attained  a  great  deal  of  influence,  not  only  in 
the  county,  but  was  also  a  strong  factor  in  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  of  this  portion  of  the  State,  and  his 
counsel  was  often  sought  and  his  opinion  relied  upon 
as  to  the  methods  of  conducting  campaigns.  Per- 
sonally Mr.  Charles  had  but  little  political  aspira- 
tions, yet  the  fact  that  in  a  strong  Republican  town- 
ship he  was  several  times  elected  Supervisor  will 
attest  the  appreciation  in  which  he  was  held  by  his 
fellow-citizens.  He  was  also  called  to  serve  as 
County  Surveyor.  For  the  second  time  Mr.  Charles 
was  elected  County  Surveyor,  and  apart  from  this 
held  various  offices  of  trust  in  the  township.  As 
Supervisor  for  many  years,  his  judgment  was  always 
looked  upon  as  deserving  of  first  consideration.  In 
the  Knoxville  Lodge  of  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,for  a  number 
of  years,  he  held  prominent  offices,  and  by  his  sym- 
pathy with  the  cause  of  Masonry  and  active  partici- 
pation in  every  measure  likely  to  promote  the  good 
of  the  institution  attracted  to  himself  the  good  will 
and  esteem  of  the  brethren. 

When  he  came  here  to  this  county  his  means  did 
not  amount  to  S3°°j  ^"d  by  dint  of  industry  and 
perseverance  and  good  judgment  he  succeeded  in 
achieving  success.  He  was  always  regarded  by  his 
friends  as  a  man  of  the  soundest  judgment  and  with 
keen  foresight ;  his  methods  of  business  were  those 
which  are  actuated  by  thorough  integrity  and  straight- 
forward honesty  of  purpose.  These  sterling  prin- 
ciples won  him  hosts  of  friends,  and  by  strict 
attention  to  business  he  succeeded  in  acquiring  and 
leaving  to  his  wife  and  children  a  handsome  fortune. 

As  a  man  of  simple  and  honest  character,  coupled 
with   a   noiseless,  though  active  life,  he  is   now  re- 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


763    \ 


membered  by  many  wami  friends  who  knew  and 
appreciated  to  some  extent  his  many  virtues.  As  a 
means  ot'  perpetuating  the  memor)'  of  such  an  excel- 
lent citizen,  we  record  in  an  imperishable  manner 
this  brief  outline  of  his  life,  and  to  retain  the  likeness 
of  his  features  to  his  friends  and  posterity  we  also 
give  his  portrait.  As  a  companion  picture  we  also 
give  the  portrait  of  the  lady  who  so  long  and  faith- 
fully walked  by  his  side. 


els  Hedstrom.  This  gentleman  is  a  prom- 
inent farmer,  residing  on  ♦section  36,  in 
Walnut  Grove  Township,  and  is  the  pos- 
sessor of  560  acres  of  fine  land.  Among  his 
fellow-townsmen  he  is  looked  upon  as  a  man 
of  clear  judgment  and  excellent  executive  abil- 
ity. He  was  born  in  Helsingland,  Sweden,  Dec.  21, 
182 1.  His  father  was  Andrew  Hsdstrom,  also  a 
native  of  the  same  province. 

There  he  married  Catherine  Snal,  a  native  of  the 
same  vicinity,  and  of  the  union  four  children  were 
the  result.  These  were  all  born  in  Sweden.  One 
other,  however,  died  in  that  country.  Subsequently 
the  father  emigrated  to  the  United  States.  This 
movement  took  place  in  the  winter  of  1847.  The 
family  on  their  arrival  here  with  a  colony  located  at 
Bishop  Hill,  where  Johnson,  the  prophet,  took  up  his 
headquarters.  Here  the  parents  lived  and  died 
The  father  was  a  zealous  believer  in  and  an  earnest 
advocate  of  the  faith  set  forth  by  Johnson,  remain- 
ing a  minister  all  his  life,  and  being  a  very  righteous 
and  good  man  and  a  citizen  who  won  for  himself  the 
good  wishes  of  many  and  the  blame  of  none.  This 
gentleman  died  in  the  prime  of  life. 

Our  subject,  while  quite  a  boy,  learned  the  tailor- 
ing trade,  which  was  originally  that  of  his  father. 
When  in  his  24th  year  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
this  country.  He  did  net  long  remain  unmarried, 
for,  settling  on  his  farm  for  a  short  period,  he  was 
married  on  the  8th  of  May,  1848,  in  Victoria,  to 
Miss  Christina  Modine.  This  lady,  discovering  for 
herself  and  believing  in  the  faith  of  her  husband, 
left  her  family  and  hearth  to  follow  him  and  the  re- 
ligion which  was  now  dear  to  her.  Her  death  took 
place  in  the  city  of  Galesburg,  this  county,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1856.     For  some  time  previously  she  had  not 


lived  at  home.  By  the  marriage  there  were  three 
children,  two  now  deceased.  Caroline  E.,  born  Aug. 
14,  1849,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Linderholm,  now  re- 
siding in  Dayton,  Iowa. 

Mr.  H.  was  again  married,  Feb.  14,  1857,  in 
Kno.xville,  111.,  to  Miss  Christine  Fagar,  who  was  a 
native  of  Helsingland,  born  May  18,  1828.  Her  par- 
ents died  in  Sweden.  While  yet  a  young  woman 
-Mrs.  Hedstrom  came  to  the  United  States,  in  1856, 
and  settled  in  the  State  of  Illinois.  By  her  marriage 
there  were  seven  children  born  to  the  family,  one  of 
whom  is  dead :  Andrew  A.,  William  W.,  Emma  D., 
Josephine,  Charles  O.,  Mary  A. ;  Sophia  M.  died 
Oct  29,  1872.  Mr.  Hedstrom  was  the  owner  of  55 
acres  of  highly  improved  land  in  Knox  Township, 
where  he  resided  until  1868,  and  then  removed  to 
Walnut  Grove  Township.  He  has  since  that  date 
improved  the  beautiful  farm  on  which  he  now  lives. 
-Mr.  Hedstrom's  specialty  is  swine  and  stock  raising, 
the  breeds  being  of  good  quality 

The  ancestr)-  of  this  gentleman  were  of  the  Swed- 
ish Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  who,  as  we  have 
already  shown,  had  to  endure  much  on  their  arrival 
in  this  country.  Landing  here  almost  without  means,  x- 
they  were  compelled  to  fight  their  way  upward  and 
onward,  so  that  whatever  possessions  the)  can  call 
their  own  to-day  were  only  gotten  after  the  severest 
trials  had  been  encountered  and  almost  insurmount- 
able obstacles  cleared  a»vay.  In  politics  Mr.  Hed- 
strom is  a  good  Republican. 


H.  Calkins,  Secretary  of  the  Galesburg 
Pressed  Brick  and  Tile  Company,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Castile,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born 
March  i,  1828,  and  acquired  an  academical 
education.  His  parents  were  Elisha  D.  and 
Abigail  (Lockwood)  Calkins,  were  natives  of 
Connecticut,  and  trace  their  ancestry  back  to  Wales 
and  Holland  respectively. 

In  the  year  1854  James  H.  left  his  native  place  and 
removed  to  Ohio,  whence  he  came  to  Illinois,  locat- 
ing in  Bureau  County  in  the  fall  of  1856.  In  1862 
he  came  to  Galesburg,  in  which  city  he  tarried  for 
four  or  five  years,  employed  as  clerk  in  a  hardware 
establishment.  He  next  engaged  in  business  for 
himself  as  a  leather  merchant.  This  business  he  sold 


V 


-M^ 


r^ 


764 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


out  at  the  end  of  two  years,  and  at  once  purchased 
the  hardware  trade  of  his  old  employer.  In  this  he 
continued  about  seven  years,  retired,  and  was,  in 
1878,  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  an  office  he  held 
by  election  and  re-election  until  the  spring  of  1885. 
In  1875  he  served  the  city  one  term  as  Mayor,  and 
in  1879,  counting  his  connection  with  various  orders 
and  corporations,  he  was  filling  twenty-one  official 
positions. 

In  April,  1883,  the  Galesburg  Pressed  Brick  and 
Tile  Company  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  $50,- 
000,  with  A.  C.  Calkins  as  President  and  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  as  Secretary.  (See  full  history  of  the 
company  in  this  volume.)  In  July,  1884,  the  capital 
stock  was  increased  to  $roo,ooo.  The  plant  is  locat- 
ed two  miles  east  of  the  Galesburg  Public  Square, 
where  there  is  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  clay.  This, 
in  quality  and  quantity,  is  unsurpassed  ir  the  world. 
The  coal  used  in  these  works  is  mined  from  beneath 
the  clay.     Their  principal  product,  so  far,  is  paving 

(and  fine  pressed  brick,  and  experience  indicates  that 
for  street  purposes  there  is  no  material  superior.  The 
capacity  of  the  works,  which  will  be  run  in  full   in 
^886,  is  from  ten  to  twelve  millions  per  annum.  This 
pany  may  be  rightly  considered  one  of  the  stand- 
stitutions  of  Galesburg. 


*^886,i: 
I  com  pa 
lard  ins 


sP|t  ucius  A.  Brown  is  a  farmer  and  blacksmith, 
■piSf  residing  on  section  9,  in  Galesburg  Town- 
ship. He  is  the  owner  of  a  ten-acre  lot. 
No.  477  West  Main  street.  This  gentleman 
was  boin  in  Tioga  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1831,  and 
came  to  Illinois  in  1863,  locating  in  Galesburg. 
He  learned  his  trade  as  blacksmith  in  New  York 
State,  where  he  successfully  worked  for  some  time 
before  emigrating  westward.  He  is  now  engaged  e.x- 
tensively  in  horseshoeing  and  general  repairing. 

In  March,  1859,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  Peck,  who 
was  born  near  Horseneck,  Conn.,  the  famous  spot 
where  Gen.  Israel  Putnam  rode  down  the  precipice 
on  horseback.  This  lady  was  born  in  1827.  Accom- 
panied by  her  parents,  she  arrived  in  New  York  State 
and  settled  in  Cayuga  County  in  1845.  Here  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  first  became  acquainted  with 
his  wife.  Her  parents  are  now  deceased,  but  mem- 
bers of  the  family  still  reside  in  Connecticut,  where 


r 


they  occupy  a  good  social  standing.  By  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  there  has  been  no  issue.  A 
brother  of  our  subject,  Leveret  B.  Brown,  lives  at 
Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  fills  the  position  of  postal 
clerk  between  St.  Louis  and  Little  Rock. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Galesburg, 
where  they  are  both  held  in  liigh  esteem  by  the  con- 
gregation.    Mr.  C.  is  a  good  Republican. 


-S3= 


&- 


ames  E.  Ground.  A  brief  summary  of  the 
more  important  points  in  the  life  career  of 
the  subject  of  this  historical  narrative  is 
made  in  this  writing  as  evidence  of  his  title  to 
the  high  place  which  he  occupies  among  the 
enterprising  men  and  successful  citizens  of 
Knox  County.  His  farm  is  situated  on  section  6, 
Indian  Point  Township,  and  has  everything  in  the 
way  of  modern  conveniences  calculated  to  make  it 
pleasant  and  desirable. 

Mr.  Ground  was  born  in  Knox  County,  Nov,  26, 
1858,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Eliza  (Boydston) 
Ground,  both  natives  of  Kentucky.  He  was  born 
May  20,  1804,  and  died  March  30,  1881.  On  Sept. 
12,  1832,  he  married  Nancy  Smith,  who  was  born 
Aug.  31,  1802,  and  died  Sept.  27,  1834.  To  them  one 
child,  Mary  E.,  was  born,  Aug.  24,  1833.  She  married 
James  W.  Butler  and  now  lives  in  Kansas.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  Ground  and  Miss  Eliza  Boydston 
took  place  April  24,  1840.  This  lady  was  born  July 
3,  1817,  and  is  still  living.  To  them  were  born  ten 
children,  namely:  Robert  B.,  born  April  17,  i84£, 
wedded  Dorthula  Allen  and  lives  in  Nebraska ; 
Rhoda  M.,  born  Sept.  6,  1843,  married  M.W.  Allen  ; 
Sarah  M.,  born  Aug.  24,  1845,  died  Nov.  22,  1856; 
Malinda  A.,  wife  of  J.  N.  Harshbarger,  was  born  Sept. 
3,  1847  ;  William  H.,  who  married  Catherine  Lewis, 
was  born  Sept.  11,  1849,  ^^^  "o^  lives  in  Nebraska  ; 
Drusilla  J.  was  born  Feb.  17,  1852,  married  John 
Jones  and  lives  in  Knox  County ;  John  H.  and  Mar- 
tha L.  (twins)  were  born  Aug.  2,  1854;  the  former 
married  Hannah  Nelson  and  resides  in  Nebraska; 
the  latter  married  Mr.  W.  S.  Allen  and  resides  in 
Warren  County;  an  infant  child  died  in  February, 
1857  ;  James  E.  married   Miss  Minnie  A.  Cowper 


-H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


765 


March  5,    1884;  one   child   blessed    their   union — 
Claud  Chester,  born  Feb.  10,  1885. 

Mrs.  Ground's  father  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  bom 
June  17,  1835;  her  mother  was  bom  in  Kentucky, 
May  5, 1835  ;  they  were  united  in  marriage,  June  18, 
i860,  and  are  living  in  Nebraska.  They  were  the 
parents  of  seven  children,  by  name  as  follows  :  Min- 
nie A.,  John  W.,  William  J.,  James  M.,  Robert  A., 
Charles  C.  and  Anna  E.  Minnie  A.  is  the  only  one 
married. 

Mr.  Ground  is  the  possessor  of  a  finely  cultivated 
farm,  which  he  works  very  successfully,  and  is  also 
engaged  in  the  breeding  of  stock;  he  watches  with 
much  interest  the  growth  of  his  Scotch-Galloway  cat- 
tle. He  has  25  head  of  pure-blood  and  high-grade 
animals,  and  has  in  his  possession  Black  Ned,  No. 
703;  and  Tam  O'Shanter,  No.  2446.  Black  Ned 
weighs  1,500  pounds,  and  is  two  years  old.  Mr. 
Ground  bred  Tam  O'Shanter  and  bought  Black  Ned. 
He  began  with  this  herd  two  years  ago  and  has  had 
the  best  of  success.  His  place  is  called  the  Gallo- 
way Stock  Farm.  He  has  the  two  noted  cows  Alice 
I  May,  No.  660,  and  Lucy's  Maid,  No.  662  ;  they  both 
T  have  heifer  calves,  which  are  highly  valued.  Mr. 
Ground  thoroughly  understands  the  habits  and  needs 
of  stock  and  the  chief  requisites  for  their  successful 
breeding.  The  premiums  at  the  New  Orleans  World's 
Fair  for  the  best  bullock  of  any  age  or  breed,  both 
in  the  ring  and  on  the  block,  were  awarded  to  a 
Galloway  steer  owned  by  A.  B.  Matthews,  of  Mis- 
souri. 

In  addition  to  these,  Mr.  Ground  raises  Norman 
grade  horses  and  breeds  Poland-China  hogs.  He 
is  an  active  public  worker  and  in  politics  is  a  Demo- 
crat. 


\  els  Nelson,  Secretary'  of  the  Scandinavian 
Mutual  Aid  Association,  whose  headquar- 
ters are  at  Galesburg,  was  born  in  Sweden, 
July  13,  1840,  and  came  to  America  in  t856, 
his  parents,  Nels  and  Hannah  (Johnson)  Bengt- 
son,   having    preceded    him    to    this     country 
about  two  years. 

To  the  Scandinavian  the  variation  of  surnames 
here  noticeable  presents  no  anomaly;  but  to  the  per- 
son unacquainted  with  the  custom  of  these  people  in 
reference  to  nomenclature  a  brief  explanation  is  prob- 


1 


ably  due.  In  Sweden,  the  given  name  of  the  head 
of  the  family,  often,  though  not  always,  supplies  the 
initial  syllable  to  what  becomes,  as  understood  by 
the  Saxon,  Celt  and  Teutonic  races,  a  family  or  sur- 
name. Thus,  in  this  instance  Nels  Nelson  is  ob- 
served to  be  descended  from  Nels  Bengtson  ;  in  other 
words,  he  is  Nels,  son  of  Nels,  while  his  father  was 
Nels,  son  of  Bengt.  All  the  sons  of  Nels  Bengtson 
would  be  surnamed  Nelson,  while  the  daughters  of 
that  gentleman  would  end  their  names  as  "  Nels' 
daughter."  Arriving  in  this  country,  the  native  cus- 
tom is  dropped ;  in  fact,  the  Swede,  more  readily 
than  any  other  foreigner  coming  to  our  shores,  aban- 
dons old-country  customs  and  accepts,  heart  and 
soul,  the  higher  and  better  ideas  of  government  and 
society  here  found. 

Our  subject  was  i6  years  of  age  when  he  arrived  in 
this  country.  His  father  died  at  Chicago  immediately 
upon  arriving  in  that  city,  and  the  mother  made  her 
way  to  Galesburg,  where  he  foundher,  and  where  she 
yet  lives.  Nels'  first  obligation,  viz. :  the  refunding 
to  his  benefactor  of  his  passage  money,  was  promptly 
discharged  from  his  very  first  earnings.  He  then  set  I 
about  earning  a  livelihood  and  acquiring  a  knowledge  !l 
of  the  English  language.  The  latter  was  hastily  ob- 
tained, and  by  attendance  at  the  public  schools  he 
was  not  long  in  possessing  himself  of  a  good  business 
education.  He  farmed  a  year  or  two  ;  worked  with 
the  C,  B.  &  Q  R.  R.  people  awhile;  alternating  the 
winters  and  summers  with  study  and  labor. 

At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  we  find  him  at  work 
cabinet-making,  which  he  abandoned  Sept.  r,  1861, 
to  enter  Co.  C,  43d  111.  Vol.  Inf ,  as  a  private  soldier. 
Uiwn  the  organization  of  the  regiment  he  was  made 
Fifth  Sergeant,  and  served  till  Nov.  30,  1865,  leaving 
the  army  as  First  Lieutenant.  He  was  twice  sent 
home  on  recruiting  service,  and  did  detail  duty 
awhile  as  superintendent  of  the  military  prison  at  Lit- 
tle Rock,  Ark.  The  rest  of  the  time  he  was  with  his 
regiment.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh, 
Jackson,  Tenn.,  Salem  Cemetery  and  Bolivar,  Tenn., 
Mechanicsburg,  Miss.,  through  Arkansas  under  Gen. 
Steele  and  in  any  number  of  skirmishes.  Returning 
to  Galesburg  in  December,  1865,  he  clerked  awhile 
in  the  grocery  business,  and  in  1867  engaged  in  bus- 
iness for  himself  in  the  firm  of  Bengtson,  Nelson  & 
Co.,  the  partnership  lasting  four  years,  when  ill 
health  made  it  necessary  for  him  to  sell  out. 

In  April,  187 1,  our  subject  was  elected  City  Treas- 


i^ 


;l^x» 


766 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


urer  and  Collector,  and  was  re-elected  four  successive 
terms,  resigning  before  the  expiration  of  his  last 
term  on  account  of  failing  health.  From  1876  to 
1880  he  held  the  office  of  Supervisor;  was  on  the 
Board  of  Education  four  years ;  Trustee  and  Treas- 
urer of  the  First  Lutheran  Church  for  thirteen  years; 
Manager  of  the  Commercial  Union  Co-operative 
Store  one  year.  He  was  in  the  book  and  stationery 
business  for  three  years.  From  1879-82  he  was,  in 
company  with  N.  P.  Swenson,  in  the  grocery  bus- 
iness. This  they  sold  out  to  the  Commercial  Union. 
At  the  organization  of  the  Scandinavian  Mutual  Aid 
Assocation  (q.  v.)  he  was  made  Secretary. 

Mr.  Nelson  was  married  May  19,  1868,  at  Gales- 
burg,  to  Miss  Sarah  Nelson.  They  have  buried  one 
child,  and  have  one — Arthur,  now  a  promising  stu- 
dent. 


I^|l  f^'j  athew  Pierce  is  a  prominent  and  success- 
iJa^^^  ful  farmer,  residing  on  section  9,  in  Wal- 
nut Grove  Township.  He  owns  160  acres 
of  highly  improved  land,  which,  from  a 
farming  point  of  view,  has  all  the  requirements 
necessary  for  successful  agriculture.  He  came 
to  this  county  from  Lewis  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
was  born  on  the  15th  day  of  July,  1833.  Locating  in 
this  county,  Dec.  7,  1853,  he  has  since  made  such 
progress  as  to  win  the  esteem  of  those  who  are  prac- 
tical farmers.  He  made  his  first  purchase  of  land  in 
1856,  on  section  31.  This  consisted  of  72  acres. 
Here  he  resided  until  1875,  when  he  sold  out  and 
took  up  his  residence  on  his  present  location.  The 
death  of  his  father,  Robert  Pierce,  occurred  when 
Mathew  was  in  his  tenth  year,  the  date  being'1843. 
His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Mary  Crosby,  her  de- 
cease taking  place  a  month  earlier,  in  the  same  year. 
Our  subject  was  the  oldest  son  but  two  of  a  family 
of  seven  children — four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Early  in  years  he  found  the  battle  of  life  was  not  to 
be  won  except  by  strict  perseverance,  combined  with 
industry  and  economy.  He  labored  in  his  native 
county  up  to  the  age  of  21,  when  he  came  to  Knox, 
and  was  married  in  Copley  Township,  April  16,  1857, 
to  Mary  Hobbs.  This  lady  was  born  in  Knox  County, 
Jan.  21,  1839.  She  was  brought  up  in  her  parents' 
home,  the  latter  being  of  English  descent,  but  arriv- 
ing in  the  United  States  soon  after  their  marriage  in. 


the  old  country.  Mrs.  Pierce  died  at  her  home  in 
this  township,  Feb.  16, 1862.  She  was  the  mother  of 
three  children — Charles,  Ella  and  Mary.  Charles 
married  Amanda  Bartlett,  and  resides  in  Altona;  he 
is  a  switchman  in  the  service  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  ; 
Ella  is  married  to  Morse  Whiting,  proprietor  of  a 
meat-market  in  Altona;  Mary,  who  married  Alexan- 
der W.  Anderson,  resides  in  Galva,  her  husband  fol- 
lowing the  occupation  of  a  druggist.  Mrs.  Pierce  was 
a  lady  widely  known  and  highly  esteemed  by  a  large 
circle  of  acquaintances  in  her  vicinity.  Mr.  P.  was 
again  married  in  Oneida,  Feb.  15,  1865,  to  Miss 
Amelia  C.  Mix,  a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y., 
born  April  29,  1841.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Daniel 
and  Charlotte  (Park)  Mix,  natives  respectively  of 
Dutchess  and  Westchester  Counties,  New  York.  They 
were  of  English  and  French  ancestry.  In  1855,  Dan- 
iel Mix  and  family  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in  this 
county,  the  mother  having  previously  died  in  Dutch- 
ess County,  N.  Y.  The  father  subsequently  married 
a  sister  of  his  first  wife,  named  Sophia.  The  father 
only  lived  in  this  county  up  to  the  fall  of  1864,  when 
he  emigrated  to  Woodson  County,  Kan.,  where  he  is 
at  present  residing.  He  was  born  on  the  7th  of 
April,  1 80 1. 

By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce  there  have 
been  five  children  born,  four  of  whom  survive  :  Del- 
bert  died  Sept.  24,  1883;  Charlotte  E.,  William  E., 
Lorenzo  D.,  each  residing  at  home,  and  Park  M.  Mr. 
Pierce  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  of  which  Mr.  Pierce  is  a  Trustee. 
The  grandfather  of  this  gentleman  was  born  in  Ire- 
land and  followed  the  occupation  of  farming ;  later 
he  came  to  the  United  States  and  died  in  Lewis 
County,  N.  Y.  In  politics  Mr.  Pierce  has  always 
been  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Republican  party. 


'ohn  G.  West,  who  died  June  9,  1886,  was 
a  prominent  farmer  on  section  17,  Gales- 
burg  Township.  He  was  born  on  the  21st 
of  Januar)',  1812,  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y., 
and  lived  at  the  home  of  his  parents  until  he 
had  attained  his  majority.  While  working  on 
his  father's  farm  he  at  the  same  time  attended  the 
district  school,  and  managed  to  secure  a  good  com- 
mon-school education. 

He  married  Miss  Amy  Rooks  on  the  29th  of  De- 


HH 


V 


-64^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


767 


cember,  1836,  in  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  and  arrived 
in  Illinois  Feb.  17,  1837.  He  had,  however,  come 
to  Lx)g  City,  in  this  State,  June  3,  1836,  a  few  months 
before  his  marriage,  and  returned  in  the  autumn  of 
the  same  year  and  was  married  as  above  stated. 
He  subsequently  purchased  80  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
tion 17,  and  had  from  time  to  time  added  to  it  until 
it  had  reached  the  aggregate  of  400  acres  of  good 
land.  He  from  time  to  time  sold  portions  of  his 
land  and  divided  some  of  it  up  among  his  sons  until 
at  the  time  of  his  death  he  only  practically  farmed 
73  acres.  On  this  farm  are  a  comfortable  dwelling- 
house  and  out-buildings.  For  one  year  he  was 
located  at  Log  City,  and  resided  in  a  log  house  until 
he  built  a  frame  dwelling  on  the  present  section. 

His  amiable  wife,  Mrs.  West,  was  born  in  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  4th  of  September,  iStS.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  Ira  and  Philena  (Sharp)  Rooks, 
both  natives  of  Connecticut.  Her  father  was  born 
in  1785  and  died  in  1828.  Her  mother's  birth  took 
place  in  Januarj",  1785,  and  her  demise  in  1865,  in 
Knox  County.  They  had  four  children — Amy,  Mar)-, 
Elizabeth  and  Sarah.  Amy  and  Sarah  are  the  only 
surviving  members  of  the  family.  They  also  had 
four  sons,  but  all  these  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  West's  father  was  John  West,  born  on  the 
'  15th  of  February,  t77o,  in  the  Slate  of  Connecticut. 
His  birth  took  place  at  Lenox,  and  his  marriage  to 
to  Miss  Sallie  Woodcock  dated  Nov.  7,  1793.  This 
good  lady  was  born  Sept.  2,  1772,  at  Willianistown, 
Mass.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they  removed  to 
Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  made  a  pur- 
chase of  some  land  that  was  heavily  timbered.  This 
he  cut  down,  and  the  soil  was  soon  prepared  for  cul- 
tivation. In  this  locality  he  remained  until  1805, 
when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  land  in  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.  This  latter  purchase  consisted  of  100 
acres,  which,  being  covered  with  timber,  he  again 
undertook  took  to  clear,  and  soon  made  it  fit  for  ag- 
ricultural pur|K)ses.  On  this  farm  he  remained  until 
1 81 4,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.  Here  he  comfortably  lived  until  1837, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  spent  the  balance  of 
his  life  with  his  son  John,  the  subject  of  this  biog- 
raphy. His  decease  took  place  on  the  loth  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1852,  at  a  ripe  old  age.  His  wife's  decease 
had  taken  place  five  years  earlier,  on  the  nth  of 
November,  also  at  the  home  of  her  son.  They  were 
both  respected  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 


at  Galesburg,  and  were  the  parents  of  11  children. 
All  these  latter  survived,  and  each  in  due  course 
was  married.  Their  names  are  Hannah,  bom  Dec. 
31,  1794  ;  Esther,  Sept.  4,  1796;  Eliza  and  Pamelia, 
twins,  July  6,  1798;  Nehemiah,  Aug.  26,  1800; 
Laura,  June  23,  1802,  and  who  is  now  living  in 
Iowa;  Charles  P.,  Aug.  9,  1805  ;  Lois,  Feb.  19,  1808; 
Minerva,  Feb.  18,  1810;  John  G.,  Jan.  21,  1812; 
and  Sallie,  Nov.  17,  1814. 

Mr.  West  of  this  notice  was  the  youngest  but  one 
of  his  parents'  family.  He  left  six  sons,  who  have 
all  grown  to  manhood,  but  unfortunately  buried  three 
little  daughters  when  quite  young.  The  sons  are 
Charles,  born  Jan.  10,  1838;  Lyman,  on  the  20th  of 
the  same  month,  1840;  Homer,  Dec.  27,  1842;  Ira, 
April  24,  1845;  Nehemiah,  Sept.  21,  1847;  and 
Willard,  May  lo,  1855. 

Mr.  West  may  be  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  fore- 
most pioneers  of  Knox  County.  He  worked  in- 
dustriously among  the  early  settlers  and  won  for 
himself  an  enduring  reputation  He  was  Supervisor 
for  one  year  and  was  Assessor,  in  his  township,  for 
over  20  years.  Besides,  he  filled  the  office  of 
Trustee  of  the  Old  First  Church  of  Christ,  of  Gales- 
burg. This  body  was  organized  in  t836.  Mr.  W. 
acted  in  the  capaciry  just  stated  for  more  than  40 
years.     All  his  family  are  members  of  that  church. 

He  was  an  Anti-Mason.  Politically  he  was  a 
consistent  and  very  active  Republican,  whose  views 
of  his  party  were  only  formed  by  rime,  close  observa- 
tion and  the  desire  to  be  on  the  side  of  the  right. 

On  the  occasion  of  Mr.  West's  death,  a  Galesburg 
paper  said  of  him  : 

"  He  had  a  part  in  every  good  word  and  work 
connected  with  Galesburg.  Log  City  records  show 
not  only  the  formation  of  the  Old  First  Church  as 
laid  there,  but  .an  anri-slavery  and  a  temjjerance 
society,  to  both  of  which  he  belonged  ;  later,  when 
Galesburg  became  a  starion  on  the  Underground 
Railroad,  he  was  occasionally  a  conductor  thereon. 
When  \jo%  City  moved  out  to  the  prairie  and  be- 
came Galesburg,  John  West,  who  was  a  farmer, 
bought  his  land  two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  town, 
where  he  lived  ever  after,  moving  from  one  side  of 
the  road  to  the  other,  as  his  increasing  family  made 
a  larger  house  necessary,  but  returned  to  the  original 
spot  when  the  marriage  of  his  sons  and  their  going 
to  homes  of  their  own  made  the  larger  house  seem 


'J^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


lonesome.  Widely  scattered  as  his  children  are,  his 
friends  and  influence  extended  much  farther.  A 
gentleman  remarked  to-day,  '  I  believe  there  is  not 
a  county  in  Nebraska  in  which  there  is  not  someone 
who  knew  him  and  will  feel  that  in  John  West's 
death  he  has  lost  a  friend.'  This  widespread  in- 
fluence was  not  gained  by  public  service,  but  by 
SO  years  of  faithfully  doing  the  duty  that  stood  next 
him.  To  do  the  right,  as  God  gave  him  to  see  the 
right,  was  the  rule  of  his  hfe,  and  he  lived  so  near 
his  Savior  that  he  never  lacked  guidance." 


piram  Mars,  head  of  the  firm  of  Mars  & 
Hamilton,  the  representative  lumber  dealers 
of  Galesburg,  the  sole  survivors  of  the  va- 
rious successors  in  turn  to  the  business  of  Ed- 
win Post,  the  pioneer  lumber  merchant  of  this 
place.  He  came  here  from  Quincy,  111.,  in 
1856,  and  erected  a  planing-mill,  which  he  operated 
about  two  and  a  half  years,  afterward  converting  it 
it  into  a  paper-mill.  The  paper-mill  died  more  than 
25  years  ago  with  the  same  disease  that  caused  the 
untimely  taking  off  of  the  Galesburg  Water-works, 
in  1884-5,  to- wit :  chronic  drouth. 

When  the  war  broke  out  Mr.  Mars  was  clerking  in 
a  lumber  office,  and  in  the  early  part  of  1863  he  was 
appointed  Assistant  Supervising  Agent  in  the  United 
States  Treasury  in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  a  position  he 
filled  until  1864.  In  1870,  in  company  with  N.  An- 
thony, he  succeeded  Mr.  Post  in  the  lumber  bus- 
iness, and  to  this  he  has  given  most  of  his  attention. 

Mr.  Mars  was  born  near  Louisville,  Ky.,  Jan.  7, 
1830.  His  father,  Andrew  Mars,  died  at  the  age  of 
35.  and  his  mother,  who  before  marriage  was  Miss 
Elizabeth  P.  Whips,  died  in  1849,  in  Quincy,  to 
which  place  the  family  came  from  Kentucky  in  1843. 
Hiram  was  the  eldest  of  three  sons,  and  was  brought 
up  to  the  calling  of  a  farmer,  receiving  his  education 
at  Jacksonville  (111.)  College.  He  began  study  with 
a  view  to  the  medical  profession,  but  at  the  death  of 
his  mother  abandoned  the  idea  and  took  charge  of 
the  farm  and  the  affairs  of  the  family.  Upon  the 
completion  of  his  task,  which  was  in  March,  1856, 
he  came  to  Galesburg.  Here  he  distinguished  him- 
self as  the  friend  of  public  enterprise  and  a  lover  of 
learning.     For  years  he  has  been  identified  with  the 


public  library,  as  he  has  also  with  the  public  parks, 
and  in  horticulture  and  floriculture  to  the  extent  of 
beautifying  the  parks,  adorning  the  homes  of  citi- 
zens, and  thereby  helping  to  beautify  the  city,  and 
inducing  emigration  to  the  handsomest  city  in  Illi- 
nois. He  is  an  appreciative  patron  of  literature  and 
the  drama,  active  in  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  a  wide- 
awake member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mr.  Mars  married  in  Quincy  111.,  in  1852,  Miss 
Louisa  F.  Barr,  who  died  at  Galesburg  in  1864, 
leaving  one  child,  now  Mrs.  F.  H.  Holmes.  May 
14,  1872,  Mr.  Mars  married  his  second  wife.  Miss 
Lizzie  H.  Smith,  at  Wellsburg,  W.  Va.,  and  the  chil- 
dren born  to  them  are  Katie  M.,  James  A.  and  Mary 
Elizabeth. 

Politically  he  was  an  old-line  Whig  until  the  aban- 
donment of  that  political  organization,  then  voted 
for  Fremont  in  1856,  and  from  that  time  to  the  pres- 
ent has  been  a  stanch  and  active  Republican. 

C.  Crandall,  proprietor  of  the  Crandall 
House  and  transfer  lines  at  Galesburg,  is  a 
son  of  George  and  Margaret  (Carpenter) 
Crandall,  natives  respectively  of  New  York  _ 
and  Rhode  Island,  and  of  English  descent. 
Out  subject  was  born  July  26,  r840,  in  Nor- 
way, Herkimer  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  while  a  boy,  and  learned  the  molder's  trade 
before  he  was  20  years  of  age.  The  family  came  to 
this  State  in  1844,  settling  first  in  KnoxCounty,  and 
moved  thence  to  Warren,  where  the  senior  Mr. 
Crandall  died  in  1868.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
began  business  for  himself  as  a  farmer  in  Warren 
County,  whence  he  removed  to  Knox  County.  In 
1884,  he  engaged  in  his  present  business,  and  a  year 
later  sold  the  farm  upon  which  he  spent  several 
years  near  Knoxville.  While  engaged  at  farming  he 
carried  on,  at  various  times,  the  milk-dairy  business, 
and  run  omnibuses  and  peddling  wagons.  Our  sub- 
ject was  married  at  Galesburg,  March  9,  1865,  to 
Mrs.  Sarah  Holmes,  lue  Keffer,  a  native  of  Fayette 
County,  Pa.,  and  widow  of  John  K.  Holmes,  who 
died  in  the  Union  Army,  leaving  her  with  two  sons 
— Albert,  now  a  farmer,  and  Hampden,  an  engineer, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Crandall  have  had  two  children 
born   to    them,   both   daughters — Eliza   S.    P.    and 


-H- 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

LniVERSITY  OF  ILLINOJ 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


77' 


Mattie  L.  T.,  both  of  whom  are  graduates  of  Knox 
College.  In  his  business  Mr.  Crandall  is  deservedly 
a  recognized  leader.  Night  or  day,  rain  or  shine, 
cold  or  hot,  he  is  one  man  who  may  be  depended 
upon.  This  reputation  has  made  him  popular,  and 
in  whatever  business  he  has  been  engaged  this  is  the 
kind  of  character  he  has  made.  Sober,  honest,  court- 
eous and  obliging,  we  take  pleasure  in  writing  J.  C. 
Crandall's  name  among  the  reprssentative  men  of 
Knox  County. 

homas  MeMaster.  It  requires  very  little 
comment  or  special  notice  to  point  out  that 
the  above-named  gentleman  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  farmers  of  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  owning  465  acres  in  this  and  Copley 
Townships.  He  has  a  delightful  residence  on 
section  34,  with  all  the  necessary  modern  building 
improvements.  He  is  a  native  of  Ayrshire,  Scotland, 
ti  where  he  was  born  April  14,  1843.  He  was  only 
eight  years  old  when,  with  his  father's  family,  he 
entered  the  United  States.  He  is  the  youngest  mem- 
,  ber  of  his  family,  and  noted  for  his  great  industry 
and  thoroughness  of  purpose.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  received  a  good  common -school  education, 
and,  though  beginning  life  as  a  hard-working  boy, 
made  such  progress  that  even  in  his  early  years  he 
was  enabled  to  save  money  and  purchase  land.  Soon 
after  he  came  of  age,  he  began  to  purchase  property, 
and,  joining  his  brother  James,  they  together  bouglit 
800  acres.  This  they  rapidly  improved,  plowing  to- 
gether, to  the  amount  of  360  acres,  continuing  in  the 
partnership  up  to  1878,  when  they  dissolved.  Sub- 
sequently the  gentleman  whose  name  graces  this 
history  commenced  the  purchase  of  land  on  his  own 
account.  In  his  neighborliood  he  is  considered  one 
of  the  most  successful  growers  of  Poland-China 
swine  and  Short-horn  cattle. 

He  was  married  on  the  19th  of  March,  [878,  at 
Galesburg,  III.,  to  Miss  Sarah  E.  Hawk,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  Aug.  4,  1852.  This  lady  was  a  de- 
scendant of  Jacob  and  Lavina  Garland,  who  were 
themselves  natives  of  Ohio  and  Virginia  respectively. 
These  parents  were  of  German  extraction.  Mrs 
MeMaster  was  the  oldest  of  four  children  and  the 


only  one  born  in  Ohio.  She  first  came  to  Illinois 
with  her  parents  when  an  infant  only  one  year  old, 
her  father  settling  in  Copley  Township.  Her  father 
died  in  this  place  in  October,  1859.  Her  mother  is 
still  living,  having  married  the  second  time.  She, 
with  Mr.  David  Simpson,  her  husband,  now  resides 
in  Walnut  Grove  Township. 

By  the  happy  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  MeMaster 
there  are  three  children — Ida,  born  Aug.  26,  1879; 
George  R.,  Dec.  19,  1883,  but  now  deceased,  and  an 
infant  also  deceased.  Mrs.  MeMaster  is  a  regular 
and  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  well  deserving  of  the  high  esteem  in 
which  she  is  held  by  that  body.  Politically,  Mr.  Mc- 
.  Master  is  a  firm  Republican,  advocating  the  princi 
pies  of  the  party  without  fear,  and  is  highly  esteemed 
by  those  holding  similar  convictions. 

ichael  O'Shea,  whose  portrait  appears  on 
the  opposite  page,  was  born  in  the  county 
of  Limerick,  Ireland,  in  the  year  1828. 
His  father  was  Timothy  O'Shea,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Honora  Fitzgerald.  The  name  of 
his  grandfather  was  Thomas  O'Shea.  Our  sub- 
ject emigrated  to  this  country  in  the  year  1850,  and 
located  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  remained  for  five 
years.  He  came  West  in  November,  1855,  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  near  Galesburg,  where  he  remained 
for  about  five  years.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  ac- 
cepted a  position  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  where  he 
has  been  continuously  for  a  period  of  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  is  now  one  of  the  old 
landmarks  of  the  "Q."  In  his  long  service  he  has 
made  many  friends,  and  in  the  city  he  is  well  known 
as  one  of  its  representative  men. 

Mr.  O'Shea  was  married  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  July  2, 
1853,  to  Miss  Ellen  Nash,  who  was  also  born  in  the 
county  of  Limerick,  Ireland,  in  1828.  She  came  to 
this  country  with  her  parents  in  1850;  they  were 
John  and  Mary  (Hourigan)  Nash.  Her  grandfather 
was  John  Nash,  who  married  Mary  Hogan.  On  the 
maternal  side  her  grandfather's  name  was  Conor 
Hourigan,  who  married  Eleanor  Fitzgerald.  The 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  O'Shea  has  been  blest  by  a 
family  of  seven   boys  and  two  girls,  viz. :    John  L., 


=*= 


^ 


4; 


772 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


who  is  a  passenger  conductor  on  the  Denver  &  Rio 
Grande  Railroad;  William,  yardmaster  for  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  at  Galesburg.  The  third  son,  Ed.  F. 
O'Shea,  who  is  Grand  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Brakemen,  was  born  near 
Galesburg,  111.,  Sept.  12,  i860.  He  attended  the 
public  schools  until  his  i6th  year,  and  then  took  a 
thorough  course  in  the  Western  Business  College  in 
that  city,  where  he  graduated  June  8,  1877.  He 
immediately  entered  the  service  of  the  C.,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.,  in  the  shops  at  Galesburg,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  Tiring  of  this,  he  commenced  active  serv- 
ice in  the  train  department,  where  he  served  as 
brakeman,  yard-clerk  and  yard-foieman,  until  Octo- 
ber, 1882,  when  he  entered  the  service  of  the  M.  & 
St.  L.  Ry.,  at  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  as  yard-foreman, 
where  lie  remained  one  year.  Returning  to  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  he  served  as  brakeman  until  Jan.  i, 
1885,  when  he  was  called  to  Chicago  to  take  charge 
of  the  affairs  of  this  great  brotherhood. 

Mr.  Ed.  O'Shea  was  a  charter  member  of  "  C.  E. 
Judge "  Lodge,  No.  24,  of  the  brotherhood,  which 
was  organized  at  Galesburg,  Aug.  11,  1884,  and  was 
their  delegate  to  the  first  convention  of  the  order 
held  at  Oneonta,  N.  Y.,  in  October  of  that  year.  It 
was  here  that  he  became  prominently  identified  with 
the  brotherhood,  and  was  elected  Secretary  of  the 
Executive  Committee.  When  he  assumed  charge  of 
the  affairs  of  this  brotherhood,  he  found  the  organ- 
ization deeply  in  debt,  owing  to  the  dishonesty  of  his 
predecessor  in  office,  and  its  affairs  in  very  bad  shape 
generally.  By  close  attention  and  hard  work  he  has 
brought  order  out  of  chaos  and  set  the  brotherhood 
on  a  solid  financial  basis. 

Since  his  appointment  the  order  up  the  present 
lime,  June  24,  1886,  has  paid  over  $100,000  to  the 
families  of  dead  and  disabled  members,  and  is 
rapidly  increasing  in  favor  and  membership.  At  the 
second  convention  of  the  brotherhood,  held  at  Bur- 
lington, Iowa,  in  October,  1885,  Mr.  O'Shea  was 
unanimously  re-elected  to  his  present  position  to 
serve  for  three  years,  and  as  a  testimonial  of  his  serv- 
ices the  Grand  Lodge  was  moved  from  Chicago  to 
his  home  at  Galesburg. 

The  fourth  son,  Thomas,  is  employed  by  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  at  Chicago,  as  locomotive  engineer. 
The  fifth  son,  Michael,  Jr.,  is  employed  as  locomotive 
fireman  at  the  same  place.     Joseph  and  Henry  are 


employed  by  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  at  Galesburg. 
Ella  resides  at  home,  and  Mary  died  in  infancy. 
The  entire  family  are  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church.  The  men  vote  the  Democratic 
ticket,  but  take  no  active  part  in  politics. 


i^^i:  J.  Wilber,  of  Victoria  Township,  is  one  of 
^^^  the  leading  agriculturists  of  Knox  County, 
^ipj^P  '  w'^61'2  his  farm  is  located  on  section  11. 
i\^  He  is  the  son  of  Briggs  and  Rachel  (Jones) 
Wilber,  and  was  born  in  Otsego  County,  N. 
Y.,  April  15,  1829.  His  parents  were  natives 
of  New  York  and  had  a  family  of  13  children,  six  of 
whom  are  deceased.  Those  living  are  Sallie  A.,  who 
became  Mrs.  Sornborger;  Eliza,  now  Mrs.  Fair- 
childs  ;  Ferris,  third  child;  Susan,  now  Mrs.  Hoag  ; 
Rachel,  who  married  a  Mr.  Snyder;  Robinson  J., 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and  Deborah  A.,  at  present 
Mrs.  Spencer.  The  father  of  our  subject  followed 
the  calling  of  a  farmer  until  his  demise,  in  1831.  His 
widow  came  West  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Spencer, 
and  located  at  Victoria,  where  her  death  occurred 
Dec.  6,  1873. 

R.  J.  Wilber,  of  whom  we  write,  remained  at  home 
until  21  years  of  age,  in  the  meantime  assisting  in  the 
farm  duties  and  attending  school.  In  1852  he  came 
to  Illinois,  making  settlement  in  Victoria  Township, 
where  he  engaged  with  Alexander  Sornborger  in  the 
stock  business.  He  crossed  the  plains  to  California 
in  1853,  and  on  October  9  of  that  year  arrived  at  a 
place  called  Hangtown ;  from  there  he  went  to 
Coloma,  and  thence  to  a  place  bearing  the  name  of 
Dry  Diggings,  where  for  three  years  he  was  engaged 
in  gold  mining.  In  1857  he  returned  to  Victoria 
Township,  where  he  engaged  in  breaking  prairie  the 
first  year,  and  in  the  year  following  worked  out  by 
the  month.  For  three  years,  until  1S60,  he  rented 
land  in  Victoria  Township,  subsequently  purchasing 
his  present  farm,  which  contains  80  acres,  only  half 
of  which  at  that  time  was  broken.  He  has  improved 
his  farm  by  erecting  a  comfortable  residence  and 
convenient  and  commodious  barn.  His  place  is  well 
fenced  and  beautified  by  shade  and  ornamental  trees. 
He  has  been  extensively  engaged  in  the  raising  of 
grain  and  stock,  and  is  meeting  with  much  success 
in  his   chosen   vocation.     Miss  Almina  Lyons,  born 


*^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


773 


in  Black  Rock,  N.  Y.,  April  21,  1842,  and  daughter 
of  David  and  Jane  (Sornborger)  Lyons,  was  the  hidy 
chosen  by  R.  J.  VVilber  to  be  his  companion  through 
life.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  celebrated  Sept. 
29,  1859.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Wilber  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1844,  and  located  on  section  7,  Victoria 
Township,  at  which  place  the  father  died  two  years 
later.  His  widow  followed  him  to  the  land  of  the 
hereafter  in  1852.  The  family  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Lyons  numbered  ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased. Those  living  are  Catherine,  who  became 
Mrs.  Sansbury  ;  David,  Edward,  Charles  and  Almina, 
wife  of  our  subject. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  become  the  parents  of 
four  children,  concerning  whom  we  give  the  follow- 
ing: Willis  became  the  husband  of  Sarah  Lafferty, 
and  to  them  have  been  born  three  children — -Arthur, 
Charles  and  Belle.  The  ne.xt  in  order  of  birth  are 
Olive,  Ferris  J.  and  Earl. 

Mr.  Wilber  affiliates  with  the  Greenback  party. 
He  has  held  the  offices  of  Road  Commissioner, 
School  Director  and  Pathmaster,  and  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 

We  have  in  the  life  of  this  gentleman  an  excellent 
illustration  of  how  many  of  the  wealthy  and  influen- 
tial men  of  Kno.x  County  began  their  business 
careers.  •  Coming  here  without  means,  and  sur- 
rounded by  obstacles  that  would  discourage  the 
young  men  of  to-day,  we  find  Mr.  Wilber  has  not 
only  accumulated  a  good  property  and  wielded  an  in- 
fluence for  the  welfare  and  good  of  the  community, 
but  has  won  and  retained  the  respect  of  all  who 
know  hin? . 


^arshall  Bruner,  Marshal  of  the  city  of 
Galesburg,  is  the  son  of  Henry  and 
Elizabeth  (Bearers)  Bruner,  natives  of 
the  State  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  German 
descent,  was  born  in  Morris  Co.,  N.  J.,  May 
15,  1842.  He  was  educated  at  the  common 
schools  and  in  early  life  learned  the  carpenter's  trade. 
In  June,  1862,  he  enrolled  in  his  native  county  as  a 
private  soldier  in  Co.  H,  15th  N.  J.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  three  years  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 
During  the  entire  term  of  his  service  he  was  never 
absent  from  duty.  He  participated  with  his  regiment 
in   the   battles  of  Fredericksburg,   Chancellorsville, 


Gettysburg,  Wilderness,  Spottsylvania,  Cold  Harbor, 
Petersburg,  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar 
Creek,  through  all  of  which,  together  with  many 
other  minor  engagements  not  dignified  in  history 
with  the  name  of  battles,  he  passed  without  injury. 
He  had  been  in  the  service  about  one  year  when  he 
was  promoted  for  bravery  to  the  rank  of  Sergeant. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  our  subject  returned  to 
New  Jersey,  whence  he  came,  in  the  spring  of  1866, 
to  Chicago,  where  he  was  employed  as  traveling 
salesman  by  the  Fairbank  Scale  Co.,  for  19  consecu- 
tive years,  making  his  headquarters,  since  1868,  at 
Galesburg.  Since  the  beginning  of  1885  he  has  held 
by  appointment  the  office  of  City  Marshal. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Fulton  Co.,  111.,  on 
New  Year's  Day,  1869,  to  Miss  Melissa  Todd,  and 
they  have  become  the  parents  of  two  children,  both 
daughters.  Mr.  Bruner  is  a  Mason  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  G.  A.  R. 


^  dwin  A.  Cooley,  of  Galesburg  Township,  "^ 
resides  on  section  3,  where  he  is  engaged 
in  operating  a  well-cultivated  farm.  He 
was  born  in  Sunderland,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass., 
Feb.  2,  1831.  This  gentleman's  father,  Charles 
Cooley,  was  a  native  of  the  same  place,  where 
he  was  born  on  the  ist  of  September,  1790.  He  was 
a  prominent  farmer  in  his  vicinity  and  filled  the  office 
of  Supervisor  for  many  years,  besides  being  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  a  long  period.  Other  minor  offices 
were  filled  by  him  with  credit,  and  he  was  universally 
acknowledged  to  be  a  man  of  considerable  tact  and 
judgment.  His  demise  took  place  on  the  loth  of 
November,  1870.  On  the  i6th  of  February,  1815, 
he  married  a  most  estimable  lady.  Miss  Mary  Stowell, 
born  in  Petersham,  Mass.,  Dec.  17,  1795.  Before 
her  demise,  in  1844,  she  was  the  mother  of  11  chil- 
dren— Eliza  A.,  born  Nov.  18,  1815;  Simon  F.,  Oct. 
28,  1817  ;  Charles  A.,  Aug.  3,  1819;  De.xterS.,  Sept. 
19,  1821 ;  P.  Maria,  Nov.  24,  1823;  Avery  W.,  Nov. 
I,  1825;  Fanny,  Oct.  29,  1827;  an  infant  daughter, 
May  i8,  1829,  who  died  early;  Edwin  A.,  Feb.  2, 
1831  ;  Clara  C,  Jan.  17,  1833,  and  George,  Nov.  6, 
1839.  Of  these  only  four  children  are  now  living — 
George,  Edwin,  Clara  and  Eliza. 

Edwin  A.  Cooley  married  Nellie  Davis,  Aug.  30, 


•H-^ 


t 


^ 


-^^^^^ 


774 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1857,  in  Madison,  Wis.  She  was  a  native  of  Rock- 
ingham, Vt.,  where  she  was  born  Jane  20,  1834. 
They  have  one  child  living — Louise,  who  was  born 
Dec.  II,  1878;  George  L.,  bom  March  i,  1876, died 
on  July  18,  1879.  The  parents  of  Mrs  Cooley  were 
John  and  Susan  (Billings)  Davis.  Mr.  Davis  was 
bom  Aug.  30,  1797,  in  Vermont,  and  died  at  Galli- 
polis,  Ohio,  June  19,  1861.  May  2,  1823,  he  mar- 
ried his  wife  Susan,  whose  death  took  place  on  July 
30,  1879,  at  Galesburg,  111.  They  had  seven  children, 
vir.:  Harriet,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Louise,  born 
July  13,  1826  ;  Susan,  Nov.  18,  1827  ;  Nathaniel,  Oct. 
14,  1830;  Sarah,  Sept.  26,  1832;  Nellie,  June  20, 
1834,  and  Flora,  March  22,  1838.  Of  these  chil- 
dren five  survive.  Mr.  Cooley  of  this  sketch, 
together  with  his  wife,  is  an  old  and  accomplished 
teacher.  She  first  gave  instruction  in  Vermont,  then 
in  Massachusetts  and  Ohio.  Altogether  she  has  had 
twenty  years'  professional  experience.  Mr.  Cooley 
has  taught  in  Massachusetts,  Ohio  and  Iowa,  and 
during  one  year  was  engaged  in  the  State  of  Georgia. 
He  has  taught  about  the  same  time  as  his  wife- 
Having  graduated  at  .f^mherst  College  in  1854,  he  at 
first  proceeded  to  Ohio  and  taught  one  year  in  the 
Academy,  then  studied  at  Yale  for  another  year  in 
the  scientific  department.  This  gentleman  and 
his  wife  are  both  Sunday-School  workers  in  the  Con- 
gregational Church,  in  which  they  are  prominent 
members.  In  politics  he  is  a  consistent  and  promi- 
nent Republican  and  takes  a  deep  interest  in  all 
leading  questions  of  the  hour.  For  two  years  he 
was  connected  with  the  Geological  Surveys  of  Iowa. 
During  his  Georgia  experience  he  was  Superintendent 
of  Schools  at  Savannah,  an  office  which  he  filled  with 
becoming  merit. 

His  home  in  Galesburg  is  among  the  prettiest  in 
the  township,  and  situated  on  80  acres  of  good  land. 
It  is  of  some  moment  to  note  here  that  Benjamin 
Cooley,  the  first  of  the  name  in  this  country,  came 
very  early  and  settled  in  Springfield,  Mass.  He  was 
an  Ensign  in  the  army,  and  was  the  father  of  eight 
children.  He  died  Aug.  23,  1684.  Daniel  was  his 
fourth  child,  and  married  Elizabeth  Wolcott,  daugh- 
ter of  Hon.  Henry  \Volcott,ofConnecticut,  on  the  8th 
of  December,  1 680.  There  were  five  children  by  this 
union,  and  Simon,  one  of  the  issue,  moved  later  as 
one  of  the  first  colony  who  settled  Sunderland,  Mass., 
in  17  17,  and  was  the  father  of  eleven  children.  Ab- 
ner,  his  second  child,  was  born  Jan.  23,  17 12,  and 


was  the  father  of  seven  children.  The  grandfather, 
Simon  Cooley,  next  in  the  line  of  descent,  commis- 
sioned by  Gov.  Hancock  as  Lieutenant  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary Army,  had  five  children  born  to  his  mar- 
riage;  he  died  Feb.  9,  1797.  Charles,  the  father, 
was  the  fourth  child  of  Simon,  and  the  father  of 
eleven  children.  George,  the  eleventh,  the  brother 
of  Edwin  Cooley,  served  three  years  in  the  Civil 
War,  in  the  .■Vrmy  of  the  Potomac,  and  now  occupies 
the  same  old  farm  that  five  generations  of  the  Cooley 
family  have  dwelt  on. 


fjCosiah  Multer,  real  estate  agent  and  capi- 
talist, owns  a  fine  and  commodious  resi- 
dence on  Wall  street,  one  of  the  principal 
thoroughfares  of  Altona,  which  is  considered 
one  of  the  handsomest  and  most  attractive 
hornes  in  that  town.  He  occupies  the  position  . 
of  Police  Magistrate,  and  is  an  active  worker  in  all  I 
public  affairs.  His  birthplace  is  Worcester,  Otsego  J 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  first  saw  the  light  April  22,^ 
1825.  His  father,  Joseph  Multer,  of  pure  German 
ancestrj',  was  born  in  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  reared  and  educated  and  grew  to  man-  , 
hood.  His  father,  Josiah's  grandfather,  a  native 
German,  whose  name  was  Philip,  accompanied  by  his 
wife,  Catherine  (Hart)  Multer,  left  his  fatherland  and 
located  in  the  United  States,  purposing  to  build  up 
a  new  home,  in  the  year  1786.  At  this  period  the 
name  was  spelled  Moller.  He  was  by  profession  a 
German  physician  of  no  mean  skill  and  ability,  hold- 
ing fair  rank  in  his  own  country.  He  was,  as  well, 
keeper  in  the  king's  hunting  park.  Soon  after  enter- 
ing Schoharie  County,  he  caused  to  be  erected  the 
first  glass-manufactory  in  the  United  States.  This 
was  situated  near  the  city  of  Albany.  He  contin- 
ued his  medical  practice  in  the  United  States  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  eighteenth  centurj-,  resulting  from  epi- 
demic fever,  which  was  then  prevalent  in  Otsego, 
N.  Y. 

Like  the  noted  Pasteur,  he  entertained  a  firm  belief 
that  he  had  discovered  a  sure  antidote  for  hydropho- 
bia, but  he  never  disclosed  his  knowledge,  so 
that  his  discovery,  if  indeed  valuable,  was  a  "  talent 
hidden  in  a  napkin."  His  life  companion,  the  grand- 


*% 


V 


f4-*- 


JU 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


775 


mother  of  Josiah,  is  l)uried  at  South  Worcester,  N. 
Y.  The  results  of  this  marriage,  three  sons  and 
four  daughters,  are  as  follows:  Christian  J.,  Joseph 
(Josiah's  father),  John,  Betsey,  Susan,  Mary  and 
Margaret.  Of  the  entire  family  circle  but  one  sur- 
vives— John,  who  has  attained  the  age  of  87  years, 
and  who  resides  at  Painesville,  Ohio.  Margaret, 
who  recently  departed  this  life,  was  80  years  of  age. 
Joseph  Multer,  the  father  of  our  subject,  united  in 
the  bonds  of  holy  matrimony  with  Susan  Becker,  a 
young  lady  of  German  parentage,  like  his  own.  Her 
family  history  contains  many  points  of  interest,  dat- 
ing far  back  in  the  annals  of  German  history.  Im- 
mediately after  their  union  her  husband  engaged  in 
farming.  Success  crowned  his  active  efforts,  and  he 
became  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential 
farmers  of  Otsego  County.  Many  valuable  improve- 
ments were  made  and  eventually  a  most  desirable 
home  was  established.  They  occupied  the  Multer 
homestead,  at  which  place  he  died.  Several  years 
later  the  mother  followed  him  to  her  long  home;  the 
date  of  her  death  was  187  i.  Both  lived  to  a  grand 
old  age.  Their  family  was  large,  comprising  13  chil- 
dren, seven  sons  and  six  daughters.  Three  of  the 
former  were  buried  in  Otsego  County.  Josiah,  the 
fourth  in  order  of  birth,  attended  school  and  re- 
mained in  the  family,  a  dutiful  and  helpful  son,  up 
to  the  date  of  his  marriage  with  Anna  M.  Titus, 
daughter  of  a  farmer,  at  Harpersville,  N.  Y.,  Feb. 
17,  1868.  His  wife's  birthplace  was  Delaware  Coun- 
ty, and  the  date  of  her  birth  Sept.  8,  1846.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Isaac  B.  and  Jediah  B.  (Tiffany) 
Titus,  both  of  English  origin,  who  first  settled  in 
Delaware  County  during  the  last  century,  and  who 
owned  hundreds  of  acres  of  land,  much  of  which 
has  since  fallen  into  the  hands  of  railroad  companies. 
Mrs.  Multer's  father  lived  and  eventually  died  in  the 
county  and  township  in  which  he  began  his  married 
life,  Aug.  26,  1872.  His  wife  survives  him  and  lives 
with  her  daughter.  Mrs.  Multer  received  liberal 
educational  advantages,  and  was  a  graduate  of  the 
New  York  Conference  Seminary.  She  entered  the 
ranks  as  teacher  and  successfully  taught  three  years 
in  the  public  schools  of  Stark  and  Tuscarawas  Coun- 
ties, Ohio.  Soon  after  marriage  she  and  her  hus- 
band removed  to  Altona,  where  they  have  lived  up 
to  the  present  writing.  Mr.  Multer  entered  Kno.\ 
County  in  February,  1856,  and  bought  and  marked 
out  the  boundaries   of  his    first  farm,  in  Galesburg   I 


Township,  consisting  of  r77  acres,  17  of  which  were 
timber  land.  Here  he  began  active  labor,  which  he 
continued  for  five  years  ;  from  here  he  went  to  Walnut 
Grove  Township  and  purchased  240  acres.  He  sold 
this  farm  and  purchased  170  acres  in  the  same  town- 
ship and  80  in  Copley  Township.  All  his  landed 
possessions  are  finely  improved  and  highly  cultivated. 
He  rents  his  farms,  turning  his  personal  attention  to 
real  estate  sales,  money  loans,  etc.  He  carries  on  a 
co-operative  business  as  dealer  in  bank  stock  at 
Creston,  Iowa.  He  was  unanimously  elected  to  his 
present  office,  which  he  has  acceptably  filled  to  the 
entire  and  marked  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 
He  is  popular,  genial  and  well  liked,  personally  and 
as  a  business  man.  He  is  Republican  in  politics, 
and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church,  he  being  Class  Leader,  President  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  and  Steward  in  that  body. 


~vWAta££/©>i@' 


^^^J/ZIOT»>* -v/w<. 


eorge  M.  Collinson,  a  prominent  and  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  breeder  of  Poland- 
China  swine  and  Short-horn  cattle,  residing 
on  section  30,  Lynn  Township,  is  the  fifth  in 
order  of  birth  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  , 
equally  divided  as  to  gender. 
Mr.  Collinson  was  but  six  years  of  age  when  his 
father,  Thomas  Collinson— of  whom  a  biographical 
sketch  is  given  in  this  work,  in  connection  with  that 
of  Charles  Collinson — came  to  this  county.  The 
parents  located  in  Lynn  Township,  and  it  was  there 
that  our  subject  spent  his  early  days  on  his  father's 
farm.  His  education  was  acquired  at  the  common 
schools,  and  he  continued  to  reside  with  the  old 
folks  until  his  marriage,  which  event  took  place  on 
the  farm  on  which  he  is  at  present  residing,  March 
22,  1868,  at  which  time  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  C. 
W.  and  Eliza  (Thompson)  Murray,  became  his  wife. 
Her  parents  were  natives  of  Ohio,  were  married  in 
Belmont  County,  and  came  to  this  State  in  the  fall 
of  1851,  and  located  near  Abingdon,  where  her 
father  was  engaged  in  farming  for  some  time.  Later 
he  moved  to  Lynn  Township,  and  was  there  occu- 
pied in  his  vocation  until  after  the  breaking  out  of 
the  late  war,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  G,  89th  111.  Vol. 
Inf,  and  was  assigned  with  his  regiment  to  the  Army 
of  the  Cumberland.     In  the  beginning  of  the  battle 


A 


^ 


-*?-* 


776 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


a* 


of  Stone  River  Mr.  Murray  was  shot  through  the  neck 
and  instantly  expired.  This  was  his  first  engage- 
ment and  just  at  the  beginning  of  the  action.  His 
widow,  mother  of  Mr.  CoUinson,  afterward  married 
F.  L.  Rice,  and  they  now  reside  on  a  farm  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township.  It  was  while  the  parents  were  liv- 
ing near  Abingdon  that  Mrs.  Collinson  was  bom,  the 
date  being  March  14,  1852.  She  received  her  edu- 
cation in  this  county,  and  continued  to  reside  with 
her  mother  until  her  marriage.  Mrs.  Collinson  is  a 
very  intelligent  and  accomplished  lady,  affable  and 
winning  in  her  social  life.  She  has  borne  her  husband 
four  children— Nettie  B.,  born  Oct.  20,1869;  Myr- 
tle M.,  July  4,  187  I  ;  Isabella,  Oct.  16,  1874;  Nellie 
E.,July  18,  1879. 

Since  his  marriage  Mr.  Collinson  has  made  his 
home  on  the  farm  on  which  he  is  at  present  residing. 
His  place  consists  of  200  acres  of  good  farm  land, 
on  which  he  lives,  actively  and  energetically  engaged 
in  the  prosecution  of  his  vocation,  surrounded  by  a 
happy  family  and  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  happy 
life.  In  addition  to  the  cultivation  of  the  cereals  he 
is  devoting  considerable  of  his  time  to  stock-raising. 
He  is  at  present  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Assessor  and  others  of  minor  import. 
In  politics  he  is  a  strong  supporter  of  the  Democratic 
party,  and  never  fails  to  cast  his  vote  for  the  same 
when  opportunity  affords. 


PS.  Mary  A.  Coleman,  widow  of  Samuel 
Coleman,  Jr.,  is  residing  on  section  13, 
Victoria  Township.  Samuel  Coleman 
'^^^  was  born  April  29,  1832.  His  demise  oc- 
curred June  2,  1884.  His  parents  were  Samuel 
and  Sarah  (Alvin)  Coleman,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  came  to  Illinois  in  1855,  locating  in 
Victoria  Township.  On  section  13,  in  that  town- 
ship, the  father  purchased  160  acres  and  there  lived 
until  his  demise,  in  1875.  His  wife  still  survives 
and  resides  on  the  old  farm. 

Samuel  Coleman,  Jr.,  resided  at  home  until  33 
years  of  age,  and  was  married  in  July,  1865,  to  Mrs. 
Mary  A.  Nelson,  the  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  A. 
(Jobe)  Thomson,  natives  of  Ireland.  Her  parents 
moved  to  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  locating  in  Belmont 
County,  where  their  demise  occurred. 

Mrs.  Samuel   Coleman,   Jr.,  the    subject   of    our 


notice,  has   a  family  of  four  children  living,  namely  : 
George  W.,  Charles,  Emma,  Sarah  B.  and  May. 

The  husband  of  Mrs.  Coleman  was  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the 
Congregational  Church.  He  held  the  office  of  School 
Director  and  also  that  of  Road  master,  and  was  lib- 
eral and  always  ready  to  assist  in  any  good  cause. 
His  farm  consists  of  160  acres,  and  during  life  he 
was  engagad  in  mixed  farming.  Since  his  death 
his  widow  retains  and  manages  his  farm.  He  was 
considered  one  of  the  representative  citizens  of 
Victoria  Township. 


■  F'(  i\?i     L-    Overstreet,    retired    farmer,  resident 

■  \d  'S-y  at  Galesburg,  was  born  at  Nicholasville, 
&jl?^^''"*  Jessamine  Co.,  Ky.,  Jan.  16,  1819.  His 
^IgV  v^   parents,    Robert    D.    and  Jane    (Lowrey) 

X  Overstreet,  traced  their  ancestry  back  to  En- 
I  gland  and  the  Scotch-Irish,  they  themselves 
being  born  in  old  Virginia  and  Kentucky  respect- 
ively. 

Mr.  O.  was  the  second  of  six  sons  and  had  four 
sisters,  all  of  whom  grew  to  attain  the  age  of  man 
and  womanhood  on  a  farm.  From  Nicholasville  the 
family  removed  to  Mercer  County,  Ky.,  where  the 
senior  Mr.  Overstreet  afterward  died. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  came  to  Knox  County 
in  1841,  and  here  he  has  since  lived  and  accumu- 
lated sufficient  of  this  world's  goods  to  enable  him 
to  retire  handsomely  to  private  life  and  spend  his 
old  age  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  correct  liv- 
ing. He  owns  two  large  farms  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  city;  is  an  extensive  stockholder  in 
some  of  the  great  banks  of  the  place  ;  is  President  of 
the  Knox  County  Agricultural  Society,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Galesburg  City  Council.  These  facts  are 
not  written  by  the  author  in  parade  of  the  abstract 
qualities,  but  presented  to  illustrate  the  possibilities 
of  a  man,  be  he  ever  so  poor  at  the  outset,  if  he 
makes  proper  use  of  the  means,  however  small, 
which  the  Maker  has  placed  in  his  hands. 

Mr.  Overstreet  was  married  near  Harrodsburg, 
Ky.,  Oct.  17,  1838,  to  Miss  Catlierine  Martin,  a  na- 
tive of  the  State  of  Connecticut.  She  was  a  daugh- 
ter of  Joel  and  Phoebe  (Moore)  Martin,  her  parents 
being  natives  of  Connecticut.      She  was  one  of  a 


I 


*4^ 


^ 


•64^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


777 


family  of  niae  children,  all  of  whom  died  young  ex- 
cept herself  and  Mary,  who  became  the  wife  of 
David  E.  Day ;  Mr.  Day  is  now  deceased. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mr.s.  Overstreet  are: 
Mitchell,  a  farmer,  residing  in  Henry  County,  was  in 
the  33d  111.  Vol.  Inf.  during  the  Rebellion;  Robert, 
a  farmer  in  Nebraska;  L.  Henrietta;  Maggie  I.  ;  H. 
Smith,  a  farmer  in  Nebraska;  Joel  M.,  a  farmer, 
also  a  resident  of  Nebraska;  W.  Dudley,  farmer  in 
Nebraska  ;  and  John  L.,  farmer  in  Knox  County. 
Mrs.  Overstreet  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church  and  has  brought  her  children  up  to  an  ob- 
servance of  that  faith.  In  his  political  views  Mr. 
Overstreet  votes  the  Republican  ticket.  The  father 
of  Mr.  O.  was  in  the  War  of  181 2. 

-^^-%^ C 


apt.  Francis  Fuller.     The  subject  of  this 
biograpliy  is  President  of  the  First  National 
!:'>£/'"*"    Bank   of  Galesburg,    and   is  the   son    of 
e;>f     Frederick    A.    and   Rachel  (Gordon)  Fuller, 
^'.'      both  natives  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and 
\       of  English  and   Scotch  descent  respectively. 
Capt.    Fuller  was   born   at  Rutland,  Vt.,    May  20, 
1815.     The  senior  Mr.   Fuller  was  a  merchant   at 
Rutland  for  25  years.    His  four  sons  and  one  daugh- 
ter were  born,  reared  and  educated  there.     Francis 
was  the  third  child  in  order  of  birth.     His   eldest 
brother   was    lost   in    1847    on    the    steam    packet 
"  Home,"  en  route  from   New  York  to   Charleston. 
The   "  Home "  was   the    first   Atlantic    steamer   to 
which  this  calamity  happened. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  an  academic 
education  at  Rutland,  and  at  the  age  of  20  embarked 
in  mercantile  business  at  Richmond,  Vt.  At  the 
end  of  the  second  year  he  was  married,  closed  out 
his  business,  came  West  and  at  Grayville,  111.,  for 
two  years  followed  the  vocation  of  merchant.  From 
that  place  he  moved  to  Mt.  Carmel,  this  State,  where 
he  edited  the  Mt.  Carmel  Register,  a  weekly  Whig 
paper,  in  which  position  he  continued  for  five  years. 
In  1848  he  again  embarked  in  the  mercantile  bus- 
iness, this  time  at  Newton,  where  he  remained  for 
nine  years. 

When  the  war  broke  out  the  dauntless  spirit  of 
enthusiasm  stirred  his  blood,  and  with  his  countless 
fellow-soldiers  he  arrayed  himself  under  the  banner 
of  the  United  States  and  entered  the  service  in  de- 


««-; 


fense  of  his  country.  On  the  6th  of  August,  1861, 
Gov.  Yates  appointed  him  Quartermaster  of  the  38th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.  In  the  spring  of  1862  he  was  placed 
upon  Gen.  Steele's  staff.  In  the  fall  of  the  year 
1863  Capt.  Fuller  was  made  Disbursing  Quarter- 
master of  Sherman's  corps,  the  15th,  which  position 
he  filled  until  ill  heal'h  compelled  him  to  resign,  on 
July  26,  1864.  He  left  his  command  at  Renesaw 
Mountain.  During  all  his  experience  as  Quarter- 
master the  records  show  that  Capt.  Fuller  never  lost 
a  wagon.  His  final  settlement  with  the  Government 
was  not  reached  until  Nov.  18,  1873,  when  it  was 
found  that  he  owed  Uncle  Sam  S29.36,  while  Uncle 
Sam  in  return  was  indebted  to  him  between  S700 
and  S800. 

In  1864  he  bought  a  home  and  settled  at  Gales- 
burg, and  in  August  of  the  following  year  was   made 
President  of  the   First  National  Bank  of  thai  city. 
The  policy  of  this  great  financial  institution,  under 
the  management  of  Capt.  Fuller,  needs  no  comment      j 
in  this  connection.     The  fact  that  he  is  by  no  means    1  | 
one  of  the  largest  stockholders  of  the  concern  attests 
that   his  continuation   as  its  head  is  in  response  to 
the  wishes  of  those  most  interested  in  the  welfare  of   "^ 
the  bank.  j  | 

In    December,  1838,   Mr.   Fuller   was    united   in    \  '■ 
marriage,  at  Richmond,   Vt.,  with   Miss  Adelia  A.    J 
Rhodes,  of  that  place,  and  their  only   son,  Francis 
:   W.,  is  now  a  successful  ranchman  in  Nebraska,  where 
I    he  went  a  few  years  since  on   account  of  declining 
health.    He  married  Miss  Jennie  Hall  at  Burlington, 
i    Vt.,  and    they   have  one   child,    named    Frank    H. 
Fuller. 

IfMi?  eorge  Whitney  Robinson,  Depot  Master 

■^kMai    °f  t^^  Galesburg  Depot  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 

•%w^  ^    R.   R.,   was  born  in  Glastonbury,  Conn., 

;     ^""A^   Nov.  29,  r824.     His  parents  were  Samuel  and 

T     Thankful  (Adams)  Robinson,  natives  of  Mas- 

f       sachusetts.     Shortly  after  our  subject's  birth, 

'    they  removed  to  their  native  State,  Massachusetts, 

and  remained  about  three  years,  and  then  moved  to 

;    the  State  of  Maine  and  settled  at  Monson,  where  the 

father  died  in  r845.     Our  subject  was  at  liis   trade 

(merchant  tailoring)  in  Bangor,  Me.     He   afterward 

spent  some  years  at  the  same  business  at  Rockland, 

Me.,  but  in  1854  he  came  West  and  located  at  Bur- 

1   lington,    Iowa,    whither    an    uncle   (R.    S.  Adams, 

t- 


778 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


wholesale  dealer  in  boots,  shoes  and  leather)  had 
located  in  1839,  and  where  he  engaged  in  the  mer-. 
chant  tailoring  business.  This  he  subsequently 
abandoned  to  take  up  the  railway  business,  the  roads 
just  having  been  constructed  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  He  assisted  in  taking  across  the  Missis- 
sippi River  the  first  cars  of  the  B.  &  M.  R.  R.  In 
1857  he  located  at  Galesburg,  III.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  the  real  estate  business  until  1866,  after 
which  he  carried  on  the  hotel  business,  which  he 
conducted  for  five  years,  when  he  left  Galesburg  for 
Beardstown  and  carried  on  the  railroad  hotel  and 
eating-house  for  one  year  and  returned  to  Gales- 
burg and  engaged  in  real  estate  and  other  interests 
until  1880,  when  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  Railroad  as  shipping  and  transfer  clerk. 
He  remained  in  this  position  until  the  opening  of  the 
new  depot,  when  he  became  installed  its  worthy 
Master,  in  which  posirion  we  find  him  a  respected 
official  and  genial  gentleman. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  married  in  Newport,  Me.,  to 
Esther  E.  Benner,  who  has  most  graciously  shared 
with  him  the  trials  and  triumphs  of  his  long  life  in 
this  Western  country.  The  issue  of  the  union  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robinson  has  been  four  children,  all  of 
whom  were  laid  to  rest  in  their  youth.  Mr.  Robin- 
son is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
and  has  held  his  connecrion  with  that  insutution 
for  many  years. 


ev.  Charles  A.  Baekman,  pastor  in  charge 
of  the  First  Swedish  Lutheran  Church, 
Galesburg,  is  the  son  of  John  and  Char- 
lotte (Hammarback)  Baekman.  May  28, 
1853,  and  Dalarne,  Sweden,  are  the  date  and 
place  of  his  birth.  He  came  with  his  parents 
to  America  in  1S68.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Augustana 
(Rock  Island)  College,  in  the  Class  of  188 1,  and 
from  the  Theological  Seminar)-  of  the  same  place  in 
the  Class  of  1883. 

He  has  been  preaching  since  his  first  school  year, 
and  was  ordained  regularly  at  Red  Wing,  Minn., 
June  17,  1883.  His  first  charge  was  at  Ishpeming, 
Mich.,  where  he  remained  two. years,  coming  thence 
to  Galesburg  in  1885.  The  church  over  which  he 
here  presides  has  a  congregation  of  nearly  1,000 
communicant  members,  and  he  preaches  in  both  the 


English  and  Swedish  languages.  Mr.  Baekman  was 
married  at  Swedona,  Mercer  Co.,  111.,  Oct.  25,  1883, 
to  Miss  Helena  Hoogner,  born  in  this  country,  and 
their  little  daughter  bears  the  name  of  Lillie  An- 
gelica. 

lli  ev.  Lucius  E.  Barnard,  A.  M.,  Local  El- 
*i&^^!.    der  m  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  re- 
wf(^^°"   siding  at  No.  28  Cherry  street,  Galesburg, 
M*W   '^  '■^^  ^°"  °'^  Rufus  and  Jemima   (Kellogg) 
V      Barnard,  natives    respectively  of  Massachu- 
I  setts   and  Vermont  and  of   English  descent. 

He  was  born  at  Waitsfield,  Washington  Co.,  Vt., 
June  14,  1828.  The  senior  Mr.  Barnard  was  a 
farmer;  he  died  in  1874,  upon  the  place  where  he 
had  spent  So  years  of  his  Ufe.  His  wife  preceded 
him  to  the  grave  nearly  two  years.  He  was  aged  83 
years  and  his  wife  82^.  The  parental  family  con- 
tained five  sons  and  five  daughters,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  being  ne.\t  to  the  youngest  of  the  family. 
Our  subject  graduated  from  the  University  of  Ver- 
mont, at  Burlington,  in  1853.  Having  studied  with 
a  view  to  the  ministry,  he  received  further  instruc- 
tions in  that  direction  after  graduating  from  college. 
His  parents  were  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  brought  their  children  up  in  that  faith. 
It  was  from  that  church  that  our  subject  took  letters 
when  he  entered  Auburn  (N.  Y.)  Theological  Semi- 
nar)'. He  was  licensed  to  preach  by  the  Montpelier 
Association  in  1857,  and  the  following  year  grad- 
uated from  the  Auburn  Theological  Seminar)',  hav- 
ing in  the  meantime  changed  his  denominational  re- 
lation to  that  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  In  1859, 
at  Amboy,  N.  Y.,  the  church  of  his  adoption  ordained 
him,  and  he  preached  at  that  place  for  one  year. 
In  i860  he  came  to  Galesburg  and  again  changed 
his  relationship,  returning  to  the  faith  of  his  parents 
after  taking  charge  of  the  Old  First  Church  (Con- 
gregational), and  preached  there  about  si.v  months. 
The  last  change  was  brought  about  by  what  many 
considered  was  the  Blanchard  fanaticism  prevailing 
here  at  that  period,  and  for  a  time,  they  believed, 
threatened  to  disrupt  the  social  and  religious  fabric 
of  the  city.  The  Old  First  Church  was  at  that  date 
so  completely  under  the  ban  of  rank  and  unreasona- 
ble intolerance  that  a  Presbyterian  was  not  allowed 
to  speak  under  its  roof,  and  they  felt  that,  had  not  a 


>^ 


LA.!= 


^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


779 


wiser  and  better  element  corae  rapidly  to  the  rescue, 
the  man  who  for  a  time  carried  things  high-handedly 
as  the  President  of  Knox  College  would  have  made 
of  Galesburg  a  fit  habitation  only  for  the  witch- 
burners  of  200  years  ago. 

From  the  "  Old  First  "  the  Rev.  Mr.  Barnard  was 
called,  and  preached  a  year  and  a  half  in  Waukegan, 
and  the  following  year  at  Georgia,  Vt.,  going  thence 
out  in  the  world  on  his  own  responsibility  to  God,  as 
it  were,  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ  whitherso- 
ever he  went,  in  manner  and  form  as  beseemed  him 
best,  and  asking  naught  of  any  denomination  or  as- 
sociation as  to  his  authority,  but  taught  Christ  and 
Him  crucified,  as  he  learned  the  simple  slory  from 
the  written  Gospel,  having  been,  through  the  aid  of 
false  testimony,  by  the  Congregational  Association 
retired  from  their  ministry.  In  Geddes,  N.  Y.,  in 
1870,  at  the  urgent  request  of  many  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  he  united  with  that 
denomination,  and  subsequently  preached  for  some 
years  in  New  York  State. 

In  1874  Mr.  Barnard  returned  to  Galesburg,  where 
he  has  since  been  a  recognized  Local  Elder  of  his 
church.  May  14,  186 1,  he  was  married,  at  Detroit, 
Mich.,  to  Miss  Emma  L.  Barnard,  and  by  her  had 
born  to  him  two  children — Charles  Kellogg,  born  at 
Waukegan,  111.,  March  14,  1862,  died  at  Galesburg, 
Feb.  II,  1880,  and  a  daughter,  Fannie  H.  Rev.  Mr. 
Barnard  is  prominent  in  the  Order  of  Good  Tem- 
plars, Chaplain  of  the  Red  Ribbon  Reform  Club,  and 
honorary  member  of  his  old  college  society,  the  Delta 
Psi,  a  literary  and  social  fraternity  of  the  University 
of  Vermont. 


H.  McOmber,  representative  contractor  and 
builder,  residing  in  the  city  of  Galesburg, 
came  here  first  in  1857  from  Palmyra,  N.  Y. 
His  birthplace  was  New  York  State,  where  he 
was  born  Aug.  5,  1833,  and  there  learned  his 
trade  under  his  father,  Isaac  McOmber.  His 
mother  was  Anna  Howland  before  marriage,  and 
both  families  trace  their  ancestry  to  Scotland. 

After  coming  to  Galesburg  Mr.  McOmber  engaged 
in  contracting  and  building,  and  followed  it  steadily 
for  II  years.  He  then,  in  company  with  Mr.  Brad- 
bury, leased  the  Colton  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  op- 
erated it  about  1 3  years.     The  last  three  years  that 


Mr.  McOmber  was  connected  with  the  Manufacturing 
Company,  he  also  carried  on  contracting  and  build- 
ing, which,  in  fact,  has  been  his  principal  business 
since  having  abandoned  the  planing-mill,  etc.  in 
1884.  Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the 
common  and  high  schools  and  taugh^  a  term  or  two 
in  Coldbrook  Township,  Warren  County. 

Mr.  McOniDer  was  married  in  Wayne  County, 
N.  Y.,  Jan.  1,1856,  to  Miss  Marietta  Whipple.  They 
have  had  one  child  of  their  own  and  have  reared  an 
adopted  daughter.  The  family  is  identified  with  the 
First  Baptist  Church.  Mr.  McOmber  is  no  politi- 
cian and  affiliates  with  no  secret  order.  What  he 
has  of  this  world's  goods  he  has  worked  for,  and  we 
find  him  jwssessed  of  a  fair  competency. 


iSniel  Henshaw.  a  retired  citizen  of  Gales- 
burg and  one  of  the  pioneer  hotel-keepers 
of  this  place,  was  born  Feb.  9,  181 2,  at 
Auburn,  Worcester  Co.,  Mass.  His  father, 
Joseph  Henshaw,  was  also  a  native  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  was  a  son  of  William  Henshaw,  who|  \ 
served,  gaining  merited  distinction,  through  the  Rev- 
olutionary War,  and  his  commission  as  Adjutant- 
General,  issued  "by  the  Congress  of  the  Colony  of. 
Massachusetts  Bay,"  signed  "  James  Warren,  Presi- 
dent,"  and  "  Samuel  Freeman,  Secretary,"  is  yet  in  the 
family,  being  in  the  hands  of  Miss  H.  E.  Henshaw, 
of  Leicester,  Mass. 

The  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was,  be- 
fore her  marriage,  Elizabeth  Goulding,  and  her  father 
was  a  Colonel  during  the  great  War  for  Independence. 
Joseph  and  Elizabeth  Henshaw  reared  eight  sons, 
Daniel  being  fifth  in  order  of  birth.  The  family  lived 
upon  a  farm  in  Worcester  County,  where  the  two  old 
people  ended  their  days,  Joseph  dying  in  1854  at  the 
age  of  85,  his  wife  having  preceded  him  to  the  prom- 
ised land  by  some  six  or  seven  years.  .At  the  age  of 
14  years  Daniel  Henshaw  left  his  father's  farm  and 
learned  the  trade  of  a  scythe-maker,  which  he  fol- 
lowed eight  or  ten  years.  When  24  years  of  age  he 
moved  into  New  York  State  and  engaged  in  black- 
smithing,  which  he  abandoned  in  1849,  and  started  a 
line  of  stages  between  Eaton  and  Utica  (N.  Y.)  In 
1856  he  came  to  Galesburg  and  opened  a  hotel  on 
West  street,  now  No.  132  South  West  street. 

During  the  war  Mr.  H.  turned  his  hand  to  farming 


lA^ 


<^ 


-t^ 


780 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  his  wife  conducted  the  hostelry.  The  hotel  was 
finally  converted  into  dwellings,  in  187  i,  and  Mr.  H. 
has  been  virtually  retired  from  active  business  since 
that  time.  At  Leicester,  Mass.,  July  23,  1834,  Mr. 
Henshaw  and  Miss  Diantha  Livermore  were  mar- 
ried, and  of  the  six  children  born  to  them  we  make 
the  following  brief  mention  :  Janetle,  Elbridge  G  , 
Adelaide,  Mary  Josephine,  Eugene  F.  and  Elizabeth. 
Elbridge  served  through  the  late  war  in  an  Iowa  reg- 
iment and  was  killed  in  August,  1867,  in  a  railroad 
accident  at  Plum  Creek  in  Nebraska  ;  .A.delaide  is  the 
wife  of  J.  L.  Short,  of  Chicago ;  Mary  Josephine, 
wife  of  J.  B.  Ingersol,  died  in  1877;  after  the  late 
war  she  taught  a  freedmen's  school  in  the  South; 
Eugene  F.  is  a  journalibt,  publisher  of  the  Raihvay 
and  Steamship  Guide;  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  A.  E. 
Mattison,  of  Chicago. 


---^^^i^^^^^^^T^k^-'^ 


,■%> 


I 


-  ficob  S  Chambers,  of  Galesburg,  is  the  son 
i|^^|-  of  Matthew  and   Hannah   (Smith)  Cham- 
fr    l|^"^      bers,  natives  of  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
I  '■'^  mont  respectively,  and  of  Scotch  and  Irish  de- 
IC     scent.     He  was  born  at    Bridport,  Vt.,  March 
\       14,    1816.      The  grandfather  of  our   subject, 
Capt.  John  Chambers,  earned  his  title  in  the  Colonial 
Army  during  the   Revolution.     Matthew  Chambers, 
father  of  our  subject,  served  in  the  War  of  1812  as  a 
militia  volunteer.     The  family  came  to  Knoxville   in 
1836,  and  the  senior   Mr.  C.  was   here  engaged    in 
mercantile  business  until   about  1840,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Galesburg.     He  retired  from  active  life  in 
1845,  and  died  in  January,  1869,  at  the  age  of  83. 
His  widow  survived  him  until   December,  1873,  and 
died  at  the  age  of   80  years.     He  left  a  comforta- 
ble fortune,  which  had  been  acquired  by  his  own  en- 
ergy. 

Jacob  S.  Chambers,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Vermont.  He 
clerked  many  years  for  his  father,  and  when  22 
years  of  age  engaged  in  business  for  himself,  at  the 
town  of  Cleveland,  Henry  Co.,  111.  From  there,  at 
the  end  of  two  years,  he  removed  to  Lyndon,  White- 
side County;  thence  to  Aliona,  Knox  County,  in 
1853,  and  finally  to  Galesburg  in  1874,  since  which 
time  he  has  been  fully  retired  from  business.  Politic- 
ally he  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the  Republican   party, 


though  not  of  an  office-seeking  kind  ;  is  a  Master  Ma- 
son and  a  consistent  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  While  a  resident  of  Altona  he  served  the 
people  for  some  years  as  Supervisor,  an  office  he  has 
filled  two  or  three  times  since  coming  to  Galesburg. 
Mr.  C.  was  married  at  Erie,  Pa.,  in  September, 
1857,  to  Miss  Amanda  M.  Parsons,  a  native  of  Ver- 
mont. To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chambers  have  been  born 
four  children,  three  of  whom  are  living  and  graduates 
of  Knox  College,  and  named  respectively  William  H., 
a  merchant;  Eliza  (Mrs.  A.  J.  Capron)  and  Ber- 
tha M. 


els  S.  YoungdahL  In  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  on  section  17,  Mr.  Youngdahl 
has  a  most  desirable  farm  of  160  acres,  all 
in  a  splendid  state  of  cultivation.  In  1856, 
alone  and  without  friends,  he  came  to  the  Unit- 
ed States  and  settled  in  Nicollet  Co.,  Minn. 
During  his  stay  there  he  married,  on  the  28th  of  Oc- 
tober, 1858,  Miss  Betsey  Johnson,  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, where  she  was  born  Feb.  15,  1838.  Her  parents 
lived  in  Sweden,  where  they  died  some  time  after  the 
arrival  of  their  daughter  in  the  United  States,  which 
was  in  1857.  She  settled  in  Nicollet  County  and 
was  mar.ried  the  following  year.  She  was  the  young- 
est of  a  family  of  three  daughters.  She  and  one 
other  sister,  Anna,  are  the  only  members  of  the  family 
in  the  United  States.  Her  eldest  sister,  Ellen,  is 
married  and  resides  in  her  native  country. 

By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Youngdahl  six  chil- 
dren have  been  born — Christine,  George  E.,  Nels 
T.,  Anna. S.,  Carl  L.  and  Anthony  C.  In  1863  the 
subject  of  this  history  with  his  family  came  to  Prince- 
ton, Bureau  Co.,  111.,  and  while  there  purchased  a 
farm  in  Fairfield  Township,  consisting  of  360  acres. 
All  this  land  is  well  improved.  In  1881  he  made  his 
purchase  as  referred  to  and  settled  here  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township.  Of  this  home  he  is  very  proud,  as 
in  all  justice  he  may  be.  He  has  raised  some  high 
grades  of  stock  and  is  altogether  a  well-to-do  and 
prominent  farmer.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  Sept. 
17,  r832.  His  father,  Saure  Nelson,  was  a  farmer 
and  lived  and  died  in  the  old  country.  His  mother, 
Kate  Nelson,  also  died  in  Sweden.  Her  family  con- 
sisted of  eight  children,   the   subject  of  this  sketch 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


781 


being  the  oldest  living  and  the  oldest  but  two  of  the 
family. 

Up  to  the  date  of  his  enlistment  in  the  regular 
army  he  had  attained  his  21st  year  and  sub- 
sequently served  three  years,  the  required  time. 
During  his  stay  in  Minnesota  Mr.  Y.  was  created 
Sergeant  of  the  Home  Guards,  a  body  raised  to  sup- 
press the  Indian  troubles.  These  caused  consider- 
able bloodshed  in  1862.  The  trouble  arose  through 
the  Government  officers  interfering  with  the  privi- 
leges of  the  natives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Youngdahl  are  members  of  the  Swed- 
ish Lutheran  Church,  in  which  Mr.  Y.  has  been 
Deacon  for  sixteen  years  and  a  consistent  exponent  of 
the  views  of  that  body.  His  son,  George  E.,  is  also 
a  minister  in  the  church,  and  was  educated  at  Rock 
Island.  Mr.  Nels  S.  Youngdahl  is  a  good  Republican 
and  interested  in  all  measures  calculated  to  promote 
his  country" 's  good. 


Lwan  H.  Olson,  grocer,  of  the  firm  of  L.  H. 
Olson  &  Bro.,  447  East  Berrien  St.,  Gales- 
burg,  was  born  in  Sweden,  Aug.  4,  1844, 
and  with  his  parents  came  to  America  in  1854. 
Swan  H.  is  the  eldest  of  four  sons  and  two 
daughters,  and  grew  to  manhood  upon  a  farm 
in  Knox  County,  alternating  the  seasons  with  labor 
and  attendance  at  the  common  schools. 

Aug.  4,  1862,  our  subject  enlisted,  in  Mercer  Co., 
111.,  as  private  in  Co.  A,  lozd  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  three  years,  participating  in  all  the  service  his 
regiment  saw.  The  io2d  was  in  the  famous  Atlanta 
campaign  ;  with  Sherman  to  the  sea,  on  to  Richmond 
and  in  the  grand  review  at  Washington.  Leaving 
the  army,  he  returned  to  Galesburg  and  for  the  suc- 
ceeding five  years  clerked  for  F.  O.  Crocker  in  the 
grocery  business.  In  partnership  with  a  brother-in- 
law,  he  succeeded  Mr.  Crocker  in  the  business,  and 
later  was  in  partnership  with  a  Mr.  Huffland,  con- 
ducting the  business  for  four  years.  Selling  out  to 
Mr.  Huffiand  in  1876,  he  proceeded  to  erect  the 
building  at  the  corner  of  Chambers  and  Berrien 
streets,  in  which  he  now  does  business.  His  brother, 
William  A.,  took  an  interest  in  the  business  in  1882. 
Mr.  Olson  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and 
A.  O.  U.  W.      He  was  married  in  Galesburg,  Oct.  20, 


1872,  to  Miss  Clara  Burke,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and 
his  three  children  bear  the  names  of  Clarence, 
Gracie  (who  is  deceased)  and  Irene.  Our  subject 
is  an  active  and  working  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  politically  is  a  supporter  of 
the  principles  advocated  by  the  Republican  party, 
and  is  justly  considered  one  of  the  substantial  men 
in  Knox  County. 


wtaec/®^*— frH 


K4— >*^^'^3'> 


ji'lbert  J.  Ostrander,  of  the  firm  of  Brooks 
If  &  Ostrander,  dealers  in  hides,  pelts,  wool, 
1^'^^  etc.,  42  and  44  Public  Square,  Galesburg, 
5|l}p  was  born  in  Van  Buren  Co.,  Mich.,  March  6, 
1846,  and  is  the  son  of  Harvey  B.  and  Mary 
(Woodworth)  Ostrander,  natives  of  York  State 
and  of  German  and  English  descent  respectively. 
Soon  after  his  marriage,  the  elder  Mr.  Ostrander  re- 
moved from  York  State  to  Michigan,  from  there  to 
Missouri  in  1855,  and  on  10  Iowa  in  1862.  From 
Iowa,  the  family  removed  to  Illinois,  where  the 
father  died  in  1881. 

Albert  J., of  whom  we  write,  was  educated  in  Mem- 
phis.  Mo.,  and  West  Point,  Iowa,  public  schools.  He 
began  life  for  himself  as  cletk,  alternating  between 
hotel  office  and  mercantile  establisliments.  After  an 
experience  as  merchant  at  Memphis,  Mo.,  he  came 
10  Galesburg,  in  1877,  and  engaged  in  his  present 
business,  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  which  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following,  clipped  from  a  recent 
IHiblication  (January,  1886): 

'Brooks  &  Ostrander  have  done  an  immense  bus- 
iness in  the  wool,  hide  and  tallow  line  the  past  year, 
and  their  enterprise  has  brought  a  stream  of  trade  to 
the  city.  They  have  handled  400,000  pounds  of 
hides;  420,000  pounds  of  tallow  and  grease;  50,000 
(X)unds  of  skins  and  pelts;  75,000  pounds  of  wool, 
etc.;  making  a  grand  total  of  alxjut  1,050,000  |X)unds. 
The  territory  within  which  these  purchases  have  been 
made  includes  all  towns  within  seventy -five  miles 
and  the  farming  country  for  many  miles  hereabouts. 
All  the  wool  was  shipped  to  Kentucky,  to  be  made 
into  Kentucky  jeans." 

Mr.  Ostrander  is  a  distinguished  Odd  Fellow,  and 
Secretary  of  Alpha  Lodge,   A.  F.    &  .\.  M.,  Gales- 


*r 


V- 


^t^ 


782 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


y^r¥ 


burg.  He  was  married  at  Monmouth,  111.,  April  12, 
1877,  to  Miss  Susie  V.  Ulmer,  and  their  children 
are  named  Eugene,  Frederick  and  Ethel. 


•*JiSU2fS^^ 


1^4— -/^^J^zrajwv. 


en.  Myron  S.  Barnes,  retired  journalist, 
residing  at  Galesburg,  is  a  native  of  Ma- 
"^  lone,  Franklin  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  was  bom 
March  4,  1824.  His  grandfather.  Rev.  Joshua 
Barne=;,  was  a  distinguished  Quaker  minister 
of  early  times,  and  came  from  London  to  this 
country  before  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  located 
with  a  colony  which  settled  in  Vermont  near  the  Con- 
necticut line,  from  where  he  removed  to  Western 
New  York  in  1828.  He  reared  four  sons — Simeon, 
Joshua,  Stephen  and  William,  and  lived  to  the  ex- 

Itraordinary  age  of   100  years.      His   youngest   son, 
William,  married  Margaret  Doty,  of  Vermont,  and  by 
her  had  four  sons   and  five  daughters,  the  subject  of 
Whis  sketch  being  the  first-born. 
I      William  Barnes  was  educated  for  the  law,  but  early 
I  in  life  abandoned  the  profession  and  followed  farm- 
ting  in  Western  New  York.    He  brought  his  family  to 
Cook  County,  111.,  in  1848,  and  died  there  at  the  age 
of  45  years.    His  widow  yet  survives  him  and  makes 
her  home  in  Minnesota,  having  attained  the  venera- 
ble age  of  86  years. 

Myron  S.  Barnes  was  educated  at  the  common 
schools  and  Attica  Academy,  and  Alexander  Semi- 
nary, N.  Y.  Almost  with  the  beginning  of  his  school 
days  he  formed  the  idea  of  becoming  a  newspaper 
man.  In  1838  he  went  to  Chicago  and  was  a  con- 
tributor to  \ht  Journal  and  Democrat ;  the  latter  was 
then  published  by  "  Long  John"  Wentworth ;  the 
Journal  yiai  published  by  "Dick  "  Wilson.  In  1840 
we  find  him  at  Lapeer,  Mich.,  editing  the  Plain- 
dealer,  a  Democratic  weekly,  which  he  continued  to 
run  through  the  Van  Buren  and  Harrison  campaign, 
when,  the  Democratic  party  having  been  retired  from 
power,  young  Barnes  closed  out  his  paper  and  re- 
turned to  Chicago.  There  he  lived  the  life  of  a 
Bohemian,  contributing  to  several  papers,  among 
which  were  the  Northwestern  Educator,  American 
Odd  Fellow,  Ladies'  Repository,  Alexander  s  Weekly, 
Toledo   Blade  and  also  frequently   worked  for  the 


*V 


Journal  and  Democrat  until  the  outbreak  of  the 
struggle  with  Mexico.  June  17,  1846,  he  enrolled  as 
a  private  soldier  in  Co.  E,  2d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  with  which 
he  served  for  14  months,  or  duiing  the  war.  His  reg- 
iment was  in  Gen.  Wool's  command  from  the  begin- 
ning, and  at  the  close  of  the  war  that  distinguished 
officer  desired  to  use  his  influence  for  Mr.  Barnes  to 
secure  a  Second  Lieutenancy  in  the  regular  army. 

Soon    after    returning    to    Chicago,    Mr.    Barnes 
formed  a    partnership    in  publishing  the   Southport 
American,   a  daily   and  weekly    paper,   which    they 
published  for  about    one    year   at   what  is    now  the 
town  of  Kenosha.     His  next  venture  in  the  newspa- 
per field  was  the   establishment   of  the   Rochester 
(N.  Y.)  Daily    Times,   and    from    which    afterward 
sprang  the  present   Daily  Union.     We  next  hear  of 
our  subject  at  Ithaca,  N.  Y.,  engaged  in  temperance 
work.     He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the   Good 
Templars  and   became  the  second  Grand  Secretary 
of  that  Order  for  the  State  of  New  York.     At  Ithaca 
he  established  the  Templar  and  Watchman,  and  ed- 
ited  it  for  two  years  in  the   interest  of  temperance. 
In  i8s6  he  was  sent  as  a  delegate  from  the  Ithaca  dis- 
trict to  the  first   National    Republican  Convention,  "** 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  and   nominated   John  C. 
Fremont   for   the    Presidency.     Before    the    end    of 
[856    he    was   again  in   Chicago,  and    the    firm    of 
Barnes,  Stewart    &    Payne   launched    the    Chicago 
Daily  Ledger,  with  which   Mr.  B.  severed  his   con- 
nection at  the  end  of  the  current  year.     From  there 
he  went  to   Rock  Island  as  editor  of  the  Register, 
where  we  find  him  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion. 
In  June,  1861,  acting  under  orders  from  the  Sec- 
retary of  War,  Mr.  Barnes,  in  company  with   Julius 
White,  of  Chicago,  raised  a  regiment  of  Sharpshoot- 
ers, known  first  as  the  Fremont   Rifles,  and  later  as 
the  37th  111.  Vol.  Inf.     White  went  out   as  Colonel 
and   Barnes    as    Lieutenant-Colonel.      The    record 
shows,  however,  that  in  about  six  months   Barnes 
had  been  elevated  to  the  colonelcy  and  continued  in 
command  of  tlie  regiment  until  leaving  the  service, 
June  20,  1863.    Ai  the  battle  of  Chandler's  Mills  the 
Colonel  received  a  severe   shell  wound   in  the  side, 
which  had  only  partially  healed   up  at  the  battle  of 
Pea  Ridge,  when  his  horse  was  shot  from  under  him, 
throwing  him   heavily  to  the  ground,  re-opening  the 
old  wound  and  leaving   him   in  a   most  critical  con- 
dition and  finally  compelling  him  to  leave  the  army, 
not,  however,  until,  by  an  order  of  Gen.  Schofield,  he 


=i^^ 


Ji 


^>- 


!^^H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


783 


had  been  placed  in  command  of  Southwestern  Mis- 
souri. 

Returning  to  Rock  Island,  he  started  the  Daily 
Union,  and  ran  it  three  years,  when  he  went  to 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  and  bought  the  Daily  Times,  which 
he  published  and  edited  about  five  years.  His  ne.\t 
move  was  to  Aurora,  111.,  where  he  established  the 
Daily  Herald  and  ran  it  until  the  fall  of  187  i.  He 
then  came  to  Chicago  and  organized  a  company  and 
started  the  Daily  News,  which  he  left  at  the  end  of 
Greeley's  disastrous  campaign.  Pn  1872,  Mr.  Barnes 
went  toGalesburg  and  purchased  the  Free  Press  and 
changed  the  name  to  the  Galesburg  Press,  and  was 
occupied  in  conducting  that  paper  until  he  retired 
from  work  Feb.  17,  1883,  on  account  of  his  wounds, 
since  which  time  he  has  constantly  been  under  medi- 
cal treatment. 

Gen.  Barnes  is  at  the  present  time  independent  in 
politics.  He  has  always  been  found  in  the  ranks,  up- 
holding the  party  of  his  choice  and  dealing  blows 
with  voice  or  pen  that  admitted  of  no  doubt  as  to 
whom  or  for  what  they  were  intended.  He  has  stead- 

1  ily  remained  a  temperance  man  and  worker,  and   in 
•^  the  campaign  of  1884  gave  his  entire  time  and  sup- 
port to  St.  John.     He  is  a  32d  degree   Mason,  Prel- 
ate  in  the  Comraandery,  and  also  a  member  of  the 

^  I.  O.  O.  F.,  G.  A.  R.  and  Good  Templars. 

Gen.  Barnes  was  married  in  Wayne  County,  N.  V., 
July  5,  1851,10  Miss  Charlotte  A.  Brush,  and  of 
their  three  children,  Mary  E.  and  Charlotte  Alice  are 
deceased,  and  William  Bennet  is  editor  of  the  Sand- 
wich (111.)  Free  Press. 

(^^  ouis  P.  ]jauren,  of  Galesburg,  was  born  in 
the  parish  of  Hastveda,  Soutliern  Sweden, 
May  1 1,  1842.  He  came  to  America  in  the 
summer  of  1865,  and  settled  in  Galesburg, 
worked  at  his  trade  as  painter,  the  first  year, 
and  as  janitor  of  Knox  College  the  last  ten 
years.  On  the  3d  day  of  August,  1866,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Hanna  Anderson,  born  in  the  parish  of  Hjer- 
sas,  Southern  Sweden,  on  the  i6th  day  of  February, 
1847.  They  have  been  blest  with  seven  children, 
of  whom  six  are  yet  living,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  namely:  Joseph  William,  born  April  r2, 
1868;  Esther  Albertina,  Aug.  17,  1870;  Carl  Emil, 


Sept.  29,  1874;  George  Albert,  Jan.  27,  1877,  died 
in  infancy;  Newton  Bateman,  May  8,  r878;  Nellie 
Paulina,  Aug.  3r,  1881;  Annie  Emelia,  Oct.  7,1884. 
Mr.  Lauren  and  family  attend  worship  at  the  First 
Baptist  Church. 

-¥^ ^ 


ames  B.  Speaks.  Among  the  progressive 
and  practical  farmers  and  stock-growers 
and  prosperous  citizens  of  Knox  County 
we  find  the  subject  of  this  biography,  whose 
home  is  located  on  section  i,  in  Orange  Town- 
ship, and  who  stands  among  the  most  ad- 
vanced workers  in  his  especial  line  of  labor.  He 
was  born  in  Warren  County,  Ind.,  Oct.  15,  1839, 
and  is  the  son  of  Robert  and  Louisa  (Bennett) 
Speaks. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  came  to  Illinois 
in  r86o,  and,  settling  in  Warren  County,  111.,  there 
passed  r2  years.  He  then  removed  to  Knox  County, 
where  he  has  lived  up  to  the  present  time.  At  that 
time,  when  the  heart  of  the  country  was  torn  with 
varied  emotions  of  hope  and  trouble,  and  when  the 
Union  of  States  trembled  in  the  balance,  with  the 
spirit  that  warmed  the  heart  of  every  true  man,  he 
came  boldly  out  to  her  rescue,  and  enlisted  in  the 
83d  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  commanded  by  Capt.  Lyman  B. 
Cutter.  This  was  in  August,  1862,  and  he  served 
nine  months.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  was  dis- 
charged, on  account  of  a  gunshot  wound  received  at 
Fort  Donelson  on  the  3d  of  February,  1863.'  After 
his  discharge  he  came  home  and  engaged  in  farming 
pursuits,  which  he  has  followed  continuously  ever 
since. 

On  the  2ist  of  August,  1862,  he  united  hand, 
heart  and  fortune  with  those  of  Melinda  M.  Webb, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  Jehu  and  Elizabeth  (Daw- 
son) Webb.  There  were  eight  children  born  of  this 
union,  as  follows:  James  K.,  April  30,  1864;  Min- 
nie F.,  Nov.  25,  1867;  Orpha  M.,  April  24,  1870; 
Cora  O.,  March  i,  1872;  John  W.,  Feb.  19,  1874; 
Olive  B.,  Sept.  23,  1877;  Arthur  B.,  Jan.  5,  1882; 
and  D.  W.,  March  27,  1884. 

The  mother  of  the  children  before  mentioned  was 
born  in  Ohio  June  r4,  1844.  Her  father  was  a  na- 
tive of  Maryland  and  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  the 
State  of  Indiana ;  her  mother,  whose  birthplace  was 


=4 


784 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


in  Ohio,  died  in  Illinois.  Our  subject  was  the  son 
of  Robert  Speaks,  a  native  of  Virginia,  who  died  in 
Indiana  40  years  ago. 

Mr.  Speaks  held  the  office  of  Township  Collector 
one  term  in  Ellison  Township,  Warren  County,  and 
is  living  on  a  farm  owned  by  Morris  Chase,  which 
lies  on  section  i,  in  Orange  Township.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  United  Brethren  in 
Christ,  and  Mr.  Speaks  has  served  as  minister  in  this 
church  for  25  years.  He  is  a  man  of  quick  observa- 
tion, which,  united  with  a  common-school  education, 
tends  to  make  him  well  informed  and  a  congenial 
companion.  In  politics  he  adopts  the  doctrine  of 
the  Republican  party,  which  organization  he  up- 
holds with  voice  and  vote. 

.^>^ o*o.-(g>><A^...o*o.. -V^ 

^ohn  T.  Wilson,  M.  D.,  a   prominent  phy- 
sician and  surgeon,  resident  at  Galesburg, 
111.,   is    a    native    of    Sweden,   where    he 
i'as  born  Sept.   10,   1857.     His  parents,   Ma- 
thias  and  Christina  (Lindquist)  Wilson,  spent 
their  lives  in  the  old  country.     The  subject  of 
our  sketch  came  to  America  in  1870,  and  at  Lowell, 
Mass.,  finished  an  education  begun  in  Sweden. 

Tiie  parents  of  our  subject  left  him  no  fortune, 
and,  like  a  majority  of  his  countrymen  who  have 
come  to  our  shores,  he  was  compelled  to  earn  by 
his  own  labor  a  support  and  his  school  tuition.  Im- 
mediately upon  leaving  school,  he  entered  the  office 
of  Dr.  Colby,  at  Lowell,  and,  under  the  instructions 
of  that  eminent  physician,  devoted  a  year  and  a  half 
to  the  study  of  medicine.  From  Dr.  Colby's  office 
he  began  a  course  at  the  Howard  Medical  College, 
D.  C,  and  from  that  institution  graduated  with  the 
degree  of  M.  D.  in  the  spring  of  1881.  Leaving 
college,  he  spent  a  few  months  at  Lowell,  Mass., 
whence  he  came  direct  to  Galesburg,  landing  here  in 
August,  1881.  Depending  entirely  upon  his  indi- 
vidual industry  for  a  livelihood.  Dr.  Wilson  was  not 
long  in  locating  an  office  and  offering  his  services  to 
the  afflicted.  From  the  very  beginning  of  his  prac- 
tice in  Galesburg,  fortune  seems  to  have  favored 
him.  While  almost  an  entire  stranger,  an  opportu- 
nity offered  for  the  display  of  his  skill  in  surgery,  the 
successful  results  whereof  attracted  to  him  the  better 
class   of  the   community    and  of  the    profession  as: 


well.  From  that  day  his  success  was  assured  and 
he  has  steadily  grown  in  favor  until  it  may  be  truth- 
fully said  that  no  physician  of  his  age  in  the  county 
of  Knox  occupies  a  higiier  position  in  the  profession 
than  he. 

The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  and 
the  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  Associate  Medical  Director  of  the 
C.  M.  B.  A.,  and  Medical  Director  of  the  Scandina- 
vian Mutual  Aid  Association,  and  has  yet  a  brilliant 
future  before  him. 


•T" 


ames  Weed  Cothren,  Freight  x\gent  of  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  at  Galesburg,  was 
born  in  Jamestown,  Chautauqua  Co.,  N. 
Y.,  Oct.  19,  1817.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Na- 
thaniel and  Clarinda  (Weed)  Cothren,  the 
former  a  native  of  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  a  son  of 
David  and  a  grandson  of  William  Cothren,  a  native 
of  Plymouth,  England,  and  who  in  turn  was  a  son 
of  William  Cothren,  a  native  of  Scotland,  where  the 
name  Cothren  properly  belongs.  The  Weeds  were 
of  Welsh  extraction  and  pioneers  in  the  State  of  New 
York,  but  the  descent  in  this  country  and  the  date 
of  settlement  here  are  not  now  known. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  reared  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  where  as  a  young  man  he  applied  himself  to 
mercantile  pursuits,  and  spent  about  ten  years  of  his 
life  following  the  business  throughout  that  State. 
In  1845  he  accepted  a  position  at  Galesburg,  Mich., 
in  the  freight  department  of  the  Michigan  Central 
Railroad  Company,  and  after  a  reputable  connection 
of  nine  years  with  that  company  he  accepted  his 
present  position,  with  which  he  has  been  worthily 
identified  ever  since. 

Mr.  James  Weed  Cothren  was  married  in  Detroit, 
Mich.,  to  Christina  Mackie,  daughter  of  John  Mackie, 
deceased,  of  that  city.  The  union  of  our  subject 
and  wife  was  blest  by  the  birth  of  a  son  and  two 
daughters— Charles  F.,  who  is  engaged  in  the  freight 
department  of  the  C  ,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.;  Mary 
Isabella  Cothren,  wife  of  Henry  P.  Ayers,  banker,  at 
Peoria;  and  Clara  Cothren,  wife  of  C.  L.  Westerman, 
mining  operator  at  Breckenridge,  Colo. 

Mr.  Cothren  takes  a  prominent  rank  among  those 

respected  pioneers  who  have  made  Galesburg  what 

it  is,  and  who  have  lived  to  see  the  infant  village 

>,^  they  first  located  in  grow  to  be  a  queenly  city.     He 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


78s 


was  a  member  of  the  first  Councils,  and  has  been 
more  or  less  active  in  its  political  growth  during  all 
these  years.  He  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  are  devoted 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church.  They  are 
respected  members  of  society,  and  have  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  iheir  family  occupying  leading  positions  in 
the  social  and  industrial  life  of  their  respective  local- 
ities. 


j'^^accheus  Beatty,  editor  of  the  Republican- 
^^_^^_  JiegisUr,  a  daily  and  weekly  paper,  pub- 
v'li?^"^  lished  at  Galesburg,  was  born  Nov.  1 1 , 
-/Jiyv^  1819.  His  parents,  Cyrus  P.  and  Nancy 
(Sarchet)  Beatty,  were  married  at  Cambridge, 
Guernsey  Co.,  Ohio,  where  their  four  sons  and 
five  daughters  were  born.  Cyrus  P.  Beatty  was  a 
native  of  Maryland,  and  the  Sarchet  family  came  to 
the  United  States  from  the  Island  of  Guernsey,  in 
1809,  and  settled  in  Ohio,  and  gave  the  name  to 
Guernsey  County.  C.  P.  Beatty  was  a  Captain  in 
the  War  of  18 12,  and  subsequently  served  20  years 
as  Clerk  of  the  Common  Pleas  and  Supreme  Courts 
of  Ohio.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Ohio  Legis- 
lature for  a  number  of  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  at  his  na- 
tive town,  and  there  began  to  learn  the  art  of  print- 
ing, which  he  finished  in  the  State  Printing-Office,  at 
Columbus.  In  1857  he  came  to  Peoria,  111.,  and 
worked  one  year  on  the  Daily  Union,  and  in  185  8, 
in  company  with  a  Mr.  Robinson,  purchased  the 
Knoxville  Republican  and  published  it  until  1866. 
From  here  he  went  to  Watseka,  111.,  where  he  was 
connected  with  the  Republican  up  to  1874,  at  which 
lime  he  came  to  Galesburg,  where  he  has  since  been 
in  the  newspaper  business.  (See  history  of  the  Re- 
publiean-Register,  this  volume.)  During  his  residence 
at  Knoxville  he  held  the  position  of  Assistant  United 
States  Assessor  for  two  years,  and  was  afterward  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  at  Watseka,  which  jxjsition  he 
held  several  years.  He  has  always  been  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  during  the  war  was  prominently 
identified  with  tlie  Union  League.  He  is  a  man  of 
wide  range  of  information,  the  result  of  persistent 
reading  and  extensive  travel.  He  is  also  an  active 
member  of  the  Galesburg  Lodge,  No.  142,  I.  O.  O. 


F.,  and  of  Colfax  Encampment,  No.  28.  He  was 
married  at  Cambridge,  Ohio,  Christmas  Day,  in  1843, 
to  Margaret  C.  Fesler,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  His 
family  consists  of  himself,  wife  and  two  daughters. 


rnest  Smith  Moulton,  Ticket  Agent  at  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.'s  office  at  Gales- 
burg, is  a  noteworthy  representative  of  his 
profession  and  of  the  young  men  who  have 
grown  up  with  this  fair  city.  He  is  the  young- 
est son  of  the  family  of  Billings  Moulton,  Esq. 
(whose  sketch  appears  in  this  work),  a  native  to 
the  manor  born,  the  advent  of  his  arrival  here  being 
dated  Jan.  3,  1859. 

Our  subject  was  well-reared  and  educated,  attend- 
ing Knox  College  up  to  the  Senior  year  after  having 
completed  a  good  English  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  Galesburg.  He  clerked  for  awhile  in  the 
post-office,  and  T878  accepted  a  clerkship  in  Master 
Mechanic  Colville's  office,  which  he  reputably  filled 
for  about  three  years.  Subsequently  he  spent  a  year 
in  the  ticket  office  of  this  corporation  at  Chicago, 
after  which  he  accepted  his  present  position  at 
Galesburg. 

Ernest  Smith  Moulton  was  united  in  the  holy 
bonds  of  matrimony  at  Riverside,  Cal.,  with  Julia  C, 
daughter  of  Sylvanus  H.  Ferris,  Esq.  She  is  a  lady 
of  estimable  attainments,  and  has  borne  her  husband 
a  brigiu  little  girl,  named  Stella  Florence.  Mr. 
Moulton  is  an  active  and  energetic  official  and  a 
public-spiiited  citizen,  and  we  predict  for  him  a 
successful  official  career  and  a  useful  citizenship. 


#^ 


letcher  Caldwell  Rice,  Superintendent  of 
the  Galesburg  Division  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.,  is  an  example  of  what  may  be  at- 
,[^  tained  by  steady  and  persistent  industry  in  a 
^^  chosen  vocation.  He  has  risen  from  a  subor- 
dinate clerkship,  through  steady,  meritorious 
gradations,  to  his  present  incumbency.  He  was  born 
at  Palmyra,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  10,  1844.  His  parents, 
Dr.  William  A.  and  Helen  M.  (Galloway)  Rice,  were 
likewise  natives  of  that  State.  The  grandparents  of 
our  subject  were  from  Amherst,  Mass.,  and  belong 


=fc^ 


1 


786 


4 


r:. . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


to  a  worthy  line  of  ancestry  in  that  State.  On  both 
sides  of  the  parentage  of  our  subject,  we  find  a  re- 
putable record  of  their  having  served  with  credit  in 
the  War  of  the  Revolution.  In  the  War  of  1812, 
Capt.  James  Archer  Galloway,  grandfather  of  Mr. 
Rice,  served  with  marked  distinction,  and  during  the 
late  War  of  the  Rebellion,  although  ripe  in  years,  the 
old  gentleman  organized  a  regiment  of  soldiers  from 
Hillsdale  County,  Mich.  This  regiment  was  made  up 
of  men  over  45  years  of  age,  which  was  tendered  to 
Gen.  Scott  and  Secretary  Stanton.  They  were  highly 
complimented  and  thanked  for  the  patriotism  dis- 
played, but  Gen.  Scott  and  Secretary  Stanton  de- 
clined to  accept  them  on  the  ground  that  thei*  were 
so  many  younger  men  volunteering  that  their  quota 
was  full. 

Dr.  William  Rice  settled  in  Beloit,  Wis.,  about 
1854,  where  he  had  moved  from  the  State  of  Michi- 
gan. It  was  in  Beloit  and  here  that  the  subject  of 
this  notice  developed  into  manhood  and  chose  the 
railway  business  as  his  vocation.  He  completed  the 
study  of  telegraphy  in  the  office  of  the  Illinois  & 
Mississippi  Telegraph  Company,  at  Beloit.  The  late 
Civil  War  breaking  out,  young  Rice,  with  the  char- 
acteristic traits  of  his  ancestors,  longed  to  do  some- 
thing for  his  countr)-.  His  sympathies  and  instincts 
were  for  the  Union  his  ancestors  had  so  bravely 
fought  to  maintain,  but  his  youth  prevented  his  im- 
mediate acceptance.  However,  in  1862,  he  was  ac- 
cepted and  became  a  member  of  the  13th  111. 
Cav.,  doing  good  service  until  he  was  honorably 
discharged  in  1863.  Returning  from  the  field  of 
strife,  Mr.  Rice  was  appointed  clerk  and  operator  in 
the  office  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.,  at  Monmouth,  which 
was  the  first  position  of  trust  he  ever  held  in  the  era- 
ploy  of  that  company.  He  held  places  of  similar 
trust  at  different  points  on  the  line  of  that  road  until 
1867,  when  he  was  sent  to  Galesburg  and  appointed 
Train  Dispatcher,  a  position  he  reputably  filled  for 
several  years.  In  1877  he  was  made  Chief  Train  , 
Dispatcher  and  Chief  Operator,  and  in  1878,  the 
position  of  Trainmaster  was  added  to  his  duties,  all 
of  which  he  filled  with  marked  ability  and  compe- 
tency until  August,  1 88 1,  when  he  received  his  pres- 
ent appointment,  which  he  has  acceptably  filled. 

Mr.  Rice  has  filled  all  his  numerous  appointments 
to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  company,  and,  to  his 
credit  be  it  said,  he  never  suffered  an  accident  to 
occur  through  neglect  of  duty.     He  has  always  stuck 


strictly  to  his  professional  pursuits  and  never  allowed 
himself  to  become  a  candidate  before  the  people  for 
public  honors  or  private  benefit.  He  is  pronounced 
in  his  views  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare 
of  the  city  and  locality,  and  is  a  liberal  contributor  to 
all  projects  he  considers  worthy.  He  holds  and  de- 
serves the  highest  respect  as  a  citizen.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Galesburg  Club,  of  which  he 
was  one  of  the  organizers,  and  is  a  member  of  its 
Board  of  Directors.  He  was  married  in  Poughkeep- 
sie,  N.  Y.,  to  Hattie  A.  Leeson,  a  lady  of  estimable 
attainments  and  a  great-granddaughter  of  Gen. 
Knox  of  Revolutionary  fame.  Their  happy  union 
has  been  blest  with  a  son  and  daughter — Carrie 
E.  and  Robert.  The  family  attend  and  worship  at 
the  Congregational  Church. 


:on.  John  C.  Stewart,  claim  agent  and ., 
dealer  in  real  estate  at  Galesburg,  was 
r^  born  in  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  Oct.  24,  1822. 
His  grandfather  came  from  the  North  of  Ire- ,  p 
land,  settled  near  Fort  Duquesne,  now  Pitts- 
burg, and  from  there  removed  to  Mercer 
County  in  1800.  His  oldest  son,  James,  father  of 
the  subject  of  oarsketch,  was  born  in  1797,  and  mar- 
ried Nancy  McKee,  in  Butler  County,  Pa.,  in  1821, 
and  by  her  had  born  to  him  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  John  C.  being  the  oldest.  The  father 
married  a  second  time,  thereby  adding  to  the  pro- 
geny three  sons  and  one  daughter.  He  was  a  hotel- 
keeper  and  mail-contractor  and  died  Oct.  3,  1876. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  at  the 
Mercer  County  Academy,  and  taught  school  a  num- 
ber of  winters  in  that  vicinity,  and  from  1845  to  1852 
he  was  superintending  a  blast-furnace  in  his  native 
county.  From  early  boyhood  he  clerked  off  and  on 
in  a  general  store,  prior  to  engaging  in  the  iron-works, 
at  his  native  place,  and  in  1855  came  to  Galesburg, 
where  dealing  in  real  estate  has  since  formed  his 
principal  business.  In  the  newer  Western  States  he 
entered  Government  land,  bought  some  improved 
land,  sold,  traded  and  in  all  cases  handled  his  own 
property.  It  is  not  the  province  of  this  biographer 
to  speak  of  the  financial  success  of  the  subject,  but 
in  this  case  we  feel  warranted  in  saying  that  Mr. 
Stewart's  returns  have  been  commensurate  in  a  rea- 


■  OF  THE 

l-wVERSIiy  Of  lLm-3 


(^  ^  y^  c?x^  ^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


789 


sonable  degree  with  his  efforts.  Aside  from  his 
landed  interest,  he  is  a  stockholder  in  the  two  lead- 
ing banks  in  the  city  and  Director  of  the  Galesburg 
Brick  and  Tile  Company.  He  has  been  three  times 
elected  Mayor  of  the  city,  to  wit:  1859,  1877  and 
1883.  On  the  5th  of  November,  1885,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Judge  Blodgett  Receiver  of  the  Gales- 
burg Water- Works  Company,  and  still  has  the  prop- 
erty in  charge. 

John  C.  Stewart,  our  subject,  was  married  at  West- 
chester, Pa.,  Oct.  18,  1853,  to  Carrie  M.  McFarland, 
and  the  names  of  their  daughters  are  Maud  M.  and 
Alice.  The  life  of  Mr.  John  C.  Stewart  really  forms 
an  important  part  of  the  history  of  Galesburg,  and 
we  refer  our  readers  to  the  records  of  his  various  ad- 
ministrations as  the  chief  executive  officer  of  the  city, 
for  much  that  cannot  be  here  treated,  as  it  belongs  to 
another  department.  In  his  jwlitical  belief  he  is  a 
firm  adherent  to  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party,  but  when  in  office  he  represented  the  people 
irrespective  of  party.  He  with  his  family  attends 
the  Presbvterian  Church. 


■->-->^'^i^^^^^^T^k<--<-' 


.ndrew  C.  Housh,  banker,  Maquon,  is  the 
jr  son  of  David  and  Elizabeth  (Thornbrough) 
Housh.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky and  of  Dutch  ancestry,  his  mother  of 
French  and  Irish.  They  settled  in  Putnam 
County,  Ind.,  where  they  lived  until  1836, 
when  they  removed  to  Knox  County.  They  made  a 
settlement  in  Haw  Creek  Township,  where  the  father 
engaged  in  farming  and  became  one  of  its  leading 
men.  Here  his  demise  occurred  in  the  latter  part  of 
May,  1879.  His  widow  still  survives  and  resides  at 
Maquon.  Their  family  consisted  of  12  children — 
Joseph  M.,  Mary,  James  O.,  Rebecca,  Jacob  C, 
Barbara,  Joshua,  Lilly  A.,  Elizabeth,  Daniel  M., 
Eveline  and  Amanda. 

Andrew  C.  Housh,  of  whom  we  write,  was  born  in 
Putnam  County,  Ind  ,  Oct.  16,  1834,  and  was  there- 
fore in  the  second  year  of  his  age  when  his  parents 
came  to  this  county,  in  1836.  He  remained  at  home, 
assisting  his  father  on  the  farm,  until  he  attained  the 
age  of  17  years,  after  which  he  was  employed  by  his 
father  in   teaming  and  in   the  distillery.      He  had 


learned  the  trade  of  distilling,  at  which  occupation 
he  worked  for  12  years,  at  the  same  time  following 
the  occupation  of  a  teamster.  His  education  was 
very  limited,  being  acquired  in  the  common  schools. 
In  the  year  1863,  he,  in  company  with  his  father  and 
two  brothers,  bought  out  the  mercantile  interest  of 
Alfred  Thurman  (see  sketch  of  Mr.  T.),  Maquon 
Township.  They  continued  together  in  this  branch 
of  business  for  ten  years,  when  our  subject  bought 
out  the  entire  concern.  He  conducted  it  for  about 
four  years,  when  he  disposed  of  it  and  soon  after- 
ward engaged  in  the  br.nking  business,  and  also  in 
the  handling  of  stock,  in  which  branches  of  business 
lie  is  still  engaged. 

Mr.  Housh  is  the  proprietor  of  530  acres  of  fertile 
land,  located  in  Maquon  Township,  and  which  is 
under  a  very  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  also 
the  owner  of  village  property  in  Maquon,  besides  500 
acres  of  fine  farm  land  in  Nebraska.  He  is  an  ex- 
tensive dealer  in  stock,  and  is  numbered  among  the 
most  successful  and  prosperous  agriculturists  and 
business  men  in  the  county  of  Knox. 

At  Knoxville,  Nov.  11,  1857,  our  subject  was  mar- 
ried to  Adeline  Ouderkirk,  daughter  of  Peter  F.  and  §■ 
Elizabeth  (Fink)  Ouderkirk.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  New  York  State  and  of  Dutch  ancestry. 
They  arrived  in  Knox  County  in  1835,  and  settled 
in  Maquon,  afterward  removing  to  Flaw  Creek 
Township,  at  which  place  their  demise  occurred. 
The  father  died  in  1846,  and  the  mother  in  1863. 
The  family  consisted  of  six  children — John,  Samuel, 
Adeline,  Caroline,  Polly  and  I,a  Fayette.  Adeline 
E.  Ouderkirk,  wife  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Onon- 
daga County,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  28,  1835,  and  was  an  in- 
fant of  eight  months  when  lier  parents  came  to  Knox 
County.  Samuel  Ouderkirk  enlisted  in  the  86th  111. 
Vol.  Inf ,  and  served  three  years.  He  was  in  several 
engagements,  the  most  important  being  the  battle  of 
Shiloh. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Housh  have  been  blest  by  the  birth 
of  two  children — Emma  F.  and  E.  La  Fayette. 
Emma  is  the  wife  of  Frank  P.  Hurd,  the  present 
Supervisor  of  Maquon  Township,  being  elected  April 
6,  1886.  Mrs.  Hurd  has  become  the  mother  of  two 
children — J.  Clinton  and  Addie  L.  La  Fayette 
Housh  is  the  husband  of  Leonia  Libolt,  also  resi- 
dents of  Maipion,  and  is  associated  with  his  father  in 
the  banking  business.  The  senior  Mr.  Housh  has 
been  Township  Clerk,  Commissioner  of  Highways 


\ 


790 


~'  .        .v.. 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  School  Director.  He  has  also  been  a  member 
of  the  Town  Council.  He  is  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  politics  is  a  Doug- 
las Democrat.  He  belongs  to  Maquon  Lodge,  No. 
530,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  The  father  of  Mr.  Housh  was  in 
the  War  of  1812. 

As  one  of  the  leading  and  representative  men  of 
Knox  County  we  place  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Housh  in 
this  Album. 

,ol.  Horace  H.  Willsie  was  born  in  Lower 

^^^1^    Canada,  Jan.  27,  1827,  and  was   the  sec- 

1^*"*"^    ond    son    of   John    and   Sabra   (Hudson) 

^fe)     Willsie,  who  reared  a  family  of  five  boys  and 

P^      four  girls.     The  senior  Mr.  Willsie  removed 

j        from   Canada  to  the   State  of  Minnesota,  in 

1856,  and  died  there  in  1879,  in  his  80th  year.     His 

widovkf  yet   survives   him.     She  resides   in  Fillmore 

f  County,  Minn.,  and  is  in  the  8ist  year  of  her  age. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  spent  the  first  14  years 
of  his  life  upon  his  father's  farm.  He  was  then  ap- 
fcprenticed  to  the  tanning  and  currying  trade  at 
Moore's  Junction,  N.  Y.,  which  he  followed  until 
about  25  years  of  age.  In  1853  he  left  Canada  and 
,canie  into  the  States  to  make  his  home,  railroading 
while  in  Missouri,  spent  a  year  in  Iowa,  and  reached 
Galesburg  in  the  fall  of  1854.  Here  he  clerked 
awhile  in  a  dry  goods  establishment,  was  appointed 
Deputy  Sheriff  in  the  fall  of  1855,  and  held  the  posi- 
tion for  two  years.  The  following  year  he  engaged 
in  the  livery  business,  which  he  abandoned  to  again 
accept  the  appointment  of  Deputy  SherifT,  a  position 
he  was  filling  when  the  war  broke  out. 

In  July,  1862,  he  entered  the  service  of  the  United 
States  as  Captain  of  Co.  D,  io2d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and 
served  about  one  year,  with  the  rank  of  major,  then 
resigning  on  account  of  poor  health.  The  following 
spring  (1864),  he  recruited  a  company  for  the  139th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  at  the  organization  of  that  regiment 
became  its  Lieutenant-Colonel.  He  was  out  only 
about  five  months  with  this  command.  In  February, 
1865,  he  recruited  a  company  for  the  148th  111.  Vol. 
Inf.,  and  was  tendered  the  colonelcy  of  that  regiment, 
with  which  rank  he  left  the  service  in  the  following 
September.  While  with  the  io2d,  he  was  in  Ken- 
tucky and  Tennessee ;  with  the  139th  in  Kentucky 
and  Missouri;  and  with  the  148th  in  Tennessee  and 


Alabama.  During  the  entire  service  his  only  injury, 
aside  from  disease,  was  accidental.  At  TuUahoma, 
Ala.,  his  skull  was  fractured  by  the  fall  of  his  horse. 

At  four  different  times  during  the  war  Col.  Willsie 
is  credited  with  having,  by  his  own  personal  influence, 
filled  Galesburg's  quota  to  the  army.  Altogether  he 
has  been  si.x  years  Marshal  of  the  city,  which,  aside 
from  his  Deputy  Sheiiffship,  constitutes  the  sum  of 
his  civil  office  services.  Col.  Willsie  has  worked  his 
way  through  life,  and  his  successes  are  attributable 
only  to  the  efforts  of  himself.  In  1876  he  engaged 
in  his  present  business,  that  of  a  livery  and  sale 
stable,  and  his  establishment  is  one  of  the  best  in  the 
city. 

June  5,  185s,  he  was  married  in  Galesburg  to  Bet- 
sey A.  Nichols,  a  native  of  Earlville,  N.  Y.,  who  has 
borne  to  him  five  children,  viz. :  Wilbur  F.,  United 
States  Mail  Service;  Horace  M.,  storekeeper's  de- 
partment C,  B  &  Q.  R.  R.;  Alfred  N.,  clerk  in 
Master  Mechanic's  office  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.;  John, 
machinist,  and  one  daughter,  Daisy  A.,  resides  at 
home.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  identified  with 
the  Republican  party.  Col.  Willsie  is  a  genial, 
whole-souled,  affable  gentleman,  and  has  won  hosts 
of  friends. 


ohn  N.  Irwin,  a  successful  farmer  on  sec- 
tion I,  Galesburg  Township,  was  born  in 
Venango  County,  Pa.,  in  1847,  and  came 
with  his  parents  to  Illinois,  in  1855.  They 
located  in  Whiteside  County,  where  they  re- 
mained one  year,  when  they  moved  to  Peoria 
and  lived  there  some  eight  years,  and  then  came  to 
Galesburg  in  November,  1864.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Emily  (Newton)  Irwin,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  father  being  born  in  1808,  and  still  living 
in  Galesburg.  The  mother  was  born  in  November, 
18 1 6.  They  were  married  in  1844  and  had  four 
children,  two  boys  and  two  girls,  as  follows :  Lucy 
A.,  who  married  Rev.  Isaac  Cary  ;  Sarah  J.  married 
Rev.  R.  G.  McNiece ;  Albert  B.,  and  John  N.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  married  Miss  Angle  Mc- 
M  aster,  Feb.  21,  1872. 

Mrs.  Irwin  was  born  Feb.  21,  1848,  and  was  there- 
fore married  on  her  24th  birthday.  They  have  five 
sons,  as  follows:  Walter  M.,  born  Nov.  9,  1872; 
Herbert   E.,   born   April  19,   1875;    Lynn  N.,  born 


^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


791 


June  19,  1877;  J.  Paul,  born  Nov.  22,  1879,  and 
Keith  G.,  born  March  13,  1885.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Invin  were  John  and  Rosetta  (Hobbs)  Mc- 
Master.  The  father  is  a  native  of  Mercer  County, 
Pa.,  where  he  was  born  Oct.  6,  1815.  Her  mother 
was  born  in  England,  Oct.  8,  18 18,  and  came  to 
America  with  her  parents  when  a  small  girl.  They 
were  married  in  "Rochester,  N.  Y.,  in  July,  1845, 
where  they  remained  some  two  years,  and  then 
moved  to  Western  Pennsylvania,  where  he  has  been 
preaching  in  different  Presbyterian  churches  for  over 
40  years.  Mrs.  McMaster  died  in  Erie,  Pa.,  Jan.  17, 
1877.  Of  their  three  children,  Mrs.  Irwin  is  the 
only  one  now  Uving. 

Mr.  Irwin  has  107  acres  of  good  land,  80  acres  in 
Galesburg  Township  and  the  balance  in  Kno.x  Town- 
ship, and  has  a  fine  residence.  They  are  both  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Galesburg,  and 
he  has  been  School  Director  for  a  great  many  years. 
In  {xjlitics  he  is  a  Republican.  Like  many  of  the 
public-spirited  citizens  of  Knox  County,  Mr.  Irwin 
has  contributed  a  large  share  of  effort  in  promoting 
the  material  and  social  welfare  of  the  community, 
never  falling  behind  in  the  performance  of  those 
public  duties  which  constitute  the  obligations  of  the 
good  citizens.  These  good  people,  while  having  pro- 
vided liberally  for  their  own  household,  are  known  as 
kind  and  obliging  neighbors,  ready  to  lend  a  hand 
whenever  and  wherever  needed. 


-Cf- 


i'aines  W.  McCutehen.  Prominent  among 
the  agricultural  class  of  Kno.x  County,  who 
have  themselves  made  what  they  have  of 
this  world's  goods,  is  he  of  whom  these  few  bi- 
ographical facts  are  related.  He  is  a  promi- 
nent and  successful  farmer,  of  Scotch  nation- 
ality, residing  on  section  4,  Lynn  Township,  and  is 
there  industriously  engaged  in  his  independent  calling. 
He  is  the  son  of  Rev.  Robert  and  Rebecca  (Ad- 
ams) McCutehen.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  and  reared  in  Armstrong  County,  Pa.,  and  there 
lived  until  a  young  man.  He  then  went  to  Venango 
County,  Pa.,  and  was  there  married.  May  10,  1831. 
His  father,  Robert,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
bom  in  the  North  of  Ireland  and  was  of  Scotch  an- 
cestry  and   parentage.     He   came   to  this   country 


when  a  young  man  and  located  in  Armstrong 
County,  Pa.,  and  was  tliere  married  to  a  Miss  Dixon; 
she  was  also  of  Scotch  ancestry,  and  died  when  Rob- 
ert, father  of  our  subject,  was  but  four  years  of  age; 
Robert's  father  dying  when  he,  Robert,  Jr.,  was  but 
eight  years  of  age.  Thus  we  see  that  tlie  father  of 
our  subject  was  orphaned  when  but  a  lad  of  eight 
years  of  age.  He  afterward  lived  with  his  oldest 
sister,  Elizabeth,  until  he  had  attained  the  age  of 
i6  years,  in  the  meantime  earning  his  own  living.  It 
was  about  this  time  that  he  went  to  Venango  County, 
Pa.,  and  there  lived  with  his  widowed  sister,  Mar- 
garet, occupied  in  various  vocations.  After  living  with 
her  for  awhile  he  became  connected  with  the 
chaicoal  works  of  the  county  and  continued  in  the 
same  for  16  years,  and  during  that  time  purchased 
and  carried  on  a  farm.  When  20  years  of  age  Rob- 
ert McCutehen  united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  was  soon  after  ordained  as  a  local  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel.  He  subsequently  became  one  of 
the  most  active  ministerial  laborers  of  that  church, 
and  during  the  entire  remaining  portion  of  his  life 
was  engaged  in  the  good  work.  His  labors  in  the 
ministry  were  well  rewarded,  and  in  185  i  he  moved  to 
Peoria,  settling  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity  of  that  city 
and  a  few  miles  north  of  it.  He  was  one  of  the  most 
successful  ministers  in  that  part  of  the  State,  and 
many  denominations  owe  to  him  the  honor  of  having 
increased  their  membership.  In  1864  he  sold  his 
farm  near  Peoria  and  moved  to  Freeport,  where  he 
took  charge  of  a  congregation,  consisting  at  that  time 
of  22  members,  but  during  the  two  years  of  his  labors 
increased  the  same  to  120  and  built  the  Embury 
Church,  of  Freeport.  Later  he  went  to  Indianola, 
Iowa,  and  some  years  afterward  moved  to  Lyons, 
that  State,  and  was  there  laboring  in  the  cause,  when. 
May  19,  1 88 1,  he  was  called  to  receive  his  reward  in 
the  land  beyond,  and  having  been  born  Jan.  4,  18 10, 
was  consequently  7  i  years  of  age  at  the  date  of  his 
demise.  Ten  days  prior  to  his  death  he  celebrated 
his  golden  wedding.  He  was  the  younger  of  his 
father's  family  and  survived  all  the  children.  His 
wife  was  born  May  13,  1811,  in  Venango  County, 
Pa.,  and  was  there  reared  to  womanhood  and  there 
married.  Her  father.  Weldon  Adams,  was  born  in 
Eastern  Pennsylvania,  and  her  grandfather,  James 
Adams,  was  from  the  North  of  Ireland.  Her  grand- 
parents died  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania.  Weldon  Ad- 
ams had  a  family  of  five  boys  and  five  girls,  of  wbgui 


I 


1 


t* 


792 


K^rOX  COUNTY. 


Mrs.  McCutchen  is  yet  living  in  Lyons,  Iowa,  having 
attained  the  venerable  age  of  75  years.  She  was  the 
mother  of  nine  children,  of  whom  James  W.  is  the 
eldest  living,  and  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Five 
of  the  children  yet  survive— two  sons  and  three 
daughters. 

James    W.    McCutchen    was    born    in    Venango 
County,  Pa.,  Feb.  21,  1833,  came  to  Illinois  in  1851, 
and  settled  in  Peoria  County.     He  was  married  Jan. 
4,  1855,  in  Venango  County,  Pa.,  to  Miss  C.  Rosetta 
Byers,  a  native  of  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  and  born  Aug. 
27,  1833.    She  is  a  daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth 
(Piper)  Byers,  natives  of  Mercer  County,  Pa.,  and 
who  now  reside  in  that  county.    They  have  lived  to- 
gether as  man   and  wife   for  60   years.     The  father 
was  born   June  12,  1800,  and  the  mother  Oct.    10, 
1807  ;  the  former  was  of  French  extraction  and   the 
latter  of  German,  and  in  their  united  efforts  in  life 
they  have  met  with  far  more  than  ordinary  success. 
Mrs.  J.  W.  McCutchen  was  well  educated  in  the 
r  common  schools  and  lived  with  her  parents  until  her 
I  marriage.  Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCutchen 
^^six  children  have   been  born,  four  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased.    The  record  is  as  follows:  Charlie  M.,  born 
I  June  27,  1862,  is  a  fireman  on  the  C,  B.  &.  Q. 
'  R.  R. ;  Frank    F.,  born  Oct.   9,  1866,  is    attending 
Commercial    College    at    Davenport;    Almira,    born 
Dec.  7,  1855,  died  April    13,  1865;  Laura    A.,  born 
Aug.   28,    1857,  died   Feb.  19,  1858;  Ada  B.,  born 
Sept.  27,  1859,  died  Aug.  29,  i860;  Freddie  E.,born 
July  24,  1872,  died  August  31  of  the  same  year. 

After  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCutchen  lived  in 
Peoria  County,  where  he  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits for  ten  years.  He  then  moved  to  Freeport  and 
from  there  to  Marshall  County,  this  State,  where  he 
purchased  120  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  lived  for 
12  years,  engaged  in  farming.  From  the  latter  place 
he  came  to  this  county  and  purchased  his  present 
fine  farm  of  160  acres,  one  mile  south  of  Galva. 
Since  that  time  he  has  continued  to  reside  upon  the 
farm,  devoting  his  time  and  attention  to  its  cultiva- 
tion and  improvement,  together  with  the  raising  of 
stock.  He  and  his  wife  are  consistent,  active  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  have 
been  for  many  years,  and  of  which  denomination  he 
has  been  Steward  for  about  30  years.  Class  Leader 
for  many  years  and  Sunday-school  Superintendent. 
He  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  Supervisor  and 


held  many  other  offices  of  minor  import.  In  politics 
he  always  casts  his  vote  for  the  success  of  the  Re- 
publican party. 


+ 


eorge  W.  Sawyer.  Among  the  truly  rep- 
resentative men  in  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship there  are  few  who  have  held  positions 
of  trust  and  at  the  same  time  have  had  large 
business  transactions  who  could  so  adequately 
perform  the  duties  of  both,  with  credit  to 
themselves  and  profit  to  others,  as  the  gentleman 
whose  name  heads  this  history.  He  may  be  pro- 
nounced as  one  of  the  many  representative  men  of 
his  district.  In  business  he  is  a  Notary  Public, 
general  collector,  insurance  and  real  estate  agent  and 
a  farmer.  His  residence  is  on  section  9,  Walnut 
Grove  Township,  while  his  office  is  at  Altona.  He 
first  came  to  this  county  in  the  spring  of  1856,  from 
Delaware  Co.,  N.  Y.  He  was  born  in  Fergusonville, 
of  that  county,  on  the  5th  of  August,  1828.  His 
father,  Henry  Sawyer,  was  formerly  a  carpenter  but 
later  a  farmer,  and  lived  and  died  in  Fergusonville.  Nm 
He  was  of  English  extraction  and  married  in  his 
native  county  to  Miss  Margaret  Multer.  She  was 
a  native  of  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  ¥.,  and  of  German 
descent.  After  the  death  of  her  husband  she  came 
to  Illinois  and  died  at  her  son's  home  Oct.  26,  1885, 
in  her  80th  year. 

Mr.  Sawyer,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  was  the 
second  of  five  children  born  to  his  parents.  Two 
of  these  are  now  living  in  this  State,  one  in  Nebraska 
and  one  in  Massachusetts;  the  latter,  Joseph  H.,  is 
the  Principal  of  Williston  Seminary,  of  East  Hamp- 
ton, Mass.  He  graduated  at  Amherst  and  was  Pro- 
fessor of  the  Higher  Mathematics  for  many  years. 
The  present  gentleman  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  He  was  a  bright  boy  and  secured  his  edu- 
cation chiefly  by  his  own  efforts.  At  first  he  learned 
the  trade  of  his  father,  that  of  a  carpenter,  which  he 
followed  for  some  time.  This  he  acquired  when  he 
was  16  years  old  and  soon  afterward  set  out  on 
his  own  account,  coming  West  in  April,  1856.  Locat- 
ing in  Galesburg,  he  followed  his  trade  for  one  year 
and  then  proceeded  to  Minneapolis,  Minn.,  where 
he  remained  another  year.  After  spending  some 
months  in  Wisconsin  he  came  again  to  Galesburg 
and  engaged  in  teaching,  a  profession  which  he  had 


4^ 


A 


l-> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


793 


•H^ 


more  or  less  cultivated  in  his  native  county.  His 
first  income  from  this  was  only  ten  dollars  per  month. 
In  1859  he  became  connected  with  tlie  nursery  bus- 
iness, and  after  working  at  this  the  best  portion  of 
two  years  began  again  to  pursue  his  trade  for  a  short 
time.  Going  to  Quincy,  Adams  Co.,  111.,  he  was 
there  married,  Dec.  9,  r86o,  to  Miss  Sarali  Cleveland, 
a  native  of  Schoharie  Co.  N.  Y.  She  came,  when 
only  four  years  old,  with  her  parents,  to  Quincy,  111. 
Here  she  was  educated  and  resided  up  to  the  date 
of  her  marriage.  By  her  union  she  was  blest  with 
five  children,  two  of  whom  are  deceased.  There  are 
living  at  home  Ida  E.,  now  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools  of  this  county,  Charles  C.  and  Henry  J. 

After  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  went  East, 
and  in  the  following  spring  returned  again  to  this 
township.  After  he  had  farmed  for  four  years  he 
sold  out  and  proceeded  to  Quincy,  111.  Later  he 
came  to  Altona  and  erected  a  desirable  home  in  this 
vicinity.  Having  bought  a  lumber  yard  here,  he 
operated  the  same  for  two  years.  Finally  he  was 
engaged  as  a  Notary  Phblic  and  in  1875  purchased 
a  cattle  ranch  in  Nebraska.  In  the  course  of  a  few 
' '  years  he  traded  the  ranch  for  his  present  farm  of  240 
acres.  Here  he  has  become,  as  already  stated,  one  of 
the  most  successful  farmers  of  his  district.  Mrs. 
^  Sawyer  and  her  daughter  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  at  Altona  and  stand  high 
in  that  community. 

Mr.  Sawyer  has  been  Justice  of  the  Peace  and 
Township  Treasurer,  as  well  as  filling  other  minor 
officeb.  In  him  the  Republican  party  have  one  of 
the  strongest  adherents  and  one  of  the  most  consci- 
entious workers. 


i^onas  F.  Anderson,  fashionable  restaura- 
j^^  teur  and  confectioner,  Galesburg,  came  to 
America  from  Sweden  in  1855  and  to  this  city 
in  1856.  His  mother,  who  accompanied  him 
hither,  spent  her  last  days  in  Galesburg.  Jonas 
F.  Anderson  was  born  Sept.  7,  1841;  his  boy- 
hood in  Sweden  was  spent  principally  in  school,  and 
since  coming  here,  like  his  industrious  people,  he  has 
gathered  a  pretty  fair  knowledge  of  English.  After 
several  years'  experience  in  biographical  work,  cover- 
ing all  classes  and  nationalities,  the  writer  unreserv- 
edly pronounces  the  Swede  as  the  most  apt  of  all 


foreigners  who  come  to  our  shores  in  gathering  an 
English  education  and  adapting  himself  to  American 
ideas.  The  industry  and  good  citizenship  of  these 
people  are  marked,  and  their  loyalty  in  the  discharge 
of  every  obligation  incumbent  upon  them  makes  their 
patronage  in  commerce  and  traffic  of  the  highest 
worth. 

Mr.  Anderson  farmed  for  three  years  after  coming 
to  Knox  County.  He  then  removed  to  Monmouth 
and  engaged  in  the  restaurant  and  confectionery  bus- 
iness. In  the  fall  of  1862  he  went  out  with  the  14th 
111.  Cav.,  as  sutler  for  H.  H.  Mayo,  of  Peoria,  and 
remained  about  a  year  and  a  half.  In  February, 
1 864,  he  opened  a  restaurant  on  Cherry  street,  this 
city;  was  there  about  a  year,  when  he  removed  to 
128  East  Main  street,  and  from  there  in  1876  to  his 
present  elegant  quarters,  140  East  Main  street.  He 
is  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church  and  is  a  Mason  and  an  Odd  Fel- 
low. At  Princeton,  111.,  Sept.  26,  1865,  he  married 
Miss  Christina  Spaka,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  their 
children  are  named  respectively  Fred  H.,  Lillie  V. 
and  Walter  R. 


-wrij^^^^^rt^ 


=^^B&& 


ohn  C.  Burt.  Prominent  among  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  Ontario  Township,  and 
one  of  the  honored  and  respected  citizens 
of  Knox  County,  is  John  C.  Burt,  the  details 
of  whose  personal  history  are  herein  given, 
and  is  a  pioneer  farmer,  having  come  to  this 
county  in  1840.  He  was  born  in  Medina  County, 
Ohio,  from  which  place  he  came  to  Knox  County 
under  the  guardianship  of  his  parents,  locating  in 
Rio  Township,  and  working  the  farm,  for  the  space 
of  six  years.  The  father,  whose  name  was  John 
also,  was  born  in  Taunton,  Mass.,  in  1794,  and  ix)s- 
sessed  the  energy  and  inherent  strength  of  character 
of  the  old  New  England  stock.  In  1846  he  pur- 
chased 160  acres  of  land  in  Ontario  Township,  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  28.  This  was  raw 
prairie  soil,  which  he  cultivated  and  improved    till 

1855.  He  next  spent  one  year  in  Galesburg,  which 
city  he   left  and  came  to  Oneida  in  the   si>ring  of 

1856,  and  died  the  following  year  at  the  age  of  63 
years.  He  was  of  New  England  birth  and  of  Scotch- 
Irish  ancestry,  and  came  to  Ohio  from  Massa- 
chusetts  wherj   a    young   man.     From    that   State 


^^=-?^ 


794 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


he  went  to  Bristol,  Ontario  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  there  en- 
tered the  holy  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Hannah  Dan- 
ielson,  whom  he  lost  by  death  a  few  months  after 
marriage,  in  August,  1822. 

His  second  matrimonial  alliance  was  contracted 
with  Miss  Lucinda  Hammond,  and  took  place  in 
March,  1824,  and  who  has  borne  him  five  children, 
two  of  whom  are  married  and  living  in  pleasant 
homes  of  their  own  :  Mary  R.  lives  with  her  brother, 
John  C,  our  subject;  Nancy,  wife  of  George  D. 
Camp,  resides  on  a  farm  in  Gage  County,  Neb. ; 
Lewis,  a  single  man,  li%-es  at  tne  home  of  his  brother. 
John  C,  and  his  sister,  Marj-  R. ;  Daniel  W.,  hus- 
band of  Bertha  Leonard,  of  Dickinson  County,  Kan., 
is  a  grain  buyer  and  shipper  and  a  prominent  bus- 
iness man  of  that  place. 

The  father  of  our  subject  settled  in  Medina  Coun- 
ty, Ohio,  in  1818.  He  was  left  in  charge  of  the 
family,  being  the  eldest  son  and  the  confidant  and 
help  of  his  mother,  who  looked  to  and  leaned  upon 
him  at  the  death  of  his  father.  The  children,  five 
in  number,  were  young  and  in  a  degree  helpless,  but 
he  acted  his  part  nobly,  and  they  lacked  no  kindness 
or  attentive  care  that  he  could  supply.  He  located  in 
Medina  County  when  it  was  srill  new,  and  returning 
to  Massachusetts  brought  out  West  his  mother  and 
the  children,  for  whom  he  tenderly  cared  until  her 
death,  which  occurred  in  the  spring  of  1837.  Fol- 
lowing this  event  was  his  removal  to  this  county,  in 
which  he  has  shown  himself  successful  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits,  living  ever  since  in  the  township  of 
which  he  was  the  first  Assessor  and  to  which  he  gave 
its  name  at  its  organization.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  was  Treasurer  of  the  township  and  of  the 
Board  of  Road  Commissioners.  In  political  belief 
he  was  a  Republican,  but  he  was  formerly  an  old- 
line  Whig. 

The  brother  and  sister  of  Mr.  Burt,  who  were 
young  at  the  date  of  his  mother's  death,  in  Februar)', 
1840,  grew  up  under  his  care  and  protection,  as  pre- 
viously stated,  and,  under  his  advice  and  by  his 
strong  efforts  in  that  direction,  one  and  all  received 
a  good  common-school  education.  The  father  ot  this 
family  was  an  active  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  morally  and  religiously  stood  high  in 
the  community.  Their  son,  John  C,  who  has  proved 
himself  so  amply  fitted  for  the  vocation  he  pursues, 
purchased  his  first  land,  consisting  of  1 60  acres,  on 


section  28,  and  to  it  added  many  improvements,  cul- 
tivating it  highly.  He  also  owns  a  pleasant  residence, 
handsome  and  convenient,  within  the  limits  of  the 
town  of  Oneida.  Three  of  the  children  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  Church  in  good  and  reg- 
ular standing,  one  a  Methodist  and  one  a  Presbyte- 
rian. Mr.  B.  is  himself  Deacon  and  has  been  for 
the  past  30  years  in  his  church.  He  has  held  many 
of  the  local  oflBces  of  his  township,  and  has  been 
Commissioner  and  Treasurer  of  the  Board  of  the 
same  for  18  years,  and  is  in  politics  a   Prohibitionist. 


IVharles  BL  Fuller,  Chief  Train  Dispatcher 
and  Chief  Operator  and  Car  Distributor  of 
the  Galesburg  Division  of  the  C,  B.  Q. 
R.  R.,  is  a  native  of  Rhode  Island.  He  was 
bom  at  Providence,  April  18,  1835.  His  par- 
ents were  Ebenezer  and  Charlotte  Scott  (Bab- 
cock)  Fuller,  both  of  them  descended  from  a  long 
line  of  worthy  pioneers  of  that  State. 

In  r849  Ebenezer  Fuller  moved  West  with  his^ 
family  and  settled  in  La  Fayette,  Stark  County,  111., 
where  he  kept  hotel  for  ab  »ut  six  years.  He  then 
became  the  agent  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  at  , 
Galva,  where  he  remained  until  his  demise,  in  1869. 
He  had  become  the  father  of  two  sons — C.  H.  and 
John  Cope  Fuller,  the  latter  of  whom  is  a  prosperous 
merchant  at  Cincinnati.  In  T856  Charles  H.  engaged 
in  the  railway  business  at  Galva,  as  clerk  in  a  freight 
office,  and  in  186 1,  completing  a  course  of  telegra- 
phy, he  received  the  position  of  operator  in  the  ofiSce 
at  Galva.  In  .August,  1865,  he  was  transferred  to 
Galesburg,  and  took  the  position  of  Train  Dispatcher, 
which  he  has  filled  acceptably.  In  1881  he  became 
the  chief  of  that  department,  also  being  assigned  to 
the  chief  operatorship  of  that  office.  Subsequentiy 
he  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  Car  Distributor,  all 
of  which  offices  he  has  filled  with  credit  and  effi- 
ciency. 

Mr.  Fuller  was  married  at  La  Fayette,  111.,  Jan  10, 
1858,  to  Theda,  the  daughter  of  Gideon  B.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Dixon)  Gillette,  natives  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  The  father  died  in  1849;  the  mother  is  still 
living  at  La  Fayette.  HI.  Mrs.  Fuller  is  one  of  a 
family  of  four  daughters  born  to  her  parents,  two  of 
whom  are  deceased.     The  one  now  living   besides 


*+ 


^ 


4-^ 


^^^x^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


795 


Mrs.  F.  became  the  wife  of  Frank   J.  Bush,  and  is 
living  at  Clear  Lake,  Iowa. 

The  result  of  Mr.  Fuller's  alliance  with  Miss  Gil- 
lette is  a  son,  Fred.  C,  a  young  man  of  clever 
attainments  and  holding  a  good  position  in  the  ma- 
chinery department  in  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railway 
Company's  shops  at  Bloomington,  111.  Fred.  C.  is 
married  and  has  a  family  of  two  girls.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fuller,  of  this  notice,  have  besides  an  adopted 
daughter,  Blanche  Ballentine  Fuller,  to  whom  they 
are  giving  their  kind  parental  care,  rearing  and  edu- 
cating her  as  one  of  their  own.  She  is  a  bright  little 
gem  in  their  domestic  circle.  Our  subject  and  wife 
attend  worship  at  the  Congregational  Church.  Mr. 
Fuller  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  having 
been  a  Mason  since  1857.  He  is  a  worthy  citizen 
and  both  he  and  his  amiable  wife  enjoy  a  merited  re- 
spect from  all  who  know  them. 


I  ,^-f  J^.^arles  A.  Erieson.     The   subject  of  this 
C    -''[*SSIr    biographical  notice  is  a  solid  and  substan- 
I      p5^/'  "^     tial  citizen,  well  known    for  his  energy  of 
purpose   and    his    unvarying  industry.      He 
holds  the  position  of  foreman  of  the  round- 
house of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  at  Galesburg, 
and  leaves  no  labor  unfinished   or    poorly  executed 
into  which  he  enters. 

Mr.  E.  was  born  in  Hulsbre,  Sweden,  in  1844, 
and  is  a  son  of  Nels  P.  and  Lena  Erieson,  who  came 
to  America  in  1852,  and  settled  in  Galesburg,  and  of 
their  eight  sons  and  one  daughter  but  three  survive: 
Charlie  A. ;  A.  \V.,  assistant  foreman  of  the  machine 
shop  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  and  John  W.,  a  farmer 
in  Union  County,  Iowa. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  completed  his  time  as 
an  apprentice  to  the  trade  of  machinist  in  the  ma- 
chine shop  of  the  railroad  here,  and  has  steadily 
followed  it  for  nine  years,  leaving  the  shops  to  accept 
his  present  position.  This  he  has  tilled  to  the  satis- 
faction of  all  concerned,  and  is  considered  a  me- 
chanic of  the  highest  ability.  He  is  genial  and 
kindly  in  manner,  of  pleasing  address  and  fine 
physique,  and  although  an  admirer  of  of  the  oppo- 
site sex  and  a  favorite  among  ladies,  has  hitherto  re- 
sisted all  the  darts  of  the  blind  god,  and  still  treads 
the  paths  of  single  blessedness.    He  is  well  thought 


of  socially,  and  is  respected  for  his  integrity  of  char- 
acter and  his  worthy  manhood.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  Lodge  and  of  the  I.  O.  G.  T. 


"  Ikapt.  C.  E.  Lanstrum  was  born  in  Sweden, 
jl'  March  2,  1837,  and  came  to  America 
^i^  "*•  in  the  early  fall  of  t852.  His  parents 
"  were  John  and  Sophia  Lanstrum,  who  came 
over  in  1853,  and  settled  in  Knox  County, 
from  which  point,  in  December  1861,  the 
elder  Mr.  Lanstrum  entered  the  United  States  Army. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  2d  111.  Art.,  and,  while 
at  Shiloh,  where  his  command  was  actively  engaged, 
he  contracted  a  disease  which  led  to  his  death. 
This  occurred  on  board  the  hospital  boat  City  of 
Memphis,  in  1862. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  on  landing  in  the 
United  States,  came  direct  to  Kno.wille,  where  he 
procured  employment  from  a  farmer,  with  whom  he 
staid  about  three  months.  He  was  15  years  of  age 
when  he  left  Sweden,  therefore,  under  their  system 
of  education,  had  already  received  several  years  of 
schooling.  This,  though  in  a  language  so  wholly 
diflferent  from  the  English,  taught  him  the  value  of 
learning,  and  he  at  once  set  himself  about  mastering 
the  English  and  advancing  himself  in  the  various 
studies.  In  March  1853,  he  went  to  Abingdon,  and 
there  worked  a  few  months  at  wagon -making.  His 
next  move  was  to  Knoxville,  where  he  found  employ- 
ment as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  house. 

In  1856  he  removed  to  Red  Wing,  Minn.,  engaging 
in  the  real  estate  business  to  some  extent.  The  fall 
of  1858  found  him  again  in  Galesburg,  where  he 
clerked  in  a  grocery  house,  until  April,  i86r,  trans- 
ferring thence  to  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  In  September 
of  that  year  he  assisted  in  organizing  a  company  of 
volunteers  for  the  United  States  Army.  The  com- 
pany, B,  mustered  Nov.  9,  1861,  into  the  15th  Iowa 
Vol.  Inf.,  with  Mr.  Lanstrum  as  the  Second  Lieuten- 
ant. He  received  a  merited  promotion  to  First  Lieu- 
tenant, May  24,  1862,  and  to  that  of  Captain,  Feb. 
19,  1863.  With  this  rank  he  left  the  army  May  16, 
1865,  after  a  continuous  service  of  nearly  four  years. 
During  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  he  did  picket  duty 
for  Crocker's  Iowa  Brigade.  In  the  ensuing  Septem- 
ber he  filled  a  similar  position  with  the  4th  Division, 
17th  Array  Corps,  and  in  October,  1863,  was  assigned 


■^  ^ 


796 


Ji:jVOX  COUNTY. 


^> 


to  the  duty  of  Commissary  of  Muster  at  the  military 
quarters,  district  of  Natchez,  Miss.,  by  order  of  the 
Secretary  of  War.  In  this  latter  position  he  re- 
mained until  ordered  to  Vicksburg,  for  final  muster- 
ing out.  While  with  his  command  he  participated  in 
the  following  battles  :  Shiloh,  siege  of  Corinth,  Bol- 
ivar, Tenn.,  luka,  Corinth,  Holly  Springs,  Port  Gib- 
son, Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills,  Big  Black, 
siegeof  Vicksburg,  siege  of  Jackson,  Vidaha,  La.,  etc. 
The  close  of  the  war  brought  him  again  to  Gales- 
burg,  where  he  clerked  for  O.  T,  Johnson,  then  formed 
a  partnership  with  Mr.  Bancroft  in  the  grocery  bus- 
iness which  lasted  from  1866  to  1879.  In  the  latter 
year  he  formed  a  business  connection  which  has 
since  received  his  attention.  Capt.  Lanstrum  was 
one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Covenant  Mutual  Ben- 
efit Association,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  Direct- 
ors, and  at  present  is  Treasurer.  (See  historical 
sketch  of  this  Association  in  this  volume.)  He  is 
prominent  in  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  member  of  the  En- 
campment and  Grand  Lodge  in  that  Order,  a  Knight 
Templar  in  Masonry,  member  of  the  Army  of  Ten- 
nessee, of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  and  of 
Crocker's  Iowa  Brigade  Association. 

At  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  Dec.  9,  i86i,hewas  united 
in  marriage  with    Miss    Susan   E.   Crocker,  sister  of 
^   Gen.  Crocker,  and  they  have  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren, all  living. 


/.enry  Ream,  freight  engineer  on  theC,  B.  & 
Q.  R.  R.,  was  born  in  Richland  County, 
Ohio,  Oct.  14,  184 1.  His  parents  were 
Henry  and  Elizabeth  (Doermire)  Ream,  the 
father  being  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  of 
German  ancestry,  and  the  mother  of  English 
descent.  In  1851  his  parents  moved  to  Grundy 
County,  Mo.,  where  our  subject  grew  to  manhocd  on 
his  father's  farm. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  our  subject 
declared  himself  for  the  Union,  and  enlisted  his  serv- 
ices first  in  the  defense  of  the  State  and  latterly  for 
the  United  States.  He  enrolled  with  Co.  B,  23d 
Mo.  Vol.  Inf.,  receiving  an  honorable  discharge  at 
the  end  of  the  war.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he  be- 
gan railroading  with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  at 
Quincy,    111.,    as    fireman.     In    187 1    he  was  given 

'A 


charge  of  an   engine,  and  has  very  acceptably  and 
meritoriously  filled  the  position  since. 

Mr.  Ream  was  married  at  Quincy,  111.,  on  July  22, 
1867,  to  Elizabeth  Ann,  daughter  of  Michael  Roley, 
Esq.,  who  was  a  native  of  Westmoreland  County, 
Pa.  Their  home  circle  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of 
seven  children,  three  sons  and  four  daughters: 
Joseph  Albert  Ream,  a  young  man  of  18  (the  eldest 
of  the  family),  is  completing  his  academic  studies; 
the  names  of  the  others  are  Lydia  Annetta,  Chris- 
tian, Rosa  and  Daniel  (twins),  Ethel  Anne  and 
Grace  Victoria.  Christian,  Rosa  and  Daniel  are 
dead.  Mr.  Ream  and  wife,  togeflier  with  their  eld- 
est son  and  daughter,  are  members  in  full  standing 
with  the  First  Baptist  Church.  He  is  a  worthy  mem- 
ber of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers, 
Division  No.  62,  of  Galesburg;  is  a  worthy  citizen,  a 
clever  gentleman  and  kind  husband  and  father. 


eorge  England,  respected  as  a  citizen, 
mMi  and  honored  for  his  sterling  woith  and  in- 
tegrity, as  well  as  being  a  successful 
farmer  of  Knox  County,  residing  on  section  4, 
Persifer  Township,  is  the  subject  of  this  no- 
tice. He  came  here  in  1854,  from  Vinton 
County,  Ohio,  but  remained  only  a  short  time,  when 
he  went  to  Marshall  County,  this  State,  and  there  re- 
sided for  two  years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time 
Mr.  England  returned  to  this  county,  and  four  years 
later  removed  to  Copley  Township,  where  for  16 
years  he  was  occupied  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and 
then  moved  to  the  township  in  which  he  is  at  present 
residing. 

Mr.  England  is  at  present  the  proprietor  of  300 
acres  of  land  in  Persifer  Township,  200  of  which  is  in 
a  tillable  condition.  He  was  born  in  Bedford  County, 
Pa.,  May  4,  1826,  and  at  Oneida,  this  State,  on  the 
17th  day  of  October,  i86i,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Susannah  Webb,  the  accomplished  and  in- 
telligent daughter  of  Simon  A.  and  Catherine 
(Dempsey)  Webb.  Her  parents  came  to  this  county 
in  1849,  and  settled  in  Haw  Creek  Township.  Her 
father  died  in  Warren  County,  and  her  mother  is  yet 
living.  Mrs.  England  was  born  in  Warren  County, 
May  17,  1840,  and  has  borne  her  husband  eight  chil- 
dren, with  records  as  follows  :  William  W.  was  born 
Aug.  7,  1862;  Anna  C,  May    i,  1864;  Edward  W., 


«» 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


797 


May  31,  1866;  Mary  A.,  May  6,  1868  ;  Emma  E., 
June  16,  1870;  Madison  W.,  Sept.  23,  1872,  died 
Feb.  28,  1873;  John  D.,  June  2,  1874;  and  Jacob 
H..  March  16,  1876. 

Mr.  England  enlisted  in  the  36th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  Co. 
A,  Capt.  Wm.  .-V.  Mitchell,  Sept.  27,  1864,  and  re- 
ceived an  honorable  discharge  June  15,  1865,  at 
Nashville,  Tenn.  While  in  the  service  Mr.  E.  par- 
ticipated in  the  battles  of  Franklin  and  Nashville  and 
a  great  number  of  skirmishes. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  England  are  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  Politically  Mr.  England 
votes  with  the  Republican  party,  and  in  his  v.hosen 
vocation  is  meeting  with  that  success  which  energ) 
and  perseverance  are  sure  to  bring. 

Mrs.  England  has  one  sister,  who  married  William 
Cheriington,  now  deceased  ;  she  was  again  married 
to  Charles  Crouch.  By  the  first  marriage  five  chil- 
dren were  born — Mary  .'\.,  Emma  A.,  John  A., 
James  S.  and  Dennis  W.  By  the  second  marriage 
two  children — Jasper  E.  and  Elizabeth  C.  She  is 
now  living  in  Copley  Township. 


1J3;  alph  Skinner  is  a  retired  farmer,  residing 

in  the  city  of  Galesburg,  and  was  born  in 

.•/:(£\        Cortland  County,  N.   Y.,   July  31,    1819. 

f](^  The    parents  of  Mr.  Skinner,   John   F.   and 


r 


Cynthia  (Chesebro)  Skinner,  were  natives  of 
Connecticut,  of  English  descent,  and  reared 
two  sons  and  five  daughters,  Ralph  being  the  eldest 
and  the  only  son  now  living,  and  one  sister,  now 
Angeline  Gray,  living  in  Decatur  County,  Iowa.  He 
came  to  Kno.x  County  in  1837,  and  returned  East 
for  his  parerits  in  1849.  His  father  and  mother 
died  here,  the  former  in  1854,  and  his  widow  in 
1870. 

Ralph  Skinner  was  brought  up  on  the  farm  and 
educated  in  the  district  schools,  and  joined  the 
colony  that  founded  Galesburg.  June  19,  1856, 
he  married  Miss  Louisa  SwHft,  the  daughter  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erastus  Swift,  one  of  the  Galesburg 
colonists,  the  father,  in  his  lifetime,  being  one  of 
Knox  County's  best  citizens.  He  was  one  of  the 
Trustees  of  Kno.x  College.  Mr.  Swift  died  in  1848, 
aged  70  years,  and  his  widow,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Everest,  died   ten  years  later.     Their  children 


were  all  highly  educated,  and  the  male  members  of 
the  family  have  since  adorned  the  most  honored  pro- 
fessions. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Skinner  have  no  children  of  their 
own,  but  several  children  of  other  people  have  been 
blessed  by  their  bounty  and  grown  up  under  their 
fostering  care.  In  1875  Mr.  Skinner  retired  from  all 
active  business,  though  retaining  a  supervisory  care 
over  his  farm,  now  reduced  to  80  acres.  Mr.  Skin- 
ner votes  the  Republican  ticket.  Mrs.  Skinner  is  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church. 


S.  Simpson.     The  early  training  and  sub- 
j-i^aJ^  sequent   life    of  this   gentleman  leave    no 
|j^''        room  to  doubt  that  his  present  success  and 
f%    future  prosperity  is  and  will  be   based  on   his 
TjC    sterling  qualities  of  character.     In  his  earliest 
\      start  in  life,  friends  who  knew  him  then  proph- 
esied that  the   boy's  future  would  be  marked  with 
decided  success. 

His  father,  William  Simpson,  was  born  in  Indiana 
County,  Pa.,  on  the  17th  day  of  November,  1807. 
His  grandfather,  Andrew  Simpson,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  State.  The  father  of  the  gentleman  here 
to  be  spoken  of  was  brought  upon  the  elder  parent's 
farm  in  his  native  place.  In  1832,  on  the  29th  of 
November,  he  married  Miss  Susan  Gallagher,  who 
was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  on  the  28th 
of  September,  18 12.  At  the  date  of  his  marriage  he 
became  a  resident  on  his  father's  farm,  and  had  given 
into  his  care  the  fulling  and  saw  mills  then  at  work 
on  the  premises.  Here  he  lived  but  a  few  years, 
when  he  resolved  on  moving  to  Westmoreland 
County,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Derry  Town- 
ship;  there  he  remained,  engaging  in  agricultural 
pursuits  up  to  the  year  1856,  when  he  sold  that  farm 
and  took  up  his  abode  in  Blairsville,  Indiana 
County,  for  one  year.  His  desire  to  travel  at  this 
period  resulted  in  his  visiting  Minnesota,  Iowa,  Wis- 
consin and  Illinois.  The  outcome  of  this  tour  caused 
him  todetermine  in  thespringof  1857  on  settlingwith 
his  family  in  Elmwood,  Peoria  County,  111.  Here  he 
purchased  a  grist-mill,  which  he  successfully  operat- 
ed until  1861,  and  in  1862  removed  to  Peoria,  where 
he  lived  until  1867.  Then  moving  to  Kno.x ville,  in 
comp.-iny  with  his  son  he  purchased  a  flour-mill  one 
mile  south  of  the  town  and  in  the  same  year  removed 


— ^*- 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  old  building,  only,  however,  to  rebuild  and  en- 
large it,  continuing  to  operate  the  mill,  in  company 
with  his  son,  until  his  decease,  on  the  3d  day  of 
September,  1873.  The  widow  of  this  gentleman  re- 
sided with  her  son,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  until 
her  death,  which  occurred  March  5,  1886. 

The  boy  was  14  years  of  age  when  he  first  came  to 
Illinois  with  his  parents.  He  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic school  and  spent  one  term  in  Blairsville  Academy, 
and  two  years  at  a  higher  school  in  Elmwood.  While 
not  devoting  himself  to  educational  pursuits,  he  was 
found  ever  ready  to  assist  his  father  at  the  mill,  and 
devoted  much  time  to  the  former's  business.  In  this 
way  he  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  trade. 
Removing  later  to  Knoxville  with  his  parents,  he,  for 
the  first  time,  and  in  partnership  with  his  father, 
opened  a  flouring-mill,  and  became  for  the  time 
sole  manager  of  the  business. 

Our  subject  was  married  to  Mary  McGowan  on  the 
24th  of  October,  1872.     She  was  a  native  of  Knox 
Township,  and  daughter  of  William   and   Margary 
(McPherrin)  McGowan,  residents  of  that   township. 
^  To  this  inarriage  were  born  three  children — William 

I  I.,  Edith  M.  and  Harry  O.  Mr.  Simpson  and  his 
wife  are  both  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

,  There  is  no  good  or  useful  work  instituted  with  a  view 
to  promote  general  morality,  and  enhance  tiie  value 
of  good  will  among  their  fellows,  but  this  lady  and 
gentleman  are  found  associated  with  it. 

Mr.  Simpson  has  been  Mayor  of  the  city  and 
member  of  the  School  Board,  the  decisions  of  the 
latter  being  often  guided  by  his  wise  counsel.  For  a 
second  time  he  has  been  chosen  Supervisor.  He  has 
already  in  life  accomplished  great  good  and  is  closely 
identified  with  the  history  of  Knox  County. 


;  ugene  James  Sullivan,  conductor  on  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  is  a  native  of  the  State 
j^^^wjt  ^j.  j^^^^  York.  He  was  born  at  Troy, 
j|j^  March  17,  1857,  and  is  the  son  of  Orin  and 
Mary  (Minaham)  Sullivan,  both  natives  of 
Tralee,  County  Kerry,  Ireland.  In  1858,  the 
family  came  West  and  settled  at  Galesburg,  where 
their  five  sons  and  two  daughters  grew  to  man  and 
womanhood. 

Mr.  Sullivan  of  this  sketch   was   the   third   child 


\f 


and  second  son  of  his  parents'  family,  spending  his 
boyhood  at  Galesburg.  At  the  age  of  11  years  he 
began  work  in  the  shops  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  He 
worked  alternately  in  the  shops  and  in  a  store  for  a 
few  years,  and  at  the  age  of  20  began  as  brakeman 
on  a  train.  In  this  occupation  he  developed  rapid- 
ly and  in  a  few  years  was  given  charge  of  a  train  as 
conductor,  a  position  he  has  fully  and  eminently 
filled.  He  is  a  young  man  of  clever  attainments,  is 
broad  and  liberal  in  his  views,  public-spirited  and 
progressive,  and  we  predict  for  him  a  successful 
career  in  life.  He  has  a  fine  physique  and  a  rugged 
constitution,  qualities  which  eminently  fit  him  for  his 
chosen  vocation. 


fi^S  W.  Miller,  general  farmer  and  shoemaker. 


|K  residing  on  section  r3,  in  Walnut  Grove 
;g|&^  ''  Township,  was  born  on  Long  Island,  Sept. 
",^!)a  12,  1830.  His  father,  Vincent  Miller,  is  now 
Ij^  living  \\\  Guthrie  County,  Iowa,  and  has  at- 
I  tained  to  his  80th  year.  He  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Alma  Smith,  who  was  also  a  native  of  * 
Long  Island  and  died  there  while  her  son,  our  sub- 
ject, was  yet  a  small  boy.  His  early  education  had 
scarcely  lime  to  develop  his  mind,  when  he  set  out  . 
for  himself  in  the  battle  of  life.  After  arriving  in  the 
West,  where  his  father  came  in  1836,  he  proceeded 
to  Henderson,  his  father  settling  in  Cambridge, 
Henry  County.  Mr,  Miller  was  apprenticed  to  and 
learned  the  boot  and  shoe  trade,  his  employer  being 
Henry  Dean,  of  Henderson.  He  worked  for  Mr. 
Dean  for  many  years,  and  while  yet  at  his  trade,  Jan. 
16,  1851,  was  married  to  Miss  Rebecca  Edwards,  a 
native  of  Wayne  County,  New  York  State,  who  was 
born  Feb.  8,  1835.  She  was  only  six  years  old  when 
her  parents  came  to  Illinois  and  when  they  settled  in 
Henderson.  Her  people  were  among  the  oldest  set- 
tlers, and  by  their  honesty  and  industry  won  for 
themselves  the  admiration  and  esteem  of  the  com- 
munity. Mrs.  M.  is  the  oldest  of  a  family  of  13  chil- 
dren, eight  of  whom  are  yet  living — three  sons  and 
five  daughters.  This  good  lady  is  the  mother  of  four 
children,  of  whom  one  is  deceased  :  Marcus  E.  is 
married  to  Jennie  Petitt  and  now  resides  in  Topeka, 
Kan.,  where  he  represents  a  large  wholesale  grocery 
house;  they  have  one  child,  Theresa;  Fannie  is  the 
wife  of  Augustus  Richards  and  lives  in  Si.  Paul,  Neb. ; 


I 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^^ 


799 


he  is  a  large  and  successful  land-owner ;  Hannah  M. 
resides  at  home;  and  Martin,  deceased. 

After  his  marriage,  in  1856,  Mr.  Miller  arrived  in 
Walnut  Grove  Township  and  lived  in  Altona  for 
some  years,  where  he  followed  his  trade  and  sold 
boots  and  shoes.  In  the  spring  of  1867  he  first  pur- 
chased 80  acres  of  land,  on  which  he  now  lives  and 
which  has  been  improved  to  a  large  extent.  This 
gentleman  has  held  many  minor  offices  of  his  town- 
ship, in  each  of  which  he  has  acquitted  himself  cred- 
itably.    He  is  a  solid  Republican  in  politics. 


_,  U^'ohn  W.  Andrews  is  a  prominent  and  suc- 
-H^J  v:  cessful  fanner  and  stock-dealer,  residing 
on  section  16,  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
which  he  is  now  representing  for  the  fifth  term 
as  its  Supervisor.  He  came  with  his  parents 
to  the  United  States  in  1855,  his  birthplace 
being  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  and  the  date  Oct.  3,  1845. 
His  father,  Hugh  Andrews,  was  a  farmer  and  of  direct 
Scottish  ancestry,  as  was  his  mother,  whose  name 
was  Margaret  Wilson.  On  arriving  in  America,  the 
parents  and  family,  including  two  sons  and  two 
daughters,  located  for  two  years  in  Copley  Township, 
the  father  afterward  purchasing  500  acres  of  land, 
320  of  which  adjoined  180  in  Ontario  Township. 
It  was  all  improved  and  became  their  permanent 
home,  and  there  the  father  died  in  August,  1878;  the 
mother  still  survives  and  is  residing  in  Altona. 
Mary,  deceased,  was  born  soon  after  they  came  to 
this  country,  and  the  four  remaining  children  all  live 
in  this  county. 

John  W.  lived  at  home  with  his  parents  till  his 
marriage  in  Altona,  Dec.  25,  1877,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Scott,  a  native  of  Copley  Township,  who  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Knox  County,  being  of  Scotch  de- 
scent. Her  father  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and 
her  mother  of  the  United  States,  and  they  are  now 
farming  in  Polk  County,  Neb.  They  are  Alexander 
and  Mary  (McCormick)  Scott.  After  his  marriage, 
John  W.  and  his  brother  Thomas  bought  the  home- 
stead, each  taking  one  half  or  250  acres,  in  addition 
to  which  John  W.  owns  73  acres,  partially  within  the 
village  limits,  where  he  has  a  beautiful  home  and 
successfully  conducts  his  business.  He  engaged  in 
stock  buying  and  selling,  in  Aliona,  about  1871  or 


1872,  and  although  yet  a  young  man  is   one  of  the 
best  business  men  of  the  county. 

Although  diligently  attentive  to  his  calling,  he  does 
not  lose  sight  of  his  obligations  and  duties  as  a  citi- 
zen, and  takes  an  earnest  interest  in  political  and 
public  affairs,  being  strongly  attached  to  the  institu- 
tions and  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  his  adopted 
country.  The  obligations  of  religion  find  in  him  a 
consistent  supporter,  he  and  his  good  wife  being 
active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which 
he  is  a  Trustee.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  the  present  Treasurer  of  his  lodge,  and  has  held 
most  of  its  offices.  In  political  affiliation  and  senti- 
ment he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  maintaining  all  his 
views  with  that  sobriety  and  toleration  which  become 
the  citizens  of  a  free  republic.  With  an  untar- 
nished reputation  for  integrity,  walking  the  narrow 
path  of  rectitude,  entei prising,  kind  and  obliging, 
blessed  'in  every  way  and  trusted  by  all,  he  may 
justly  be  regarded  as  a  citizen  worthy  to  fill  any 
position  to  which  he  may  be  called. 


^amuel  W.  Grubb,  Secretary  and  Treasurer 

of  the  Galesburg  Printing  and  Publishing 

jf}^^'^  Company,  Galesburg,  111.,  was  born  in 
mI^V-  Washington,  D.  C,  Aug.  19,  1832,  where  his 
father  was  for  many  years  in  the  employment 
of  the  Government  The  schools  of  the  cap- 
ital city  afforded  him  ample  opportunity  for  learning, 
and  in  response  to  his  natural  inclination  he  at  an 
early  day  entered  a  printing  office  in  Washington, 
and  there  learned  the  trade  which  has  since,  more  or 
less,  influenced  his  career.  From  Washington  he 
went  to  Atlanta,  Ga.,  and  was  there  engaged  in  the 
printing  business  about  15  years,  covering  the  period 
of  the  entire  Rebellion,  from  participating  in  which 
he  was  exempt  by  reason  of  his  occupation. 

From  Georgia  Mr.  Grubb  came  to  Galesburg,  in 
1872,  having  purchased  from  Mr.  Clark  E.  Carr  the 
Galesburg  Republican,  which  he  edited  and  published 
for  something  over  a  year  (see  Republican- Register, 
this  volume).  Mr.  Grubb  has  occupied  his  present 
position  since  the  organization  of  the  Galesburg 
Printing  and  Publishing  Company.  He  is  one  of 
the  Directors  of  the  Homestead  and  Loan  Associa- 
tion of  Galesburg,  and  a  Director  and  a  member  of 


V 


a 


800 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4 


the  Board  of  Managers  of  the  Covenant  Mutual 
Benefit  Association  (see  account  of  the  C.  M.  B.  A. 
in  this  volume).  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  in  which  order  he  held  the 
position  of  Grand  Scribe  for  the  State  of  Georgia  for 
several  years.  His  identity  with  the  Grand  Lodge 
of  Illinois  is  co-existent  with  his  residence  here,  and 
for  several  years  of  the  time  he  has  been  Chairman 
of  the  Printing  Committee  of  that  body. 

During  his  residence  in  Atlanta,  in  1867,  Mr. 
Grubb  was  married  to  Miss  Jane  A.  Wright,  a  native 
of  Alabama.  Their  only  living  son,  James  W.,  is  at 
this  writing  (January,  1886,)  a  student  of  Knox  Col- 
lege. The  family  belong  to  the  Episcopal  Church, 
and  Mr.  Grubb's  politics  are  in  harmony  with  those 
of  the  Republican  party. 


'ohn  S.  Collinson.  He  whose  short  bio- 
graphical sketch  we  here  place  before  the 
reader  chose  in  early  manhood  farming  as 
his  vocation,  which  he  has  followed  with  ener- 
gy and  perseverance.  He  is  at  this  writing 
engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  on  sec- 
tion 29,  Lynn  Township,  and  doing  well  in  that  pur- 
suit. Mr.  Collinson  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
Jan.  28,  1850.  He  came  with  his  parents  to  this 
State  when  about  four  years  of  age.  Here  he  lived 
with  his  parents,  assisting  his  father  on  the  farm  and 
attending  the  common  scliools  and  developing  into 
manhood. 

Mr.  Collinson  was  married  in  Lynn  Township,  at 
the  residence  of  his  bride's  parents,  Jan.  i,  1873,  to 
Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Thomas  Craver,  who  at  this 
writing  resides  at  Altona,  retired  from  the  active 
labors  of  farm  life.  Miss  Craver  was  the  eldest  of 
her  father's  family  of  11  children,  four  sons  and 
seven  daughters,  two  of  whom  are  deceased.  She 
was  born  in  Carbondale,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  Oct.  13, 
1852,  and  was  also  four  years  of  age  when  she  came 
to  this  State  with  her  parents,  and  settled  with  them 
in  Lynn  Township.  There  she  lived  until  her  mar- 
riage with  Mr.  Collinson,  in  the  meanwhile  assisting 
her  mother  in  the  household  labors. 

Mrs.  Collinson  has  borne  her  husband  five  children, 
who  are  named  Nora  A.,  Dennis  A.,  Katie  R.,  Willie 
A.  and  Judge  T.,  who  is  deceased.     Mr.  Collinson  is 


at  present  the  proprietor  of  210  acres  of  good  land, 
the  major  portion  of  which  is  under  an  advanced 
state  of  cultivation.  He  is  a  promising  young  farm- 
er, with  a  bright  future  before  him,  and  has  a  suffi- 
cient amount  of  energy  to  accomplish  his  aim.  He 
is  devoting  considerable  of  his  attention,  while  rais- 
ing the  cereals,  to  stock,  and  in  this  branch  is  meet- 
ing with  no  small  success.  Mr.  Collinson  is  one  of 
the  present  Road  Commissioners  of  his  township, 
and  in  politics  is  a  National  Greenbacker. 


W.  Sheldon,  M.  D.  Knoxville  boasts  many 
excellent  men  as  residents,  and  prominent 
among  them  stands  the  subject  of  this  bio- 
graphical notice,  who  has  arduously  and  un- 
tiringly prosecuted  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion in  this  city  since  1881.  He  has  been 
eminently  successful  and  has  gained  a  wide  patron- 
age and  hosts  of  friends  by  his  unremitting  attention 
to  business  and  his  genuine  knowledge  of  his  pro- 
fession. 

Dr.  Sheldon  was  born  in  the  State  of  Mississippi, 
Jan.  I,  1826,  and  is  the  son  of  Samuel  and  Tryphena 
(Hatch)  Sheldon,  the  former  a  native  of  Scotland 
and  the  latter  of  Vermont.  His  parents  were  mar- 
ried in  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  immediately  removed 
to  Mississippi.  By  profession  the  father  was  a  min- 
ister of  the  Gospel,  and  after  a  life  devoted  to  the 
winning  of  souls  to  Christ,  he  departed  this  life  in 
Mississippi,  in  1831,  leaving  a  wife^and  son,  the  only 
child,  to  mourn  his  loss.  After  the  father's  death 
the  widow  removed  to  Ohio,  taking  with  her  L.  W., 
but  she  was  not  long  spared  to  him,  for  in  two  weeks 
he  was  motherless.  She  died  at  the  home  of  her 
parents,  who  tenderly  cared  for  and  trained  the 
orphan  grandchild,  who,  during  his  boyhood,  assisted 
his  grandfather  on  the  farm. 

He  attended  school  every  winter,  and,  beirg 
naturally  industrious  and  intelligent,  soon  acquired 
a  good  education,  so  good  that  at  the  age  of  17  he 
began  the  life  of  a  pedagogue.  He  developed  the 
worthy  ambition  to  do  and  to  be  something,  and  de- 
voted every  spare  moment  to  the  study  of  medicine, 
spending  the  remainder  of  the  time — that  is,  the  win- 
ter— in  teaching.  This  supplied  him  with  the  means 
to  prosecute   his  studies  with  Dr.   E.  Wheaton,  of 


-t 


-f^ 


1^^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


80 1 


Homer,  afterward  entering  the  office  of  J.  L.  Yeo- 
man, M.  D.,  of  Hartford,  Licking  Co.,  Ohio. 

In  1S49  he  attended  medical  lectures  at  Starling 
College,  Columbus,  from  which  institution  he  gradu- 
ated in  the  spring  of  1850,  and  commenced  practice, 
with  that  success  which  has  been  previously  cited. 
Here  he  continued  only  a  short  time  and  then  re- 
moved to  Newcomerstown,  Tuscarawas  County. 
From  here  he  went  to  Champaign,  Ohio,  and  thence, 
in  1 85 2,  returned  to  Licking  County  and  settled  in 
Appleton.  Here  he  continued  until  1864,  when  he 
came  to  Knox  County,  III.,  and  located  in  Persifer 
Township,  buying  100  acres  of  splendid  land,  highly 
improved  and  cultivated.  With  the  assistance  of 
such  help  as  he  was  able  to  obtain,  he  managed  his 
farm  until  1881,  when  he  rented  it  and  moved  to 
Kno.wille,  here  continuing  his  practice. 

On  the  28th  of  March,  1848,  he  entered  into  a 
connubial  alliance  with  Nancy  Corbin,  who  was  born 
in  Licking  County,  Ohio,  April  23,  1830,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  Richard  and  Barbara  (Beaver)  Corbin, 
natives  of  Virginia.  The  union  of  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Sheldon  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  chil- 
dren, of  whom  but  one  survives — Alzina  M.,  wife  of 
John  L.  Overturf,  who  resides  in  Nemaha  Co.,  Neb. 
The  Doctor's  home  is  among  the  most  pleasant  and 
congenial  ones  anywhere  in  the  county,  being  a  di- 
rect example  of  what  refinement  of  taste  and  culti- 
vation of  intellect  can  achieve,  and  is  a  resort  for 
those  who  can  understand  and  appreciate  the  qual- 
ities incident  to  these  characteristics.  The  Doctor 
has  an  eye  to  politics,  both  local  and  public,  and  is 
a  Democrat  in  voice  and  vote. 

S.    Bartlett,    Division   Storekeeper 

H^  P  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  at  Galesburg, 
;  v^-  "^  was  born  in  Rio  Township,  Knox  County, 
\.-r  111.,  Dec.  4,  1855.  His  parents  were  Erasmus 
'•-y^  .\lmon  and  Helen  Jane  (Sears)  Bartlett,  na- 
i  lives  of  the  Empire  State,  and  pioneers  of 
Knox  County.  The  fa'her  was  born  in  Genesee, 
and  the  mother  in  Cortland  County,  that  State. 
John  D.  Bartlett,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  settled 
in  Knox  County  with  his  family  as  early  as  1844. 

Frank  S.  Bartlett,  of  this  sketch,  is  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters.   He  obtained 


a  good  education  in  the  public  schools  of  his  neigh- 
borhood, and  attended  Knox  College  in  a  commercial 
course  of  study.  At  the  age  of  18  years  he  accepted 
a  position  with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  as  ship- 
ping clerk,  in  connection  with  the  office  which  he 
now  holds.  After  a  service  of  five  years  he  received 
honorable  promotion  to  chief  clerkship.  This  posi- 
tion he  filled  acceptably  until  Jan.  i,  1881,  when  he 
was  apix)inted  to  the  honorable  position  with  the 
company  which  he  at  present  so  ably  fills.  He  was 
happily  married  to  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  William 
L.  Fleherty,  deceased.  Their  union  was  blest  with 
two  sons  and  one  daughter,  named  Alice,  John  D. 
and  William  A.  The  family  attend  worship  at  the 
Universalist  Church.  Mr.  Bartlett  is  a  worthy  mem- 
ber of  the  College  City  Lodge,  No.  214,  A.  O.  U.  W., 
of  which  organization  he  is  the  Financier. 


f 


,apt.  G.  G.  Stearns.  Eminently  worthy* 
a  degree  of  notice  as  a  prominent  farmer, 
S*J?£;'»  ^  and  a  resident  of  Knox  Township,  is  the 
V^  subject  of  this  historical  narration,  whose  ca-  7^ 
reer  has  plainly  shown  that  he  possesses  "a 
heart  to  resolve,  a  head  to  construct  and  a 
hand  to  execute."  He  has  been  extremely  prosper- 
ous in  his  particular  line  of  labor,  and  has  made 
himself  well  known  by  his  energetic  and  untiring 
perseverance. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in 
Conway,  Mass.,  Feb.  9,  1836.  His  father,  George 
Stearns,  was  also  a  native  of  Conway,  and  his  grand- 
father, also  named  George  Stearns,  was  a  native  of 
the  same  town,  so  that  he  claims  far  back  a  long  line 
of  New  England  ancestry.  The  great-grandfather 
of  Capt.  Stearns  is  recorded  in  the  early  history  of 
Conway,  as  being  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town, 
and  conspicuous  as  one  of  the  important  factors  in 
its  growth  and  enterprise.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject still  lives  in  his  native  town,  where  he  has  al- 
ways pursued  the  occupation  of  farming.  The 
uiother  of  our  subject,  wiiose  maiden  name  was 
Fannie  Arms,  was  the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Expe- 
rience (Gates)  Arms.  She  died  Dec.  15,  1884.  To 
them  there  were  nine  children  born,  seven  of  whom 
grew  to  man  and  womanhood,  and  six  of  whom  are 
still  living. 
Gardner  G.  was  the  eldest  son,  and  grew  to  man 


-M- 


hood  in  the  town  of  his  nativity.  He  was  reared  on 
a  farm,  upon  which  he  worked,  receiving  his  educa- 
tion in  the  common  schools,  and  where  he  continued 
with  his  parents  until  the  spring  of  1857,  when,  on 
the  5th  day  of  March  of  that  year,  he  set  his  face 
toward  the  setting  sun  with  the  intention  of  founding 
a  home  in  the  Great  West.  He  landed  in  Iroquois 
County,  111.,  where  he  spent  one  year.  There  he 
bought  land,  on  which  he  made  some  improvements, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  year  went  to  Knox  County 
and  rented  a  farm.  On  this  he  continued  until  1861, 
and  on  the  23d  day  of  April  of  that  year,  inspired 
with  the  spirit  of  the  time  which  called  men  to  active 
duty  for  the  protection  of  the  country,  he  enlisted  in 
Co.  D,  ist  111.  Cav.,  and  was  mustered  in  as  First 
Sergeant.  He  served  in  that  regiment  until  March, 
1862,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  a  wound 
received  in  the  battle  of  Lexington.  He  re-enlisted 
Aug.  I,  1862,  in  Co.  A,  77th  111.  Vol.  Inf  .being  mus- 
tered in  as  First  Lieutenant,  and  in  April  was  pro- 
moted to  Captain.  He  figured  in  a  number  of  impor- 
tant battles,  leading  his  men  with  undaunted  and 
manly  courage,  and  prominent  among  them  were 
Chickasaw  Bluff,  Dec.  2,  1862;  Arkans.is  Post,  Mag- 
nolia Hills,  Champion  Hills,  Black  River  Bridge  and 
Vicksburg,  May  18  and  22,  1863.  In  the  siege  of 
Vicksburg  and  Jackson,  Miss.,  he  was  one  of  the 
actors  and  was  captured  at   Mansfield,  La.,  April  8, 

1864,  with  his  entire  company.  They  were  confined 
at  Tyler,  Te.x.,  until  Oct.  10,  1864,  when  he  was 
exchanged  and  joined  the  regiment  at  New  Orleans, 
and  was  in  the  battles  of  the  siege  and  capture  of 
Spanish  Fort,  Ala.,  and  Fort  Blakely  and  Whistler 
Station,  of  that  State.  He  was  mustered  out  of 
active  service  with  his  regiment  at   Mobile,  July  10, 

1865,  and  returned  to  Knoxville,  where  he  resumed 
farming.  In  1868  he  bought  the  farm  upon  which 
he  now  resides. 

On  his  present  homestead  he  has  erected  a  good 
set  of  frame  buildings.  His  farm  comprises  240  acres, 
all  cultivated  and  improved.  He  has  also  engaged 
in  the  breeding  of  blooded  stock,  among  which  he 
includes.  Leicestershire  and  Cotswold  sheep  and 
Short-horn  cattle.  He  has  been  very  successful  in 
this  branch  of  business,  and  prosperity  has  crowned 
his  efTorts. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  Oct.  2,  1865,  to  Lucy 
Runkle,    daughter   of  Eldert   and   Nancy    (Bowen) 


Runkle,  natives  of  New  York  and  pioneers  of  Knox- 
ville. The  result  of  this  union  was  five  children,  by 
name  George  E.,  Arthur  D.,  Fred  R.,  Fannie 
G.  and  Mary  E.  He  is  active  in  all  public  af- 
fairs, and  takes  considerable  interest  in  educational 
matters ;  has  been  School  Director  for  many  years, 
and  is  a  member  of  Knoxville  Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F. 
&  A.  M.,  and  Rabboni  Chapter,  No.  35.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  Grafton  Post,  No.  139,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
is  in  politics  one  of  the  most  fiery  Republicans  the 
county  boasts.  He  has  been  Supervisor,  and  is  al- 
ways ready  and  willing  to  uphold  and  support  any 
good  work,  whether  religious,  political  or  otherwise. 

•>i  ^ — o<s$-<«i»>-^><! — *— 5-* 


gillings  Moulton,  Alderjuan  of  the  Sixth 
S  Ward  of  Galesburg,  stands  prominent 
among  that  class  of  men  who  in  the 
early  times  of  this  city  took  a  stand,  deter- 
mined to  use  their  best  efforts  in  the  building 
up  of  its  social,  industrial  and  intellectual 
greatness,  and  they  have  received  their  reward.  Mr. 
Moulton  was  born  in  the  town  of  Stafford,  Conn.,  w: 
Nov.  19,  1824.  His  parents  were  William  and  Fla- 
via  (Van  Hone)  Moulton,  the  former  being  of  an  old 
and  worthy  line  of  ancestry  of  that  Slate  and  the 
latter  of  the  Bay  State. 

The  subject  of  our  sketck  digressed  from  the  usual 
line  of  business  of  his  ancestors  (who  were  merchants 
and  farmers)  and  learned  a  trade.  His  parents  hav- 
ing removed  to  Springfield,  Mass.,  he  completed  his 
apprenticeship  there  at  the  carpenter's  bench,  and 
worked  at  it  in  that  city  for  some  time.  Here  he  met 
and  married  Miss  Harriet  C.  Smith,  a  lady  of  most 
estimable  attainments,  and  who  in  later  years  proved 
a  most  fitting  helpmeet  for  him  in  his  life  in  the  West. 
In  1854  the  young  couple  came  West  and  located  at 
Galesburg,  where  Mr.  Moulton  accepted  a  position 
with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  Here  he  has  since 
been  very  reputably  identified,  serving  worthily  as 
foreman  of  the  pattern  shops  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.  Co.  for  the  past  25  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moulton  have  reared  four  sons,  all 
of  whom  have  grown  to  manhood  and  are  holding 
worthy  positions  in  their  different  vocations.  Ar- 
thur is  a  representative  real  estate  and  insurance 
man  of  Galesburg;  Frank  I.,  manager  of  the  Mer- 
cantile and  Protective  Agency,  of  Chicago  ;  Eugene 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


803 


W.  is  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  in  York, 
Neb.  ;  Earnest  S.  is  ticket  agent  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.  Co.,  at  Galosburg.  Both  himself  and  wife 
are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  in  which  he  has 
served  as  an  active  official.  They  are  worthy  mem- 
bers of  society,  and  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  their 
fondest  hopes  of  the  "long  ago"  fully  realized. 
Times  which  in  their  early  experiences  here  were 
ominous  of  ill-fortune  have  changed  to  all  they  an- 
ticipated, and  their  family  is  well  reareii  and  edu- 
cated. 

^^^^ 

E.  Fowler,  traveling  agent  of  the  Gales 
burg  Division  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  residing  at" 
Galesburg,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts 
and  conies  of  a  long  line  of  ancestry  in  that 
State.  He  was  born  in  Salem,  Oct.  3,  1834, 
and  is  the  son  of  George  and  Sarah  (Moore) 
Fowler.  His  father  was  a  contractor  of  slate-roofing 
in  Salem,  owned  large  quarries  in  Vermont,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  demise  was  succeeded  in  his  business 
by  his  son,  George  P.,  who  still  conducts  it.  On  both 
sides  of  his  parentage  Mr.  Fowler  finds  that  they 
were  believers  in  and  supporters  of  the  cause  of  the 
Colonies  in  the  Revolution. 

Mr.  Fowler  is  the  fourth  child  and  third  son  of  a 
family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  sur- 
vive, except  Samuel;  he  gave  up  hislifein  that  foul- 
est of  foul  rebel  prisons,  Andersonville,  during  the 
late  war.  Phillip  H.  is  General  Superintendent  of 
the  Gingham  Manufacturing  Works  of  Philadelphia, 
but  resides  at  New  Jersey,  where  the  works  are  lo- 
cated. Sarah  A.  is  the  wife  of  Prof.  L.  D.  S.  Corea, 
a  gentleman  of  Fayal,  Azore  Islands.  Helen  M.  is 
the  wife  of  H.  T.  Chalk,  a  manufacturer,  of  Salem, 
Mass.  The  subject  of  this  notice  spent  his  boyhood 
in  Salem.  At  the  age  of  14  he  became  apprenticed  to 
the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  the  Salem  Observer^ 
and  afterward  at  the  Harvard  University  Press, 
where  he  completed  his  apprenticeship  at  'he  age  of 
2  I  years.  He  then  came  to  Chicago  and  worked  on  the 
Democratic  Press.  In  1857,  he  located  at  Macomb, 
and,  in  partnership  with  the  late  Hon.  B.  R.  Hamp- 
ton, publislied  the  Macomb  Enterprise,  now  the  Ma- 
comb Journal,  and  strongly  advocated  the  measures 
adopted  by  the  Republican  party.  In  January.  1862, 
he  shouldered  a  musket  as  a   private  in  Co.  B,  i6th 


111.  Vol.  Inf.  He  shortly  after  left  that  regiment,  and 
did  effective  work  for  the  Government  till  near  the 
close  of  the  war.  After  the  war  Mr.  Fowler  located 
in  Carthage,  111.,  where  he  founded  and  published 
the  Carthage  Gazette,  and  conducted  the  same  until 
1870,  a  portion  of  which  time  he  was  also  in  the 
United  States  secret  service.  In  1871  became  to 
Galesburg,  and  purchased  the  Galesburg  Daily 
Register,  retiring  from  it  in  1872.  The  Register  \\a.s 
the  only  paper  ever  published  in  Galesburg  contain- 
ing Associated  Press  dispatches.  We  ne.xt  find  him 
serving  Galesburg  as  its  City  Marshal,  which  position 
he  filled  with  credit  until  1878,  when  he  retired  to 
accept  his  present  position.  Mr.  Fowler  was  mar- 
ried at  Macomb,  111.,  to  Jane  E.,  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  Van  C.  and  Elizabeth  (Randolph) 
Hampton.  She  is  a  lady  of  estimable  attainments 
and  comes  of  a  long  and  worthy  line  of  ancestors  in 
McDonough  County,  the  Hamptons  and  the  Ran- 
dolphs being  too  well  known  to  need  genealogical 
tracing.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fowler  had  a  family  of  one 
son  and  three  daughters,  the  eldest  of  whom  died  in 
February,  1882.  W.  Harry  is  a  young  man  of  good 
attainments,  served  an  apprenticeship  in  machinery  "^ 
and  mechanism  in  the  machine  shops  of  the  C,  B. 
&  Q.  R.  R.,  and  now  holds  a  good  position  in  their 
shops.  Rose  E.  and  W.  Fay,  their  daughters,  are 
young  ladies  of  accomplishments  and  reside  at  home. 
Mr.  Fowler  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
encouragement  of  measures  attending  the  city's 
growth  and  development. 

He  is  an  active  Mason,  having  attained  the  degree 
of  Knight  Templar  in  Galesburg  Commandery,  No. 
8.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  belonging 
to  James  T.  Shields  Post,  No.  45,  and  likewise  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  He  held  important 
positions  in  Odd  Fellowship  for  many  years. 


~vw  •AtiCfir©'^ 


^»®5,S!/3'2f2t»v.-vw/». 


..rick  Larson.  Mr.  Larson  is  one  of  the 
successful  Swedish  farmers  on  section  14, 
PJ^'  Walnut  Grove  Township.  He  is  a  self- 
made  man  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word,  and 
was  born  in  Helsingland,  North  Sweden,  on 
June  4,  1837.  His  father,  Erick,  was  born  in 
the  same  country,  but  after  the  family's  arrival  in  the 
United    States,   and    while    pushing   westward,   the 


4 


^^f^ 


804 


XATOX  COUNTY. 


father's  decease  occurred  on  Lake  Michigan.  Owing 
to  the  cholera,  which  had  become  an  epidemic  about 
that  date,  one  son,  Charles,  and  one  daughter,  Ingra, 
sickened  and  died.  The  family,  however,  managed 
to  reach  Chicago,  111.  Here  the  mother  with  her  five 
remaining  children,  two  sons  and  three  daughters, 
made  a  short  stay.  Of  these  the  subject  of  this  his- 
tory was  the  youngest. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  is  yet  living,  finally 
settled  in  Copley  Township.  She  is  in  her  Sytli 
year,  and  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Martha 
Seiboldt.  No  sooner  had  the  family  settled,  as  just 
stated,  than  Mr.  Larson,  though  then  quite  young, 
determined  to  make  his  own  living  and  engaged  in 
farming  operations.  In  these  he  continued  until  the 
date  of  his  marriage,  March  31,  1861,  in  Copley 
Township,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Pitts,  a  native  of  Henry 
County,  Ind.,  born  Jan.  i,  1837.  This  lady  was  the 
daughterof  VVilliam  H.  andCynthia(Knight)  Pitts,  na- 
tives of  North  Carolina,  but  married  in  Henry  County, 
where  they  had  lived.  The  father  was  a  shoemaker 
by  calling,  and  moved  from  Henry  County  to  Hamil- 
ton, Ind.,  when  their  daughter,  Mrs.  Larson,  of  this 
>T  notice,  was  still  young.  She  was  the  oldest  but  one 
of  a  family  of  nine  children.  In  1850  the  family  lo- 
cated in  Copley  Township,  and  three  years  later  the 
parents  went  to  Benton  County,  Iowa,  where  the 
father  died,  on  Sept.  26,  187  r,  and  the  mother  on 
Feb.  2,  1875.  They  were  members  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church,  the  father  being  a  Class  Leader  in 
that  body  for  se\eral  years.  Up  to  the  date  of  hei 
marriage  Mrs.  Larson  remained  at  home,  occupied 
with  domestic  work.  By  her  happy  union  four  chil- 
dren were  born — Cynthia  A.,  who  resided  at  home 
up  to  the  date  of  her  decease,  and  who  was  the  wife 
of  L.  VV.  Johnson,  and  died  Jan.  21,  1881;  George 
W.,  John  H.  and  Emma  J.  still  remain  at  home. 
Subsequent  to  their  marriage  they  settled  on  an  im- 
proved farm  in  Copley  Township,  but  later,  in  1875, 
purchased  160  acres  in  the  present  township. 

Both  in  farming  and  stock-raising  Mr.  Larson  has 
had  extraordinarily  good  luck,  while  his  family  is  one 
of  the  most  interesting  in  the  district.  Mrs.  Lar- 
son's family  record  is  as  follows  :  Hannah  J.,  married, 
but  since  deceased;  Sarah  L.,  married  and  living  in 
Rice  County,  Kan.;  John  W.,  who  died  in  Anderson- 
ville  prison  ;  William  H.,  married  and  residing  in 
Benton  Co.,  Iowa;  George  M.,  married  ;  E.H.,  mar- 
ried, but   whose   wife  is  deceased,  and  A.  E.  and 


Rachel  I,.,  married  and  living  in  Rice  County,  Kan. 
Mr.  Erick  Larson  has  been  identified  with  the  Re- 
publican party,  of  the  principles  of  which  he  has  al- 
ways been  an  earnest  advocate. 


>_J_^ o«$^18)>-^-o 


I^Lranklin  Ogden,  ex-merchant  and  retired 


_  farmer,  son  of  Abraham  and  Keziah 
?  ''■"  (Houghton)  Ogden,  natives  respectively 
of  Old  and  New  England,  was  born  in  Oneida 
^E,  County,  N.  Y.,  July  25,  1808.  Abraham  Og- 
den came  to  America  when  he  was  23  years  of 
age;  settled  in  York  State,  where  he  farmed  up  to 
183^,  when  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  in  Berwick 
Township,  Warren  County,  spent  the  rest  of  his 
life,  dying  in  1845.  The  old  man  was  a  lover  of 
American  institutions,  and  in  the  War  of  1812 
served  his  adopted  country  faithfully  as  a  soldier. 
He  reared  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  Franklin 
being  the  second  in  order  of  birth. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  received  a  fair  common- 
school  education  in  New  York  Statj;  grew  to  man- 
hood on  a  farm,  came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  and  lived 
m  Warren  County  until  1865.  At  Berwick,  in  that 
county,  he  was  for  some  years  engaged  in  mercantile 
business,  at  which,  augmented  by  the  products  of  the 
farm,  he  accumulated  a  considerable  fortune.  In  the 
spring  of  t866  he  removed  to  Galesburg,  where  he 
has  since  been  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  com- 
position stone.  Before  the  war  Mr.  Ogden  was  a 
Whig;  in  fact,  it  may  be  said  that  he  was  an  active 
politician,  for  we  find  that  he  was  a  political  speaker 
of  more  than  local  reputation.  When  the  Whig  party 
expired,  or  was  swallowed  up  by  other  parties,  he 
identified  himself  with  the  Republican  party,  which 
he  has  since  given  his  ablest  support.  For  more 
than  50  years  Mr.  Ogden  has  been  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church;  30  years  of  the  lime  a  Deacon,  and 
the  proudest  thing  to  be  said  of  him  is,  that  through 
his  whole  life  (and  he  has  seen  more  than  three- 
quarters  of  a  century)  his  acts  have  been  consistent 
with  his  professions. 

At  Rome,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  11,  1832,  Mr.  Ogden  was 
married  to  Miss  Jane  Briggs,  who  died  at  Berwick, 
about  the  year  1848,  leaving  five  children,  after 
having  buried  two,  Analucia  and  Joseph,  who  died 
in  infancy.  Of  the  others,  Franklin  D.  is  a  farmer 
in  Warren  County  ;  Eliza  Jane  died  in   1853,  at  the 


-<H 


nxn 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

i:ilVERS»TY  OF  ILU^"  > 


1'^ 


^-^^<^7-t^^W^=^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


807 


\ 


age  of  18  years;  Allen  B.  died  in  1853,  at  the  age 
of  14  years;  James  also  died  in  1853,  at  the  age  of 
1 1  years,  and  Albert  is  a  citizen  of  Colorado. 

Aug.  2,  1850,  Mr.  Ogden  united  with  his  second 
wife,  Mrs.  Cynthia  Whiting,  «c',r  Richardson,  in  Gene- 
see, N.  Y.  She  lived  but  a  short  time,  and  died  at 
Berwick,  in  Warren  County,  Aug.  29,  r8so.  Mr. 
Ogden  found  his  third  wife  in  the  person  of  Mrs. 
Sarah  Jane  Baker,  nee  Pollock,  and  to  her  he  was 
married  at  Berwick,  May  26,  1853.  Mrs.  Ogden  was 
a  native  of  Ohio,  and  a  daughter  of  Robeit  and 
Margaret  (Hurley)  Pollock.  Her  first  husband,  Mr. 
S.  W.  Baker,  was  a  professional  educator  in  his  life- 
time. Her  only  child,  George  W.  Baker,  died  near 
Berwick,  Aug.  4,  1853,  at  the  age  of  three  and  one- 
half  years. 


^,harles  Collinson.     Among  the  large  land- 
^  holders    and    successful    and    well-to-do 


farmers  of  Knox  County,  prominently 
stands  the  name  of  him  whose  short  biograph- 
ical notice  we  give,  accon.panied  by  his  por- 
trait. He  is  at  present  engaged  in  the  prose- 
cution of  his  life-long  vocation  on  his  fine  farm  of 
280  acres  on  section  31,  Lynn  Township,  and  is 
meeting  with  far  more  than  ordinary  success  as  a 
tiller  of  the  soil.  He  is  the  proprietor  of  Walnut  Creek 
Creamery,  and  manufactures  a  large  amount  of 
fine  creamery  butter.  He  has  been  engaged  in 
the  business  since  1880.  He  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
Collinson,  whose  native  home  was  beyond  the  At- 
lantic, in  Yorkshire,  England,  and  who  was  of  pure 
English  blood.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared 
on  a  farm  in  the  mother  country,  and  at  the  age  of 
nine  years  began  to  earn  his  own  livelihood.  He  was 
married  in  his  native  shire  to  Hannah  Codlin,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  and  there  reared  to 
womanhood.  While  yet  a  resident  of  that  shire,  two 
children,  sons,  were  born  to  them,  our  subject  being 
the  elder,  and  the  date  of  his  birth  May  14,   1826. 

The  father  and  mother,  together  with  tiieir  two 
sons,  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  and  immedi- 
ately made  settlement  in  Wilkesbarre,  Luzerne  Co., 
Pa.  After  their  arrival  in  this  country  three  more 
children  were  born  ;  three  children  are  living.  The 
mother  died  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa  ,  when  Charles  was 


but  r  2  years  of  age.  •  The  father  was  again  married 
in  Luzerne  County,  to  a  lady  of  French  extraction, 
Louisa  Mathias,  who  was  born  and  reared  to  woman- 
hood in  France,  coming  to  the  United  States  and 
locating  in  Luzerne  County  when  a  young  lady.  She 
yet  survives  and  is  living  with  her  younger  daughter, 
Mrs.  Thomas  McClure,  in  Lynn  Township.  The 
father  of  our  subject  died  in  Lynn  Township,  Jan. 
28,  1881,  at  the  age  of  82.  He  came  to  Illinois  in 
1852,  bringing  his  family  with  him,  six  boys  and  two 
girls,  Charles  being  the  eldest.  He  had  been  a 
fairly  successful  farmer,  and  at  the  date  of  his  de- 
mise was  possessed  of  a  considerable  property.  In 
politics  he  was  a  Democrat. 

Charles  Collinson,  after  accompanying  his  parents 
to  this  county,  continued  to  reside  with  them  on  the 
parental  homestead,  assisting  by  his  labors  in  the 
maintenance  of  the  family  until  19  years  of  age.  He 
worked  five  years  in  the  coal  mines  in  the  Wyoming 
Valley,  Pa.,  and  vicinity. 

He  was  married  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa.,  July  18,  1847, 
Miss  Catherine  A.  Spare  becoming  his  wife.  She  was 
born  near  Philadelphia,  Aug.  r8,  1824,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Catherine  (Cline)  Spare,  na-  i } 
tives  of  Pennsylvania  and  of  Holland  descent.  Her 
father  was  a  blacksmith,  but  after  his  marriage  fol- 
lowed farming  for  a  sustenance  until  his  demise, 
which  took  place  Jan.  2,  t865,  in  Wilkesbarre,  Pa. 
His  wife  followed  him  to  the  land  beyond  20  days 
later. 

Mrs.  Collinson  was  the  third  in  order  of  birth  of  a 
family  of  nine  children,  five  sons  and  four  daughters, 
and  continued  to  reside  with  her  parents  until  her 
marriage.  Of  her  union  with  Mr.  Collinson  11  chil- 
dren have  been  born,  one  of  whom  is  deceased. 
Thomas  married  Hannah  Rawlins,  and  resides  in 
Iowa,  engaged  in  farming;  John  S.  has  a  sketch  in 
this  work ;  Sarah  married  Ambrose  King,  a  farmer  of 
Victoria  Towjiship;  Abraham  married  Margaret  Mar- 
shall, and  also  lives  in  Victoria  Township;  Mary  C. 
is  the  wife  of  C.  S.  King,  a  farmer  of  Crawford 
County,  Kan.;  Martha  A.  married  J.  C.  Gray,  a 
farmer  of  Lynn  Township;  C.  Frederick  follows  the 
calling  of  a  farmer  in  Victoria  Township,  and  the 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  H.  L.  McDaniels; 
Hannah  M.  became  Mrs.  D.  C.  McDowell;  Samuel 
S.  married  Ada  Strong,  who  died  since  the  above 
was  written,  and  is  a  farmer  in  Victoria  Township; 
Luther  M.  is  a  farmer  and  resides  at  home.     The 


'Jtrz 


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■cT__L 


808 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


deceased  is  Alice  A.,  who  died  when  about  one  year 
and  two  months  old. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Collinsons  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  has  been  Town- 
ship Assessor,  and  in  politics  votes  with  the  Demo- 
cratic patty.  Mr.  Collinson  enlisted  in  September, 
1862,  in  Co.  G,  89th  Regt.  111.  Vol.  Inf.;  in  the  fall  of 
1863  he  was  transferred  to  the  Veteran  Reserve 
Corps,  and  served  in  the  same  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  when  he  received  an  honorable  discharge  at 
Detroit,  Mich.,  July  3,  1865.  He  was  in  numerous 
skirmishes,  and  early  in  the  service  received  a  sun- 
stroke, which  prevented  him  from  active  duty. 


.dward  H.  Ware,  an  extensive  farmer  and 
stock  raiser,  residing  on  section  6,  Salem 
Township,  is  a  native  of  that  township, 
and  was  born  Jan.  6,  1862.  His  father,  Will- 
iam Keys  Ware,  was  born  April  to,  1814,  in  In- 
diana County,  Pa.,  and  was  the  fourth  son  of 
Hugh  Ware,  who  was  of  Scotch  descent,  and  whose 
ancestry  settled  in  the  Valley  of  Virginia  in  the 
colonial  days.  His  mother's  maiden  name  was  Re- 
becca Hanson,  whose  ancestors  were  Hollanders  and 
settled  in  the  colony,  occupying  territory  in  what  is 
now  the  State  of  Delaware,  long  before  the  War  of 
the  Revolution.  In  1 817,  his  father  left  Pennsyl- 
vania with  his  family  when  his  son,  William  K.,  was 
only  three  years  old.  He  died  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  After  the  death 
of  her  husband  his  mother  settled  on  a  small  farm 
near  Hillsboro,  where  with  great  effort  she  kept  her 
children  together  until  all  were  grown.  William, 
being  the  youngest  son,  lived  with  his  mother  and 
worked  on  the  farm  for  several  years  after  he  was 
grown,  and  owing  to  her  limited  means  he  was  de- 
prived of  a  collegiate  course,  but  acquired  a  good 
common-school  education.  Being  ambitious  to  pro- 
cure distinction,  he  determined  to  study  law,  and 
about  the  year  1840  entered  the  law  office  of  Judge 
Scott,  at  Hillsboro,  where  he  remained  two  years, 
when  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 

William  Ware  opened  his  first  law  office  at  West 
Union,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  about  a  year.  Not 
being  very  successful,  he  left  there  and  went  to 
Knoxville,  111.,  where  he  opened  his   second  office. 


but,  still  failing  to  receive  a  fair  practice,  after  an- 
other year's  trial  he  returned  to  Ohio  and  selected  a 
location  at  Upper  Sandusky,  where  he  made  a  fair 
beginning  and  accumulated  considerable  money. 

After  living  in  Illinois,  the  young  attorney  found 
Ohio  a  dull  place  and  determined  to  return  to  the 
Prairie  State.  About  this  time  a  colony  from  Knox 
County  was  about  to  start  for  Oregon,  and  he  joined 
this  and  in  1847  found  himself  in  that  far-off  Territory, 
where  he  soon  began  to  engage  in  farming.  In 
1848,  gold  was  discovered  at  Sutter's  Mill,  Cal.,  and 
during  the  fall  of  that  year,  in  company  with  a  few 
others,  he  commenced  mining,  at  what  is  now  Placer- 
ville,  where  he  took  out  considerable  dust.  This 
occupation  proved  too  tedious,  and  an  ounce  a  day 
too  small  a  return,  so  he  engaged  to  supply  the 
miners  with  tools,  groceries,  flour  and  beef,  the  latter 
on  a  large  scale.  He  procured  a  stock  ranch  in 
Butte  County,  and  purchasing  lean  cattle  from  across 
the  plains,  took  them  to  his  ranch,  where  they  soon 
became  in  good  condition  for  beef.  The  supply  of 
cattle  from  that  source,  however,  became  inadequate, 
and  he  then  purchased  of  the  Mexicans,  in  Lower 
California,  large  quantities  of  wild  cattle,  paying  for  *^ 
them  in  gold-dust.  While  there  he  encountered 
many  hairbreadth  escapes  from  what  often  appeared 
imminent  danger  and  possible  death,  but  he  was  so 
fortunate  that  in  1852  he  returned  to  his  old  home 
with  3joo,ooo,  all  accumulated  by  his  own  honest 
energy  and  effort.  Being  a  man  of  strict  integrity, 
Mr.  Ware  made  it  his  first  business  to  hunt  up  his 
old  creditors  and  pay  them,  principal  and  interest, 
although  they  were  all  barred  by  the  statute  of 
limitation. 

William  K.  Ware  married  Miss  Priscilla  Stark, 
daughter  of  Dr.  Stark,  an  eminent  physician  at  Fair- 
field, Jefferson  County,  Iowa,  and  soon  settled  on  a 
large  farm  near  what  is  now  Summit,  Knox  Co.,  111., 
and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock-raising  with 
marked  success  a  number  of  years.  Soon  after  the 
railroad  was  completed,  Mr.  Ware  laid  out  the  vil- 
lage of  Summit,  which  is  located  on  his  farm.  He 
was  extensively  engaged  in  the  breeding  of  fine  stock, 
and  also  in  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  His  death 
occurred  June  5,  1867.  His  widow  still  survives 
him  and  is  now  Mrs.  J.  W.  Dieffendorf,  residing  at 
Peoria.  The  parental  family  numbered  three  chil- 
dren :  William  D.  resides  at  Summit;  Ida  H.  became 
the  wife  of  James  A.  Penick,  and  resides  in  Chariton, 


*% 


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'diyzjy 


LIBRARY 

Of  THE 

\.  .IVERSITY  OF  ILUV' 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


809 


Lucas  County,  Iowa;  our  subject  was  the  youngest. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  tolerant  in  his  relig- 
ious views,  kind  and  benevolent  to  all,  and  was  a 
firm  believer  in  the  Christian  religion.  When  in  the 
enjoyment  of  domestic  felicity  and  worldly  ])ros- 
perity,  he  was  suddenly  taken  away  while  engaged 
in  branding  young  horses  ;  a  pole  with  which  he  was 
controlling  them  gave  way  and  struck  him  in  the 
breast  with  such  force  that  he  died  in  a  few  hours. 
By  this  sad  accident  his  wife  was  made  a  widow  and 
his  three  small  children  orphans. 

Of  this  family  several  brothers  and  sisters  remain. 
His  sister,  Catherine  Thomson,  mother-in-law  of 
Ex-Gov.  Carey,  of  Kansas,  resides  in  Leavenworth 
City;  another  sister,  B.  McManas,  lives  atOttumwa, 
Iowa;  a  brotlier,  John  H.  Ware,  is  a  banker  at  Bur- 
lington, Mo.  The  late  Dr.  J.  C.  Ware,  of  Fairfield, 
Iowa,  was  also  a  brother. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  State  and  received  his  early  education  in  the 
[  district  school,  supplementing  the  same  by  an  at- 
tendance of  four  terms  at  Hedding  College,  Abing- 
1  don.  After  his  mother's  second  marriage  he  removed 
'"  to  Iowa,  and  remained  for  two  years  in  Lucas  County. 
Subsequently  he  returned  to  Salem  Township,  and 
with  the  exception  of  that  two  years  has  remained 
'  upon  the  old  homestead,  a  part  of  which  he  now 
owns. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  married  June  23, 
1883,  to  Miss  Sarah  A.  Sloan,  daughter  of  Hon. 
John  and  Sarah  (Allen)  Sloan.  She  was  born  in 
Salem  Township,  December  18, 1861.  She  has  borne 
her  husband  one  child,  a  daughter,  Jessie.  Mr. 
Ware  devotes  much  of  his  attention  to  the  stock  bus- 
iness, and  has  upon  his  farm,  among  other  blooded 
stock,  two  magnificent  imported  Clydesdale  stallions. 


h^ 


?enry  M.  Sisson.  The  subject  of  this  his- 
tory, Mr.  Henry  M.  Sisson,  is  a  prominent 
farmer  on  section  35,  of  Henderson  Township. 
He  first  arrived  in  Knox  County  in  September, 
1842,  coming  from  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.  Set- 
tling first  in  Galesburg,  he  lived  there  13 
years,  and  in  the  summer  of  1855  removed  to  Hen- 
derson Township,  his  present  home.     He  is  almost 


exclusively  engaged  in  stock-raising,  and  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother,  William  P.,  is  the  owner  of  a 
half-section  of  prime  land.  On  the  29th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1829,  he  was  born  in  Clinton,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 
and  resided  there  until  he  came  to  Galesburg.  He 
received  a  good  common-school  education,  and  in 
addition,  after  locating  in  Galesburg,  he  attended  the 
Academy  belonging  to  Knox  College. 

He  has  been  continuously  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  and  in  fine-stock  raising  and  has  shown 
himself  a  competent  judge  in  his  chosen  vocation. 
He  was  married  in  Chicago,  111.,  on  the  25  th  of  De- 
cember, i860,  to  Eliza  J.  Miller,  who  was  a  native  of 
that  city  and  born  December  5,  1836.  By  this  mar- 
riage this  lady  became  the  mother  of  nine  children, 
of  whom  six  are  now  living,  viz.:  Delia  A.,  Dora  E., 
Frances  O.,  Margaret  M.,  Helen  M.  and  Anna  M. 
Our  subject's  parents  were  Pardon  and  Abbie  (Mc- 
Call)  Sisson,  natives  of  Rhode  Island  and  Connecti- 
cut respectively.  They  were  married  in  Lebanon, 
Conn.,  Sept.  30,  1827,  and  settled  in  Oneida  County 
(this  being  the  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Sisson)i 
and  came  to  Galesburg  in  the  year  1842.  Henry 
Sisson's  mother  died  on  the  20th  of  February,  1873 
and  the  elder  Mr.  Sisson's  decease  occurred  on  the 
23d  of  November,  i860.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Henry 
Sisson  were  John  and  Jane  A.  (Crane)  Miller,  na- 
tives of  Virginia  and  Vermont.  They  were  married 
in  Chicago,  where  Mrs.  Miller  died  May  21,  1849. 
Mr.  Miller  first  came  to  Galesburg  in  1857,  and  died 
there  January  22,  1858. 

Mr.  H.  M.  Sisson  has  been  elected  several  times 
to  the  office  of  Supervisor  of  his  township,  and  has 
held  other  minor  offices.  The  father  of  the  present 
Mrs.  Sisson  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Chicago, 
and  one  of  the  first  Trustees  of  the  village  of  Chica- 
go. At  that  date  the  great  bustling  and  enterpris- 
ing city  of  to-day  was  not  yet  a  corporate  city.  The 
gentleman  whose  name  heads  this  history  is  one  of 
the  Directors  of  the  Galesburg  National  Bank,  besides 
holding  the  office  of  President  of  the  American  Po- 
land-China Record  Company.  He  is  an  extensive 
breeder  of  Short-horn  cattle  and  Poland-China  hogs, 
concerning  which  he  is  a  recognized  authority  in  Knox 
County. 

In  politics  the  Rei  ublican  party  can  claim  in  Mr. 
Sisson  a  man  who  is  always  willing  and  ready  to  give 
his  support  to  any  measure  or  side  with  any  princi- 
ple calculated  to  promote  his  country's  interests. 


-H- 


-€4 


± 


8io 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


=^^ 


IbertA.  Calkins.  Prominent  among  the 
\  well-to-do  farmers  of  Sparta  Township,  who 
^  came  to  this  county  away  back  in  1836, 
and  who  have  continued  to  reside  here  until 
the  present  time,  meeting  with  success  in  their 
chosen  vocation,  is  the  gentleman  of  whom 
these  notes  are  written.  He  is  at  present  residing  on 
section  2,  Sparta  Township,  being  township  12  north, 
range  2  east  of  the  4th  principal  meridian,  where 
is  located  his  fine  farm  of  220  fertile  acres, on  which 
there  are  good  and  substantial  improvements. 

Mr.  Calkins  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Hillsdale, 
Columbia  Co..  N.  Y.,  June  i,  1808.  His  parents 
were  Stephen  (the  sixth  generation  from  Hugh)  and 
Anna  (Smith)  Calkins,  likewise  natives  of  York 
State.  The  father  of  Stephen  Calkins  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  his  distant  forefather,  Hugh 
Calkins,  born  in  Monmouthsliire,  England,  in  1600, 
came  from  England  to  Massachusetts  in  the  year 
1640,  and  soon  settled  in  Connecticut.  From  Hugh 
"'Calkins    comes  the   Calkins  family  existing  through- 

Iout  different  parts  of  the  United  States  to-day. 
Stephen  Calkins  came  to  Illinois,  in  1838,  and  set- 
tled in  Henry  County,  where  he  purchased  a  farm, 
on  which  he  located  and  there  lived,  engaged  in  that 
honorable  calling  until  his  death,  in  1857  ;  his  wife 
had  died  in  1843. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  an  inmate  of  the 
parental  household  until  he  attained  the  age  of  23 
years.  He  received  a  common-school  education  and 
diligently  assisted  his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm, 
and  after  leaving  home  engaged  to  learn  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  This  he  mastered  and  followed  for  sev- 
eral years,  when  he  was  employed  as  salesman,  to 
travel  throughout  the  Southern  States,  and  was  thus 
occupied  for  three  years.  In  1836,  our  subject  came 
to  this  State  and  at  once  entered  180  acres  of  land 
on  section  2,  Sparta  Township.  Subsequently  he 
increased  his  landed  interests  by  an  additional  pur- 
chase of  40  acres.  When  he  first  came  here  the 
county  was  sparsely  settled  and  the  hand  of  civili- 
zation was  hardly  visible;  indeed,  there  was  not  a 
white  man  who  had  settled  upon  the  broad  prairie 
one  mile  from  the  timber,  all  who  had  made  settle- 
ment having  selected  the  timber.  It  was  at  this  date 
that  the  Underground  Railroad  was  being  operated, 


and  the  subject  of  this  notice  at  this  day  is  not 
afraid  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  an  active  partici- 
pant. Mr.  Calkins,  on  settling  on  the  land  which 
he  originally  entered,  at  once  began  its  improvement 
and  cultivation,  and  for  50  years  has  continued  to 
reside  thereon,  having  through  his  own  exertions  and 
labor  brought  it  to  the  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
value  that  it  occupies  at  this  writing. 

In  1837,  one  year  after  his  arrival  in  this  county, 
he  concluded  that  he  needed  a  helpmate  to  aid  him 
iu  the  improvement  of  his  home  and  to  share  in  the 
successes  which  he  was  certain  he  saw  in  the  near 
future.  He  consequently  selected  Miss  L.  M.  Park 
as  his  companion.  She  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Frink)  Park,  and  bore  her  husband  eight  children, 
five  only  of  whom  are  now  living  :  Calvin,  who  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Berry  and  by  whom  he  has  had  three 
children — Ella,  Carrie  and  Ida ;  Leonard  took  to  wife 
Flora  Snell,  and  their  children  are  eight  in  number — 
Ernest,  Hugh,  Nellie,  Rufus,  Eli,  Abigail,  Rosa  and 
Lois  M.;  Dwight  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth  ; 
Leroy  married  Fannie  Reed,  and  they  have  one  son — 
Willis  ;  Fremont  L.  also  became  a  married  man,  the  ^ 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  being  Helen  R.  Parker. 

In  politics  Mr.  Calkins  is  a  Republican  and  has 
been  one  in  sentiment  ever  since  1850.  Being  in- 
tensely Anti-slavery  in  sentiment,  he  left  the  Whig 
party  on  the  passage  of  the  Fugitive-Slave  law, 
which  he  considered  a  disgrace  to  civilization.  While 
in  the  midst  of  slavery  he  opposed  it  with  tongue 
and  pen.  The  following  is  a  small  specimen  of  what 
he  left  among  the  slaveholders  and  which  he    wrote 

in  1834: 

Founded  on  oppression, 
Stigma  to  the  Nation, 

Without  sliadow  of  Equity, 
Is  held  as  a  treasure 
For  profit  and  pleasure, 
Hot  beds  of  all  iniquity. 

Mr.  Calkins  and  his  wife,  who,  when  another  year 
shall  have  rolled  around,  will  have  been  man  and 
wife  for  50  years,  will  celebrate  their  golden  wedding. 
They  are  true  and  consistent  members  of  the  Bap. 
tist  Church,  and  hand  in  hand  have  climbed  the  lad- 
der of  difficulty  until  at  last  they  are  living  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  competency  earned  through  honest 
toil.  Mr.  Calkins  has  held  the  office  of  School  Di- 
rector, and  to  him  belongs  the  honor  of  calling  the 
first  school  meeting  ever  held  in  Sparta  Town- 
ship, and  he  was  the  only  one  who  attended  that 


-H^ 


V 


:^-> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


8ii 


meeting  who  could  read  or  write.  His  past  career 
has  been  an  honorable  one,  and  he  is  one  of  the  re- 
spected and  honored  citizens  not  only  of  Sparta 
Township,  but  of  Knox  County. 

Mr.  Calkins  bears  the  reputation  of  being  one  of 
the  best  carpenters  in  the  country,  and  is  a  thorough- 
ly reliable  business  man.  At  his  old  home  in  New 
York  he  was  esteemed  the  best  posted  man  in  mili- 
tary tactics,  and  was  compelled  to  drill  the  field  and 
staff  officers  of  the  militia  regiment  to  which  he 
belonged. 


fimothy  Moshier,  capitalist,  Galesburg,  was 
born  in  Wasiiington  County,  N.  Y.,  May 
i8,  i8r2.  His  father,  Timothy  Moshier, 
was  a  native  of  Canada,  and  his  mother,  ^^^^ 
Rachel  Curtis,  was  a  native  of  Washington 
County,  N.  Y.  They  were  married  in  Wash- 
ington County,  where  they  reared  five  sons  and  four 
daughters.  The  senior  Mr.  Moshier  was  a  farmer 
by  occupation.  He  died  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y., 
Aug.  4,  1828,  at  the  age  of  47  years.  His  widow 
survived  him  23  years,  when  she  died  in  the  same 
county  at  the  age  of  69. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest  son  and 
was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm  until  16  years 
of  age,  when  he  began  life  for  himself.  His  educa- 
tion was  somewhat  meager,  but  he  was  possessed  of 
extraordinary  natural  ability  and  a  sound  judgment, 
accompanied  by  a  stout  heart  and  great  physical 
force.  He  left  Cayuga  County  when  he  was  23  years 
of  age,  and  took  up  his  abode  in  Cass  County,  Mich., 
where  he  remained  three  years,  going  thence,  in  1838, 
to  the  Platte  Purchase  in  Missouri,  and  from  there, 
five  years  later,  to  Warren  County,  111.  In  the  lat- 
ter county  he  farmed  with  much  success  for  ten  con- 
secutive years,  and  in  1852  removed  to  Galesburg, 
where  his  industrious  habits  have  since  been  applied 
to  fanning,  stock  raising,  trading  and  shipping.  His 
farm  closely  adjoins  the  city,  thus  enabling  him  to 
spend  his  time  without  inconvenience  in  or  out  of 
town.  The  large  and  valuable  tracts  of  land  once 
owned  by  him  have  been  to  a  great  extent  distrib- 
uted among  his  children.  He  retains,  however, 
such  property  as  identifies  him  with  the  most  exten- 
sive farmers  in  the  country.  In  1864,  he  became 
largely  interested    in    the   First   National    Bank  of 


Galesburg.  Mr.  Moshier  was  married  in  Michigan, 
Nov.  7,  1837,  to  Sarah  Garwood,  who  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Mary  (Thatcher)  Garwood,  who 
moved  from  Ohio  to  Michigan  at  an  early  day.  She 
died  in  Warren  County,  111.,  Feb.  22,  1851,  leaving 
four  children.  They  are  as  follows :  David,  who 
married  Miss  Kate  Meek,  of  this  county ;  they  are 
the  parents  of  one  daughter;  they  are  now  living  in 
Denver,  Colo.;  George  Moshier  (see  sketch) ;  Henry 
Clay  Moshier  took  to  wife  Miss  Lou  Ferris,  of  Gales- 
burg; they  are  the  parents  of  two  children — Winnie 
and  Forrie  ;  they  reside  in  Galesburg  ;  Ada  Moshier 
married  A.  D.  Pankey;  they  have  one  boy  nauied 
Fred;  they  reside  in  Galesburg.  Mr.  Moshier  was 
a  second  time  married,  his  wife's  maiden  name  be- 
ing Adelia  Gardner,  to  whom  he  was  joined  in  Knox- 
ville,  Dec.  27,  1854,  her  death  taking  place  in  Gales- 
burg, June  20, 1883.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Rich- 
ard and  Mary  (Bronson)  Gardner.  Her  parents 
were  natives  of  New  York.  She  was  previously  mar- 
ried to  a  Mr.  Gardner.  By  her  first  marriage  she  1 
had  one  daughter — Helen,  now  the  wife  of  Asa  A. 
Matteson.  The  result  of  this  latter  union  was  one  | 
child,  a  daughter,  who  married  Fred  Seacord,  and 
they  are  parents  of  two  children — Louise  and  an  in- 
fant not  named. 

Mr.  Moshier  is  a  stanch  Republican.  He  is  not 
a  member  of  any  church,  but  always  contributes 
liberally  to  the  cause  of  Christ. 


[Ciehael  Riner  is  one  of  the  old  settlers 
and  most  ])rorainent  citizens  of  thistown- 
'^^  ship.  Early  in  1857  he  located  on  sec- 
')  ^^  %  tion  4,  where  he  took  up  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  He  was  born  in  Berkeley  Co..  W.  Va., 
Aug.  22,  1822.  His  father,  Henry  Riner, 
was  a  blacksmith  by  calling  and  a  native  of  Virginia, 
of  German  descent,  and  his  ancestry  were  among 
the  oldest  and  most  respected  in  tiiat  country.  The 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  on  his  first  arrival 
from  Germany,  settled  in  Virginia  and  took  a  promi- 
nent part  in  the  Revolutionary  War  He  was  a  pri- 
vate and  received  a  gunshot  in  the  leg,  which  partly 
crippled  him  for  life.  Having  successfully  farmed 
in  Virginia,  he  died  at  the  advanced  age  of  96  years. 
Mr.  Riner's  grandfather,  Jacob  by  name,  lived  and 


4-3- 


A 


8l2 


ji:/\rox  COUNTY, 


died  in  Berkeley  County,  where  he  was  born  and  fol- 
lowed the  profession  of  farming.  He  married  Han- 
nah Snyder,  from  the  same  county.  This  lady  of 
estimable  character  lived  with  her  husband  loan  ad- 
vanced age  and  also  lies  buried  in  Virginia.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  the  oldest  of  a  family  of 
four  sons  and  six  daughters,  and,  learning  his  trade 
while  yet  young,  he  commenced  life  for  himself  and 
married  early  in  his  native  county.  The  lady  was 
Miss  Marj'  Roney  and  of  Irish  descent,  whose  father 
died  in  Berkeley  Co.,  Va.  The  mother's  seven  chil- 
dren (five  sons  and  two  daughters)  came  with  her 
after  the  death  of  the  father  in  Champaign  Co.,  111. 
(where  she  remained  ten  years),  when  she  removed 
to  Knox  County,  111.  Here  she  made  her  first  home 
in  Altona.  Subsequently  she  lived  in  this  township 
up  to  about  the  date  of  her  death,  which  occurred 
while  visiting  one  of  her  sons  in  Mason  County,  111. 
She  died  in  February,  1875,  in  her  76th  year.  She  was 
a  truly  good  and  heroic  woman,  who  through  life  had 
faced  great  hardships  and  with  a  large  family  strug- 
gled with  the  world  and  conquered  its  difficulties. 
Her  success  in  bringing  up  her  children  as  she  did 
won  for  her  the  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  admiring 
friends.  She  was  a  motherly  woman  and  one  of 
strong  character,  and  was  a  fervent  Abolitionist  at  a 
time  when  few  dared  to  profess  an  opinion  on  this 
suhject.  She  willingly  sent  her  youngest  son,  Benja- 
min, to  the  war,  in  which  he  participated  with  valor 
and  escaped  unhurt. 

While  the  family  Avas  yet  living  in  Cham- 
paign County,  111.,  the  subject  of  this  history  was 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Livingston,  who  was 
born  in  Warren  County,  Jan.  26,  1823.  This  good 
and  benevolent  lady  died  at  her  home  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township,  on  the  15th  of  September,  1875. 
She  was  the  mother  of  12  children,  of  whom  seven 
are  surviving.  Of  these  there  are  now  married 
Henry,  James,  Amelia,  Daniel,  Bithia,  Sarah  C.  and 
Ella.  There  are  deceased  Mary,  Martha,  Albert, 
Louisa  and  Maria.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  this 
township,  in  1857,  Mr.  Riner  rented  his  land  up  to 
i860,  when  he  purchased  160  acres,  which  form  his 
present  home.  This  latter  contains  all  modern  im- 
provements. After  the  death  of  his  first  wife  he  was 
again  married  at  Altona  on  Nov.  18,  1876,  to  Mrs. 
Luticia  Allen  (formerly  Van  Fleet).  She  was  born 
in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  July  23,  1834.  Her  parents 
were  New  York  people  and  very  successful  farmers. 


Her  father  died  in  Warren  County,  111.,  on  the  15th  of 
August,  1852,  his  death  taking  place  from  various 
wounds  received  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  among  them 
his  ribs  being  broken  by  a  spent  cannon-ball.  Suffer- 
ing from  heart  complaint,  he  was  unable  to  lie  down 
for  three  years  previous  to  his  death.  He  was  one 
among  the  most  honest  of  honest  soldiers  and  a 
splendid  citizen.  He  had  one  son  and  four  sons-in- 
law. 

The  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth 
Firkins,  is  still  living  and  resides  in  Mitchell  County, 
Kan.,  with  her  oldest  daughter.  Mrs.  R.  by  her 
former  marriage  became  the  mother  of  Ida  M.,  mar- 
ried ;  Daniel  E.,  also  married ;  Lucien,  who  is  a  teach- 
er in  Guthrie  County,  Iowa.  Mr.  Allen,  the  father, 
was  a  native  of  New  York,  and  coming  Westward  was 
married  in  Galesburg.  He  enlisted  in  the  cause  of 
the  Republic  in  [861,  joining  the  Sglh  111.  Vol.  Inf., 
Co.  G,  under  Capt.  Whiting.  He  was,  however,  in- 
stantly killed  by  a  minie-ball  from  the  enemy,  at 
Dallas,  Ga.,  May  17,  1863,  while  with  Sherman  on 
his  march  to  Atlanta.  He  was  an  active  and  patri- 
otic soldier  and  a  warm  advocate  of  the  Republican 
party  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Riner  is  a  member  in  good  standing  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  Mrs.  Riner  of  the 
Universalist.  The  former  is  a  Trustee  in  his  church 
and  one  who  has  always  shown  an  active  interest  in 
all  matters  pertaining  thereto.  As  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican he  has  always  shown  himself  on  the  side  of  any 
measure  Ukely  to  promote  the  good  of  that  party. 


^ 


eorge  A  Merrill,  a  passenger  conductor 
on  the  line  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  was 
born  at  Lowell,  Mass.,  Aug.  7,  1845,  and 
was  the  only  son  of  J.  A.  and  Jennie  A. 
(Powers)  Merrill,  both  natives  of  the  Bay 
State.  The  senior  Mr.  M.  was  a  railroad 
man,  but  removed  West  in  1854,  worked  some  time 
for  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  and  Rock  Island  &  Peoria 
roads.  .  He  lived  awhile  in  Galesburg,  then  returned 
East,  and  in  1880  emigrated  to  Lincoln,  Neb.,  where 
he  died  three  years  later,  at  the  age  of  63  years. 

George  A.  Merrill,  at  the  age  of  13,  commenced 
his  railroad  life  as  a  train-boy  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.  At  the  age  of  1 6  he  began  braking.  His 
next  step  upward  was   the  position  of  baggageman 


*t- 


I 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


8'3 


■M^ 


and  his  next  that  of  freight  conductor.  This  jxwi- 
tion  he  occupied  for  13  consecutive  years,  and  in 
1880  he  was  promoted  to  the  position  of  passenger 
conductor,  which,  it  is  needless  to  say,  he  fills  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  company,  and  is  both  popu- 
lar and  pleasant.  Mr.  Merrill's  service  to  his  coun- 
try should  not  be  forgotten,  as  he  adorned  the 
position  in  which  he  was  placed.  In  1864  he  left 
railroading  long  enough  to  serve  100  days  as  private 
in  Co.  D,  i32d  111.  Vol.  Inf.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
term  of  enlistment  he  returned  to  his  old  business, 
where  he  will  probably  be  found,  Providence  grant- 
ing him  a  long  life  of  usefulness,  for  many  years 
hence.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  Galesburg 
Lodge,  No.  142,  I.  O.  O.  F  ;  Vesper  Lodge,  No. 
584,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  also  of  Galesburg  Chapter, 
No.  46,  Galesburg  Commandery,  No.  8,  all  of  Gales- 
burg, and  of  the  Peoria  Consistory,  and  also  a  mem-  ; 
ber  of  College  City  Lodge,  A.  O.  U.  \V.,  No.  214; 
Oak  Leaf  Camp  of  Modern  Woodmen  of  .\merica, 
'  also  Order  of  Railway  Conductors. 
j  He  was  married  in  Galesburg  Feb.  6,  1867,  to 
1  Miss  Julia  A.  Cohvell,  a  native  of  Dutchess  Co., 
"  N.  v.,  and  the  children  born  to  them  are  Nellie  A. 
I  and  Jennie  C.  Long  may  his  "  all  aboard  "  summon 
the  patrons  of  the  old  "  Q." 


^^Is^'oseph  H.  Bloomfleld.  Prominent  amor.g 
r  the  leading  citizens,  and  the  wealthy  and 
influential  farmers  of  Knox  County,  is  Jo- 
eph  H.  Bloomfield,  whose  personal  history  is 
narrated  in  the  ensuing  paragraphs.  He  has 
been  actively  engaged  in  farming  pursuits  ever 
since  1845,  and  may  be  reckoned  among  the  most 
enterprising  and  industrious  men  in  that  section  of 
the  county. 

Mr.  Bloomfield   started   in  to  establish   his   new 
I    home  when  the  country  was  yet  in  a  wild  and  un- 
settled condition.     He  was  but  1 1  years  of  age  when 
j    he  came   to   Knox  County,  and  in  his   eariier  life 
,    attended  school  and  spent  the  years  intervening  be- 
I    tween  that  age  and   manhood  under  his  father's  roof. 
I     He  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural   pursuits,  living 
in   Rio  Township   until  the  year  1858,  when   he  re- 
moved  to  Mercer  County  and  there  spent  14  years. 
Deciding  that  Rio  Township  was  worthy  of  his  creat- 
I    ing  a  home  in  its  midst,  he  bought  land,  until  he  is 


now  the  owner  of  159  acres  on   section  ■^■t,.     Much      , 
of  this  land  in    his  possession  is  capable  of  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  and    few  can   boast  of  a   more      j 
desirable  homestead. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Butler 
County,  Ohio,  Nov.  30,  1834.  At  the  age  of  25 
years,  April  24,  1859,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lucinda  Jackson,  and  this  event  occurred 
in  Warren  County,  111.  Mrs.  Bloomfield  was  a  native 
of  Indiana,  and  to  her  and  her  husband  have  been 
born  eight  children,  by  name  as  follows:  .-Vlice  E., 
Henrietta,  Mary  J.,  Abigail,  Sophronia,  Daisy,  Har- 
rison I.  and  Lelia.  Of  this  family  of  children  Mary 
J.  and  Abigail  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Bloomfield  has  held  many  of  the  local  offices 
of  his  neighborhood,  and  discharged  the  duties  inci- 
dent to  them  well  and  ably.  In  politics  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. Both  himself  and  wife  are  members,  in  good 
and  regular  standing,  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Bloomfield  are  Isaac  and  Mary     t 
(Hohn)  Bloomfield,  and  those  of   his  wife  are  Har-  ' 
rison   and   Roxana   J.  (Holcomb)  Harrison. 


eremiah  E   Derham,  a  general  farmer,  lo-  J 
^_^  '  cated    on    section    23,   of  Walnut    Grove 
■    Township,  is  the  owner  of  160  acres  and 

[,'  3.  very  desirable  residence.  He  also  possesses 
IjL      40  acres   of  highly   improved  land    in   Lynn 

1  Township.  This  gentleman  was  born  in  Del- 
aware County,  N.  Y.,  May  19,  1843.  His  father. 
Almond  Derham.  was  a  native  of  the  same  county 
and  married  Jane  A.  Beagle,  who  was  a  native  of 
New  York,  near  Hillsdale.  His  father  was  descended 
of  English  parentage  and  his  mother  was  of  German 
ancestry.  The  grandfather,  Moses  Beagle,  was 
Mayor  of  Schenectady.  On  both  sides  the  grand- 
fathers were  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  elder  Beagle 
was  among  those  who  volunteered  to  capture  certain 
strongholds  where  it  required  the  stoutest  hearts  to 
meet. 

The  family  on  both  the  father's  and  mother's  side 
were  held  m  the  highest  esteem  in  their  State.  The 
elder  members  of  this  family  all  lived  to  a  ripe  old 
age  and  died  in  their  native  State,  New  York,  in 
Delaware  County.  The  parents  of  our  subject  still 
reside  at   South    Hill,  East  Daveniwrt,   N.  Y.,  the 


t 


814 


X-^OX  COUNTY. 


father  now  (1886)  in  his  7 4tli  year  and  the  mother 
in  her  69th.  They  are  still  active  members  of  the 
Christian  Church. 

Mr.  Jeremiah  E.  Derham  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  and  at  Ferguson  Hill  Academy.  Sub- 
sequently, and  while  quite  young,  he  began  to  teach. 
Coming  Westward,  however,  he  took  up  his  location 
in  Kno.\  County  and  commenced  teaching  at  Lynn, 
where  he  followed  his  profession  until  the  date  of 
his  marriage,  at  Oneida,  April  18,  1867,  to  Miss 
Mar)'  E.  CoUinson.  This  lady  was  born  in  Walnut 
Grove  Township,  Feb.  12,  1848,  and  resided  at 
home  with  her  parents  up  to  the  date  of  her  mar- 
riage. She  commenced  and  completed  her  educa- 
tion in  Altona.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Derham  one 
child,  Milo  G.,  was  born  May  31,  1868. 

In  the  biography  of  S.  L.  Collinson  Mrs.  Derham's 
family  history  is  given  more  in  detail.  Mr.  Derham 
and  his  wife  are  regular  attendants  at  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  with  which  body  they  have  warm 
sympathies;  they  enjoy  and  merit  the  approbation 
of  the  community,  and  in  their  home  is  an  air  of 
quiet  refinement  and  morality  of  a  high  order.  The 
head  of  the  household  is  in  politics  a  sohd  Repub- 
lican, with  the  principles  of  which  party  he  has  been 
identified  since  1864,  when  George  B.  McClellan 
was  candidate  for  President.  The  only  son  of  the 
household,  Milo,  is  attending  the  Altona  High 
School,  and  ranks  high  as  a  scholar. 


•taaj*®^" — m 


|'4 — ,j^^%cuws»^ 


w 


^:ri|i*a,ajor  Josiah  Tilden,  Justice  of  the  Peace 
\  -iSJ^Si  and  residing  at  Galesburg,  111.,  was  born 
at  Rochester,  Vt.,  Feb.  14,  1830.  His 
r^'X  parents  were  Joseph  F.  and  Clementine  (Ly- 
**  man)  Tilde n,  who  reared  one  son  and  three 
daughters.  The  Major  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  Vermont,  and  under  his  father's 
instruction  gained  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  mer- 
cantile business,  which  he  afterward  found  of  good 
use. 

Maj.  Josiah  Tilden  came  to  Galesburg  in  the  year 
185  1  and  resided  there,  carrying  on  the  business  of  a 
merchant,  until  the  outbreak  of  the  war  in  1862,  at 
which   time  he  entered  the  United  States  Army  as 


Paymaster,  with  the  title  of  Major,  and  retained  this 
position,  in  a  manner  reflecting  credit  upon  himself, 
until  the  conclusion  of  the  war.  The  first  year  of  the 
service  he  spent  in  St.  Louis,  the  following  eighteen 
months  in  New  Orleans,  and  the  last  six  at  Spring- 
field, 111.  Maj.  Tilden  held  the  above  position  on  the 
steamer  Ruth,  in  July,  1863,  when  that  vessel  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  12  miles  below  Cairo.  His  clerk, 
Simeon  Martin,  formerly  cashier  of  Reed's  Bank,  at 
Galesburg,  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  life  in  at- 
tempting to  swim  from  the  wreck  to  the  shore.  The 
Paymasters  under  Maj.  Brinton,  with  the  amount 
of  $2,600,000  in  greenbacks,  were  en  route  to  Mem- 
phis and  Vicksburg  to  pay  volunteer  soldiers  at  those 
cities.  The  Major  bore  the  reputation  of  being  one 
of  the  most  rapid  and  reliable  Paymasters  in  the 
army,  and  his  final  settlement  with  the  Government, 
after  handling  millions  of  dollars  and  paying  hundreds 
of  thousands  of  men,  often  paying  a  full  regmient  in 
less  than  ten  hours,  showed  a  balance  against  him, 
on  account  of  errors,  of  only  a  few  dollars,  which  ' 
were  promptly  remitted  by  the  proper  authorities, 
who  accompanied  his  final  receipts  with  letters  of  dis- 
tinguished consideration  for  his  standing  in  the  de-  | 
partment. 

Our  subject  returned  to  Galesburg  in  1865,  and  was 
soon  afterward  appointed  United  States  Deputy  Col-  • 
lector  for  Knox,  Henry  and  Bureau  Counties.  This 
position  he  filled  for  about  one  year,  when  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  Galesburg  Gas  Works,  which 
he  helped  to  construct.  In  1870  he  removed  to  Jas- 
per County,  Mo.,  where  he  took  up  farming,  which  he 
continued  for  12  years.  Nine  years  of  this  time  he 
was  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  of 
Missouri.  In  August,  1882,  he  returned  10  Gales- 
burg, where  he  has  since  resided.  He  was  elected 
to  fill  a  vacancy  of  an  unexpired  term  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace  at  that  time,  and  in  the  spring  of  1885,  re- 
elected to  that  office  for  the  regular  term  of  four 
years. 

Maj.  Josiah  Tilden  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of 
matrimony  with  Miss  Jeannette  L.  Abbott,  in  Octo- 
ber, 1858,  Rev.  Edward  Beecher,  brother  of  Rev. 
Henry  Ward  Beecher,  performing  the  ceremony. 
Their  household  was  blest  by  the  advent  of  seven 
children,  four  of  whom  are  living  and  named  as  fol- 
lows :  Alice  J.,  Josiah  B.,  Amelia  C.  and  Earnest  L. 
Edward,  his  eldest  son,  died  in  18S3,  in  the  full 
bloom  of  manhood,  being  only  22  years  of  age  at 


K  » 


t 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

t.UVERSITY  OF  ILLIW:  » 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


819 


the  date  of  liis  demise;  and  two  children  who  died 
in  infancy. 

The  Major  is  still  interested  in  Missouri  real  estate 
and  owns  in  Knox  County  a  herd  of  as  fine-bred 
Jersey  cattle  as  can  be  found  in  the  country. 


ala  Blakslee,  deceased.  The  subject  of 
this  biographical  notice,  whose  portrait, 
with  that  of  his  e.Kcellent  wife,  who  sur- 
vives him,  we  present  on  the  preceding  page, 
was  one  of  the  most  widely  respected  and 
best  known  citizens  of  Knox  County.  He 
was  a  resident  of  Salem  Township,  and  up  to  the 
date  of  his  demise  was  one  of  its  most  useful  members 
of  society.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  coming  to  Illinois  in  June,  1834,  thus  ex- 
periencing the  hardships  incident  to  that  day  and  all 
of  the  triumphs  to  which  those  early  settlers  look 
back,  at  the  present  day,  with  deep  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Blakslee  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Conn.,  Jan. 
14,  1805.  His  father,  also  by  name  Sala  Blakslee, 
ill  was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  his  grandfather, 
Asher  Blakslee,  was  of  Welsii  ancestry  and  American 
birth,  who  likewise  claimed  Connecticut  as  his  na- 
I  tive  State.  Our  subject  was  a  model  in  his  chosen 
field  of  labor,  agriculture,  and  was  systematic  and 
accurate  as  a  business  man.  He  shirked  no  duty, 
was  a  kind  friend  and  good  neighbor,  and  left  the 
world  with  the  comfortable  assurance  that  his  life 
had  been  a  fair  success. 

Sala  Blakslee,  Sr.,  was  by  occupation  a  blacksmith, 
at  which  branch  of  business  he  continued  until  1817. 
In  September  of  that  year  he  emigrated  to  the  Far 
West.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Two  of  these 
had  preceded  them  several  years.  He  loaded  the 
household  goods  and  traveled  by  wagon,  drawn  by 
oxen,  while  the  family  occupied  a  one-horse  vehicle. 
In  this  primitive  way  they  continued  their  journey, 
which  occupied  from  Sept.  2  to  Oct.  9.  At  this  lime 
they  entered  the  State  of  Ohio,  settling  in  Ashtabula 
County,  where  they  purchased  timber  land.  Their 
location  is  now  included  in  the  city  limits  of  Ashta- 
bula. Continuing  at  his  trade,  he  instructed  his  sons 
in  the  clearing  of  the  farm,  and  by  unflagging  indus- 
try a  home  was   erected,  in  which   he  continued  to 


reside  until  his  death. 


Our  subject  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  family 
and  grew  to  manhood  in  Ohio.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  agricultural  pursuits,  continuing  with  him 
until  of  age.  Arriving  at  the  state  of  manhood,  he 
rented  a  brother's  farm  and  engaged  in  labor  for 
himself.  His  marriage  took  place  Jan.  10,  1830,  to 
Lydia  B.  Pearce,  who  was  born  in  Grafton,  N.  H., 
July  23,  1803.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Earl  and 
Betsey  (Maranville)  Pearce,  both  natives  of  New 
Hampshire.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blakslee  continued  to 
live  in  Ohio  for  the  space  of  four  years,  and  June  2, 
1834,  started  for  Illinois,  filled  with  the  enterprise 
that  commands  new  effort  in  a  new  country.  Com- 
ing by  stage  as  far  as  Wellsville,  Ohio,  they  com- 
pleted their  journey  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers,  landing  at  Oquawka,  111.,  June  17  of  the 
same  year.  The  following  day  they  employed  a 
man  to  take  them  with  an  ox  team  as  far  as  Mon- 
mouth. At  that  point  Mrs.  B.,  with  two  small  chil- 
dren, remained,  while  her  husband  went  on  foot 
across  the  trackless  prairie  in  search  of  a  brother-in- 
law  living  in  Fulton  County.  Night  came  upon  him 
before  he  completed  his  journey,  but,  passing  the  J 
night  in  a  cabin  at  the  invitation  of  the  owner,  he  " 
the  next  morning  resumed  his  march  and  succeeded 
in  reaching  his  destination.  His  next  move  was  to 
return  for  his  family,  when  he  located  in  Fulton 
County.  There  they  spent  the  summer  and  in  Sep- 
tember of  that  year  returned  to  Knox  County,  and 
moved  into  a  building  owned  and  occupied  by 
James  Milan,  which  stood  on  ground  previously 
bought,  on  section  25,  Maquon  Township.  The 
building  was  a  double  log  structure  and  had  been 
partly  a  smokehouse.  Mr.  Milan  retained  posses- 
sion of  the  main  building,  and  Mr.  Blakslee  used 
the  smokehouse  department  for  a  dwelling  until 
spring,  and  with  much  ingenuity  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing it  comfortable,  among  other  things  putting  in  a 
three  light  window,  carving  the  sash  with  his  pocket- 
knife.  During  the  year  he  purchased  land  from  Mr. 
Milan,  and  also  a  claim  on  section  30,  of  township  9, 
now  known  as  Salem.  Later  he  entered  the  land  at 
the  Government  OflSce,  at  Quincy,  111.,  and  as  early 
as  1837  erected  a  frame  barn,  which  was  the  first 
frame  building  in  the  township.  In  the  following 
year  this  barn  was  struck  by  lightning  and  burned, 
together  with  the  entire  crop  of  small  grain,  and  a 
j  mow  of  "  tip-top "  hay,  raised  from  seed  brought 
'   with  him  when  he  came  West — the   first  tame-grass 


=A^ 


^•^^-^ 


Sao 


JCJVOX  COUNTY. 


4 


seed  in  the  county.  In  1840  he  built  the  struct- 
ure which  is  now  standing.  The  lumber  used  was 
sawed  at  Little's  Creek,  and  the  shingles  made  by 
hand. 

At  this  place  Mr.  HIakslee  resided  until  1842, 
having  made  his  home  in  Maijuon  Township  during 
the  intervening  year.  He  then  erected  a  frame 
house  on  section  30  in  .Salem  Township,  which  was 
his  home  up  to  the  date  of  his  death,  Jan.  24,  1886. 
He  left,  to  mourn  his  loss,  a  widow  and  five  grown 
children,  as  follows :  Eli  A.,  Chauncey,  Salmon,  Sarah 
H.  and  Mary,  who  still  resides  at  home. 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Blakslee  a  pioneer  in  the  full 
sense  of  the  word,  but  he  set  on  foot  and  forwarded 
many  movements  for  the  good  of  the  community  at 
large.  He  look  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  edu- 
cational matters,  and  organized  the  first  school  in 
Maquon  Township,  the  building  being  on  the  old 
Milan  farm.  He  furnished  the  logs  to  build  the  first 
schoolhouse  at  Unionlown,  doing  fully  one-half  the 
work  with  his  own  hands.  His  interest  in  this 
school  never  lessened  and  he  was  for  50  years  con- 
nected with  it  in  the  capacity  of  Director,  an  office 
held  longer  by  him  than  any  man  known  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  His  life  had  proved  the  truth 
that  "  the  actions  of  the  just  smell  sweet  and  blossom 
in  the  dust." 

Mrs.  Blakslee  came  to  Ohio  at  an  early  day,  in 
i8n,  when  but  a  child.  As  already  stated,  she  was 
the  daughter  of  Earl  Pcarce  and  was  born  at  Graf- 
ton, N.  H.,  July  23,  1803.  Her  father  came  to  Ohio 
with  his  wife  and  three  children,  all  daughters,  in 
company  with  his  fatlier-in-law,  ('harles  Maranville, 
and  settled  at  Coniieaut.  Charles  Maranville,  the 
grandfather  of  Lydia  Pearce,  was  a  descendant  of 
John  de  ManviUe,  or  Maranville,  the  son  of  a  French 
nobleman  who  came  to  America  at  an  early  day  and 
settled  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  man  well  edu- 
cated and  left  a  large  family.  Miss  Pearce  lost  her 
mother  while  still  young,  and  from  this  time  forward 
made  her  own  living  and  was  enabled  to  secure  only 
a  limited  education,  but  became  a  methodical  and 
experienced  housekeeper.  She  was  living  in  the 
family  of  Capt.  Wood  when  he  came  to  Michigan, 
and  she  accompanied  them  and  continued  to  reside 
with  them  for  two  years.  Capt.  Wood,  having  set- 
tled on  the  St.  Clair  River,  about  30  miles  above 
Detroit,  followed  the  occupation  of  a  sailor,  and  in 
later  years  was  inter^ted  in  a  prominent  line  o 


steamers.  Mrs.  Wood,  thus  left  alone  a  good  share 
of  the  time  during  the  summer,  with  but  few  neigh- 
bors save  French  and  Indiuns,  at  the  end  of  two 
years  returned  on  a  visit  to  friends  in  the  East,  Miss 
Pearce  accompanying  her  back  to  Conneaut,  from 
which  place  she  went  to  Ashtabula  and  made  her 
home  with  a  well-to-do  farmer  there.  Miss  Pearce 
had  become  a  skillful  housekeeper  and  was  very 
well  versed  in  all  the  arts  of  cooking,  spinning  and 
weaving  both  wool  and  linen.  This  education  had 
prepared  her  for  an  early  pioneer  and  adapted  her 
for  the  duties  of  her  future  home  in  Illinois,  enabling 
her  to  keep  her  family  supplied  with  homespun 
clothing  for  their  everyday  wear,  lx)th  of  wool  and 
linen,  woolen  blankets  for  her  beds  and  linen  for 
table-spreads  and  towels.  She  was  in  all  a  careful, 
economical,  industrious  wife,  a  good  mother  and 
a  kind  neighbor. 

Mrs.  Blakslee  still  occupies  the  homestead  with 
three  of  her  children.  Sarah  H.  resides  in  Maquon 
Township,  and  is  the  relict  of  the  late  Thomas  Fos- 
ter; Solomon  is  a  practical  and  successful  farmer, 
whose  home  is  on  section  32  in  Salem  Township. 
Those  at  home  are  Eli,  Chauncey  and  Mary. 

Mr.  Blakslee  was  Democratic  in  politics,  and  lib- 
eral in  religioiis  matters.  He  was  one  of  the  Direct- 
ors who  hired  a  Miss  Minerva  Hart  to  teach  school, 
and  paid  her  one  dollar  per  week  ;  this  was  in  the 
year  1837.  The  other  two  Directors  were  George 
Saunders  and  Ira  Baker,  of  Fulton  County.  The 
pupils  were  eight  in  number,  and  Mr.  B.  boarded  the 
teacher. 

-^ -#5-^ "-^^ 

"•FFaa'^  illiam  D.  Epperson.  One  of  the  princi- 
il^JM?  |)al  citizens  of  Kno.\  County,  a  farmer,  . 
f^-"""'  resident  on  section  6,  Rio,  is  Wni.  D.  Ep- 
3>  person,  of  whom  this  personal  history  is 
written.  He  is  the  School  Director  in  his 
home  district,  which  office  he  has  held  for  some 
length  of  time,  and  has  held  the  jwsition  lx)th  of 
Constable  and  Collector. 

Our  subject  was  boriv  in  Madison  County,  Ky., 
Nov.  17,  1827,  and  came  to  Knox  County  in  May, 
1836,  under  the  guardi4nship  of  his  parents.  At 
this  time  he  was  eight  and  a  half  years  of  age,  and 
he  remained  under  his  father's  roof  from  that  time 
until  he  reached   the   years  of  wisdom   and  under- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


82 


rf 


standing,  gaining  in  the  meantime  a  common-school 
education  and  helping  his  father  on  the  farm.  Hav- 
ing a  liking  for  agricultural  pursuits,  he  has  ever 
since  engaged  in  them,  and  is  at  present  the  owner 
of  125  acres  of  land,  part  of  which  is  timber.  He 
has  been  successful. 

Mr.  Epperson  was  united  in  matrimony  with  Miss 
Mary  J.  Westfall,  Sept.  27,  1848,  and  their  nuptials 
were  celebrated  in  Mercer  County,  111.  To  them 
have  been  born  ten  children,  as  follows  :  George  W., 
William  E.,  John  P.,  Olin  E.,  Mary  L.,  Adella  N., 
James  A.,  Edward  D.,  Eva  E.  and  Sarah  A.  From 
this  circle  of  brothers  and  sisters  two  have  been 
taken  by  the  hand  of  death — Olin  E.  and  Mary  L. 
The  latter  was  the  wife  of  Edwin  B.  Rhodes,  and 
left  one  child,  Kate,  in  the  care  of  the  bereaved 
husband.  George  W.,  residing  in  Vernon  Ccunty, 
Mo.,  is  engaged  in  farming;  William  E.  follows 
mercantile  pursuits  in  Alpha,  111. ;  John  is  a  clerk, 
living  in  Rio  Township,  and  the  other  children  are 
still  inmates  of  the  home  circle. 

Mr.  Epperson  is  a  stirring,  energetic  man,  an  act- 
ive member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  takes  an 
interest  in  local  and  general  politics,  affiliating  with 
the  Republican  party.  Both  himself  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

/.on.    August    W.    Berggren.       Prominent 
among   the  best  known    citizens  of  Kno.x 
County,  one  who  has  attained  eminence  as  a 
representative  of  the  people  is   the  subject  of 
this  notice.     He  is  State  Senator  from   Knox 
and   Fulton  Counties,  and  is  also  engaged  in 
dealing  in  gent's  furnishing  goods,  at  Galesburg. 

Mr.  Berggren  was  born  in  Sweden,  Aug.  17,  1840, 
and  came  to  this  country  in  1856;  he  arrived  at 
Oneida,  III,  and  with  his  father  cafiie  to  Galesburg 
the  next  year,  his  mother  having  died  several  years 
prior  to  their  coming  to  this  country.  He  had  learned 
the  tailor's  trade  in  his  native  land  and  at  Victoria, 
where  the  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  the  first  year 
after  arriving  in  the  State.  He  worked  at  the  bus- 
iness there,  as  he  also  did  at  Galesburg,  after  mov- 
ing there,  until  about  1861. 

Mr.  Berggren  had  been  reasonably  well  educated 
in  his  native  country,  attended  school  some  after 
coming  here,  and  otherwise  improved  every  oppor- 


tunity  that    was    aflforded    for   the    acquirement    of 
knowledge;  thus  within  a  comparatively  short  time 
he  was  recognized  as  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary 
information  and  soor.  became  a  local  leader  in  pub 
lie  affairs. 

In  1869  Mr.  Berggren  was  elected  Justice  of  the 
Peace;  Sheriff  in  1872;  re-elected  in  1874, '76, '78, 
holding  the  office  altogether  eight  years.  In  1880 
he  was  elected  to  represent  his  district  (consisting  of 
Knox  and  Mercer  Counties)  in  the  State  Senate,  and 
in  1884  re-elected  by  a  popular  majority  in  the  new 
district,  comprising  Knox  and  Fulton  Counties. 
Hence  it  will  be  reasonable  to  assume  that  as  a 
political  leader  his  influence  is  no  longer  circum- 
scribed by  locality.  Senator  Berggren  is  a  member 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  a  Knight  Templar; 
Past  Grand  Master  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  was 
Grand  Representative  of  the  Order  to  the  Sovereign 
Grand  Lodge,  which  convened  at  Baltimore  in  1885  ; 
he  has  been  President  of  the  Covenant  Mutual  Ben- 
efit Association,  Galesburg,  since  its  organization  in 
1877,  and  is  also  Director  in  the  Galesburg  National 
Bank. 

Whatever  successes  have  attended  Mr.  Berggren 
since  coming  to  this  country  are  to  be  credited 
wholly  to  his  individual  merit.  He  came  here  a 
poor  boy;  has  never  inherited  a  dollar;  has  been 
identified  with  no  great  schemes,  whereby  some  men 
have  been  lifted  from  poverty  to  affluence ;  but  on 
the  contrary  has,  in  a  quiet,  unostentatious  inanner, 
pursued  the  even  tenor  of  his  way  to  where  we  now 
find  him,  in  the  prime  of  mature  manhood.  He  was 
married  at  Galesburg,  March  8,  1866,  to  Christina 
Nasluiid,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  six  children  have 
been  born  to  them. 

Mr.  Berggren  has  always  been  identified  witli  and 
a  stanch  supixirter  of  the  principles  of  the  Repub- 
lican party. 

jj5o.dgar  L.  Phillips,  M.  D.,  of  Galesburg, 
belongs  to  that  class  of  men  who  have 
aided  in  the  building  up  of  that  city,  which 
-^J^  takes  a  recognized  prominence  among  the  many 
beautiful  and  thrifty  cities  that  the  State  of 
Illinois  can  boast  of.  He  is  a  native  of  New 
York,  and  was  born  in  Orange  County,  April  5,  1827. 
His  parents  were  William  and  Sarah  (Evertson) 
Phillips.      The  father  was  a  prominent  farmer  and 


-•^-f 


822 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


manufacturer,  and  served  for  a  short  time  in  the  War 
of  18 1 2-14,  and  subsequently  held  a  colonelcy  in 
the  militia  in  the  State  of  New  York  for  many  years. 
He  was  a  gentleman  of  sterling  integrity  and  noble 
worth,  and  always  judged  his  fellow-man  his  equal  in 
that  respect,  a  quality  which  eventually  proved  dis- 
astrous to  him  in  a  financial  point  of  view.  He  was 
descended  from  Rev.  George  Phillips,  who  accom- 
panied Gov.  Winthrop  from  England  to  our  shores, 
and  who  settled  at  Watertown,  Mass.,  whence 
came  a  great  many  of  our  American  Phillipses. 
Sarah  Evertson  was  a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N. 
Y.,  of  Dutch  descent,  and  came  of  a  worthy  line  of 
pioneers  in  that  locality.  Their  five  sons  all  became 
prominent  in  their  different  callings.  Henry  L.,who 
lived  at  Honesdale,  Pa.,  died  May  12,  1886;  Nich- 
olas E.  is  in  the  grain  business  at  North  Henderson, 
Mercer  Co.,  111. ;  William  N.  is  living  at  Galesburg, 
and  Thomas  S.,  who  was  a  resident  of  Chicago,  died 
April  21,  1886. 

(Edgar  L.  Phillips  was  prepared  for  college  at  Lee, 
Mass.,  and  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1844  entered 
Williams  College,    Williamstown,   Mass.,   where    he 
•'spent   nearly    four   years.     He   withdrew   from    his 

[studies  there  in  the  Senior  year,  on  account  of  the 
death  of  his  father,  which  occurred  Sept.  i,  1846, 
and  which  left  our  subject  to  care  for  himself.  In 
1848  he  came  West  and  located  at  Fairview,  Fulton 
Co.,  111.,  where  he  commenced  the  study  of  medicine 
and  attended  lectures  at  Cleveland  Medical  College, 
Cleveland,  Ohio ;  in  the  meantime  continuing  his 
studies  in  the  office  of  Prof.  John  Delamater.  In 
185 1  he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Fairview,  Fulton  County,  and  continued  until  the 
spring  of  1852,  when  he  was  constrained  to  join  a 
party  who  were  en  route  for  California,  his  brother, 
Nicholas  E.,  going  with  him.  On  his  arrival  in  that 
State  he  resumed  the  practice  in  Eldorado  County, in 
which  he  continued  for  about  three  years.  He  also 
engaged  in  the  mining  business.  In  1855  he  returned 
East,  and  after  reading  and  attending  lectures  at  the 
St.  Louis  Medical  College,  from  which  he  graduated, 
he,  in  1856,  opened  an  office  at  Knoxville,  this 
county,  where  we  find  him  in  active  professional 
work  for  a  few  years.  In  i860  he  retired  from  pro- 
fessional work  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  spent 
two  seasons  on  his  farm  in  Pottawatomie  County, 
Iowa.  In  1862,  as  soon  as  he  had  recuperated  his 
health,  he  returned  to  his  adopted  State  and  enlisted 


in  the  cause  for  the  Union.  He  was  assigned  to  the 
91st  Regt.  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  as  First  Assistant  Surgeon. 
His  recriment  was  captured  by  Gen.  Morgan  at  Eliza- 
bethtown,  Ky.,  in  December,  1862,  and  after  being 
paroled  was  ordered  to  Benton  Barracks,  St.  Louis. 
In  the  following  summer  the  regiment  was  exchanged 
and  he  continued  in  the  field,  serving  at  Vicksburg. 
Port  Hudson  and  CarroUton,  La.  Before  the  close  of 
this  year  his  health  failed  him  and  he  resigned  his 
position  while  the  regiment  was  stationed  at  Carroll- 
ton,  and  returned  home  and  spent  a  year  farming 
near  Galesburg.  In  1865  he  located  at  Galesburg, 
where  he  has  continued  to  successfully  practice  his 
profession. 

While  taking  a  prominent  rank  as  a  professional 
man,  he  is  also  a  gentleman  of  excellent  citizenship, 
contributing  to  all  measures  attending  the  advance- 
ment of  the  city,  together  with  her  many  important 
interests.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Examin- 
ers for  Pensions,  a  position  he  has  creditably  filled  for 
four  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Military  Tract  " 
Medical  Society,  the  American  Medical  Association 
and  the  Kappa  Alpha  Society  of  Williams  College. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  ancient  and  honorable  frater-  '*^ 
nity  of  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  holds  membership  with 
Alpha  Lodge,  No.  155,  and  Galesburg  Chapter,  No. 
46,  R.  A.  M.,and  served  as  High  Priest  of  the  latter  > 
body  for  three  years.  May  6,  1857,  Dr.  Phillips  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Sanburn, of  Knoxville,  and 
their  union  has  been  blest  with  two  sons  and  two 
daughters.  John  Sanburn,  the  elder  son,  was  gradu- 
ated from  Knox  College  in  the  class  of  1882,  and, 
upon  the  organization  of  the  Wheelmafiy  of  Boston, 
accepted  a  position  upon  its  staff  as  literary  editor, 
which  he  acceptably  filled  for  a  time,  when  he  retired 
to  enter  Harvard  College,  from  which  renowned  in- 
stitution he  graduated  in  1885.  He  then  returned 
home  and  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  with  Miss 
Emma,  daughter  of  C.  C.  West,  of  Oneida,  and  in 
September  of  that  year  departed  for  Leipzig,  Germany, 
where  he  is  prosecuting  his  studies  for  further  ad- 
vancement as  a  teacher.  His  intelligent  and  accom- 
plished wife  joined  him  and  is  studying  art.  Edgar  E., 
second  son  of  our  subject,  ajoung  manof  clever  attain- 
ments, is  thoroughly  practical  in  his  ideas,  and  is  a 
printer  in  the  office  of  the  Register-Republican,  at 
Galesburg.  Elizabeth  and  Julia,  the  two  daughters 
of  Dr.  Phillips,  reside  with  their  parents. 

Dr.  Phillips  can  with  pride  look  back  upon  a  life 


*t" 


-t 


! 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


823 


well  spent  as  a  pioneer,  and  rejoice  with  that  noble 
class  of  people  that,  though  their  early  lives  were 
fraught  with  hardships  and  privations,  they  have 
lived  to  see  the  country  developed  to  its  present 
wonderful  condition. 


^ranklin  Nichols  is  a  very  old  settler  of 
the  county  and  a  successful  farmer,  own- 
ing 157  acres,  on  section  2,  Walnut  Grove 
Township,  less  8c  recently  deeded  to  his  son. 
This  worthy  citizen  was  born  in  Jefferson 
Township,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  17,  1822. 
His  father,  John,  was  a  farmer,  born  in  \S'illiamstown 
Township,  Vt.,  and  he  in  turn  was  the  son  of  Ezra, 
a  native  of  Connecticut  and  of  New  England  parent- 
age. Ezra  died  in  Harpersfield  Township,  Dela- 
ware Co.,  N.  Y.  The  father  was  brought  up  in  the 
same  county,  where  he  arrived  when  he  was  in  his 
sixth  year.  While  in  Connecticut  he  married  Laura 
Hamilton,  a  lady  born  in  that  State,  near  Danbury. 
She  was  of  old  English  descent. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  alter  their  marriage, 
settled  in  Jefferson  Township,  Schoharie  Co.,  N'.  Y., 
in  1813.  In  this  county  they  lived  and  died,  having 
secured  about  1,000  acres  of  good  land  and  won  for 
themselves  the  good  will  and  high  esteem  due  to 
prominent  citizens,  as  they  were.  The  son  is  yet  an 
owner  and  operator  of  part  of  the  old  homestead. 
The  family  born  of  this  marriage  were  three  sons  and 
four  daughters,  one  of  the  former  dying  when  young, 
the  others  living  to  maturity.  Our  subject  was  the 
eldest  of  the  family  but  one.  He  learned  to  read, 
write  and  "  cypher  "while  li\nng  in  the  old  log  cabin, 
where  for  hours  he  would  sit  and  study  near  the 
wide,  antique,  stone  fireplace.  His  second  teacher, 
Samantha  Hoyt,  gave  the  boy  his  first  card  of  merit, 
and  he  has  never  forgotten  the  couplet  it  contained. 
This  runs  as  follows : 

•■  Labor  for  learning  before  thou  art  old. 
For  learning  is  better  than  silver  or  gold." 

This  truism   he  took  to  heart  and  believes   to  this 
hour. 

On  the  24ih  of  March,  1843,  Mr.  Nichols  was 
married  in  Davenport,  Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss 
Margaret  Multer,  a  native  of  Worcester,  Otsego 
County,  where  she  was  born  in  February,  1820.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  an  Otsego  County  farmer,  by 


name  Christian  Multer.  The  father  was  born  in 
New  York  City  and  died  in  Worcester,  Otsego 
County.  Her  mother,  Mary  Bectcer,  resided  and 
died  in  Worcester  also.  These  parents  were  of 
German  and  Holland  Dutch  descent  respectively. 
Mrs.  N.  of  this  notice  was  the  fifth  child  of  a  family 
of  nine — three  sons  and  six  daughters.  She  is  the 
mother  of  eight  children  herself — six  sons  and  two 
daughters. 

George  Nichols  married  Miss  Catherine  Rockfel- 
low,  and  resides  in  Summit,  Schoharie  Co.,  N.  Y. 
Walter  married  Sophia  Nelson  and  lives  on  the 
homestead  of  80  acres  deeded  by  his  father;  his  wife 
is  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Matilda  (Stread)  Nel- 
son, natives  of  Sweden  ;  she  was  born  in  Altona  and 
is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  seven  children.  Walter 
was  previously  married  to  Mary  Field,  who  is  now 
deceased,  her  death  taking  place  in  December,  1881. 
By  his  first  marriage  he  became  the  father  of  one 
child — Harry  F. — and  by  his  second  marriage  he 
has  one  child,  named  Claude  Nathan.  Nathan  re- 
sides in  Lynn  Township,  Knox  County,  and  is  the 
owner  of  ri3  acres  of  prime  land;  Irvin  J.  resides 
at  home;  John  C,  Wesley,  Ellen  J.  and  Julia  are  7^ 
deceased.  The  entire  family  are  active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  Mr.  Nichols  being 
a  Trustee  of  that  body  in  whom  the  greatest  confi- 
dence is  placed.  In  him,  also,  the  Republican  party 
has  a  consistent  and  able  adherent.  Politically 
speaking,  he  is  solid  to  the  core,  and  watches  with 
interest  all  matters  likely  to  promote  the  good  of  his 
party. 


J.   Oleen,  Vice-President  of  the   Scandi- 

%    navian  Mutual  Aid  Association,  and  senior 

?^^"a?  '<N  member  of  the  well-known  boot-and-shoe 
-I  -i^Tj' 

f'     firm  of  Oleen  &  Peterson,  of  Galesburg,  was 
born  in   the  south   part   of  Sweden,  March   8, 
'       1844,  and  came  to  America  in  July,  1865.     His 
parents,  who  both  died  in  Sweden,  reared  three  sons 
and  three  daughters. 

Mr.  Oleen  of  this  writing  attended  the  schools  in 
his  native  country,  acquiring  therein  a  tolerably 
thorough  education,  and  after  coming  to  Galesburg 
graduated  from  the  Business  College ;  thus,  before 
attempting  anything  in  a  business  way,  he  fitted 
himself  to  be  of  service  to  his  employers.  His  first 
employment,  aside  from  a  little  work  done  as  a 


<t 


S24 


X/V^OX  COUNTY. 


-4 


broom-corn  cutter,  was  as  clerk  in  the  grocery  house 
of  G.  D.  Crocker,  where  he  remained  three  years. 
From  there  he  went  with  E.  F.  Thomas'  dry  goods 
house  as  salesman,  and  afterward  with  Mr.  Thomas' 
successors,  w^here  he  remained  until  1881.  He  next 
traveled  for  a  Boston  house  for  a  year  or  two,  and  in 
the  spring  of  1883  went  into  his  present  business  en- 
gagement. 

He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Scandinavian 
Mutual  Aid  Association,  and  has  since  been  Vice- 
President  of  that  body,  and  is  also  at  present  one  of 
the  Board  of  Managers.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Covenant  Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion, and  was  for  some  years  one  of  its  Board  of 
Directors  and  Managers.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
I.  O.  O.  F.  He  has  represented  the  First  Scandi- 
navian Lodge,  No.  446,  in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the 
State  for  two  years,  and  Colfax  Encampment,  No. 
28,  for  the  years  1884-85. 

Mr.  Oleen  is  eminently  deserving  of  more  than 
ordinary  mention  on  account  of  his  high  social  and 
business  standing,  of  his  political  and  gentlemanly 
[deportment  at  all  times  and  under  all  circum- 
stances, and  of  his  merited  popularity  with  all 
classes  ;  but  the  writer  is  restrained  from  cataloguing 
his  many  good  points  by  the  promises  exacted,  on 
account  of  his  modesty,  which  always  accompanies 
true  worth,  by  the  subject  of  our  sketch. 

Mr.  Oleen  was  married  at  Galesburg,  March  17, 
1872,  to  Miss  Louisa  Anderson,  and  to  him  have 
been  born  five  children,  namely  :  Clara  Hildegard, 
Carl  Theodore,  Wilford  Martin,  Eveline,  and  one 
child,  a  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy.  Politically 
he  is  a  Republican. 

■    :      :g*^^^:      :    ■ 


&,rwiii  H.  Belknap,  one  of  the  oldest  pas- 
senger conductors  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 
is    now  (Januar\-,    1S86),    Past    Assistant 
Grand  Chief  Conductor  of  the  Order  of  Rail- 
way Conductors,  and  member  of  the  Executive 
j      Committee  of  the  Grand   Division   of  that  or- 
ganization.    (See  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  this 
volume.) 

Our  subject  was  born  at  Springfield,  Otsego  Co.,  N. 
Y.,Feb.  22, 1836.  From  earliest  childhood  he  seems  to 
have  been  forced  to  self-reliance,  improving   every 


opportunity  that  offered,  whether  of  public  or  private 
instruction.  At  the  neighboiing  town  of  Franklin, 
N.  Y.,  there  was  an  academy  of  considerable  repute, 
into  which  young  Belknap  early  sought  admission. 
He  was  being  brought  up  to  farm  life,  and  his  attend- 
ance at  school  was  limited  to  such  times  as  his  em- 
ployer could  find  nothing  else  for  him  to  do.  How- 
ever, by  dint  of  extraordinary  industry  he  made  such 
progress  as  enabled  him  to  offer  his  services  as  a 
teacher  before  he  was  15  years  of  age,  and  from  that 
time  until  he  attained  his  majority  we  find  him  in- 
structing the  youth  in  the  public  schools  of  Delaware 
County,  his  native  State,  during  the  winter,  and  labor 
ing  upon  the  farm  the  rest  of  the  year. 

In  1857  our  subject  left  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  turned  his  face  Westward.  Elgin,  III.,  was  the 
point  where  he  first  halted,  and  there  for  a  few 
months  he  earned  a  livelihood  laboring  in  a  nursery. 
He  next  went  on  the  road  as  a  "  drummer,"  but  six 
months"  experience  as  '"  knight  of  the  gripsack  "  was 
all  that  he  could  stand,  and  in  1858  he  began  brak- 
ing on  a  passenger  train  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 
under  Conductor  A.  N.  Towne,  now  the  General 
Manager  of  the  Central  Pacific.  After  braking  for 
a  time,  he  left  that  hazardous  occupation,  and  at 
Oneida  learned  telegraphy.  So  soon  as  he  was  able 
to  handle  an  instrument  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co. 
placed  him  in  charge  of  their  office,  yards  and 
switches  at  Yates  City.  He  remained  there  a  year, 
when  he  was  installed  as  Station  Baggageman  at 
Galesburg.  In  September,  1863,  he  took  charge  of 
a  passenger  train  between  Galesburg  and  Burlington. 
He  was  on  this  division  seven  or  eight  years;  was 
transferred  to  the  Quincy  Diusion ;  was  there  about 
ten  years,  and  since  i88t  has  been  pulling  the  bell- 
cord  and  taking  up  tickets  between  Galesburg  and 
Rushville.  To  speak  of  Belknap's  popularity  both 
with  the  people  and  the  great  company  that  em- 
ploys him  would  be  superfluous,  for  23  consecutive 
years  in  a  position  where  the  highest  order  of  ability 
and  deportment  is  strictly  essential  needs  not  to  be 
commented  upon  in  this  volume. 

At  the  organization  of  the  Galesburg  Division,  No. 
83,  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  Mr.  B.,  being  a 
charter  member,  took  an  active  part.  He  was  the 
first  Chief  Conductor  of  the  Division,  a  position  he 
filled  for  some  time,  when,  being  promoted  to  a  higher, 
he  relinquished  it.  A  detailed  history  of  this  Order, 
now  recognized  as  one  of  the  most   meritorious  be- 


-t 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


8*S 


nevolent  organizations  in  the  Union,  would  show  that 
no  man  has  done  more  toward  building  it  up,  sys- 
tematizing and  placing  it  upon  the  high  plane  it  now 
occupies  than  has  E.  H.  Belknap.  These  facts  we 
learn  from  men  prominently  connected  with  the  Order, 
and  while  we  know  that  Mr.  Belknap's  modesty 
would  stay  our  hand,  were  it  in  his  power,  we  take 
the  privilege  of  one  who  chronicles  historical  truth 
to  place  this  eulogy  in  imperisiiable  type. 

The  brief  outline  here  given  of  this  man's  life  in- 
dicates naught  Dut  devotion  to  arduous  duty.  It 
reflects  no  picture  of  his  social  habits ;  it  is  silent  as 

1     to  his  hours  at  home;  it  says    nothing  of  his  never- 
abandoned    application  to  study  and   self-improve- 
ment, and  yet  in  all  these  things,  from  his  boyhood  to 
the  present,  there  has  been  an  unbroken  consonance. 
In  speaking  of  Mr.  Belknap's  rare   literary  accom- 

'  plishraents  it  would  be  improper  to  qualify  by  refer- 
ence to   his   opportunities,  and  we  only  regret  our 

I     inability  to  here  reproduce  selections  from  his  versi- 

l  I"  fication    upon    various  themes    illustrative   of  what 

I  '  under  a  different  environment  might  have  developed 

I I  a  genius. 

!►  Mr.  Belknap  was  married  at  Ontario,  Kno.x  County, 
May  29,  1865,  to  Miss  Julia  F.  Camp,  a  native  of 
Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  the  accomplished  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Charles  F.  Camp,  mentioned  in  the 
history  of  this  county  as  the  gentleman  who  laid  out 
the  town  of  Oneida.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Belknap's  only 
child,  Henry  Erwin,was  born  Jan.  14,  1867,  and  died 
Oct.  12,  1868. 


jilo  D.  Cooke,  Police  Magistrate  of  Gales- 
burg,  was  born  at  Cornwall,  Vt.,  June  4, 
._,  ^  1819.  His  father,  Chauncey  Cooke,  also 
7  "^  \  a  native  of  Vermont,  was  a  General  of  mili- 
'1  tia  for  a  number  of  years,  and  his  grandfather, 
Joseph  Cooke,  was  a  Brigadier-General  and  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution.  His  mother  before  mar- 
riage was  Betsie  Evarts,  and  was  a  distant  relation 
of  William  M.  Evarts.  Chauncey  Cooke  was  a 
farmer  by  vocation,  to  which  honorable  calling  he 
brought  up  his  sons. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  graduated  from  Middle- 
bury  (Vt.)  College,  in  the  Class  of  '42  ;  taught  school 
ten  years,  read  law  in  the  meantime;  came  to  Gales- 
burg  in  1852  and  here  has  since  remained.     He  has 


continued  in  his  present  office  since  1857.  Aside 
from  iiolding  the  office  of  Police  Magistrate,  he  has 
at  several  times  been  Supervisor,  member  of  the 
Board  of  Education  of  the  City  of  Galesburg  for 
some  12  years  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  same. 
He  was  regularly  admitted  to  the  bar  in  i860,  and  is 
recognized  by  the  profession  as  being  one  of  the  best 
legal  minds  that  ever  presided  over  a  Justice's  Court 
in  the  county. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
in  1847,  to  Betsie  B.  Smith,  a  native  of  Vermont. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cooke  has  been  born  one  son — 
Forest  Cooke,  wh6  is  at  this  writing  the  foremost  at- 
torney for  his  age  at  the  Knox  County  Bar. 


|(  obert  G.  Jamison,  one  of  the  best  known 
and  most  highly  respected  men  of  Knox 
County  in  business  circles,  whose  abilities 
are  of  a  high  order,  is  the  subject  of  this 
personal  narration.  He  is  a  farmer,  car|)en- 
ter,  wagon-maker  and  blacksmith.  His  me- 
chanical genius  directs  his  taste  in  many  ways,  and 
lie  is  fairly  successful  in  any  enterprise  which  he 
takes  in  hand.  His  home  is  situated  on  section  36 
of  Chestnut  Township,  where  he  not  only  carries  on 
the  occupation  of  farming,  but  engages  in  the  breed- 
ing and  raising  of  cattle,  in  which  he  is  quite  exten- 
sively interested. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County.Pa., 
Nov.  26,  1819.  He  came  to  Illinois  in  1855  and 
located  in  Fulton  County,  where  he  erected  a  steam 
saw-mill.  There  he  remained  for  ten  years  and  then 
moved  to  Knox  County,  where  he  has  since  remained. 
He  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  wedlock,  Jan.  17, 
1844,  with  Miss  Sarah  Barnes,  who  was  born  June 
8,  182 1,  in  Pennsylvania,  and  their  nuptials  were  cele- 
brated in  that  State.  Mr.  J.  is  now  the  owner  of  40 
acres,  which  he  works  in  connection  with  his  shops. 
Seven  children  have  been  born  to  them,  all  of  whom 
are  dead  but  the  two  youngest,  and  they  are  twins. 
Ezra  E.,  born  April  25,  1845,  died  '"  Memphis,  of 
typhoid  fever,  in  June,  1863  ;  he  enlisted  as  a  private 
in  the  103d  111.  Vol  Inf,  and  died  in  the  hospital; 
he  was  unmarried.  Rebecca  married  Cornelius 
Norval  Sept.  3,  1846;  Jane,  born  in  August,  1848, 
died  in  her  13th  year;  Bithia,  born  in  1851,  died  in 


J 

t 


**-? 


826 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


July,  1878  ;  Lydia  died  in  infancy  ;  Sarah  and  Martha 
are  twins,  and  both  married  twin  brothers  ;  Sarah  be- 
coming the  wife  of  H.  B.  Barnes,  and  Martha  of 
James  C.  Barnes.  Mr.  Jamison  was  reared  under 
the  doctrines  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  and  his 
wife  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal.  In  politics  he  is 
Republican,  strong  and  stanch,  voting  always  for 
the  party  of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  can  boast 
of  being  the  oldest  man  in  the  county  whose  father 
still  lives.  The  old  gentleman,  Robert  Jamison,  Sr., 
now  lives  within  40  feet  of  the  spot  where  he  first 
opened  his  eyes  to  the  things  of  earth.  He  was  born 
in  1789,  in  January,  and  lives  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Pa.,  having  never  moved  from  the  farm  which 
he  now  owns.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Jane 
(Workman)  Jamison,  was  also  born  in  the  State  of 
her  husband's  nativity  in  1793,  and  died  in  1881. 
They  were  the  parents  of  nine  children,  as  follows  : 
Martha,  Robert,  Elizabeth,  Margery,  Eli,  Joseph, 
Amanda,  Margret  and  Jan^. 

Robert  Jamison  is  a  hale  and  hearty  old   gentle- 
man, who  is  enjoying  life  in  the  sunset  of  a  happy 
old    age.       Both    himself  and    wife    enjoy  excellent 
*^  healih  and  are  active,  worthy  members  of  the  com- 
munity in  which  they  belong. 

-^-S ••o*o.-@^><^-.o+o s-*- 

r  ram  Biggs,  one  of  the  proprietors  and  pub- 
^  lishers  of  the  Galesburg  Flaindealer,  was 
born  at  Biggsville,  Henderson  County,  111  , 
March  7,  1850.  His  father,  John  Biggs,  was 
born  in  England,  and  his  mother,  fiee  Charlotte 
Ordway,  was  a  native  of  Maine.  There  were 
born  to  them  five  sons  and  four  daughters,  one 
daughter  dying  in  infancy. 

The  senior  Mr.  Biggs  was  a  millwright  by  trade, 
and  was  the  founder  of  the  town  of  Biggsville.  He 
there,  at  an  early  day,  erected  a  grist-mill,  which  be- 
came known  as  "  Biggs'  Mill ;  "  and  eventually,  as 
the  scanty  settlement  grew  into  a  village,  and  later 
on  into  a  town  of  several  hundred  souls,  it  by  com- 
mon consent  received  its  present  name. 

Irani  was  brought  up  in  a  printing-office,  where  he 
has  been  since  he  was  12  years  of  age.  He  came  to 
Galesburg  in  1872,  as  a  journeyman  printer,  and  in 
1879  bought  out  the  Galesburg  Plaitidealer,  in 
partnership  with  Mr.  Henry  Emerich,  now  the  editor- 


in-chief  of  the  paper.  The  mechanical  department 
of  the  paper  is  entirely  under  the  management  and 
supervision  of  Mr.  Biggs,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
sheet,  as  it  comes  fresh  from  the  press,  attests  the 
highest  skill  in  its  make-up. 

Mr.  Biggs,  of  this  sketch,  was  married  to  Miss 
Maggie  Moore,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the 
children  born  to  them  are  three  in  number,  viz.  : 
Harry,  Robert  and  Roy. 


\  illiam  J.  Mosher,  son  of  Emerson  Mosher, 

Esq.,  was  born  in  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Aug. 

'^^1.'^'  4,  1807.     His  ancesters  were  of  English 


*+ 


fj^-  origin  and  emigrated  to  the  United  States  a 
short  time  after  the  landing  of  the  Pilgrims. 
Their  first  location  was  in  Massachusetts,  where 
the  original  progenitors,  two  brothers,  settled.  After 
living  within  the  precincts  of  the  Bay  State  for  some 
time,  one  branch  went  to  New  York,  where  they 
made  Oneida  County  their  home.  Josiah,  the  grand- 
father of  Mr.  Mosher,  was  one  of  the  family  living 
in  Oneida  County.  He  was  a  brave  man  and  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  His  brother,  John, 
was  Captain  of  a  company  in  the  same  war.  He 
died  in  Oneida  County  in  1847,  having  lived  to  the 
advanced  age  of  92  years.  Mr.  Mosher's  grand- 
mother, Rebecca  (Doolittle)  Mosher,  who  was  of 
New  England  stock,  was  born  and  reared  in  Con- 
necticut, and  was  married  in  New  York.  She  died 
in  1832,  having  lived  to  a  hale  old  age.  The  father 
of  our  subject  married  Mary  Crane  in  Oneida 
County.  She  was  born  in  that  county,  Feb.  26,  1814. 
The  father  followed  his  calling,  which  was  that  of 
teacher,  occasionally  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
which  he  had  learned  early  in  life.  It  was  at  this 
juncture  that  his  marriage  occuirtd,  and  afterward, 
while  living  in  the  State  of  New  York,  he  worked  at 
milling.  In  1851  he  came  to  this  county,  and  lo- 
cated on  a  farm,  in  the  working  of  which  he  met  with 
success.  His  death  took  place  Feb.  23,  1867.  He 
was  a  local  officer  in  many  of  the  minor  positions  of 
the  township.  Politically,  he  was  an  Abolitionist,  an 
old-line  Whig,  and  later  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party. 

Mr.  Mosher  of  this  writing  was  born  in  Oneida 
County,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  8,   1841.      At  the  time  of  the 

A- 


-f-f 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


827 


removal  of  his  parents  to  this  county,  he  was  nine 
years  of  age.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  township,  and  passed  the  years 
of  his  boyhood  and  younger  manhood  at  home  till 
after  his  marriage,  Nov.  26,  i858.  This  event  took 
place  at  the  home  of  the  bride.  Miss  Sarah  E.  Wet- 
more.  She  was  born  in  Ontario  Township,  Feb.  1 2, 
1850,  and  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  lived 
at  home  until  married.  (For  a  biography  of  her 
father,  see  sketch  of  Theodore  P.  Wetmore.)  Since 
their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mosher  have  passed 
their  lives  on  the  old  Mosher  homestead,  which  con- 
sists at  this  time  of  80  acres  of  finely  improved  land, 
Mr.  Mosher  is  a  breeder  of  blooded  Holstein  cattle, 
in  Ontario  Township.  He  holds  the  oflBce  of  School 
Trustee  in  his  township,  and  adopts  the  belief  of  his 
father  in  politics.  The  Congregational  Church  is  their 
regular  place  of  worship. 


eorge  Davis,  Treasurer  of  Knox  College, 
=lK§f^i|    was  born  in  the  northwestern  part  of  Ire- 


land,  November,  18 14.     His  parents  were 
y  name  Robert  and  Mary  Ann  (Earls)  Davis, 

and  tliey  reared  eight  sons  and  three  daughters. 

The  Davis  family  were  originally  from  Wales, 
and  followed  William  the  Conqueror  to  Ireland  and 
settled  there. 

Our  subject  left  home  at  an  early  age  for  the 
United  States,  and  after  traveling  for  a  short  period 
came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  and  soon  after  came  to 
Knox  County.  In  September,  1844,  he  was  married  to 
Sarah  Rooks,  born  in  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  who 
was  of  Connecticut  parentage.  Our  subject  and  his 
wife  had  one  child,  a  daughter,  who  is  married  to  J. 
T.  McKnight,  President  of  the  Second  National 
Bank.  Mr.  Davis  followed  the  independent  calling 
of  fanner  for  14  or  15  years;  then  moved  into  the 
city  of  Galesburg,  and  held  the  position  of  Treasurer 
of  that  place  in  1858-59  He  was  County  Treasurer 
in  the  year  1862;  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  in  1863;  Township  Treasurer  for  some 
years,  and  United  States  Assistant  Assessor  for  six 
years.  He  was  chosen  to  fill  this  position  on  the 
resignation  of  David  Sanborn,  Esq.,  when  he  was 
elected  President  of  the  Second  NaUonal  Bank  of 
Galesburg.     Mr.  Davis  crossed  the  briny  waters  of 


the  Atlantic  three  times,  the  last  visit  being  made  in 
the  year  1883.  His  father  died  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  1862,  at  the  venerable  age  of  75  years,  the 
mother  surviving  him  seven  years,  dying  at  the  age 
of  77. 

Our  subject  has  always  been  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  was  a  conductor  on  the  Underground  Railroad. 
He  has  been  Treasurer  of  Knox  College  since  June 
I,  1875,  and  is  always  proud  to  be  known  as  a  citi- 
zen of  Galesburg.  He  is  a  member  of  the  First  Con- 
gregational Church. 


^S[^^ohn  Doak  is  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
|V?  r6,  of  Copley  Township,  and  was  born  in 
Scotland,  May  22,  1822.  His  parents  were 
William  and  Helen  (McKie)  Doak.  They  were 
natives  of  Scotland,  and  were  the  parents  of 
nine  children,  eight  of  whom  are  still  living — 
Mary,  Jane,  John,  Jennetle,  William,  Helen,  Meron 
and  Agnes.  The  parents  died  in  their  native  land  in 
1878-79. 

Our  subject  remained  at  home  until  he  attained 
the  age  of  25,  and  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion. In  184S  he  came  to  .America  and,  proceeding 
to  Illinois,  settled  in  Knox  County.  Here  he  engaged 
to  work  on  a  farm,  and  besides  this  occupied  himself 
in  the  joint  pursuit  of  running  a  saw-rnill,  engaging 
by  the  month  for  three  years.  Subsequent  to  this  he 
rented  in  Copley  Township,  for  a  year,  and  afterward 
purchased  80  acres  of  land  on  section  17.  He  sub- 
sequently added  to  his  original  purchase,  and  is  now 
the  owner  of  290  acres.  He  lived  ten  years  on  the 
land  originally  bought,  m  a  log  cabin;  he  has  now  a 
pleasant  and  desirable  home,  into  which  he  moved 
after  leaving  tlie  former  lowly  dwelling. 

Mr.  Doak  was  married  on  the  loth  day  of  October, 
1855,  to  Miss  Jane,  the  daughter  of  James  and  Jane 
(Hamilton)  Morrison,  who  came  from  Scotland. 
They  reared  a  family  of  ten  children — nine  attaining 
man  and  womanhood,  and  being  still  alive:  Jane, 
Margaret, Christ.,  James,  William,  Isabelle,  Elizabeth, 
Jessie  and  John.  The  parents  are  deceased  and 
buried  in  their  native  land,  tlie  father  in  188 r,  and 
the  mother  in  1885. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Doak  are  the  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, as  follows  :  Helen  K.,  Agnes  C,  Mary  J.,  Will- 
iam S.,  Nettie  E.,  John  T.,  Annie  H.  and  James  A. 


^^ 


:^Lki 


^^" 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Mr.  Doak  is  a  Republican  in  belief  and  supports  his 
political  party  with  much  zeal  and  energy.  With  his 
wife  he  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
which  he  is  a  very  useful  and  helpful  factor.  He  is 
one  of  the  solid  and  substantial  men  of  this  vicinity, 
and  by  every  means  in  his  power  helps  every  good 
work  brought  forward  for  the  benefit  of  the  people. 


W.  Washburn.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  President  of  the  Galesburg  National 
HT  Bank,  with  which  he  has  been  connected 
[>  since  its  organization  in  1881.  He  was  born 
in  Akron,  Ohio,  Sept.  18,  1836,  and  his  edu- 
cation, though  liberal,  was  limited  to  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Ohio.  He  learned  the  jeweler's 
trade  at  Akron,  and  in  September,  1859,  came  to 
Galesburg  and  went  into  business.  He  landed  here 
with  about  ten  dollars,  the  sum  total  of  his  worldly 
wealth,  rented  a  show  window  in  a  crockery  stoie, 
now  No.  8  Main  street,  hung  out  a  sign  and  went  to 
work.  In  1875  he  sold  out  this  establishment,  al- 
ready grown  to  highly  respectable  proportions,  to 
Trask  &  Gentry. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Wasliburn  were  Leander  and 
Eliza  (Upson)  Washburn  ;  the  former  was  a  native 
of  Kingston,  Mass.,  as  also  his  grandfather,  Abiel 
Washburn.  The  VVashburns  originally  came  from 
England.  Mrs.  Washburn,  the  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  native  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  Her  parents 
were  originally  from  Massachusetts.  The  parents 
of  Mr.  Washburn  were  married  at  Tallmadge,  Ohio, 
Oct.  13,  1835.  They  went  to  Akron,  Ohio,  where 
they  remained  until  1869,  when  they  came  West  to 
Galesburg.  The  father  died  in  November,  1881. 
The  mother  is  now  living  with  her  son,  W.  W.  To 
the  above  union  four  children  were  born,  viz.:  W.  W., 
our  subject,  was  the  eldest ;  Abiel  A.  married  Miss 
Helen  Robertson,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  two 
children — Frank  and  Katie,  who  were  born  in  Oak- 
land, Cal. ;  Stephen  U.  is  married  and  has  one  child  ; 
they  reside  in  Eau  Claire,  Wis.;  Eliza  O.  married  S. 
L.  Everett  ;  two  children  have  blest  this  union,  viz., 
Wallace  and  Margie  ;  they  are  also  residents  of  Oak- 
land, Cal. 

In  1877  Mr.  Washburn  was  elected  Cashier  of  the 
Second  National  Bank  of  Galesburg,  and   held  that 


position  until  January,  1884.  About  that  time  the 
Galesburg  National  Bank  was  organized,  with  Mr. 
Washburn  as  President.  Although  a  new  bank,  un- 
der the  administration  of  Mr.  Washburn  it  has 
flourished  and  to-day  stands  as  the  leading  bank  of 
the  city.  Mr.  W.  is  also  Treasurer  of  the  Mechanics' 
Homestead  and  Loan  Association,  and  Trustee  of 
Lombard  University.  As  early  as  1868,  he  erected 
what  was  known  as  Washburn's  Block,  then  one  of 
the  finest  buildings  in  the  city.  Thus  it  will  appear, 
as  Mr.  W.  has  never  inherited  a  dollar,  that  the  ten 
dollars  capital  and  cheap  show  window,  united  to  his 
native  force  and  ability,  formed  the  foundation  of  a 
fortune. 

Mr.  Washburn  was  married  at  Salem,  Ind.,  Feb. 
9,  1876,  to  Miss  Margaret  Lockwood  ;  she  died  June 
12,  1882.  She  left  one  child,  a  son,  by  name  Fred. 
Lockwood  Washburn,  who  was  born  May  9,  1878. 
Mrs.  W.  vi^as  a  native  of  New  Albany,  Ind.,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  Benjamin  Lockwood ;  she  was  a 
lady  of  many  graces  of  mind  and  person,  was  intel- 
ligent and  refined,  and  her  womanly  and  winning 
gentleness  endeared  her  to  all  with  whom  she  came 
in  contact.  Her  loss  was  deeply  felt  in  the  commu- 
nity. 

Mr  W.  is  a  stanch  RepubUcan. 


-<-¥■• 


B.  Ives,  one  of  Knox  County's  prominent 
farmers,  resides  on  section  7,  Victoria 
Township,  and  was  born  in  Otsego  County, 
N.  Y.,  Nov.  9,  1833.  His  parents  were 
■V^  Joshua  and  Catharine  (VVilber)  Ives,  natives  of 
Otsego  County,  N.  Y.,  where  they  resided  until 
their  death,  which  occurred  in  1885  and  1836  re- 
spectively. The  family  of  the  senior  Mr.  Ives  num- 
bered four  members,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the 
third  in  order  of  birth.  They  were  as  follows :  Eu- 
nice, Rachel,  Nathaniel  B.  and  John. 

N.  B.  Ives  remained  under  the  parental  roof  until 
17  years  of  age.  At  that  time  he  engaged  to  work 
out  on  a  farm,  during  the  summer,  for  several 
months,  residing  at  home  during  the  winter  and  at- 
tending school.  The  money  paid  him  as  wages  was 
given  to  his  father  until  he  was  21.  At  Milford, 
Otsego  Co.,  N.  Y.,  he  worked  on  a  farm  for  one  year, 
also  part  of  the  year  1856,  and  in   July  of  that  year 


^K 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


829 


he  emigrated  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Victoria  Town- 
ship, where  for  eighteen  months  he  was  engaged  as  a 
farm  hand.  He  then  purchased  the  farm  on  wliich 
he  is  at  present  residing,  and  which  then  contained 
80  acres.  To  this  he  subsequently  added  160  acres, 
and  all  of  this  is  excellently  improved  and  fenced. 
Mr.  Ives  is  extensively  engaged  in  stock  and  grain 
raising,  and  values  his  land  at  $60  per  acre. 

Our  subject  was  married,  in  1861,  to  Miss  Susan 
M.  Clark.  She  was  the  daughter  of  William  P.  and 
Diana  (Soles)  Clark,  natives  of  Massachusetts  and 
New  York.  Her  parents  came  to  Illinois  in  1869, 
and  located  in  Victoria  village,  where  the  mother 
died  in  1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clark  were  the  parents 
of  six  children,  two  of  whom  are  living— Susan  and 
Francis. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ives  have  five  children,  who  bear  the 
names  of  William  J.,  Ola  C,  Nathaniel  B.,  Ulysses 
S.  and  Sherman.  Mr.  Ives  enlisted  Aug.  i,  1862,  in 
Co.  K,  8;5d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  for  three  years,  and  served 

f  2  years  11  months  and  6  days,  receiving  an  hon- 
orable discharge  at  the  close  of  the  war.     He  partic- 

1  ipated  in  the  battle  of  Fort  Donelson  and  in  several 
skirmishes.  On  his  return  from  the  war  he  engaged 
in  farming.  Politically  he  is  a  firm  adherent  to  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party.  He  has  held 
the  offices  of  Town  Collector,  School  Director  and 
Trustee.  He  is  connected  with  the  Congregational 
Church,  being  a  Deacon  of  that  body. 


■«^ 


illiam  Lalor,  foreman  of  the  boiler  shops 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  Galesburg,  is 
a  worthy  representative  of  the  craftsmen 
'>  of  this  extensive  corporation.  He  was  born 
in  the  Parish  of  Maryborough,  Queens 
County,  Ireland,  and  is  the  son  of  Martin  and 
Catherine  (Dunne)  Lalor,  worthy  people  who  came  to 
our  shores  in  1866,  and  settled  at  Aurora,  111.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  here  learned  the  boiler-making 
trade  in  the  shops  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  Being 
of  an  active  and  progressive  nature,  he  soon  made  his 
craftsmanship  felt,  and  obtained  a  good  position  in 
the  shops  of  the  company  at  that  place.  This  posi- 
tion he  ably  filled  until  the  year  1885,  when  he  was 
appointed   to  his  present  resjxinsible    place,  whose 


duties  he  very  creditably  fulfills.  Although  possess- 
ing all  the  attributes  of  a  good  family  man,  he  is 
still  treading  the  mazy  paths  of  single  blessedness. 
Mr.  Lalor  is  a  genial  gentleman  and  kind  friend,  and 
we  predict  for  him  a  successful  future. 


on.  Orin  P.  Cooley.  Prominent  among 
the  deep-thinking  and  wide-awake  poli- 
ticians of  Knox  County,  and  leading  and 
influential  citizens  and  attorneys  may  be  named 
the  gentleman  of  whose  personal  history  the 
ensuing  items  are  given.  He  is  the  present 
Representative  from  this  district,  to  which  office  he 
was  elected  by  a  large  majority. 

Mr.  Cooley  was  born  in  Portage  County,  Ohio, 
Sept.  30,  1843.  His  father,  Samuel  Cooley,  a  native 
of  Medina  County,  Ohio,  came  of  an  old  Connecti- 
cut family  of  English  ancestral  blood,  and  whose 
forefathers  figured  early  in  New  England  history. 
Early  in  life,  while  in  Summit  County,  Ohio,  he 
was  married  to  Mary  M.  Richardson,  the  accom- 
plished daughter  of  a  New  England  farmer.  That 
was  the  home  of  her  childhood  and  its  scenes  and 
associations  were  dear  to  her,  but  leaving  it  all 
bravely  she  took  upon  herself  new  duties,  and  went 
with  her  husband  to  their  Western  home.  Her  par- 
ents were  originally  from  New  Haven  and  Middle- 
bury,  Conn.,  and  were  of  Scotch  and  English  lineage 
respectively.  The  great-grandfather  of  Miss  Rich- 
ardson, Lemuel  Porter,  came  from  Edinburgh,  Scot- 
land, during  the  17th  century,  but  the  early  record 
of  the  Porter  family  dates  back  more  than  200  years. 
Many  notable  members  of  the  old  stock  have,  in  the 
last  century  and  a  half,  been  found  in  the  Middle 
Atlantic  States,  and  among  the  divines  and  erudite 
scholars  there  have  shone  some  of  its  brightest 
lights.  Examples  of  individual  members  of  the 
family  on  the  paternal  side  who  distinguished  them- 
selves as  brilliantly  intellectual  and  spiritually  en- 
lightened are  Dr.  N.  S.  Richardson,  D.  D.,  deceased, 
rector  of  St.  Paul's  Church,  at  Bridgeport,  Conn., 
who  was  a  graduate  of  Yale,  and  the  founder  of  the 
Church  Guardian,  New  York  City  ;  J.  B.  Richardson, 
D.  D.,  deceased,  who  was  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church,  at  Geneva,  N.  Y.,  and  likewise  a 
graduate  of  Yale.     These  men  gained    a  wide  re-. 


'JM 


± 


KNOX  COU]S[TY. 


\: 


nown  in  their  respective  fields  of  labor  and  accom- 
plished a  grand  life-work.  Others  of  this  illustrious 
family  gained  notoriety  and  distinction  in  public  af- 
fairs. One  was  State  Representative  and  one 
United  States  Senator  from  Alabama,  and  it  would 
be  impossible  to  give  more  than  a  cursory  history  of 
them  all.  In  Ohio  the  family  stand  high,  especially 
in  Summit  County,  where  they  are  prominent  in  offi- 
cial and  political  circles. 

Immediately  after  marriage  the  parents  of  Hon. 
O.  P.  Cooley  removed  from  Summit  County  to  Port- 
age County,  Ohio,  at  which  place  Mr.  C.  was  born, 
as  before  noted.  A  few  years  later  the  family  again 
moved,  this  time  to  Middlebury,  now  the  sixth  ward 
of  Akron,  Ohio,  where  the  second  and  last  child, 
another  son,  was  born  and  christened  Charles  L. 
He  grew  to  boyhood  in  the  State  of  his  birth,  and 
eventually  developed  into  a  promising  and  intelligent 
young  man,  with  native  business  ability  and  shrewd 
intelligence.  While  yet  a  young  man  he  entered  the 
r  employ  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  at  Burlington, 

I  Iowa,  which  he  served  with  manly  integrity  and  in- 
dustry, but  was  overtaken  by  that  dread  disease, 
** consumption,  and,  becoming  convinced  that  his  stay 
on  earth  was  short,  returned  to  Summit  County, 
where  he  lingered  a  short  time,  and  died  March  12, 
1869,  in  the  bloom  of  his  young  manhood.  He  was 
bound  by  no  matrimonial  ties. 

In  the  year  1854,  the  parents  came  to  Knox 
County  with  their  two  sons,  and  settled  at  what  is 
usually  known  as  Ontario  Center.  This  was  just 
before  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  had  completed  its 
line  through  this  county,  and  not  long  from  the  time 
that  the  present  town  of  Oneida  was  begun.  While 
the  village  was  yet  in  its  infancy,  they,  being  one  of 
the  first  families,  began  to  make  improvements  on 
their  original  property,  and  have  watched  the  growth 
of  this  village  into  a  fairly  large  and  prosperous 
town.  The  father  during  those  years  followed  his 
trade  as  a  blacksmith  and  carriage-maker,  and,  being 
a  skillful  workman,  was  successful.  Attaining  to 
years  of  manhood,  Mr.  Cooley  had  grown  into  a  well- 
developed,  muscular  man,  with  a  mind  approximat- 
ing in  strength  his  healthy,  vigorous  body.  Natu- 
rally intelligent  in  mind,  he  keenly  appreciated  his 
educational  advantages  and  steadily  improved  them. 
Entering  Lombard  University,  at  Galesburg,  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  until  the  war  began,  when  he  en- 
listed.    He  was  at  first  refused  admission   to   the 


Union  Army,  on  account  of  his  youth,  but  after  sev- 
eral attempts  was  accepted  as  a  volunteer,  Aug.  10, 
1861,  and  joined  Co.  C,  42d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  Capt.  N. 
H.  Walworth,  then  of  Oneida,  in  connection  with 
Gen.  Sheridan's  Division,  4th  Army  Corps  of  the 
Army  of  the  Cumberland.  Following  the  army  through 
the  South,  this  regiment  fought  in  the  battles  of 
Farmington  and  in  the  long  siege  of  Corinth,  and 
were  at  Murfreesboro  and  in  the  Atlanta  campaign. 
He  was  taken  prisoner  at  Decatur,  Ala.,  and  de- 
tained at  Tuscaloosa,  and  Cahaba,  Ala.,  and  Merid- 
ian, Miss.,  remaining  in  the  hands  of  the  Confed- 
erates until  the  close  of  the  hostilities,  when  as  pris- 
oner of  war  he  was  released,  receiving  an  honorable 
discharge  at  Springfield,  111.,  July  20,  1865. 

Not  long  after  his  return  from  the  war  Mr.  Cooley 
commenced  the  study  of  the  law,  reading  under  G. 
W.  Ford  and  Gen.  F.  C.  Smith,  respectively,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  Dec.  27,  1867,  but  has  never 
made  a  business  of  the  practice  of  law.  He  is  now 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business.  He  has  filled  ' 
many  of  the  local  offices,  among  them  those  of  Town- 
ship and  City  Clerk,  and  Supervisor,  in  which  he  has 
continued  for  15  years.  In  1876  he  was  nominated  ">< 
for  Circuit  Clerk  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  but  in 
consequence  of  that  party  being  largely  in  the  mi- 
nority in  his  county  he  was  defeated.  In  the  year  1877 
he  was  appointed  by  Gov.  CuUom  as  Judge-Advo- 
cate of  the  2d  Brigade,  with  the  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel, and  was  succeeded  in  this  office  by  A. 
R.  Mock,  of  Cambridge,  111..  The  present  incum- 
bent is  Col.  Fort,  of  Lacon,  Marshall  Co.,  111. 

At  the  Republican  Senatorial  Convention  of  the 
2 2d  District,  comprising  Knox  and  Fulton  Counties, 
held  July  22,  1884,  at  Galesburg,  he  was  nominated 
as  one  of  the  Representatives  to  the  State  Legislature, 
and  in  the  following  autumn  was  elected  by  the  flat- 
tering majority  of  3,000.  In  the  halls  of  the  State 
Legislature  Mr.  Cooley  gained  large  favor  and  prom- 
inence, and  was  noted  for  punctuality  and  a  praise- 
worthy interest  manifested  in  all  questions  pertain- 
ing to  the  good  of  the  people.  In  that  long-to-be- 
remembered  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1884-85, 
which  resulted  in  the  election  of  John  A.  Logan,  Mr. 
Shuman,  of  the  Chicago  Journal,  speaking  of  him 
among  the  distinguished  members,  says  :  "  Mr.  Cooley 
was  noted  for  ever  being  present  at  roll-call,  and 
was  known  as  the  physical  heavy-weight  of  the  house 
and  as  being  as  sound  in  mind  as  body."    Of  the 


~i 


^^x^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


83' 


various  committees  on  which  he  did  service  are  the 
following:  Committee  on  Judicial  Department  and 
Practice,  Committee  on  License,  Pul)lic  Grounds, 
Building  and  Libraries. 

In  religion  he  supports  the  doctrines  of  the  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  in  politics  is  a  solid,  reliable  John 
A.  Logan  Republican,  at  whose  nomination  for 
United  States  Senator  Mr.  Cooley  was  invited  to 
speak  in  the  joint  caucus  on  behalf  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  His  courteous  response  to  this  re- 
quest was  cited  by  many  as  one  of  his  best  efforts 
and  a  credit  to  its  author  for  smooth  and  fitting  elo- 
quence, and  strong,  logical,  common-sense  argument. 
He  has  often  labored  in  political  struggles,  and  is 
known  to  the  people  as  a  ready,  fluent  speaker. 


.o\nx  Clarkson.  The  deservedly  popular 
firm  of  Clarkson  &  Co.,  grocers,  at  No. 
144  East  Main  street,  Galesburg,  111.,  is 
composed  of  Messrs.  Clarkson  and  Roadstrum. 
Mr.  Clarkson  was  born  in  Skane,  Sweden,  Aug. 
23,  1832.  He  there  grew  to  manhood  as  a 
farmer,  was  educated  in  the  common  schools,  and  in 
1853  came  to  America.  His  father,  Nelson  Clark- 
son, died  in  Sweden  when  55  years  of,  age. 

The  mother,  Ella  Hanson  Clarkson,  came  to 
America  in  1865  and  died  about  five  weeks  after  her 
arrival.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  about  five 
years  of  his  time  in  the  new  country  as  a  steward  in 
a  large  restaurant  and  confectionery  establishment 
at  Peoria  ;  the  succeeding  years  in  the  same  bus- 
iness he  held  a  partnership  with  one  of  his  late  em- 
ployers. From  Peoria  he  came  to  Galesburg  in  1 864, 
and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  which  he  sold 
out  at  the  end  of  two  years  and  went  into  partner- 
ship with  J.  F.  Anderson,  restaurant  and  confection- 
ery. This  arrangement  lasted  three  years,  at  which 
time  the  grocery  house  of  Clarkson  &  Johnson  was 
organized. 

At  Peoria,  when  about  28  years  of  age,  Mr.  Clark- 
son was  married  to  Eliza  Loquist,  a  native  of 
Sweden.  Their  eldest  son,  Charles  E.,  graduate  of 
Galesburg  High  and  Commercial  School,  entered  a 
banking-house  as  bookkeeper  when  17  years  of  age. 
He  was  elected  cashier  before  he  was  zr,  and  is  now 
at  Sabetha,  Kan.     Their  second  child  is  a  daughter, 


EllaC;  the  third,  Annie  J.;  the  fourth,  J^y  Edward, 
and  the  fifth,  Florence  May.  Their  daughter  Annie 
died  when  eight  years  of  age. 

The  family  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  and 
Mr.  Clarkson  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


*;  BCi'r  *Di68  K.  Howland,  passenger  conductor  of 
l@l(,  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  was  born  in  Bur- 
llS"'^  lington,  Vt.,  Jan.  3,  1844.  He  was  the 
''&£  son  of  Arnold  and  Harriet  (Wright)  Howland. 
jC  The  father  traces  his  ancestry  back  to  1730, 
\  when  John  Howland  landed  with  Gov.  Win- 
throp,  of  Massachusetts,  in  that  State,  and  finally 
settled  in  New  Bedford,  whence  came  many  of 
that  name  to  this  county.  They  belong  to  worthy 
English  ancestors,  among  whom  are  numbered  many 
noted  public  men.  The  very  earliest  record  of  the 
Howland  family  credits  the  earliest  progenitors  with  ^ 
having  come  to  this  country  in  1620  on  the  ship 
Mayflower,  and  landing  with  the  Puritans  on  Plym- 
outh Rock.  The  grandfather  of  Harriet  (Wright) 
Howland,  mother  of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  upon  coming  to  this  country  settled 
in  the  Green  Mountain  State. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  sixth  child  and 
third  son  of  a  family  of  five  sons  and  five  daughters. 
He  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  East,  where  he 
obtained  a  good  rudimentary  education.  At  the  age 
of  17  years  he  came  West  and  located  at  Chicago, 
where  he  obiained  employment  as  brakeman  on  the 
line  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  After  a  reputable 
service  with  this  company  he  received  promotion  to 
baggagemaster,  then  to  conductor  of  a  freight  train, 
and  in  1879  to  that  of  passenger  conductor.  He 
has  continued  in  this  capacity  ever  since,  filling  the 
position  with  credit  to  himself  and  profit  to  the  com- 
pany. 

Mr.  Howland  was  married  at  Princeton,  111.,  to 
Miss  Christina,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  John 
N.  Robinson,  Esti-,  of  Buda,  III.,  the  union  being 
blest  by  a  son  and  daughter — John  and  Harriet,  who 
with  their  parents  attend  worship  at  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Howland  is  a  respected 
official  of  the  corporation  he  represents,  and  an  en- 
terprising  and  public-spirited  citizen,  a  genial  gen- 
tleman and  a  kind  husband  and  father.     He  is  a 


t 


-^ 


-t^ 


-4l 


832 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^v 


worthy  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  an 
active  member  of  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors, 
in  which  he  at  present  serves  as  Junior  Conductor 
and  Correspondent  of  Division  No.  3. 


/,arry  Dunbar.  This  gentleman  is  a  farmer 
'"  and  stock-raiser  on  section  22,  Henderson 
^^^^  Township.  He  is  the  son  of  George  and 
\^  Millie  (Collins)  Dunbar,  both  natives  of  Ken- 
^)  tucky  and  very  estimable  people.  They  came 
to  Knox  County  and  early  settled  in  Sparta 
Township,  where  the  mother  died.  Her  husband 
survives  her  and  is  now  living  in  Henderson  village. 
They  had  a  very  interesting  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren, of  whom  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  history  was  the  fourth.  The  brothers  and  sis- 
ters of  Mr.  Dunbar  were  Mary  A.,  now  deceased; 
Luticia  married  Stewart  Holly,  and  one  child  was 
,  the  result  of  this  union;  Mrs.  Holly  is  now  dead; 
Frank  married  Martha  Wilt,  and  seven  children 
were  born  to  them  ;  Sarah  is  deceased ;  Washington 
is  married  to  Miss  McElhaney,  and  they  have  five 
children;  Nancy  is  the  wife  of  Edward  King,  and 
they  have  three  children  living.  Frank  and  Wash- 
ington were  in  the  Civil  War,  in  Co.  K,  83d  111.  Vol. 
Inf  ;  they  both  received  honorable  discharges. 

Harry  Dunbar  was  born  in  Sparta  Township  and 
received  a  good  common-school  education.  He  has 
resided  in  Kno.x  Connty,  where  all  his  life  he  has 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising. 
His  farm  consists  of  nearly  400  acres,  all  well-im- 
proved, most  of  which  is  tillable  and  on  which  are 
very  desirable  buildings  and  all  necessary  appliances 
for  successful  stock-breeding.  His  barns  rank  with 
the  best  in  the  county.  He  is  chiefly  interested  in 
raising  blooded  stock.  He  has  60  head  of  horses,  100 
head  of  cattle,  and  fattens  about  150  hogs  annually. 
His  horses  are  of  the  Norman  and  Hambletonian 
breeds  and  his  cattle  of  the  Short-horn  and  Durham 
bloods.  He  is  the  owner  of  two  imported  Norman 
stallions  and  has  also  in  his  possession  the  well- 
known  Kentucky  mammoth  jack.  Young  Samson. 
Mr.  Dunbar's  judgment  as  a  cattle-breeder  is  of  the 
first  order,  and  throughout  the  county  he  is  consid- 
ered one  of  the  most  practical  and  wide-awake  farm- 
ers of  his  day. 

Mr.  Dunbar  was  married  in  Knoxville,  111.,  on  the 


14th  of  April,  i860,  to  Cordelia  Riggen.  There  have 
been  nine  children  born  to  these  parents — John  A., 
Lillie  C,  Loren,  Arthur  W.,  Delia,  Luna,  Anna, 
Fred  and  Daisy.  Of  these,  Delia,  to  the  great  sor- 
row of  her  parents,  died  early.  John  is  married  and 
settled  in  Henderson  Township,  and  has  one  child 
— Ella  M.  Lillie  C.  is  the  happy  wife  of  John  Has- 
kins,  and  resides  in  Henderson  Township ;  two 
children  have  been  born  to  this  union — Florence  and 
Daisy. 

Mr.  Harry  Dunbar  for  the  second  time  was  mar- 
ried, in  Henderson  Township,  March  17,  1879,  to 
Rachel  Riggen,  a  native  of  Stark  County,  111.,  born 
on  the  25th  of  October,  1857.  By  this  marriage 
there  has  been  one  child — Lulu  F. 

In  politics  Mr.  Dunbar  has  always  allied  himself 
with  the  Republicans,  and  in  the  interest  of  that 
party  has  never  lost  an  opportunity  to  prove  his  ad- 
hesion by  word  or  deed.  In  connection  with  this 
sketch  we  present  a  view  of  the  pleasant  homestead 
of  Mr.  Dunbar. 


I^.harles  H.  Cuyler,  Division  Road  master  of 
the  Galesburg  &  Peoria  and  Buda  &  Rush- 
ville  Branches  of  the  Galesburg  Division 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  was  born  in  Mont- 
real, Canada,  Oct.  6,  1831.  He  is  the  son  of 
Charles  H.  and  Louisa  (Field)  Cuyler,  natives 
of  New  York.  The  parents  of  our  subject  were,  at 
the  time  of  his  birth,  temporarily  stopping  at  Mont- 
real. The  Cuylers  are  natives  of  Dutchess  County. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of 
Amsterdam,  Holland.  Mr.  Cuyler,  senior,  was  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  the  merchant  marine  trade  and 
ultimately  settled  in  Dutchess  County.  The  family 
were  of  worthy  English  ancestry  and  settled  in 
Flushing,  Long  Island. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  second  child  of 
a  family  of  1 1  children.  He  was  reared  at  Ferris- 
burg,  Vt.,  and  grew  to  manhood  in  New  York  City. 
At  the  age  of  23  years  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  set- 
tled in  Plymouth,  and  in  1856,  with  his  brother 
Walter  (now  of  Quincy,  111.),  brought  his  parents 
West  and  estabUshed  a  home  for  them,  where  the 
father  died  in  1867.  Ten  years  previous  to  this 
time  Mr.  Cuyler  began  work  for  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R. 
R.  Co,     His  first  experience  was  with   the  shovel, 


.N, 


^ 


•^^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


833 


from  which  he  rose  to  section  foreman  and  from  that 
to  the  foremanship  of  the  floating  gang,  holding  his 
headquarters  at  Colchester,  whither  he  had  removed 
in  1866.  In  1877  he  was  appointed  to  his  present 
position,  a  place  he  has  worthily  filled  ever  since. 

Mr.  Cuyler  was  married  in  Marion  County,  111., 
to  Martha  Maguire,  whom  he  buried  Aug.  31,  1879, 
in  Argyle,  near  Colchester.  She  liad  borne  him 
three  sons  and  one  daughter — Edward  B.,  deceased  ; 
Frank  M.,  a  telegraph  operator  at  Minneapolis, 
Minn. ;  Daisy  Estelle  and  Roger  Irving.  He  was 
again  married,  in  1880,  to  Mary  Davies,  a  native  of 
Mountain  Ash,  Glamorganshire,  Wales,  by  whom  he 
has  a  son  and  daughter — May  Davies  and  Charles, 
Jr.  Mr.  Cuyler  is  an  active  member  of  the  I.  O.  O. 
F.,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  attend  worship  at  the 
Baptist  Church. 


^/ Sy^^hester  E.  Allen,  keeper  of  the  City  Prison 
t/lJ^^A    and  a  Constable  of  Galesbiirg,  comes  of 


a  worthy  line  of  pioneer  stock  of  Kno.\ 
I"©  County.  He  was  born  there  in  1846,  and  is 
f^  the  son  of  Sheldon  W.  and  Fidelia  (Leach) 
Allen,  natives  of  York  State.  Our  subject 
spent  his  boyhood  days  on  his  father's  farm,  and  ob- 
tained a  liberal  education  in  the  public  schools.  At 
the  age  of  16  he  became  apprenticed  to  the  harness- 
making  trade,  but  the  Civil  War  being  in  progiess  at 
this  time,  young  Allen  longed  to  enter  the  service, 
but  was  too  young.  However,  in  consequence  of 
his  fine  physique,  he  was  accepted  about  a  year 
afterward  and  enlisted  his  services  in  Co.  D,  ijgth 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  with  which  company  he  remained  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge. He  then  returned  to  his  apprenticeship, 
which  he  completed,  but  the  confinement  of  the 
shop  was  too  much  for  him,  and  he  left  the  harness- 
making  business  to  engage  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
In  1 87  I  he  joined  his  brothers  in  the  meat  market 
business,  which  lie  carried  on  continuously  until  1881, 
when,  upon  the  dissolution  of  the  firm,  he  accepted 
a  place  upon  the  constabulary  of  his  city,  which 
lX)sition  he  has  very  reputably  held  since. 

Mr.  Allen  was  mariied  at  Galesburg,  to  Miss 
Anna,  daughter  of  James  and  Clarinda  (Fletcher) 
Fleming,  of  Staten   Island,  N.  Y.     This   union   has 


been  blest  by  the  birth  of  a  daughter — Blanche  Fi- 
delia. 

Mr.  Allen  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  all  religious 
organizations,  and  is  a  charter  member  of  the  G.  A. 
R.,  also  a  worthy  Mason,  being  a  Past  Master  of 
Alpha  Lodge,  No.  155,  and  a  member  of  the  Chapter 
and  Council.  He  is  a  fearless  officer,  a  genial  gen- 
tleman and  a  kind  friend. 


•«^A>^-^tJlal2/•©~^-* 


*^sS)/Zr2W»\~-^/w«. 


Ijp^ai  Ibert  J.  Perry,  Clerk  of  Kno.v  County,  resi- 
^%^Sf  dent  at  Galesburg,  is  a  native  of  Erie  Coun- 
S^^  ty,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born  Dec.  10,  1841. 
^5^  His  father,  whose  name  was  James  Perry,  was 
1^  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  his  mother, 
J  whose  maiden  name  was  Sophronia  Pengra,  of 
York  State. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  as  appears  from  the 
memoranda  before  us,  was  one  of  the  most  active 
men  in  the  county  in  which  he  resided.  He  was  a 
small  farmer,  perhaps  such  only  as  a  diversion  ;  was 
a  pension  solicitor  for  the  soldiers  of  18 12,  and  a 
very  successful  one.  He  was  a  man  who  was  in- 
trusted with  a  multiplicity  of  business  of  various 
kinds.  He  was  possessed  of  a  superior  education, 
correct  and  methodical  in  methods  of  business,  and 
therefore  his  services  were  eagerly  sought  for  by  his 
neighbors.  He  also  held  the  position  of  School 
Commissioner,  was  Colonel  of  militia,  and,  in  fact, 
was  for  years  more  or  less  identified  with  everything 
of  a  public  nature  in  the  community  in  which  he  re- 
sided. He  died  at  Alden,  N.  Y.,  in  i860,  at  the  age 
of  64  years.  His  widow  survived  him  a  few  years, 
and  died  at  the  home  of  one  of  her  sons  at  Toledo, 
Ohio. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  prepared  for  col- 
lege at  the  academy  of  his  native  town,  Alden,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Sophomore  Class  of  Rochester 
University,  but  for  some  cause  failed  to  complete 
the  course.  He  learned  telegraphy  at  Alden,  and 
worked  at  that  business  at  various  points  upon  the 
line  of  the  Erie  Railroad,  for  several  years.  In 
1865  he  came  to  Galesburg,  having  been  offered  the 
[wsition  as  bookkeeper  in  the  building  department 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  where  he  remained  until 
Jan.  I,  1873.  After  leaving  the  railroad  company 
he  taught  school  a  few  months,  and  in  July  of  1873 
went  into  the  office  of   the   Circuit   Court   Clerk  as 


t 


834 


J^J^OX  COUNTY. 


copyist.  While  here,  he  read  law  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  Williams,  McKenzie  &  Calkins,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  at  Ottawa  in  1876.  In  1874,  he 
was  appointed  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk,  and  held  that 
position  until  he  was  elected  and  installed  into  the 
office  he  now  holds,  in  December,  1882. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  Steuben  County,  N. 
Y.,  Dec.  9,  1866,  to  Miss  Albina  S.  Hughes,  daugh- 
ter of  the  late  Dr.  Hiram  Hughes,  of  that  county. 

Politically,  Mr.  Perry  has  always  been  a  Republi- 
can. In  r882  he  was  regularly  nominated  by  the 
party  for  the  position  of  County  Clerk,  and  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority.  In  1886  he  re- 
ceived further  favor  at  the  hands  of  that  political 
organization,  by  being  nominated  for  the  second 
term,  thus  attesting,  in  the  most  marked  degree,  the 
satisfaction  which  his  service  has  been  to  the  public. 


.  onas  J.  Hedman,  a  farmer,  Uving  on  sec- 
li^   tion  2  of  Copley  Township,  is  the  subject 
of  this  recital,  and  is  one  of  our  progress- 
ive and  live  men.     He  has  lived  to  see  Knox 
^C^    County  attain   success  in  the  march  of  prog- 
ress.    His  home  is   a  pleasant  and  desirable 
i  one  and  he  pursues  general  farming  as  a  vocation. 
He  is  settled  upon  78  acres  of  land,  which  is  now 
in  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

Mr.  Hedman  was  born  in  Sweden,  Feb.  23,  1850, 
and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Carrie  (Shostrom)  Hed- 
man. John  Hedman  was  a  tailor  by  occupation, 
which  calling  he  pursued  in  Sweden,  and  was  the 
father  of  two  sons — Jonas  J.  of  this  wiiting,  and 
John  D.  After  Jonas  was  17  years  of  age,  up  to 
which  time  he  had  attended  school  and  worked  with 
his  father  at  tailoring,  he  in  r867  left  his  native  land 
and  with  friends  came  to  America.  They  landed 
at  New  York  and  from  there  came  West,  and,  being 
pleased  with  the  appearance  of  Knox  County, 
stopped  at  Altona.  There  he  hired  out  to  a  farmer, 
contracting  to  work  by  the  month  and  rented  farms 
up  to  1880.  At  that  time  he  took  a  trip  to  Nebraska 
and  purchased  80  acres  of  land  in  Polk  County, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  He  improved  the 
same,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  sold  it  and  re- 
turned to  Illinois.  In  this  State  he  purchased  the 
farm  on  which  he  now  lives. 

Mr.  Hedman  was  united  in  marriage  in  1882  with 


Miss  Catherine  England,  a  native  of  Knox  County, 
111.  She  was  born  in  r86o,  and  was  the  daughter  of 
Peter  and  Catherine  (Anderson)  Englund.  They 
were  natives  of  Sweden,  and  came  to  America  in 
1853,  and  settled  in  Knox  County,  where  they  are 
still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hedman  have  one  daugh- 
ter, by  name  Minnie  C.  Mr.  Hedman  is  an  esteemed 
and  worthy  citizen,  and  politically  supports  the  Re- 
publican party. 


'  r.  D.  W.  Aldrich,  a  physician  and  surgeon 
;  ^':i/  ...  of  distinction,  and  a  resident  of  Galesburg, 
},",wi£  ^  is  a  native  of  Boone  County,  this  State, 
^]ii,  and  is  the  son  of  William  and  Sarah  Ann 
^  (Bassett)  Aldrich,  descendants  respectively  from 
i  English  and  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  He  was 
born  April  r,  1846,  and  was  the  seventh  in  a  family 
of  12  children.  The  senior  Mr.  Aldrich  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  a  native  of  Binghamton, 
N.  Y.  He  was  married  at  Bradford,  Pa.,  in  T831, 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  1844;  resided  in  Boone 
County  till  i860,  removed  to  Knox  County  in  that 
year,  and  died  at  Henderson  in  1869  at  the  age  of 
64  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  boyhood  days 
upon  the  farm  and  in  attendance  at  the  district 
schools,  supplementing  his  academic  studies  with 
three  years  at  Knox  College.  Before  leaving  Knox 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine  under  the  direction 
and  tutelage  of  Dr.  E.  S.  Cooper,  and,  in  1869,  en- 
tered Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago.  Leaving 
that  institution,  he  practiced  medicine  about  three 
years  at  Gilson,  going  thence  to  Bellevue  Medi- 
cal College,  N.  Y.,  graduating  from  there  March  i, 
1874.  Four  years  later  he  took  a  post-graduate 
course  in  the  same  institution. 

From  1874  to  1880,  Dr.  Aldrich  practiced  medi- 
cine at  Gilson,  111.,  and  in  May  of  the  last-named 
year  came  to  Galesburg.  Here  he  has  since  occu- 
pied an  iionorable  position  as  a  citizen  and  a  mem- 
ber of  his  chosen  profession.  January  i,  1886,  he 
was  appointed  Surgeon  for  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R- 
Co.  His  practice  is  described  as  of  the  "regular 
school,"  and  his  patrons  in  number  and  respectability 
are  second  to  none  of  those  of  any  other  physi- 
cian in  the  county. 

In  1876  Dr.  Aldrich  was  elected  Coronor  of  Knox 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L..iVERSITY  OF  ILLI'*:--^ 


•^<)^o^i^<^ 


J"  c^/^,  ^n 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L...VEE-ilYGFILU»'... 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


839 


County,  and  served  acceptably  for  two  years,  and 
in  1880  was  again  elected.  Missing  one  term  of 
two  years,  in  1884  he  was  once  more  chosen  to  the 
position.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Military  Tract,  the 
State  and  local  medical  societies,  and  an  honored 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  also  the  G.  A. 
R.  Speaking  of  the  last-named  organization  calls 
to  mind  a  fact  worthy  of  mention  here.  From  Jan. 
I,  1865,  to  the  close  of  the  war,  Dr.  Aldrich  served 
as  a  private  soldier  in  Co.  E,  148th  111.  Vol.  Inf. 
His  regiment  served  in  Tennessee,  and  while  in 
Decherd.  that  State,  he  filled  the  office  of  Postmaster. 
At  Kno.wille,  Aug.  i,  1872,  the  Doctor  was  married 
to  Miss  Margaret  McBride,  and  his  three  daughters 
are  named  Blanche,  Mabel  and  Gertrude.  Politic- 
ally he  is  and  has  been  a  Republican. 


vtasa^^^T'—m 


|a— --^S^jjzraw* 


Judson  Hale,  who  has  resided  in  Kno.x 
County  since  June,  1845,  was  born  in 
Smithtield,  Pa.,  April  8,  1823.  After  re- 
ceiving an  academic  education,  at  the  age  of 
19  he  commenced  his  law  studies  in  the  office 
of  Gen.  Bullock,  completed  them  in  the  office 
of  Adams  &  Mercer,  Towanda,  Pa.,  and  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  the  winter  of  1845.  Arriving  in 
Knoxville  in  June,  1845,  he  commenced  the  practice 
of  his  profession  in  competition  with  the  able  resi- 
dent bar  of  Messrs.  Manning  &  Swift,  C.  K.  Harvey, 
R.  L.  Hannaroan,  Edward  &  Thomas  Law. 

In  1847  he  was  elected  School  Commissioner  of 
Kno.x  County,  and  in  August,  1848,  he  was  elected 
Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Knox  County.  At  the 
expiration  of  his  official  term,  in  1852,  he  resumed 
the  practice  of  law,  as  a  member  of  the  law  firm  of 
Hannaraan  &  Hale,  of  which  he  was  a  more  or  less 
active  member  until   1861. 

In  1862  he  was  ap[X)inted  United  States  Deputy 
Collector  of  Internal  Revenue,  which  position  he  re- 
signed in  1864.  Since  1865  he  has  resided  in  the 
city  of  Galesburg,  occupied  mainly  with  his  personal 
affairs.  Since  1 867  he  has  been  a  Trustee  of  Lom- 
bard University,  at  intervals  serving  as  President  of 
the  Board,  Secretary  and  Treasurer.  In  1876  he 
was  elected  upon  the  Republican  ticket  a  member 
of  the  State  Board  of  Equalization  for  the  term   of 


•nx 


four  years.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors of  Kno.x  County,  from  1875  to  r883  inclu- 
sive, and  was  Chairman  of  the  Board  from  1877  to 
1883. 

As  secondary  incidents  in  his  life,  it  may  be  men- 
tioned that  while  residing  in  the  city  of  Knoxville 
he  served  one  term  as  Mayor;  that  in  1869  he  was 
elected  and  commissioned  Colonel  of  thesglh  Regt. 
111.  State  Militia  ;  that  since  residing  in  the  city  of 
Galesburg  he  was  for  many  years  identified  with  the 
management  of  the  Galesburg  Public  Library  and 
the  Galesburg  Board  of  Park  Commissioners ;  that 
at  an  early  day  he  earned  some  position  in  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  both  early  and  late  as  a  member  of  the 
fraternity  of  A.,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has  filled  all  posi- 
tions up  to  and  including  Eminent  Commander  of 
Knights  Templar. 

Sept.  24,  t848,  he  was  married  in  Smithfield,  Pa., 
to  Sarah  P.  Pierce,  daughter  of  James  C.  and  Eliza- 
beth Pierce,  and  residing  in  Knoxville  and  Galesburg, 
Knox  Co.,  since  that  time,  they  have  reared  their 
family  of  five  children — Willie,  Mark,  Charles,  Harry 
and  Stella.  Willie  was  instantly  killed  while  in  rail- 
road employ  in  1873;  Mark  is  a  railroad  engineer; 
Charles,  a  graduate  of  Lombard  University,  is  cash- 
ier of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Pittsburg,  Kan.; 
Harry,  >vho  graduated  as  a  cadet  at  West  Point,  is  a 
Lieutenant  in  the  United  States  Army,  and  Stella, 
who  graduated  at  Lombard  University,  resides  with 
her  parents,  the  subjects  of  the  foregoing  sketch. 

eorge  Avery.  Ojie  of  the  oldest  and  most 
highly  esteemed  citizens  of  Knox  County 
is  Mr.  George  Avery,  of  Galesburg.  He 
was  born  in  Columbia  County,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  2, 
1802.  His  parents,  William  and  Phebe 
(Throop)  Avery,  were  of  New  England  ances- 
try, although  slightly  tinged  with  foreign  blood. 
The  former  died  in  the  East  when  our  subject  was  a 
young  man.  They  had  a  family  of  eight  children — 
George,  Nathan,  Clarissa,  HydeT.,  William  T.,  Deb- 
orah, John  T.  and  Cornelia.  Nathan  was  a  physi- 
cian, and  married  a  Miss  Rivers,  of  Tennessee.  Both 
are  deceased,  leaving  one  son,  William  T.,  who  has 
served  in  Congress  from  Tennessee.  Clarissa  mar- 
ried Silas  Churchill,  and  both  she  and  her  husband 
are  deceased.     They  left  a  family  of  five  children, 


v 


'^•" 


4 


840 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


three  boys  and  two  girls.  Both  Hyde  T.  and  Will- 
iam T.  are  also  deceased,  the  latter  dying  in  Indiana. 
Deborah  married  John  Kendall,  the  celebrated  ther- 
mometer-maker of  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y.,  where  they 
now  reside;  three  daughters  have  been  born  to 
them.  John  T.  married  Sarah  Whiting,  and  resides 
in  Cleveland,  Ohio,  and  has  a  family  of  five  boys  and 
two  giris.  Cornelia  became  the  wife  of  William  Ball, 
and  is  living  in  New  York. 

Alternating  the  duties  of  a  farm  hfe  with  attend- 
ance at  the  common  school,  our  subject  passed  his 
younger  life  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Lebanon,  N.  Y. 
Early  manhood  found  him  possessed  of  a  very  fair 
English  education.  He  was  about  34  years  of  age 
when  he  came  West,  and  the  year  1S36  found  him 
upon  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Gales- 
burg.  Indeed  he  was  one  of  the  first  members  of 
that  society  known  as  the  Early  Settlers'  or  Pioneers' 
Association,  the  object  of  which  was  to  found  a 
Christian  College.  It  will  be  highly  proper  in  this 
connection  to  speak  of  him  as  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising, industrious  and  active  workers  that  ever 
^  entered  Knox  County. 
I  The  farm  on  which  he  lived  up  to  1867  was  that 
piece  of  property  which  he  purchased  in  the  begin- 
ning, joining  the  corporate  limits  of  the  village,  and 
he  has  come  as  near  witnessing  every  step  of  the 
growth  of  this  place  as  any  living  man.  In  the  year 
last  named  (1867)  he  turned  his  farm  over  to  his 
sons  and  retired  to  private  life.  Through  a  cit- 
izenship of  full  half  a  century,  mingling  daily  with 
people  who  so  rapidly  settled  around  him,  transact- 
ing business  with  hundreds,  aye,  with  thousands  in 
the  aggregate,  it  is  remarkable  that  not  once  in  his 
life  has  he  ever  been  summoned  to  court  to  answer 
the  complaint  of  any  man.  He  began  life  a  poor  boy, 
and  has  since  inherited  nothing  except  the  reward 
that  always  eventually  descends  to  the  industrious 
and  persevering.  He  was  so  fortunate  as  to  add  to 
his  possessions  a  wife  of  many  worthy  attributes  and 
a  helpmate  in  its  truest  sense,  one  of  those  women 
whose  price  is  above  rubies.  Together  they  have 
labored,  and  age  finds  him  possessed  of  an  ample 
competency.  He  was  active  among  the  early  rail- 
way organizations  of  this  place,  and  in  fact  all  public 
enterprises  of  merit  ever  found  in  him  a  substantial 
friend  and  a  strong  advocate. 

When  Mr.  Avery  came  to  this  county,  the  trip  was 
made  by  the  usual  overland   route,  requiring  eight 


weeks'  time  to  make  it.  A  gentleman  by  the  name 
of  Col.  Mills  brought  a  colored  boy  about  12  years  of 
age  with  him  from  New  York.  Mr.  Mills  dying,  his 
widow  requested  Mr.  Avery  to  take  charge  of  the 
boy,  which  he  did  and  was  compelled  to  pay  taxes 
upon  him  the  same  as  he  did  upon  his  horses.  Mr. 
Avery,  being  astiong  Abolitionist,  wrote  back  to  New 
York  for  the  boy's  free  papers,  to  show  that  he  was 
not  taxable  property. 

Mr.  Avery's  marriage  was  celebrated  Jan.  24, 
1839,  in  Knox  County,  when  he  was  united  in  holy 
matrimonial  bonds  with  Miss  Seraphina  Princess 
Mary  Phelps,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Col.  Aaron  N.  and  Clarissa  (Root) 
Phelps,  natives  of  Westfield,  Mass.  The  Phelps 
family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  New  England.  Two 
brothers  landed  in  America  May  30,  1630,  coming 
from  England  on  the  ship  "  Mary  and  John,"  com- 
manded by  Capt.  Squibb..  Aaron  N.  Phelps  was  a 
colonel  in  the  War  of  18 rz.  Mrs.  Avery  was 
born  Jan.  rg,  1815,  and  was  the  eldest  of  a  family 
of  three  children.  The  others,  who  are  deceased, 
were  Mrs.  Sybelana  Kilbourn  and  Royal  A.  N.  Mrs. 
Avery  came  to  this  county  in  1836  with  her  mother, 
her  father  having  died  six  years  before.  They  set- 
tled in  what  is  now  Galesburg,  where  the  mother 
died  in  1856. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Avery  have  had  born  to  them  seven 
children,  as  follows  :  Robert  H.,  President  of  the 
Avery  Corn-Planter  Company,  of  Peoria,  111.;  John 
T.,  a  farmer  of  Rio  Township,  this  county  ;  Mary, 
now  Mrs.  Rev.  William  R.  Butcher,  of  Wataga,  111.; 
Cyrus  M.,  of  Avery  &  Co.,  of  Peoria ;  Phebe  T., 
now  living  at  home,  and  George,  a  farmer  of  Kansas. 
Fredrick  Arthur  died  when  about  three  years  old. 
Robert  H.,  the  eldest  son,  married  Miss  Sarah  P. 
Ayers  ;  they  are  the  parents  of  five  children — Minnie 
E.,  Fredrick  A.,  Sadie  T.,  Cornelia  and  Ellen  K. 
Robert  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  77th  III.  Vol.  Inf.,  in  1862, 
and  served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  taken 
prisoner  and  placed  in  Andersonville  prison,  where 
he  remained  for  about  eight  months.  He  is  the  in- 
ventor of  the  Avery  Corn-Planter,  as  well  as  other 
useful  implements,  and  owns  a  controlling  interest 
in  the  factory  at  Peoria.  John  T.  took  to  wife  Mrs. 
Flora  Olmsted.  Mary  became  the  wife  of  Rev. 
William  R.  Butcher,  and  they  have  five  children 
— Harry  E.,  Mary  Z.,  Etha,  William  and  Irene. 
Cyrus  M.    married    Miss    Minnie  E.    Bartholemew, 


I 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-<^ 


84 1 


and  to  them  have  been  born  three  children — Elvira 
P.,  George  L.  and  Grace  O.  George  married  Miss 
Ada  Wood,  and  they  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren ;  the  name  of  the  only  one  living  is  Edith  L. 
Cyrus  M.,  who  is  now  Secretary  of  the  Avery  Corn- 
Planter  Company,  graduated  from  Knox  College, 
standing  No.  i  in  his  class. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Avery  are  consistent,  sympathetic 
Christians,  and  are  connected  by  profession  of  faith 
with  the  First  Church  of  Christ.  Mr.  Avery  is  a 
stanch  Republican  and  Prohibitionist. 

The  portraits  of  no  worthier  couple  are  given  in 
this  Album  than  those  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Avery. 

l^dwin  Chauney  Olin,  Superintendent  of  the 
bridge-building  department  of  the  Gales- 
burg  Division  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 
Galesburg,  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  3, 
1825.  He  is  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Salonii 
'(Gage)  Olin  ;  the  former  was  a  millwright  by 
profession,  but  in  his  later  years  carried  on  farming 
and  stock-raising,  and  was  a  son  of  Giles  Olin,  a  na- 
tive of  Wales.  Col.  Giles  Olin,  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  settled  in  Bennington,  Vt.,  and  distinguished 
himself  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he  re- 
ceived a  colonelcy.  He  died  at  Bennington,  Vt.,  at 
the  ripe  old  age  of  96  years,  leaving  a  family  among 
whom  are  some  clever  professional  people.  They 
were  of  strong  physical  ability,  a  characteristic  of  the 
Olins. 

Salomi  Gage,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  was  a 
daughter  of  William  Gage,  a  native  of  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  whose  progenitors  settled  there 
at  an  early  period  in  the  history  of  that  place,  and 
besides  being  characterized  by  longevity,  they  have 
furnished  many  of  our  merchant  people. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  second  son  and 
fourth  child  of  a  family  of  seven.  He  grew  to  man- 
hood in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of 
carpenter.  In  the  year  1853  he  came  West  and  lo- 
cated at  Chicago,  where  he  spent  some  time  with  the 
Chicago  &  North-Western  Railway.  In  1855  he  began 
work  for  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  and  located  at 
Aurora,  at  which  place  his  family  remained  several 
years.  His  removal  to  Galesburg  was  made  in  1873, 
and  there  he  has  remained  continuously. 


Mr.  Olin  was  married  in  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  to 
Cynthia  Maria,  daughter  of  David  Fero,  Esq.  The 
result  of  the  union  of  Mr.  Olin  and  Miss  Fero  has 
been  two  daughteis,  both  now  grown  to  womanhood. 
Minerva,  the  eldest,  and  wife  of  Howard  Bridge, 
(^alesburg,  has  become  the  mother  of  two  sons — 
George  and  an  infant  unnamed.  Ida,  the  younger 
daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Goldsmith,  a  farmer 
of  Iowa,  and  is  the  mother  of  one  daughter,  named 
Gertrude. 

In  1873  Mr.  Olin  purchased  360  acres  of  valuable 
land,  upon  which  his  son-in-law,  Mr.  Goldsmith,  re- 
sides, 160  acres  of  the  same  being  in  Taylor  County, 
Iowa,  and  200  just  across  the  State  line,  in  Nodaway 
County,  Mo.  He  is  a  worthy  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  with  his  family  attends  worship  at  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Olin  has  in  his 
official  capacity  been  very  fortunate,  inasmuch  as 
he  has  never  suffered  an  accident  to  his  craftsman- 
ship since  he  has  had  the  superintendency  of  bridges. 
He  is  still  seemingly  as  active  and  vigorous  as  ever, 
and  takes  hold  of  the  work  with  the  same  energy  as 
he  did  in  the  days  long  ago.  He  is  a  genial  gentle- 
man and  respected  citizen.  ,  »< 

-^ C^^- 

"^.p^^Jl'  ndrew  Vance  is  one  of  Kno.\  County's  farm- 
i^:^J^[  ers,  who,  by  his  energy  and  economy,  has 
-ci't^  succeeded  in  obtaining  good  title  to  280 
^P«k  acres  of  tillable  land,  located  on  section  36, 
'1^  Elba  Township,  and  200  in  Iowa,  and  he  is 
I  actively  engaged  in  the  labors  of  a  farmer. 
He  came  to  Knox  County  in  the  fall  of  1868  from 
Highland  County,  Ohio,  and  located  in  Elba  Town- 
ship, where  he  purchased  his  present  fine  farm.  He 
was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  Dec.  9,  1826,  and 
is  the  son  of  Davis  and  Hannah  (Fredrick)  Vance. 
His  father  was  born  in  Maryland,  as  was  also  his 
mother.  To  his  parents  were  born  13  children.  All 
lived  to  be  men  and  women  and  married.  His  par- 
ents died  in  Ohio.  When  eight  years  of  age,  he  re- 
moved with  his  parents  to  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  remained  until  his  final  removal  to  Knox 
County.  Our  subject  received  a  good  common- 
school  education,  and  has  always  followed  that  most 
independent  of  all  callings,  agriculture. 

Andrew  Vance  was  married  in  Highland  County, 
Ohio,  Aug.  21,  185 1,  to  Miss  Harriet  Gibler.     Miss 


*r 


4^ 


H^ 


842 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Gibler  was  born  in  the  county  and  State  in  which 
she  was  married,  Sept.  18,  1832,  and  is  the  daughter 
of  William  and  Rachel  (Strain)  Gibler.  Their 
union  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  six  children,  five 
now  living,  as  follows:  John  W.  A.,  Lovisa  A., 
Strauder  L.,  Henry  D.  (deceased),  Oley  E.  and  An- 
drew C.  Henry  died  when  about  12  years  of  age. 
John  W.  A.  married  Catherine  Yeager,  and  is  a 
farmer  by  occupation ;  they  have  one  son — Earl 
Wendel  Y.  Vance.  Lovisa  A.  is  the  wife  of  Fillmore 
Rogers,  and  lives  in  Salem  Township;  they  have 
four  children,  one  son  and  three  daughters — AUie 
Bell,  Mary  Ellen,  Harrison  L.  and  Mattie  Blanche. 
Mr.  Vance  was  elected  to  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  but  did  not  qualify.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  in  politics 
he  affiliates  with  the  Democratic  party. 

ijharles  W.  LeflHngwell.  Dr.  Leffingwell, 
Rector  of  St.  Mary's  School,  Knoxville, 
was  born  Dec.  5,  1840,  and  is  the  son  of 
Rev.  Lyman  and  Sarah  Chapman  (Brown) 
Leffingwell,  natives  of  Connecticut.  The  pa- 
ternal grandfather,  Joseph  Leffingwell,  was 
born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  and  was  a  lineal  descendant 
of  Lieut.  Thomas  Leffingwell,  leader  of  the  colony 
that  founded  that  place. 

Rev.  Lyman  Leffingwell,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
a  farmer  boy,  and  obtained  his  higher  education 
after  he  had  attained  the  age  of  maturity.  After  a 
long  and  useful  ministry  in  the  Methodist  Church,  he 
died  in  Knoxville,  in  i88o,  at  the  age  of  71. 

When  a  youth,  Charles  Wesley  Leffingwell  pre- 
pared for  Yale  College,  by  attending  Temple  School, 
New  Haven,  but  entered  the  Sophomore  Class  of 
Union  College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.  His  health  being 
somewhat  impaired  by  close  application  to  study,  he 
came  to  this  State,  whither  his  parents  had  preceded 
him.  Soon  after  his  arrival  here,  and  when  but  17 
years  of  age,  he  engaged  in  teaching,  having  60 
pupils  under  his  charge  near  Dundee,  Kane  County. 
He  afterward  taught  one  season  in  the  Military  Listi- 
tute,  at  Kirkwood,  Mo.,  and  then  went  to  Galveston, 
Texas,  in  company  with  Rev.  Benjamin  Eaton, 
with  whom  he  lived  for  several  years.  While  there 
he  held  the  position  of  Deputy  Surveyor  of  the   city 


and  county,  and  taught  a  select  school.  At  the  com- 
mencement of  the  War,  in  186 1,  he  returned  to  this 
State,  and  matriculated  at  Knox  College,  Galesburg, 
where  he  graduated  with  honors  in  June,  1862. 
From  his  Alma  Mater  he  received  in  1875  the  hon- 
orary degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  1862,  Dr.  Leffingwell  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John 
Francis,  formerly  of  Kent,  England,  and  at  that 
time  a  resident  of  Chautauqua  County,  N.  Y.,  a 
real  estate  dealer  and  Notary  Public.  Mr.  Leffing- 
well soon  after  became  Vice-Principal  of  the  Mili- 
tary Institute  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  being  under 
Mr.  C.  B.  Warring.  At  the  expiration  of  three  years 
he  began  to  prepare  for  .the  Episcopal  ministry,  un- 
der Rev.  Dr.  Traver,  of  Poughkeepsie,  and  com- 
pleted his  theological  course  in  the  seminary  at 
Nashotah,  Waukesha  Co.,  Wis.,  where  he  graduated 
in  1867,  receiving  the  degree  of  B.  D.  After  his  or- 
dination by  Bishop  Whitehouse,  having  served  four 
months  as  assistant  to  Rev.  Dr.  Rylance, of  St.  James' 
Church,  Chicago,  he  was  elected  tutor  at  the  Nasho- 
tah Theological  Seminary.  While  a  student  there 
he  had  supported  himself  and  family  by  organizing 
and  conducting  a  select  school,  which  he  continued 
to  carry  on  successfully  while  a  tutor  in  the  seminary. 
Before  a  year  had  expired  he  was  called  from  his 
tutorship  to  establish  and  take  charge  of  a  diocesan 
school  for  girls  in  Knoxville,  this  State,  and  accord- 
ingly St.  Mary's  School  was  opened  on  Monday  in 
Easter  Week,  A.  D.  1868. 

The  school  building  as  it  then  stood  was  offered  to 
the  diocese  on  condition  that  a  boarding  and  day- 
school  be  established  and  successfully  maintained  for 
a  period  of  five  years.  Under  Mr.  Leffingwell's  con- 
trol the  school  within  four  years  outgrew  its  accom- 
modations, and  received  from  Hon.  James  Knox, 
LL.  D.,  a  gift  of  $10,000  for  the  enlargement  of  the 
building.  Li  addition  to  this  sum  about  $4,000  was 
contributed  by  the  Church,  -and  $12,500  was  ad- 
vanced by  the  Rector  for  the  improvement  of  the 
property.  The  building  was  completed  and  liberally 
furnished  with  everything  requisite  to  make  the 
school  successful  and  attractive. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  Jan.  4,  1883,  St.  Mary's 
School  building  and  all  its  contents  were  consumed 
by  fire,  but  all  the  pupils  were  successfully  removed 
without  the  loss  of  life.  During  the  same  month,  be 
it  said  to  the  credit  of  him  who  was  at  the  head  of 


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■  )r^ ■ 

X^NOX  COUNTY. 


JU 


843 


4-^ 


the  institution,  the  school  reopened  in  Ansgari  Col- 
lege building,  to  which  an  annex  25x100  feel  had 
been  constructed  and  furnished  in  20  days.  The 
new  St.  Mary's  building  was  begun  in  May,  1883, 
and  in  October  of  that  year  the  school  reopened, 
thoroughly  equipped. 

St.  Mary's  School  is  known  throughout  the  entire 
country,  and  has  continued  to  receive  the  commend- 
ation of  the  bishops  and  clergy,  with  assurance  of 
approval  from  many  patrons  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.  The  school  now  numbers  125  pupils,  about 
100  of  whom  board  in  the  institution.  There  are  at 
this  writing  16  officers  and  teachers,  and  about  20 
domestics  employed.  The  business  of  the  school 
involves  the  expenditure  of  §40,000  annually. 

In  1879  Dr.  Leffingwell  became  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Living  Church,  a  weekly  religious  news- 
paper printed  at  Chicago,  and  the  organ  of  the  Prot- 
estant Episcopal  Church,  and  has  since  conducted 
that  paper  with  signal  success,  residing  the  while  at 
Knoxville.  The  pajjer  has  now  the  largest  circula- 
tion of  any  paper  in  the  Episcopal  Church. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Leffingwell  have  become  the  parents 
of  seven  children — Anna  and  Bertha,  who  died  in 
infancy,  and  Alice,  Warring,  Ernest,  Hortense  and 
Gertrude,  living. 

.   <x-K>   . 
"    coo   ' 

eorge  Ijoy,  foreman  of  the  car  blacksmith 
shops  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  of 
Galesburg,  was  born  near  Emmittsburg 
/K'  Frederick  Co.,  Me.,  Sept.  17,  1823.  His  par- 
ents were  George  and  Lxjuisa  (Shattuck)  Loy^ 
of  Maryland,  who  came  of  a  long  line  of  an- 
cestry in  that  State.  Mr.  Loy  is  descended  from  a 
family  of  artisans,  many  of  whom  are  well  known  in 
that  capacity  in  the  East.  He  completed  his  trade 
in  his  native  State,  and  ujXjn  attaining  the  age  of 
manhood,  he  went  West  and  located  at  Mount  Gil- 
ead,  Ohio,  where  for  seven  years  we  find  him  suc- 
cessfully occupied.  Again  he  was  attacked  with 
the  Western  fever,- and  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he 
spent  about  seven  years  at  Mount  Pleasant.  In 
1862  he  came  to  Galesburg,  and  after  working  for 
the  Frost  Manufacturing  Company  for  two  years, 
accepted  a  position  with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co., 
and  has  been  worthily  connected  wi'h  that  corpora- 
lion  since  that  time. 

George   Loy   formed   a   matrimonial    alliance   in 


Pennsylvania,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Miss 
Elizabeth  Plank.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Loy  liave  had  born 
to  them  a  son  and  two  daughters,  namely.  Levy 
Plank,  S.  Alice  R.  and  Amanda  A.  E.,  and  have 
buried  S.  Alice  R.  Mr.  Loy  and  family  attend  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  he  is  a  worthy  Mason  and 
Odd  Fellow. 


.dward  J.  Tyler,  too  young  a  man  in  years 
to  have  made  much  personal  history,  is  yet 
^1^^'  by  reason  of  his  enterprise  and  marked  in- 
dustry entitled  to  representation  in  these  pages. 
\  At  the  head  of  one  of  Galesburg 's  most  meri- 
j  torious  manufacturing  enterprises,  and  one  in- 
deed that  should  be  of  the  highest  interest  to  the 
people  of  Knox  County,  the  business  card  presented 
by  Mr.  Tyler  reads  briefly  as  follows  :  "  The  Gales- 
burg Plating  Works  manufactures  the  finest  quality 
of  quadruple-plated  flatware,  and  restores  old  and 
worn  plated  goods  to  the  semblance  and  worth  of 
new.  Factory,  29  North  Kellogg  street,  Galesburg, 
III." 

In  speakmg  of  the  factory,  the  Galesburg  Plain- 
dealer  says :  "  These  works  were  originally  estab- 
lished about  a  year  ago,  but  during  that  short  time 
have  rapidly  come  to  the  front  for  finely  executed 
and  satisfactory  work,  and  to-day  control  all  of  the 
trade  in  this  line  that  formerly  went  to  foreign  cities. 
These  works  are  thoroughly  equipped  for  all  branches 
of  work  in  this  line,  and  have  established  a  reputa- 
tion that  reflects  the  highest  credit  upon  the  pro- 
prietor. It  has  been  the  aim  of  Mr.  Tyler,  the  owner, 
to  turn  out  nothing  but  the  best  of  work,  such  as  he 
is  willing  to  have  his  name  follow  in  the  way  of  a 
guarantee.  He  has  never  catered  for  inferior  or  cheap 
work,  and  has  succeeded  in  establishing  a  trade  that 
is  bound  to  still  further  magnify  itself  in  the  future. 
He  makes  a  specialty  of  new  work,  the  latest  pat- 
terns of  flatware,  such  as  knives,  forks,  sixwns,  but- 
ter-knives and  sugar-shells,  which  he  sells  at  whole- 
sale prices.  And  all  work  is  fully  warranted. 
Ornaments  for  old  stoves  are  plated  to  look  like  new, 
while  the  same  may  be  said  of  old  tableware.  The 
nickel  plating  is  not  excelled  in  the  country,  and  is 
guaranteed  against  any  imperfections.  A  special 
feature  is  replating  old  band-  instruments,  in  which 
line  he  does  a  large  business.     He  does  all  kinds  of 


T^ 


^^4": 


844 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


=A 


jobwotk,  and  in  everything  makes  the  charges  rea- 
sonable and  guarantees  entire  satisfaction.  He  en- 
joys large  patronage  in  all  departments,  and  it  is  but 
a  merited  compliment  to  say  that  his  work  is  first- 
class  in  every  respect.  The  works  are  located  at 
No.  29  North  Kellogg  street,  are  run  by  steam  and 
are  supplied  with  all  the  modern  improvements  for 
conducting  the  business." 

In  addition  to  the  plating  works,  Mr.  Tyler  owns 
and  manages  one  of  the  largest  and  best  equipped 
barber  shops  in  Galesburg.  It  is  located  at  No.  36 
South  Prairie  street ;  lighted  by  electricity  and 
manned  by  a  force  of  artists  in  their  line. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  native  of  Kno.x 
County,  and  has  been  educated  at  the  public  schools 
at  Galesburg.  He  was  born  April  11,  1857;  left 
home  at  the  age  of  20,  learned  the  barber's  trade  in 
this  city,  and  in  1877  opened  a  shop  of  his  own.  In 
all  his  business  undertakings  Mr.  Tyler  has  been 
successful.  He  began  life  without  a  penny,  not  a 
cent  has  ever  been  given  him,  and  at  this  writing, 
though  only  a  few  years  have  elapsed,  he  finds  him- 
self fairly  on  the  road  to  a  competency.  He  owns 
some  fine  property  in  the  city,  carries  a  handsome 
bank  account,  and  is  rapidly  growing  into  financial 
independence.  Such  is  the  result  of  a  small  bus- 
iness properly  managed,  and  by  comparison,  if  Giles- 
burg  be  not  an  e.xception  to  the  rule,  probably  shows 
some  young  men  who  have  started  in  life  as  the  heads 
of  great  enterprises  and  backed  by  thousands  of 
capital  to  a  disadvantage.  Moral,  man  makes  the 
business,  not  business  the  man. 

One  of  the  commendable  features  of  rhe  life  of 
Mr.  Tyler,  and  one  that  any  young  man  might 
proudly  boast  of,  is  that  he  has  never  swallowed  a 
drop  of  intoxicating  liquor  or  used  tobacco  in  any 
form. 


llpySllfred  H.  Bliek,  Recorder  of  College  City 
t  Lodge,  No.  214,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  salesman 
in  the  noted  dry  goods  houseof  G.  A.  Mur- 
doch, Galesburg,  111.,  is  a  native  of  Stroud,  in 
the  county  of  Gloucestershire,  England.  He 
I  was  born  July  27,  1846,  and  came  to  America 
in  1869.  He  was  educated  in  England,  and  there 
served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  dry  goods  trade, 
something  unheard  of  in  this  country.  His  first  po- 
sition in  this  country  was  as  a  clerk  in  a  large  dry 


goods  house  on  Broadway,  New  York,  where  he  re- 
mained about  eight  months,  coming  thence  direct  to 
Galesburg,  he  having  made  arrangements  with  Mr. 
G.  A.  Murdoch,  as  salesman,  and  with  whom  he  has 
since  remained. 

In  1882,  at  the  organization  of  College  City  Lodge, 
No.  214,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  which  he  was  a  charter 
member,  he  was  chosen  their  Recorder,  which  posi- 
tion he  has  since  held. 

Mr.  A.  H.  Blick  was.married  on  Thanksgiving  Day, 
1872,  at  the  Episcopal  Church  in  this  city,  to  Miss 
Marion  Dick,  also  a  native  of  England,  and  their 
children  are  named  respectively  Alfred  James,  Ber- 
tha Elizabeth  and  Dick  Ernest  Blick. 


F.  Starr  was  born  at  Vestervik,  Sweden, 
.•\pril  10,  1838,  and  came  to  America  in 
^^^°^^  I S60,  landing  at  Galesburg  August  10  of  that 
J.j^  year.  His  parents  died  in  the  old  country 
lig^  when  he  was  but  a  child,  and  as  they  left  no 
1  fortune  he  was  dependent  thereafter  upon  hisV; 
own  efforts  for  a  livelihood.  The  common  schools 
of  Sweden  afforded  him  a  pretty  thorough  education 
in  his  native  language,  and  since  coming  to  America  < 
he  has  not  been  derelict  in  the  study  of  English. 

While  a  youth,  Mr.  Starr  learned  the  trade  of  a 
shoemaker,  and  it  may  truthfully  be  said  that  he 
has  since  "  stuck  to  his  last."  While  at  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  in  the  fall  of  1864,  he  enlisted  as  a  private 
soldier  in  Co.  C,  ist  Minn.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  served 
till  the  close  of  the  war.  From  first  to  last  he  was 
with  his  regiment  and  took  part  in  their  every 
service.  The  regiment  was  connected  with  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac  and  saw  much  of  the  terrible 
struggles  of  that  department.  At  the  close  of  the 
war  the  members  returned  to  St.  Paul,  were  mus- 
tered out,  and  Mr.  Starr  soon  afterward  came  to 
Galesburg  and  resumed  work  under  an  old  employer. 
Close  attention  to  business,  strict  sobriety  and  rea- 
sonable economy  have  with  Mr.  Starr,  as  with  all 
others  who  have  practiced  these  virtues,  brought 
their  reward. 

On  Oct.  24,  i860,  at  the  city  of  Galesburg,  Mr. 
Starr  was  married  to  Miss  Wilhelmina  Cedarholm, 
who  with  her  parents  came  to  America  in  the 
same  ship  that  brought  Mr.  Starr  first  to  our  shores. 


\ 


-t-- 


-(^ 


•     .  .V.  .~ 

KNOX  COUI^TY. 


845 


The  two  children  born  to  ihem  are  named  respect- 
ively Minnie  and  John  Frederick.  The  family  are 
consistent  members  of  the  Swedish  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  and  Mr.  S.  is  a  Select  Knight  in  the 
A.  O.  U.  W. 


.kapt.  Benjamin  F.  Holeomb,  Justice  of 
the  Peace.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
was  lx>rn  at  Westport,  N.  Y.,  July  24, 
21.  His  parents,  Dr.  Diodorous  and  Sylvia 
(Loveland)  Holcorab,  were  natives  of  the 
States  of  Vermont  and  New  York  respectively, 
and  of  English  and  Welsh  extraction.  They  reared 
to  man  and  womanhood  ten  sons  and  five  daughters, 
and  buried  two  infants.  Dr.  Holeomb  was  a  sur- 
geon in  the  War  of  1812-14,  and  practiced  his  pro- 
fession as  long  as  he  lived.  He  was  a  prominent 
member  of  the   Methodist  Church.     He  buried  his 

i  \  wife  in  1839,  at  the  age  of  about  50  years;  he  lived 
to  be  upward  of  80  years  of  age,  dying  in  Essex 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  i860. 

)►  B.  F.  Holeomb  was  educated  reasonably  well  at 
the  common  schools  and  academy  in  his  native  coun- 
ty, and  when  about  16  years  of  age  began  clerking 
in  a  store  at  Whitehall,  N.  Y.  He  subsequently 
learned  the  tailoring  trade.  In  1844  he  set  up  a 
merchant  tailoring  establishment  for  himself,  in 
Schroon,  N.  Y.  ;  in  1848  he  returned  to  his  native 
town  and  remained  until  1855,  at  which  time  he  came 
to  Galesburg,  where  he  was  employed  as  "  cutter  " 
for  the  succeeding  three  years.  In  the  spring  of 
1859  he  was  elected  City  Treasurer,  which  office  he 
resigned  in  July,  186  r,  to  enter  the  United  States 
Army.  September  isi,  of  that  year,  he  was  mus- 
tered in  as  Captain  of  Co.  K,  45ih  111.  Vol.  Inf , 
and  served  for  three  years  and  four  months.     Early 

I  in  July,  1862,  he  was  placed  by  detachment  as  an 
Aid-de-Camp  upon  Gen.  Logan's  staff,  from  which 
he  was  transferred,  in  the  fall  of  1863,  to  Gen. 
Leggett's  staff,  where  he  remained  until  he  left 
the  service.  Before  his  detachment  upon  staff 
duty  he  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fort  Henry, 
Fort  Donelson  and  Shiloh,  receiving  at  the  last 
named  engagement  a  gunshot  wound  in  his  right 
side,  which  removed  liim  from  duty  about  three 
months,  and  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered. 
Subsequently    he   took   part  in   the    battles  of  Port 


Gibson,  Raymond,  Jackson,  Champion  Hills,  Big 
Black,  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  Kenesaw  Mountain, 
Atlanta  and  Sherman's  march  to  the  sea.  Leaving 
the  service  at  the  close  of  the  war  at  Savannah, 
Ga.,  in  1865,  he  then  returned  to  Galesburg,  and  for 
16  consecutive  years  discharged  the  duties  of 
Constable,  three  years  of  the  time  filling  also  the 
office  of  Deputy  Sheriff.  In  :882  he  entered  into  a 
contract  with  the  authorities  for  furnishing  lights  and 
lamps  for  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  to  which  he  has 
since  devoted  much  of  his  time.  In  April,  1885,  the 
people  by  a  large  majority  placed  him  in  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  where  he  will  be  found,  proba- 
bly, in  the  spring  of  1889. 

May  14,  1844,  Mr.  Holeomb  was  married  in  Essex 
County,  N.  Y..10  Miss  Elizabeth  A.  Towner,  a  native 
of  St.  Johns,  Canada  East,  and  of  their  eight  chil- 
dren we  have  the  following  brief  memoranda :  Wat- 
son T.  is  an  ornamental  and  landscape  painter,  at 
Dillon,  Mon.;  Theodore  C.  is  a  ranch-owner  in 
Kingman  County,  Kan. ;  Edwin  P.  is  a  fanner  in 
Rice  County,  Kan. ;  Arthur  B.  is  a  locomotive  fire- 
man on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.;  Ella  A.  is  the  widow 
of  Mr.  C.  C.  Converse;  Frances  I.,  Mrs.  Eugene  S. 
Regnier;  Libbie  M.,  Mrs.  L  A.  Greenwood,  of 
Galesburg,  111.,  and  Hattie  P.,  Mrs.  L.  G.  Mair,  of 
Kingman  County,  Kan. 

Capt.  Holeomb  is  a  member  of  the  G.  .A.  R.,  and 
politically  votes  with  the  Republican  party. 


^ -^1^- 


-ES- 


avid  Spenee,  Superintendent  of  the  foun- 

,„    dry  department  of  the  G.  W.  Brown  &  Co. 

"     Corn-Planter    Works,   at   Galesburg,    was 

y.f      born  at  Moncton,  New  Brunswick,  Jan.   8, 

Ti         1844,  and  was  one  of  the  nine  children  (six 

}  sons    and    three   daughters)    of   James    and 

Catherine  Spenee,  also  natives  of  New  Brunswick. 

Our  subject  learned  the  trade  of  a  molder  in  his 
native  place,  and  from  1862  to  1864  was  employed 
in  some  of  the  largest  foundries  in  Boston.  Before 
aceepring  his  present  position,  which  he  did  April  15, 
1882,  he  was  one  year  Superintendent  of  the  Metro- 
politan Railway  Shops;  one  year  Superintendent  of 
the  Sturdevant  Blower  Works  foundry ;  one  year 
Superintendent  of  the  New  England  Glass  Burial 
Case  Company,  of  Thompson ville,  Conn. ;  ten  years 
Superintendent  of  the  .Amherst  (Nova  Scotia)  Stove 


^^ 


A 


846 


KA'^OX  CO  UN  TV. 


and  Machine  Works;  and  from  1876  to  1880,  in- 
clusive, was  proprietor  and  manager  of  the  D.  Spence 
&  Co.  Stove  and  Machine  Works,  Annapolis,  Nova 
Scotia. 

Mr.  Spence  was  married  at  Chelsea,  Mass.,  Dec. 
24,  1863,  to  Miss  Margaret  Jost,  a  native  of  Nova 
Scotia,  and  daughter  of  Rev.  J.  V.  Jost,  native  of 
Nova  Scotia,  pastor  of  the  Wesleyan  Methodist 
Church.  His  eldest  son,  D.  Waller  Spence,  at  this 
writing  (January,  1886)  is  attending  Jefferson  Med- 
ical College,  Philadelphia,  and  has  for  the  past  two 
years  been  an  officer  of  the  McLean  Insane  Asylum, 
Somerville,  Mass.  His  daughter,  Florence  E.,  is  at- 
tending college  at  Galesburg.  Mr.  Spence  is  a 
member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  holds  an 
official  position  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Good 
Templars. 

j^'ohn  M.  Sipes.  There  are  many  success- 
ful and  well-to-do  farmers  in  Knox  County, 
and  the  township  of  Lynn  certainly  has  its 
quota.  Prominent  among  those  who  have  ob- 
tained success  in  life  through  their  own  energy 
and  perseverance  is  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
residing  on  section  2,  Lynn  Township,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  his  chosen  vocation,  together  with  that 
of  the  raising  of  stock,  giving  special  attention  to 
Holstein  cattle  and  a  high  grade  of  swine.  Mr. 
Sipes  came  to  this  county  in  1862,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  a  resident  of  Lynn  Township.  He 
owns  a  good  farm  of  130  acres,  on  which  he  has 
good  improvements,  and  his  land  is  under  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  cultivation. 

John  M.  Sipes  was  born  in  Fulton  Co.,  Pa.,  Jan. 
31,  1840.  His  father,  John  Sipes,  was  a  farmer  by 
vocation,  and  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  of  German 
ancestry.  In  Bedford  County,  that  State,  her  native 
place,  the  father  of  our  subject  married  Mary 
Barton.  After  the  father's  marriage,  he  was,  for 
some  years,  engaged  in  farming  in  Bedford  County, 
and  while  a  resident  there  was  elected  three  terms 
to  represent  the  people  of  that  county  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  considerable 
ability,  and  possessed  the  happy  faculty  of  making 
and  retaining  friends  wherever  he  resided.  He  was 
a  strong  Democrat,  and  was  an  active  worker  for  the 
success  of  that  party  until   his  death.     He   was  a 


member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He 
came  to  this  county  in  1857,  but  located  over  the 
line,  at  Galva,  in  close  proximity  to  which  place  the 
father  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits,  and  died  on 
his  fine  homestead  Jan.  14,  1881,  aged  82  years. 
The  mother  still  survives,  and  is  living  with  the  sub- 
ject of  this  notice.  She  has  attained  the  venerable 
age  of  88  years,  and  is  stouter  and  more  healthy 
than  many  of  her  sex  at  40. 

Mr.  Sipes  was  17  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
came  to  this  State,  and  had  received  his  education 
in  the  common  schools  prior  to  that  time.  He  lived 
with  his  parents  in  this  county  until  his  marriage, 
which  took  place  in  Henry  County,  Dec.  20,  1876, 
Miss  Emma  A.  Hayward  becoming  his  wife.  She 
was  born  in  Lawrence  County,  Ohio,  Sept.  11,  1852 
and  was  a  daughter  of  O.  G.  and  M.  Hayward, 
natives  of  Ohio.  Her  parents  were  married  in  that 
State  and  came  to  Illinois  about  1855,  settling  in 
Victoria  Township,  this  county.  Later  they  moved 
to  Walnut  Grove  Township,  and  still  later  to  Henry  ' 
County.  They  now  reside  in  Newton,  Harvey  Co., 
Kan.  Mrs.  Sipes  received  a  good  education  in  her 
early  years,  and  at  the  age  of  22  began  the  pro- 
fession of  teaching,  which  she  followed  until  her 
marriage.  She  has  borne  her  husband  four  children, 
one  of  whom  is  deceased.  The  record  is  as  follows: 
John  H.,  William  F.,  Mary  O.,  and  Charlie,  de- 
ceased. Both  heads  of  the  family  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr.  Sipes  is 
School  Trustee  of  his  township,  and  in  politics  a 
Democrat. 

#^ — 


§:  eter  Erickson,  a  first-class  locomotive  en- 
gineer of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  lives  in 
(Vfir'i^  Galesburg.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  Nov. 
13,  1839,  and  with  his  parents,  Erick  and 
Annie  (Peterson)  Erickson,  came  to  America 
in  1854.  The  father  of  Mr.  Erickson  was  a 
hard-working  farmer,  and  after  coming  to  this  coun- 
try made  a  nice  home  for  his  family,  consisting  of 
four  sons  and  thiee  daughters. 

Peter  was  on  the  farm  until  17  years  of  age,  when 
he  began  to  work  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  as  an 
engine-wiper.  At  the  end  of  three  months  he  went 
to  firing,  and  at  the  expiration  of  three  years  he  was 
placed  in  chaige  of  an  engine.     He   made  his  first 


*t 


OF  THE 

l::!versity  of  illiv-i 


--^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


849 


run  as  engineer  in  1S61,  and  since  July  of  that  year 
has  pulled  nothing  but  passenger  trains.  He  has 
had  but  three  accidents  and  never  killed  a  pas- 
senger. 

Twenty-eight  miles  west  of  Ottumwa,  Iowa,  in 
the  summer  of  t869,  his  engine,  with  himself  and 
fireman,  fell  through  Coal  Creek  bridge,  a  distance 
of  28  feet,  and  into  a  seething  flood  that  completely 
submerged  the  locomotive,  carrying  the  brave  en- 
gineer to  the  bottom,  where  he  remained  he  never 
knew  how  long.  When  he  recognized  himself  he  was 
clinging  to  a  willow,  with  nothing  upon  his  person 
except  his  boots,  one  shirt-sleeve  and  his  vest.  At 
this  writing  (July,  1886)  Mr.  Erickson  is  pulling  the 
celebrated  fast  mail,  every  alternate  day,  between 
Galesburg  and  Ottumwa,  running  about  3,000  miles 
per  month. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers,  a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and,  with  his  family, 
belongs  to  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  was  married 
Nov.  II,  1865,  to  Miss  Ella  Swanson,  at  Galesburg, 
and  their  living  children  are  Anna  Elnora,  Hattie 
Olivia,  Lillie  Esther.  Fannie  E.  died  at  the  age  of 
one  year  and  a  half,  and  Arthur  T.  at  the  age  of 
eight  years. 


en.  Philip  Sidney  Post,  whose  portrait  we 
give  on  the  op[X)site  page,  is  a  native  of 
Orange  County,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born  March 
19,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  Gen.  Peter  Schuyler 
Post,  a  soldier  of  18 12.  His  mother,  before 
marriage,  was  Mary  Coe,  and  like  his  father 
was  a  native  of  New  York  State.  The  Posts  came 
from  Holland  originally  and  the  Coes  from  England. 
The  senior  Gen.  Post  was  a  farmer  by  occupation. 
He  married  Miss  Coe  in  Rockland  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1820,  and  of  the  two  sons  born  to  them  Philip  Sid- 
ney was  the  younger.  The  family  came  to  Gales- 
burg in  1854,  and  here  the  father  died  in  1861.  His 
mother  is  yet  living,  at  the  age  of  86  years,  and  re- 
sides with  her  son. 

The  youth  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  spent 
at  school,  and  he  graduated  with  honors  from  Union 
College,  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  in  the  Class  of  1855. 
He  afterward^  was  a  student  at  the  Poughkeepsic 
(N.  Y.)  Law  School.  He  subsequently  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  at  Wyandotte,  Kan.  At  the 


ir 


3fc^ 


outbreak  of  the  war  he  came  to  Galesburg,  entered 
the  service  of  the  United  States,  and  became  Second 
Lieutenant  of  Co.  A,  59th  111.  Vol.  Inf.  From  Second 
Lieutenant  he  was  promoted  to  First  Lieutenant  and 
Adjutant,  then  to  Major,  Colonel  and  finally  to  Briga- 
dier-General, in  wliich  capacity  his  name  is  linked 
and  identified  with  the  history  of  our  country,  and  will 
go  down  to  posterity  immortalized  in  the  printed 
pages  detailing  the  incidents  of  the  great  American 
conflict. 

Wiiile  in  the  service  he  participated  in  many  of 
the  hardest-fought  battles  in  the  South  and  South- 
west. He  was  at  Pea  Ridge,  Perryville,  Stone 
River,  Nolensville,  the  TuUahoma  campaign,  Chick- 
amauga,  the  Atlanta  campaign  and  many  other 
minor  engagements  not  designated  in  history  as  reg- 
ular battles.  At  Lovejoy  Station,  the  last  battle  in 
the  Atlanta  campaign.  Gen.  Post  had  charge  of  a 
division,  which  he  handled  so  skillfully  as  to  earn  for 
himself  honorable  mention.  After  reco  ering  from 
the  wound  received  at  Nashville  he  was  stationed  at 
San  Antonio,  Texas,  where  he  had  command  of  16 
regiments  of  infantry.  He  left  the  military  service  in 
February,  1866. 

Immediately  after  the  terrible  battle  of  Nashville 
Gen.  George  H.  Thomas  filed  at  the  War  Deparment 
a  special  report  earnestly  recommending  Gen.  Post's 
appointment  as  Colonel  of  the  regular  army.  He 
said : 

"  Gen.  Post  is  an  active,  energetic  and   intelligent 
officer,  and  his  bravery  in  battle  is  beyond  question 
His   capability  and    efficiency   as    a   commander  of 
troops  has  been  fully  demonstrated." 

In  a  similar  report  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of 
War  by  his  corps  commander,  Gen.  Post's  military 
record  is  thus  reviewed  : 

"  I  most  respectfully  and  earnestly  recommend 
Brig.  Gen.  Philip  Sidney  Post  as  Colonel  in 
the  regular  army  of  the  United  States.  Gen.  Post 
entered  the  army  as  a  Second  Lieutenant,  but  soon 
rose  by  his  superior  merits  to  Major.  He  commanded 
his  regiment  in  the  obstinately  fought  battle  of  Pea 
Ridge  and  was  severely  wounded.  Shortly  after  that 
battle  he  was  promoted  Colonel  of  his  regiment.  Re- 
turning to  the  field,  even  before  his  wound  was  re- 
covered, he  rejoined  his  regiment  in  front  of  Corinth 
and  was  placed  in  command  of  a  brigade.  From  that 
time  to  the  end  of  the  war  Gen.  Post's  career  was  an 
unbroken  terra  of  arduous  service,  useful  labor  and 


--♦ 


■A 


850 


/S^JV^OX  COUNTY. 


brilliant  actions.  He  participated  honorably  in  some 
of  the  most  obstinately  contested  battles  and  glorious 
victories  of  the  war.  In  the  great  battle  and  decisive 
triumph  of  Nashville,  Gen.  Post's  brigade  did  more 
hard  fighting  and  rendered  more  important  service 
than  any  like  organization  in  the  army.  In  the 
grandest  and  most  vigorous  assault  that  was  made 
on  the  enemy's  intrenchments,  near  the  close  of  the 
fighting  on  the  second  day,  Gen.  Post  fell,  and,  as  it 
was  at  first  supposed,  mortally  wounded,  at  the 
head  of  his  brigade,  leading  it  to  the  onslaught.  A 
discharge  of  grape  instantly  killed  his  horse  under 
him  and  tore  away  a  portion  of  his  left  hip.  I  know 
of  no  officer  of  Gen.  Post's  grade  who  has  made  a 
better  or  more  brilliant  record." 

On  the  re-organization  of  the  army  the  Secretary 
of  War  informed  Gen.  Post  of  these  recommendations 
and  that  they  were  favorably  considered,  but  as  peace 
was  then  established  he  decided  not  to  remain  in  the 
military  service. 

Immediately  after  leaving  the  army  Gen.  Post  was 
appointed  to  the  foreign  service.  The  following  let- 
ter from  the  Department  of  State  fully  explains  the 
character  and  nature  of  that  service,  and  the  reputa- 
tion made  therein  during  a  period  of  over  13  years : 
"Dep.\rt.ment  of  State,  I 

Washington',  March  19,  1881.   j 

"Gen.  Philip  S.  Post,  Galesburg,  111. — Sir:  Your 
letter  of  the  17th  inst.,  requesting  a  brief  statement 
respecting  your  reputation  and  standing  as  an  officer 
in  the  consular  service,  has  been  received.  In  reply 
I  have  to  say  that  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  com- 
ply with  the  request.  It  appears  from  the  records  of 
the  Department  that  you  entered  the  consular  service 
in  1866  as  Consul  at  Vienna;  that  you  were  pro- 
moted for  your  ability  and  fidelity  to  be  Consul-Gen- 
eral at  that  place  in  1874,  and  that  you  retired  from 
the  service  by  resignation,  in  1879.  An  examination 
discloses  that  many  important  duties,  in  addition  to 
the  more  formal  business  of  your  office,  were  en- 
trusted to  you  during  your  long  connection  with  the 
Department,  and  they  were  performed  in  a  manner 
that  commanded  its  approval  and  commendation. 
Your  reputation  in  the  service  and  your  character  as 
a  representative  of  the  Gover.iment  were  known  to 
the  Department  and  in  the  service,  and  to  the  high 
opinion  entertained  of  your  standing  by  my  prede- 
cessor and  the  officers  of  the  Department  may  be 
added  the  testimony  of  your  colleagues  and  my  own 


personal  and  official  acquaintance  with  the  reputation 
which  distinguished  your  career  abroad.  It  was  a 
subject  of  much  regret  that  circumstances  compelled 
your  resignation,  but  in  your  retirement  from  the 
service  you  carried  with  you  the  regard  and  esteem 
of  the  Department,  and  the  character  of  an  intelli- 
gent, capable  and  trusted  officer  of  the  Government. 

"I  am,  General,  your  obedient  servant, 

"John  Hay, 
"Assistant  Secretary." 

Gen.  Post  returned  to  Galesburg  in  1880,  and  since 
1883  has  been  engaged  in  real  estate.  He  was  promi- 
nently mentioned  among  the  contestants  for  nomina- 
tion to  congressional  honors,  in  1884. 

At  no  time  in  his  life  could  it  truthfully  be  said 
that  Gen.  Post  has  been  a  politician,  a  wire -worker 
or  a  time-server.  When  the  people  of  the  district 
shall  come  to  think  that  the  army  record  and  civil 
life  of  Gen.  Post  warrant  his  election  as  their  serv- 
ant in  any  public  trust  commensurate  with  his 
abilities,  then,  and  not  till  then,  may  it  be  said 
that  he  is  a  candidate  for  office.  Gen.  Post  has 
accumulated  in  his  life  no  pecuniary  fortune.  As 
Colonel  and  brigade  commander,  and  as  foreign 
representative,  he  received  no  such  salary  as  would 
enable  him  to  store  up  wealth.  Instead  of  making 
money  his  army  life  naturally  produced  a  contrary 
result.  Though  contrary  to  our  rule,  forbidding  con- 
clusions in  reference  to  living  men  in  biography,  the 
writer  knows  that  he  can  truthfully  say  that  Gen. 
Post  is  a  scholar  of  rare  attainments,  and  at  all 
times  and  under  all  circumstances  a  gentleman. 
Sometime  in  1878,  a  prominent  Southerner,  trans- 
mitting some  papers  to  Gen.  Post,  from  Kentucky, 
took  occasion  to  say  in  his  letter,  among  other  things  : 
"  In  the  hour  spent  at  my  house,  as  Buell's  army 
was  passing,  in  the  fall  of  1862,  you  taught  me  by 
your  gentlemanly  bearing  and  general  discourse  to 
lay  aside  my  sectional  aspersions  for  the  time,  and 
do  homage  to  the  high  personal  attributes  and  lib- 
eral sentiments  so  signally  manifested  by  you  on  that 
occasion." 

A  Chicago  Times  editorial,  of  March  28,  1874,  is 
here  reproduced  in  further  corroboration  of  the  fore- 
going conclusions  of  the  writer  : 

"The  American  Consul  at  Vienna  is  an  impetuous 
son  of  Illinois,  of  more  service  to  the  country  in  a 
month  than  many  in  a  year.  Free  from  humbuggery 
and  devoid  of  the  nonsense  of  affectation,  he  has  a 


1^ 


<i£-^>- 


fci 


i 


. .  <- . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


851 


cheery  greeting  alike  for  the  traveling  millionaire  and 
the  penniless  sailor." 

Gen.  Post  takes  no  stock  in  shams.  He  believed 
in  fighting  the  battles  for  the  Union  while  there  was 
an  armed  foe,  and  with  "  the  fury  of  the  non-com- 
batants," of  whom  the  late  Gen.  Grant  spoke  as  hav- 
ing gone  into  the  fight  too  long  after  the  war  was 
over,  he  has  but  little  sympathy.  He  is  a  plain, 
ever^'day  sort  of  a  man,  with  many  original  ideas, 
which  he  always  expresses  elegantly,  but,  like  Dick- 
ens, in  a  language  that  all  can  comprehend. 

As  a  public  speaker  he  ranks  high,  his  language 
being  choice  and  elegant,  logic  clear  and  forcible  and 
his  manner  pleasing,  and  the  deep  conviction  he 
has  of  the  sentiments  uttered  carries  with  him  the 
feelings  and  sentiments  of  his  hearers.  Had  we  the 
space  we  could  make  many  choice  literary  selections 
from  his  speeches.  He  has  been  the  distinguished 
orator  at  many  noted  gatherings  and  always  wins 
great  favor  and  applause. 

Gen.  Post  is  a  married  man.  He  married,  May  24, 
1866,  Miss  Cornelia  A.  Post,  daughter  of  Hon.  Wm. 
.  T.  Post,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.  Their  children  are  Har- 
'.  riette  H.,  Philip  Sidney  and  Wm.  Schuyler.  He 
attends  the  Episcopal  Church,  is  Knight  Templar  in 
Masonrj',  meraber-at-large  of  the  Republican  State 
Central  Committee,  and  Commander  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Illinois,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 


•<««22>®^-— ^^^^^^4— ^^SXZOTV 


|!t_  W.  Lindquist  came  to  Galesburg  direct 
from  Christianstadt,  Sweden,  in  1869,  and 
has  here  since  followed  his  trade,  that  of  a 
blacksmith,  which  he  learned  in  his  native 
country.  He  was  born  Oct.  10,  1843.  His 
mother  came  with  him  to  America,  and  is  liv- 
ing here  at  this  writing  (January,  1886).  The  Lind- 
quists,  that  is,  the  immediate  family  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  are  now  and  have  been  for  genera- 
tions remarkable  for  their  physical  proportions.  J. 
W.  is  himself  a  Hercules;  his  father  was  of  ordinary 
size;  his  brothers  are  powerful  men,  and  his  grand- 
father, who  by  the  Swedish  system  of  naming  was 
known  as  Swan  Jos,  was  about  seven  feet  tall,  broad 
and  muscular  in  prop<ntion  ;  he  could  span  17  inches 


*r 


with  thumb  and  finger  of  one  hand,  and  lived  to  at- 
tain the  age  of  98  years. 

Coming  first  to  Galesburg,  J.  W.  Lindquist  sought 
employment  with  Frost  &  Co.,  and  was  with  the  firm 
for  ten  years  in  charge  of  a  blacksmith  department. 
In  1879  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Norine, 
where  he  is  a  present  "hammering  iron  into  gold." 
He  was  married  at  Galesburg  June  6,  1879,  to  Miss 
Ella  Bergland,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  they  have 
one  child — Lillie  Estella.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


-f3 


A     A 


T~"r 


«- 


|,- »M^  eorge  W.  Mead.     Among  the  prominent 
:jk^^i    and  influential    farmers  of  Knox  County 
"Si^S"        is  the  subject  of  this  brief  biography,  who 
^     is  known   as  being  active  and  enterprising  in 
t       his   particular  line  of  business.     By  industry 
1       and  energy,  coupled   with  a  determination  to 
succeed,  he  has  from   a   verj'  small  beginning  en- 
larged and  added  to  his  possessions  until  to-day  he 
may  be  rated  among   the  best  men  of  the  country. 
He  is  an  accurate   and  able  financier  and  has  the 
ability  to  execute  whatever  he  begins. 

Mr.  Mead  came  to  Knox  County  in  February, 
r862,  from  Mercer  County,  111.,  where  he  settled  in 
Rio  Township,  after  first  purchasing  80  acres  of  land. 
Here  he  began  his  work  by  the  erection  of  substan- 
tial farm  buildings,  commodious,  neat  and  attractive. 
He  successfully  cultivated  and  improved  his  land, 
and  is  to-day  the  owner  of  135. acres,  most  of  which 
is  tillable  and  productive.  He  now  reaps  the  benefit 
of  Iwunteous  crops,  and  is  known  as  one  of  the  best 
and  most  substantial  men  in  the  county. 

The  subject  of  our  narrative  was  born  in  Chau- 
tauqua County,  N.  Y.,  July  20,  1830,  and  lived  in 
that  State  until  he  attained  the  age  of  13  years.  He 
then  went  into  Pennsylvania,  and  remained  four 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  removed  to  Ohio, 
where  lie  spent  three  years,  and  in  1854  came  to 
Warren  County,  111.  Two  years  later  he  removed 
to  Mercer  County,  where  he  tarried  for  a  short  inter- 
val and  finally  came   to  Knox  County. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Alvira, 
daughter  of  Aaron  and  Hannah  (Davis)  Proctor, 
natives   of   New   Hampshire.     Their  nuptials  were 


4^ 


-H: 


J 


(i 


-t4 


852 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


celebrated  in  Geauga  County,  Ohio,  in  1853.  Mrs. 
Mead  was  born  in  Weare,  N.  H.,  May  3,  1829,  and 
is  the  mother  of  six  children,  as  follows:  Eugene, 
Willis,  Homer,  Franklin,  Ella  and  Loren.  Eugene 
and  Willis  are  deceased.  Mr.  Mead  is  actively  in- 
terested in  local  and  public  affairs  and  fills  many  of 
the  minor  oflSces.  He  has  been.  Director  in  the 
school  district  for  some  time  ;  he  takes  part  in  pol- 
itical debates  and  is  a  Republican  in  sentiment  and 
vote. 


i^tephen  Osborn,  whose  parents  were  fore- 
most in  the  ranks  of  those  brave  pioneers 
\Vi  who  many  years  ago  came  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  by  dint  of  their  strong  will  and  per- 
severing industry,  coupled  with  uprightness  of 
purpose,  began  the  work  of  improvement  and 
caused  the  silence  to  be  broken  by  the  sound  of  the 
hammer  and  the  ax,  is  distinguished  as  being  the 
I  first  white  male  child  born  in  Knox  County.  He 
I  has  therefore  been  identified  with  its  progress,  and 
•president  in  its  now  busy  midst,  and  can  look  back 
[1  as  he  remembers  the  old,  quiet  days,  and  see  the 
II  changes  that  civilization  has  made. 
j  I  Mr.  Osborn  was  born  at  Henderson  Grove,  Aug. 
,-  9,  1830.  His  father,  Alexander  Osborn,  was  reared 
in  Indiana,  where  his  parents  were  early  settlers. 
The  date  of  his  birth  was  April  25,  1802,  and  at  the 
age  of  27  his  second  marriage  occurred,  he  being 
united  to  Miss  Ann  Hendricks,  in  the  year  1829, 
and  he  soon  aftervvard  came  to  Knox  County.  The 
journey  was  made  overland,  and  reaching  his  desti- 
nation they  first  located  at  Henderson  Grove,  where 
he  lived  a  short  time,  then  removed  to  Knox  Town- 
ship, and  bought  a  farm  near  the  city.  He  lived  on 
this  for  a  short  time  and  then  removed  to  the  north 
part  of  the  township  and  purchased  a  tract  of  unim- 
proved land,  and  after  cultivating  it  sold  out  and  re- 
moved to  Sparta  Township.  There  he  bought  a 
farm,  which  after  a  few  years  he  also  sold,  and  went 
to  the  village  of  Wataga  and  bought  property  and 
lived  until  1879.  Again  disposing  of  his  property, 
he  removed  to  Frankfort,  Kan.,  where  his  friends 
celebrated  their  soth  wedding  anniversary  and 
where  his  wife  died  in  the  fall  of  1879,  and  four 
months  later  he  followed  her.  His  second  matrimo- 
nial alliance  was  blest  by  the  birth  of  seven  children. 


There  are  two  children  living  of  the  first  marriage — 
Elizabeth,  widow  of  William  Collins,  who  lives  in 
Kansas,  and  E.  Jane,  widow  of  George  Pitman,  who 
lives  in  Lyons,  Kan.  The  children  of  the  second 
marriage  are  as  follows:  Stephen,  our  subject;  Do- 
rinda,  wife  of  Samuel  Vangilder,  who  lives  in  Kan- 
sas; Robert  K.,who  lives  in  Marshall  County,  Kan.; 
Lucinda,  wife  of  Martin  Key,  now  deceased ;  An- 
drew J.,  who  lives  in  Knox  County;  Thomas,  who 
lives  in  Union  County,  Iowa,  and  William,  who  is  at 
present  City  Marshal  of  Girard,  Kan. 

Stephen  Osborn,  of  whom  we  write,  was  reared  in 
his  native  county,  and  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
He  was  married  April  27,1851,  to  Elizabeth  Van- 
gilder, who  was  born  in  Indiana  and  is  the  daughter 
of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Stephenson)  Vangilder. 
They  have  five  children  living — Alexander,  who  re- 
sides in  Orion,  Henry  County;  Ella,  wife  of  W.  W. 
Thompson,  whose  home  is  in  Dallas  County,  Iowa  ; 
Samuel,  Edward  and  George  W.  Anna  died  April 
15,  1886,  aged  twelve  years  and  eight  months. 

Mr.  Osborn  has  lived  in  Knox  County,  with  the 
exception  of  ten  years  spent  in  Mercer  and  Henry 
Counties,  all  his  life.  He  bought  the  place  he  now  ^ 
owns  in  T882,  and  it  is  situated  on  section  3,  in 
Knox  Township.  He  is  at  present  engaged  with 
his  son,  Edward,  in  man's  original  calling,  that  of 
gardening  and  fruit-raising,  and  they  maintain  the 
reputation  of  furnishing  as  fine  fruit  and  plants  as 
can  be  obtained  anywhere.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Os- 
born are  hospitable  and  popular  neighbors  and 
friends,  and  good  cheer  is  found  around  their  pleas- 
ant hearthstone.  They  are  members  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church,  and  show  forth  in  their  daily 
lives  the  gentle  attributes  of  a  noble  religion,  as  ex- 
hibited in  the  life  of  Christ  Jesus. 

obert  Thompson,  of  Galesburg  Township, 
_  is    a   farmer,  residing  on  Section  4.     He 

i^"&{^  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  Eng.,  on  the  23d 
of  September,  18 19,  and  came  to  Canada  in 
1845,  where  he  remained  until  1872,  when  he 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  and  took  up 
his  residence  in  Knox  County.  Purchasing  160  acres 
of  good  land  in  Henderson  Township,  he  lived  there 
until  1882  and  then  came  to  his  present  residence  on 


^ 


i 


-^ 


JTNOX  COUNTY. 


8S.S 


the  section  already  named,  and  resolved  to  devote 
most  of  his  time  to  farming. 

He  is  the  son  of  George  Thompson,  of  Durham, 
Eng.,who  was  born  in  1773,  and  died  Sept.  20,  1854, 
near  London,  in  Canada.  He  married  a  Miss  Alice 
Dunn,  a  native  of  Yorkshire,  Eng.,  who  died  in  1870, 
leaving  eight  children,  viz.:  John,  George,  William, 
Robert,  James,  Margaret,  Thomas  and  Jane. 

Mr.  Robert  Thompson  married  Miss  Theresa  Lee, 
on  the  25th  of  December,  1847.  The  ceremony 
took  place  in  Canada  and  the  marriage  has  proved  a 
happy  one.  She  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  Jan.  14, 
1825,  and  her  parents  were  Paul  and  Ann  (Earner) 
Lee,  both  natives  of  Yorkshire,  Eng.,  where  he  was 
born  in  1794.  His  demise  took  place  in  1S64.  Her 
birth  was  in  1802  and  her  death  in  the  month  of  No- 
veiuber,  1866.  There  were  seven  children  by  the 
marriage,  viz.:  George,  Mathias,  Theresa,  James, 
John,  Joseph  and  Ann. 

Robert  Thompson  and  his  wife  have  an  interest- 
ing family  of  six  children — George  \V.,  John  G., 
Roben  P.,  Joseph  T.,  Albert  and  Mary.  Our  sub- 
ject is  at  present  engaged  and  deeply  interested  in 
breeding  fine  stock.  He  has  320  acres  of  land,  and 
his  dwelling,  a  two-story  building,  is  nicely  located 
and  homelike  in  every  respect.  His  horses  are  of 
the  Clydesdale  stock  and  among  them  he  has  a  num- 
ber of  first-class  animals. 

Mr.  Thompson  and  family  are  highly  respected 
members  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics  Mr. 
Thompson  is  a  consistent  Democrat  and  keeps  him- 
self well  posted  in  all  measures  affecting  public  in- 
terest. He  deservedly  bears  a  high  reputation 
among  his  numerous  friends  and  neighbors,  whose 
respect  for  him  is  only  equaled  by  their  affection. 

A  fine  lithographic  view  of  Mr.  Thompson's  home 
place  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work. 

^i'itignstus  E.  Remier,  of  the  firm  of  Remier 
,«^J(  '^  Linberg,  manufacturers  of  wagons  and 
ll^  '^^"'^g^^'  '°S  South  Prairie  street.  Gales - 
A)a  burg,  was  born  in  France,  Sept.  28,  1828  He 
K  came  to  America  with  his  parents,  Peter  and 
1  Catherine  (Glatt)  Remier,  in  the  year  1832. 
The  family  resided  for  several  years  at  Utica,  X. 
Y.,   where   the  senior   Mr.  R.,  who  was   a   farmer, 


died  at  the  age  of  62  years,  in  the  year  i86i.  They 
reared  seven  sons  and  three  daughters, Augustus  be- 
ing the  eldest. 

Our  subject  acquired  a  common-school  education 
and  learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade  while  a  boy, 
and  followed  it  about  si.\  years.  He  then  left  Utica 
and  at  another  city  manufactured  piano  cases  for  ten 
years  ;  returning  thsn  to  his  old  home,  he  worked  for 
five  years  at  wagon  and  carriage  making,  and  in  1865 
came  to  Galesburg  and  engaged  in  his  present  bus- 
iness. Mr.  Remier  was  married  at  Fort  Plain,  N. 
Y.,  in  1852,  to  Miss  Martha  Rickurd,  a  native  of  that 
place,  and  their  children  are  Charles,  a  carriage 
trimmer,  at  Peoria;  William,  machinist  at  the  C.,B. 
&  Q.  shops  at  Galesburg;  Daisy  (Mrs.  Joe  Simcos- 
key)  and  Lizzie,  deceased  in  October,  1882. 

Mr.  Remier  and  his  partner  deservedly  stand  at 
the  head  of  the  wagon  and  carriage  making  and  re- 
pairing business  at  Galesburg.  (See  biography  of 
Mr.  Linberg  in  this  volume.) 

— ^>>- ■•o*«—®^X'1@-<>*<' S^— 

^/■a;9,apt.  James  L.  Burkhalter,  President 
tji^^^  of  the  Farmers'  Bank  of  Galesburg,  and 
\)%P  "*■  Treasurer  of  Knox  County,  is  the  son  of  , 
David  and  Marion  (Marks)  Burkhalter.  He 
was  born  in  AUentown,  Pa.,  April  rs,  1835, 
and  was  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  seven  sons 
and  four  daughters.  His  parents  were  of  German 
descent  and  in  their  home  spoke  only  the  language 
of  their  ancestry,  so  their  children  learned  no  En- 
glish until  they  were  old  enough  to  attend  school. 
The  names  of  the  brothers  and  sisters  were  Henry 
P.,  Savina,  David  F.,  Susan  E.,  William,  Mary  A., 
Wayne,  John,  Anna  E.  and  Charles  AL  Henry  P. 
and  Wayne  are  deceased ;  Susan  E.  became  the  wife 
of  William  Smythe  and  they  have  one  son — William 
B. ;  William  married  Miss  Clara  Beard,  and  they 
are  the  parents  of  three  children  ;  John  married  Miss 
Anna  Carkhuff.  The  balance  of  the  children  reside 
on  the  old  homestead. 

James  L.  Burkhalter  was  educated  at  the  Saegers- 
town  Academy,  taught  school  a  short  time  and 
studied  law  with  a  view  to  professional  life.  From 
some  cause,  however,  he  abandoned  this  idea  and 
went  to  Meadville,  Pa.,  and  there  worked  at  the  car- 
penter's trade  until  he   was  21  years  of  age.     He 


^ 


-"-5* 


A 


HH- 


854 


jirj\rox  COUNTY. 


landed  at  Galesburg  in  April,  1856,  where  he  prose- 
cuted his  trade  until  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 
After  visiting  various  places  he  settled  down  at  Ma- 
quon,  and  July  18,  1862,  he  received  a  commission 
from  Gov.  Yates,  authorizing  him  to  raise  a  company 
of  volunteers.  As  recruiting  officer,  he  raised  Co. 
F  for  the  86th  111.  Vol.  Inf  and  Co.  G  for  the  83d 
111.  Vol.  Inf  In  camp  at  Peoria,  Aug.  27,  1862,  he 
was  placed  in  command  of  Co.  F,  86th  Reg., 
and  served  his  country  faithfully  and  well  until  June, 
1865.  He  was  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Dan.  McCook 
at  the  time  that  officer  was  killed,  and  was  subse- 
quently on  the  staffs  of  Gens.  Davis  and  Morgan, 
discharging  in  the  meantime  the  various  duties  of 
Provost  Marshal,  Adjutant-General,  Inspector-Gen- 
eral, etc.  During  his  whole  connection  with  the 
army  he  was  never  absent  from  the  post  of  duty.  At 
the  siege  of  Atlanta,  while  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Mor- 
gan, and  acting  as  one  of  the  topographical  engi- 
neers, he  was  captured  by  a  guerrilla,  but  his  Orderly, 
observing  the  situation,  rushed  upon  the  "  reb  "  with 
a  force  that  changed  his  victory  into  defeat,  and  in 
less  than  two  minutes  the  whilom  captor  was  being 
led  captive  into  the  lines  of  the  Union  Army.  While 
acting  as  staff  officer  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Morgan, 
at  Bentonville,  N.  C,  the  Captain,  while  carry- 
ing dispatches,  was  compelled  to  cross  a  swamp, 
wading  in  water  up  to  his  waist,  under  the  fire  of  both 
armies,  and,  strange  to  say,  he  almost  miraculously 
escaped  unharmed. 

Capt.  Burkhalter  left  the  army  with  the  commis- 
sion of  Major,  but,  faihng  to  muster  as  such,  he  feels 
that  he  is  scarcely  entitled  to  that  rank.  At  the 
close  of  the  war  he  returned  to  Maquon,  where  he 
was  for  several  years  engaged  in  the  lumber  business, 
carrying  on  in  the  meantime  the  work  of  contractor 
and  builder,  and  accumulating  from  various  sources 
quite  a  sum  of  money.  He  became  a  stockholder 
and  Director  in  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank  in 
1882,  and  in  January  following  was  chosen  President 
of  that  concern.  While  a  citizen  of  Maquon  he 
held  the  office  of  Police  Magistrate  for  16  years.  He 
was  elected  Treasurer  of  Knox  County  in  1875,  and 
re-elected  in  1877,  1879  and  in  1882.  He  has  long 
been  recognized  as  an  able  Republican  worker,  and 
has  represented  that  party  as  member  of  the  County 
Central  Committee  for  12  years.  He  moved  into 
Galesburg  in  1884,  where  he  has  since  resided. 

Capt.  Burkhalter  is  a  member  of  the  I.  0.  O.  F. 


and  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Eminent  Commander  of  Gales- 
burg Commandery,  No.  8,  and  member  of  Peoria 
Consistory.  He  was  married  at  Maquon,  Dec.  2, 
1858,  to  Martha  E.  Adle,  native  of  Genesee  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  of  German  descent.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  B. 
have  become  the  parents  of  eight  children,  namely  ; 
Charles  F.,  Henry  L.,  James,  Dessie,  John,  Nellie, 
Robert  and  Alvin  P.  Charies  F.  married  Miss  Osa 
Hoffman,  daughter  of  James  D.  and  Sarah  Hoffman. 
They  have  one  child,  named  James. 


armon  Brown.  The  gentleman  whose  name 
heads  this  history  is  the  son  of  Alfred  G. 
and  Mary  (Murdoch)  Brown,  natives  of 
Kentucky.  He  is  a  prominent  farmer  on  sec- 
tion 30,  of  Henderson  Township.  His  parents 
married  and  first  settled  in  Breckenridge  Coun- 
ty, Ky.,  and  thence  emigrated  to  Knox  County, 
111.  It  was  about  the  fall  of  1830  when  they  took  ' 
up  their  abode  in  Henderson  Township,  where  they 
lived  up  to  the  date  of  their  demise.  His  father 
died  Oct.  8,  1865  ;  the  mother  on  March  29,  1869.  ' 
They  had  a  very  interesting  family  of  children,  ten 
in  number,  of  whom  our  subject  was  the  third  in 
order  of  birth,  all  of  whom  arrived  at  the  age  of 
man  and  womanhood  except  one  which  died  in  in- 
fancy. Alfred  Brown,  a  younger  brother,  enlisted  in 
the  82d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Col.  McMurtry.  He 
received  an  honorable  discharge. 

Harmon  Brown  was  born  in  Breckenridge  County, 
Ky.,  Nov.  28,  1825,  and  was  only  five  years  old  when 
he  came  with  his  parents  to  Knox  County.  His  early 
life  was  spent  at  home,  and  during  this  period  he 
received  a  good  common- school  education.  He  sub- 
sequently attended  Knox  College  for  nearly  three 
years,  and  on  leaving  that  institution  crossed  the 
plains  to  California,  with  a  drove  of  cattle.  He  was 
absent  from  home  for  18  months,  when  he  returned 
via  the  Isthmus  to  New  York,  and  then  to  Illinois. 
Not  long  after  this  he  became  associated  with  W.  A. 
Wood,  in  the  grain  trade,  and  they  afterward  engaged 
in  general  mercantile  pursuits.  He  remained  in  the 
grain  and  mercantile  business  for  four  years  before 
selling  out.  Six  years  later,  during  which  interim  he 
resided  at  Galesburg,  he  returned  to  Henderson 
Township,  where  he  has  since  been  occupied  in  farm- 
ing, and  is  now  the  owner  of  165  acres  of  good  land, 


*^ 


■4- 


^ 


--♦ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


85s 


all  of  which  is  valuable  and  the  greater  portion  till- 
able. 

He  was  married  in  Kelly  Township,  Warren  Co., 
111.,  June  19,  1856,  to  Mary  S.  Adcock,  daughter  of 
George  C.  and  Narcissa  H.  (Christian)  Adcock.  His 
wife's  grandfather  was  a  Revolutionary  soldier  and 
fought  under  Washington  when  only  15  years  old. 
He  was  one  of  those  noble  old-time  men  who  sought 
honor  first,  believing  that  all  other  good  things  would 
follow.  His  demise  took  place  at  the  advanced  age 
of  84  years.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Brown  were  na- 
tives of  Virginia.  In  1S42  they  came  to  Warren 
County,  111.,  and  settled  in  Kelly  Township,  where 
the  old  gentleman  died  Jan.  11,  1866.  His  wife  still 
survives  him.  By  their  happy  union  four  children 
were  bom,  of  whom  Mrs.  Brown  was  the  second.  Her 
birth  took  place  in  West  Virginia.  Dec.  26,  1834. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  is  a  gentleman  of 
quiet  demeanor  and  broad  common  sense.  He  is 
not  an  aspirant  to  office,  though  nevertheless  care- 
fully observing  all  movements  in  his  vicinity  affect- 
ing the  public  welfare.  Mr.  Brown  was  Deputy 
Sheriff  under  S.  W.  Brown,  during  the  years  1850- 
51.  S.  W.  Brown,  an  uncle  of  Harmon  Brown,  now 
lives  in  Vancouver,  Washington  Ter.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Land  Receiver  by  Abraham  Lincoln,  with 
headquarters  at  the  above  place. 

Harmon  Brown,  for  several  years,  has  held  the 
office  of  School  Director  and  Trustee,  a  post  to  which 
his  talents  are  eminently  adapted.  He  is  a  leading 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  in  which  he  is  in 
e.xcellent  standing.  He  is  a  member  of  Vesper 
Lodge,  No.  584,  Galesburg;  Horeb  Chapter,  No.  4, 
Rio.  As  a  Republican  and  earnest  politician  he  has 
from  time  to  time  displayed  a  discretion  which  has 
been  favorably  appreciated  by  his  co-workers  in  pol- 
itics. 


U'ohn  A.  Leighton.    K  goodly  numberof  the 
prominent  and  respected  citizens  of  Knox 
County,  as  well  as  wealthy  farmers,    came 
hither   from    Scotland.      Of  this    nationality 
is  the  subject  of  this  notice,  residing  on  section 
13,  Sparta  Township,  where  he  is  actively  en- 
gaged as  an  agriculturist.     He   was   born    Feb.    10, 


1829,  of  William  and  Isabelle  (Ironside)  Leighton, 
likewise  natives  of  Scotland. 

Tie  parents  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1834,  and  for  four  years  were  residents  of  New  York 
City,  where  his  father  was  engaged  for  two  years  as  a 
clerk  in  a  wholesale  store,  the  firm  being  Chalmers, 
Jones  &  Hizer,  after  which  he  was  employed  by 
Horace  Greeley  as  bookkeeper,  and  worked  for  him  two 
years  at  that  occupation.  Mr.  Greeley  probably  gave 
him  the  same  advice  which  he  subsequently  made 
public :  "Go  West,  young  man,  and  grow  up  with  the 
country,"  for  in  August,  1838,  we  find  Mr.  Leighton 
settled  at  Knoxville,  where  he  had  previously  pur- 
chased a  farm,  and  on  his  arrival  settled  on  it 
and  diligently  engaged  in  its  labors,  hoping  that 
the  plow  would  prove  more  remunerative  than  the 
pen,  and  such  indeed  proved  to  be  true,  at  least  in 
his  case.  He  remained  on  this  place  for  two  years, 
when  he  removed  to  the  old  Knox  farm  and  there 
lived  for  two  years.  He  then  returned  to  New  York 
City  and  clerked  for  the  same  dr\'  goods  firm  he  had 
formerly  worked  for,  and  remained  with  them  a  little 
over  a  year.  Returning  to  this  county,  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  trade  at  Knoxville,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  eight  years,  when  he  sold  out  and  moved  to 
his  farm  on  section  12,  Copley  Township.  He  had 
by  this  time  become  the  owner  of  900  acres  of  land, 
all  in  a  body,  and  on  this  he  lived  and  labored 
until  his  death,  in  t86i,  his  wife  ha%'ingdied  in  1836. 
He  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance  in  1839, 
and  the  wife  died  in  [867.  Mr.  L.  had  a  family  of 
six  children — John,  Mary  A  ,  James,  Lockhart,  Will- 
iam and  Charles.  Lockhart  died  in  1840,  and 
Charles  in  1853.  James  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Chickamauga,  Sept.  20,  1863,  holding,  at  the  date  of 
his  death,  the  position  of  Major  in  the  42d  111. 
Vol.  Inf. 

John  A.  Leighton  lived  with  his  parents  until  he 
attained  the  age  of  manhood,  prior  to  which  time  he 
was  engaged  in  working  on  the  farm  and  teaming 
from  his  home  to  Chicago  and  Peoria,  and,  when  o^ 
portunity  would  permit,attendingthe  common  schools. 
After  leaving  the  parental  roof-tree,  he  rented  a  farm 
on  section  16,  Copley  Township,  which  he  continued 
to  cultivate  until  he  purchased  160  acres  on  section 
17,  of  the  same  township.  He  was  married  in  1850 
to  Miss  Jessie  Russell.  In  1864  he  made  an  ex- 
change with  his  brother  William  for  his  interest  in 
the  old  homestead,  which  he  now  owns,  and  on  which 


HlxfU 


=^4^ 


856 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


he  is  living  at  this  writing.  In  1854  Mt.  Leighton 
built  a  steam  saw-mill  on  his  farm,  which  cost  him 
$3,000.  In  1869  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  busi- 
ness at  Oneida  village,  and  continued  in  mercantile 
pursuits  for  five  years.  He  then  disposed  of  his 
business,  and  since  that  time  has  been  engaged  in 
fetock-raising,  his  specialty  being  horses. 

Mr.  Leighton  has  a  fine  farm  of  365  acres,  and  in 
both  branches  of  his  vocation  is  meeting  with  that 
success  which  energy  and  perseverance  are  sure  to 
bring.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  held 
the  office  of  Road  Commissioner,  and  also  of  Consta- 
ble and  School  Director,  for  10  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leighton  became  the  parents  of  four 
children,  whom  they  named  Isabelle,  William,  Ellen 
and  Jessie.  The  wife  died  in  1859,  and  Mr.  Leighton 
was  a  second  time  married,  when  Mrs.  Jane  Brant 
became  his  wife,  March  21,  i860.  She  is  a  daughter 
of  David  and  Margaret  (Gregg)  Young,  natives  of 
Scotland.  Her  parents  came  to  America  in  1833, 
and  located  in  Canada,  where  they  lived  one  year, 
when  they  went  to  New  York  City,  where,  in  1840,  her 
1  father  died.  Her  mother  came  to  this  State  in  com- 
pany with  Mrs.  Leigliton,  and  died  here  in  1868. 
Of  the  latter  union   a  son,   James,  has  been   born. 

Mr.  Leighton,  of  whom  we  have  given  a  brief  bio- 
graphical notice,  as  a  representative  of  the  agricult- 
ural class  of  Sparta  Township  is  the  peer  of  any. 
His  past  has  been  an  honorable  one,  and  he  is  to-day 
one  of  the  respected  and  foremost  citizens,  not  only 
of  his  township,  but  of  Knox  County. 


««J2£e'©^-' 


-^^wrroiv. 


^ohn  E  Erickson,  of  the  firm  of  Walberg  & 
Erickson,  grocers,  5  and  7  Prairie  St.,  Gales- 
burg,  was  born  in  the  western  part  of  Swe- 
den, Aug.  1, 1854, and  with  his  parents,  Charles 
and  Kate  (Peterson)  Erickson,  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1867.  He  had  attended  school  in  his 
native  country,  acquiring  the  rudiments  of  an  educa- 
tion in  his  mother  tongue,  and  after  coming  to  Gales- 
burg  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the  English 
language.  He  attended  night  schools  and  business 
college,  thus  fitting  himself  fairly  for  anything  that 
he  might  undertake.     He  spent  about  a  year  and  a 


half  in  Missouri,  and  two  years  in  Chicago,  and  the 
rest  of  the  time  he  has  been  in  Galesburg. 

For  several  years  Mr.  P2rickson  was  employed  as  a 
clerk  with  Messrs.  Olson  &  Hofflund  in  the  grocery 
business,  and  in  1881  engaged  in  the  enterprise  now 
receiving  his  attention.  He  was  married  at  Gales- 
burg, Oct.  23,  1881,  to  Miss  Saverina  Mellquist,  a 
native  of  Sweden,  and  there  have  been  born  to  them 
two  children — Aloin  and  Frederick,  and  the  former 
died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Mr.  Erickson  is  a 
member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  VV.,  pays  no  attention  to 
politics,  attends  strictly  to  his  own  business,  and 
finds  it  profitable ;  in  fact,  he  has  not  only  worked 
his  own  way,  but  has  aided  those  nearest  to  him.  He 
is  known  as  a  man  of  integrity,  and  has  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  the  public. 


..o*o.-@^<^-.o4o.. 


-H 


j:  tto  Anderson,  of  the  firm  of  Peterson  & 
Anderson,  merchant  tailors,  Galesburg, 
was  born  in  the  parish  of  Jalaryd,  State  of  t  « 
SmoUan,  Middle  Sweden,  Sept.  18,  1849.  He 
is  the  son  of  Anders  and  Britta  Christine 
(Gustafson)  Johnson.  The  parents  had  a 
family  of  six  sons  and  four  daughters,  of  whom  two 
sons.  Otto  and  John,  came  to  this  country,  the  latter 
of  whom  is  a  merchant  tailor  of  Janesville,  Wis. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  learned  his  trade  at  Barga, 
Sweden,  and  followed  it  in  his  native  land  for  a  few 
years.  In  1873  he  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  re- 
mained working  for  one  year  and  then  went  to  Rock 
Island,  111.,  where,  after  spending  several  months  at 
his  trade,  he  removed  to  Monmouth,  this  State.  In 
1876  he  came  to  Galesburg,  and  six  years  later  es- 
tablished himself  in  the  business  which  he  is  at 
present  following;  the  establishment  is  second  to 
none  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  married  in  Galesburg  to  Miss 
Eva,  daughter  of  B.  J.  Nelson,  Esq.,  a  builder  re- 
siding at  Galesburg.  She  was  born  in  SmoUan, 
Sweden.  Their  family  has  been  blest  with  a  son, 
Joab  Anders  Edwin,  born  Feb.  7,  1883.  Mr.  An- 
derson is  a  pushing  business  man  and  a  clever  artist 
in  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F., 
also  of  the  K.  of  P.  and  of  the  Business  Men's  Club 
of  Galesburg. 


-N^. 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L"iVERSlTY  OF  ILLIN?!? 


(' 


C/I/^L^L^J 


^jM 


■'^ 


KNOX  COUNTY 


859 


F.  BessegoJe,  of  Galesburg,  Superintend- 
ent of  the  Illinois  lines  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.,  was  born  in  Green  County,  Wis., 
Nov.  19,  1847.  His  parents  were  Alexander 
C.  and  Jerusha  (Norton)  Resseguie,  formerly 
of  New  York  Stale.  Mr.  Resseguie  com- 
menced railroad  business  with  the  C.  &  N.  W.  Ry. 
at  Janesville,  Wis.,  as  telegraph  operator,  and  was 
wilh  this  company  as  operator,  agent  and  Superin- 
tendent's clerk  14  years.  In  1878  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  and  served  as  chief 
clerk  in  the  offices  of  the  Division  Superintendent, 
General  Superintendent  and  Vice-President,  till  June, 
18S5,  when  he  received  his  present  appointment. 

Mr.  Resseguie  married  at  Clinton  Junction,  Wis., 
Miss  E.  H.  Taylor.  They  have  one  son  living — 
Lathrop  A.,  and  have  buried  a  son  and  a  daughter — 
Frank  L.  and  Grace  E. 


«««££'"©^'"— fr{S| 


..^^WJ2f2»»v. 


^IJPl^^-apt.  William  H.  Beynolds.     The  broad 
J;jprg;^    and  fertile  pairies  of  Knox  County  have 
^\^     afforded   excellent   opportunity   for    men   to 
Kgi      demonstrate    their   ability   as    agriculturists. 
(j^      There  is  no  county  in  this  exceptionally  fine 
fanning  State  that  exceeds  Knox  County  in 
this  respect,  and  the  opportunity  has  been  improved 
by  numerous  enterprising  gentlemen,  who  to  day  not 
only  can   look  back  over  a  life  of  usefulness  to  the 
community,  but  are  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
well-earned  and   valuable  propeny  which   they  now 
possess.     Prominent  among  this  influential  class  of 
citizens  is  Capt.  William  H.  Reynolds,  who  resides 
at  Galesburg.     Samuel  and  Ann  Jane  (Reed)  Rey- 
nolds, his  parents,  were  natives  respectively  of  South 
Carolina  and  Kentucky.     William    H.  was   born  in 
Parke  County,  Ind.,  Dec.  29,  1829,  and  was   seven 
years  of  age  when  his  parents  removed   to  Warren 
County,  this  State.     The  senior  Mr.  R.  was  a  farmer, 
and  at   this   writing  (June,  1886)  resides  upon  the 


farm  in  Floyd  Township  upon  which  he  settled  in 
1836. 

William  H.  was  educated  in  the. district  schools 
and  at  Abingdon  College.  He  studied  law,  also 
medicine,  and  really  practiced  the  former  profession 
for  four  or  five  years,  but  he  was  inclined  to  be  a 
farmer,  and  as  such  has  made  his  mark.  He  came 
into  Knox  County  in  1857,  and  to  Galesburg  in  1883. 
He  owns  five  fine  farms  in  this  county,  one  of  1,000 
acres  in  Orange  Township,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  stock-breeders  in  this  part  of  the  State. 
He  is  a  self-made  man,  having  acquired  every  dollar 
of  his  propeny  by  his  own  effort  and  industry,  and  in 
addition  to  what  he  now  has  he  has  lost  by  bad 
loans  and  indorsements  not  less  than  $50,000,  and 
§35,000  of  it  since  1875.  During  his  residence  in 
this  county  he  has  served  the  people  from  time  to 
time  as  Commissioner,  School  Director,  Supervisor, 
etc.,  but  upon  no  occasion  has  sought  an  office  of 
higher  trust  or  greater  emolument. 

August  10,  1861,  Mr.  Reynolds  enlisted  as  a  pri- 
vate in  Co.  D,  7th  111.  Vol.  Cav.  At  the  organization 
of  the  company,  however,  he  was  made  First  Lieu- 
tenant and  virtually  thereafter,  on  account  of  ineffi- 
ciency of  his  superior  officer,  discharged  the  duties 
of  Captain.  He  served  until  the  final  close  of  the 
war  and  was  duly  -lustered  out,  but  from  that  day 
has  never  received  his  discharge  papers.  The  au- 
thorities claim  they  were  issued  properly  at  the  time 
the  regiment  left  the  service,  but  the  Captain  never 
saw  his,  and  having  no  knowledge  of  their  where- 
abouts the  necessary  proof  or  duplicates  cannot  be 
made.  This  places  him  in  rather  a  peculiar  situation, 
and  so  far  appears  to  be  a  wrong  without  a  remedy. 
In  command  of  his  comr.any  he  participated  in  the 
battles  of  New  Madrid,  Island  No.  10,  Corinth,  etc. 
In  and  about  Corinth  he  was  on  duty  30  days  without 
relief;  and  at  or  near  Coffeeville,  Miss.,  Dec.  5, 1862 
was  taken  prisoner  and  held  thereafter  in  Jackson 
and  Vicksburg  for  about  tivo  months.  He  was  ex- 
changed and  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  in  the 
Department  of  the  Southwest  some  weeks  before  re- 
turning to  the  command,  which  he  did  March  5, 
1863. 

Being  taken  quite  ill,  Capt.  Reynolds  left  his  com- 
pany at  Memphis,  Tenn. J  in  the  autumn  of  1864,  and 
was  for  six  months  on  detached  duty  in  that  city. 
We  should  not  forget  to  state   that  he  was  regularly 


LAj!^ 


^ 


86o 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


promoted  to  Captain  in  front  of  Corinth  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1862,  nor  should  it  be  omitted  that  while  on 
detached  duty  at  Memphis,  in  the  summer  of  1864, 
he  was  for  a  short  time  in  command  of  the  9th  111. 
Cavalry.  The  gth  Cavalry  enjoyed  the  reputation  of 
being  harder  to  discipline  than  any  regiment  sent  out 
from  Illinois.  Capt.  Reynolds  had  made  quite  a 
reputation  as  a  disciplinarian,  and  this  in  fact  had 
led  Gen.  Grierson  to  order  him  to  the  command  of  the 
9th.  The  men  of  the  regiment  were  good  fighters 
and  they  were  always  loyal  to  the  cause.  Capt.  Rey- 
nolds at  once  promptly  refused  to  accept  the  order  to 
this  command,  for  which  subordination  he  was  or- 
dered under  arrest.  However,  the  General,  being  a 
warm  personal  friend  of  the  Captain,  finally  pre- 
vailed upon  him  to  withdraw  his  objection,  apologize 
for  his  willful  conduct,  and  accept  the  responsibility. 
But  a  brief  experience  with  the  regiment  was  enough. 

Capt.  Reynolds'  war  history ,  aside  from  that  already 
chronicled  in  these  pages,  will  be  found  in  the  record 
of  the  7th  111.  Vol.  Cav.  This  regiment  was  organ- 
ized at  Camp  Butler,  and  was  mustered  into  service 
Oct.  13,  1861.  It  was  with  Pope  at  Island  No.  10 
and  New  Madrid;  it  went  up  the  Tennessee  River 
in  April,  1862,  and  opened  the  Corinth  campaign 
and  led  in  the  rebel  pursuit  of  May  30  following ; 
it  marched  first  into  Tuscumbia,  Ala.,  and  guarded 
the  railroad  to  Decatur;  it  covered  the  retreating 
force  to  luka.  Miss.,  in  September,  and  there  engaged 
the  entire  enemy  for  seven  hours.  On  November 
26  it  routed  300  "  Rebs  "  under  Col.  Richardson, 
and  on  December  2,  3,  4  and  5  it  pursued  Gen.  Price 
through  Mississippi ;  at  Water  Valley  and  Springdale 
it  repulsed  the  rebel  cavalry,  and  at  Coffeeville  was 
badly  defeated  by  the  enemy  ;  December  r6,  17,  18, 
19,  20  and  21,  it  raided  the  country,  disjoining  rail- 
roads and  bridges  between  Yockonapatalfa  and 
Okolona  and  returned  to  Oxford  on  the  30th,  having 
traveled  almost  without  rest  over  800  miles.  Jan- 
uary, 1863,  it  was  at  La  Grange,  Tenn.,  and  in  April 
following  in  Mississippi,  disjoining  the  enemy's  com- 
panies. May  2,  it  entered  Baton  Rouge,  having 
traveled  another  800  miles  and  captured  over  1,000 
prisoners,  and  lost  its  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Blackburn. 
It  participated  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Hudson,  and 
landed  at  Memphis  July  28  following.  In  all, 
this  regiment  marched  about  5,000  miles  and  capt- 
ured 3,000  prisoners. 

Upon  his  return    home    Capt.    Reynolds  engaged 


again  in  farming,  to  which  he  has  since  devoted  his 
time  and  attention.  In  the  political  campaign  of 
1880  the  Greenback  party  ran  him  for  Congress,  an 
honor  wholly  unsought  by  him,  and  though  defeated 
it  is  admitted  by  all  that  he  made  a  gallant  and  hon- 
orable fight.  He  canvassed  the  district  thoroughly, 
made  90  speeches  and  manifested  a  strength  upon 
the  stump  that  surprised  his  friends  as  well  as  his 
opponents. 

In  Orange  Township,  Knox  County,  Mr.  William 
H.  Reynolds  was  married  June  24,  1855,  to  Martha 
M.  Bundy,  who  died  Feb.  i,  1873,  leaving  three 
children,  namely:  Emma  J.,  now  Mrs.  F.  H. 
Peterson;  William  M.,  now  mail  clerk,  and  Minnie, 
now  Mrs.  James  Rogers.  The  present  Mrs.  Rey- 
nolds, to  whom  the  Captain  was  married  at  Knox- 
ville  Nov.  25,  1873,  was  formerly  Miss  Margaret 
Wallace,  and  the  children  born  of  their  union  are 
Nellie  H.,  Frank  W.  and  Earnest  Harrison. 

As  a  gentleman  esteemed  for  his  many  commend- 
able traits  of  character,  and  one  who  is  thoroughly 
representative  of  the  soldierly  element,  as  well  as  of 
the  leading  agriculturists  of  the  county,  the  publish- 
ers take  pleasure  in  presenting  the  portrait  of  Capt.  *i 
Reynolds  in  this  volume.  It  is  engraved  from  a 
picture  taken  during  the  time  of  his  military  service. 


^ugh  C.  Allen  was  born  in  County  Antrim, 
Ireland,  Nov.  30,  1834.  He  was  a  son  of 
'^'  Hugh  and  Sarah  (Caulfield)  Allen.  Both 
parents  died  in  Ireland.  There  were  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living.  Three  of 
them  are  residents  of  the  United  States.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  left  his  native  land  in  1857, 
and  came  direct  to  Knoxville,  III.,  and  made  his 
home  with  John  Sloan,  his  brother-in-law,  and  re- 
mained with  him  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war. 
In  July,  t86i,  he  enlisted  for  three  years,  as  a  private 
in  Co.  E,  7th  Iowa  Vol.  Inf.  The  7th  Iowa  was  a 
part  of  the  ist  Brigade,  2d  Division  of  the  T6th 
Army  Corps.  Mr.  Allen  was  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Belmont,  and  was  furloughed  for  thirty  days ; 
then  joined  his  regiment  and  was  in  the  battles  of 
Forts  Henry  and  Donelson.  On  the  rsth  of  Febru- 
ary, 1862,  he  went  into  the  hospital,  and  did  not  re- 
join his  command  until   in   September  of  the  same 


\ 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


86i 


year,  when  he  was  discharged  on  account  of  disa- 
bilities. He  returned  home,  where  he  remained  until 
January,  1863,  when  he  again  joined  his  regiment, 
and  participated  with  them  in  the  siege  of  Atlanta. 
After  the  fall  of  the  latter  place,  the  regiment  became 
a  part  of  the  15th  Army  Corps.  The  command  then 
went  with  Sherman  in  his  "  march  to  the  sea,"  up 
through  the  Carolinas,  and  on  to  Washington,  where 
the  yth  Iowa  passed  in  general  review.  The  regi- 
ment was  discharged  and  mustered  out  at  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  in  July,  1865.  Mr.  Allen  returned  to  his 
home,  and  engaged  in  farming  and«  stock-raising,  in 
which  he  still  continues. 

On  the  17th  of  March,  1863,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Eliza  J. 
McKee,  a  native  of  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Sloan)  McKee.  She 
was  born  Sept.  27,  1844.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Allen  are 
the  parents  of  seven  children.  Their  names  in  the 
order  of  their  birth  are  :  Maggie  M.,  Hugh,  Sarah, 
Mary,  Samuel,  Mattie  and  Millicent.  Both  parents 
are  members-  of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 
Politically  Mr.  Allen  is  an  adhereot  of  the  Republi- 
can party.  He  is  a  member  of  Dan.  McCook  Post, 
No.  53,  G.  A.  R.,  of  Elmwood,  111. 


P.  Wenquist.  Among  the  leading  bus- 
iness men  of  the  thriving  city  of  Galesburg, 
^/  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  boots  and 
shoes,  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical  notice, 
who  is  a  gentleman  of  sterling  worth  and  integ- 
rity. In  addition  to  his  boot  and  shoe  bus- 
iness, he  is  Financier  of  Vassar  Lodge,  No.  210,  A. 
O.  U.  W.,  and  Recording  Treasurer  of  the  Garfield 
Legion,  No.  8,  of  the  Order. 

Mr.  Wenquist  was  born  in  Christinestadt,  Finland, 
Dec.  17,  1847,  and  came  to  America  in  1S69,  land- 
ing at  Galesburg  June  6  of  that  year.  His  father, 
Peter  Wenquist,  accompanied  him  to  this  country, 
and  resided  here  up  to  1884,  when  he  returned  to 
Sweden.  The  subject  was  educated  in  Sweden,  and 
there  also  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade,  which  he 
has  followed  ever  since.  Since  coming  to  America 
he  has  mastered  the  English  language,  and  has  made 
himself  one  of  the  most  useful  members  of  society. 
He  is  a  self-made  man;  has  been  the  recipient  of  no 


gifts  or  legacies;  the  goodly  portion  of  this  world's 
goods  which  he  possesses  has  been  acquired  by  his 
individual  effort  and  industry.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics,  and  is  recognized  by  that  party  as  a  local 
worker  of  more  than  ordinary  force  and  ability. 

On  March  7,  1873,  Mr.  Wenquist  was  married,  at 
Galesburg,  to  Miss  Clara  Carlson,  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, and  the  two  childien  born  to  them  are  Judith 
Olivia  and  Olfphe  May.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wenquist 
have  also  adopted  a  little  girl,  named  Annie  Char- 
lotte, now  II  years  of  age,  whom  they  love  as  ten- 
derly as  their  own.  The  family  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Swedish  Church,  by  which 
community  they  are  held  in  high  esteem. 


*r 


XL 


illiam  O.  Salisbury,  Past  Chief  Conduct- 
or of  Galesburg  Division,  No.  83,  Or- 
jfei*y^  der  of  Railway  Conductors  ;  Overseer  and 
■^ISj^^  Outside  Sentinel  of  College  City  Lodge,  No. 
fi'  214,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  Select  Commander 
>,  Garfield  Legion,  No.  8,  Select  Knights,  of  the 
Order  last  named,  is  also  a  conductor  on  the 
Chicago  line  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  Galesburg 
Division  He  was  born  in  Hill's  Grove,  McDonough 
County,  July  22,  1851,  at  6:30  A.  M.  His  father, 
John  Salisbury,  was  a  native  of  Indiana,  and  his 
mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Sarah  Owen,  came 
from  Ohio.  They  reared  seven  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, William  O.  being  the  second  son.  He  grew  to 
early  manhood  upon  his  father's  farm,  and  when  not 
otherwise  engaged  slipped  away  a  few  days  at  a  time 
to  the  old  log  schoolhouse,  where  by  dint  of  severe 
application  he  learned  to  read,  write  and  cipher.  In 
March,  1881,  he  went  to  New  Mexico  in  the  employ 
of  the  A.  &  P.  Railroad,  but  on  account  of  his  family 
soon  came  back  to  Galesburg.  In  1870  he  helped  to 
grade  and  lay  the  track,  acted  as  brakeman,  and  fired 
and  ran  the  iriaterial  train  for  the  O.,  M.  &  P.  R.  R. 
out  of  Quincy,  111.,  18  months.  In  1868  he 
was  employed  as  a  section  hand  on  the  old  T.,  W. 
&  W.  Railroad,  and  from  that  time  it  would  be  safe 
to  say  that  he  has  been  a  railroad  man,  although 
upon  two  or  three  occasions  he  has  since  tried  his 
hand  at  farming.  He  assisted  in  grading  the  Car- 
thage &  Quincy  'Branch,  the  Keithsburg  Branch, 
north  end  of  the  R.,  R.   I.  &  St.  Louis  road,  had 


■^ 


^ 


862 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


charge  of  a  section  gang,  and  for  awhile  had  charge 
of  the  wood-sawing  machinery  on  the  Lewistown 
Branch  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  In  May,  1872,  he  began 
braking  for  the  latter  road,  but  in  1873  we  find  him 
at  Topeka,  Kan.,  as  yardmaster  for  the  Santa  Fe. 
From  here  he  took  service  as  brakeman  with  the  C, 
R.  I.  &  P.  He  soon  drifted  to  the  B.  &  M.  R.  R., 
and  finally  settled  down  at  Galesbiirg,  where,  in 
March,  1881,  he  was  given  a  train  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.,  which  he  ran  regularly  for  six  years.  Tirmg 
of  the  rail,  he  again  essayed  farming,  but  a  few 
months  of  that  life  sufficed,  and  the  railroad  people, 
always  glad  to  give  a  reliable  man  a  place,  once  more 
put  him  in  charge  of  a  train. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  April  18, 
1877,  at  Augusta,  111.,  to  Susan  E.  Cooper.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Salisbury  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
children,  named  respectively  Harry  Homer,  Ina 
Josephine  and  Earl  Owen. 

Mrs.  Salisbury  was  born  in  New  York  City,  March 

'31,  1852;  she  came  West  with   her    parents    when 

quite  young,  and  began  teaching  school  at  the  age  of 

,J5,  in  Augusta;  when  married,  she  was  Principal  of 

I'a  high  school.  She  has  a  one-fourth  interest  in  three 
dwelling-houses  and  four  store-buildings  in  New  York 
City. 

<=*■ _, 

aniel  W.  Flynn  is  a  worthy  representative 
of  the  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle  residing 
at  Galesburg.  He  was  born  in  the  parish 
of  Newport,  in  the  County  of  Tipperary,  in 
1846.  His  parents  were  Patrick  and  Mary 
(Coffey)  Flynn,  who  came  to  this  county  in  1865 
and  settled  at  Galesburg.  Of  their  family  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughter  but  two  sons  survive — Daniel 
W.,  our  subject,  and  Thomas,  an  Inspector  in  the 
Water  Works  Department,  Chicago. 

Daniel  W.  Flynn  forsook  his  father's  business 
(merchant  tailoring),  and  apprenticed  himself  to  learn 
the  trade  of  shoemaking,  which  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed successfully  for  several  years.  He  then 
abandor.ed  this  business  and  engaged  in  the  liquor 
trade,  with  which  he  has  since  been  successfully 
connected. 

Mr.  Flynn  was  married  at  Galesburg,  to  Catherine, 
daughter  of  James  Norton,  Esq., .the  date  thereof 
being  Jan.  20,  1873.     Their  union  has  been  blest  by 


the  birth  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters.  The 
record  is  as  follows:  Fra  .k,  George,  Daniel,  Cath- 
erine M.  and  Mamie.  On  the  i  2th  of  October,  1883, 
Mrs.  Flynn  departed  this  life  in  full  communion 
with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  is  buried  in 
the  St.  Joseph's  Roman  Catholic  Cemetery. 

Mr.  Flynn  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  an  active 
business  man  and  a  genial  and  kind-hearted  gentle- 
man, qualities  which  have  eminently  fitted  him  for 
his  very  successful  course  in  life. 


■^^w-vtaii^®^ 


„^,5;/^l^^r^r»v.•wv^. 


ames  H.  Linsley,  Division  Roadmaster 
I"  of  the  Quincy  &  Burlington  line  of  the 
Galesburg  Division  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R. 
R.,  was  born  in  Canaan,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa.,  July 
II,  1823.  He  is  the  son  of  Dan  Evelyn  and 
Elizabeth  (Hoadley)  Linsley,  natives  of  Con- 
necticut. The  parents  settled  in  Wayne  County, 
coming  from  Connecticut  in  1882,  and  come  of  a  long 
line  of  ancestry  in  that  State. 

In  1836  the  parents  of  our  subject  removed  to  ^ 
Wayne  County,  N.  Y.,  where  James  Linsley  grew 
to  manhood.  At  the  age  of  21  he  came  West  and 
located  in  Michigan,  where  in  1848  we  find  him  en- 
gaged in  the  railroad  business,  serving  in  the  build- 
ing department  of  the  Michigan  Central  Railway, 
following  the  building  of  that  great  thoroughfare  into 
Chicago.  He  was  afterward  engaged  with  the 
Michigan  Southern  Railway,  and  in  January,  1854, 
located  at  Princeton  in  connection  with  the  building 
department  of  the  present  C,  B.  &  Q.  (then  known 
as  the  Central  Military  Tract)  R.  R.,  and  built  the 
"Bureau  bridges."  In  1859  Mr.  Linsley  became 
infected  with  the  gold  fever,  made  a  trip  to  Pike's 
Peak,  but  his  golden  dreams  did  not  materialize,  and 
he  returned  to  professional  work  in  Illinois.  In 
1865  he  accepted  a  position  in  the  track  department 
of  the  "Q."  Railroad,  and  came  to  Galesburg,  where 
he  has  been  in  worthy  official  connection  with  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  interests  since.  He  married  at  Galva, 
in  1856,  Miss  Susan  H.,  the  accomplished  daughter 
of  Stephen  Albro,  of  Galva.  The  union  was  blest 
with  a  family  of  two  sons  and  a  daughter:  Cora 
Henrietta,  the  eldest,  is  a  graduate  of  Knox  College, 
and  is  the  wife  of  George  W.  Thomson,  attorney  at 
law,  Galesburg.     Frank  Evelyn  is  a  farmer  in  Ne- 


*+ 


■^ 


t 


hH- 


/TAOX  COUNTY. 


863 


Dec.  14,  1845  : 
July  22,  1852  ; 
Jan.  22,  1859. 


i 


braska,  and  Jannes  F.  is  a  student  at  the  Business 
College  at  Galesburg,  111. 

Mr.  Lindsley  has  been  a  worthy  official  of  the 
cor[>oration  he  represents,  is  an  honored  citizen  and 
a  most  genial  gentleman.  He  has  reared  and  edu- 
cated his  family  well  and  been  a  kind  husband  and 
father.  In  public  life  he  was  averse  to  office-hold- 
ing, but  has  nevertheless  served  the  city  as  Alder- 
man for  his  ward  two  different  times.  He  has  been 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  since  1S55,  and 
with  his  family  attends  the  Baptist  Church. 


armon  Way.     We  should  not  fail   to  men- 
tion among  the  rnore  important,  progress- 
ive and  practical   farmers   identified  with 
Kiiox  County  the  name  of  the   gentleman  of 
whom  this  biography  is  written.     His  home  is 
situated  on  section  22  of  Chestnut  Township, 
and  he  is  by  occupation  an  agriculturist,  and  in  con- 
nection with  this  branch  of  business  carries  on  the 
}■ '  breeding  and  raising  of  stock. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Portage  County,  Ohio,  Feb. 
19,  1 8 15,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  fall  of  1841,  lo- 
cating in  Knox  County,  where  he  now  lives.  Mr. 
Way's  father  was  born  in  the  State  of  Connecticut  ! 
and  came  to  Ohio  at  an  early  day.  He  was  by 
name  David,  and  united  in  marriage  with  Rebecca 
Baldwin,  and  ihey  both  died  in  Ohio,  at  a  date  not 
exactly  known. 

Mr.  Harmon  Way  of  this   notice  entered  the  mat- 
rimonial  estate  with    Miss  Elizabeth  Wilson,  Jan.  i, 
1837,  in  the  State  of  Ohio.     She  was  born   in  Stark 
County,  that  State,  March  15,  1821,  and  her  parents    | 
were    Charles  W.  and    Betsy   (Shelion)  Wilson,   the 

former  of  whom  was  born  in    England  and  the  latter   ! 

,         I 
in  Maryland.     Both  of  these  are  now  deceased,  but   , 

left  eight  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Way  have  a  family  of  nine  children, 

eight  of  whom  still  survive,  as  follows  :     David,  lx)rn  I 

Jan.    27,    1838;    Baldwin,  Jan.    14,  1840;  Samuel,  . 

May    24,  1841;  Andrew   J,  June    12,   1843;  Jacob, 

Lewis,  June  22,  1849;  Harmon,  Jr.,  j 

Hiram,  Aug.  30,  1855;  and   Sonora,  i 

Samuel,  Jackson,  Jacob  and  Bald-  | 

win  were  in  the  late  Rebellion,  fighting  in  the  Union  ! 

army  and  doing  a  good  and   noble  service  for  their  ' 


country.  Baldwin  died  in  the  full  flush  of  his  early 
manhood,  in  1865,  at  Dalton,  Ga.,  while  in  the  serv- 
ice. The  other  three  were  protected  from  the  per- 
ils of  war  and  at  the  end  of  their  military  labors 
were  discharged  with  honor  from  the  army,  living  to 
meet  their  father  and  mother  at  home,  after  |)eace 
was  declared.  All  of  these  children  are  married  and 
prosperous.  Mr.  Way  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this 
section,  who  has  grown  wealthy  and  influential  in 
pursuing  his  own  chosen  path  of  duty.  He  is  the 
possessor  of  200  acres  of  fine  land,  and  devotes"  his 
time  to  that  and  the  other  above-named  interests. 
When  he  first  came  into  the  State  he  spent  part  of 
his  time  in  hunting,  as  he  is  nalurally  a  sportsman, 
and  game  was  plentiful  in  the  early  days.  Deer, 
wolves,  wild  fowl  and  foxes  fairly  flocked  about  him, 
and  he  considers  he  should  exaggerate  in  no  way  if 
he  claimed  to  have  killed  500  deer  in  this  county. 
He  has  also  slain  many  wolves.  Gradually  he  has 
watched  the  growth  of  the  county  and  may  pardona- 
bly consider  himself  one  of  its  oldest  and  strongest 
pillars.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  Universalists  in 
theological  belief,  and  Mr.  Way  is  a  stanch  Repub- 
lican, the  political  sentiments  of  which  party  he  up- 
holds and  defends  and  with  which  he  votes. 


;.enry  Emrich,  editor-in-chief  and  one  of 
the  proprietors  and  publishersof  the  Gales- 
burg Plaimkaler,  was  born  near  Bingen  on 
the  Rhine,  Germany,  Jan.  26,  1844,  and  was 
brought  by  his  father  to  America  in  1852.  His 
first  entry  into  Galesburg  was  in  1856,  where  he 
attended  the  public  schools,  acquiring  thereat  a 
pretty  thorough  education.  He  learned  the  printing 
business  in  the  office  of  the  Galesburg  Free  Detno- 
ocrat,  and  was  there  when  he  decided  to  enter  the 
service  of  the  United  States,  in  January,  1862,  at 
which  time  he  enlisted  as  a  private  soldier  in  Co.  H, 
13th  111.  Vol.  Cav.,  and  served  for  three  years.  The 
first  year  and  a  half  of  his  service  were  spent  in  the 
saddle.  He  subsequently  spent  a  year  at  the  head- 
quarters of  Gen.  Samuel  A.  Rice,  as  Orderly,  and  his 
last  six  months  in  the  same  capacity  under  Maj. 
Gen.  Fred  Steele. 

Leaving  the  service  of  the  United  States,  he  stopped 
awhile  in  Quincy;  thence  went  to  Galesburg, 
where  he  was  up  to   1872,   when    he   returned    to 


< 


.^ 


<i 


864 


— . .)r^=r 

ICJV^OX  COUNTY. 


^ 


Quincy,  where  lie  was  connected  with  the  Herald 
office  for  seven  consecutive  years.  In  December, 
187  9,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Mr.  Iram  Biggs, 
in  the  publication  of  x.\\t  Flaimiealer.  The  editorial 
columns  of  this  paper  are  exclusively  under  his  man- 
agement and  direction,  and  they  reflect  credit  upon 
his  efforts.  (See  history  of  the  Galesburg  Plaindealer, 
this  volume.) 

At  Galesburg,  Jan.  6,  1867,  Mr.  Emrich  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Caroline  Rulf,  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
their  children  are  named  respectively  Minnie  C., 
Charles  R.,  Lillie  M.,  Earl  H.  and  Roy  P.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  E.  are  members  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
and  Mr.  Emrich  is  prominently  identified  with  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the  G.  A.  R. 


^^Lnoch  S.  Scott.    Living  within  the  borders  of 

^Ife  Knox  are  many  worthy  representative 
^^  citizens,  and  men  noteworthy  for  industry 
\^  and  enterprise,  as  well  as  for  the  fact  that  they 
have  struggled  against  obstacles,  and,  by 
patience  and  perseverance,  come  off  conquer- 
ors in  the  end.  Among  these  may  be  found  the 
subject  .of  this  biographical  notice,  whose  pleasant 
home  has  been  built  up  by  the  work  of  his  own 
hands,  from  the  merest  trifle  of  a  beginning. 

Mr.  Scott  was  born  in  Knox  Township  July  25, 
1841,  and  is  the  son  of  Gaddial  and  Susan  (Sexton) 
Scott,  his  father  being  one  of  the  most  prominent 
of  the  earliest  pioneers  in  the  county.  He  grew  to 
manhood  on  his  father's  farm  in  the  old  pioneer 
days,  attending  the  district  school,  and  gained  a 
practical  education  by  application  and  industry.  He 
showed  a  liking  for  his  studies  and  wasted  none  of 
the  opportunities  given  him,  and  when  school  days 
ended  he  made  his  home  with  his  parents  until  his 
marriage  in  1863,  with  Mary  R.  Grant,  who  was 
born  in  Berwick  Township,  Warren  Co.,  111. 

Mr.  Scott  located  on  section  8,  of  Knox  Town- 
ship, in  1864,  and  built  a  house.  Then  he  culti- 
vated and  improved  his  land  and  lived  there,  tilling 
the  soil,  until  1869,  repaid  by  bounteous  crops  and 
other  beneficent  results  of  his  labors.  He  next  re- 
moved to  the  farm  he  now  owns,  on  section  4,  on 
which  he    has    since   erected    a  good  set  of  frame 


buildings,  planted  shade  and  fruit  trees  and  orna- 
mental shrubbery,  and  now  has  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable homesteads  in  the  county.  His  wife  died 
April  6,  1879,  and  his  second  marriage  occurred 
April  9,  1880,  at  which  time  he  was  united  with 
Angle  L.  Kearsey.  She  was  born  in  Knox  Town- 
ship, Oct.  16,  1840,  and  was  the  daughter  of  L. 
Kearsey,  a  pioneer  of  this  county.  Mr.  Scott  is  a 
member  of  Pacific  Lodge,  No.  400,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
and  of  Galesburg  Commandery,  No.  8,  Knights  Tem- 
plar, and  in  politics  is  a  Democrat.  In  1882  he 
rented  his  farm  and  removed  to  Galesburg,  where 
he  engaged  in  the  livery  business  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  went  back  to  the  homestead  in  Sep- 
tember, 1885,  and  devoted  more  than  usual  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  his  farm. 

He  now  owns  a  large  area  of  landed  estate,  his 
boundaries  including  520  acres,  nearly  all  finely  im- 
proved. He  owns  much  good  pasture  land,  and  is 
quite  interested  in  the  breeding  of  fine  horses,  cat- 
tle and  sheep.  Among  them  are  Short-horn  cattle, 
of  which  he  makes  a  specialty,  and  he  is  in  all  re- 
spects successful  and  a  leading  citizen. 

A  f  ^^3  harles  P.  Smith  is  one  of  the   farmers  of 
J'l tSa i  Knox    County    who    have    succeeded    in 
gjfe/^  "^      making  themselves  not  only  a  reputation, 
^{fe      but  a  comfortable   competency  for  their  de- 
^      dining  years.     His  home  is  located  on   sec- 
<        tion    25   of  Copley  Township,  and  is  a   fine 
piece   of   property.     Mr.   Smith   was    born    Jan.   9, 
1823,  in  York  County,  Pa.      His  parents  were  Con- 
rad and  Barbara  (Naus)  Smith,  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania.    They  came  to  Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1837, 
and  settled   in   Victor  Township,  where   the   father 
purchased   160  acres  of  land  on  section  30.     Their 
family   consisted  of  r3   children,  10  of  whom   still 
live  as  follows  :   John,  Conrad,  Jacob,  Henry,  Peter, 
Barbara,  Rebecca,  Mary  A., Charles  P.  and  Michael. 
The  father  and  mother  continued  on  the  home  place 
until  the  dates  of  their  deaths,  which  was  1863  and 
1852  respectively. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
his  mother's  death.  He  received  a  limited  educa- 
tion and  has  made  farming  his  business,  purchasing 
in  r849  160  acres  where  he  now  lives.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  1854  to  Miss   Barbara   Dennis,  a   native  of 


->■ 


4^ 


+4^ 


-I-+ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


86s 


Ohio  and  a  daughter  of  Martin  and  Rebecca  Dennis, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia.  They  came 
to  Illinois  in  1S53  and  settled  in  Victoria  Township, 
where  they  are  still  living.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
have  a  family  of  nine  children,  named  as  follows : 
Josephine,  George,  Laura,  Allen  D.,  Harvey  E., 
Maltie,  Charles  C,  Roy  and  Hallah.  Josephine, 
now  Mrs.  Melvin  Moak,  has  three  children — Alon- 
zo,  Florence  and  Charles  ;  George  R.  married  M  iss 
Mary  E.  Dossett  and  has  three  children — Robert, 
Fred  and  Bertie;  Laura  (Mrs.  Nathaniel  C.  Heaton) 
has  one  child — Edna. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  popular,  active  man  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  holds  many  of  the  minor  offices  of  his 
township.  He  is  at  present  School  Director,  labor- 
ing for  the  interest  of  the  schools.  He  holds  the 
position  of  Pathmaster,  and  figures  prominently 
among  |X)pular  men.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity  and  one  of  its  most  useful  members, 
and  in  politics  is  Democratic. 


D.  Waste,  was  born  in  Cameron,  Warren 
^^^  Co.,  111.,  June  6,  1856.  He  is  a  son  of 
|.,|^-4g  Orson  and  Eliza  A.  (Miller)  Waste,  the 
former  a  native  of  the  Green  Mountain  State, 
who  settled  at  Cameron  with  his  father  at  an 
early  day;  the  latter  was  a  native  of  Virginia, 
and  removed  to  Illinois,  settling  in  La  Salle  County 
at  an  early  period  in  the  histor)'  of  that  county,  and 
in  which  place  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Waste. 

The  family  of  Waste  were  for  many  years  favor 
ably  known  in  the  mercantile  interests  of  Cameron, 
and  when  the  family  of  Orson  Waste  had  grown  up, 
he  retired  from  business  at  that  place,  locating  at 
Galesburg,  in  1864.  with  a  view  to  giving  to  his  fam- 
ily the  benefits  and  advantages  offered  by  the  excel- 
lent educational  advantages  of  Galesburg.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch,  after  completing  a  good  aca- 
demical course  of  training,  engaged  in  mercantile  pur- 
suits, with  which  he  has  since  been  identified  in  tliis 
city  until  recently.  During  his  experience,  which 
has  been  almost  e.xclusively  in  the  line  of  office  work, 
he  became  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  several 
inventions  adapted  to  general  oflSce  use,  and  has 
(1886)  severed  his  long  connection  with  the  well- 
known  firm  of  O.  T.  Johnson  &  Co.,  to  devote  his 
entire  attention  to  this  business. 


Mr.  Waste  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Emma, 
daughter  of  Frank  G.  and  Adelaide  (Morse)  Snapp, 
pioneers  of  Warren  County.  The  union  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Waste  has  been  blest  by  the  birth  of  a  daugh- 
ter, Marguerite.  Mr.  Waste,  although  a  young  man, 
has  taken  a  prominent  part  in  the  development  of 
the  social  and  industrial  life  of  his  community. 


s '^"e^* ^— 

eorge  W.  Foote,  M.  D.,  Mayor  of  the  city 
of  Galesburg,  and  a  practicing  physician 
and  surgeon  of  repute,  is  a  native  of  Ham- 
ilton, Madiso'n  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born 
July  4,  1S29.  His  father,  John  Foote,  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  of  English  descent,  was 
by  profession  a  lawyer.  His  mother,  who  before 
marriage  was  Mary  B.  Johnson,  was  born  in  York 
State.  They  reared  four  sons  and  five  daughters ; 
two  of  the  sons,  of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  the  younger,  are  physicians.  The  senior  Foote 
died  at  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  in  August,  1884,  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  99  years.  His  wife  died  at  the  same 
place  in  1832. 

George  W.  Foote  received  his  primary  education 
at  the  common  schools  of  his  native  place,  which 
was  supplemented  by  two  years  in  Clinton  (N.  Y.) 
College.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Gales- 
burg, where  he  had  arrived  in  October  of  the  year 
preceding,  1849;  his  preceptor  being  the  late  dis- 
tinguished Dr.  Henry  C.  Foote.  In  1854,  soon  after 
having  graduated  from  the  Cleveland  Homeopathic 
Medical  College,  he  began  the  practice  of  medicine 
at  Galesburg,  where  he  has  since  been  recognized  as 
one  of  the  leading  members  of  his  profession.  The 
Doctor  has  since  his  residence  here  been  a  reliable 
Republican,  but  in  1884  the  local  organization  of  his 
party  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  majority  faction,  which  in 
regular  convention  assembled  foisted  upon  the  jieo- 
ple  a  candidate  for  the  highest  office  of  the  city  a 
man  so  entirely  objectionable  to  a  known  majority 
that  a  bolt  was  warrantable,  inasmuch  as  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  best  interest  of  the  community  could 
only  be  subserved  thereby.  Hence  Dr.  Foote's  can- 
didacy for  the  mayoralty,  and  hence  his  election. 
This  was  by  no  means  the  Doctor's  first  appearance 
in  public  affairs.  He  was  Health  Officer  of  the  city 
12  years,  and  School  Director,  of  which  Board  he  is, 


V 


li. 


866 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


f 


A 


at  this  writing,  the  presiding  officer,  which  position 
he  has  had  for  nine  years. 

Dr.  George  W.  Foole  organized  the  Pubh'c  Librar>' 
Association  ;  donated  his  entire  private  hbrary  there- 
to, which  influenced  the  city  to  donate  to  it  $2,500. 
He  has  been  prominently  from  the  beginning  identi- 
fied with  this  most  prosperous  of  Galesburg's  public 
institutions.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O. 
O.  F.,  and  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  K.  of  P.  While  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  has  through  most  of  his  life 
depended  upon  his  own  industry  for  a  livelihood, 
and  while  the  returns  have  been  ample,  a  recent  oc- 
currence, which  is  worthy  of  mention,  threw  into  his 
hands  a  competency,  amounting  in  fact  to  a  fortune. 
His  father,  never  noted  as  a  miserly  man,  but  on 
the  contrary  considered  rather  liberal  for  one  of  his 
means,  died  at  his  home,  as  before  stated,  in  York 
State,  in  1884.  While  in  attendance  upon  his  funeral, 
the  Doctor,  with  other  members  of  his  family,  pro- 
ceeded to  make  some  preliminary  examination  into 
'  the  affairs  of  the  old  gentleman's  estate,  with  a  view 
to  settlement  and  distribution  thereof.  The  visible 
property,  including  a  farm,  was  estimated  to  be  worth 
^  something  over  $2,000;  but  in  overhauling  private 
papers,  etc.,  deposited  by  the  old  gentleman  in  the 
bank,  they  were  surprised  by  running  over  a  package 
^  of  United  States  bonds  and  other  valuables  amount- 
ing in  the  aggregate  to  $130,000. 

Dr.  Foote  was  married  at  Galesburg,  to  Miss 
Viola  Ward.  They  have  one  son  living,  Frederick 
Albert,  and  have  buried  one  daughter,  who  died  in 
infancy. 


i^linton  H.  Meadows,  proprietor  of  the  liv- 
ery, feed  and  sale  stables,  Abingdon,  111., 
was  born  in  Warren  County,  111.,  May  ir, 
fe  1859.  He  is  the  son  of  Martin  and  Cathe- 
**  line  (Reynolds)  Meadows,  and  came  with  his 
parents  to  Abingdon  in  rS?:.  He  married 
Miss  Mary  Lamb,  Nov.  27,  1884,  at  South  Bend, 
Ind.     Mrs.  Meadows  is  a  native  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Mesfdows  is  one  of  the  enterprising  business 
men  of  Abingdon.  He  is  full  of  energy  and  enter- 
prise, and  in  his  business  is  bound  to  take  no  second 
place.  He  is,  in  addition  to  his  business  of  livery 
and  feed  stables,  engaged  in  breeding  fine  stock,  and 


has  one  of  the  finest  stallions  in  the  country,  a  mag- 
nificent thoroughbred  animal,  whose  equal  is  hard  to 
find.  In  this  department  he  is  meeting  with  that 
success  that  usually  accompanies  enterprise  and 
perseverance.  In  the  matter  of  stylish  turnouts  and 
first  class  horses  for  driving  purposes,  the  livery  es- 
tablishment of  Mr.  Meadows  is  not  surpassed  in  the 
county. 


; .  t.:j' (i  -  oseph  Fisher  may  be  classed  among  the 
j.i^^j^  leading  farmers  of  Ontario  Township,  and 
l|^  is  a  stanch  and  reliable  man.     His  home 

^^  is  on  section  28,  and  situated  within  the  lim- 
it its  of  Oneida.  Mr.  Fisher  when  a  child  came 
i  with  his  parents  from  Summit  County,  Ohio, 
to  which  place  they  had  come  when  Joseph  was 
three  years  of  age.  He  was  born  at  Lancaster,  En- 
gland, May  27,  1 83 1. 

His  father  was  a  native  of  the  same  shire  in  which 
his  son  was  born,  and  was  by  occupation  a  miner. 
He  was  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  three  ciiildren,  of 
whom  he  is  the  only  surviving  one.  On  the  arrival 
of  the  family  in  America,  they  located  for  a  time  in 
Canada,  at  which  place  the  father  suffered  an  attack 
of  cholera,  then  prevailing  there.  After  a  short 
period  they  removed  to  Ohio,  and  in  1838  to  Illinois, 
settling  in  Mercer  County.  Later  on  they  went  to 
Clover  Township,  Henry  Co.,  111.,  at  which  place  the 
father  died  in  January,  1844.  His  widow  survived 
him  till  the  year  1876,  when  she  died  at  the  home  of 
her  son,  our  subject,  with  whom  she  had  spent  the 
last  years  of  her  life. 

Soon  after  his  father's  death,  Mr.  Fisher  of  this 
sketch  launched  out  into  the  world  determined  to 
win  his  own  way.  This  he  did  energetically  and 
with  a  purpose.  He  began  work  on  a  farm, at  which 
he  continued  until  he  accumulated  a  fund  sufficient- 
ly large  to  purchase  80  acres,  which  he  obtained  at 
$1  per  acre,  receiving  a  tax-title  therefor.  After  add- 
ing many  improvements  to  his  crude  possession,  he 
was  confronted  with  the  original  title  and  compelled 
to  pay  $650  more  in  order  to  lift  the  burden  of  debt 
from  his  farm.  Continuing  those  improvements 
which  daily  added  to  the  value  of  his  land,  he  culti- 
vated it  to  the  highest  degree,  and  in  so  doing  gained 
what  is  now  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  vicinity. 
His  marriage,  which  occurred  ir  Sparta  Township, 


L«.!r 


t 


LIBRARV 
OF  THE 
L..iVER£iTV  GF  ILLI' 


uiyCe^    (^  cy^<2^^J^^(^ 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


869 


Oct.  20,  1852,  with  Emily  Fisher,  of  the  same  name, 
but  related  in  no  way,  has  proved  a  most  pleasant 
and  amiable  union.  Mrs.  Fisher  was  a  native  of 
Kentucky  and  was  born  July  30,  1834.  Her  father, 
Woodford  Fisher,  was  a  Kentucky  farmer,  who  re- 
moved to  Marshall  County,  111.,  when  Mrs.  Fisher 
was  a  little  girl.  The  second  removal  of  the  family 
was  to  Sparta  Township,  Knox  County,  at  which 
place  they  resided  till  the  death  of  Mrs.  Fisher. 
Joseph  Fisher  had  a  family  of  three  children,  all  of 
whom  are  deceased.  They  have  at  the  present  time 
one  adopted  daughter,  Nelly  by  name,  born  April 
15,  1872,  being  14  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Fisher  is  a  popular  and  intelligent  man,  and 
has  held  many  local  offices.  He  has  been  Road 
Commissioner  two  terms,  and  in  political  belief  is  a 
stanch  Republican. 

llS^Ufngeline  Whipple,  who  devotes  her  lime  to 
^S#lf  faiming  and  stock-raising  on  section  g,  of 
jj|^?3°  Cedar  Township,  was  born  Feb.  8,  1843, 
■*  Niffi'  ^"'^  o"  'is''  father's  side  is  of  Scotch  ancestry. 
^  She  is  now  living  on  the  old  home  farm,  where 
J  she  was  born.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Peier 
C.  and  Eliza  H.  (Boram)  Nelson.  The  former  was 
born  in  Greenbrier  County,  W.  Va.,  in  1807.  His 
demise  took  place  on  March  6,  1881.  He  was  a 
Republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  was  Class  Leader  over  50  years  of 
his  life.  He  died  full  in  the  faith  and  the  hoi)e  of 
eternal  bliss.  He  married  Miss  Boram,  as  we  have 
already  stated,  June  27,  1831.  They  were  tlie  par- 
ents of  eight  children — four  boys  and  four  girls — the 
latter  being  now  dead,  with  the  exception  of  the  sub- 
ject, whose  name  heads  this  sketch.  One  of  the 
boys  is  also  deceased.  The  names  of  the  children 
are  Mary  J.,  John  I.,  Hester  A.,  Louisa,  Ange- 
line,  William  H.  H.  (deceased),  Zachariah  T.  and 
Aaron  F. 

Peter  G.  Nelson  was  a  most  estimable  friend, 
neighbor  and  citizen,  ever  kind-hearted  and  gen- 
erous, and  was  regarded  by  everyone  in  the  com- 
munity as  a  benefactor.  He  was  a  tower  of  moral 
and  religious  strength,  upon  which  many  a  weaker 
mortal  leaned  when  shaken  by  the  trials  and  tribu- 
lations of  life.  To  a  community  such  men — those 
who  live  in  the  higher  light  and   strength  accorded 


■HK 


!A=: 


them  by  their  Master — are  a  great  blessing.  As  a 
man  whose  portrait  is  prominently  worthy  a  place  in 
the  galaxy  of  those  of  representative  men  of  Knox 
County,  given  in  this  Album,  we  cheerfully  place 
that  of  Peter  C.  Nelson  in  connection  with  this 
sketch. 

The  fatlier  of  Peter  C.  Nelson  was  John  Nelson,  a 
native  of  Pendleton  County,  Va.  He  married  Mar)' 
E.  Castle,  also  a  native  of  Virginia.  They  both  died 
at  their  home  on  section  9,  Cedar  Township,  Knox 
County,  having  settled  there  in  the  fall  of  1839. 
John  Nelson  died  in  1852,  his  wife  having  preceded 
him  seven  years.  The  father  of  John  Nelson  served 
as  a  soldier  during  seven  vears  of  the  War  of  the 
Revolution. 

Mrs.  Whipple  married  Joseph  W.  Wliipple,  Oct.4, 
i860,  the  ceremony  being  performed  by  Rev.  A. 
Morey,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Mr. 
Whipple  was  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  was  born  in  1839.  By  this  marriage  there 
were  three  children  born,  two  of  whom  are  now  liv- 
ing— W.  H.,  born  June  12,  1862,  and  died  April  13, 
1868;  Harry  N.,  born  Oct  25,  1S68;  and  L.  A., 
Sept.  8,  1872. 

Mrs.  Whipple  has  90  acres  of  land  and  is  carrying 
on  her  farming  operations  with  the  assistance  of  her 
two  sons.  She  owns  a  full-blooded  Jersey  cow  and 
a  number  of  finely  bred  Short- horn  cattle,  together 
with  50  head  of  sheep.  This  lady,  who  is  remarka- 
ble for  her  good  sense  and  geniality  of  disposition, 
received  her  education  at  the  common  schools.  She 
is  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  takes  p.irt  in  all  good  movements  in  her 
congregation. 


ohn  CoUinson.  The  different  residents  of 
Knox  County  are  distinguished  for  various 
acts  of  helpfulness  and  honor  reflecting 
back  upon  themselves  in  the  building  up  and 
Ic^  advancement  of  the  county.  One  of  the  im- 
portant factors  in  her  internal  machinery  is  the 
subject  of  this  personal  sketch,  whose  home  is  sit- 
uated on  section  29,  Lynn  Township,  and  who  has 
shown  himself  able  and  willing  to  forward  all  the 
interests  of  his  community. 

Mr.  CoUinson  was  born  in  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
March  30,   1831.     His   father,  whose   given    name 


■a 


.870 


ITJVOX  COUNTY. 


was  Thonifis,  was  born  and  reared  in  Yorkshire, 
England.  While  residing  in  England  he  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Hannah  Codlin,  and  afterward,  with 
their  two  children,  set  sail  for  America,  making  set- 
tlement in  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  in  1829.  Our  sub- 
ject was  the  first-born  of  his  parents'  family  after 
their  arrival  in  the  United  States.  Subsequent  to 
their  arrival  here,  their  family  was  increased  by  the 
birth  of  three  cliildren,  while  tliey  were  residents  of 
Luzerne  County,  Pa.  The  death  of  the  mother 
occurred  May  8,  1837.  The  father  was  subsequently 
married  to  Miss  Louisa  Mathias,  after  which  event 
they,  with  their  family,  emigrated  West.  Upon  their 
arrival  in  the  Prairie  State,  in  1852,  they  immediately 
settled  in  Lynn  Township,  at  which  place  the 
father's  demise  occurred  Jan.  28,  1881.  His  widow 
Still  survives,  and  is  living  with  her  youngest  daugh- 
ter, Louisa  McClure,  in  Lynn  Tovk-nsliip.  She  has 
attained  the  venerable  age  of  75  years.  The  father 
of  our  subject  had  purchased  a  farm  in  Lynn  Town- 
ship, which  was  finely  improved,  and  upon  which  he 
erected  a  desirable  dwelling  and  necessary  out- 
buildings. 

After  John  Collinson  arrived  in  this  county  in  com- 
pany with  his  parents,  he  immediately  set  about 
to  earn  his  own  living.  Dec.  25,  1855,  in  Stark 
County,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Christiana  Reader. 
Miss  Reader  was  a  native  of  Germany,  where  she 
was  born  Feb.  27,  1823.  Her  mother  died  when 
she  was  but  a  child,  and  consequently  we  have  no 
account  of  her  maiden  name  or  history.  The  father, 
John  Reader,  was  a  shoemaker,  and  brought  his 
two  children,  both  daughters,  to  the  United  States, 
in  1848.  The  parents  at  once  settled  in  Toulon, 
Stark  County,  where  they  followed  the  honorable 
and  independent  calling  of  farming  until  the  demise 
of  the  father,  which  occurred  in  1851.  The  death 
of  Mr.  Reader  was  caused  by  being  thrown  from  an 
unmanageable  horse,  which  he  was  leading  by  the 
halter,  the  strap  of  which  was  fastened  to  his  wrist. 
The  animal,  becoming  frightened,  viciously  shied  and 
threw  Mr.  Reader  to  the  ground,  dragging  him  to 
death.  Finally  the  strap  broke,  the  horse  going 
home,  leaving  his  victim  in  the  road. 

After  the  death  of  her  father  Mrs.  Collinson  v^as 
engaged  in  domestic  work  until  her  marriage  with 
Mr.  C,  to  whom  she  has  borne  nine  children,  of 
whom  we  give  the  following  brief  memoranda: 
Martha  became  the  wife  of  Holman  Williams,  and 


they  are  at  present  residing  in  West  Jersey  Town- 
ship, Stark  County,  and  following  farming;  Mark  O. 
is  the  husband  of  Charlotte  Stephenson,  and  they 
reside  on  his  father's  homestead ;  Henry  J.  took  to 
wife  Emma  Himer,  and  they  make  Lynn  Township 
their  home,  where  they  are  engaged  in  the  peaceful 
calling  of  farming;  Andrew  H.  resides  in  Iowa; 
Anna  M.  is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Catton,  a  farmer,  re- 
siding in  Stark  County;  Lydia  A.  resides  at  home, 
as  does  also  Viola  D.,  Oscar  C.  and  Ada  L. 

Since  their  marriage  Mr.  Collinson  and  wife  are 
residing  on  their  farm.  He  is  now  the  possessor  of 
236  acres  of  most  excellent  and  highly  cultivated 
land,  where  he  is  meeting  with  success.  In  politics 
he  is  a  stanch  Democrat. 


Ij:  obert  R.  Steek,  a  successful  farmer  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Knox  County, 
_^  residing  on  section  24,  Salem  Township,  is 

•f  \\\  a  native  of  Greensburg,  Westmoreland  Co., 
Pa.,  where  he  was  born  Nov.  12,  1851.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Steck  was  a  native  of  the 
same  county,  and  was  born  in  1820.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject  was  also  born  in  Westmore- 
land County,  Pa.,  and  settled  at  Greensburg,  Pa.,  at 
which  place  he  also  died.  His  wife  was  also  a 
native  of  Greensburg. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion, and  followed  that  vocation  until  his  removal, 
in  1865,  to  Illinois,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  in 
Peoria  County,  on  which  he  is  still  residing.  The 
maiden  name  of  the  mother  was  Isabella  Jack,  also 
a  native  of  Westmoreland  County,  Pa.,  and  of  Scotch 
lineage.  Her  demise  occurred  Jan.  22,1885.  The 
family  consisted  of  eight  children,  seven  now  living: 
James  resides  in  Clarke  County,  Iowa;  Maria  became 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Henry;  Robert  R.,  our  subject; 
John,  who  resides  in  Peoria  County;  Margaret,  wife 
of  Robert  Brooks,  also  residing  in  Peoria  County,  of 
wiiich  Samuel  and  George  are  also  residents. 

Robert  R.  Steck  was  but  a  lad  of  14  years  when 
he  accoitipanied  his  parents  to  the  Prairie  State. 
While  in  Pennsylvania  he  had  attended  the  district 
schools,  and  after  coming  to  Illinois  attended  the 
schools  of  Peoria  County,  when  not  engaged  in  the 
duties  of  the  farm. 

Nov.  I.  1876,  Mr.  Steck  was  united  in  marriage 


■T- 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


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871 


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with  Miss  Elizabeth  McKeighan,  the  intelligent 
daughter  of  James  and  Elizabeth  (Cunningham) 
McKeighan.  After  their  marriage  they  located  in 
Peoria  County,  where  Mr.  Steck  rented  land  until  ! 
1878,  the  date  of  removal  into  Knox  County,  where  | 
they  located  on  section  17,  Salem  Township.  March 
3,  1884,  they  settled  upon  their  present  farm,  and 
are  actively  engaged  in  its  cultivation  and  im- 
provement. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Steck  are  the  parents 
of  four  children — Belle  E.,  Edith  R.,  Bessie  and  Ida 
M.  Both  our  subject  and  his  wife  are  devoted 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  in  their 
community  are  held  in  high  esteem. 


(Srk  S.  Lemon  is  one  of  the  enterprising 
and  successful  farmers  of  Galesburg 
Township,  residing  on  section  28,  where 
he  is  the  owner  of  205  acres  of  good  land, 
all  under  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation,  on 
which  he  has  a  fine  dwelling,  two  stories  high 
and  in  dimensions  30x35  feet ;  his  barn  is  50x72  feet, 
and  stable  for  horses  16x50  feet;  he  also  has  a  fine 
cattle-shed  25x32  feet,  besides  other  out-buildings. 

Mr.  Lemon  was  born  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
Aug.  I,  1846,  and  leaving  tliat  State  at  the  age  of  18 
years,  he  came  direct  to  Galesburg  Township,  where 
he  has  ever  since  resided.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  E.  Whitfield,  March  2,  1870,  who  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  where  she  was  born  March  2,  1852, 
and  was  married  on  her  i8th  birthday.  Her  parents 
were  of  English  birth,  and  came  to  America  in  1849, 
locating  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  they  remained  some 
years,  the  father  being  killed  in  a  rolling-mill,  from 
an  accidental  blow  on  the  head  fiom  a  crowbar,  about 
the  year  1845.  In  September  of  the  same  year  Mrs. 
Whitfield  came  to  Illinois,  bringing  her  two  children, 
a  son  and  daughter.  Joseph,  the  eldest,  was  born 
Dec.  9,  1847,  and  died  when  nine  years  old.  Mary 
E.,  now  Mrs.  Lemon,  whose  birth  is  above  mentioned, 
became  the  mother  of  seven  children,  as  follows : 
Nancy  E.,  born  Dec.  10,  187 1;  Ruth  E.,  Feb.  24, 
1873;  Fannie  B.,  Aug.  14,  1875;  Ida  M.,  June  26, 
1877  ;  Louis  E.,  Oct.  10,  1879  ;  Gracie  M.,  Jan.  17, 
1882,  and  Alice  May,  May  10,  1884. 

The   parents   of  Mr.    Lemon    were   Samuel    and 
Nancy  (Shields)  Lemon,  and  were  natives  of  Penn- 
-A 


sylvania,  and  both  died  in  Ohio.  They  had  nine 
children,  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  Isaac,  Joseph,  Hal- 
bert,  Martha  M..  Samuel,  Mark,  Nancy  and  Luther. 
Mr.  Lemon  enlisted  as  a  soldier  April  i,  1864,  in  the 
i68ih  Reg.  Ohio  Vol.  Inf.,  Co.  A,  and  was  mustered 
in  at  Camp  Denison,  and  afterward  ordered  to  Ken- 
tucky, where  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  rebel 
Gen.  John  Morgan,  and  paroled  three  or  four  days 
after.  Returning  home,  he  was  sent  back  to  Ken- 
tucky again  for  guard  duty,  serving  some  five  months 
in  the  army,  never  having  been  wounded.  He  was 
discharged  at  Camp  Denison. 

Mr.  Lemon,  in  addition  to  being  a  very  successful 
business  man  and  farmer,  owning  one  of  the  finest 
farms  in  a  county  where  a  poor  farm  is  the  exception, 
and  also  raising  a  fine  grade  of  cattle,  is  always 
ready  to  perform  his  duty  as  a  citizen,  and  for  14 
years  has  held  the  thankless,  though  resixjnsible, 
position  of  School  Director,  and  for  three  years  the 
oflSce  of  Road  Commissioner.  No  belter  evidence 
could  be  given  to  prove  that  he  has  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  his  neighbors  and  fellow-citizens  than 
the  fact  that  he  has  held  for  so  long  these  positions 
of  public  trust.  In  ixjlitics  Mr.  Lemon  is  a  Demo- 
crat, but  liberal  and  tolerant  toward  those  who  differ 
with  him  in  political  sentiment.  Yet  in  the  prime  of 
life,  having  already  reached  more  than  the  average 
success  attained  by  men,  we  may  yet  hope  for  him 
many  years  of  extended  usefulness  in  private  life  and 
public  trust.  A  view  of  Mr.  Lemon's  place  is  shown 
on  another  page. 


ealy  C.  Woods  is  a  prominent  brickmaker 
in  Galesburg.  In  company  with  his  fath- 
er-in-law, Mr.  T.  D.  Stafford,  he  has 
worked  the  business  successfully  for  some 
years.  In  this  department  of  manufacture  the 
name  of  Stafford  &  Woods  has  been  before  the 
public  since  the  spring  of  1856.  Altogether  they 
make  about  1,000,000  bricks  per  year.  Mr.  Woods 
married  Miss  C.  L.  Stafford  on  the  24th  of  December, 
1867.  She  was  born  in  October,  1841,  in  Rochester, 
Sangamon  Co.,  111.  Three  children  have  been  born  to 
this  marriage — Mildred  F.,  Oct.  16,  1868;  Fred  E., 
Nov.  21,1872;  Grace  A.,  Nov.  i,  1874.  Mrs  Woods' 
parents  wereT.  D.  and  P.  M.  (Fisher)  Stafford,  and 


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872 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


they  were  married  in  1836.  This  excellent  lady 
died  on  Jan.  13,  1872,  and  of  the  issue  of  this  mar- 
riage left  three  children— Eliza  J.,  Cecilia  L.  and 
Ellen  M. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Woods  were  Ira  and  Orpha 
(Daggett)  Woods.  His  father  was  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  where  he  was  born  in  1790,  and 
died  in  1854.  The  mother  was  a  native  of  Indiana, 
where  she  was  born  in  1810,  and  died  June  9,  1875. 
They  were  married  in  1839,  and  had  four  children, 
viz.:     Clarissa,  Nealy  C,  Phebe  and  Orpha. 

The  subject  of  our  biography  was  born  and  brought 
up  on  a  farm  at  Avon,  this  State,  in  1842,  and  came 
to  Galesburg  in  the  spring  of  1856.  He  attended 
Lombard  College  for  three  years,  and  in  August, 
i86i,enhstedinthe7th  111.  Vol.  Cav.,  under  Col.  Pitt 
Kellogg,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler.  The 
very  first  duty  he  performed  was  at  Bird's  Point,  Mo., 
where  he  assisted  in  the  capture  of  Island  No.  i  o,  just 
j    below  Columbus,  Ky.     He  also  served  at   Pittsburg 

[Landing,  and  was  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Corinth. 
At  this  period  he  was  on  guard  duty  along  the  Mem- 
phis &  Charleston  Railroad,  at  Coffeeville,  Miss., 
upon  Hood's  retreat  from  Holly  Springs,  Miss.  He 
I  was  captured  by  Col.  Walls,  of  the  Texas  Legion, 
.1  while  fighting  dismounted  against  infantry  in  an-en- 
gagement  lasting  four  hours,  and  remained  a  pris- 
oner for  some  three  weeks.  This  occurred  on  the  i6th 
of  December,  1862,  and  within  three  weeks  of  that 
event  he  was  paroled  and  sent  home. 

On  the  30th  of  January  following  Mr.  Woods  again 
joined  the  regiment,  and  on  the  1 2th  of  April  started 
with  Grierson  on  the  famous  raid  through  Mississippi 
and  Louisiana,  until  he  came  to  Baton  Rouge,  where, 
on  the  2d  of  May,  they  captured  x,ooo  prisoners, 
having  marched  800  miles  in  16  days.  He  also 
assisted  in  the  capture  of  Port  Hudson  and  was  fort- 
unate enough  to  come  out  of  the  war  without  a 
wound.  He  was  mustered  out  Oct.  15,  1864,  at 
Springfield,  111. 

In  the  city  of  Galesburg,  in  the  brickraaking  bus- 
iness, the  firm  of  Stafford  &  Woods  is  the  oldest 
known  in  the  vicinity.  Their  manufacture  will  com- 
pare favorably  with  any  other  in  the  district. 

Our  subject  is  a  respected  member  of  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  and  a  member  of  the  Commandery.  He 
was  made  a  Mason  in  1863.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  the  G.  A.  R.     He  is  prominently  connected  with 


the  Galesburg  Board  of  Education,  where  his  serv- 
ices have  had  the  full  acknowledginent  of  all  those 
connected  with  that  department.  His  family  are 
members  of  the  Universalist  Church,  while  in  poli- 
tics Mr.  Woods  is  a  thorough  supporter  of  RepubU- 
can  principles. 

"^^^ll  dward  Marsh,  the  senior  member  of  the 
^1  hardware  firm  of  E.  Marsh  &  Son,  Oneida, 
(gf^  one  of  the  oldest  hardware  men  of  the 
couniy,  is  the  subject  of  this  notice.  Immedi- 
ately after  coming  to  Oneida,  in  187  i,  he  estab- 
lished his  present  business,  which  he  represents 
and  conducts  with  so  much  credit  to  himself  and 
usefulness  to  the  community.  His  patrons  find  pleas- 
ure as  well  as  profit  in  dealing  with  him,  his  stock 
always  meeting  their  demands  and  his  rule  being 
"  good  goods  at  honest  prices." 

Mr.  M.  came  to  Knox  County  about  the  year  1852, 
engaging  at  Abingdon  as  clerk  in  a  hardware  store, 
at  which  he  condnued  till  the  breaking  out  of  Rebell- 
ion, when  at  the  first  call  for  three-years  volun- 
teers to  defend  the  Government  and  the  honor  of  its 
flag,  Mr.  M.  at  once  responded,  joining  the  33d  Illi- 
nois, known  as  the  Normal  Regiment,  Col.  I.  A. 
Elliott,  later  Adjutant-General,  now  of  Princeton, 
111.,  commanding.  It  was  assigned  to  the  13th  Army 
Corps,  and  participated  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg  and 
other  campaigns  along  the  Mississippi  and  in  Texas. 
He  was  severely  wounded  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  July 
12,  1863,  and  being  unable  for  duty  resigned,  as  First 
Lieutenant,  and  was  honorably  discharged  by  special 
order  in  June,  1864. 

After  regaining  his  health,  Mr.  Marsh  became  en- 
gaged in  the  hardware  business  at  Abingdon,  in 
which  he  continued  till  1869,  when  he  went  to  Eagle- 
ville,  Mo.,  and  after  one  year  in  business  there  he 
came  to  Oneida,  establishing  the  business  which  he 
has  ever  since  so  well  and  successfully  conducted. 
In  September,  X885,  he  admitted  his  son,  C.  E. 
Marsh,  as  a  member  of  the  firm,  which  adopted  the 
title  of  E.  Marsh  &  Son.  His. store  is  located  on 
Center  street,  and  is  a  brick  building  22x85  ^^^'^^  '"'O 
stories  high,  the  second  floor  being  occupied  by  a  tm- 
factory  employing  a  number  of  hands.  Mr.  Marsh 
was  born  in  Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  Aug.  23,  i83S._  His 
father,  Thomas,  was  a  blacksmith  and  a  native  of 


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, i  . . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


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Pennsylvania,  of  American  parentage  and  of  English 
ancestry.  He  came  to  Indiana  when  a  young  man 
and  married  Elizabeth  Lang,  formerly  from  the  vicin- 
ity of  New  Albany,  her  parents  being  from  Kentucky. 
After  their  marriage  his  parents  came  to  Edgar 
County,  111.,  and  later  to  Monroe  County,  Ind.,  where 
the  father  died,  about  1854.  The  mother  is  yet  living 
at  Bryant,  Fulton  County,  this  State,  and  is  about  70 
years  of  age. 

Mr.  Edward  Marsh  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  and  was  married  at  Abingdon,  Sept.  i,  1858,10 
Miss  Susan  Nicols,  who  was  born  near  I'oughkeepsie 
N.  Y.  Her  parents,  Henry  and  Sally  (Hogarth)  Nicols, 
were  York  State  people,  and  farmers,  coming  to  Illi- 
nois when  Mrs.  Marsh  was  an  infant,  and  settling  in 
Fulton  County.  Mrs.  Marsh  died  in  the  fall  of  1S66, 
leaving  two  children — Julian  E.  and  Charles  H.  Mr. 
Marsh  was  married  again,  in  1S68,  lo  Miss  Julia 
Bristol,  of  Farmington,  111  ,  who  lived  but  a  short 
time,  dying  at  Eagleville,  Mo.,  in  September,  1869, 
In  1871  Mr.  M.  was  married  to  his  present  wife,  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Barklow.  Mrs.  M.  has  two  sons  by  her  former 
marriage — E.  D.  and  C.  E.  Barklow — making  four 
^  sons  in  the  family.  Charles  E.  Barklow  has  had  his 
name  legally  changed  to  Marsh,  and  is  now  a  partner 
in  the  firm  of  E.  Marsh  &  Son. 

Mr.  Marsh  has  a  beautiful  residence  in  Oneida. 
He  is  one  of  the  city  Aldermen,  is  a  solid  and  reli- 
able Republican,  and  a  public-spirited  and  honorable 
citizen.  He  has  scarcely  passed  the  meridian  of  life, 
yet  has  served  his  countr)'  and  his  generation  faith- 
fully. Shirking  no  duty,  and  acquiring  by  honesty 
and  industry  a  fair  amount  of  worldly  goods,  he  has, 
besides,  that  priceless  treasure,  a  good  name. 


€e. 


arius  Woolsey,    one   of  the  leading    and 

^    prosperous  farmers  of  Haw  Creek  Town- 

^1.0^  ^  ship,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  He 
was  born  in  Marion  County,  Ohio,  June  9, 
1849.  He  came  West  in  early  life  in  company 
with  his  mother  and  David  Woolsey,  an  elder 
brother.  He  continued  at  home  and  with  his  brother 
until  his  marriage,  in  1872,  when  he  was  united  with 
Miss  Emma  Wolf,  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth 
Wolf.  She  was  born  in  Haw  Creek  Township, 
Knox  County.     Her   parents   came   to  Illinois  and 


settled  where  Mr.  Wolf  at  present  resides.  Her 
mother  died  in  1886.  Her  father  still  survives. 
There  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woolsey  five 
children,  whose  names  are  John,  Elmer,  Cora,  Ed- 
gar and  Bert  Woolsey.  Edgar  died  when  in  his  sec- 
ond year.  Mrs.  Woolsey  is  a  member  of  the  United 
Brethren  Church. 

Mr.  Woolsey,  as  before  stated,  is  a  prosperous 
farmer,  and  a  live,  energetic  business  man.  He  is 
the  owner  of  700  acres  of  good,  tillable  land,  nearly 
all  of  which  is  under  cultivation.  He  has  a  fine 
dwelling-house,  good  barns  and  out-houses  for  the 
conveniences  of  farming  and  stock-raising. 

A  view  of  the  premises  can  be  seen  on  another 
page  of  this  work.  Politically  Mr.  W.  is  a  Republi- 
can, though  he  takes  no  further  part  in  politics  than 
exercising  the  right  of  suffrage. 

ichael  Maley.  This  gentleman  is  a  farmer, 
located  on  section  32,  in  Galesburg  Town- 
fi:>^K.''^  ship,  and  is  a  native  of  County  Limerick, 
'  ^'^\  Ireland,  where  he  was  born  in  1830.  In  the 
year  1853  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
and  landed  at  New  York  city,  where  he  re- 
mained for  one  year,  and  then  went  to  Columbus, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  occupied  on  a  farm  up  to  the 
dale  of  his  removal  to  this  county,  in  1855.  He  has 
since  resided  at  his  present  home. 

Mr.  Maley  was  married  to  Miss  Annie  Ryan  on 
the  1 2th  of  November,  1862.  This  lady's  birth  took 
place  in  1842,  in  Ireland,  and  she  was  brought  to 
America  when  a  child  two  years  old.  She  is  a 
lady  of  very  estimable  character,  a  good  mother  and 
faithful  wife.  To  them  were  born  nine  ciiildren,  viz. 
Margaret,  Aug.  30,  1863;  William,  in  March,  1865 
John  E.,  Nov.  i,  1866;  Mary  E.,  June  5,  1869 
Thomas  S.,  March  20,  1871;  Annie  E.,  Dec.  2, 
1872;  Adelia  M.,  May  19,  1875;  George  D.,  June 
i8,  1879,  and  Frederick  P.,  Feb.  28,  1881. 

Mr.  Maley  has  260  acres  of  very  fine  land,  which 
is  under  first-class  cultivation.  He  has  on  it  500 
rods  of  tile  drain,  an  excellent  dwelling-house,  and  a 
granary,  which  has  a  capacity  of  4,000  bushels  of 
small  grain.  His  land  cost  him  $70  an  acre.  The 
lamily  arc  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church 
of  Galesburg.     He  has  held  the  position  of  School 


A 


U 


874 


KATOX  COUNTY. 


1? 


Director  of  his  district,  and  in  that  capacity  has  given 
general  satisfaction.  Miss  Maggie  graduated  at  St. 
Joseph's  Academy,  and  is  a  teacher  at  Galesburg. 
For  the  past  three  years  she  has  been  engaged  in 
that  capacity,  and  is  considered  an  excellent  scholar. 
The  son,  William  H.,  is  now  attending  the  Business 
College  at  Galesbuig. 


dson  Huggins.  One  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers of  Knoxville  and  a  prominent  citizen 
is  Edson  Huggins,  who  is  identified  as  one 
^^  of  the  pioneers  of  that  section  and  who  is  the 
the  subject  of  this  personal  history.  He  has 
occupied  his  present  home  since  an  early  day 
and  has  been  an  eye-witness  to  the  growth  and  pros- 
perity of  Knox  County. 

Mr.  Huggins  was  born  in  the  town  of  Coventry, 
Vt.,  Sept.  II,  1816.  His  father,  David  Huggins, 
came  of  New  England  stock,  being  a  native  of  the 
1  State  of  New  Hampshire,  and  was  born  in  the  town 
of  Cornish,  May  14,  1787.  He  grew  to  manhood  in 
his  native  State,  and  while  young  went  to  Vermont 
and  there  purchased  a  tract  of  timber  land,  lying  in 
Orleans  County,  in  which  section  of  country  he  was 
an  early  settler.  He  returned  to  the  State  of  his 
birth.  New  Hampshire,  to  celebrate  his  marriage  with 
Miss  Jerusha  Cobb,  and  with  his  bride  set  his  face 
toward  his  new  home.  The  young  couple,  with 
brave  hearts  and  united  energy,  commenced  the  up- 
rearing  of  a  home,  the  husband  clearing  the  land  of 
the  forest  trees,  and  the  wife,  equally  desirous  of 
success  and  prosperity,  pursuing  her  part  of  the  do- 
mestic labors.  On  this  farm  they  worked  and  waited 
for  prosperity  until  1834,  and  in  the  spring  of  that 
year,  with  his  oldest  son,  the  head  of  the  house  with 
a  pair  of  horses  and  a  wagon  emigrated  to  the  Far 
West,  with  the  strong  expectation  and  hope  of  finding 
an  Eldorado.  They  made  their  way  overland  to 
Knox  County,  a»d  here  purchased  a  pre-emption 
right  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  27,  town- 
ship II,  in  what  is  now  Knox  Township.  They  also 
bought  two  lots  in  the  village  of  Knoxville,  on  which 
stood  a  log  house. 

Leaving  his  son  in  the  Western  home  they  had 
found,  Mr.  Huggins  returned  to  the  State  of  Ver- 
mont, from  which,  in  the  fall  of  that  year,  accompanied. 


by  his  wife  and  their  family,  consisting  of  eight  chil- 
dren, he  started  for  Illinois.  They  took  what  was  at 
the  lime  the  most  desirable  route,  namely,  via  stage 
to  Burlington,  thence  down  Lake  Champlain  by  beat, 
through  to  Troy,  and  from  that  city  by  Erie  Canal  to 
Buffalo.  Leaving  Buffalo,  they  came  by  the  way  of 
Lake  Erie  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  traveling  on  to  Ports- 
mouth and  coming  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  to  Beardstown,  from  which  place  they 
completed  their  journey  by  land.  They  started 
from  that  place,  traveling  with  an  ox  team,  intending 
by  this  mode  of  conveyance  to  reach  Knoxville,  but 
were  met  on  their  way  by  their  son,  with  whom  they 
returned  in  better  style.  The  family  moved  into 
their  log  cabin  in  the  village,  in  which  humble  home 
they  remained  for  two  years,  and  which  they  left  to 
move  onto  the  farm,  a  log  cabin  being  there  also. 
This  latter  had  been  built  by  the  first  claimant  of  the 
land.  Mr.  Huggins  placed  his  land  under  high  cul- 
tivation and  made  the  farm  his  home  until  his  death. 
His  wife,  who  survived  him  some  time,  spent  the  ' 
last  years  of  her  life  in  peace  and  pleasure  in  the 
home  of  her  son  George. 

To  this  couple  have  been  given  nine  children,  viz.: 
Brunson,  deceased ;  Phebe,  who  married  Sullivan 
Raney,  and  who  died  in  Vermont ;  Nathaniel,  de- 
ceased ;  Olivia,  who  married  Dr.  Johnson,  and  who  ' 
died  in  Texas;  Edson,  who  lives  in  Knoxville  ;  Jeru- 
sha, wife  of  John  Mosher,  whose  home  is  also  in 
Knoxville;  David  B.;  Charles  H.,  who  lives  in 
Knox  Township;  George  lives  in  Knox  Township, 
and  Chester,  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huggins  were 
members  of  the  first  church  ever  organized  in  Knox- 
ville, and  were  devoted  and  earnest  workers  in  all 
worthy  enterprises. 

When  the  subject  of  this  sketch  had  attained  the 
age  of  18  years,  he  removed  to  Illinois  with  his  par- 
ents, as  previously  stated.  When  the  family  landed 
at  Beardstown  and  were  met  by  him  with  their  awk- 
ward conveyance,  he  at  once  proposed  to  return 
to  Knoxville  in  search  of  a  team,  which  journey  he 
performed  on  foot,  and  came  back  to  his  parents, 
whom  he  landed  in  Knoxville.  He  learned  the  trade 
of  cabinet-maker,  and  went  first  to  Knoxville  to  re- 
pair the  cabin  in  which  the  family  lived,  and  during 
the  first  year  he  made  tables.  There  being  no 
wagon-shop  in  Knoxville,  he  was  often  called  upon 
to  do  the  woik  of  a  wheelwright,  and  during  his  first 
year  filled  a  pair  of  wheels,  the  first  work  of  the  kind 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


87  s 


ever  done  in  Knox  County.  He  aftenvard  became 
contractor  and  builder,  at  which  occupation  he  con- 
tinued until  within  two  or  three  years.  He  is  now  a 
retired  business  man  and  enjoys  the  fruits  of  a  well- 
spent  life  of  industr)'  and  economy.  He  has  been 
twice  married,  his  first  matrimonial  alliance  being 
with  Sophronia  Marsh,  a  nativeof  York  State.  Their 
nuptials  were  celebrated  Sept.  1 1,  1844  ;  and,  leaving 
four  orphaned  children  to  mourn  her  loss,  Mrs. 
Huggins  passed  from  earth  to  the  joy  and  peace  be- 
yond, July  4,  1857,  celebrating  a  nobler  and  grander 
independence  in  the  great  hereafter.  The  names  of 
the  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huggins  are  :  Eloise, 
wife  of  Prof.  Stickney,  whose  home  is  in  Knoxville  ; 
Emma,  who  wedded  George  A.  Bassett,  and  Everett 
E.  The  maiden  name  of  the  present  Mrs.  Huggins, 
whose  marriage  to  the  subject  of  this  sketch  took 
place  Nov.  8,  1858,  was  Louise  E.  Knight,  and  she 
was  -born  in  Coventry,  Vt.  Both  she  and  her  hus- 
'    band  are  useful  and  active  members  of  society  and 

'  are  connected  with  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of 
I  j  which  they  are  conscientious   and   consistent   mem- 

1  bers.     Politically  Mr  H.   is   a  supporter  of  the  Re- 

^  publican  party,  and  takes  a  lively  interest  in  outside 

affairs.     His  handsome  residence  is  located  on   Ann 

!  street,  corner  of  Henderson,  and    was    erected  after 

"the  destruction  by  fire  of  his  former  home,  in  187  i. 
It  was  a  large  and  commodious  frame  house  and  was 
a  loss  of  no  mean  dimensions  to  its  owner,  who, 
however,  immediate  built,  on  the  same  spot,  his 
present  home. 


/^ofTman  Bros.,  of  Galesburg,  are  manufact- 
urers  of  harness  and  saddlery  of  all  kinds, 
their  place    of   business   being  at   No.   24 
South  Prairie  street.     The  firm  is  composed  of 
G.  M.  and  W.  K.  Hoffman,  natives  of  the  city  of 
Macomb,  111.,  and  the  third  and  fourth  sons  of 
F.  J.  and  M.  V.  (Cannon)  Hoffman. 

The  senior  Mr.  Hoffman  came  from  Germany  and 
lives  now  at  Macomb,  where  he  has  carried  on  the 
harness  and  saddlery  business  successfully  for  35 
years.  Of  his  family  of  nine  sons,  five  have  followed 
the  trade  of  their  father.  G.  M.  Hoffman,  of  the 
firm  above  mentioned,  was  born  Aug.  8,  1864,  and 
W.  E.,  March  8,  1866.     They  received  their  educa- 


! 


tion  at  the  Maromb  public  schools,  starting  in  bus- 
iness for  themselves  at  Parsons,  Kan.,  in  December, 
1883,  and  remained  at  that  place  up  to  the  1st  of 
December,  1885,  when,  on  account  of  bad  crops  and 
the  general  uncertainty  of  the  country,  they  con- 
cluded to  return  to  their  solid  native  State,  and  on 
Jan.  I,  1886,  they  opened  shop  at  their  present  loca- 
tion. They  are  first-class  workmen,  and  deal  in  no 
cheap  sale  work.  The  material  and  workmanship 
given  out  from  their  factory  at  all  times  carry  with 
them  the  full  guarantee  of  being  just  as  represented. 
They  carry  the  largest  line  of  goods  in  the  county, 
and  though  both  young  men,  they  have  come  to  Knox 
County  to  stay  and  to  merit  the  confidence  of  the 
people. 

_^j> •t,^o~^^^^lf^yo^' <<-- 

^J'ohn  Sulivan,  Roadmaster  of  the  Middle 
\vi  Division  of  the  Galesburg  Division  of  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  was  born  in  County 
Limerick,  Ireland,  Feb.  24,  1840.  His  parents 
^r  were  John  and  Johannah  (Kennedy)  Sullivan, 
\  worthy  farming  people.  John,  our  subject,  was 
the  youngest  of  a  family  of  three  sons  and  five  daugh- 
ters, of  whom  two  sons  and  three  daughters  came  to 
America.  Mortimer,  the  brother,  died  in  Kewanee, 
m.,  leaving  a  family  of  four  sons  and  two  daughters. 
He  was  a  worthy  citizen  and  business  man  of  that 
place  for  many  years.  The  sisters  are  all  married 
and  have  families' of  their  own. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  17  years  of  age 
when  he  embarked  for  the  shores  of  the  United 
States,  and  u[X)n  his  arrival  in  this  country  came 
immediately  "  West "  and  began  work  with  the 
shovel  on  the  track  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  at 
Somonauk,  III.  In  May,  i860,  he  came  to 
Galesburg,  where,  after  three  years  of  faithful  work, 
he  was  appointed  section  foreman,  at  Kewanee,  III. 
Five  years  later  he  went  to  Hinsdale,  III.,  in  the 
same  capacity,  and  worked  there  until  1868,  when  he 
ivas  appointed  foreman  of  the  floating  gang,  with 
headquarters  at  Sandwich,  III.  This  position  he 
held  until  187  i,  when  he  received  further  promotion 
as  Division  Roadmaster,  with  headquarters  at  Auro- 
ra, whence  he  was  transferred  to  Galesburg, 
where  he  has  been  very  reputably  connected  ever 
since. 

Mr.  Sullivan  was  married  in  Streator,  III.,  to  Kaue, 


'iT  ' 


876 


XATOX  COUNTY. 


daughter  of  John  Stanton,  Esq.,  a  native  of  Ireland. 
The  union  of  Mr.  Sullivan  and  Miss  Stanton  has 
been  blest  with  a  family  of  two  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, as  follows:  Mortimer,  Maria,  Katie,  John  B. 
and  Julia.  He  and  his  wife  are  regular  communi- 
cants with  the  congregation  of  the  Corpus  Christi 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 

Mr.  Sullivan  is  a  member  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Pro- 
tective Association.  He  has  always  avoided  accept- 
ing nomination  for  office,  but  has  nevertheless  given 
a  candid  support  to  his  party.  He  is  a  pronounced 
Democrat,  but  in  local  matters  votes  for  the  best 
man,  irrespective  of  party.  He  is  public-spirited 
and  supports  all  measures  attending  the  develop- 
ment of  his  adopted  city.  He  is  rearing  and  educat- 
ing his  children  well,  and  besides  being  a  good  citi- 
zen and  genial  gentleman  is  a  kind  husband  and 
father. 


obert  Bruee  Jameson.  Among  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  Kno.x  County  may  be  found 
the  subject  of  this  personal  history.  His 
home  is  situated  on  section  5  of  Indian  Point 
Township.  Mr.  Jameson  was  born  in  Simp- 
son County,  Ky.,  on  March  20,  i84r,  and  is 
the  son  of  M.  H.  and  Sarah  (Murphy)  Jameson,  both 
natives  of  Kentucky — Warren  County  and  Barren 
County — born  respectively  Aug.  17,  1815,  and  Sept. 
IS,  i8i8. 

The  great-grandfather,  John  Jameson,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Virginia,  but  of  Scotch  lineage  and  blood.  He 
married  Rhoda  Cook,  and  removed  to  Kentucky, 
near  Pruit's  Knob.  Their  histor)'  will  be  found  in  a 
book  of  the  "  Early  History  of  Kentucky."  The 
grandfather,  Robert  Jameson,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  had  one  sister,  named  Margaret.  He  mar- 
ried Miss  Elizabeth  Haley,  and  they  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  as  follows  :  Harrison,  Albert 
G.,  Maximilian  H.,  Elvira,  Martha,  Elizabeth  and 
Robert.  The  great-great-grandfather,  Murphy,  on 
his  mother's  side,  and  his  brother  Joseph  were  born 
in  the  early  part  of  the  18th  century,  in  Virginia, 
both  Baptist  ministers,  mentioned  in  ''  Benedict's 
History  of  the  Baptists."  His  son,  the  great-grand- 
grandfaiher  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  also  a 
Baptist  minister,  was  born  June  12,  1752,  and  lived 


in  Eastern  Tennessee  during  the  Revolution,  at 
which  time  the  family  suffered  great  hardship,  remov- 
ing from  there  to  Pruit's  Knob,  Ky.  He  had  one 
sister  named  Margaret,  who  married  Elijah  David- 
son, a  noted  preacher  of  the  Christian  denomination, 
who  removed  from  there  to  Warren  County,  111.,  and 
in  1852  to  Monmouth,  Ore.  The  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  on  the  mother's  side.  Rev.  John  Murphy, 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  came  to  Morgan  County,  111., 
in  1831,  and  died  in  Warren  County,  a  well-known 
and  respected  pioneer.  He  had  several  brothers  and 
sisters,  among  whom  were  Joseph,  Isaac,  William 
and  Margaret.  He  married  Miss  Rachel  Cook,  and 
by  this  union  were  born  Keziah  (Deaton),  Rachel 
(Reynolds),  Margaret  (Dodge),  Sarah  (Jameson), 
William,  Bunyan  and  Nancy  (Williams). 

Maximilian  H.  Jameson  removed  from  Kentucky  to 
this  State  on  account  of  his  opposition  to  the  iraflSc 
in  slaves.  His  life  was  filled  with  good  deeds,  and 
he  was  an  earnest  worker  in  the  united  causes  of  re- 
ligion and  philanthropy.  He  was  Elder  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church  for  about  30  years.  He  enlisted  early 
under  the  banner  of  Jesus  Christ,  entering  the  church 
at  the  age  of  17.  He  was  a  kind-hearted  and  loving  ^ 
father,  and  his  death,  which  occurred  May  9,  1884, 
was  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  His  wife, 
who  survives  him,  is  an  energetic  old  lady,  in  the  ' 
full  possession  of  her  faculties,  and  highly  esteemed 
by  all.  This  union  was  a  pleasant  and  congenial 
one,  and  their  family  circle  was  enlarged  by  the  ad- 
vent often  children. 

The  children  of  Maximilian  and  Sarah  Jameson 
are  Nancy  E  ,  Robert  Bruce,  Gertrude  A.,  John  Paul, 
Alice,  Dora  A.,  William  A.,  Eva  L.,  George  P.  and 
Katie  B.  Nancy  E.  was  born  March  24,  1839,  mar- 
ried F.  W.  Hoen,  and  now  lives  in  Abingdon  ;  Ger- 
trude, born  April  20,  1843,  for  her  first  husband  mar- 
ried Dr.  Joseph  Huff,  and  her  second  matrimonial 
connection  was  with  Joseph  Barnaby;  she  died  Jan. 
28,  1879;  John  Paul,  born  April  24,  1845,  married 
Miss  Laura  G.  Kipper,  and  lives  in  Abingdon,  111.; 
Alice  S.  was  born  April  15,  1847,  and  married  Joel 
Atkinson ;  they  live  in  Monroe  County,  Mo.;  Will- 
iam A.  was  born  in  1852,  and  died  in  infancy ;  Dora 
A.,  born  in  1847,  died  in  1863;  Eva  L.,  born  in  1853, 
died  in  187  i  ;  George  P.,  born  March  30, 1856,  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  E.  Callison,  Aug.  20, 1880;  his  home 
is  near  Abingdon;  Katie  B.  was  born  Dec.  15,  1859, 


"T 


LAJ 


^H* 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

l::iversity  of  ILLI^'' 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


879 


\ 


and  married  Berry  Lucas,  their  home  being  in  Knox 
County;  Robert  Bruce  married  Miss  Rosa  M.  Ingels, 
April  13,  1867. 

Mrs.  Rosa  M.  Jameson  was  born  April  30,  1849, 
in  Wabash  County,  Ind.,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
James  and  Mary  (Carver)  Ingels.  Her  paternal 
grandfather  was  John  Ingels,  of  Virginian  ancestry, 
who  settled  in  Eastern  Kentucky  at  an  early  day. 
He  married  Miss  Rosa  Garr,  and  removed  to  Wayne 
County,  Ind.  They  were  born  about  the  beginning  of 
the  19th  century.  They  were  consistent  members  of 
the  Christian  Church,  and  had  eight  children,  namely, 
Thomas,  James,  George,  Abram,  Catherine,  John, 
Joseph  and  Boone. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  father,  James  Ingels,  was  born 
March  10.  1820  ;  he  married  Miss  Mary  Carver,  Feb. 
28,  1848,  in  Fayette  County,  Ind.,  and  settled  in 
Wabash  County,  removing  thence  to  Stark  County,  111., 
in  1854,  where  he  resided  until  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred Jan.  27,  18S3.  He  was  killed  while  hunting 
in  Florida,  by  an  accidental  discharge  of  his  gun. 
He  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Christian  Church, 
occupying  the  office  of  Deacon,  and  contributed 
largely  to  the  advancement  of  Christ's  cause.  He 
was  always  ready  to  assist  the  poor  with  a  liberal 
hand,  foremost  in  temperance  work.  Republican  in 
politics,  energetic  in  business,  and  a  man  of  influence 
in  his  community.  Mrs.  Ingels  was  born  in  Fayette 
County,  Ind.,  June  30,  1831,  and  was  the  mother  of 
ten  children,  five  of  whom  are  now  living,  namely  : 
Rosa  M.  (Jameson),  of  this  writing;  John  B.,  M.  D., 
born  Junes,  185  i,  now  resides  at  Meriden,  Iowa; 
Eliza  D.,  born  April  17,  1853,  married  T.  E.  Calli- 
son,  had  one  child  (Jessie),  and  died  Aug.  12,  1881  • 
Irvin  was  born  Dec.  19,  1859,  and  resides  on  the  old 
homestead  at  La  Fayette,  111.;  Mary  (De  Guibert)  was 
born  June  26,  1862,  and  resides  at  Siou.\  City,  Iowa; 
Sherman  was  born  Oct.  17,  1863,  and  resides  at  La 
Fayette.  All  are  members  of  the  Christian  Church, 
and  are  temperate  and  enterprising  citizens. 

The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Rosa  Jameson's  paternal 
grandmother  was  Garr;  she  was  from  a  family 
of  German  ancestrj-  and  well  known  as  the  leading 
manufacturers  of  Richmond,  Ind.  The  maternal 
great-grandfather,  Carver,  lived  in  Putnam  County, 
N.  Y.,  where  her  grandfather,  Jonathan  Carver,  was 
born  in  1806,  who  is  still  living,  at  La  Fayette,  111. 
He  married  Miss  Melinda,  daughter  of  William  and 
Mary  (Campbell)  Nelson,  who  was  born  at  Augusta, 


Me.,  in  1809.     Her  maternal  grandmother's  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Vance. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jameson  are  members  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert 
Bruce  Jameson  are  as  follows:  Luna  May,  born 
April  12,  1869;  Eva  Lena,  bom  Nov.  20,  1870;  Golda, 
born  July  6,  1873,  and  Pauhne,  Nov.  26,  1882. 


avid  H.  Frisbie.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch,  Hon.  David  H.  Frisbie,  of  Gales- 
burg,  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  7,  1815.  His  grandfather  came  from 
Savoy,  Italy.  His  father,  Edward  Frisbie,  was 
during  his  life  an  Erie  Canal  packetman.  His 
mother's  maiden  name  was  Abigail  Blackman,  a  na- 
tive of  Connecticut,  and  of  English  ancestry.  When 
David  was  but  eight  years  old,  his  father  died,  leav- 
ing a  widow  and  a  family  of  ten  children,  of  whom 
David  was  next  to  the  youngest,  and  of  whom  he  is 
now  the  only  survivor. 

The  lad  was  educated  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  place,  and,  judging  from  his  characteris-  (J 
tics  as  a  man,  must  have  been  an  apt  pupil.  He 
was  married  at  Floyd,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in  r836,  to 
Jemima  Skinner,  a  daughter  of  Onias  and  Tirza 
(Bell)  Skinner,  of  Vermont,  and  a  sister  of  Onias  C. 
Skinner,  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Illinois. 
Immediately  after  the  wedding,  the  newly-married 
couple  started  for  the  then  almost  unknown  West, 
and  arrived  in  Peoria  during  the  winter  of  1836-37. 
In  a  money  sense  he  was  poor,  but  in  tact  and  bus- 
iness capacity  was  well  endowed.  For  several  years 
he  taught  school,  first  at  Harkness  Grove,  then  in 
Farmington,  in  each  instance  with  marked  success. 
At  the  same  time  he  devoted  his  spare  moments  to 
agriculture.  In  1847  he  removed  to  Knox  County 
and  located  in  Henderson,  where  for  seven  years  he 
engaged  in  mercantile  business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fris- 
bie came  to  Galesburg  in  1855.  That  city  has  since 
been  his  home.  During  his  residence  there  he  has 
followed  the  land  business,  and  to  a  slight  extent 
has  engaged  in  farming.  By  strict  attention  and 
honorable  dealings  he  has  been  successful  and  is 
looked  upon  as  a  prosperous  and  well-to-do  business 
man. 

Prior  to  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party 
Mr.  Frisbie  was  a  Whig.     He  joined  heartily,  how- 


!Jt^ 


♦4 


88o 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ever,  in  the  new  movement.  In  1856  he  was  elected 
by  the  Republicans  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture. To  the  political  principles  which  he  then 
adopted  he  has  ever  since  been  true.  We  find  him 
a  zealous  and  active  member  of  the  Blooraington 
Convention,  the  first  Republican  State  Convention 
held  in  Illinois.  During  the  late  war  he  served  as  De- 
partment Provost  Marshal  of  this  District,  then  com- 
posed of  three  counties. 

Mr.  Frisbie's  family  relations  have  ever  been  pleas- 
ant and  happy.  His  heart  has  ever  been  with  his 
family.  April  7,  1881,  he  sustained  a  severe  afflic- 
tion in  the  death  of  his  wife.  Their  union  was  blest 
by  three  children — Charlotte  L.,  Olivia  P.  and 
Sarah  Adelaide.  The  first  died  at  the  age  of  15. 
Olivia  P.  Frisbie  became  the  wife  of  Allen  A.  Green, 
a  native  of  New  York,  and  engaged  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  at  Williamsport,  Pa.,  until  his  decease, 
Feb.  10,  1881.  His  widow  and  three  children — 
f  David  Frisbie,  Alvah  S.  and  Allen  A. — survive  him. 

The  youngest  daughter,  Sarah  .Adelaide,  was 
married  Oct.  8,  1883,  to  Judge  E.  E.  Farman,  of  War- 
^  saw,  N.  Y.,  Consul-General  to  Egypt,  under  Presi- 
I  dent  Grant,  and  subsequently  one  of  the  Judges  of 
the  International  Court  of  Egypt  through  appoint- 
ment by  Presiden'  Garfield.  They  are  the  parents 
of  one  daughter — Lois  C. 

In  conclusion,  it  can  be  truthfully  said  that  Mr. 
Frisbie  is  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Knox  County. 
He  has  always  taken  an  interest  in  ever)'  enterprise 
which  has  for  its  aim  the  public  good,  and  has  as 
energetically  opposed  all  schemes  which  he  consid- 
ered detrimental  to  the  welfare  of  the  people. 

Being  one  of  the  leading  and  representative  men 
of  Knox  County,  the  portrait  of  Mr.  Frisbie  is  placed 
in  this  volume,  in  connection  with  this  sketch. 


^olomon  Frohlieh,  of  the  firm  of  Frohlich, 
Gardt  &  Co.     Among  the  many  genial  citi- 
zens of  Galesburg,  no  one  is  more  popular 
or  has  a  larger  number  of  friends  than   Mr. 
Frohlich,  of  this  personal  narration.     He  was 
born  in  Germany,  June  it,  1843,  coming  to 
America  Sept.  13.  1865,  and  to  Galesburgin  1868. 

Solomon  Frohlich  of  this  notice  was  educated  in 
Germany,  where  he  also  learned  the  trade  of  a  butch- 
er, wliich  he  followed  for  some  years  after  coming  to 


America,  finally,  however,  entering  into  the  wholesale 
liquor  business  at  Galesburg,  on  July  i,  1879.  In 
business  Mr.  Frolilich  has  been  rather  successful. 
He  landed  in  America  with  scarcely  a  dollar  in  his 
pocket,  worked  several  years  at  a  very  ordinary  trade, 
been  as  liberal  as  those  with  whom  he  has  associated, 
and  now  we  find  him  at  the  head  of  a  large  business, 
independent  of  the  world  and  adding  daily  to  the 
already  plethoric  condition  of  his  bank  account. 

Our  subject  was  married  at  Galesburg,  Dec.  21, 
1875,  to  Rosa  Strauss,  and  their  two  children  are 
named  respectively  Henrietta  and  Gertie.  Mr.  F. 
is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
K.  of  P.,  I.  O.  O.  B.  of  Peoria,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Jewish  Church. 


.enry  Hitchcock.  The  late  Henry  Hitch- 
cock, for  many  years  Division  Superintend- 
ent of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  at  Gales- 
burg, and  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  county, 
was  born  at  Old  Deerfield,  Mass.,  May  25,  1816, 
and  departed  this  life  April  4,  1884,  in  the  city 
of  Galesburg.  (See  United  States  Biographical  Dic- 
tionary, page  146.)  His  birth  occurred  in  the  house 
where  for  so  many  years  his  parents  made  their 
home,  and  he  was  their  third  child;  their  names  were 
Henry  and  Betsey  (Kimberly)  Hitchcock.  For  some 
length  of  time  his  father  farmed  at  the  old  homestead, 
and  Henry  was  sent  to  the  common  school  and  the 
academy  at  Deerfield.  Until  he  reached  the  age  of 
24,  he  remained  under  his  father's  roof,  and  during 
the  following  six  years  he  was  station  agent  of  the 
Rudand  &  Burlington  Railroad,  at  Rutland,  Vt, 
Subsequently  he  was  agent  of  the  Michigan  Central 
at  Chicago,  and  in  1856  removed  to  Galesburg  and 
was  appointed  General  Superintendent  of  the  C,  B. 
&  Q.  R.  R.  This  position  he  held  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all  concerned,  until  he  finally  abandoned  it  and 
became  interested  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He  was 
a  man  of  high  character,  of  deep  and  strong  nature, 
intelligent,  upright  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  He  was  Director  of  the  Second  National  Bank 
and  Trustee  of  Knox  College,  and  to  the  latter  left  a 
large  part  of  his  property. 

The  only  brother  of  our  subject  still  lives  on  the 
old  homestead,  and  there  are  two  sisters,  one  of  whom 
lives  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  the  other  in  Cleveland, 


-^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


88 1 


Ohio.  In  religious  belief  the  deceased  inclined  to 
the  doctrines  of  the  Congregational  Church.  He 
was  united  in  marriage  at  Deerfield,  Mass.,  June  9, 
1841,  with  Miss  Martha,  daughter  of  Pliney  and 
Thankful  (Dickinson)  Arms,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  1778,  and  died  in  1S59,  aged  81  years.  He 
was  in  politics  one  of  the  most  decided  .Abolitionists 
of  his  time.  The  children  of  our  subject  were  Will- 
iam Henr)-,  born  Dec.  14,  1842,  and  died  Aug.  25, 
1858;  George  Kimberly,  born  Jan.  28,  1S51,  died 
Aug.  23,  at  the  age  of  seven  months;  Mattie  Arms, 
born  in  October,   1857,  died  in  May,  1881. 


'Ji'Mrlbert  Upson,  a  farmer,  resident  of  Knox 
TownshiiJ,  lives  on  section  9.  He  was 
born  in  Summit  County,  Ohio,  May  8,  1S42, 


and  his  father,  Rowland  Upson,  was  a  native 
of  the  same  county,  born  Feb.  6,  1806.  Al- 
bert's grandfather  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts and  a  pioneer  of  Summit  County.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Phoebe  M.  Randall,  a  native 
of  Canada,  born  in  September,  18 14.  She  was  but 
two  years  old  when  her  parents  moved  to  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  a  few  years  later  to  Summit 
County,  Ohio.  Mr.  Upson  grew  to  manhood  in 
Summit  County,  and  there  met  and  married  his  wife, 
li%ing  until  1851  in  that  section  of  country.  He 
then  removed  to  Illinois,  and  settled  in  Knox  Coun- 
ty, buying  wild  land  on  section  9  of  Kno.\  Township, 
and  built  a  frame  house,  the  lumber  for  which  he 
drew  from  Peoria.  He  improved  and  cultivated  the 
land,  taking  an  honest  pride  in  its  prolific  and  abun-  : 
dant  bearing,  and  upon  this  spot  lived  out  the  re-  ! 
mainder  of  his  days,  dying  in  May,  1874.  His  wid- 
ow died  in  June,  1884. 

Nine  children  were  born  of  this  union,  as  follows  : 
Josephine,  deceased;  Lucy  N.,  wife  of  Grenville 
Wright,  li\-ing  near  Vermont,  Fulton  County ;  Al- 
bert ;  Johnnie,  now  deceased ;  Sarah  M.,  wife  of  John 
Hummel,  living  in  Ford  County  ;  Lida  M.,  who  mar- 
ried Edwin  Taylor,  of  Galesburg  ;  Willie,  deceased,  , 
and  Hannah,  wife  of  William  Wright,  whose  home  is 
in  Kansas  City. 

Albert  Upson  was  nine  years  of  age  when  he  came 
to  the  county  with  his  parents,  and  here  he  grew  to 
manhood,  reared  on  the  farm  and  receiving  the  lim- 
■  \' 


ited  advantages  derived  from  the  common  school. 
He  was  united  in  marriage  Jan.  i,  1867,  with  Han- 
nah M.  Case,  who  was  born  in  Ashtabula  County, 
Ohio,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Elisha  E.  and  Rachel 
O.  (Morse)  Case,  both  natives  of  New  York.  Mr. 
Upson  lived  at  home  up  to  the  date  of  his  marriage. 
The  following  summer  he  went  to  Wayne  County, 
Iowa,  and  bought  a  farm,  where  he  lived  for  two 
years,  then  sold  it  and  returned  to  the  old  home- 
stead, which  he  now  owns  and  occupies.  It  is  sup- 
plied with  a  good  set  of  frame  buildings,  neat  and 
commodious.  There  are  fruit  and  shade  trees  in  the 
yard,  and  the  home  altogether  presents  as  desirable 
and  attractive  a  refuge  as  the  eye  could  take  in  or 
the  heart  long  for. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Upson  are  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren— Florence  May,  Willie  D.,  Nellie  E.,  George 
A.  and  Arthur  E.  Both  our  subject  and  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church  of  Gales- 
burg.    In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 


>i/^  '  li-T  &  H.  B.  Hawkinson,  proprietors  of 
:  .  ^-; .  -  of  the  leading  bakery  and  confection- 
~^!(^ '*'  cry  establishments  of  Galesburg,  were, 
'^>  born  at  Harlunda,  Sweden,  Jan.  9,  i84i,and 
T  April  3,  1837,  respectively.  They  are  the 
f  sons  of  Hakan  Benson  and  Christine  (Pear- 
son) Hawkinson.  Gust  Hawkinson  is  one  of  Gales- 
burg's  active  business  men  and  is  among  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  this  place.  When  a  young  man 
he  learned  the  baking  business  in  Solvesberg,  Sweden, 
but  abandoned  it  for  that  of  stone-cutting,  which  he 
followed  in  the  employ  of  the  Government  of  Swe- 
den. This  he  continued  for  a  few  years,  but  finally 
concluded  to  visit  the  shores  of  the  New  World, 
whither  his  brother  H.  B.  had  preceded  him.  In 
1869  he  came  to  Galesburg  on  June  24  of  that  year. 
At  this  place  he  worked  at  railroading  for  four  and 
one-half  years,  then  joined  his  brother  H.  B.  in  the 
baking  business,  which  they  have  carried  on  success- 
fully since  that  time. 

H.  B.  Hawkinson  also  learned  the  bakery  bus- 
iness in  Sweden,  and  has  been  connected  with  the 
same  for  several  years  at  Galesburg  He  was  mar- 
ried to  Caroline  Olson,  also  a  native  of  his  country, 
and  who  has  borne  him  a  son  and  daughter,  who  bear 


-H- 


*4- 


rt^^ir^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  names  of  Hilda  and  Henry.  Another  brother, 
John  Hawkinson,  came  to  the  United  States  in  1880, 
where  he  died  three  years  after  his  arrival.  He  was 
by  trade  a  coppersmith.  The  Hawkinson  brothers 
are  hard-working  men,  and  have  succeeded  in  es- 
tablishing for  themselves  a  business  second  to  none 
in  their  line  in  this  city.  They  are  both  worthy  citi- 
zens and  clever  gentlemen. 


els  M.  Burgland,  of  the  firm  of  Burgland 
&  Johnson,  meat  market,  is  a  worthy  mem- 
ber of  the  industrious  community  of  Gales- 
burg.     Mr.  Burgland   was    born    at    Gamell- 
storp,   Solvesburg,  Sweden,  Dec.  25,  1846.     He 
is  the  son   of  Mons   P.  and  Chasty   (Munson) 
Burgland,  the  former  of  whom  carried  on  the  butch- 

Iering  business  in  Sweden.  In  1867  Nels  M.  Burg- 
land (having  completed  the  butchering  trade  in  his 
native  land)  sailed  for  this  country  and  came  almost 
yjimraediately  to  Galesburg,  where,  in  1873,  he  began 
(business  for  himself  He  has  built  up  a  large  trade, 
and,  with  Mr.  Johnson,  is  the  owner  of  400  acres  of 
fine  farm  land  in  Mercer  County,  this  State,  which 
'    they  utilize  considerably  for  stock  purposes. 

Mr.  Burgland  was  married  to  Jennie  Jacobson, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Nelson,  a  native  of  Sweden.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Burgland  have  become  the  parents  of  three 
sons,  namely,  Charles,  George  and  Arthur.  Mr. 
Burgland  is  an  energetic  and  enterprising  business 
man,  and  eminently  successful  in  his  pursuits. 


ars  J.  Lindberg,  of  the  firm  of  Remier  & 
Lindberg,  manufacturers  and  general  re- 
pairers of  carriages  and  wagons.  No.  108 
South  Prairie  street,  Galesburg,  Illinois,  was 
born  at  Ookkbo  Mo,  Gastrikland,  Gefle  Lan, 
Sweden,  March  23,  1845.  He  was  the  son  of 
Jons  Jonsson  and  Britalars  Dotter  Lindberg,  the 
former  born  in  1813  and  the  latter  in  181 1  ;  both 
were  natives  of  Sweden,  where  both  now  reside.  Our 
subject  is  the  second  of  four  children  now  living. 
Mr.  L.  has  one  sister,  Mrs.  Oscar  Truman,  residing 


in  Chicago;  the  othei  sister  and  brother  live  in  the 
old  country. 

Mr.  Lindberg  came  to  this  country  in  1865,  locat- 
ing at  Wataga,  Knox  County,  working  on  the  farm 
until  1867,  when  he  began  to  learn  the  trade  of 
wagon-making,  and  in  1870  opened  a  shop  in  part- 
iiership  with  Charles  Hedlun,  where  they  carried  on 
the  business  for  four  years,  when  Mr.  L.  sold  his  in- 
terest to  his  partner  and  moved  to  Burlington,  Iowa, 
where  he  worked  for  Bennett  &  France  one  year. 
He  then  came   to   Galesburg,   in    1876,  worked    in 

C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  shops,  and  for  G.  W.  Brown  &  Co. 
In  1883  Mr.  L.  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Remier,  and  they  are  carrying  on  an  extensive  busi- 
ness. 

Our  subject  was  married  Sept.  10,  187 1,  to  Miss 
Kate  Olson,  who  was  born  in  Sweden,  Jan.  3,  1847, 
and  came  with  her  parents  to  America  in  1858, 
locating  at  Wataga,  where  her  father  died,  and 
where  the  mother  now  resides.  Mr.  Lindberg  has 
four  children  living,  viz.:  Oscar  E.,  Otelega  A.,  Alice 

D.  and  an  infant.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  L.  are  members  of 
the  First  Lutheran  Church. 


illiam  Selden  Gale.  Prominent  among 
the  wealthy  men  and  influential  citizens  of 
Knox  County  is  the  subject  of  this  per- 
jP  sonal  narration,  who  is  a  capitalist,  a  man  of 
wide  influence,  and  well  known  throughout 
the  entire  community.  He  was  born  in  Jeffer- 
'-'  son  County,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  15,  1822,  and  is  the 
son  of  G.  W.  and  Harriet  (Selden)  Gale,  of  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  respectively. 
They  were  married  in  Troy  in  1820,  and  their  union 
was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  five  sons,  four  of  whom 
grew  to  manhood,  and  three  daughters,  all  of  whom 
are  now  living.  They  came  to  Illinois  in  October, 
1836,  and  lived  in  Galesburg,  where  the  father  died 
in  September,  1861,  aged  72  years.  His  wife  had 
died  in  1840,  and  Mr.  Gale  remarried  with  Mrs. 
Esther  (Williams)  Coon,  widow  of  Dr.  Coon,  of  New 
York. 

G.  W.  Gale,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a  de- 
voted and  conscientious  minister  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  labored  faithfully  in  the  vineyard  of  the 
Lord  while  his  day  lasted.  It  was  he  who  originated 
the  idea  of  founding  a  colony  here  as  early  as  1835. 


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OF  THE 

L::iVERSITY  OF  \IU*>- 


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Owing  to  ill  health,  he  was  obliged  to  abandon  his 
ministerial  labors,  when  he  retired  to  a  farm,  and  en- 
gaged in  teaching  the  young  men  of  his  neighbor- 
hood, asking  no  compensation  and  receiving  none, 
save  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  their  condition  bet- 
tered. This  school  was  really  the  germ  implanted 
which  in  a  few  years  led  a  band  of  early  pioneers  to 
the  wild  prairie  of  Knox  County.  G.  W.  Gale  de- 
•parted  this  life  Sept.  31,  1861. 

W.  Selden  Gale  attended  school  in  New  York 
prior  to  14  years  of  age,  and  read  law  in  Galesburg 
as  early  as  1842,  with  Hon.  James  Knox,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1845.  He  continued  to  prac- 
tice, however,  only  five  or  six  years,  as  his  attention 
was  occupied  with  other  business.  He  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  C.,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co. ;  in  fact, 
was  the  originator  of  the  idea.  An  article  by  him  on 
the  subject  appeared  for  the  first  time  in  the  Gales- 
burg y\  ews  Letter,  of  which  he  was  editor,  the  scheme 
being  opposed  by  the  rival  paper. 

Mr.  Gale  has  taken  an  active  part  in  political  mat- 
ters, was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Supervisors, 
and  with  the  exception  of  four  years  since  has  been 
a  member  of  that  body.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention  of  1869,  and  of  the  City 
Council  from  1872  to  1882.  Politically  he  is  a  Re- 
publican. 

Mr.  Gale  was  united  in  marriage  Oct.  i,  1S45,  at 
Galesburg,  with  Caroline  Ferris,  daughter  of  Sylva- 
nus  \V.  Ferris.  Five  children  have  been  born  to 
them  who  are  living  and  three  others  buried. 


S^benezer  Lass,  of  Galesburg,  head  of  the 
firm  of  Lass,  Larson  &  Lafferty,  dealers 
in  wall  paper,  curtains,  paints,  glass,  etc., 
!|^  their  place  of  business  being  141  Main  street. 
He  was  born  in  England  in  1839.  There  he 
learned  ihe  trade  of  painter,  paper-hanger,  etc., 
and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years.  After- 
ward he  worked  three  and  a  half  years  at  this  occu- 
pation in  the  city  of  London,  then  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  and  came  to  Galesburg.  Here  he 
engaged  in  business  for  himself  for  about  six  years, 
and  then  took  tlie  position  of  foreman  with  Cook  & 
Lee.  The  junior  member  of  the  firm  of  Cook  &  Lee 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Beach,  and   he  by  Mr.  Lass, 


and,  in  r882,  with  Messrs.  Larsonand  Lafferty,  estab- 
lished the  present  business  of  Lass,  Larson  &  Laf- 
ferty. 

Mr.  Lass  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Pittock,  a 
native  of  England,  and  by  her  has  surviving  four 
children — Gracie  E.,  Charles  F.,  William  P.  and 
Florence  K.  Mrs.  L.  died  Feb.  22,  1882.  Mr. 
Lass  was  married  again  in  1886  to  Miss  Lucy  M. 
Jerauld,  of  Galesburg. 


lanson  G.  Charles  is  an  extensive  land- 
_^^\  owner,  and  is  one  of  the  leading  farmers  of 
Ijlig*  ^  Knox  County.  His  residence  is  handsome 
MJ^  and  commodious,  built  in  the  modern  style  of 
architecture,  and  stands  on  a  most  delightful 
site  overlooking  the  village  of  Knoxville,  from 
wjiich  it  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant.  We  pre- 
sent a  full-page  view  of  his  residence  and  surround- 
ings in  this  .Album. 

Mr.  Charles  was  born  in  Knox  Township,  Feb.  2t, 
1846.  His  parents  were  George  A.  and  Dorlinsky 
(Post)  Charles.  George  A.,  his  father,  of  whom  a 
sketch  is  given  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  was  one  of 
the  leading  men  in  Knox  County.  Our  subject  has 
been  uninterruptedly  a  resident  of  the  township  ever 
since  his  birth.  His  marriage  with  Miss  Lottie  Rog- 
ers, daughter  of  Charles  and  Eliza  (Phillips)  Rogers, 
took  place  Nov.  24,  1868,  and  with  his  young  biide  he 
went  onto  the  place  which  he  now  occupies  as  a  home. 
Charles  Rogers  and  wife  came  from  the  State  of  New 
York  in  1844.  The  former  was  a  native  of  Connect- 
icut, and  his  wife  of  England.  He  settled  in  Knox 
Township,  and  engaged  in  farming,  where  Mrs. 
Charles  was  born  Jan.  31,  1848.  The  location  of 
Mr.  C.'s  farm  is  on  section  27,  and  reasonable  success 
has  crowned  his  efforts  as  an  agriculturist,  and  he  now 
owns  one  of  the  finest  places  in  that  section  of  the 
county. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles  have  had  born  to  them  five 
children — George,  Albert,  deceased ;  Roger,  de- 
ceased ;  Alice  and  Bessie.  This  hajipy  household  is 
the  admiration  of  friends  and  neighbors,  who  always 
find  good  cheer  and  courteous  hospitality  within  its 
precincts.  Both  husband  and  wife  are  earnest  sup- 
porters of  every  good  work  and  word,  and  are  active 


■*         ^»-i 


886 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


members  of  the  Presbyterian   Church,  endeavoring 
to  live  consistent  Christian  lives. 

Mr.  Charles  is  a  well-informed  man  and  a  per- 
sistent reader  of  the  newspapers.  He  votes  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket,  but  in  politics  may  be  called  strictly  m- 
dependent,  watching  always  the  pending  issues,  and 
according  to  his  best  judgment  giving  his  voice  and 
support  in  behalf  of  the  man  best  fitted  for  the  office. 
He  has  filled  several  local  offices,  including  that  of 
Supervisor  for  four  terms,  and  always  with  the  ut- 
most credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned.  As  a  stock  raiser  and  feeder,  he  ranks 
with  the  foremost  in  the  county.  He  makes  his  prin- 
cipal business  that  of  grazing  and  fattening  cattle. 
He  has  i,ooo  acres  of  blue-grass  pasture,  800  of 
which  are  in  a  body,  forming  a  most  desirable  location 
for  his  business.  He  is  a  public-spirited  and  enter- 
prising man,  and  one  who  is  a  credit  to  the  county  of 
his  nativity  and  home. 


'irW#^^^^#«'«^ 


',  on.  Henry  Runkle,  deceased,  who  was  one 
of  Kno.wille's  best  known  and  most  suc- 
cessful merchants,  was  born  at  Watervleit, 
Albany  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  14,  1807,  and  was  the 
third  son  of  John  and  Ellen  (Van  Woort)  Run- 
kle. He  was  reared  to  the  calling  of  an  agri- 
culturist, and  attended  school  in  his  native  city, 
supplementing  his  education  by  attendance  to  the 
academy  at  Syracuse. 

After  leaving  school  Mr.  Runkle  taught  for  awhile 
at  Syracuse.  Later  we  find  him  employed  in  a  flour 
and  feed  store.  In  1833,  he  emigrated  to  Illinois, 
locating  at  Knoxville,  where  he  engaged  as  surveyor. 
He  purchased  village  property,  and  in  1834  erected  a 
store.  In  the  following  year,  in  company  with  his 
brother,  Cornelius,  he  opened  a  general  store.  In 
1836  he  sold  out  his  interest  in  the  store  to  his 
brother,  and  built  a  steam  saw-mill  in  the  village, 
this  being  the  first  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the 
county.  A  few  years  later  our  subject  added  a  flour- 
ing-mill  to  his  possessions. 

He  was  elected  County  Clerk  in  1837,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  creditably  for  ten  years.  After  the 
expiration  of  his  term  of  office,  Mr.  Runkle  was  en- 
gaged in  the  management  of  his  mills  until  his  death. 


The  maiden  name  of  our  subject's  wife  was  Caro- 
line M.  Fitch.  After  Mr.  Runkle's  demise,  she  re- 
married, and  is  now  a  resident  of  California.  Mr. 
Runkle  served  as  member  of  the  i6th  General  As- 
sembly, elected  in  the  fall  of  1848. 


O.  G.  Johnson,  of  the  firm  of  Anderson  & 
Johnson,  of  the  City  Mills,  Galesburg,  was 


lilf^S}"  »  born  in  Skane,  City  of  Christianstadt, 
K^  Sweden,  Jan.  10,  1844.  He  came  to  Gales- 
-5^  burg  in  1869.  For  three  and  a  half  years  he 
'[  followed  farming ;  the  succeeding  two  years  he 
clerked  in  a  grocery  house,  forming  then  a  partner- 
ship with  John  Clarkson,  which  lasted  seven  years. 
In  1881  he  engaged  in  milling,  to  which  he  has  since 
devoted  his  time.  (See  biography  of  A.  G.  Ander- 
son, this  volume.) 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married  at  Galesburg,  Feb.  13, 
1878,  to  Miss  Sophia  Anderson,  who  died  Aug.  12, 
1882,  leaving  one  child,  a  daughter — Blenda  Ame- 
lia; they  have  buried  an  infant.  Mr.  Johnson's JU 
parents  yet  reside  in  Sweden.  They  reared  four  1 
sons  and  five  daughters,  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
being  the  eldest  and  the  only  one  in  America.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  politics 
a  Republican. 


illiam  McGowan,  deceased,  a  pioneer  of 
^.^  Knox  County,  of  1833,  was  born  in  Penn- 
'iyf'  sylvania,  Oct.  12,  1812.  His  father  was 
%  a  merchant  and  our  subject  clerked  in  his 
itore,  which  was  located  in  Milton  County, 
Pa.,  until  they  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  their 
entire  properly,  including  stock  and  building,  by  a 
flood.  After  this  disaster  he  was  variously  employed 
up  to  T833,  the  date  of  his  removal  to  Illinois,  locat- 
ing in  Knoxville,  where  he  clerked  for  JohnG.  San- 
burn. 

In  1837  William  McGowan  was  married  and  re- 
moved to  Stone  River,  and  became  the  first  perma- 
nent settler  at  Maquon.  He  purchased  an  interest 
in  the  village  site,  and  aided  in  platting  the  village 
of  Maquon,  whither  he  removed  with  his  wife,  begin- 
ning housekeeping  in  a  primitive  log  cabin.     Soon 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


887 


after  settling  here  our  subject  was  elected  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  when  the  Post-Office  was  established, 
he  was  appointed  the  first  Postmaster  of  Maiiuon. 
After  residing  there  for  about  ten  years,  he  purchased 
a  small,  but  desirable,  farm  in  Knox  Township,  and 
followed  the  calling  of  agriculturist  for  a  period  of 
three  years.  He  then  disiwsed  of  this  farm  and 
bought  a  residence  in  the  city  of  Knoxville,  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  there  until  his  demise,  which  took 
place  in  1870.  Mr.  McGowan  held  many  offices. 
He  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  many  years ;  for 
four  years  he  was  County  Treasurer.  Politically  he 
was  an  old-line  Whig  until  the  formation  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  when  he  joined  its  ranks. 

Mr.  McGowan  was   united  in  marriage  with  Mar- 
gery  McPherson.       She    was    bom    in    Champaign 
County,  Ohio,  March  4,  1819,  and  became  the  mother 
of  eight    children,  of  whom   we    give  the    following 
brief  memoranda :     William    H.    resides    in    Henry- 
County,  111.;  Curtis;  Mary,  wife   of  J.  S.  Simpson, 
■   residing  at  Knoxville ;  Carrie,  who  became  the  wife 
j  of  James  Thomas  and  lives  in  Kansas ;  Frank,  who 
'  makes    Kno.xville    his    home ;  Belle ;  Charles,  living 
.  at  Elmwood,  Peoria  County,  and  Harry,  making  Kan- 
sas his  home. 


ilbert  Evans,  of  Kno.xville,   a   pioneer  of 

Knox  County,  who  came  to  this  section  in 

.^Ij— '""^    1856,  is  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  was 


■^  »  bom  in  Hartfi 
T  is  the  son  of 
I       Evans,  both  n 


rtford  County,  Dec.  27,  1813.  He 
of  Josiah  and  Mary  (Sweetland) 
latives  of  Connecticut.  Ourbub- 
ject  was  eight  years  of  age  when  his  parents  moved 
to  New  York  State  and  settled  in  Madison  County. 
There  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  at  the  age  of  18  com- 
menced to  learn  the  trade  of  carpenter  and  joiner. 
At  that  vocation  he  continued  working' in  the  State 
of  New  York  until  1836,  when  he  came  to  Illinois 
and  settled  in  the  village  of  Knoxville.  Laboring  at 
this  occupation  in  that  city  and  its  vicinity,  he  be- 
came a  fixture,  remaining  ubout  20  years.  At  that 
time  he  invested  in  land,  buying  30  acres  in  Kno.\ 
Township,  lying  adjacent  to  the  city.  Erecting  a 
dwelling,  he  moved  his  family  there  and  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits  until  i860,  at  which  time  he  came 
to  Knoxville,  and  rented  the  principal  hotel  there, 
by  name  the  Knoxville  House.    Two  or  three  years 


later  he   bought  the  place  and  has  kept    a    public 
house  ever  since. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  in  the  year  1838,  to 
Sylvia  A.  Bentley,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  two  children,  as  follows  : 
Sarah  J.,  wife  of  Henry  Hoffraaster,  living  at  Rock 
Island,  and  William,  whose  home  is  in  Knox  Town- 
ship. 

rank  W.  Latimer,  a  grocer  of  Abingdon, 
and  one  of  the  promising  young  men  of 
■^  this  county,  was  born  in  Knox  County, 
Feb.  21,  1868.  He  is  the  son  of  William  M. 
and  Mary  E.  (Humiston)  Latimer,  and  the 
grandson  of  Jonathan  and  great-grandson  of 
Elder  Joseph  Latimer;  sketches  of  the  lives  of  both 
of  these  men  appear  on  other  pages  of  this  work. 
William  M.  Latimer  was  engaged  the  greater  part 
of  his  life  in  mercantile  pursuits,  in  Abingdon.  He 
died  in  1872,  on  the  old  homestead  where  his  father 
settled  in  1832. 

Frank  W.  Latimer  was  educated  at  Hedding  Col- 
lege, from  which  institution  he  graduated.  He  then 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  stock-raising  in 
Cedar  and  Indian  Point  Townships.  In  March, 
1886,  he  came  to  Abingdon  and  embarked  in  the 
grocery  and  provision  trade,  in  which  he  still  contin- 
ues. In  1879-81,  during  the  session  of  the  Legisla- 
ture, he  was  appointed  Bill  Clerk,  and  subsequently 
Third  Assistant  and  then  Second  Assistant  Clerk.  He 
is  a  young  man  of  fine  business  talent,  strictly  tem- 
perate, and  strongly  Republican  in  his  politics.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and 
Treasurer  of  his  congregation.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  Abingdon  Lodge,  No.  184,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is 
at  present  its  presiding  oflScer.  On  April  8,  1886, 
he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Carrie  L. 
Becker,  daughter  of  John  and  Mary  Becker,  of  Gales- 
burg,  and  old  settlers  of  Knox  County. 


J|,harles  T.  Larson,  of  the  firm  of  Lass,  Lar- 
X  son  &  Lafferty,  was  born  in  Sweden,  Sept. 
iST'^  "*■  28,  i860,  and  came  to  Galesburg  with  his 
parents  in  the  spring  of  1871,  where  he  was 
brought  up  and  educated  in  the  public 
schools.  At  the  age  of  17  Mr.  Larson  be- 
gan clerking  for  the  firm  of  Cook  &  Beach,  and  in 


<t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1882  became  a  member  of  the  firm,  it  then  being 
known  as  J.  P.  Cook  &  Co.  He  retired  from  the 
same  in  January,  1884,  and  in  February  of  the  same 
year,  with  Messrs.  Lass  and  Lafferty,  established  the 
present  firm  of  Lass,  Larson  &  Lafferty,  who  deal  in 
wall  paper,  window  shades,  paints,  glass,  artists' 
materials,  etc. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  married  at 
Galesbiirg,  Oct.  28,  1885,  to  Miss  Arvilla  S.  John- 
son, daughter  of  Charles  Johnson,  Esq. 


fudge  Alfred  Knowles,  a  retired  capitalist 
II'  of  Galesburg,  was  born  in  Hampden,  Me., 
[q^^/^  Pg^  jQ^  1809.  His  parents,  Amasa  and 
Mercy  (Simpson)  Knowles,  were  natives  re- 
spectively of  Maine  and  England.  Alex. 
Knowles  came  to  Connecticut  in  1620,  and 
from  him  sprang  the  family.  He  was  Councilor  to 
the  Governor.  Amasa  K.  was  at  sea  until  after  he 
was  over  50  years  of  age.  He  was  married  in  the 
State  of  Maine,  and  became  the  father  of  four  sons 
and  four  daughters.  Our  subject  was  the  'ihird  son 
and  went  to  sea  with  his  father  at  the  age  of  12  or  13 
years,  following  the  life  of  a  sailor  until  he  was  21. 
He  received  an  ordinary  education,  which  was  com- 
pleted by  a  short  term  at  the  academy.  He  then 
taught  five  winters  in  the  State  of  Maine,  and  after- 
ward engaged  in  mercantile  business  at  Newport 
and  Hampden  for  five  or  six  years. 

Our  subject  emigrated  to  Illinois  in  1836,  and  set- 
tled in  Warren  County,  and  in  the  spring  of  1837 
brought  his  family.  He  engaged  in  farming  three 
years,  and  in  1840  made  one  trip  on  a  flatboat  to 
New  Orleans.  When  the  county  was  divided  he  was 
on  the  southwest  corner  of  Henderson  Township.  In 
the  spring  of  1841  he  was  elected  County  Clerk  and 
served  for  seven  years.  The  first  three,  he  held  the 
place  of  Probate  Judge  and  Recorder,  and  during  the 
same  term  was  appointed  Commissioner  in  Bank- 
ruptcy. Subsequent  to  this  he  went  into  a  ware- 
house, and  afterward  engaged  in  a  steam  saw-mill, 
besides  working  at  the  pork-packing  business  five  or 
six  years.  In  185 1  he  became  associate  partner  with 
Roy  &  Chapin,  dry  goods  merchants,  at  Oquawka  and 
Kirkwood.  With  them  he  remained  for  five  years, 
and  m  1856  removed  to  Kirkwood,  taking  charge  of 


their  store  at  that  place.  Then,  in  1858,  he  came  to 
Galesburg,  selling  his  interests  at  Oquawka  and  at 
Kirkwood  in  i860,  after  which  he  became  interested 
in  the  grocery  trade.  He  also  brought  a  half  interest 
in  the  steam  flouring-mills,  and  in  187  i  sent  the  mill 
to  Kansas,  and  he  is  yet  its  owner.  In  1861  he 
served  one  term  as  Mayor  of  Galesburg ;  was  on  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  one  term  afterward,  and  has 
been  a  Trustee  of  Lombard  University  since  185 1, 
with  the  exception  of  two  years.  He  was  on  the 
Executive  Committee  25  years,  and  served  as  Clerk 
of  that  organization  for  17  years.  For  seven  or  eight 
years  he  has  served  on  the  School  Board,  and  has 
been  Director  of  the  Second  National  Bank  since  1863. 
He  was  President  of  the  Morris  County  State  Bank 
of  Kansas,  serving  five  years,  from  1878  to  1882. 

Judge  Knowles  and  Miss  Whitney  were  united  in 
marriage  in  the  State  of  Maine.  He  was  then  but 
23  years  of  age,  and  he  lost  the  wife  of  his  youth  by 
death  in  1845.  She  had  borne  her  husband  three 
children,  one  only,  Edwin  by  name,  surviving.  He 
is  a  banker,  and  resides  at  Topeka,  Kan.;  Henry,  the 
eldest,  was  a  Union  soldier,  and  after  courageous 
service  in  the  army  was  thrown,  with  countless  others,  ^ 
into  Andersonville  prison,  where  he  lingered  so  long 
that,  on  being  sent  home,  he  died  from  the  effects  of 
its  cruelties. 

Judge  Knowles  was  a  second  time  united  in  mar- 
riage, the  last  time  at  Monmouth,  111.,  in  1846,  with 
Miss  Kate  Smalley,  of  Virginia.  Two  soi;s  were  born 
of  this  marriage — Howard,  who  was  Internal  Reve- 
nue Collector  at  Peoria  until  July,  1885,  and  Frank, 
a  resident  of  California.  There  are  also  two  daugh- 
ters— Mary  (Mrs.  J.  S.  Alsbaugh)  and  Nellie  (Mrs. 
George  Chapman). 


f|t'ohn  Envall,  merchant  tailor,  of  Galesburg, 
f  was  born  in  the  Parish  of  West  Enneby, 
Linkoping,  Sweden,  Nov.  4,  1833.  He  is 
a  son  of  John  P.  Swanson  and  Ingried  Pearson. 
Mr.  Envall  learned  his  trade  of  his  father  and 
followed  the  same  in  Siveden  until  1868,  when 
he  came  to  America.  He  landed  in  New  York  City, 
June  4,  r868,  and  almost  immediately  ujwn  his  ar- 
rival on  the  American  shore  set  out  for  the  West, 
and  after  spending  a  few  months  at  Andover,  III., 


'A  — 


t 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

l::!versity  of  illim--? 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


889 


came  toGalesburg,  where  he  has  succeeded  in  build- 
ing up  a  good  business  and  a  home  for  his  family. 

Mr.  John  Envall  was  married  in  February,  1869, 
to  Miss  Caroline  Peterson,  a  native  of  Sweden,  by 
whom  he  has  become  the  happy  father  of  two  little 
daughters — Emily  Caroline,  born  Nov.  25,  1869,  and 
Mary  Sarephia,  born  July  9,  1872.  The  family  at- 
tend services  at  the  First  Lutheran  Church.  Mr. 
Envall  is  a  respected  citizen  and  a  clever  gentleman. 
Although  he  works  long  hours  in  the  day,  he  never- 
theless takes  ample  time  for  reading,  and  we  find  few 
of  his  countrymen  better  posted  on  general  matters 
than  he.  He  is  a  student  and  scholar,  as  well  as  an 
artist  in  his  line  of  business. 


-V) — h 


-*i^MH# 


l|^ol.  E.  F.  Phelps.  Secretary  and  General 
Manager  of  the  Covenant  Mutual  Benefit 
Association,  located  at  Galesburg,  was 
born  in  Hartford  County,  Conn.,  June  18, 
1S40.  His  childhood  and  early  youth  were 
spent  on  a  New  England  farm.  What  that 
means  those  who  were  reared  among  the  hills  and 
.hollows  of  "  Yankeedom  "  will  readily  understand. 
It  was  here  that  young  Phelps  imbibed  those  habits 
of  industry  he  possesses,  together  with  the  spirit  and 
energy  which  characterize  in  so  marked  a  degree  the 
people  of  that  portion  of  our  common  country.  It 
is  such  traits  that  enable  the  youth  of  that  rock- 
ribbed  region,  who  seek  new  homes  and  new  fields 
of  business  enterprise  in  other  and  more  favorably 
situated  sections,  to  turn  to  quick  advantage  the  op- 
fwrtunities  they  meet  and  to  achieve  success. 

Before  coming  to  Illinois,  which  the  family  did  in 
1856,  our  subject  attended  the  common  school  of  his 
native  place,  where  he  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  o( 
the  primary  studies.  On  arrival  here  the  family 
settled  on  a  farm  near  Elmwood,  and  for  the  follow- 
ing four  years  E.  F.  worked  on  the  farm  during  the 
summer  and  attended  the  Elmwood  Academy  dur- 
ing the  fall  and  winter  seasons.  In  i860  he  entered 
the  senior  preparatory  class  of  Oberlin  College,  at 
Oberlin,  Ohio,  but  when  about  to  enter  the  College 
proper,  owing  to  failing  health  he  was  prevented. 
Mtera  rest  of  a  few  months  he  endeavored  to  enter 
the  service  of  his  country  to  assist  in  suppressing  the 


rebellion,  but  was  repeatedly  refused,  owing  to  his 
feeble  health.  He  persisted,  and  was  finally  ac- 
cepted as  a  private  in  Co.  D,  i32d  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  in 
which  he  served  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

U|X)n  returning  to  civil  life,  Col.  Phelps  entered 
the  Law  Department  of  Yale  College,  and  in  1866 
received  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  In  March  of  the  fol- 
lowing year  he  located  at  Neosho,  Mo.,  where  he 
successfully  practiced  his  profession  until  1872.  In 
the  meantime  he  took  an  active  part  in  politics,  and 
came  within  two  votes  of  being  nominated  by  the 
Republicans  of  his  district  for  a  seat  in  the  State 
Senate,  when  a  nomination  was  equivalent  to  an 
election,  the  Democrats  having  no  candidate.  The 
stormy  elements  of  that  period  in  Missouri,  however, 
were  not  in  harmony  with  his  nature,  and  he  returned 
to  Illinois,  locating  at  Galesburg.  Here  he  purchased 
the  Daily  Register,  which  he  conducted  for  about 
nine  months.  He  then  organized  and  started  thei?<r- 
/'ud/ican-Regis/er,  which  he  sold  in  November,  1874. 
For  four  years  after  abandoning  the  newspaper  busi- 
ness, Col.  Phelps  was  engaged  in  insurance  and  other 
business  at  various  points,  but  in  January,  1877,  he  re- 
turned to  Galesburg  and  proceeded  to  perfect  the  or- 
ganization of  the  association  over  which  he  has  since 
so  successfully  presided  as  Secretary  and  General 
Manager.  To  him  is  due  the  credit  of  organizing 
this  commendable  association,  and  by  his  arduous 
labor  and  close  attention  he  has  brought  it  to  its  pres- 
ent high  standing.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  sound- 
est, best  and  most  successful  assessment  life  insur- 
ance associations  in  the  world.  Its  growth  has  been 
phenomenal,  and  it  is  regarded  by  Odd  Fellows 
throughout  Christendom  as  being  the  safest  and  most 
economical  assessment  insurance  plan  in  the  world. 
Col.  Phelps  may  justly  point  with  pleasure  and  pride 
to  the  success  which  it  has  achieved,  and  he  has 
gathered  around  him  as  associates  and  Directors 
many  leading  members  of  his  chosen  Order. 

Col.  Phelps  joined  the  Odd  Fellows  while  at 
Neosho,  and  soon  took  rank  as  a  bright  and  active 
worker.  Since  coming  to  Illinois,  he  has  distinguished 
himself  as  a  leader,  and  is  a  Past  Grand  Master  of 
that  Order  in  the  State,  having  retired  from  the  posi- 
tion in  1885.  At  the  present  time  he  is  Commander 
of  the  Department  of  Illinois,  Patriarchs  Militant, 
I.  O.  O.  F.,  with  rank  of  Brigadier-General.  In 
Masonry  he  is   a  Knight  Templar,   and   Past  Com- 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


"l^ 


mander  of  the  Galesburg  Commandery.     He  is  also 
a  32d  degree  Mason. 

The  military  title  of  our  subject  was  acquired  by 
having  been  appointed,  in  July,  1879,  on  Gov.  Cul- 
lom's  staff,  and  he  also  served  on  Gov.  Hamilton's 
staff  during  his  administration.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Republican,  as  might  be  inferred,  and  his  influence 
has  been  potential  in  the  ranks  of  his  party  in  the 
county  and  this  part  of  the  State.  He  was  married  in 
Neosho,  Mo.,  in  September,  1869,  to  Miss  Emma  M. 
Rouse,  and  they  have  one  daughter.  In  1884-85 
Col.  Phelps  was  President  of  the  National  Conven- 
tion of  Mutual-Assessment-Plan  Associations  of 
America,  meeting  in  Boston.  In  the  qualities  that 
attach  to  manhood.  Col.  Phelps  is  naturally  endowed. 
His  sympathies  and  inclinations  are  those  of  a  high- 
minded  and  whole-souled  man,  and  no  man  in  the 
State  deserves  more  favor  and  success  than  he. 


i4WM*WM5S 


^rt^ 


||.>dward  H.  Stilson,  M.  D.,  a  physician  of 

^       Knoxville,  was  born    in   Waterville,   Me., 

'iiW'  April  17,  1847,  and  is  the  son  of  Henry 
-?tv^  and  Annis  Stilson,  natives  of  Maine.  His 
father  was  a  sailor,  and  master  of  a  vessel  in 
the  mercantile  marine  service,  and  died  in 
Hong  Kong,  in  1847,  leaving  a  wife  and  one  child. 
After  the  demise  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Stilson  went 
to  Waterville,  Me.,  where  she  made  her  home  with 
her  father-in-law,  Mr.  Lemuel  Stilson.  In  1855 
the  widow  of  our  subject  emigrated  to  Illinois,  and 
located  at  Clinton,  De  Witt  County,  where,  in  T857, 
she  became  the  wife  of  D.  B.  Van  Druver,  and  soon 
afterward  removed  to  Bloomington,  where  her  de- 
mise occurred  in  1859. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  joined  his  mother  in 
Clinton  in  1857.  After  her  decease  he  came  to 
Knox  County,  and  hved  with  an  uncle,  J.  F.  Stilson, 
residing  at  Galesburg.  He  attended  the  city  schools, 
and  later  on  entered  Galesburg  Academy.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1863,  he  enlisted  in  Co.  H,  14th  111.  Vol.  Inf., 
and  went  South.  He  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Columbia,  S.  C,  Goldsboro  and  Raleigh. 

On  his  return  from  the  war  Dr.  Stilson  entered  the 
Preparatory  Class  of  Knox  College.  He  recommenced 
the  study  of  medicine  with  Drs.  W.  W.  Porter 
and  M.  S.  Carr,  in   1867.  Mr.  Stilson  matriculated  at 


Hahnemann  College,  Philadelphia,  graduating  there- 
from in  187 1.  Subsequent  to  completing  his  studies 
he  came  directly  to  Knoxville,  and  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession. 

Oct.  20,  1884,  Dr.  E.  H.  Stilson  and  Miss  Kate, 
the  accomplished  daughter  of  John  and  Hannah 
Eads,  were  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of  matrimony. 
Dr.  Stilson  is  a  member  of  Traflin  Post,  G.  A.  R., 
of  which  post  he  is  also  Surgeon,  and  of  Pacific 
Lodge,  No.  400,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 

onathan  Knapp.     One   of  the   successful 
farmers  of  Knox  County   is  found  in  the 
person  of  our  subject,  whose  home  is  situ- 
ated on  section  13,  of  Copley  Township.     Mr. 
jT     Knapp  was  born  in  Gallia  County,  Ohio,  Aug. 

\  II,  182  I,  and  is  the  son  of  Abraham  and  Ra- 
chel (Cherrington)  Knapp,  natives  of  Virginia.  They  ' 
moved  from  Virginia  to  Ohio  in  1804,  settling  in  Gallia 
County,  where  they  remained  until  their  deaths  in 
1825  and  1841.  They  had  a  family  consisting  of  ten  h 
children,  four  of  whom  are  still  living — Margaret, 
Moses,  Lucinda  and  Jonathan. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  at  home  about 
four  years  after  the  death  of  his  parents  and  assisted 
in  the  farm  work,  attending  school  in  the  meantime. 
Longing  to  see  the  Far  West,  after  leaving  home,  he 
visited  Illinois,  and  in  1853  settled  in  Knox  County, 
purchasing  180  acres  of  land  on  section  24.  There 
he  lived  on  the  place,  working  it  and  cultivating  it  for 
four  years.  He  now  owns  and  occupies  the  home- 
stead on  section  13,  consisting  of  160  acres,  and  has 
improved  it  and  brought  out  its  best  qualities.  He 
has  fenced  it,  set  out  fruit  and  shade  trees,  and  done 
everything  possible  to  give  it  a  cheery,  homelike  ap- 
pearance. He  is  interested  in  the  raising  of  grain 
and  cattle,  in  which  he  is  very  successful. 

Mr.  Knapp  was  married  July  3,  1856,  to  Miss 
Mary  Jane  Olmstead.  Mrs.  Knapp  is  the  daughter 
of  Darius  and  Electa  (Sornborger)  Olmstead,  natives 
of  Connecticut  and  New  York  respectively.  He 
came  to  Illinois  in  1840  and  lived  here  19  years, 
dying  in  1859.  The  mother  died  in  New  York  in 
1830.  The  family  circle  included  eight  children, 
Mrs.  Knapp  being  the  only  one  living. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knapp  of  this  sketch  have  a  family 


C^ 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


891 


f 


of  three  children — Josephine,  Frank  and  Daniel ;  the 
latter  died  in  1869.  Mr.  Knapp  belongs  to  the  Na- 
tional party  and  has  held  offices  of  different  kinds  in  his 
township.  He  is  very  pleasant  and  popular  and  is 
at  the  present  time  School  Director  and  Pathiuaster, 
and  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen. 

-^ ^-# "^ 


illiam  Hiser.  Prominent  among  the  early 
settlers  and  practical  farmers  of  Knox 
„  County  may  be  noted  the  subject  of  this 
3>  biography,  who  is  well  known  ici  business 
circles,  and  at  the  present  time  is  engaged  in 
the  grocery  trade  in  Knoxville.  He  was  bom 
in  Virginia,  Jan.  20,  1812.  His  father,  Abraham 
Riser,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  where  he  was  reared 
as  a  farmer.  When  young  he  emigated  to  America, 
locating  in  Ohio,  and  there  married  Mary  Bohrer, 
also  born  in  Germany.  After  marriage  they  removed 
to  Virginia,  where  they  lived  for  about  two  years, 
then  returned  to  Ohio  and  settled  in  Clermont  Coun- 
ty, where  the  husband  and  father  died  in  i8r2.  He 
left  a  wife  and  two  children  to  mourn  his  loss,  and 
his  widow,  after  a  short  time,  remarried  and  spent 
her  last  days  in   Pickaway  County,  Ohio. 

Our  subject  was  but  a  few  months  old  when  his 
father  died,  and  he  made  his  home  with  his  mother 
and  stepfather  until  he  attained  the  age  of  13.  He 
then  started  out  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  worid. 
The  first  two  and  one-half  years  he  lived  with  an 
uncle  at  New  Holland,  Pickaway  County,  assisting 
him  in  the  store,  and  obtaining  a  rudimentary  busi- 
ness drill.  He  was  fond  of  mercantile  pursuits, 
and  though  aftervvard  he  labored  four  years  with 
Judge  Tallman,  a  farmer  and  extensive  stock-raiser, 
he  never  abandoned  the  idea  of  some  day  engaging 
in  trade.  The  Judge  was  often  absent  from  home, 
leaving  the  young  man  in  charge  of  the  farm. 

Mr.  Riser  was  united  in  marriage,  in  1837,  with 
Sarah  Lawrence,  of  Ross  County,  Ohio,  and  soon 
afterward  rented  a  farm  in  Pickaway  County,  where 
they  lived  until  r839.  In  October  of  that  year  they 
came  to  Knox  County,  making  the  entire  journey 
overland  with  a  pair  of  horses  and  several  wagons. 
After  a  journey  of  21  days  they  arrived  at  their  des- 
tination, locating  in  Knoxville.  In  the  spring  of 
1840,  he  rented  a  farm,  without,  however,  abandon-  ' 


ing  his  former  business,  and  in  1841,  brickmaking 
having  become  a  paying  enterprise,  he  engaged  in  it 
until  the  fall  of  r86r,  at  which  time  he  returned  to 
Knoxville.  In  1862  he  was  elected  Collector  of 
Knoxville  and  Knox  Township,  which  position  he 
held  for  12  years,  and  when  his  official  duties  per- 
mitted employed  his  time  as  clerk  at  various  places 
of  business.  In  1881,  with  his  son  as  partner,  he 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business  until  Januar)',  1885, 
when  he  sold  out  and  bought  a  store  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Square,  which  he  stocked  with  a  well- 
assorted  line  of  groceries. 

Of  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Riser  have  been 
born  six  children,  as  follows:  Carrie,  wife  of  W.  C. 
HoUister,  attorney  at  Edina,  Mo. ;  Samuel  D. ;  Anna, 
wife  of  George  Woodmansee,  of  Fayetteville,  Ark.; 
William  H.,  resident  of  Holt  County,  Ohio;  Emma, 
wife  of  Ed.  Russell,  living  in  Persifer  Township, 
and  Ada,  widow  of  G.  B.  Swartz,  living  with  her 
parents. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  which  he  joined  in  1833.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  strong  Republican. 


-K3- 


--^i^ 


-e*- 


illiam  E.  Hoyle,  Jr.,  now  the  head  of  the 

long- established    firm   of  Hoyle   &    Son, 

manufacturers  of  mill  picks   and   miners' 

tools,  3r7  East  South  street,  Galesburg,  was 

•■         born  at  New  Haven,  Conn.,  Aug.  ir,  1842, 

1^,     and  was  the  yoimger  of  two  sons  of  William  R. 

and  Elvira  (Bristol)  Hoyle,  natives  of  England  and 

Connecticut  respectively. 

William  Hoyle,  Sr.,  was  born  May  15,  iSio,  in 
Folkestone,  county  of  Kent,  England,  and  came  to 
America  in  1830;  he  was  married  in  Connecticut, 
where  his  two  sons  and  two  daughters  were  born, 
and  brought  his  family  to  Galesburg  in  1857,  and  at 
once  established  the  business  now  managed  by  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  from  which  he  retired  in 
1877.  He  at  this  writing  (January,  1886)  resides  in 
Chicago,  and  is  upward  of  76  years  of  age.  In  the 
manufacture  of  mill  picks  he  attained  the  highest 
perfection.  In  fact  the  secret  (now  |X)ssessed  by 
his  son)  of  making  a  perfect  mill  pick  from  steel  was 
discovered  by  him,  and  is  known  to-day  to  no  othes 
man   on   the   Ajpericfin   cpntinent.      Various  picks 


^  > 


=!^^r^* 


892 


£:jvox  county. 


have  been  worked  off  by  manufacturers  upon  millers 
throughout  the  United  States,  only  to  result  in  fail- 
ure, disappointment  and  consequent  distrust.  But 
now  it  is  no  longer  questioned,  especially  with  the 
thousands  who  have  tried  them,  that  a  perfect  pick 
can  be  and  is  manufactured  by  this  firm,  and  at  a 
price  that  renders  their  expense  to  a  miller  merely 
nominal.  They  send  these  goods  to  every  State  and 
Territory  in  the  Union,  and  in  no  single  instance 
have  they  failed  to  give  the  greatest  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Hoyle  of  our  sketch  is  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent Masons  in  the  city,  and  in  the  work  of  the  Blue 
Lodge  and  Chapter  ranks  second  to  none.  He  has 
been  six  times  in  succession  elected  Worshipful 
Master  of  Vesper  Lodge,  No.  584,  and  is  at  this 
writing  Principal  Sojourner  of  Galesburg  Chapter, 
No.  46.  He  was  married  at  Galesburg,  May  28, 
1867,  to  Miss  Josephine  Eggleston,  who  died  Oct. 
26,  1882,  leaving  five  children,  namely:  Edward 
R.,  who  is  a  mechanic;  Nettie,  William,  Emily,  Juha, 
and  an  infant,  deceased. 


% 


obert  N.  Wallace,  a  prominent  grocer  of 
Knoxville,  was  born  in  Montgomery  County, 
Va.,  June  4,  1830,  and  his  father,  Robert 
Wallace,  was  also  a  native  of  Virginia.  The 
aiden  name  of  his  mother  was  Sarah  Wal- 
lace, born  in  Pennsylvania.  Robert  Wallace, 
Sr.,  was  a  farmer,  confining  his  industries  to  a  large 
farm  of  which  he  was  proprietor  in  Montgomery 
County,  and  upon  which  he  died  in  1845. 

Our  subject  was  15  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  his 
father's  death,  and  then  assumed  the  management  of 
the  farm.  Though  young,  his  judgment  was  good 
and  his  ideas  logical,  and  success  attended  him.  He 
continued  at  his  labors  until  1854,  when  he  started 
West  to  seek  a  location  where  he  might  found  a  new 
home.  Coming  directly  to  Knox  County,  he  en- 
gaged for  two  years  in  brickmaking.  The  third 
year  he  resumed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  in  1857 
purchased  a  small  stock  of  groceries  in  a  store  that 
had  been  established  for  a  few  years.  He  added  to 
the  groceries  from  time  to  time,  and  afterward  put  in 
a  stock  of  hardware,  finally  handling  the  latter  exclu- 
sively. At  the  expiration  of  five  years  he  sold  out 
and  bought  a  small  farm  within  the  corporate  limits 


of  Knoxville,  upon  which  he  remained  for  four  years. 
In  the  spring  of  1 885  he  again  returned  to  the  gro- 
cery business,  which  appears  to  have  been  his  favor- 
ite occupation. 

His  union  with  Margaret  Vance  took  place  Feb. 
23,  1854.  She  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  was  the 
mother  of  three  children — William  M.  and  Sarah  E., 
twins;  Emma  May.  William  M.,born  Dec.  29,  1854, 
and  died  Sept.  19,  1885  ;  Sarah  E.,  his  twin  sister, 
died  Dec.  25,  1858;  Emma  M.  married  a  Mr.  Wat- 
son, May  23,  1862,  and  died  May  20,  1884,  leaving 
one  child  with  the  subject  of  our  history.  Her  hus- 
band died  one  month  previously.  The  little  orphan 
was  taken  into  the  home  of  Mr.  Wallace  and  tender- 
ly cared  for. 


I  ^(^M?  illiam  Arms,  resident  of  Knoxville,  was 
born  in  Conway,  Franklin  Co.,  Mass., 
jI^;^'"  March  31,  18 18,  and  is  the  youngest  son 
!>  of  Henry  and  Experience  (Gates)  Arms 
(See  sketch  of  Henry  Arms.)  He  grew  to 
anhood  in  his  native  town  and  was  reared  on| 
the  farm,  and  educated  in  the  public  schools.  After 
he  was  21  he  was  employed  on  neighboring  farms, 
and  in  1842,  possessed  of  an  ambition  to  do  and  t0( 
be  something,  he  came  West  to  seek  a  home,  jour- 
neying by  way  of  stage  to  Troy,  thence  by  rail  and 
canal  to  Buffalo,  and  I'roni  there  by  lake  to  Toledo. 
He  then  took  the  railroad  to  Adrian,  Mich.,  going 
thence  via  stage  and  private  conveyance  to  Knox- 
ville, where  two  of  his  brothers  lived.  The  first  two 
years  he  clerked  for  them,  and  after  that  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  brick.  In  1854  he  became  in- 
terested in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  followed 
for  ten  years,  then  sold  out  and  entered  the  United 
States  service  as  a  carpenter.  After  the  forces  were 
organized  he  was  appointed  cook  and  remained  in 
the  service  until  the  close  of  the  war.  Since  that 
time  he  has  been  variously  employed  ;  was  for  eight 
years  Street  Commissioner  in  the  city  of  Knoxville ; 
has  been  Assessor,  and  has  served  as  City  and  Town- 
ship Collector.  Politically  he  was  formerly  a  Whig, 
and  joined  the  Republican  party  when  it  was  formed. 
He  still  adheres  strongly  to  most  of  its  principles, 
but  is  also  a  Prohibitionist. 

Mr.    Arms   was    united   in    marriage     with  Ann 
Elizabeth  Smith  Aug.   7,   1845.     She  was  born  at 


T 


^mi^'.. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


893 


Camden,  N.  Y.,  and  is  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Polly  (Pond)  Smith,  both  natives  of  Connecticut. 
Our  subject  and  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Henry  G.,  born  May  15,  1846,  en- 
listed in  1863  in  Co.  A,  vyih  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  joining 
Banks'  command  at  New  Orleans.  He  was  in  the 
Red  River  expedition  and  was  captured  by  the  en- 
emy April  8,  1S64,  remaining  in  their  hands  until 
May,  1865,  at  Camp  Ford,  Te.xas.  He  now  lives  in 
Knoxville.  The  remaining  children  are  Albert  C, 
born  March  28,  1849,  a  merchant  residing  in  Elm- 
wood  ;  Clara  Amelia,  living  in  Lewistown,  111.,  and 
Brainard  Orton,  a  merchant  at  Knoxville. 

j^apt.  J.  F.    Stilson,    extensive    dealer    in 

P'    hardware,  agricultural  implements,  stoves. 
carriages,  etc.,  Galesburg,  111.,  was  born  at 
fj,j$     Waterville,    Me.,  March  5,   1827.     His   par- 
^      ents,  Lemuel   and   Rhoda  (Atwood)  Stilson, 
<        natives  of  Maine,  and  descended  from  Scotch 
ancestors,   were    married   at   Frankfort,  their  native 
State,  and  at  the   town  of    Waterville   they  reared 
their  five  sons  and  three  daughters.     Lemuel  Stilson 
was  a  carriage   manufacturer  in  his  day,  and  the 
most  extensive  one  in  that  State.     He  lived  to  be  62 
years  old,  and  died  in   1858.     His  widow  survived 
him  about  three  years  and  died  at  the  age  of  62. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  left  the  common  schools 
and  at  the  age  of  16  commenced  his  seafaring  life 
and  followed  it  for  13  years  thereafter.  At  the  age 
of  22  he  was  promoted  to  Second  Mate;  at  23,  to 
First  Mate,  and  at  24  to  Captain.  He  plied  between 
New  York  and  the  various  European  jwrts,  with  an 
occasional  voyage  to  the  West  Indies.  Capt. 
Wheeler  commanded  the  good  ship  of  which  young 
Stilson  was  mate,  and  Mrs.  Capt.  Wheeler  divided 
the  honors  with  the  commander  at  a  beautiful 
little  cottage  located  at  Hampdon,  Me.  At  times, 
when  the  good  ship  was  in  jxjrt,  a  certain  member  of 
the  cottage  crew  was  wont  to  pay  her  respects  to  the 
commander,  and  in  doing  so  necessarily  fell  under 
the  eyes  of  the  mate.  Now  this  member  of  the  dry- 
land crew  was  of  that  age  that  naturally  developed 
very  rapidly  many  admirable  characteristics,  and  the 
junior  officer  of  the  merchant  vessel  was  also  of  that 
age  most  calculated  to  observe  and  appreciate  such 


development.  So  it  turned  out  in  due  process  of 
time  that  the  good  old  Captain  learned  that  his  trusted 
young  officer  had  determined  ujxin  quitting  the  ocean 
and  establishing  a  ''dry -land  craft,"  the  second 
officer  whereof  was  to  be  the  little  sailor  that  but  a 
few  years  before  had  played  about  the  decks  of  the 
merchantman. 

Capt.  J.  F.  Stilson  was  married  at  Hampden, 
Maine,  Feb.  22,  1853,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Wheeler, 
the  accomplished  daughter  of  Capt.  W.  Wheeler, 
of  the  merchant  marine.  Though  she  made  her 
young  husband  promise  lo  quit  the  sea  at  once,  she, 
instead,  became  his  willing  companion  on  many  a 
long  voyage.  She  accomjjanied  her  husband  to 
Galesburg  in  1856,  and  here  yielded  up  her  life  in 
1867.  Of  her  four  children  we  make  the  following 
brief  mention:  The  eldest,  Frank,  is  in  business 
with  his  father;  Minnie  is  an  accomplished  teacher 
in  the  High  School;  Charlotte  is  married  to  Mr.  W. 
H.  Chambers,  one  of  Galesburg's  pushing  merchants, 
and  Annie  W.  is  at  home.  ] 

Capt.  Wheeler  came  West  in  1859,  and  died  in 
Galesburg,  in  1867,  in  the  64th  year  of  his  age.  Hel 
spent  50  years  of  his  life  upon  the  ocean.  Sincer 
coming  to  Galesburg  Capt.  Stilson  has  been  engaged  I 
in  his  present  business,  associated,  however,  withj 
two  or  three  other  parties  at  various  limes,  and  inter- 
ested for  some  years  in  the  manufacture  of  agricult- 
ural implements.  In  business  he  has  been  remark- 
ably successful,  and  his  rank  in  the  mercantile 
world  to-day  is  second  to  none  in  the  county. 

Capt.  S.'s  second  marriage  occurred  in  this  city, 
Feb.  13,  1869,  when  he  was  united  with  Miss  Emma 
Howland,  a  native  of  New  York,  and  his  youngest 
child.  Earl,  is  now  in  college.  Capt.  Stilson  has 
made  his  own  way  in  the  world;  when  he  was  21 
years  of  age,  he  visited  his  old  home,  and  his  mother 
presented  him  with  two  white  shirts,  which  consti- 
tuted the  sum  of  his  gratuities. 


"^^'ames  E.  Brown,  Treasurer  of  the  G.  W. 
^  Brown  Corn- Planter  Co.,  of  Galesburg,  was 
born   in    Warren    County,    111.,   April    12, 
1837.     He  is  the  son  of  G.  W.   Brown   (see 
biography),  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  at  the 
age  of  19  was  sent  to  Galesburg,  and   was  in 
the  shop  up  to  1862  ;  he  then  returned  to  farming. 


t 


4-. 


;t» 


894 


JCNOX  COUNTY. 


at  which  he  continued  for  12  years,  but  eventually 
went  back  to  his  shop  work.  He  has  continued  in 
the  works  since  1874,  and  at  the  organization  of  the 
company,  in  1880,  was  appointed  its  Treasurer. 

Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  at  Galesburg, 
May  2,  1859,  with  Mary  E.  Musser,  a  native  of  Ports- 
mouth, Ohio,  and  is  the  father  of  three  children- 
Jennie  E.  (Mrs.  M.  J.  Dougherty),  George  E.,  Di- 
rector of  G.  W.  Brown  &  Co.,  and  Flora  M.  Their 
family  circle  is  a  pleasant  and  agreeable  one,  and  he 
is  a  sohd  and  substantial  citizen.  He  belongs  to  no 
secret  order,  but  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Galesburg,  and  has  been 
a  member  of  its  Board  of  Directors  since  that  time. 


I  illiam  H.  Leighton.  Within  the  confines 
of  Knox  County  are  clustered  some  of  the 
homesteads  that  taste,  persevering  labor 
and  money  have  founded,  and  prominent 
among  these  is  the  farm  lying  on  section  17, 
Copley  Township,  owned  by  the  subject  of  our 
biography.  From  a  humble  beginning,  and  with  the 
principle  in  his  mind,  "know  no  such  word  as  fail," 
he  has  struggled  to  the  heights  of  prosperity  on  which 
he  now  stands. 

Mr.  Leighton  was  born  in  New  York  City,  in  1835, 
on  the  8th  of  October.  His  parents,  William  and 
Isabelle  (Ironside)  Leighton,  were  natives  of  Scot- 
land, and  came  to  America  in  1832.  The  family  re- 
mained in  the  city,  where  the  father  engaged  as  clerk 
in  a  store.  He  worked  there  and  also  for  a  printing- 
house,  and  fortune  began  to  smile  upon  his  efforts. 
In  1837  he  came  to  Knoxville,  and  there  worked  at 
whatever  employment  he  could  find  for  some  length 
of  time.  He  continued  thus  for  some  years,  then  en- 
gaged in  the  mercantile  business,  and  followed  this 
for  a  few  years,  gaining  a  goodly  number  of  cus- 
tomers and  friends.  He  after  a  time  sold  out  his 
store  and  began  farming  on  section  17,  in  Copley 
Township.  He  purchased  here  220  acres  of  land 
and  remained  on  the  same  quite  a  number  of  years. 
After  that  he  purchased  530  acres  on  section  13, 
Sparta  Township,  where  he  remained  until  his  death, 
in  1861.     The  mother  died  in  1840. 

William  H.  Leighton  lived  at  home  until  25  years 


old.  He  received  a  practical  education,  better  than 
many  boys,  and  in  1863  purchased  the  place  where 
he  now  lives.  This  comprises  180  acres,  and  he  has 
devoted  his  time  to  the  raising  of  stock  and  grain,  in 
which  he  has  been  very  successful.  Mr.  Leighton 
relates  a  little  incident  connected  with  the  thrashing 
in  1863:  While  oiling  the  machine  his  clothes  caught 
in  the  gearing  and  were  stripped  from  his  body,  e.x- 
cept  his  boots  and  shirt-band.  He  had  purchased  a 
jack-knife  the  day  before,  and  that  and  his  clothes 
and  $85  in  greenbacks  were  ground  to  paper-rags. 
He  sent  the  money  that  was  ground  to  pieces  to 
Washington,  and  they  remitted  him  $30. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Janettc. 
McKee,  who  was  born  July  13,  1842,  and  is  the 
daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  (Miller)  McKee. 
They  were  natives  of  Scotland,  and  came  to  America 
in  1840,  settling  in  Persifer  Township,  Knox  County. 
Here  they  remained  for  two  years  and  then  moved 
to  Copley  Township,  wliere  they  lived  on  section  18, 
and  continued  there  until  the  death  of  the  father,  in 
1848,  and  the  mother  in  1880. 

Mr.  Leighton  has  a  family  of  five  children,  in- 
cluding Maggie,  May,  Isabelle,  Alice  and  Charles.  He 
has  a  most  amiable  and  intelligent  family,  and  their 
home  is  a  pleasant  resort,  good  cheer  always  abound- 
ing there.  Mr.  Leighton  is  Republican  in  politics, 
and  has  held  many  of  the  minor  offices,  among  them 
Commissioner  of  Highways,  Supervisor,  School  Di- 
rector and  Trustee.  At  the  present  time  he  holds 
the  office  of  Supervisor.  Both  himself  and  wife  are 
members  in  good  and  regular  standing  in  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 


eorge  W.  Weir.  Prominent  among  the 
pioneers  of  Knox  County,  known  for  his 
energy  and  industry,  and  as  an  honorable 
and  upright  citizen,  stands  the  subject  of  this 
historical  narration.  He  came  to  Rio  Town- 
ship in  the  fall  of  1836,  when  only  a  boy  of  19 
years,  from  Morgan  County,  Ohio,  and  here  began 
his  labors  for  the  establishment  of  a  home,  in  which 
labors  he  has  prospered  in  a  manner  far  exceeding 
expectations. 

When  Mr.  Weir  came  to  Knox  County,  he  engaged 
for  a  time  in  different  occupations,  among  them  farm 
labor,  which  lasted  for  nearly  seven  years,  and  at  the 


i-*- 


rh 


i 


f4- 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


895 


expiration  of  that  time  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Henry 
Count)'.  Here  he  settled  and  lived  for  12  years, 
then  sold  out  and  bought  land  in  Rio  Township, 
upon  which  he  permanently  settled  and  engaged  in 
its  cultivation  and  improvement.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  334  acres  in  Rio  Township,  besides  a  half- 
section  in  Kansas. 

Mr.  Weir  formed  a  matrimonial  alliance  Jan.  7, 
1844,  with  Miss  Lydia  J.  Epperson,  who  has  proved 
a  helpmate  in  the  truest  and  best  acceptation  of  the 
term.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Pedro  W.  Epperson 
(see  sketch),  and  was  born  in  Kentucky,  Dec.  16, 
1825,  coming  to  Knox  County  with  her  parents  at 
the  age  of  it  years,  in  the  spring  of  1836. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weir  are  the  parents  of  nine  chil- 
dren— William  J.,  Anson  N.,  James  B.,  John  F.. 
George  A.,  Charlie,  Hattie  L.  and  Mary  D.  Of  these 
Hattie  died  when  three  years  of  age  ;  one  child,  un- 
named, died  in  infancy;  William  J.  and  Anson  live 
in  Missouri,  both  farmers,  and  the  latter  also  engaged 

in  stock-raising;  James  is  a  merchant  and  the  Post-    1 
^    •'  I 

master  of  Mount  Pleasant,  Kan.;  John  F.  resides  in 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  is  chief  bill-of-lading  clerk  in  the 

Superintendent's  oflBce  of  the  Louisville  &  NashNnlle 

Railroad ;    George  A.  and  Charlie  are    engaged  in 

stock-raising  on  the  old  homestead  in  Rio  Township  ; 

and  Mar)-  D.  is  yet   under  the  parental  roof,  giving 

lessons    in    music,   embroidery,   crochet    and   other 

decorative  work.    In  politics  Mr.  Weir  is  a  Democrat. 


>~'VA,  •xtifi^-®-^ 


#».^,S1.'2'OT»»~"W»~ 


^^1^  C.  Clay  was  bom  in  Chester  County,  Vt., 
Feb.  13,  1829.  He  was  educated  in  Gales- 
i'!^a=""  burg,  but  preferring  agricultural  pursuits 
has  followed  that  calling  all  his  life.  He  is 
the  sou  of  John  L.  and  Louisa  (Balch)  Clay, 
natives  of  Vermont,  and  is  of  English  extrac- 
tion. Mr.  Clay  knows  very  little  of  any  home  other 
than  Knox  County,  as  he  came  here  with  his  parents 
in  1840.  He  is  a  man  of  integrity,  and  his  reputa- 
tion has  caused  him  to  be  sought  as  an  incumbent 
of  township  oflBces.  He  is  a  Director  of  the  Farmers' 
and  Mechanics'  Bank,  of  Galesburg,  and  is  one  of 
the  wealthy  men  of  the  county,  owning  from  800  to 
900  acres  of  fine  land,  450  of  which  lie  in  this 
count)'. 

In  1880,  prompted  by  the  wishes  and   arguments 


of  political  advisers,  he  permitted  his  name  to  be 
used  as  candidate  for  the  State  Senate,  and  he  has 
also  filled  minor  official  positions  in  the  county. 

He  was  married  in  1854,  at  Knoxville,  then  his 
home,  to  which  he  removed  from  Henderson,  and 
later  to  Galesburg,  now  his  residence.  His  father 
died  in  1878,  at  the  mature  age  of  76. 

Our  subject  was  active  in  the  construction  of  the 
county  jail,  being  appointed  Superintendent  at  the 
time.  In  religious  belief  he  has  no  choice,  and  does 
not  affiliate  with  any  secret  order.  In  politics  he  is 
Democratic. 


ichael    Mount,   passenger   conductor  on 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  is  the  son  of  Will- 
iam and  Alzeria  (Gates)   Mount,  natives 
of  Virginia  and  Tennessee.     He  was  born 
'i^     near  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  Jan.   22,    1841.      His 
I       father  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  died 
near  his  old  home  in  1858,  aged  58  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  inured  to  farm  life, 
the  duties  whereof  were  interspersed  with  occa-  J 
sional  attendance  at  the  neighboring  school.  Before 
he  was  20  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  left  home, 
he  augmented  his  learning  materially  by  a  course  at 
a  commercial  school,  with  a  view  to  still  further  ad- 
vancement in  study.  But  the  war  between  the  States 
broke  out,  and  as  early  as  February,  1861,  young 
Mount  presented  himself  at  Strawberry  Plains  as  a 
volunteer  ol  the  Southern  Army,  and  at  once  became 
a  member  of  Capt.  Lynchs  battery.  He  was  in  a 
short  time  transferred  to  the  ist  Tenn.  Cav.,  and 
was  with  this  command  until  he  left  the  service, 
which  he  did  at  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg,  where 
he  was  made  prisoner,  July  4,  1863.  In  the  Decem- 
ber following  he  came  to  Quincy,  III  ,  where  he  ob- 
tained employment  until  August,  1864,  when  he  be- 
came brakeman  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  From 
freight  brakeman  he  became  passenger  brakeman, 
and  two  years  later,  in  1866,  train  baggageman.  In 
1 869  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  a  freight  train  as 
conductor,  and  in  1884  promoted  to  a  passenger 
train,  where  we  find  him,  January,  1886,  and  where 
his  numerous  friends  hope  to  find  him  for  many 
years  to  come.  To  rise  from  a  freight  brakeman  to 
a  permanency  in  the  conductorshipof  a  C,  B.  &  Q. 
passenger   train    is  considered  by   railroad  men  in 


,M|. 


a 


896 


^NOX  COUNTY. 


this  countU'  as  the  highest  testimonial  of  merit.  We 
use  the  word  permanency  in  its  limited  sense ;  no 
man  is  ever  permanently  with  any  railroad  company 
unless  he  owns  it,  but  the  term  distinguishes  the 
regular  employe  in  any  department  from  the  novi- 
tiate. 

Mr.  Mount  was  married  at  Fowler,  Adams  Co., 
111.,  April  9,  1868,  to  Miss  Annie  Mitchell,  daughter 
of  James  W.  Mitchell,  Esq.,  of  that  county.  They 
have  become  the  parents  of  three  children,  living, 
na"aed  Charles  H.,  Alzeria  and  RoUa,  and  have 
buried  one  infant.  Mr.  Mount  is  a  Knight  Templar 
and  a  member  of  Galesburg  Commandery,  No.  8, 
and  also  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W. ;  he  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Order  of  Railway  Conductors. 


;  rof.  W.  C.  Parker.     Prominent  as   a  pro- 
fessional gentleman,  respected  as  a  citizen 
•.^   and  honored  for  his  sterling  worth  and   in- 


¥ 


1   fij  J   tegrityi  is  the  subject  of  this  notice,  residing 


J>i  ■fllN-  in  Galesburg.  He  is  engaged  in  dealing  in  all 
'  *  kinds  of  music  and  is  also  a  teacher  of  vocal 
and  instrumental  music,  and  has  attained  prominence 
in  his  profession.  He  came  to  Galesburg  in  the 
spring  of  1875.  Two  years  later  he  established  a 
music  store  on  Prairie  street,  where  he  operated  suc- 
cessfully until  May  of  that  year,  when  he  engaged 
in  the  business  which  he  is  now  carrying  on  at  121 
Main  street. 

Prof.  Parker  was  born  in  Madison  County,  N.  Y., 
April  23,  1832.  His  parents  were  natives  of  that 
State  and  there  resided  until  their  death.  Prof.  Par- 
ker was  educated  in  his  native  county,  in  the  schools 
of  Syracuse,  and  prior  to  attaining  his  majority  he 
spent  seven  years  in  the  study  of  vocal  and  instru- 
mental music,  having  studied  at  Boston,  Newbury- 
port  and  New  York  City,  and  completed  his  education 
under  the  instruction  of  the  celebrated  German, 
Prof.  Held,  together  with  that  of  Prof.  Allen,  an 
American  instructor.  After  conjpleting  his  educa- 
tion he  took  up  his  residence  at  Syracuse,  where  he 
followed  his  profession  for  some  six  years.  While 
there  he  established  a  musical  institute,  and  during 
his  residence  in  that  city  was  busily  occupied  in 
conducting  the  same.  From  Syracuse  he  removed 
to  Valparaiso,  Ind.,  where,  about  1864,  he  established 


a  conservatory,  where  he  was  engaged  in  teaching 
until  187 1,  meeting  with  signal  success.  He  then 
came  to  this  State,  and,  settling  in  Waterloo,  he  start- 
ed another  conservatory,  which  was  at  that  time  the 
largest  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  West,  and  from 
which  a  great  many  pupils  graduated. 

From  Waterloo  Prof  Parker  came  to  this  city,  and, 
on  account  of  ill  health,  partially  abandoned  teach- 
ing and  turned  his  attention  to  the  sale  of  music. 
He  has  been  a  thorough  student  and  has  done  much 
to  advance  the  musical  interests  of  the  communities 
in  which  he  has  resided.  His  skill  is  remarkable, 
and  his  ability  as  a  teacher  is  well  known,  not  only 
in  this  county  and  State,  but  in  many  of  the  States 
east  and  west  of  this.  His  experience  has  been  ex- 
tensive, and  he  claims  to  have  been  the  instructor  of 
as  many  pupils  in  his  art  as  any  other  living  man. 

In  May,  1875,  Pi^of  Parker  was  married  at  Water- 
loo to  Miss  Cornelia  Drake,  daughter  of  B.  S.  Drake, 
of  New  Haven,  N.  Y.  She  was  born  Oct.  14,  1853, 
and  was  educated  in  New  York.  She  began  teaching 
school  at  the  age  of  17,  and  followed  her  chosen 
vocation  until  hir  marriage.  She  also  graduated  in 
music  under  her  husband's  instruction  in  1872,  and 
is  credited  with  possessing  unusual  musical  talent. 
She  has  very  materially  assisted  her  husband  in 
teaching  the  art,  and  in  their  united  efforts  they  have 
been  eminently  successuful.  Mrs.  Parker  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  socially  Prof.  Parker 
is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pylhias  ;  in  politics 
he  votes  with  the  Republican  party. 

-,» .#>#. v^ 


l_.  .2~-ij,enry  Gardt,  of  the  firm  of  Frohlich,  Gardt 
T  iiiSij:  &  Co.,  wholesale  and  retail  liquor  dealers, 
^fi^  was  born  in  Germany,  June  16,  1852,  and 
ah  came  to  America  in  1868.  His  first  settlement 
I  for  any  considerable  length  of  time  was  in 
I  Galesburg,  at  which  place  he  has  since  resided. 
He  came  here  a  poor  boy,  and  began  clerking  for 
Mr.  C.  Brechwald,  now  deceased,  and  remained  with 
that  gentleman  for  many  years.  The  savings  of  the 
salary  paid  him  by  Mr.  Brechwald  enabled  him  to 
go  into  business  for  himself,  and  the  house  with 
which  he  is  now  connected  is  second  to  none  in 
Galesburg.  The  firm  are  sole  agents  for  the  celebrat- 
ed Anheuser-Busch  Brewing  Association,  of  St  Louis. 


^ 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 

i:::vERsiTY  of  illiv 


^crmj^  ^JP  (^V^^^^^-^^   ^-^^ 


a.^y  JL^  ^^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

L  .IVERSUY  OF  ILU^*' 


A. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


901 


Mr.  G.  was  married  at  Galesburg,  May  18,  1876, 
to  Barbara  Glasser,  of  German  descent.  Thfir  two 
living  children  are  named  Florence  and  Chauncey 
H.  They  have  buried  two,  aged  respectively  four 
and  one  and  one-half  years.  Mr.  G.  has  served  in 
all  for  two  years  as  Alderman,  is  a  Knight  Templar, 
a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  a  prominent  member  of 
the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


fit  eorge  W.  Melton  is  one  of  the  largest  and 
^^^  most  extensive  land-owners  of  Ontario 
""  -  "^  Township,  and  its  oldest  actual  settler. 
His  residence  is  located  on  section  31.  Mr. 
Melton's  birthplace  was  Ex-President  Harri- 
son's old  farm,  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  Cory- 
don,  Harrison  Co.,  Ind.,  and  the  date  Sept.  5,  1811. 
At  this  time  the  country  was  almost  a  wilderness, 
and  what  is  now  the  State  was  then  a  Territory. 

David  Melton,  the  father  of  George  W.,  was  born 
in  North  Carolina,  and  was  a  fanner  during  his  en- 
tire  life.      His   father,   Eli,  and    his  mother,  Sarah 
vl  (Barnett)  Melton,  went  to  Danville,  Ky.,  and  located 
a  home  when    David  was  but  a  small  child.     His 
i     grandparents  were  bom  in  Virginia,  going  from  there 
I  to  North  Carolina,  where  they  remained  for  a  nuni- 
1    ber  of  years.     David   Melton,  after  arriving  at  the 
I     years  of  discretion  and  manhood,  came  to  Indiana, 
'     and   subsequently  received  into  his  home  the  aged 
grandparents,  Eli  and  Sarah  Melton.      After  making 
,     their  home  with  him  a  few  years,  they  died   there. 
i     The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  notice,  after  his  re- 
I     moval   to  Indiana,  engaged  as   an  employe  of  Gen. 
I     William  H.  Harrison,  who  was  at  that  time  Territo- 
rial  Governor.     His   energy,   industry    and    upright 
character  caused  him  to  meet  with  marked  success. 
While  carrying  on  his  agricultural  pursuits  he  made 
tha  acquaintance  of  and    afterward   married  Cathe- 
rine Pffrimer,  whose  father,  John  G.  Pffrimer,  held  the 
position  of   Superintendent  of  Gen.  Harrison's  farm. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Susquehanna 
County,   Pa.,  and  came  when  a  child    to  Harrison 
County,  Ind.,  with  her  parents. 

George  W.  was  the  eldest  child  of  the  family,  and 
not  long  after  his  birth  his  parents  removed  from  the 
Harrison  estate,  locating  on  a  farm  situated  in  the 
timber  bordering  on  Buck  Creek.  They  remained 
there  a  short  time,  when  they  moved  near  Corydon.  In 

■ -* 


this  neighborhood  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  in  the 
month  of  May,  1834,  came  to  Kno.x  County.  His 
worldly  possessions  at  this  time  amounted  to  $500 
and  a  few  head  of  cattle.  These  he  turned  out  and 
allowed  to  run  wild  over  the  prairie,  while  he  worked 
at  odd  jobs  here  and  there  for  a  short  time ;  then  in 
company  with  a  friend,  Samuel  Dean,  who  had  visited 
Illinois  and  knew  something  of  the  country,  and  who 
was  the  direct  cause  of  his  coming,  rented  a  farm,  in 
the  year  1835.  Mr.  Dean  soon  afterward  married, 
and  with  him  Mr.  Melton  made  his  home  till  1836. 
His  own  marriage  occurred  March  24  of  this  year 
(1836),  and  took  place  at  the  residence  of  the  bride's 
parents  at  Henderson,  Knox  County.  Mary  (Riley) 
Melton,  his  wife,  was  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Ellen  (Jewell)  Riley,  natives  of  Kentucky.  Her 
grandparents,  who  were  of  Southern  ancestry,  went 
to  Ohio  County,  Ky.,  while  the  country  was  in  a 
wild  and  unsettled  condition,  and  the  Indians  sull 
held  possession  of  its  forests.  The  grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Melton  was  at  one  time  taken  prisoner  by  the  i  , 
Indians,  and  only  escaped  after  a  long  and  weary 
confinement  of  ten  years.  He  and  his  wife  came  to 
the  home  of  their  son,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Melton,  who 
was  married  and  lived  in  Harrison  County.  At  this 
place  he  died,  and  his  wife  aftenvard  married  Wil- 
son Highfield,  removing  to  Henderson,  Knox  Co., 
III.,  at  which  place  she  was  buried. 

Mrs.  Melton  was  born  March  9,  1818,  near  Leav- 
enworth, Crawford  Co.,  Ind.,  her  parents  having  re- 
moved thither  from  Harrison  County,  and  was  the 
eldest  of  six  children.  At  the  rime  of  the  removal  of 
lier  family  to  Henderson,  which  was  in  May,  1833, 
what  is  now  a  flourishing  village  consisted  of  only  a 
few  families.  Her  father  purchased  a  piece  of  land, 
upon  which  they  settled,  and  commenced  what  was 
afterward  a  most  attractive  home.  Here  he  departed 
this  life  in  1S49.  Some  years  later  her  mother  re- 
moved 10  Fairfield,  Jefferson  Co.,  Iowa,  the  home  of 
her  daughter,  Mrs.  Elzan  Gillett,  wife  of  Luster  GiU 
lett,  remaining  there  until  her  death,  in  1880,  at  the 
ripe  age  of  87  years. 

Mrs.  .Melton  is  the  mother  of  11  children,  one  of 
whom  is  deceased ;  those  living  number  as  follows: 
Sarah  E.,  wife  of  Ralph  Voris,  now  deceased  ;  Mrs. 
Voris  lives  on  a  farm  in  this  county.  Henry,  the 
second  in  order  of  birth,  and  wife,  Ellen  (Cole)  Mel- 
ton, reside  on  a  farm  in  Lane  County,  Ore. ;  he  served 
in  the  Civil  War.    William,  the  second  son,  who  mar- 


^-f- 


C» 


^* 


902 


^JV^OX  COUNTY. 


ried  Miss  Mary  Knox,  is  a  successful  farmer  in  Rio 
Township.  Lucinda,  wife  of  Samuel  Stafford,  has  a 
pleasant  home  in  Rio  Township;  Mr.  Stafford  was 
also  a  soldier  in  the  Rebellion.  Dora,  the  third 
daughter,  is  the  wife  of  Heber  Gillis,  a  wealthy 
farmer,  also  of  Rio  Township.  M.  Ella  married  Ed- 
ward Gillis,  and  removed  to  VVinterset,  Iowa,  at 
which  place  they  now  reside.  H.  Lorrain  is  the  wife 
of  William  Sumner,  an  enterprising  merchant  of 
Winterset,  Iowa.  Lillie  A.  married  William  Case, 
who  lives  in  Rio  Township.  George  W.  and  wife, 
Ann  (Miller)  Melton,  live  on  a  farm  in  Ontario 
Township,  and  Elvira  lives  at  home  with  her  par- 
ents. 

Mr.  Melton,  who,  in  the  year  1836,  moved  on  the 
place  which  to  day  is  his  pleasant  and  attractive 
home,  was  the  first  settler  in  the  township,  making 
settlement  on  a  small  farm,  the  site  of  the  present 
town  of  Henderson.  His  agricultural  possessions 
have  numbersd  fully  1,000  acres  of  land,  500  of 
which  he  has  given  to  his  children.  A  large  and 
valuable  farm  of  about  500  acres  remains  in  his 
possession  at  the  present  time.  He  has  been  very 
'  I  successful  as  a  stock-raiser,  which  branch  of  his  bus- 
iness he  has  carried  on  extensively.  He  is  popular, 
a  kind  friend  and  a  good  neighbor.  He  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  and  both  himself 
and  wife  are  active  members  of  the  Cor.gregational 
Church. 

Among  the  numerous  portraits  of  the  leading  citi- 
zens of  Knox  County  given  in  this  volume,  we  are 
confident  none  are  more  deserving  a  prominent  place 
or  will  be  received  with  greater  favor  than  those  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  W.  Melton,  the  pioneers  of  the 
finest  township  of  land  in  Knox  County,  and  having 
no  superior  in  the  great  Prairie  State. 

ll^amuel  Vangilder,  deceased,  a  pioneer  of 
Knox  County  of  1836,  was  born  in  New 
Jersey  in  May,  1800,  and  was  a  young  man 
when  his  parents  removed  to  Ohio,  where  he 
attained  the  years  of  majority.  The  maiden 
name  of  his  wife  was  Nancy  Stevenson,  a  na- 
tive of  Kentucky.  After  marriage  tiiey  settled  in 
Hancock  County,  Ind.,  where  the  father  purchased 
a  tract  of  timber  land  and  cleared  a  farm.     In  1836, 


accompanied  by  his  wife  and  five  children,  he  started 
with  an  ox  team  to  Illinois  in  company  with  several 
other  families,  camping  on  the  way.  He  stopped  a 
short  time  in  Knoxville,  where  he  rented  a  farm,  after 
which  he  purchased  land  on  section  i,  Knox  Town- 
ship. This  land  was  in  a  raw  and  unimproved 
state,  and  he  erected  a  log  cabin  upon  it,  remaining 
tliere  until  the  fall  of  1857,  when  he  removed  to 
Sparta  Township,  at  which  place  his  demise  occurred 
in  September  of  that  year.  His  wife  died  April  6, 
1872. 


.amuel  Kirk  McCuUough,  foreman  of  the 
"  T."  R.  R.  shops  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  Co. 
Im'  at  Galesburg,  and  Wrecking  Master  of  the 
Galesburg  Division  of  this  railroad,  is  a  native 
of  Juniata  County,  Pa.,  and  born  Nov.  3,  1833. 
He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Kirk)  McCul- 
lough,  natives  of  the  Keystone  State,  and  of  Scotch 
and  Welsh  ancestry.  Samuel  Kirk,  of  whom  we 
write,  completed  an  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter's 
trade  at  Mifflin,  the  old  county  seat  of  Juniata.  At 
the  age  of  20  years  he  came  West,  and  after  working 
two  years  at  his  trade  in  different  sections  of  this 
State,  he  accepted  a  position  in  1855  with  the  C,  B. 
&  Q.  R.  R  Co.,  at  Princeton,  111.  Upon  the  removal 
of  the  car  shops  to  Galesburg,  Mr.  McCullough  ac- 
companied them  thither,  and  has  been  in  reputable 
connection  with  them  since  that  time,  holding  dif- 
ferent positions  of  trust  with  this  corporation.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  Rebellion  he  enlisted  his  services 
with  Co.  E,  89th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  went  boldly  to 
the  front.  He,  however,  was  transferred  to  tlie  Pio- 
neer Corps,  whence  he  was  again  transferred  to 
the  ist  U.  S.  Engineers,  receiving  an  honorable  dis- 
charge at  the  close  of  the  war,  after  a  service  of 
nearly  three  years.  Returning  to  his  work,  he  filled 
the  position  of  foreman  of  the  car  shops  for  the  suc- 
ceeding ten  years,  and  from  which  he  was  appointed 
to  his  present  position. 

Mr.  McCullough  was  married  at  Galesburg  to 
Rosina  Reed,  a  lady  of  estimable  qualities  and  a  na- 
tive of  the  Empire  State.  Their  union  lias  been 
blest  by  the  birth  of  two  daughters,  named  Ella  and 
Estella.  The  latter  became  the  wife  of  Mr.  E.  W. 
MacUougal,  of  Janesville,  Wis.  Mr.  McCullough  is 
a  worthy  Mason  and  is  also  a  member  of  the  A.  O. 


4^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


903 


--!- 


U.  VV.  He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  contributes 
liberally  to  all  measures  tending  to  the  growth  of  his 
adopted  city. 


orace  F.  Dodd,  Trainmaster  of  the  C,  B. 

&  Q.   R.   R.  at   Galesburg,  is   a  native  of 

^  Pennsylvania,  and   was  born  in  Waterford 

Township,  Erie  Co.,  Sept.  20,  1836.   His  parents 

were  John  W.  and  Sarah  (White)  Dodd.     The 

former  was  of  an  old  family  of  New  York  State 

I      whose  genealogy  traces  them  back  to  Daniel  Dod  (at 

that   time  only  one  D),  of  English  extraction  and  of 

Branford,  Co'in.,  in   1646.     Thelatter  is  a  native  of 

\      Windham   County,  Vt.,  and  of  a  long  line  of  Scotch 

and  Welsh  ancestr)'. 

In    1838   Horace  F.  came  West  with  his  parents, 

who  settled  at  Pekin,  111.     The  mother  died  in  1867, 

j      at  Whitewater,  Wis.  The  father  is  living  in  Washing- 

1'  ton    County,    Ark.     The    survivors    of  the    family 

are  two  daughters  and  a  son.     Irene  is  the  wife  of  J. 

I   E.  Sliepherd,  a  farmer  of  Centralia,  III.  ;  Adoline  A. 

^  is  the  wife  of  Maj.  E.  A.  Sherman,  Surveyor-Gen- 

'   eral  of  -Mevada  Territory, having  his  residence  at  Oak- 

I    land,  Cal. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  spent   his  boyhood  in 
I     Oshkosh  and  Whitewater,  Wis.,  and  was  connected 
with   railway  interests  from   early  life.     In   1862  he 
accepted  a  position   with   this  corporation,  and  has 
\     been  very  reputably  connected  with  its  interests  here 
since,  serving  as  brakeman,  conductor  and  yardmas- 
ter  with  credit  until  i88i,  when  he  was  promoted  to 
Trainmaster  of  the  Galesburg  Division  of  the  C,  B. 
!      &  Q.  R.  R.     During  his  active  service  in  the  various 
departments  of  his   vocation,  it  has  been  his  good 
fortune   to    avoid    any   serious   accidents,    and    the 
]     cause  is  not  attributable  alone  to  what  some  people 
term  "  good  luck,"  but  to  his  strict  attention  to  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Dodd  was  married  in  Knoxville,  this  State, 
Jan.  31,  i860,  to  Mary  A.,  daughter  of  the  late  Dr. 
Jason  Duncan,  of  that  place.  She  departed  this  life 
in  May,  1875,  and  is  buried  in  the  family  lot  ai  Knox- 
ville Cemetery,  leaving  a  son,  Frank  S.,a  druggist  at 
Knoxville.  Mr.  Dodd  was  again  married  in  Quincy, 
111.,  Feb.  20,  1878,  to  Miss  Rosa  Nopper,  daughter  of 
Sergeant  John  Nopper,  a  native  of  Germany, 
who  was  supposed  to  have  lost  his  life  in  the  late 


Franco-Prussian  War,  he  not  being  heard  from  after- 
ward. The  result  of  his  second  matrimonial  alliance 
has  been  the  birth  of  two  briglit,  promising  boys — 
Edwin  H.,  born  in  August,  1879,  and  Carl  E.,  born 
in  February,  1885. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dodd  attend  worship  at  the  Con- 
gregational Church.  He  is  an  active  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  Knight 
Grand  Commander  of  the  Sun,  and  of  the  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors.  Mr.  Dodd  is  a  public-spirited 
and  enterprising  citizen,  and  a  thorough-going  official 
and  business  man,  fully  alive  to  the  progress  and 
improvement  of  the  age.  He  is  liberal-minded  and 
charitable,  and  contributes  freely  to  all  measures 
tending  to  the  advancement  of  the  public  welfare. 
He  is  a  genial  gentleman,  affable  and  courteous  to 
all  whom  he  meets,  and  we  bespeak  for  him  continued 
peace  and  prosperity. 


ndrew  Main  is  a  general  farmer  and  stock 
raiser,  located  on  section  18,  Walnut  Grove  ^ 
Township.  He  was  born  in  Ayrshire,  Scot- 
land, Dec.  6,  1845.  His  father,  Peter,  was  a 
farmer  and  a  native  of  the  same  shire,  where 
he  married  Jane  Ferguson,  also  a  native  of 
that  place.  This  lady  died  in  Scotland.  The  whole 
family,  consisting  of  tliree  children,  were  born  in  the 
old  country,  Mr.  Main  being  the  second  child. 

In  their  native  Scotland  the  family  were  remarka- 
ble for  their  great  industry,  sobriety  and  good-fellow- 
ship. Mr.  Main  was  quite  a  child  when  his  parents 
arrived  in  the  United  States.  For  a  time  they  all 
staid  at  Chicago,  but  after  the  death  of  his  only 
daughter  and  youngest  child  the  father  with  his  two 
sons  proceeded  to  Oneida,  where  he  lived  some  time. 
This  estimable  gentleman  died  at  the  home  of  his 
son,  Andrew,  May  i,  1879.  After  his  father's  de- 
cease, and  on  coming  to  this  county,  Mr.  M.  com- 
menced the  pursuit  of  agriculture,  and  after  some 
years  of  industry  and  economy  succeeded  in  securing 
a  good  farm  of  160  acres,  which  is  in  a  fine  slate  of 
cultivation  and  on  which  are  erected  very  suitable 
farm  buildings.  He  is  also  engaged  in  stock-raising. 
Mr.  Main  was  married  on  March  4,  1868,  at  the 
home  of  his  bride,  in  Walnut  Grove  Township,  to 
Miss  Ellen  Moore,  who  was  born  in  Rio  Township, 


!^J 


e4— * 


904 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


:5^^H^ 


Knox  County,  March  13,  1848.  Her  parents  were 
among  the  early  settlers  in  the  State.  Her  father, 
Lyman  K.,  and  her  mother,  Mary  (Woodman)  Moore, 
were  natives  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York  re- 
spectively. They  were  of  Scotch  ancestry,  early 
emigrated  to  this  country,  and  engaged  in  farming. 
Their  deaths  occurred  in  this  county  some  years  ago. 
Mrs.  Main  was  brought  up  at  home,  and  from  the 
training  she  received  in  matters  pertaining  to  do- 
mestic life  was  well  fitted  for  the  position  she  now 
holds.  She  has  been  the  happy  mother  of  three 
children — James  Edwin,  Kate  E.  and  Clark  A. 
These  have  now  grown  up  and  largely  contribute  to 
the  domestic  happiness  of  the  parental  household. 

In  politics  Mr.  Main  has  always  identified  himself 
with  the  Republican  party. 


!?  f^|,enry  Sterling  Hurd,  M.  D.,  of  Galesburg, 
T$S]r  was  born  at  Ro.\bury,  Litchfield  Co.,  Conn 


^ 


\ 


^^^^  Nov.  27,  1 8 15,  and  is  the  son  of  Thomas 
and  Betsey  (Canfield)  Hurd,  the  mother  a  native 
of  England.  The  first  Hurds  came  to  Connect- 
icut 200  years  since.  The  parents  of  our  sub- 
ject settled,  in  Genesee  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1834,  where 
they  died,  the  father  in  185 1,  aged  68,  and  the 
mother  in  1847,  aged  64.  They  were  farmers  by  oc- 
cupation and  reared  five  sons  and  one  daughter,  our 
subject  being  tlie  fourth  son.  Three  of  the  sons  en- 
gaged in  the  practice  of  medicine,  among  them 
Henry,  who  was  educated  at  Roxbury  Academy  and 
at  the  age  of  r8  left  it  to  enter  school  at  Alexander, 
N.  Y.  He  taught  school  winters  and  in  1838  went 
to  Michigan,  locating  at  Union  City,  where  he  lived 
for  14  years.  He  commenced  reading  medicine  with 
an  older  brother,  T.  C.  Hurd.  He  graduated  from 
college  in  the  year  1844,  and  began  practicing  in 
Homer,  Mich.,  where  he  continued  one  and  a  half 
years,  going  thence  to  Union  City  and  to  Galesburg 
in  1854.  He  was  associated  with  Dr.  Burhngham 
one  and  a  half  years,  and  was  appointed  Pension 
Examining  Surgeon  in  1863.  He  has  been  a  Di- 
rector of  the  Second  National  Bank  for  the  past  15 
years,  and  belongs  to  the  State  and  Military  Tract 
Medical  Societies. 

Dr.  Hurd  was  married   at  Union  City,   Mich.,  in 
1848,  to  Ellen  E.  Hammond,  and  they  are  the  par- 


ents of  three  children,  by  name  Henry  M.,  a  physi- 
cian. Superintendent  of  the  Insane  Asylum  at  Pontiac, 
Mich.;  Arthur  W.,M.  D.,  Assistant  Physician  in  the 
State  Insane  Asylum,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. ;  and  Charles  G. 


lies  Smith,  deceased.  One  of  the  repre- 
sentative citizens  of  Kno.wille,  and  a 
*  pioneer  of  the  same  city,  being  among  its 
earlier  settlers,  is  the  gentleman  whose  brief 
personal  history  is  herein  recorded.  He  de- 
parted this  life  at  the  close  of  a  well-spent  and 
nobly-directed  manhood,  in  which  he  had  accom- 
plished much  good,  both  to  himself  and  to  all  with 
whom  he  came  in  contact.  His  business  ability  was 
excellent,  and  he  was  proficient  in  the  discharge  of 
personal  and  public  duties.  A  handsome  residence 
in  Knoxville  is  one  of  the  proofs  of  his  industry  and 
success,  and  is  occupied  by  his  children,  who  highly 
prize  this  substantial  reminder  of  paternal  affection. 
Mr.  Smith  was  born  Jan.  28,  1810,  at  Camden,  N. 
Y.,  and  was  the  son  of  William  and  Polly  (Pond) 
Smith.  His  mother  was  born  April  6,  1785,  at  Plym- 
outh, Conn.,  and  was  of  English  lineage.  Her 
earliest  ancestor  in  that  section  of  the  country  was 
Samuel  Pond,  who  came  to  America  and  located  in 
Windsor,  Conn.,  in  which  town  he  was  married  in 
1642.  Bartholomew  Pond,  the  grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Smith,  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and 
was  noted  for  being  a  sturdy  old  hero. 

Miles  Smith  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  and 
when  a  young  man  learned  the  tinner's  trade,  at  which 
he  worked  until  1836,  and  then  emigrated  to  Knox- 
ville. After  reaching  the  infant  town,  he  erected  a 
building  and  opened  a  tinshop,  where  he  manufact- 
ured all  kinds  of  tinware  for  the  convenience  of 
the  community,  and  eventually  enlarged  and  im- 
proved his  business,  adding  a  hardware  department. 
This  store  was  the  headquarters  for  all  such  goods 
in  this  section  of  the  country,  and  was  hailed  as  a 
very  excellent  enterprise  by  the  people.  In  1869 
Mr.  Smith  sold  this  business,  which  is  now  in  the 
hands  of  J.  R.  Wilder,  and  which  is  considered  the 
oldest  established  house  in  the  county. 

To  secure  a  helpmeet  for  the  battle  of  life  was  one 
of  the  bright  aspirations  of  Mr.  Smith's  young  man- 
hood, and  on  May  7,  1837,  he  espoused  Lemira  Har- 
ris, who  was  born  in   East  Poultney,  Vt.,  in   1814. 


1.' 


"""+^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINO'S 


! 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


90s 


Mrs.  Smith  died  Nov.  30,  1841,  and  on  Jan.  24, 
1844,  Mr.  S.  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance, 
this  time  with  Harriet  Hainblin,  of  Bridport,  Vt. 
The  date  of  Mrs.  Smith's  birth  is  Feb.  17,  1824. 

The  fruit  of  the  first  union  of  Mr.  Smith  was  an  only 
son,  George  H.,  now  grown  to  manhood,  and  the  sec- 
ond were  four  children,  viz.:  Lucy  Helen,  wife  of 
Theodore  Eads,  who  was  born  in  Knoxville,  July  26, 
1848,  and  who  is  the  mother  of  three  children — Mur- 
ray S.,  Margaret  H.  and  Martha  Hortense;  Freder- 
ick, the  eldest  son,  who  was  born  Dec.  20,  1853,  and 
who  wedded  Margaret  V.  Cover,  is  the  father  of  two 
children — M.  Florence  and  Harriet  M.;  Otto  (i.,  who 
is  a  successful  business  man,  and  Cashier  of  the 
Farmers'  National  Bank,  and  the  date  of  whose  birth 
is  Dec.  II,  1857,  and  Miles  Carl,  who  resides  in  Au- 
rora, Neb.  George,  the  oldest  son,  united  in  marriage 
with  Clementine  Saddler,  and  they  are  parents  of 
three  children — Louis,  Jessie  L.  and  Bert. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  were  both  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.  He  was  one  of  the  very  few 
members  of  the  church,  on  whose  records  his  name 
stood  from  the  date  of  its  first  organization.  He  was 
an  Elder  of  many  years'  standing,  and  a  good,  sub- 
star  tial  member  of  society.  He  gave  attention  to 
political  matters,  and  was  a  Whig  in  belief,  later  be- 
longing to  the  Republican  party,  which  he  supported 
and  with  which  he  voted. 


~wv»\t4aa'®-^ 


i^vSJ/OTSiv.'WV^ 


on.  Thomas  McKee,  who  has  since  1873 
:  ,  -  J,  been  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  at  Galesburg, 
i|iufA'**  and  is  one  of  the  most  highly  esteemed  citi- 
A  zens  of  Knox  County,  came  here  in  1828,  which, 
T  so  far  as  we  can  learn,  antedates  that  of  any 
I  other  person  now  living  in  the  county,  except 
Daniel  Robertson,  of  Henderson  Township.  He  is 
a  native  of  Harrison  County,  Ind.,  to  which  place 
his  parents,  Thomas  and  Haiina  (Frakes)  McKee, 
removed  from  Bullitt  County,  Ky.,  in  1810.  On 
Aug.  22,  1810,  tlie  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born, 
and  was  the  third  son  in  order  of  birth  of  his  par- 
ents' children. 

The  senior  McKee  was  a  blacksmith  and  a  farmer, 
and  brought  his  seven  sons  up  to  the  latter  vocation. 
He  left  Indiana  in  182 1  and  settled  in  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  where  he  lived  till  1824.     During  this 


year  he  removed  to  Schuyler  County,  same  State, 
where,  on  Jan.  5,  1833,  he  lost  his  life  by  a  slide  in 
a  coal-mine.  He  died  in  theS3d  year  of  his  age. 
His  widow  lived  in  the  latter  county  up  to  1874, 
when  she  died,  aged  84  years. 

At  the  log  schoolhouses  of  Indiana  and  Illinois, 
augmented  by  the  Sunday-schools  and  neighborhood 
rehearsals,  Mr.  McKee  of  this  notice  acquired  such 
education  as  was  possible.  In  May,  1827,  he  left 
home  to  try  his  hand  as  a  miner  at  Galena,  but  the 
Indians  soon  drove  them  from  that  place,  and  we 
next  hear  of  Mr.  McKee  on  a  flatboat,  bound  for 
New  Orleans.  In  1831  he  had  drifted  back  to 
Schuyler  County,  and  was  attending  school  at  Rush- 
ville  when  the  Indian  War  broke  out.  Now  war 
suited  him,  Indian  fighting  was  just  to  his  fancy,  but 
he  wanted  a  better  show  than  he  had  at  Galena  four 
years  before.  So,  in  June,  1831,  we  find  him,  as  the 
following  commission  shows,  Second  Lieutenant  of  a 
company  of  mounted  volunteers  : 

"  Headquarters. 
"To  all  to  whom  these  presents  shall  come,  greeting : 
Know  ye  that  Thomas  McKee  Iras  been  duly  elected 
Second  Lieutenant  in  a  company  of  mounted  volun- 
teers. He  is  therefore  required  diligently  and  care- 
fully to  discharge  the  duties  of  said  office  by  doing 
and  performing  all  things  appertaining  thereunto, 
and  strictly  obeying  all  orders  which  he  may  receive 
from  his  superior  officers ;  and  all  officers  and 
privates  under  his  command  are  hereby  required  to 
obey  all  his  lawful  commands. 

"Given  under  my  hand  this  19th  day  of  June, 
1831. 

"  John  Reynolds, 
"Commander-in-Chief  Illinois  Militia." 
The  outbreak  of  1831  lasted  but  a  short  time,  but 
the  following  year  saw  a  renewal  of  hostilities. 
Young  McKee  was  then  in  Knox  County,  and  at 
once  united  himself  with  Capt.  McMurtry's  com- 
pany. From  this  time  on  to  the  close  of  the  Black 
Hawk  War  he  was  identified  with  the  interests  of 
the  white  settlers.  In  April,  1832,  a  meeting  of  the 
citizens  was  held  at  Henderson  Grove,  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  the  feasibility  of  all  the  adult  males,  with 
their  families,  congregating  together  at  some  point 
for  greater  safety.  As  it  will  be  observed,  the  object 
of  the  meeting  was  to  determine  whether  they  should 
vacate  the  country  or  take  measures  necessary  for  the 
defense  of  their  homes.     McKee,  though   probably 


t 


*?» 


4* 


9o6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  youngest  man  taking  part  in  the  debate,  opposed 
leaving  the  country.  Some  of  the  older  heads  de- 
manded of  the  stripling  what  they  were  to  do.  The 
men,  as  they  were  without  arms  and  almost  utterly  de- 
fenseless,thought  it  unnecessary  for  anyone  to  remain, 
and  asked  why  not  all  hands  join  the  array,  procure 
arms  and  drive  the  redskins  from  the  land.  To  this 
and  much  more  young  McKee  replied  that  he  would 
undertake  alone  the  procurement  from  the  Govern- 
ment of  arms  and  ammunition  for  home  defense. 
We  can  only  imagine  how  such  presumptuousness 
upon  the  part  of  this  youth  was  regarded  by  the 
older  heads  and  wiser.  But,  nevertheless,  young 
McKee  mounted  his  horse  and  set  out  across  the 
country,  a  country  filled  with  roving  bands  of  hostile 
savages,  for  Rock  Island.  On  the  route  he  met  with 
James  McMurtry,  and  next  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Fountleroy  Freeman,  who,  upon  learning  the  nature 
of  the  mission,  at  once  declared  that  McKee  should 
never  make  that  perilous  trip  alone ;  that  they  would 
accompany  hun  and  share  with  him  the  dangers. 
The  next  heard  of  Mr.  McKee,  by  the  citizens  of 
Henderson,  he  and  Freeman  were  at  Oquawka, 
April  2r,  r832,  and  the  guns  were  brought  over  and 
distributed  at  Henderson  Grove,  as  is  witnessed  by 
the  original  receipt,  now  lying  before  the  writer,  and 
signed  by  many  of  the  pioneers  of  this  county.  These 
guns,  TOO  in  number,  were  afterward  used  by  Capt. 
McMurtry's  company,  and  finally  returned  to  the 
Government. 

Mr.  McKee  returned  to  Rushville  in  the  fall  of 
1832,  and  proceeded  to  Iowa  in  1835,  whence,  in  a 
short  tune,  he  came  again  to  Henderson  Township, 
where  he  farmed  with  much  success  up  to  1861. 
Siibsequently  the  fortune  he  had  accumulated  by 
years  of  toil  was  largely  swept  away,  through  his  own 
good-heartedness,  manifested  by  placing  his  name 
to  the  paper  of  his  friends.  From  r86i  to  1863  he 
resided  at  the  village  of  Henderson  and  held  the 
office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace.  August  12  of  the  last- 
named  year  he  removed  to  Galesburg  and  engaged 
in  the  real-estate  business. 

He  is  famiharly  called  Maj.  McKee,  a  title  he 
earned  as  Major  of  militia  in  1838.  For  r2  years, 
while  a  resident  of  Henderson  Township,  he  was 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  in  1852  he  represented  the 
county  in  the  Illinois  Legislature,  being  elected  on 
the    Democratic   ticket.     He  was   more   than   once 


Supervisor  of  Henderson  Township,  and  is  at  pres- 
ent discharging  the  functions  of  that  office  for  Gales- 
burg. Though  always  a  Democrat,  the  Galesburg 
people  regularly  return  him  to  office  against  heavy 
Republican  odds.  This  merely  attests  his  fittness 
and  his  consequent  personal  popularity.  In  dis- 
charging his  duty  he  makes  no  enemies.  He  is  al- 
ways ready  to  prevent  a  lawsuit,  and  many  is  the 
case  he  has  amicably  settled,  which  might  have 
grown  into  a  long,  bitter  and  expensive  lawsuit. 

Though  having  lived  over  three-quarters  of  a 
century,  he  is  at  this  writing  (1886)  in  the  enjoyment 
of  vigorous  health  and  in  the  fullest  possession  of 
every  faculty.  Six  days  out  of  the  week,  from  early 
morn  till  candle-light,  you  will  find  him  at  his  office, 
cheerfully  performing  his  duty,  with  a  smile  and  a 
pleasant  word  for  everybody,  and  always  ready  to 
tell  you  more  about  the  early  history  of  Knox  County 
than  any  other  man  can. 

He  was  married  March  4,  r832,  at  Henderson 
Grove,  to  Miss  Maria  Rice,  daughter  of  Jonathan  ' 
Rice,  who  came  into  Knox  County  in  r83r,  and  of 
the  r3  children  born  to  him  we  make  the  following 
memoranda:  Rachel  (Mrs.  J.  P.  French);  Eliza  J.  * 
(Mrs.  J  W.  Tate);  Catherine  (Mrs.  William  Howey) ! 
Helen  M.  (Mrs.  Y.  W.  Sears) ;  Mrs.  Sears  is  not  liv- 
ing; Isabelle  died  in  December,  i86r,  aged  21 
years;  Elsie  Ann  (Mrs.  I.  H.  Hardinbrook),  also 
deceased;  Edwin  R.,  attorney  at  law,  at  Memphis, 
Mo. ;  Sarah  Ellen  (Mrs.  E.  H.  Vance);  Hanna  died 
when  21  years  of  age;  Maggie  died,  aged  21  ;  Lu- 
cinda  (Mrs.  G  H.  Wallace) ;  Thomas  A.,  a  railroad 
man  ;  and  Daniel,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  McKee  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Uni- 
versalist  Society.  In  politics  he  has  always  been  a 
Democrat  and  is  influential  in  the  ranks  of  his  party 
in  this  county. 

Charles    E.    Hambleton,   Assistant 
leneral  Manager  of  the  Covenant  Mutual 

Ji^^^'''*  Benefit    Association    of  Galesburg,   111., 
^^^  \   entered  the  Association   in   the  year  1878, 
•T"*     soon  after  its  organization,  as    special    agent. 
y       Filling  that   position  witii   honor  from  r878   to 
r87g,  he  was  promoted  in  the  latter  year  to  the  post 
of  Assistant  General  Manager. 

Maj.  Hambleton   entered   the   army   at    Ironlon, 


A^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


907 


Ohio,  in  an  independent  cavalry  company.  For 
three  months  he  held  the  office  of  Second  Lieuten- 
ant, iifterward  commanding.  The  State  of  Ohio  in 
the  meantime  tried  to  force  thera  to  become  infantry, 
which  they  were  determined  not  to  do.  Thereujwn 
the  officers  telegraphed  to  Gov.  Pierpont,  of  West  Vir- 
ginia, who  welcomed  thera,  and  they  became  the  2d 
W.  Va.  Cav.  Our  subject  was  mustered  in  as  a 
private,  elected  to  the  office  of  First  Lieutenant  of 
Co.  B,  by  a  unanimous  vote.  He  was  soon  after- 
ward promoted  to  Captain,  and  then  to  Major  of  his 
regiment.  He  served  in  the  ist  West  Virginia 
Corps,  fighting  at  Shenandoah  Valley,  at  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Cedar  Creek  and  other  important  en- 
gagements. His  service  covered  about  three  years 
and  three  months  in  the  2d  Cav.,  and  he  was  five 
months  among  the  "  three-months  men." 

Leaving  the  army,  he  began  steamboating  on  the 
Mississippi  as  Clerk  and  Captain  between  St.  Paul 
and  New  Orleans,  and  was  thus  engaged  for  six  or 
seven  years.  He  then  came  to  Galesburg,  in  1873, 
and,  taking  charge  of  the  Union  Hotel,  conducted  it 
for  three  years. 

Maj.  Hambleton  was  born  in  Lawrence  County, 
Ohio,  April  7,  1S39,  and  was  well  educated,  receiv- 
ing superior  advantages  and  attending  Athens  Uni- 
versity, Ohio,  where  he  became  proficient  in  the 
study  of  law,  but  never  practiced  it.  He  is  the 
head  of  a  family,  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  is  also  associated  with  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


j'^    \   in    1S25 
'x     New  York, 
I       1840.     The 


'    7^'    areus  Belden,  one  of  the  pioneer  grain- 

-."  _  ^"  '-^-     dealers  of  Galesburg,  was  born  at  Green- 

'^  ^^'^  field,   Saratoga   Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  i,  1815. 

'■'■'    \  In   1825    the    family    removed   to    Western 

and  from  there  to  Kno.x  County  in 

lie  Beldens  were  principally  farmers, 

though  a  few  of  them  are  found  in   various  pursuits 

and  professions  tliroughout  the  country. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Aaron  and  Sarah  (Wood)  Belden,  who  were  married 
at  Greenfield,  N.  Y.,  in  the  yeai  1812.  The  names 
of  the  other  children  are,  Martha,  born  Oct.  20,  181 6; 
Joel  W ,  Jan.  22,  1821  ;  Priscilla,  Feb.  9,  1823; 
Clarissa,  Aug.  20,  1825,  ^""i  Harriet  N.,  Nov.  i, 
1832.      The  first  ancestor  of  Mr.  Belden  of  whom 


we  have  any  account  at  this  writing  was  William, 
who  was  born  in  Connecticut,  Jan.  22,  1741.  He 
married  in  that  colony,  while  yet  a  young  man.  Miss 
Priscilla  Crawford,  and  removed  to  Ballston  Springs, 
N.  Y.,  where  the  first  child,  Sarah,  was  born  Sept. 
12,  1770.  From  Ballston  Springs  he  removed  to  a 
place  afterward  known  as  Greenfield,  near  Saratoga 
Springs,  where  he  improved  a  farm,  utwn  which  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life.  His  children  were 
Sarah,  before  mentioned;  William  J.,  Jr.,  born  April 
5,  1772;  Anna,  Sept.  23,1773;  Daniel,  Dec.  9,  1775 ; 
Zenas,  Aug.  9,  1778;  Azor,  Aug.  16,  1779;  Simeon, 
June  9,  1782;  David,  Feb.  28,  1784;  Moses,  March 
8,  1786;  Aaron,  May  27,  1788,  and  John,  Aug.  11, 
1790.  Aaron  B.-lden  died  at  his  farm  south  of  Gales- 
burg, July  27,  i860,  aged  72  years,  and  his  widow, 
who  was  born  Oct.  11,  1792,  died  Oct.  26,  1870. 

William  Belden  was  the  first  settler  at  Greenfield, 
N.  Y. ;  in  fact,  that  town  grew  up  around  him.  He 
was  a  soldier  under  Col.  George  Washington  in  the 
war  which  broke  out  between  England  and  France 
in  1756,  and  was  of  the  surveying  party  that  marked 
the  line  of  march  through  the  wilderness  against  Fort 
Duquesne  (now  Pittsburg,  Pa.)  in  1758;  was  with 
the  "  Father  of  his  Country  "  during  the  seven  years' 
struggle  for  liberty.  He  lived  to  a  ripe  old  age,  al- 
ways refused  a  pension,  saying  "that  he  was  enjoy- 
ing the  fruits  of  his  labors  from  day  to  day  as  he 
breathed  the  air  of  Uberty,  and  saw  around  him  the 
happy  faces  of  the  '  free.'  " 

Marcus  Belden  received  a  limited  education  at  the 
distiict  schools  of  Wyoming  County,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
spent  his  boyhood  days.  Though  an  active  business 
man  at  this  writing  (June,  1886),  his  memory 
dates  back  to  the  times  in  the  historj-  of  our  country 
that  to  younger  ears  sounds  like  romance.  He  wit- 
nessed the  construction  of  the  first  brick  house  ever 
erected  at  Saratoga  Springs ;  he  remembers  Mary 
Jamison,  the  famous  woman  chief  of  the  Gardow  In- 
dians, and  saw  her  married  to  Red  Jacket  at  Seneca. 

Mr.  Belden  was  married  at  Neponset,  111.,  April 
21,  1846,  to  Miss  .'Vnn  Norton,  a  native  of  England. 
She  died  .\p1il7,  1856,  leaving  four  children,  namely  : 
Sarah,  born  April  4,  1847,  died  Sept.  r,  1867  ;  Har- 
riet, died  in  infancy;  Frances  Ann,  April  13,  1853, 
died  Sept.  7,  1869,  and  Priscilla,  Sept.  i,  185 1,  died 
Dec.  21,  1883.  July  26,  1857,  Mr.  Belden  was 
again  married,  tlie  lady  being  Miss  Lovisa  B.  Rigby. 
The  four  children  born  to  them  are  Chas.  H.,  born 


=fc^ 


H^ 


^H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


July  7,  1858;  Katie,  Sept.    26,    1861;  Martha,  Dec. 
23,  1863,  and  Marcus  Henry,  July  12,  1868. 

The  family  removed  from  the  farm  to  Galesburg 
in  1854,  since  which  time  Mr.  B.  has  been  in  the 
grain  business.  He  has  been  Alderman  six  or  seven 
times,  and  one  terra  Mayor.  He  has  served  as  Su- 
pervisor, and  took  an  active  part  in  the  court-house 
controversy.  He  is  a  member  of  no  secret  society, 
but  belongs  to  the  Congregational  Church.  Jn  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican. 


^4  amuel  W.  May.     Among  the  principal  in- 
fluential citizens  and  wealthy  farmers  who 
are  esteemed  for  their  substantial   worth 
and  ability,  may  be  found  the  subject  of  this 
personal  sketch.     He  holds  the  office   of  Su- 
pervisor of  Rio  Township,  of  which  he  is  a  res- 
ident and  has  a  desirable  home  situated  on  section 
He  was  two  years  of  age  when   he  came  with 
>i  his  parents,  in  1839,  from  Genesee  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  was  born  March  20,  1838. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  May  were  Harvey  H.  and 
Delia  D.  (Ray)  May.  The  father  was  born  in 
Washington  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1802,  and  the  mother 
in  1806.  The  former  is  still  living  and  a  resident  of 
Galesburg.  The  demise  of  the  mother  took  place 
in  i86g,  in  Galesburg.  Mr.  May  is  the  oldest  of  a 
family  of  four  children,  namely:  Delia  C,  Harvey 
L.  and  Mary  O.  They  are  all  now  residing  in 
Galesburg.  Delia  C.  is  the  wife  of  John  Phinister 
and  the  mother  of  two  children — Mary  M.  and 
Duane;  Harvey  L.  married  Mary  Post  and  they 
have  no  children  living;  Mary  O.  became  the  wife 
of  J.  D.  Holland  and  is  the  mother  of  two  children, 
Hubert  Ray  and  Harold.  On  the  paternal  side  of 
the  house  Mr.  May  comes  of  Dutch  and  English 
stock,  and  on  the  maternal  side  of  German  and 
French. 

Our  subject  made  the  paternal  home  circle  his 
abiding  place  up  to  the  time  he  attained  the  age  of 
21  years,  when,  not  feeling  satisfied  with  the  educa- 
tion he  had  received  in  the  common  schools,  he 
entered  the  academy  connected  with  Knox  College. 
Previous  to  this,  however,  he  worked  at  teaming  be- 
tween Galesburg  and  Peoria  for  three  years.     At  the 


academy  he  began  his  studies  in  good  earnest,  work- 
ing in  a  hard  and  manly  way  and  realizing  at  the 
end  of  the  time  the  results  of  his  arduous  work.  He 
afterward  entered  Knox  College,  in  which  he  re- 
mained for  two  years,  but  did  not  graduate.  After 
leaving  college  he  rented  a  farm  in  Henderson 
Township  and  turned  his  attention  in  that  direction, 
in  which  he  was  prosperous.  Remaining  there  for 
two  years,  he  moved  to  Rio  Township,  where  he 
purchased  property,  and  here  he  has  since  lived  and 
accumulated  a  large  estate,  including  540  acres.  At 
the  beginning  of  his  work  he  engaged  in  raising 
broom-corn,  and  at  one  time  had  500  acres  of  it. 
All  his  land  but  five  acres,  which  is  timber,  is  in 
a  fine  state  of  cultivation,  being  well  tiled  and  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  farms  in  the  township.  Be- 
sides giving  his  attention  to  farm  work,  he  has 
exhibited  no  small  amount  of  mechanical  genius, 
inventing  among  other  things  a  wind-mill.  They 
are  going  to  every  State  in  the  Union;  are  considered 
the  cheapest  mill  for  the  money,  and  are  as  durable 
and  the  working  power  as  great  as  any  in  the  field. 
It  is  known  as  the  May  WindMili,  and  the  first  100 
were  manufactured  on  the  farm  of  our  subject.  He  ^ 
then  engaged  in  partnership  with  Candee  &  Co., 
with  whom  he  continued  for  two  years,  at  the  time 
being  associated  with  Nelson  &  Co.,  of  Bushnell, 
III.  He  next  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother, 
H.  L.,  and  the  firm  is  now  known  as  May  Bros.,  the 
business  being  conducted  in  Galesburg.  Since  they 
have  been  manufacturing  these  mills  (up  to  the  pres- 
ent time),  the  firm  of  May  Bros,  have  put  out  over 
S,ooo. 

He  entered  into  a  matrimonial  connection,  in 
Fayette  County,  Pa.,  with  a  young  lady  named  Eliz- 
abeth Hanan,  who  was  born  and  raised  in  that 
county  and  who  came  to  Illinois  in  April  1856,  since 
which  time  she  has  lived  in  Knox  County.  Their 
nuptials  were  celebrated  Nov.  27,  1870. 

Mrs.  May  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  often  children, 
of  whom  two  are  deceased.  Her  father  was  born  in 
Fayette  County,  Pa.,  Nov.  14,  1805,  and  his  death 
occurred  at  his  old  home  in  1882.  Her  mother, 
Eleanor  (Handlen)  Hanan,  was  born  in  the  same 
county  July  22,  1827.  Her  demise  occurred  April 
14,  1871,  at  her  home  in  Pennsylvania.  On  the  pa- 
ternal side  of  the  family,  Mrs.  May  is  of  Scotch 
origin,  while  on  the  maternal  of  Irish-Dutch  ancestry. 
The  great-grandfather  of  Mrs.   May,   Jacob   Hunt, 

-A-  •    ■ . — 


-^. 


cb 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINO"? 


Walnut    Grove    Farm  .    Propert 


A  .  P.  CHARLES  ,  Sec.22  Knox   Townbh 


UpRMTf 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


913 


was  an  officer  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Her 
grandfather,  John  Hanan,  died  in  the  War  of  1812. 
One  of  her  brothers,  Daniel  Hanan,  was  a  Captain 
in  the  Civil  War,  was  taken  prisoner  and  wliile  at- 
tempting to  escape  was  mortally  wounded. 

Mr.  May  has  proved  successful  in  public  work, 
which  he  courteously  accepts  as  part  of  his  duty. 
He  was  elected  Supervisor  of  Rio  Township  in  1880, 
and  has  held  that  position  ever  since.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  in  politics  is 
a  Democrat.  He  has  shown  a  decided  business 
faculty  ever  since  boyhood  and  developed  many  ad- 
mirable traits  indicating  a  financial  power.  At  the 
age  of  13  years  he  was  manly  and  able  in  business, 
selling  plows  made  by  his  father  through  this  section 
of  the  country  and  conducting  his  affairs  with  dig- 
nity and  credit  to  himself. 


^■gH^lof  Hawkinson  is  a  substantial  farmer,  re- 
Jb^  siding  on  section  12,  in  Galesburg  Town- 
ship. He  is  a  native  of  Sweden,  where  he 
was  born  on  the  7th  of  May,  1837.  He  emi- 
grated to  America  in  1856  and  landed  at  Bos- 
ton, whence  he  came  direct  to  Galesburg. 
Here  he  commenced  to  work  for  the  sum  of  ^S 
per  month,  which  employment  he  followed  for  seven 
years,  when  he  purchased  40  acres  of  good  land,  and 
by  degrees  added  to  it  until  he  now  possesses  700 
acres  in  and  around  Galesburg.  He  has  also  2,000 
acres  in  Nebraska,  most  of  it  prime  land.  He  mar- 
ried a  very  amiable  lady.  Miss  Louisa  Ericson,  on 
the  2 1  St  of  March,  1866.  She  was  a  native  of 
Sweden  and  born  on  the  22d  of  July,  1841.  In  1858 
she  first  came  to  America  with  her  brother. 

By  Mr.  Hawkinson 's  marriage  with  this  lady  a 
family  of  six  children  have  been  born — Emily,  March 
17,  1867  ;  William,  July  22,  1869;  Minnie  O.,  Oct. 
28,  1872  ;  Henry  W.,  May  30,  1876;  Fred  A.,  July 
28,  1878,  and  Elmer  E.,  Oct.  27,  i88o.  All  these 
children  are  now  living.  Mr.  Hawkinson's  paternal 
parent's  name  was  Hawkin  Anderson,  while  his 
mother  was  a  Miss  Hannah  Hawkinson.  By  the 
marriage  there  were  eight  children  born — Betsey, 
Anna  A.,  Margaret,  who  died  in  infancy  ;  Olof, 
Mons,  Nils  and  Andrew.  All  the  girls  of  the  family 
are  now  deceased.     The  sons  are  still  living  and  are 


successfully  making  their  way  through  life.  The 
mother  is  in  her  76th  year.  Her  husband's  demise 
took  place  in  Galesburg,  in   1872. 

Mr.  Hawkinson  has  held  the  office  of  Supervisor. 
He  is  an  enlightened  member  and  prominent  brother 
in  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  The  family  are  all  lib- 
eral in  theology,  while  in  politics  he  is  with  the  party 
which  he  believes  calculated  to  serve  his  country 
best.  His  dwelling-house  is  a  most  comfortable 
structure,  measuring  40x70  feet,  to  which  he  has  at- 
tached very  suitable  barns,  two  of  which  measure 
30x100  feet. 


'Ibion  P.  Charles.  The  owner  of  the  finest 
farm  residence  in  the  county,  and  one  of  the 
_^  C50J  oa  wealthiest  and  most  influential  farmers  in 
Knoxville  Township,  is  Albion  P.  Charles,  the 
subject  of  this  personal  narration.  He  occu- 
pies the  old  Charles  homestead,  which  he  has 
beautified  with  all  modern  improvements,  as  shown 
by  the  accompanying  double-page  view  of  his  resi- 
dence and  farm  buildings.  He  is  engaged  in  the 
breeding  of  blooded  stock,  in  which  he  takes  an  un-  \i 
usual  interest,  and  has  among  his  stock  Short-horn 
and  Polled-Angus  cattle  and  other  fine  breeds.  In 
1 884  he  purchased  two  imported  stallions,  one  a  . 
Cleveland  bay,  which  has  since  died ;  but  he  im- 
mediately purchased  a  standard-bred  Hanibletonian 
in  his  place;  the  other  is  an  English  draft  horse, 
registered  41 14,  volume  6,  English  Stud-book,  Samp- 
son by  name,  which  is  six  years  old  and  weighs 
2,200  pounds.  Mr.  C.'s  out-buildings  are  considered 
among  the  finest  and  most  convenient  in  the  county. 
His  main  barn  is  48  x  96  feet,  and  has  a  stone  base- 
ment, and  is  fitted  up  and  equipped  with  all  modern 
conveniences. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  born  in  Knox 
Township,  Dec.  9,  1847,  and  is  the  second  son  of 
George  A.  and  Dorlinsky  (Post)  Charles  (see  sketch). 
His  early  education  was  attained  in  the  city  schools  of 
Knoxville,  after  which  he  studied  for  five  terms  in 
Knox  College,  and  one  winter  in  Abingdon  College. 
On  the  7th  day  of  December,  1869,  he  united  in  the 
holy  bonds  of  wedlock  with  Miss  Sarah  A.  Lindsey, 
a  native  of  Persifer  Township,  and  a  daughter  of 
Howard  and  Mary  (Caldwell)  Lindsey.  Following 
the  celebration  of  their  nuptials  came  the  founding 
of  a  new  home,  and  they  settled  on  the  old  home- 


--> 


-=4h 


914 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


stead  of  the  Charles  family,  which  they  have  occu- 
pied up  to  the  present  time,  and  where  success  has 
attended  their  energetic  eflforts.  Both  Mr.  Charles 
and  wife  are  devoted  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  Their  family  circle  is  a  happy  one,  and  in- 
cludes four  children,  namely :  S.  Adella,  Rosalia, 
Cora  A.  and  Edith. 

Previous  to  his  present  extensive  stock  business, 
Mr.  C.  was  engaged  in  general  farming  and  extensive 
cattle-feeding  for  more  than  11  years,  but  in  1883 
he  determined  to  embark  in  that  highly  interesting 
as  well  as  profitable  dejiartment  of  farming,  the  breed- 
ing of  blooded  stock,  and  to-day  he  ranks  among  the 
leading  breeders  of  the  county,  and  is  doing  much 
toward  improving  the  grade  of  stock  of  this  section. 
He  first  purchased  thoroughbred  and  grade  Short- 
horn cows,  crossing  on  them  imported  Hereford 
and  Polled-Angus  bulls.  Then  a  herd  of  Polled- 
Angus  was  added.  He  now  proposes  breeding  pure 
,  Polled-Angus,  and  Polled-Angus  and  Short-horn 
crosses,  and,  for  an  experiment,  is  crossing  a  pure 
Polled-Angus  bull  on  pure  Hereford  cows. 
^  There  are  many  experienced  men  in  this  county 
I  who  are  devoting  ths  best  efforts  of  their  lives,  as  well 
as  vast  sums  of  money,  to  developing  and  raising  fine 
stock.  The  influence  of  their  efforts  is  not  only  felt 
in  their  immediate  community,  but  extends  through- 
out the  borders  of  other  counties,  and  even  beyond 
the  State  lines.  This  is  a  highly  commendable  en- 
terprise, and  will  make  Knox  County  the  center  of 
the  Northwest  for  the  highest  type  of  many  breeds  of 
horses,  cattle  and  swine.  Prominent  among  these 
enterprising  gentlemen  will  ever  be  Mr.  Albion  P. 
Charles.  He  is  a  wide-awake  and  earnest  thinker, 
and  in  political  matters  is  noted  for  his  independent 
belief,  as  he  always  votes  for  principle  rather  than 
party.     In  politics  he  may  be  termed  a  Greenbacker. 

^ohn  S.  Holmes  was  born  in  Sweden,  May 
17,  1840,  and  came  to  America  in  1854, 
when  14  years  of  age.  He  had  received  a 
very  good  education  in  his  native  land,  and 
after  arriving  in  this  country  he  set  himself 
diligently  about  acquiring  a  knowledge  of  En- 
glish. The  old  Galesburg  Academy  afforded  him 
ample  opportunity  for  this   purpose,  and  he  left  that 


institution  pretty  thoroughly  equipped  in  branches 
most  likely  to  be  needed  in  ordinary  life.  His  first 
employment  was  with  G.  D.  Colton  as  stationary  en- 
gineer, and  at  the  end  of  one  year  he  engaged  with 
C.  S.  Colton  &  Sons  as  clerk  in  a  general  store,  and 
was  with  them  several  years.  Since  that  time  on  he 
has  been  occupied  as  a  salesman,  and  has  ranked 
among  the  best. 

From  Colton  &  Sons,  our  subject  accepted  employ- 
ment with  E.  F.  Thomas,  and  subsequently  with  O. 
T.  Johnson,  where  he  remained  16  or  17  years.  He 
was  latterly  employed  with  L.  O.  Williamson  &  Co., 
retiring  therefrom  at  the  beginning  of  the  present 
year  (1886). 

Mr.  Holmes  came  to  this  country  without  money, 
and  while  struggling  for  an  education  worked  for  his 
board  and  clothes.  But  hone.sty,  sobriety,  industry 
and  reasonable  economy  in  this  land  of  opportunities 
have  never  yet  gone  unrewarded.  Surrounded  by  an 
interesting  family,  Mr.  H.  sits  by  his  own  cheerful 
fireside,  reads  books  that  entertain  and  instruct,  par- 
ticipates in  the  wholesome  amusements  of  his  chil- 
dren, and  philosophically  takes  the  world  as  it 
comes. 

Mr.  Holmes  was  united  in  marriage  at  Galesburg 
Oct.  18,  1863,  with  Miss  Anna  J.  Munson,  a  native 
of  Sweden,  and  of  the  four  children  born  to  them 
those  hving  are  Minnie  L.,  Jennie  Odelia  and  Edna 
May.  Their  first-born,  Charles  E,,  died  in  infancy. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 


'^  illiam  H.  Wiley,  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser. 


'i^p^Vy  residing  on  section  29,  Orange  Township, 
^/p;^  is  the  son  of  John  and  Mary  Ann  (Hall) 
V  Wiley,  who  were  residents  of  Wayne  County, 
Ind.  On  April  7,  1845,  their  son,  William 
H.,  was  born  to  them.  John  Wiley  was  a  na- 
tive of  Indiana,  and  followed  the  calling  of  a  black- 
smith. His  death  occurred  in  his  native  State,  Aug. 
19,  1850.  His  widow  is  still  living,  making  her  home 
in  Monmouth,  111.  She  subsequently  married  M. 
Witt. 

William  H.  was  the  second  of  a  family  of  four  chil- 
dren, three  boys  and  one  girl,  as  follows  :  Hosea  T., 
Thomas  E.,  Nancy,  deceased,  and  William  H.  The 
latter  was  married  Nov.  28,  1867,  to  Nancy  J. 
Haynes,  the  daughter  of  Asa  and  Mary  J.  (Gaddis) 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


9«S 


Haynes.  She  was  born  April  6,  1845,  in  Orange 
Township,  and  has  become  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren— William  A.,  who  was  bom  April  6,  1869 ;  and 
Winnifred  H.,  April  25.  1874.  Both  he  and  his  wife 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Protesiant  Church. 

During  the  trying  days  of  the  late  Rebellion,  when 
call  after  call  for  brave  and  sturdy  defenders  of  the 
flag  was  made  by  President  Lincoln,  and  as 
promptly  filled,  William  H.  Wiley  was  among  the 
4,000  patriotic  men  who  went  from  Knox  County  to 
the  front.  He  enlisted  Nov.  9,  1863,  in  Co.  D,  7th 
111.  Cav.,  under  the  brave  Capt.  W.  H.  Reynolds, 
the  regiment  being  commanded  by  Col.  Prince.  He 
joined  his  company  at  La  Grange,  Tenn.,  and  was 
soon  busy  in  conflict  with  the  enemy.  He  was  at 
the  battles  of  Moscow  and  Somerville,  Tenn.,  and  on 
the  famous  Smith  raid  from  La  Grange  south,  which 
lasted  about  30  days,  when  lighting  and  skirmishing 
were  the  order  of  each  day.  They  then  returned  to 
Memphis,  from  where  the  regiment  came  home  on 
the  veteran  furlough.  Our  subject,  being  one  of  the 
later  ones  to  enlist,  could  not  at  that  time  re-enlist 
1  with  his  comrades.  Daring  the  fall  of  1864,  the  reg- 
7  iment  went  on  the  long-remembered  Hood  raid, 
starting  from  near  Memphis,  Tenn.  The  first  fight 
was  at  Campbellsville,  where  Mr.  Wiley  IcKt  his  horse 
■  while  fighting  dismounted.  The  next  engagement  was 
at  Pulaski,  Tenn.  Then  came  the  famous  battle  of 
Franklin,  which  resulted  in  a  glorious  victory  for  the 
Union  troops.  From  there  they  went  to  Nashville, 
where  they  remained  about  a  week,  but  were  engaged 
in  fighting  and  skirmishing  in  and  around  Nashville 
for  several  days  and  in  the  hard-fought  battle  of 
Nash\-ille.  They  then  followed  Hood's  army  to 
the  Tennessee  River,  where  they  laid  in  camp  dur- 
ing most  of  the  winter  of  1864-65.  While  there  the 
surrender  of  Lee,  Johnson  and  the  Rebel  forces  was 
made,  which  virtually  ended  the  bloody  conflict. 
From  there  they  went  to  luka,  then  to  Corinth, 
Miss.,  then  south  on  the  Mobile  &  Ohio  Railroad 
to  Egypt  Station,  and  from  there  to  Aberdeen,  on  the 
Torabigbee  River.  From  there  the  regiment  went  to 
Huntsville,  Ala.,  thence  to  Big  Springs,  and  from 
there  came  back  to  Nashville  to  be  mustered  out. 
They  then  came  to  Springfield,  where  they  were  paid 
off',  and  on  the  4th  of  November,  1865,  finally  dis- 
charged. 

Our  subject,  who  had  served  his  country  faithfully 
as  long  as  there  was  any  need  of  an  upraised  arm  to 


defend  the  integrity  of  the  Union,  on  his  return  home 
again  entered  upon  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  an  agri- 
cultural life.  He  went  to  work  husking  corn,  not  los- 
ing a  day  for  many  weeks.  He  was  soon  able  to 
secure  some  land  for  himself,  and  now  owns  130 
acres,  80  of  which  are  on  section  29,  and  50  on  sec- 
tion 30,  of  Orange  Township.  He  is  also  a  breeder 
of  Short-horn  cattle,  and  the  proprietor  of  Box-Elder 
Grove  Herd.  He  has  a  fine  two-story  frame  dwell- 
ing, built  after  modern  plans  and  style  of  architect- 
ure. The  place  is  also  provided  with  good  barns 
and  out-buildings,  and  all  of  the  improvements  are  of 
the  best  kind  and  regarded  among  the  most  valuable 
in  the  township.  Politically  our  subject  is  a  Repub- 
lican. 


^hos.  Anderson.  One  of  the  important  and 
influential  men  of  Knox  County,  and  char- 
Ci(A£r=  "  acterized  as  a  worthy  citizen  and  a  prompt,, 
'T;.i^>  -wide-awake  business  man,  is  Thomas  .Ander- 
son, the  principal  points  in  whose  personal 
history  are  cited  in  the  ensuing  paragraphs.  He^ 
is  a  resident  on  Section  6  in  Rio  Township,  and  has 
a  most  desirable  and  attractive  home  thereon. 

Mr.  Anderson  came  to  this  county  in  March,  188 1,, 
from  Warren  County,  111.  His  farm  consists  of  95 
acres.  He  was  born  in  Sweden,  March  10,  1848,  in 
which  country  he  lived  until  20  years  of  age.  At 
this  time  he  went  to  De  Kalb  County,  III.  Here  for 
several  years  he  labored  as  a  farm  hand  during  the 
summer  months,  improving  his  time  during  the  win- 
ter by  attending  the  public  school.  During  187  1-2, 
a  year  wis  spent  in  attendance  at  the  High  School 
in  Sycamore,  which  was  followed  by  a  term  in  the 
Gem  City  Business  College,  Quincy,  III.  In  1873 
he  removed  to  Ale.xis,  Warren  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  teaching,  which  profession  he  followed  until 
his  removal  to  Knox  County. 

Mr.  .\nderson  was  united  in  marriage,  in  .Ale.xis, 
III.,  Oct.  13,  1880,  with  Mary  J.  Talbot,  who  was  born 
in  Warren  County,  June  17,  1856,  and  their  union 
has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  children,  viz.: 
Eulalia  and  Irving.  Mr.  .Anderson  is  intelligent  and 
well-informed,  and  has  won  considerable  social  dis- 
tinction. His  friends  and  neighbors  have  rendered 
a  tribute  to  his  fitness  for  public  office,  by  electing 
him  to  the  oflSce  of  Justice  of  the  Peace.     He  was 


^ 


I-- 


9i6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


elected  in  the  spring  of  1885,  and  is  still  an  incum- 
bent of  that  office.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
uphold  and  forward  any  good  and  worthy  enterprise. 
They  are  people  of  warm  sympathies  and  charitable 
impulses,  and  both  liked  and  respected  by  all  with 
whom  they  come  in  contact.  In  politics  Mr.  A.  sup- 
ports the  Republican  party,  but  is  also  a  Prohibi- 
tionist. 


^ 


saac  E.  Hurr.  The  character  of  any  sec- 
tion of  country  depends  largely  on  the  men 
residing  within  it.  Knox  County  has  grown 
zW  '^P'  ""^'^  °"^y  populous  and  pleasant  to  the  view, 
\^  but  she  contains  rare  intellectual  and  educa- 
tional advantages,  and  reflects  credit  upon 
those  who  have  figured  in  her  history.  One  of  the 
representative  citizens  and  wealthy  and  successful 
farmers  of  Copley  Township  is  found  living  on  sec- 
tion 3  in  the  person  of  Isaac  E.  Hurr,  one  of  her 
best  and  most  important  factors. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  born  in  Ohio, 
Dec.  27, 1830,  and  his  parents  were  Elias  and  Rachel 
(Baldwin)  Hurr.  They  were  natives  of  Ohio  and 
New  Jersey  respectively,  and  had  a  family  of  three 
children — Isaac  E.,  Margaret  A.  and  Edwin  L. 
EUas  Hurr  came  to  Illinois  in  1837  with  his  family, 
purchased  240  acies  in  Knox  County,  and  settled 
here.  He  returned  to  Ohio  after  his  goods,  but 
died  in  St.  Louis  on  his  way  back,  so  that  the  be- 
reaved family  never  saw  his  face  again  as  it  looked 
on  them  in  parting.  In  1838  Mrs.  Hurr  removed  to 
section  3  and  built  a  log  house  i8xao;  there  she 
lived  for  the  subsequent  nine  years,  and  at  the  end 
of  that  time  built  a  neat  and  substantial  brick  house 
in  its  place,  and  there  remained  until  1867.  She 
then  purchased  a  house  and  lot  in  Victoria,  into  which 
she  moved,  and  on  which  she  located,  residing  there 
for  two  years  and  two  months.  .She  then  came  to  re- 
side vnth  her  son  on  section  3,  and  there  died,  June 
24,  1875. 

Isaac  E.  Hurr,  of  this  writing,  lived  at  home  until 
he  was  25  years  of  age,  rendering  assistance  on  the 
farm  and  attending  school  in  the  intervals ;  then,  in 
1854,  he  purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  It 
consisted  of  107  acres,  27  of  which  are  timber.  On 
this  he  built,  improved,  cultivated  and  modernized, 


*t 


W 


and  what  was  once  a  rough  tract  of  prairie  land  now 
blooms  and  bears  with  beauty  and  profit.  Here  he 
carries  on  mixed  farming  and  values  his  land  at  $45 
jier  acre. 

Mr.  Hurr  was  married  March  19,  1867,  to  Miss 
Mary  M.  Ecktey,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and  daughter  of 
John  and  Abigail  (Henderson)  Eckley,  natives  of 
Pennsylvania,  who  came  to  Illinois  in  1849  and  set- 
tled in  Stark  County,  where  they  worked  for  two 
years.  Then  they  came  to  Victoria  Township  and 
settled  on  section  6.  There  they  lived  for  three  years, 
and  in  r855  moved  to  Oneida  and  bought  a  lot,  on 
which  they  built  the  second  house  in  that  rising 
city.  There  they  remained  until  1870,  when  in  the 
fall  of  the  year  they  moved  to  Clay  County,  Iowa, 
purchasing  160  acres,  on  which  they  live,  and  where 
the  death  of  the  father  occurred  in  1882.  The 
mother  still  survives  and  lives  in  Union  County, 
Iowa.  They  had  a  family  of  12  children,  11  of 
whom  are  still  living:  Esther  A.  (now  Mrs.  Har- 
ness), Ephraim  R.,  James  H.,  Hannah  E.  (now  Mrs. 
Chapman);  Charity  J.,  who  wedded  Mr.Hills;  Eleanor 
A.,  Mrs.  Shannon;  Mary  M.,  the  wife  of  our  subject ; 
Adeline  L.,  who  married  Mr.  Parkins  ;  John  L.;Cath- , 
erine  D.,  wife  of  Mr.  Ide;  Martha  S.,  Mrs.  Dodd;  and 
Caroline  M.,  who  died  at  the  age  of  six  years. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hurr  have  six  children  living,  and  ' 
have  suffered  the  loss  of  two — Elmonia  and  Harry 
being  deceased.  Arthur  A.,  Jennie,  Charles  R., 
Ernest  L.,  Lizzie  and  Eunice  are  still  living.  Mr. 
Hurr  is  a  stanch  Democrat  and  one  of  those  men  of 
whom  a  county  may  well  be  proud. 


dwin  r.  Green,  a  leading  dairyman  of 
Galesburg,  came  to  this  county  with  his 
parents  in  1845,  and  when  about  two  years 
of  age.  He  was  born  June  24,  r843;  he  grew 
to  manhood  in  Galesburg,  and  at  the  common 
schools  acquired  a  fair  English  education.  His 
father,  John  Green,  was  some  years  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation ;  removed  to  the  place  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  Edwin  in  r85o,  and  here  (now  No.  350 
West  South  street)  died  in  1857,  at  the  age  of  50 
years.  His  widow,  Mary  Ann  (Boyer)  Green,  sur- 
vived him  until  1873,  when  she  died,  aged  68  years. 
After  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Green  had 
charge  of  the  affairs  of  his  mother,  taking   care  of 


»    kY 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


917 


her  and  the  younger  children  so  long  as  she  lived, 
and  until  the  children  (in  all  four  sons  and  one 
daughter,  including  himself)  were  able  to  look  out 
for  themselves.  The  family  record  discloses  tlie  fol- 
lowing facts  necessary  to  preserve  in  this  imperish- 
able way : 

John  Green  was  born  Oct.  3,  1805;  Mary  Ann 
(Buyer)  Green  was  born  Oct.  23,  181 1.  Their  chil- 
dren were  as  follows :  Henry  Green,  born  July 
13,  1836;  Peter  A.,  born  Oct.  20,  1838;  Marga- 
ret E.,  Dec.  23,  1840;  Edwin  T".,  born  June  24, 
1843,  and  Caroline,  born  Aug.  24,  1848,  died  in  in- 
fancy; Frederick  E.  R.,  born  Aug.  24,  1848,  and  twin 
of  Caroline,  died  in  1873. 

Mr.  G.  has  been  in  the  dairy  business  since  1873. 
In  July,  1862,  he  enrolled  in  Co.  A,  77th  111.  Vol. 
Inf ,  and  served  three  years,  participating  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Arkansas  Post,  Vicksburg,  Champion  Hills, 
Black  River,  Yazoo  Swamps  and  the  Red  River  ex- 
pedition. He  was  captured  at  Sabine  Cross  Roads, 
April  8,  1864,  and  held  until  May,  1865. 

Returning  to  Galesburg,  he  was  married,  Sept.  17, 
I  1  1874,  to  Mrs.  Sarah,  widow  of  Thomas  Grant,  Esq., 
and  their  only  son,  Willet  Edwin,  was  born  Aug.  17, 
1875.  Mr.  G.  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,  Mod- 
ern Woodmen  of  America  and  the  G.  A.  R. 

iHWl^avid  Grim.  Prominent  among  the  retired 
\  a^l|>  farmers  and  representative  citizens  of  Knox 
■'If^y^  County  is  found  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
^jjiv      whose  home  stands  on  section  24,  of  Copley 

f  Township.  He  is  one  of  those  men  who  have 
shown  the  keen  foresight  and  prompt  dispatch 
of  duty  which  bring  their  own  reward.  He  has  been 
a  resident  of  the  homestead  he  now  occupies  since 
1862,  and  his  farm  possesses  some  very  fine  qualities, 
having  on  it  running  water,  stone,  timber  and   coal. 

Mr.  Grim  was  born  in  Augusta  County,  Va.,  Feb. 
18,  1819.  His  parents  were  Phillip  and  Mary  (Sel- 
bridge)  Grim,  natives  of  Virginia.  Their  family  cir- 
cle was  large,  including  13  children.  They  came  to 
Fulton  County  in  1832,  and  settled  in  Canton.  They 
were  farmers  by  occupation  and  remained  on  the 
home  place  until  1870.  Date  of  the  father's  death, 
August,  1866.     The  mother  died  in  1838. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  ninth  child  in 


order  of  birth,  and  he  remained  at  home  until  he  was 
21  years  of  age,  working  on  the  farm  and  gaining 
only  a  limited  education.  After  leaving  home  he 
engaged  with  a  brother  in  the  coal  business,  but  after 
one  year  they  dissolved  partnership,  and  he  has 
since  carried  on  the  business  alone.  Up  to  1862  he 
lived  in  Fulton  County,  then  came  to  the  place  he 
now  owns,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  farming, 
cultivating  and  improving  his  place.  He  values  his 
land  at  $60  an  acre. 

Mr.  Grim  was  married  Feb.  7,  1841,  to  Miss  Re- 
becca Berkshire,  the  daughter  of  Oiho  Berkshire.  Be- 
fore his  marriage  he  lived  in  Canton,  Fulton  County. 
He  went  up  to  see  his  intended  wife  and  staid  all 
night.  In  tlie  morning  her  father  told  him  to  "  leave 
— that  was  all  he  asked  of  him."  So  he  went  home, 
and  in  one  week  returned  and  stole  her  away.  When 
he  crossed  Spoon  River  he  had  to  be  ferried  across; 
tlie  water  was  nine  feet  deep,  and  the  ferryman  said 
it  was  impossible  to  ford  it.  So  he  went  on,  and 
when  he  got  within  a  hundred  yards  of  Mr.  Berk- 
shire's liouse  his  sweetheart  came  to  meet  him,  got 
into  the  vehicle  and  they  fled  back  toward  the  river. 
When  they  got  there  he  had  forgotten  about  hiring 
the  ferryman  to  ferry  them  over,  and  so  drove  into 
the  river.  The  water  was  nine  feet  deep  or  more, 
and  running  very  swiftly.  The  team,  however,  swam 
straight  across,  and  just  as  they  reached  the  bank 
the  rear  spring  of  the  buggy  broke.  In  landing  they 
got  wet  to  the  knees,  and  then  had  18  miles  to  drive, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  coldest  nights  of  the  winter. 
When  within  four  miles  of  their  stopping  place,  they 
looked  back  and  saw  two  men  coming  011  horseback, 
to  catch  them,  as  they  supposed.  At  their  entreaties 
the  driver  cracked  his  whip  and  the  horses  flew  over 
the  ground  at  their  best  speed.  It  proved,  however, 
that  the  men  were  not  pursuing  them,  being  parties 
oil  their  way  home  from  a  dance.  Tlie  young  couple 
arrived  safely  at  their  destination,  and  at  i  o'clock  in 
the  morning  were  married  by  Rev.  Richard  Haney, 
whose  name  has  since  become  so  famous  in  connec- 
tion with  the  history  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church. 

Their  family  comprised  nine  children,  five  of  whom 
survive,  as  follows :  Lucinda,  David,  Annie,  Anson 
and  Edwin.  Mrs.  Grim  departed  this  life  Aug.  9, 
1881.  Lucinda,  now  Mrs.  Al)raham  Suydam,  has 
eight  children,  as  follows:  Arthur,  Delia,  Carrie, 
John,  Emmie,  Jerusha,  Charles  and  Maud.     David 


9i8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


married  Sarah  Daniels,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
six  children — Ida,  Minnie,  Sadie,  Ella,  Emma,  Fred. 
Annie,  whose  husband  is  Simeon  Durham,  has  seven 
children— Emmie,  Ella,  John,  AUie,  Effie,  Sadie  and 
Sophia.  Anson  married  Julia  Goff,  and  has  four 
children — Marvy,  Mary,  Julia  M.  and  Jennie. 

The  second  wife  of  David  Grim  was  Arvilla  Wager, 
the  daughter  of  Barney  and  Priscilla  (Crouch)  Wa- 
ger. The  result  of  this  union  is  one  child — Rosanna 
M.  Mr.  Grim  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  holding 
some  of  the  political  offices  of  his  county ;  he  has 
been  Pathmaster  and  School  Director,  and  is  inter- 
ested in  educational  matters.  With  his  wife  he  is  a 
member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
and  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  practically  good 
men  in  this  vicinity. 


llg^amuel  D.  Riser,  of  Knoxville,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  is  the 
eldest  son  of  his  parents,  and  was  born  at 
Knoxville,  Jan.  25,  1842.  Our  subject  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  his 
early  education  in  the  primitive  log  school- 
He  commenced  teaching  school  in  the  win- 
1 86 1-62,  in  Chestnut  Township,  being  engaged 
in  farming  pursuits  during  the  summer  months.  In 
the  years  1866-67  he  taught  for  nine  months,  and  in 
the  following  year  emigrated  to  Kansas,  where  lie 
also  engaged  as  pedagogue,  in  Douglas  County,  for 
three  years.  From  that  place  he  went  to  Franklin 
County,  in  the  same  State,  where  he  purchased  a 
farm  and  employed  help  in  working  it,  while  he  fol- 
lowed teaching.  This  he  continued  for  two  winters, 
after  which  time  he  carried  on  the  farm  himself.  In 
1880  he  returned  to  Knoxville  and  engaged  in  teach- 
ing until  the  following  year,  when,  with  his  father,  he 
purchased  a  grocery  store,  the  partnership  existing 
until  1885,  when  our  subject  purchased  the  interest 
of  his  father,  and  has  since  carried  on  the  business 
alone. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Riser,  which  occurred  on 
Aug.  4,  1869,  with  Miss  Saphronia  E.  Chase,  was 
blessed  by  the  birth  of  three  children — Katie  A., 
Edna  M.  and  Venie  L.  Mrs.  Riser  previous  to  her 
marriage  lived  in  Orange  Township,  and  was  a 
daughter  of  Maurice  Chase.     Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  are 


members  in  high  standing  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.,  Knox  Lodge,  No.  126,  and  in  politics  is  a 
Republican. 

-^ #-#- ^ 

^iSSfcillani  I.  Peckenpaugh  is  one  of  the  lead- 
^^i|s  'iig  grocers  and  business  men  of  Knox- 
>i>'i-)  ville.  He  was  born  in  Knox  County,  April 
>S^  30,  1849,  and  is  the  son  of  James  W.  Peck- 
U"'  enpaugh,  who  was  born  in  Crawford  County, 
_,  Ind.,  Oct.  I,  r82i.  The  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, Solomon  Peckenpaugh,  was  a  native  of  Ken- 
tucky, being  born  in  Breckinridge  County.  His  great- 
grandfather, Peter  Peckenpaugh,  was  a  native  of 
Monongahela  County,  Pa.,  and  came  of  a  line  of 
German  ancestry.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
Kentucky,  and  his  son  (William's  grandfather)  grew 
to  manhood  in  that  State.  There  he  remained  untiK 
his  parents  went  from  there  to  Indiana,  settling  in 
Crawford  County.  His  father  took  up  land  in  the 
wilderness,  on  which  he  subsequently  made  a  pro-»«; 
ductive  farm,  being  assisted  by  his  son,  Solomon,  who 
made  his  home  with  him  up  to  the  date  of  his  mar- 
riage, in  1820,  with  Rachel  H.Williams.  She  was, 
born  in  Casey  County,  Ky.,  Jan.  14,  1804,  and  was 
the  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Updegrove)  Will- 
iams. Her  father  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  en- 
listed at  the  age  of  18  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  in 
which  he  served  for  five  years.  He  participated  in 
a  number  of  batiles  and  was  once  taken  prisoner, 
but  made  his  own  escape  and  assisted  others  to  free- 
dom. 

At  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mr.  P.  settled  on  land 
which  he  had  previously  bought,  and  there  lived  until 
1847,  at  which  time  he  came  to  Knox  County,  and, 
settling  in  Rio  Township,  lived  there  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1851.  From  this  union  there  were 
two  children — James  W.  and  Horton.  The  latter 
died  in  Rio  Township,  having  reached  the  age  of  27 
years.  The  widowed  mother,  now  in  her  82d  year, 
lives  with  her  son  in  Knoxville. 

James  W.  Peckenpaugh  was  a  boy  of  but  eight 
years  when  his  parents  moved  to  Vermilion  County, 
Ind.,  and  there  he  grew  to  manhood's  estate,  assisting 
his  father  in  the  clearing  of  the  farm.  Under  the 
parental  roof  he  had  spent  these  years,  and  in  1844, 


^ 


¥ 


I 


-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


919 


November  28,  he  united  in  marriage  wiih  Mary 
Chaney,  who  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Ohio,  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Chaney.  Mr.  P.  rented 
land  until  1842,  when,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 
one  child  and  his  parents,  he  started  for  Illinois. 
The  journey  was  made  overland  with  oxen,  and  they 
had  with  them  their  worldly  effects,  besides  some  do- 
mestic stock. 

They  located  in  Jackson  County,  this  State,  and 
took  up  Government  land,  which  was  of  little  value 
at  that  date  in  the  history  of  the  country.  Uf>on 
this  tract  they  built  a  log  house  and  began  to  improve 
the  farm.  They  remained  there  for  five  years,  then 
%o\i  the  property  and  removed  to  Knox  County,  set- 
tling in  Rio  Township.  In  this  part  of  the  county 
they  remained  for  six  years,  afterward  moving  to 
Mercer  County,  where  they  bought  40  acres,  of  which 
a  few  acres  only  were  broken.  On  that  land  Mr.  P. 
built  a  house  and  remained  there  several  years.  He 
then  sold  out  and  returned  to  Knox  County,  and 
bought  a  farm  on  section  3,  of  Knox  Township. 
Here  the  family  resided  until  1873,  when,  desiring  to 
go  farther  West,  they  removed  to  Kansas,  settling  in 
Crawford  County,  where  they  bought  a  farm  and  en- 
gaged in  agricultural  industry  until  i88r.  From  that 
point  they  went  to  Girard  and  opened  a  grocery 
store,  conducting  that  business  until  1882,  when  he 
removed  to  Knoxville  and  with  his  son  opened  a  gro- 
cery store,  in  which  he  was  engaged  for  three  years 
and  then  bought  the  farm  he  now  owns  and  occu- 
pies, which  includes  20  acres  within  the  corporation. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peckenpaugh,  Sr.,  are  the  parents 
of  nine  children,  viz.  :  Horton  M.,  William  J.,Tab- 
itha  A.,  Sarah  E.,  Solomon  A.,  Rachel  A.,  James  O., 
Mary  M.  and  John  R.  The  parents  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  useful  in  the 
society  in  which  they  live. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  reared  to  agricult- 
ural pursuits  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools. 
In  1874  he  went  to  Kansas,  in  which  State  he  spent 
one  year,  then  he  returned  to  Knoxville,  where,  for 
two  years,  he  was  variously  employed,  after  which  he 
engaged  with  J.  O.  Lander,  in  the  grocery  business. 
After  following  this  for  four  years,  he  sold  it  out  and 
in  the  fall  of  1880  bouglit  out  the  grocery  business 
of  H.  L.  Bailey.  Since  that  time  he  has  conducted 
the  business  alone,  succeeding  in  a  flattering  degree 
and  gaining  a  wide  and  popular  patronage. 

He  was   united    in   marriage  with  Miss  Mary  J. 


Brown,  Oct.  9,  1872.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John 
and  Johanna  Brown.  To  them  were  born  four  chil- 
dren, the  names  and  dates  of  whose  births  are  as 
follows:  Arthur  B.,  born  Oct.  15,  1874;  Hattie  E., 
Aug.  14,  1877  ;  John  F.,  Sept.  i,  1879;  Clarence  W., 
Oct.  17,  1883. 

Mr.  Peckenpaugh  is  a  worthy  member  of  Knox- 
ville Lodge,  No.  66,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  Rabboni  Chap- 
ter, and  of  Knox  Lodge,  No.  126,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and 
also  of  Knox  Legion,  No.  48  ;  Council  No.  20,  O.  G. 
R.  Both  himself  and  wife  are  active  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

ripilil  N.  Carpenter, .the  American  Landscape 
S^Mj^j^  Architect,  at  Galesburg,  was  born  in  Re- 
|[^  hoboth,  Bristol  Co.,  Mass.,  June  2,  1828.  His 
^^.ttT  parents  were  Asaph  and  Caroline  Carpenter, 
natives  of  Massachusetts,  and  of  English 
descent,  and  reared  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters, Asaph  Newton  being  the  eldest.  The  senior 
Mr.  Carpenter  was  a  farmer,  and  had  lived  his  four- 
score years,  when  his  demise  took  place  at  Norton, 
Mass.  His  widow  still  survives  him,  and  is  76 
years  of  age,  and  now  resides  at  Taunton,  Mass. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools,  and  from  his  i8th  to  21SI  year 
served  an  apprenticeship  at  carpentering  This  trade 
he  followed  for  about  18  years.  In  1854  he  moved 
from  Massachusetts  to  Janesville,  Wis.,  and  during 
the  same  year  to  Galesburg.  While  working  at  his 
trade  he  studied  architecture,  and  planned  many  of 
the  prominent  buildings  which  he  erected,  and  also 
furnished  plans  for  contractors  in  the  Eastern  and 
Western  States.  In  landscape  architecture,  Mr.  C. 
is  the  pioneer  in  the  United  States.  He  was  only  15 
years  of  age  when  he  conceived  the  idea  of  reducing 
landscape  ornamentation  to  a  practical  science,  and 
it  required  many  years  of  patient  study,  application 
and  experience  to  bring  the  work  to  what  is  now 
termed  a  profession,  of  which  he  is  the  master.  Mr. 
Carpenter  was  also  the  first  man  to  give  this  profes- 
sion its  name,  "landscape  architecture,"  and  since 
1870  he  has  devoted  his  entire  time  to  this,  his  pro- 
fession, and  has  furnished  plans  for  some  of  the 
finest  homes  in  this  country,  as  well  as  for  farms, 
parks,  cemeteries  and  many  other  public  and  private 
grounds.  Duplicates  of  these  have  been  called  for 
in  Europe.     No  such  showing  as  that  of  Mr.  Car- 


•*:^ 


-e4— 


920 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


penter  can  be  found  in  any  other  office  or  studio. 
His  office  is  nearly   a  museum  of  art,  as  he  keeps  a 
photograph  of  all  his  plans ;  none  are  duplicated  or 
used   again,  as   he  makes  every  subject  a  separate 
study,  and  as  they  are  each  made  to  order   and  for 
special  purposes.     No  two  plats  of  grass  even  are 
formed  alike,  nor  in   his   estimation   could   one   be 
properly  exchanged  for  another  without  losing  sight 
of  the  main  ends  sought  in  each.     It  is  surprising  to 
note  the  perfection  and  simplicity  to  which  the  mind 
of  Mr.   Carpenter,   unaided  Ijy   any    precedent,  has 
brought  this  art  and  reduced  it  to  practical  use.     To 
accomplish  this    he   has   had  to   contend    with  the 
wealth   and  education  of  other    established  profes- 
sions, and  that  he  has  brought  his  art  to  the  favorable 
notice  of  the  moneyed  public  the  patronage   which 
he  receives  fully  attests.     He  is  constantly  employed 
and  has  inaugurated  a  branch  of  art  which  will  per- 
petuate  his  name  as   long   as  the  world  loves  the 
beautiful.     To  those  who  do  not  fully  understand  the 
term  "landscape  architecture,"  we  give  Mr.  Carpen- 
ter's own   definition,  namely :  making  clear,  distinct 
plans  to  a  scale  in  advance  of  the  work   for  a  farm, 
park,  cemetery,  public  or  private  grounds;  establish 
ing  the   grade    for   all   buildings,    and    that   of  the 
ground  in  all  its  parts  for  all  purposes ;  establishing 
the  surface  and  under-draining,  etc.;  sewer  and  water 
systems;  locating  and  forming   the  avenues,  walks, 
fences,  lakes,  fountains;  the  various  kinds  of  trees, 
shrubs,  flowers,  etc.,  so  that  everything  will  not  only 
be  beautiful,  but  harmonious  and  of  utility,  for  the 
party  and  purpose  to  which  the  place  is  to   be  de- 
voted.    This  Mr.  Carpenter  maps   out  clearly  and 
distinctly  in  advance  of  the  work  to  be  done,  so  that 
the  proprietor  and  others  can  fully  comprehend  it 
and  count  tlie  cost  before  actual  work  is  commenced 
upon  the  place.     By   this  method  the  plan  is  also 
made  plain  to  those  who  are  to  perform  the  work, 
and    this    is  a  matter  of  economy  of    time,   money 
and  labor  to  all  concerned.     Economy  intelligently 
enters  into  the  whole  plan,  which  is  the  forte  of  Mr. 
Carpenter  in  all  his  transactions  and  is  one  secret  of 
his    remarkable   success    and    popularity.     He   has 
pubUshed  a  Httle  pamphlet  which  he  will  send  to  all 
applicants,  and  takes  pleasure  in  exhibiting  the  num- 
berless drafts  and  outlines,  the  result  of  his  taste  and 
ingenuity  brought  out  by  years  of  study  and  experi- 
ment. 

Mr.  Carpenter   was  married   at  Westerly,   R.    I., 


Nov.  20,  1853,  to  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth  Winterbot- 
tom,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  has  borne  him  two 
children — Mary  Isabelle,  now  Mrs.  D.  \V.  Bunker, 
and  Carrie  E.,  who  died  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  16 
years  and  7  months. 

In  the  battles  of  life  Mr.  Carpenter  has  relied 
upon  his  individual  resources,  the  recipient  of  no 
bounties  or  legacies.  What  he  has  accomplished  is 
to  be  credited  to  his  own  efforts,  prudence  and   in- 


dustry. 


-H'^-#-^H- 


>  atrick  H.  Sanford,  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Knoxville,  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Madison 
v^-^  Co.,  Vt.,Nov.  10,  1822.  His  father,  John 
/•C^  Sanford,  was  a  native  of  the  same  town,  and 
jj^-  his  father,  Benjamin  Sanford,  the  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Litchfield,  Conn., 
and  went  to  Vermont  in  1774,  being  one  of  the  early 
pioneers  of  that  State.  There  he  bought  timber  land 
and  lived  until  his  demise. 

John  Sanford,  the  father  of  our  subject,  grew  to 
nianhoood  in  his  native  town,  and  was  married  at 
the  same  place  to  Miss  Anna  Peck.  Her  father,  Ja- 
cob Peck,  was  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  emigrated 
to  Vermont  about  the  same  year  the  Sanford  family 
did.  John  Sanford  rented  a  part  of  the  old  home- 
stead, and,  purchasing  the  interest  of  the  other  heirs, 
resided  upon  the  same  until  his  demise  in  February, 
1869.  His  widow  still  survives  him  and  is  residing 
on  the  old  homestead.  The  parental  family  con- 
sisted of  six  children,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being 
the  eldest.  Edgar  is  on  the  old  homestead  ;  Cor- 
delia became  the  wife  of  Milo  Illsworth,  and  they  are 
residing  at  Cornwall ;  Jenette  is  the  wife  of  C.  M. 
Lewis,  and  is  residing  in  Boston,  Mass.;  two  children 
died  in  infancy. 

Patrick  H.  Sanford  received  his  early  education  in 
the  district  schools,  and  when  14  years  of  age  entered 
Newton  Academy  at  Shoreham,  Vt.  He  supple- 
mented his  education  by  an  attendance  at  the  schools 
of  Ferrisburg  and  also  at  Harrisburg,  and  at  the  age 
of  20  years  entered  Middlebury  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1846.  He  had  during  this  time 
taught  nine  winter  terms  of  school.  After  graduating 
he  became  Principal  of  the  Newton  Academy,  at 
Shoreham,  held  the  position  for  15  years  and  after- 
ward taught  in  an  academy  at  Williston,  Vt.,  for  a 
few  years,  in  the  meantime  reading  law  at  Burling- 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINO'? 


locc/y^    ^r^'r/r:/^j^i^^^-^^'^<i-^ 


LIBRARV 

OF  THE 

'iiJiVEESlTY  OF  lLU«e' 


t 


^x^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


9*3 


ton,  Vt.,  with  Judge  Asahel  Peck.  In  the  years  1851- 
52  he  went  to  Vergennes,  Vt.  In  the  fall  of  1852  he 
came  to  Knoxville,  and  that  winter  read  law  with 
Julius  Manning.  In  the  spring  of  1S53  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  and  opened  an  office  in  Knoxville, 
where  he  has  been  a  resident  ever  since.  In  1877 
he  opened  an  oflSce  in  Galesburg  and  continued  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession. 

May  31,  1853,  our  subject  was  married  to  Jane 
Griffin.  She  was  bom  in  Williston,  Chittenden 
County,  Vt.,  July  4,  1822,  and  died  May  2,  1863. 
She  has  become  the  mother  of  two  children — Anna 
G.,  wife  of  John  B.  Wheeler,  a  practicing  physician 
at  Burlington,  Vt.,  and  May  J.  Our  subject  was  a 
second  time  married,  at  which  time  Miss  Helen  H. 
Peck  became  his  wife.  She  was  born  in  St.  Lawrence 
County,  N.  Y.,  April  22,  1835,  and  is  the  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Isabella  (Ferguson)  Peck.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  her  mother  of  Ver- 
mont, and  the  result  of  the  second  union  was  three 
children — Belle,  John  and  Ray. 

Our  subject  has  filled  many  offices  of  trust  in  his 
.township  and  county,  numbering  among  others  that 
of  County  Superintendent  of  Schools,  Assistant  Su- 
pervisor of  Knox  Township,  and  Mayor  and  Alderman 
of  Knoxville.  All  of  the  above  positions  Mr.  San- 
ford  has  filled  in  a  manner  reflecting  much  credit 
upon  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  public  at 
large.  He  was  a  member  of  the  lower  House  in  the 
27th  General  Assembly,  and  of  the  Senate  in  the 
28th  and  29th  General  Assemblies.  His  first  vote 
for  President  was  cast  for  James  G.  Birney,  of  Ohio. 


^j^li^'ames  Woodmansee.  Many  of  the  earlier 
A.^BkIT  P'on^srs  of  Knox  County,  those  who  came 
^^'  ^*hen  the  fertile  prairies  and  beautiful  wood- 
"f-ji  lands  were  just  being  reclaimed  by  the  brave 
It  and  sturdy  pioneers,  have  retired  from  the 
I  active  labors  of  life  and  are  enjoying  their 
accumulations.  Among  this  class,  and  one  who  is 
deserving  of  special  mention  in  a  work  of  this  char- 
acter, is  Mr.  James  Woodmansee,  for  many  years  an 
active,  prosperous  farmer,  but  now  living  in  retire- 
ment at  Abingdon.  He  was  bom  in  Greene  County, 
Pa.,  March  4,  181 2.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Mar)- 


Woodmansee,  were  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  Mary- 
land. James  was  reared  in  his  native  State,  receiv- 
ing such  instruction  while  a  boy  as  the  pay  or  sub- 
scription schools  afforded.  The  family  removed  to 
Clinton  County,  Ohio,  while  James  was  a  mere  lad; 
there  he  married  and  remained  until  1852,  when  he 
came  to  Illinois,  and  found  a  desirable  location  in 
the  vicinity  of  Abingdon.  Here  he  vigorously  fol- 
lowed the  vocation  of  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  until 
his  retirement  from  active  duties.  The  results  of 
these  years  of  toil  were  crowned  with  success,  not 
only  so  far  as  the  accumulation  of  worldly  wealth  is 
concerned,  but  in  a  higher  and  better  sense — that  of 
living  a  life  of  usefulness  and  influence  for  good. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Woodmansee  above  referred 
to  as  occurring  in  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  was  his 
union  with  Miss  Juana  Cook.  She  became  the 
mother  of  six  children,  who  bore  the  following 
names  :  John,  Angeline,  Charles,  Maria,  Clark  and 
Alice.  The  mother  died  June  6,  t88o,  and  Mr. 
Woodmansee  subsequently  married  Mrs.  Rebecca 
Chase,  a  relict  of  Moses  Chase,  one  of  the  early  and 
highly  respected  pioneers  of  the  county.  He  was  a 
native  of  New  York  and  came  West  as  early  as  1844,  ik, 
and  settled  on  section  i  of  Orange  Township,  Knox 
County.  Here  he  lived,  a  gentleman  favorably 
known  throughout  the  community  and  a  man  of  , 
great  usefulness,  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
December,  i8Soor  t88i.  We  are  pleased  to  present 
the  portrait  of  this  gentleman  in  this  Album,  which 
we  do  as  a  companion  picture  to  that  of  his  estimable 
widow,  the  present  Mrs.  Woodmansee. 

Mrs.  Woodmansee  was  born  in  Clinton  County, 
Ohio,  April  14,  tSi8,  and  is  the  daughter  of  James 
and  Martha  Strain.  Her  marriage  with  Mr.  Chase 
occurred  after  she  came  West.  It  resulted  in  a 
family  of  five  children  ;  all  of  those  living  are  mar- 
ried and  have  families.  They  are  given  in  the  order 
of  birth,  as  follows  :  Gurnsey,  Betsey;  Warren,  who 
was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war  and  died  in  the  service 
of  his  country- ;  Sophronia  and  Charles.  The  latter 
resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  Orange  Township ; 
Miss  Lurena  Woodmansee  is  his  wife;  Gurnsey,  the 
oldest  son,  married  Miss  Caroline  Strain  ;  Betsey  be- 
came the  wife  of  .Alfred  Pingry,  while  Sophronia 
married  Samuel  Risor.  Mr.  Woodmansee's  parents 
were  among  the  early  settlers  of  the  county,  in  fact 
came  at  a  date  so  early  that  they  are  justly  classed 
among  the   foremost   of  the   pioneers.     They    were 


w 


924 


J^-JVOX  COUNTY. 


highly  respected,  and  their  death,  which  occurred  here, 
was  mourned  by  an  unusually  large  circle  of  friends. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Woodmansee  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  Church,  and  in  political  matters  he 
is  identified  with  the  Republican  party.  As  one  of 
the  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  the  county  and  a 
truly  representative  man  we  take  pleasure  in  present- 
ing, in  connection  with  this  sketch,  the  portrait  of 
Mr.  James  Woodmansee,  as  also  that  of  his  former 


wife. 


--^^-^^:^^i^'k^^^^7^^^^---- 


ohn  Shuinaker.  Conspicuous  among  the 
leading  citizens  and  farmers  whose  names 
are  recorded  in  the  annals  of  Knox  County, 
and  stand  out  in  that  bold  relief  which  the  re- 
flected honor  of  well-spent  and  industrious 
lives  lends  to  them,  is  that  of  John  Shumaker, 
whose  homestead  stands  on  section  12  of  Indian 
Point  Township,  and  who  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
best  informed  agriculturists  in  this  section  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  Shumaker  was  born  in  Jackson  County,  Ohio, 
Sept.  25,  1819,  and  came  with  his  parents  to  this 
county  in  1839,  settling  here  where  John  Shumaker 
.  now  lives.  The  name  of  his  father  was  John  and 
of  his  mother  Sally  (VVolfenbarger)  Shumaker;  the 
former  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America 
when  but  four  years  of  age,  settling  in  Greenbrier 
County,  Va.  Subsequently  he  moved  to  Ohio.  He 
died  in  Illinois.  The  date  of  his  birth  was  March 
26,  1785,  and  he  passed  from  earth  in  1859.  The 
mother,  who  survived  him  ten  years,  died  in  1869, 
the  date  of  her  birth  being  March  3,  1780.  She  was 
born  in  Greenbrier  County,  Va. 

The  subject  of  this  personal  narrative  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Abigail  Leigh,  who  was  born 
Sept.  2,  1827,  in  Gallia  County,  Ohio.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Booth)  Leigh.  The 
date  of  their  marriage  was  Sept.  4,  1844,  and  the 
ceremony  performed  by  Esquire  Massey,of  Herman. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Shumaker  were  born  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, the  father  in  1795,  and  his  wife  Sept.  14, 
1805.  He  died  in  Illinois  in  May,  1866,  and  his  wife, 
who  survives  him,  resides  at  Herman.  The  broth- 
ers and  sisters  of  Mrs.  Shumaker  are  :  Adeline  (mar- 
ried A.  Long,  is  dead;  she  left  two  children,  both 
sons) ;  Booth  ;  Caroline  (who  married  William  Berry ; 


both  she  and  her  husband  are  dead,  having  left  two 
daughters  and  one  son)  ;  Clark  died  in  September, 
1866,  and  left  a  widow  and  two  children — Curtis  and 
Mary.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of  her  husband  are 
as  follows  :  Polly,  Catherine,  Jacob,  James,  Peggy 
and  two  who  died  in  infancy.  Jacob  died  Nov.  19, 
1 88 1,  in  his  67th  year. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shumaker  have  a  family  consisting 
of  17  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  viz. : 
Robert,  born  Sept.  2,  1845,  married  Jane  Shumaker 
and  lives  in  Knox  County;  Fidelia,  born  Oct.  27, 
1846,  died  May  22,  1862;  Harrison,  born  April  9, 
1848,  married  Miss  Sophia  Shumaker;  Sally,  born 
Oct.  25,  1849,  is  the  wife  of  Mr.  S.  Meek;  Mary, 
born  Aug.  25,  185 1,  married  Mr.  M.  Snyder;  Will- 
iam, born  March  29,  1853,  married  Miss  Ella  Cash- 
man;  Charles  E.,  born  Feb.  29,  1855,  died  at  the 
early  age  of  two  years,  Sept.  20,  1856;  Clarke,  born 
Jan.  24,  1857,  married  Miss  Annie  Fuller ;  Ida,  born 
April  24,  1858,  died  Nov.  30,  1878;  she  was  the 
wife  of  Franklin  Bond,  of  this  township,  and  they 
had  one  son,  named  Harley  Bond;  Niles,  born 
March  12,  i860,  died  Dec.  24,  1863;  James,  born 
Jan.  8,  1862,  died  April  5,  1864;  Theodore,  born 
Oct.  7,  1863,  died  Feb.  12,  1865;  Dell,  born  April 
5,  1865;  Carry,  born  Nov.  28,  1866,  died  in  1868; 
Cora,  born  Sept.  24,  1868,  and  Edna,  March  16,  1870. 

Mr.  Shumaker  is  the  owner  of  190  acres  of  excel- 
lent land  ;  he  has  a  good  dwelling-house  and  con- 
venient out-buildings,  and  is  engaged  in  the  rearing 
of  cattle  and  horses.  He  has  14  head  of  Short-horn 
cattle,  and  a  bull,  named  Gladstone,  two  years  of 
age.  The  name  of  Mr.  Shumaker's  farm  is  the 
"Gold  Mine  Herd  Farm,"  and  it  is  located  four  and 
a  half  miles  southeast  of  Abingdon,  about  two  and  a 
half  miles  northwest  from  Herman.  His  location  is 
beautiful,  giving  a  fine  view  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try, witii  its  gently  undulating  surface  and  fields  of 
waving  grain.  Looking  it  over,  he  may  well  think 
proudly,  "  I  am  monarch  of  all  I  survey."  In  con- 
nection with  his  farming  interests  and  breeding  of 
cattle,  he  raises  Clydesdale  horses,  and  has  an  inter- 
est in  two  stallions — Romeo  and  Western  Monarch, 
three  and  five  years  of  age  respectively.  He  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  stock-raising  ventures, 
and,  in  truth,  in  nearly  everything  he  has  attempted. 
Both  himself  and  wife  are  able  and  useful  members 
of  the  society  in  which  they  mingle,  and  his  wife  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Her- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


925 


man.  He  is  an  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  saying, 
"  Nothing  succeeds  like  success."  In  politics  he  was 
originally  an  old-time  Whig,  and  when  the  Repub- 
lican party  came  into  power  he  joined  that  organi- 
zation and  has  been  a  Republican  ever  since. 


_>y o♦«-@y^«A^.•o♦o.. Sr — 

llj^^l  lexander   McConehie,  the  senior  member 

of  the  successful  firm  of  McConehie  Bros., 

of  Oneida,  manufacturers  of  wagons  and 

sjlj^   carriages,  is  the  subject  of  this   notice.     He 

\g'      was  born  in  Kirkcudbriglitshire,  Scotland,  Sept. 

I         20,  1851.      He  was  the  oldest  son  in  a  family 

of  seven  children,  and  was  about  seven  years  of  age 

when  he  first  saw  the  broad  prairies  of  Illinois. 

He  came  from  his  native  land  with  his  parents 
(see  sketch  of  David  McConehie  for  their  history),  in 
June,  1857,  and  has  since  made  his  home  in  Oneida. 
Alexander  was  educated  in  the  High  School  of  this 
place,  and  at  the  age  of  17  he  apprenticed  himself  to 
David  Hamilton,  a  well-known  and  skillful  black- 
smith. He  learned  his  trade  thoroughly,  working  for 
three  years.  Afterward,  as  a  "jour,"  he  continued 
two  years  with  Mr.  Hamilton,  then  established  a 
trade  on  his  own  account,  opening  a  shop,  in  which 
he  remained  for  one  year.  He  next  removed  to 
Geneseo,  Henry  County,  where  he  worked  one  year 
for  a  Mr.  Parker.  He  then  returned  to  Oneida,  and 
in  1876  re-engaged  with  Mr.  Hamilton,  his  old  em- 
ployer, with  whom  he  remained  till  1879,  when,  with 
his  younger  brother,  David,  they  established  their 
present  business,  in  which  our  subject  took  the  posi- 
tion of  manager  of  the  iron  department. 

Naturally  possessed  of  fine  mechanical  ability,  and 
being  a  skilled  workman  in  both  design  and  execu- 
tion, Mr.  McConehie  has  gained  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion in  his  particular  line  of  business.  The  buggies, 
carriages  and  wagons  which  have  been  turned  out  of 
the  manufactory,  have  proved  on  critical  examination 
to  be  first-class  and  both  brothers  enjoy  the  confi- 
dence of  their  patrons  and  townsmen. 

April  8,  1876,  Mr.  McConehie  was  married  in 
Wataga,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Rowesburg,  at  the  home 
of  her  sister.  Miss  R.  claimed  as  her  birthplace 
Pittsburg,  Pa.  She  came  to  Illinois  with  her  parents 
early  in  girlhood,  and  the  family  settled  in  Wataga, 
where  the  parents  afterward  lived   for  some  time. 


Subsequently  the  father  went  to  the  State  of  Mis- 
souri, where  he  died  at  Canton.  The  mother  sur- 
vived him  but  a  short  time,  dying  in  1869,  at  Cen- 
terville,  111.,  at  the  home  of  her  daughter.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Conehie was  educated  in  Wataga,  of  this  county,  and 
in  Canton,  Mo.  She  grew  up  under  the  paternal 
roof,  remaining  at  home  till  the  death  of  her  father, 
and  after  this  sad  bereavnient  she  was  cordially  wel- 
comed into  the  home  circle  of  relatives,  where  she 
resided  till  her  marriage. 

McConehie  Brothers  are  in  possession  of  some 
valuable  real  estate  in  Oneida,  composed  in  part  of 
their  business  property,  which  includes  a  large  lot, 
occupied  by  a  number  of  convenient  workshops,  and 
a  valuable  residence  lot  in  the  west  part  of  the  town. 
Mr.  McConehie  takes  as  great  an  interest  in  outside 
affairs  as  is  consistent  with  the  respo.'sibility  of  his 
growing  business,  in  which  he  is  mainly  engrossed. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  political  belief. 


ii^^^llen  W.  Phares,  live-stock  dealer  in  Gales 

burg,   was   born  in  Greene  County,  Ohio,^ 
^^  May    10,    1813.      He   came   into    DeWitt 


<^ 


County,  this  State,  in  1848,  and  to  Galesburg 
in  1858.  His  parents,  Robert  and  Mary_ 
(Chamberlain)  Phares,  natives  of  the  State  of 
New  Jersey  and  England,  were  married  in  New 
Jersey,  and  soon  afterward  removed  to  Ohio,  where 
their  sons  and  daughters  were  born  and  reared;  the 
two  old  people  died  in  Union  County,  Ohio,  the 
father  in  1840,  at  the  venerable  age  of  76,  and  the 
mother  in  1 843,  aged  69.  The  old  gentleman  was  a 
farmer  and  mechanic,  and  for  18  years  consecutively 
before  he  died  was  Justice  of  the  Peace. 

Allen  W.  was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm,  edu- 
cated in  the  elementary  branches  of  the  common 
schools  of  Greene  County,  Ohio,  where  he  taught 
a  term  or  two,  and  in  1838  gave  up  agriculture  as  a 
business.  When  about  25  years  of  age  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  at  the  town  of  Summer- 
ford,  Ohio,  but  followed  it  only  a  short  time.  In 
Clinton,  DeWitt  County,  this  State,  he  farmed  a  few 
years,  and  then  engaged  in  mercantile  business  and 
stock-shipping.  Coming  to  this  county,  he  bought  a 
farm  about  four  miles  northeast  from  Galesburg, 
where  in  1859  a  burning  stick,  thrown  from  a  loco- 
motive engine,  set  fire  to  and  consumed  his  barn 


"i^ 


92  6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


and  the  entire  product  of  an  8o-acre  wheat-field,  the 
loss  being  about  $2, ooo-  For  this  damage  he  sued 
the  company,  and  his  attorneys  settled  his  clami  for 
$300. 

Mr.  Phares  came  to  Galesburg  to  live  in  1861  ; 
engaged  in  the  meat  business  five  or  six  years,  and 
has  since  carried  on  live-stock  traffic.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  Madison  County,  Ohio,  when  about  20  years 
of  age,  to  Miss  Permelia  Willard,  who  died  July  14, 
1884,  aged  upward  of  68  years.  She  was  the  mother 
of  nine  children— Calvin,  Martin,  Abner  R.,  Mary 
Helen  (deceased),  Hulda  Jane,  Ella  (deceased), 
Albina,  Louisa  and  Sarah,  who  died  in  infancy. 
Abner  R.  is  a  banker  in  Clinton,  111.;  Mary  H.  was 
the  wife  of  Thomas  Hamplin;  Hulda  is  the  wife  of 
Thomas  Rowen,  and  Ella  was  married  to  William 
Rowen.  The  family  are  Universalists,  and  the  chil- 
dren were  all  educated  at  Lombard  Universiiy. 
Sept.  19,  1883,  witnessed  a  highly  enjoyable  cele- 
bration  of  the   golden   wedding   of   Mr.  and    Mrs. 

C  Phares,  at  which  time  the  handsome  and  substantial 
remembrances  of  children  and  friends  were  of  such 

I  character  as  tended  to  gladden  the  hearts  of  the  old 

=  people  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 


Ifev.    Thomas   Camp,   third    son  and    sev- 
enth child   of  Sterling  and  Anna  Camp, 
was  born  in  McMinn  County,  Tenn.,  Jan. 
21,  1814,  and  died  at  Abingdon,  this  county, 
Nov.   26,    1856.     His   parents   were  born    in 
South  Carolina,  and  in  their  youth  witnessed 
the  stirring  and  often  distressing  scenes  that  occurred 
in  that  section  during  the  Revolutionary  War. 

In  early  life  they  accompanied  the  first  emigrants 
who  crossed  the  mountains  and  sought  settlement  in 
East  Tennessee,  amid  the  wilds  of  nature  and  the 
still  wilder  Indians,  and  there  shared  the  hardships 
and  perils  encountered  by  the  early  settlers  of  that 
region.  Pushing  on  in  the  van  of  emigration,  they 
at  length  acquired  a  body  of  valuable  land,  then  in 
the  territory  of  the  Cherokees,  now  embraced  in  Mc- 
Minn County,  where  they  made  final  settlement. 
There  their  children  were  born  and  reared,  and 
there  their  ashes  now  rest.  Shut  in  by  formidable 
mountain  ranges,  communication  with  the  outer 
world  was  both  difficult  and  rare.  Few  books,  fewer 
letters,   and   still  fewer   newspapers   reached   these 


land-locked  pioneers.  Business,  moral,  social  and 
religious  standards  took  quality  largely  from  individ- 
uals, who,  by  common  consent,  gave  laws  on  these 
questions,  by  the  power  of  their  opinions  and  ex- 
ample. 

Among  those  uncrowned,  non-elected  givers  of 
laws  to  their  fellows,  were  Sterling  and  Anna  Camp 
— he,  in  the  morals,  methods  and  habits  of  successful 
business — she,  in  the  domestic,  social  and  religious 
virtues.  Such  was  the  parentage  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  and  such  the  conditions  to  which  he  was 
born,  and  which,  with  small  modifications,  surrounded 
him  to  the  age  of  manhood.  He  had  small  oppor- 
tunity for  obtaining  an  education,  other  than  he 
found  or  could  make  within  his  own  home.  How- 
ever, a  native  thirst  for  knowledge  led  him  to  employ 
all  his  available  time  in  study,  and  while  still  young 
he  evinced  a  strong  desire  for  a  liberal  education, 
which  grew  to  be  the  one  ambition  of  his  earlier 
years.  Circumstances  compelled  him  to  abandon 
this  cherished  purpose,  which  through  all  subsequent 
life  was  a  source  of  deepest  regret.  At  the  town  of 
White  Plains,  Ala.,  Dec.  20,  1835,  he  was  married  to 
Charity  Teague,  fourth  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Neal,  a 
physician  then  widely  known  through  the  new  South- 
ern States.  Returning  with  his  bride,  he  was  soon  es- 
tablished in  a  home  on  land  situate  on  the  Hiawassee 
River,  one  and  a  quarter  miles  above  Charleston.  This 
land  was  put  under  cultivation,  and  large  grain  and 
saw  mills,  workshops,  etc.,  were  erected  at  the  river 
side.  Here  was  his  home  and  the  principal  scene  of 
his  labors,  till  the  autumn  of  1848,  when,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brotlier-in-law.  Rev.  John  M.  Courtney, 
and  two  other  families,  he  emigrated  to  Western  Illi- 
nois— proceeding  the  entire  distance  by  road  wagons 
— reaching  his  temporary  destination  in  Warren 
County,  after  six  weeks'  traveling.  In  the  spring  of 
1849  he  purchased  and  located  upon  a  tract  of  land, 
situated  where  the  town  of  Good  Hope,  McDonough 
County,  now  stands,  a  point  then  separated  by  many 
miles  in  some  directions  from  the  nearest  settler. 
This  property  he  improved,  and  upon  it  resided  with 
his  family  till  the  spring  of  1856,  when  he  removed  to 
Abingdon,  which  has  been  the  home  of  a  portion  of 
his  family  during  the  past  30  years.  His  sole  pur- 
pose in  this  removal  was  to  give  his  children  such 
opportunity  for  an  education  as  he  had  so  ardently 
desired  for  himself,  but  which  had  been  denied  him. 
Thomas  Camp  was  the  son  of  a  Puritan  mother,  and 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLiNO'5 


,J^>-.ft.^v\>%i      V 


7??crr/^6 


JjL/cU.ty 


\ 


'^LL4^iX,<A   ^4ciuj  Ji^tf^fcla 


Ot-^  cx-t^^^d^^i^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UMlvc"-^'.?/  OF  ILLlNC'i 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


929 


partook  largely  of  her  physical  and  mental  character- 
istics. 

Mrs.  Anna  Camp,  nee  Helm,  was  tall,  lithe  and 
sinewy  of  body — clear,  vigorous  and  courageous  of 
mind,  with  moral  and  religious  convictions  as  well 
defined  as  a  geometrical  figure.  She  possessed  much 
of  that  force  of  character  which  has  made  several 
of  her  name  conspicuous  figures  in  different  South- 
ern communities.  Though  of  purely  Carolina  slock, 
she  was  as  essentially  Puritan  in  heroic  endurance 
for  and  defense  of  truth,  right,  liberty  and  conscience 
as  any  who  ever  went  out  from  Plymouth  Colony. 
These  qualities  contributed  much  to  make  her  the 
authority  and  power  she  was  among  the  people  and 
amid  the  perils  of  her  border  home.  Among  the 
things  that  came  to  be  approved  by  people  of  influ- 
ence about  her,  which  fell  under  condemnation  by 
her  fixed  standards,  were  rum  and  slavery — to  both 
of  which  she  was  unalterably  opi>osed.  In  these 
views  of  the  mother  the  son  shared  from  boyhood, 
with  all  the  intensity  of  a  strong  nature.  He  felt  the 
wrong  of  slavery  as  strongly  as  did  any  New  England 
Abolitionist,  and  in  addition  thereto  he  knew,  by  act- 
ual contact  with  that  institu'.ion,  its  blighting  influ- 
'  ence  upon  the  better  nature  of  both  the  white  and 
black  races,  and  early  determined  to  place  his  chil- 
dren beyond  its  immediate  contagion.  It  was  to  ef- 
fect this  object  that  he  sacrificed  his  comfortable 
home  in  the  South,  and  accepted  the  stern  conditions 
of  an  early  settler  in  Illinois — a  step  he  never  re- 
gretted. When,  after  a  painful  struggle,  he  abandoned 
his  cherished  purpose  of  suitably  preparing  for  a 
learned  profession,  he  turned  to  his  plantation,  mills 
and  shops,  with  much  energy,  perseverance  and  fair 
success;  at  the  same  time  prosecuting  such  course 
of  reading  and  study  as  his  limited  leisure  would  per- 
mit. This  line  of  life,  however,  did  not  prove  satis- 
fying. He  was  possessed  by  an  uncontrollable  im- 
pulse toward  a  sphere  of  broader  usefulness  among 
men.  At  length  he  became  convinced  that  it  was 
his  duty  to  enter  the  Gospel  ministry,  and  to  allot  a 
portion  of  his  time  to  that  work,  while  the  remainder 
should  be  employed  in  conducting  his  ordinary  bus- 
iness affairs.  Very  many  of  the  most  effective 
preachers  of  that  country  and  period  so  divided  their 
time.  Accordingly,  on  the  i8ih  of  May,  1845,  he 
was  ordained  to  the  ministry  in  the  Baptist  Cluirch, 
and  from  that  date  to  the  close  of  life  a  portion  of 
his  time  was  set  apart  for  that  work,  and  with  such 


allotment  he  allowed  no  requirement  of  other  bus- 
iness to  interfere.  He  never  accepted  the  pastorate 
of  any  church,  though  repeatedly  urged  to  do  so — 
choosing  rather  to  labor  in  the  unoccupied  or  irre- 
ligious fields.  He  never  accepted  compensation  for 
ministerial  labor,  but  always  gave  liberally  of  his  own 
private  means  to  the  support  of  the  Gospel,  and  in- 
sisted that  Christians  to  whom  he  preached  should 
do  likewise. 

Mr.  Camp  had  little  of  the  mannerism  and  minor 
methods  of  jiopular  preachers,  and  was  therefore  not 
a  universal  favorite.  However,  among  more  thought- 
ful people,  of  various  shades  of  belief  and  unbelief, 
his  ministry  was  ever  accept.il'ie,  commanding  their 
attendance  and  profound  attention.  In  his  pulpit 
service  he  attempted  no  mere  verbal  ornamentation 
or  rhetorical  effect.  His  discourses — clear,  logical 
and  practical,  enforced  by  scriptural  quotations,  and 
illustrated  by  facts  gleaned  from  a  wide  range  of 
reading — were  directed  to  the  minds  and  consciences 
of  men  with  great  power.  He  held  that,  under  our  i 
form  of  government,  the  duties  of  citizenship  take 
rank  as  high  moral  and  religious  obligations,  and, 
therefore,  took  deep  interest  in  the  politics  of  his  \. 
country.  He  was  a  stanch  Whig  until  that  party  was 
disbanded,  when  he  naturally  affiliated  with  the  Re- 
jHiblican  paity  with  zeal  and  enthusiasm.  It  is  re- 
membered that  he  felled  with  his  own  hands,  and 
with  his  teams  conveyed  to  the  spot  on  Main  street, 
Abmgdon,  where  it  was  erected,  the  young  tree  out 
of  which  was  wrought  the  great  ix>le  from  which  the 
large  Fremont  and  Dayton  flag  floated  during  the 
campaign  of  1856.  He  felt  the  defeat  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  in  that  year,  with  all  the  poignancy  of  a 
personal  bereavement.  The  principles  for  which  he 
had  contended  for  a  lifetime  achieved  a  political 
triumph  four  years  later,  but  ere  then  he  had  been 
"  gathered  to  his  fathers." 

He  placed  an  exaggerated  estimate  upon  the  ad- 
vantages conferred  by  a  classical  education,  and, 
though  a  man  of  rare  attainments,  he  always  felt  at 
a  disadvantage  among  men  whose  opportunities  for 
education  had  been  such  as  had  been  denied  to  him. 
This,  added  to  a  native  modesty  approaching  dif- 
fidence, caused  him  to  shrink  from  prominence 
among  his  fellows,  and  resulted  frequently  in  his  not 
being  placed  in  those  stations  of  responsibility  for 
which  he  was  so  eminently  fitted  by  superior  natural 
and  acquired  abilities. 


X 


93° 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


A  devoted  husband  and  father,  consistent  in  char- 
acter, a  model  of  probity,  ardent  and  tenacious  in 
friendship,  wise  and  sympathetic  in  counsel,  generous 
to  a  fault,  and  a  lover  of  his  kind,  Thomas  Camp 
was,  altogether,  such  a  manly  man  as  good  mei\, 
everywhere,  cherish  in  association  and  in  memory. 


I 


^fHyiarity  Teague  Camp,  relict  of  Rev. 
^ilSl'  Thomas  Camp,  resided  at  Abingdon  for 
"Sr^^  more  than  a  fourth  of  a  century.  She 
^!'^  was  born  in  South  Carolina,  May  7,  1818, 
Jt?  and  died  at  Shenandoah,  Iowa,  Sept.  26, 
\  1885.  She  was  the  fourth  daughter  of  Dr. 
John  and  Rebecca  B.  Neal,  scions  of  an  old  South 
Carolina  family.  Dr.  Neal  was  a  man  of  great  skill 
as  a  physician,  but  of  such  restless  energy  that  no 
single  vocation  satisfied  him.  To  his  professional 
labors  he,  from  time  to  time,  added  those  of  mer- 
chant, planter,  drover,  mill-owner,  etc.,  but  not  with 
uniform  success.  He  made  and  lost  fortunes  with 
marvelous  rapidity  and  equanimity.  The  e.xcitement 
of  frontier  enterprises  and  dangers  had  a  peculiar 
fascination  for  him,  and,  in  i  S34,  led  him  to  locate 
among  the  Creek  Indians,  in  Alabama,  where  he 
died  a  few  yeirs  later.  He  was  a  man  of  spot- 
less character,  and  of  broad  usefulness  in  his  time. 

The  subject  of  tiiis  sketch  had  few  advantages 
derived  from  schools  of  any  grade,  being  reared  in 
the  same  vicinity  and  amid  surroundings  similar  to 
those  of  her  husband.  But,  in  addition  to  the  in- 
tellectual character  and  pursuits  of  her  father,  she 
had  large  compensation  in  her  mother,  who  had  been 
bred  with  great  care  and  tenderness,  and  who  devoted 
herself  with  rare  assiduity  and  success  to  the  cult- 
ure of  the  minds  and  manners  of  her  daughters. 
Mrs.  Camp  sympathized  heartily  with  the  tastes 
and  pursuits  of  her  husband,  and,  by  her  cheerful, 
hopeful  views  of  life,  shed  continuous  sunshine 
upon  iheir  often  rugged  and  shadowy  pathway. 
She  was  womanly  in  the  last  degree  by  nature,  and 
instinctively  leaned  upon  her  husband  in  all  purely 
business  affairs — a  habit  strengthened  by  her  South- 
ern education.  When,  therefore,  she  was  left  a 
widow,  with  a  limited  income  and  eight  children, 
all  minors,  she  felt,  as  she  expressed  it,  "  like  a  child 
confronted  by  a  stone  wall,  through  which  it  must 


pass."  She,  however,  bravely  consecrated  the  ener- 
gies of  her  life  to  carrj'ing  fonvard  the  work  begun 
by  her  husband,  in  the  education  of  their  children, 
and  never  turned  aside  from  it  while  opportunity 
lasted.  How  she  struggled  and  sacrificed,  in  that 
work,  many  know  in  part,  and  her  children  will 
cherish  in  holy  remembrance. 

In  the  summer  of  1861,  her  married  daughter 
emigrated  across  the  plains  to  California,  and  her 
eldest  son  entered  the  service  of  his  Government  in 
a  foreign  land.  In  the  autum.n  of  the  same  year,  her 
other  sons,  aged  20  and  17  respectively,  enlisted  in 
the  Union   Army,  for  a  term  of  three  years'  service. 

About  the  same  time,  death  claimed  little  Lizzie, 
the  idol  of  the  household,  leaving  only  the  widow 
and  three  young  daughters  in  the  broken  home. 
What  she  endured  in  her  loneliness,  from  domestic 
cares,  an.xiety  for  absent  ones — more  especially  from 
the  awful  suspense  that  hung  about  the  results  to 
her  of  oft-recurring  battles  in  the  field,  during  the 
terrible  years  of  the  Civil  War — no  mortal  ever  knew, » 
for  she  bore  her  greatest  burdens  in  secret. 

She  was  devoutly  pious  from  early  youth,  and  her 
faith  gave  tone  and  strength  to  her  character.  Trust-^J 
ing  implicitly  in  the  promises  of  the  God  of  the  Bible, 
she  rested  in  the  arms  of  Omnipotence  with  a  quiet 
courage  which  no  calamity  could  wholly  break.  Her , 
religion  was,  to  her,  a  fountain  of  hope  and  cheerful- 
ness, even  in  the  darkest  days  of  her  long  widow- 
hood, and  kept  her  heart  )oung  to  the  end  of  life. 
She  was  ever  the  ideal  of  children,  the  welcome 
companion  of  youth,  the  cherished  friend  and  coun- 
selor of  young  manhood  and  womanhood.  She  was 
a  wife  and  mother  in  all  those  sacred  terms  imply, 
and  lived  a  widow  nearly  30  years,  not  in  name  only, 
but  in  heart.  In  every  relation  in  life  she  filled  the 
full  measure  of  a  true  woman — loved  while  living, 
and  mourned  when  dead,  by  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 
She  lived  to  see  her  seven  remaining  children  heads 
of  families,  and  to  rejoice  in  the  love  and  veneration 
of  her  grandchildren.  Her  four  daughters  are  wo- 
men of  high  character  and  liberal  culture,  ranking 
with  the  useful  members  of  the  community  in  which 
theyhve.  Mrs.  Rebecca  A.  Nye  lives  at  San  Jose, 
Cal.;  Sarah  K  ,  wife  of  Dr.  S.  M.  Spaulding,  lives  at 
Minneapolis,  Minn. ;  Maggie  M.,  wife  of  Dr.  H.  P. 
Duffield,  lives  at  Shenandoah,  Iowa;  IvyC.,wifeof 
M.  J    Dufhdld,  lives  at  Omaha,  Neb. 

John   N.,   the  eldest  son,  who  was   educated  at     1 


-H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


93' 


Abingdon  College,  was  apiwinted  at  the  beginning  of 
President  Lincoln's  administration  Consul  to  Kings- 
ton, Jamaica.  After  the  expiration  of  his  term  he 
was  engaged  for  awhile  in  business  in  Central 
America.  From  that  country  he  went  to  Galveston, 
Texas,  where  he  has  since  made  his  home,  and  en- 
tered the  customs  service.  During  this  period  he  was 
married  to  a  lady  of  Kingston,  Jamaica,  and  subse- 
quently he  was  appointed  by  President  Grant  Col- 
lector of  Internal  Revenue  for  the  First  District  of 
Texas.  He  became  active  and  prominent  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  reconstruction  of  Texas,  being  a 
member  of  most  of  the  conventions  of  his  party 
(Republican),  and  a  wise  counselor  in  all  its  deliber- 
ations, as  the  writer  of  this  sketch  personally  knows. 
In  Galveston,  especially,  has  he  been  the  leader  of 
his  party,  and  directed  here  all  its  movements.  He 
is  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  of  large  in- 
tellect, extensive  culture,  of  exalted  character  and 
unquestionable  integrity. 

Sterling  T.  and  Henry  Clay  served  over  three- 
years  in  the  Union  Army,  participating  in  many  bat- 
tles, among  them  Fort  Donelson,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  I 
Pleasant  Hill,  and  the  two  days' fight  near  Nashville. 
They  were  in  the  5 8th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  Col.  Lynch.  S. 
T.  resides  at  Abingdon,  111.;  H.  C,  in  St.  Paul,  ■ 
Minn. 


i  ev.  Eriek  G.Hjerpe,  pastor, in  charge  of  the 
Swedish  Evangelical  Mission  Church,  of 
t'i^-^"    Galesburg,    was    born    at    Hillringsbergs 
fU^\    Bruk,    Glafva-Socken,    Wermland,    Sweden, 
V       March    12,    1853.     He    came  to  America  in 
I  1879,  and  in  the  State  of  Minnesota    spent 

a  year  and  a  half.  From  there  he  came  to  Knox- 
ville,  where  he  graduated  in  due  course  of  time  from 
the  Ansgari  College,  a  religious  institution,  and  was 
at  once  called  to  Galesburg  in  charge  of  the  Second 
Lutheran  Church.  Christmas,  1881,  he  accepted  the 
pastorate  over  which  he  has  since  continuously  pre- 
sided. His  seruions  are  preached  in  his  pative  lan- 
guage, and  the  church  of  which  he  is  in  charge  is 
properly  entitled  "Svenska  Evangeliska  Missions 
Forsamlingen,"  located  at  341  East  Simmons  street, 
Galesburg. 

Our  subject  had  received  a  pretty  thorough  com- 
mon-school training  in  the  old  country  and  had  there 


preached  some  in  a  local  way.  His  parents,  named 
respectively  Carl  and  Marta  Lisa  (Hane)  Hjerpe, 
reared  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  The  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  the  eldest  of  the  sons. 
•  Mr.  Hjerpe  is  a  fluent  speaker,  good  organizer,  is 
devoted  to  his  profession  as  a  minister  of  Christ,  and, 
altogether,  wields  an  influence  for  much  good.  He 
is  greatly  loved  both  as  a  pastor  and  man.  His  mar- 
riage took  place  at  Galesburg,  Oct.  5,  1882,  when  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Josephine  Alberlina  Peterson, 
daughter  of  Mr.  Gustafus  Peterson,  and  a  native  of 
this  city.  They  have  two  children,  who  are  named 
Caroline  Elizabeth  and  Ester  Josephine. 


#-* 


I 


ons  Hawkinson,  a  farmer,  residing  on 
section  13,  Galesburg  Township,  was 
"'  born  in  Sweden,  May  15,  1839,  and  came 
\  to  America  in  1856,  landing  at  Boston, 
whence  he  proceeded  at  once  to  Knox  County, 
111.  On  arriving  here,  Aug.  16,  1856,  he  went  to 
work  with  characteristic  industry  by  the  day  and  by 
the  month. 

He  came  to  this  county  with  his  parents,  who  were 
named  Hawkin  Anderson  and  Hannah  (Hawkin- 
son) Anderson.  She  was  born  in  Sweden  Nov.  7, 
1809,  and  is  still  living  in  Galesburg,  at  a  venerable 
age.  He  was  born  in  the  same  country  and  in  the 
same  year,  about  December,  and  died  March  30, 
1873.  They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
at  Galesburg,  and  were  the  parents  of  eight  children, 
as  follows-:  Betsy,  Annie,  Margaret  and  one  infant 
died  in  Sweden ;  Olof,  Mons,  Nels  and  Andrew  are 
living,  and  are  all  residents  of  Knox  County  except 
Nels,  who  lives  in  Phillips  County,  Neb. 

Mons,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  married  to 
Miss  Christina  Larson,  Aug.  23,  1873.  She  was 
born  May  29,  185 1,  in  Sweden,  and  came  to  America 
in  1869,  with  her  parents,  named  Gust,  and  Annie 
(Swanson)  Larson.  They  had  two  children — Chris- 
tina and  John  A.  Larson.  The  parents  are  still  liv- 
ing in  Henderson  Township,  Knox  Countv,  III. 

Mr.  Mons  Hawkinson  of  this  sketch  has  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows  :  Bessie,  born  June  15,  1874;  Albert, 
born  Sept.  27,  1875  ;  .A.nnie,  born  April  6,  1878  ; 
Ella,  l)orn   Oct.  14,  1881,  and  Hilma  J.,  born   May 


-A-3* 


•H- 


9S2 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


15,  1884.  With  that  industry  for  which  his  country- 
men are  noted,  Mr.  Hawkinson  has  become  the 
owner  of  85  acres,  which  is  among  the  best  land  in 
Knox  County,  all  in  an  advanced  state  of  cultivation 
and  most  of  which  he  devotes  to  the  raising  of  broom- 
corn.     He  has  on  his  place  a  good  dwelling-house. 

Appreciating  his  duty  to  his  adopted  country  dur- 
ing the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  he  enlisted  in  the  army 
in  1 86 1.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  are  Lutherans  in 
faith,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Hawkinson  is  a  Republican. 
Like  most  of  his  people  who  have  found  homes  in 
America,  he  is  steady,  useful  and  a  good  citizen.  A 
view  of  Mr.  Hawkinsoa's  residence  appears  in  this 
work. 


lIvEvid  McConchie,  junior   member  of  the 
j|,    firm  of   McConchie  Bros.,  manufacturers 

rof  carriages  and  wagons,  and  manager  of 
he  wood  department  of  this  factory,  is  the 
^  subject  herein  spoken  of  The  business  was 
1  established  by  the  two  elder  brothers  in  r879, 
and,  starting  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  in  these  few 
years  they  have  not  only  won  splendid  reputations  as 
honest  men,  socially  and  from  a  business  point  of 
view,  but  have  proven  themselves  thorough  and 
skilled  mechanics.  They  have  enlarged  their  busi- 
ness, and  now  what  at  first  was  operated  by  them- 
selves alone  t<  quires  six  additional  hands,  each 
brother  having  a  separate  department  in  the  work. 
Alexander  McConchie  manages  the  iron  and  David 
the  wood  department.  Their  trade  has  increased 
with  the  years,  and  their  annual  sales  amount  now 
to  about  $6,000  and  are  still  on  the  increase.  The 
business  is  chiefly  local,  but  is  sjireading  as  the  ex- 
cellency and  worth  of  their  vehicles  become  more 
widely  known. 

David,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at 
Creetown,  Kirkcudbrightshire,  Scotland,  May  17, 
1854.  His  father,  Robert,  was  a  native  of  the  same 
shire  and  directly  a  descendant  of  the  Scotch  nation  ; 
pure  Scotch  blood  flows  in  his  veins.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  his  native  shire  to  Jane  McQuie,  born  in  the 
same  place  and  of  like  ancestry.  While  residing  in 
the  old  country  the  parents  had  born  to  them  three 
sons  and  one  daughter.  The  oldest  child,  Jane, 
was  the  wife  of  Gilbert  Dugan,  formerly  a  grain  mer- 


chant of  this  placr:,  but  now  deceased;  the  widowed 
sister  is  residing  at  Oneida.  Alexander,  senior 
member  of  the  above  firm ;  William,  employed  in 
the  factory  of  his  brothers  as  blacksmith  ;  and  David. 

After  the  births  of  the  children  the  parents  set  out 
for  the  United  States,  sailing  from  their  native  land 
in  May,  1857.  They  located  in  Oneida  the  follow- 
ing month  after  their  arrival,  and  during  their  resi- 
dence in  the  United  States  three  other  children 
were  born  to  them,  one  of  whom,  Mamie,  died  at  the 
age  of  one  year;  Samuel  is  employed  at  carpenter 
work  in  the  factory,  and  Mary  resides  with  her  par- 
ents in  this  city.  The  father  has  been  connected 
with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  for  20  years,  in  the  ca- 
pacity of  switchman  and  baggagemaster.  He  has 
never  lost  a  day's  pay,  and  is  known  as  "  Honest  Old 
Bob,"  or  "  Uncle  Bob."  He  is  loved  and  respected 
by  all  the  employes,  and  has  the  confidence  of  the 
company  to  the  fullest  extent. 

After  David  had  completed  his  education  in  the 
High  School  of  Oneida,  at  the  age  of  19  years,  he 
commenced  as  an  apprentice  to  learn  the  art  of 
wagon-making.  For  this  purpose  he  went  into  the 
shop  of  G.  W.  Roe,  an  old  and  experienced  me- 
chanic of  this  place,  where  he  faithfully  served  for 
five  years.  This  seems  a  long  period  to  the  restless 
American  youth,  who  is  usually  190  impatient  to  ac- 
quire a  trade,  so  long  as  he  can  be  allowed  to  meas- 
ure calico  or  molasses  for  board.  Mr.  McConchie 
was  not  of  that  type,  but  believed  that  what  was 
worth  doing  was  worth  doing  well,  and  after  leaving 
Mr.  Roe's  employ,  he  entered  the  service  of  Mr.  R. 
Bristol,  carriage  manufacturer  (now  deceased),  with 
whom  he  remained  one  year.  Thus  equipped  with 
the  instruction  of  two  old  mechanics  and  a  practical 
experience  of  two  shops,  he  was  well  prepared  to  be- 
gin business  on  his  own  account,  and  it  is  largely  to 
such  instruction  and  patient  practice  that  their  own 
establishment  is  indebted  for  its  success  and  pros- 
perity. 

Mr.  McConchie  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Kate  B.  Armor,  of  Quincy,  111.,  Oct.  6,  1885.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  the  well-known  lumber-dealer  of 
that  city,  and  was  born  Aug.  17,  1853.  She  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Quincy,  and  re- 
ceived parental  training  under  the  Baptist  persua- 
sion. 

In  politics  Mr.  McConchie  is  a  Republican  ;  he  is 


^> 


•X:^^ 


ilBRARY 
OF  THE 


Q;v^r\vjy-«-WV-^ 


fft 


€4^^ 


J^XOX  COUNTY. 


935 


also  ati  earnest  temperance  man,  and  in  his  life  is 
an  •example  worthy  of  imitation  by  any  American 
youth. 


L.  JarnagiD,  a  retired  farmer,  residing  at 
j;'^3b:.  Victoria  village,  Knox  County,  was  born  in 
V.J) '■'^  Grainger  County,  East  'I'enn.,  March  15, 
^.-^  1S19.  He  is  a  son  of  Noah  and  Littis  (Grove) 
%.  Jarnagin,  natives  of  Tennessee  and  Virginia 
\  respectively.  The  parents  came  to  Illinois  in 
November,  183 1,  and  located  at  what  is  now  known 
as  Gilson  Station.  At  that  place  they  remained  until 
1842.  Two  years  later  we  find  the  family  in  Bates 
County,  Mo.,  where  the  mother  died  in  August,  1844. 
From  there  the  father  moved  to  Jackson  County,  in 
the  same  State,  where  he  died  in  November,  1848. 

J.  L.  Jarnagin  remained  at  home  until  20  years  of 
age,  receiving  a  good  common-school  education,  and 
assisting  his  father  on  the  farm.  He  remained  in 
Kno.\  County  for  one  year  and  then  removed  to  Mis- 
souri, making  a  stay  of  four  years  at  that  place, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming.  Upon  coming  to  Illi- 
nois he  settled  in  Victoria  Township,  on  section  28, 
where  he  purchased  160  acres  of  land.  He  subse- 
quently secured  a  quarter  of  section  22,  and  later  40 
acres  adjoining,  and  on  section  28  bought  80  acres. 
To  all  of  these  tracts  he  has  added,  40  acres  each  on 
sections  31  and  34  and  20  acres  on  section  23.  His 
residence  was  located  ujXjn  section  28,  from  1845  to 
1869,  when,  until  1875,  he  lived  in  the  village  of 
Victoria.  At  that  lime  he  returned  to  the  farm, 
where  he  passed  the  following  two  years.  Desiring 
again  some  relief  from  his  heavy  farm  work,  he  re- 
turned to  Victoria,  where  he  is  now  residing. 

Mr.  J.  was  married  to  Miss  Emily  Tapp,  in  1839. 
She  was  a  native  of  Virginia,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Vincent  and  Sophia  (Basey)  Tapp.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  T.  came  Illinois  and  Knox  County  in  1838,  and 
located  on  section  33,  Victoria  Township,  where  they 
purchased  120  acres  of  land,  and  where  they  re- 
mained until  their  deaths,  in  1853  and  1884  respect- 
ively. 

Our  subject  and  wife  have  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  nine  children,  of  whom  we  give  the  follow- 
ing brief  memoranda  :  Melissa  became  the  wife  of 
Dr.  William  A.  Grove,  and  is  the  mother  of  two 
children — Pearl  and  Grace  ;  Mary  L.,  now  Mrs.  Peter 


Ironburg,  is  the  mother  of  three  children,  named 
Emily,  Susan  and  Lucy;  William  A.  Jarnagin  mar- 
ried Miss  Eliza  Breese,  and  to  them  have  been  born 
four  children,  who  bear  the  names  of  Louis  H., 
Pansy  A.,  Blanche  A.  and  John;  Eliza  Jarnagin  mar- 
ried Eric  Johnson,  and  has  borne  her  husband  two 
children — Earnest  and  an  infant  unnamed;  Ellen 
Jarnagin  became  the  wife  of  James  David. 

Our  subject  in  political  faith  casts  his  vote  for  the 
Republican  party.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Super- 
visor, being  the  first  one  elected  after  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  township,  and  which  position  he  held  four 
terms.  He  has  also  served  the  township  as  School 
Director  and  Trustee ;  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
14  years  and  also  Town  Clerk.  He  has  also  held 
the  office  of  Assessor  for  a  number  of  years. 

James  Wesley,  eldest  son,  when  18  years  old,  en- 
listed in  July,  1 861,  in  Co.  K,  47th  111.  Reg.  He  was 
wounded  three  times  and  died  in  May,  1864,  from 
disease  contracted  while  in  the  army.  Spencer  L., 
the  second  son,  enlisted  in  October,  1861,  when  he 
was  18  years  of  age.  He  was  a  member  of  Co.  — , 
of  the  7th  Illinois,  and  died  in  February,  1862,  from 
sickness  contracted  while  in  the  sersice.  He  died  at  '^ 
Mound  City  Hospital,  Illinois. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Jarnagin  took  the  trip  overland  to 
California.  On  the  return  trip  the  crew  mutinied, 
and  from  there  went  to  Central  and  South  America 
and  Cuba.     He  was  gone  nearly  two  years. 

During  the  war  he  was  a  stanch  Union  man.  He 
made  many  speeches  and  tendered  valuable  aid  in 
recruiting  and  keeping  aUve  the  patriotic  feeling  in 
his  locality  and  in  organizing  branches  of  the  Union 
League. 

The  publishers  take  pleasure  in  presenting  the 
portrait  of  Mr.  Jarnagin  in  connection  with  this 
sketch. 

5-H^<##.^-5 

|^^g[' ndrew  T.  Dunlap  is  the  son  of  Andrew  J. 

'^^If    and  Mary  S.  (Patterson)  Dunlap,  and  resides 

|lt^5^  on  his  farm,  locafed  on  section  26,  of  Hen- 

^i^m    derson  Township.     His  parents  were  natives 

'jfe^    of  Kentucky  and   Pennsylvania,   where    they 

Y       were  widely  known  and  highly  respected.  Our 

subject's  father  came  to  Knox  County  in  1837,  when 

he  first  settled  in  Cedar  Township,  but  subsequently 

1   removed  to  Henderson.     At  this  latter  place  his  de- 

I   mise  took  place  on  the   14th  of  April.   1877.     His 


a 


936 


XyOX  COUNTY. 


\ 


widow  resides  in  Galesburg.  They  had  a  very  inter- 
esting family  of  nine  children,  of  whom  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  the  fourth.  He  was  born  in  Cedar 
Township,  Oct.  23,  1850.  He  early  showed  a  de- 
cided aptitude  for  study  and  received  a  gpod  com- 
mon-school education.  For  years  he  has  been  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising  and  agricultural  pursuits, 
making  the  breeding  of  Short- horns  his  specialty. 

Andrew  J.  Dunlap,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
bom  in  Fleming  Count)',  Ky.,  July  23,  1816,  and  with 
his  father,  Henry  T.  Dunlap,  removed  to  whai  is  now 
Cedar  Township,  in  Knox  County,  in  1837,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  married.  He  and  his  wife  had 
born  to  them  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to 
man  and  womanhood.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm, 
and  on  attaining  the  years  of  majority  purchased  a 
farm  in  Cedar  Township,  where  he  was  one  of  the 
first  men  to  engage  in  the  breeding  of  pure-blood 
Short-horns.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneer  cattle- 
breeders  of  the  county,  and  may  justly  be  credited 
with  having  done  more  than  almost  any  other  man  to 
improve  the  stock  of  this  portion  of  Illinois.  At  the 
ime  of  his  death  he  was  the  owner  of  one  of  the 
^  finest  herds  in  the  State,  and  a  few  years  after  his 
death,  at  a  sale  of  the  herd,  they  brought  the  high- 
est average  price  of  any  herd  sold  that  year.  He  was 
for  several  years  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture,  and  was  prominent  in  all  things  which 
had  for  their  object  the  advancement  of  the 
material  and  moral  growth  of  the  community  in  which 
he  resided.  It  is  said  that  when  he  was  married  he 
had  only  §80  in  money,  but  with  that  broad  idea  of 
business  which  always  characterized  his  operations, 
he  =et  about  industriously  and  with  prudent  frugal- 
ity to  achieve  success,  and  at  his  death  he  left  a 
comfortable  competency  to  his  family.  He  and  his 
wife  were  both  members  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  and  had  been  for  several  years  prior  to  his 
death.  Andrew  J.  Dunlap  left  five  sons  and  two 
daughters  :  Henrj'  T.  is  married  and  engaged  in  bus- 
iness at  Sterling,  Kan.;  John  S.  is  married  and  doing 
business  in  Peoria;  Samuel  P.  is  in  Hannibal,  Mo., 
and  is  a  clergyman  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
and  Andrew  T.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  ;  the  daugh- 
ters, Perinelia  A.  and  Ella  J.,  are  single,  and  reside 
with  their  mother  in  Galesburg;  Robert  M.,  single, 
now  resides  with  Andrew  T. 

Andiew  T.,  some  time  after  the  death  of  his  father, 
bought    the  home  place,  and  for  three  years   after- 


ward managed  the  herd  left  by  his  father,  until  it  was 
disposed  of  at  public  sale.  Since  that  time  he  has 
continued  tt)  breed  Short-horns.  At  the  present  time 
one  of  his  specialties  is  the  breeding  of  fine  car- 
riage horses.  He  now  owns  the  sweepstakes 
Cleveland  bay  "  Nobleman,"  which  took  the  first 
prize  at  the  Grand  Royal  Show  of  Stallions  in  En- 
gland, where  he  took  his  class  prize  and  the  sweep- 
stakes over  all  ages  at  the  same  show.  As  a  two- 
year-old  "  Nobleman  "  won  the  first  prize  at  the 
Royal  Agricultural  Society  Show,  at  the  York  meeting, 
England,  in  1883,  also  the  champion  prize  of  all  ages 
at  the  same  show  ;  and  in  1884-85  he  took  the  sweep- 
stakes prize  for  a  general-purpose  horse  of  any  age, 
at  the  Illinois  State  Fair.  This  horse  Mr.  Dunlap 
purchased  of  Col.  Robert  Holloway,  of  Alexis,  111., 
who  imported  him. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  gentleman  remarka- 
ble for  his  progressive  tendencies  and  large  and  lib- 
eral views,  both  social  and  political.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics,  with  which  party  he  has  always 
identified  himself.  There  are  very  few  aentleraen 
in  Knox  County  who  take  so  decided  an  interest  in 
the  movements  of  the  day  affecting  the  country  so- 
cially, morally  and  politically,  and  he  has  gathered 
aiound  him  an  influential  circle  of  substantial  men 
like  himself  Mr.  Dunlap  was  married  Feb.  21, 
1886,  to  Miss  Sadie  Galloway,  daughter  of  Edgar 
Galloway,  of  Ravenswood,  111. 

ISdiarles  A.  Schoonmaker  is  junior  member 
of  the  firm  of  Madison  &  Schoonmaker, 
^j*^  manufacturers  and  dealers  in  harness,  sad- 
^U  dlery,  etc.,  at  the  city  of  Galesburg.  He  was 
born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.,  May  11, 
1847.  His  parents,  Joseph  and  Amanda 
(Crosby)  Schoonmaker,  reared  two  sons,  Charles 
being  the  eldest.  The  family  came  to  Knox  County 
in  1855,  and  have  lived  here  since.  It  was  here 
that  the  subject  of  the  sketch  learned  his  trade,  and 
it  was  here  also  that  he  attended  the  common  schools, 
at  which  he  acquired  a  fair  English  education. 

Mr.  Schoonmaker  worked  for  several  years  at 
"jour  "  work  before  going  into  business  for  himself, 
and  although  the  style  or  firm  name  indicates  him 
as  a  junior,  he  is  really  the  head  of  the  firm,  in  this, 


SK 


I 


H  y        •■■ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


937 


if 


that  he  has  exclusive  management  in  the  direction 
of  the  business.  Our  subject  was  married  at  Knox- 
ville,  in  1866,  to  Miss  Eugenia  Haines,  a  native  of 
York  State,  and  the  one  child  born  to  them  is  a 
daughter,  named  Ida. 


of  this  county,  was  born  in  Dutchess  Coun- 
/JIk^  ty,  N.  Y.,  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage. 
His  grandfather,  Enoch  Haynes,  came  to 
America  with  some  of  the  earlier  settlers,  and 
with  him  a  brother,  William,  who  settled  in 
one  of  the  Carolinas,  and  Enoch  at  the  North.  They 
were  active,  prominent  men  during  the  struggles  of 
our  national  birth,  and  botli  left  their  family  name  to 
posterity.  Both  families  have  always  been  Union- 
loving  men,  and  their  later  descendants  are  strongly 
possessed  of  tlie  same  characteristics. 

Asa,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  bereft  of  a 
mother's  care  while  yet  a  babe,  and  was  cared  for  by 
an  elder  sister  until  nine  years  of  age,  when  he  was 
"  bound  out  "  to  man  named  Niokerson,  with  whom 
he  lived  until  15,  when  he  returned  to  his  father's 
house  and  remained  until  he  was  22.  His  father 
moved  to  Clinton  County,  Ohio,  and  there  Asa  helped 
clear  a  farm  and  employed  himself  as  was  the  cus- 
tom of  those  days.  Hardship  and  toil  were  the  com- 
panions of  his  earlier  years  ;  he  never  owned  a  hat  or 
cap  until  he  was  1 1  years  old,  nor  a  boot  or  shoe 
until  13.  He  was  sent  to  school  for  two  months  in 
the  winter  season,  but  all  told  he  only  had  13  months' 
schooling. 

At  the  age  of  22  he,  in  connection  with  an  elder 
brother,  purchased  a  farm  and  went  to  work  for  him- 
self. He  married,  at  the  age  of  26,  Miss  Mary  Gad- 
dis,  of  Fayette  County,  Pa.  She  was  of  Irish  de- 
scent, and  a  lady  of  much  spirit  and  beauty.  Her 
parents  were  considered  well  off,  in  a  worldly  point 
of  view,  and  her  suitors  were  many ;  b;:t  she  chose 
the  dark,  strong  "  Black  Yankee,"  as  he  was  dubbed, 
and  made  him  a  cheerful  and  helpful  companion  for 
many  years ;  and  as  we  read  the  history  of  the  man, 
as  fatlier,  neighbor  and  citizen,  we  read  hers,  too,  as 
the  wife  and  mother— careful  and  watchful,  bearing 
without  murmur  the  many  burdens  laid  upon  her, 
and  rearing  her  family  as  best  she  might,  being 
-A 


always  faithful  and  willing,  and  thinking  of  "  father" 
and  his  comfort  above  all  else. 

Oh,  who  can  pen  the  history  of  a  wife  in  tliose 
days  of  new  beginnings — the  lonely  days  stretching 
into  weeks  and  months,  the  extra  work  and  toil  laid 
upon  shoulders  already  too  weak  to  bear  their  load. 
"Verily,  they  shall  have  their  reward." 

They  were  married  Oct.  7,  1830,  he  aged  26,  she 
18.  He  was  dressed  in  black  cassimere  knee-pants, 
with  white  silk  stockings,  and  low  shoes  with  silver 
buckles,  a  blue  broadcloth  coat,  known  as  the  "  claw- 
hammer," adorned  upon  t'he  lapels  and  cuffs,  and 
upon  the  hips,  where  it  was  faced  with  yellow  silk, 
with  gold  buttons.  His  hair  was  combed  back 
smooth  and  braided  down  behind  and  tied  with  a 
blue  ribbon.  She  was  arrayed  all  in  white.  The 
slippers  were  high-heeled,  and  the  dress  was  gored 
to  the  waist,  a  hoop  was  in  the  lower  hem,  and  the 
sleeves  were  "  mutton-leg."  A  long,  large  white  lace 
shawl  was  thrown  over  her  and  a  white  vail  covered 
her  hair,  rolled  on  top  of  her  head  and  kept  there  by 
a  com!)  a  foot  high. 

They  lived  upon  their  farm  until  1S36,  when  they 
came  to  Knox  County.  They  had  at  this  time  two  > 
children^a  girl  three  years  old  and  a  boy  ten  months 
old,  accompanied  by  two  nephews  aged  ti  and  13. 
They  started  the  ist  of  September  and  were  ig, 
days  on  the  road,  17  of  them  being  rainy.  The 
rivers  were  all  swollen  or  out  of  banks,  and  the  har- 
ness on  the  horses  was  never  dry  from  tlie  time  they 
started  until  they  arrived  at  their  destination.  They 
had  bought  300  acres  of  land  on  section  30,  Orange 
Township,  and  here,  in  a  log  cabin  of  one  room, 
they  settled. 

The  new  settlers  soon  began  to  lake  an  active 
part  in  the  business  of  the  county  and  township, 
and  soon  there  was  not  an  enterprise  afoot  but  what 
the  name  of  Haynes  was  connected  with  it.  He  soon 
started  a 'brickyard,  and  in  1840  put  up  a  mill  on 
Brush  Creek,  and  began  sawing  lumber  and  making 
brick.  He  taught  school  during  the  winter,  in  his 
own  house.  In  1843  he  built  a  large  frame  barn,  get- 
ling  out  and  sawing  the  lumber  at  his  own  will,  and 
at  the  raising  there  was  every  man  in  the  county, 
excepting  three.  It  was  a  huge  affair  for  those  days, 
and  was  the  topic  of  conversation  for  years.  The 
next  year,  1844,  he  began  to  build  his  house — a  large, 
two-story  brick,  with  12  rooms  and  a  cellar,  and, 
while  the  barn  had  been  a  wonder,  the  house  w^sj  a 


.^ 


?==4^ 


938 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


still  greater,  and  stands  to  this  day  as  a  monument 
of  his  skill. 

While  engaged  in  these  improvements,  he  was 
from  time  to  time  buying  more  land,  building  fences 
and  tenement  houses,  and  helping,  too,  in  the  busi- 
ness of  the  county,  being  for  several  years  a  County 
Commissioner  and  Supervisor. 

The  nearest  flouring-mills  were  Long's,  on  Spoon 
River,  and  Edwards',  upon  Green  River.  The  near- 
est markets  were  at  Canton,  Peoria  and  Oquawka. 
Most  of  his  furniture  was  made  by  hand  and  at  the 
house,  by  Jesse  Perdue,  who  also  made  the  frame- 
work of  his  house.  The  farm  at  that  time  presented 
a  lively  appearance;  the  mill  and  brickyard  were  in 
full  blast ;  there  were  from  8  to  12  yoke  of  oxen  and 
horses,  with  their  drivers,  coming  and  going,  break- 
ing prairie,  hauling  timbsr  to  the  mill,  men  splitting 
raits  and  building  fence,  the  masons  at  work  on  the 
stones,  and  the  women  at  their  weaving,  spinning, 
dyeing  and  cooking,  presenting  the  appearance  of  a 
►small  colony.  And  the  busy  times  were  interspersed 
with  wet  or  cold  days.  When  under  cover,  the  many 
,c  hands  were  set  to  work  mending  harness,  making 
•-''brooms,  ax  handles,  and  patching  boots  and  shoes 
— for  everything  was  done  at  the  farm,  and  every- 
thing kept  in  repair.  A  tailoress  was  hired  for  six 
months  in  the  year,  to  cut  and  make  the  homespun 
suits.  Sheep  were  kept,  and  all  the  bedding  and 
clothing  were  made  here.  The  loom  and  spuming 
wheel  were  never  idle,  and  life  on  this  farm  was  a 
busy  scene. 

Of  course  there  were  many  exciting  and  some  quite 
dangerous  experiences  in  such  an  early  day,  and  we 
might  fill  quite  a  volume  with  incidents  and  anec- 
dotes of  those  early  days,  but  we  can  only  give  a  few, 
as  the  hie  of  the  pioneer  is  now  very  like  what  it 
was  then. 

The  timber  was  full  of  wolves,  the  prairie  of  deer, 
and  small  "varmints  "of  all  kinds  pestered  and  worried 
the  settlers ;  a  half  dozen  hounds  were  a  partof  every 
farmer's  household,  and  were  a  necessary  adjunct. 
The  wolves  were  very  bold,  often  carrying  off  a  pig 
or  lamb  in  broad  daylight,  and  to  have  a  dog  rush 
out  barking  savagely  and  the  man  rush  in  for  a  gun 
was  a  common  occurrence.  iMany  a  night  the  men 
have  been  up  most  of  the  night  keeping  the  wolves 
from  carrying  off  small  pigs  or  killing  the  sheep. 
They  would  seldom  attack  a  human  being ;  but  once, 
as  Mr.  Haynes  was  coining  from  Knoxville,  he  was 


attacked  by  a  large  gray  wolf.  Mr.  Haynes  was  on 
horseback,  carrying  a  pair  of  heavy  new  boots ;  the 
wolf  sprang  and  caught  his  leg ;  he  knocked  it  off, 
and,  getting  off  his  horse,  killed  it  with  the  boots. 

Mr.  Haynes  owned  at  one  time  989  acres  of  land 
in  Orange  Township,  500  acres  in  Iowa,  120  acres  in 
Lower  California.  He  was  one  of  the  famous  "  Jay- 
hawkers,"  of  1849,  and  crossed  the  sandy  desert  in 
company  with  sixty  others  in  that  year;  was  Cap- 
tain of  the  company  that  went  from  Monmouth,  111. 
He  was  a  stanch  Union  man  during  the  late  war, 
and  contributed  money  and  influence  and  had  many 
relatives  on  both  sides  of  the  family,  a  son  and  three 
sons-in-law  in  the  army.  His  life  was  threatened 
several  times  by  what  were  called  the  "  Knights  of 
the  Golden  Circle,"  but  he  never  flinched  in  speaking 
his  opinions.  He  was  one  of  tlie  founders  of  the 
Knox  County  Agricultural  Society,  of  which  he  is  a 
life  member.  He  was  one  of  the  first  three  men  who 
introduced  Short-horn  cattle  into  the  county,  and  was 
the  first  to  bring  in  the  spotted  China  hog.  For 
many  years  he  was  the  great  stock-raiser  of  this  part 
of  the  county,  and  his  word  was  always  as  good  as 
his  bond. 

He  lived  for  a  number  of  years  in  California,  where 
he  owned  two  beautiful  farms.  He  lives  at  this 
writing  at  the  old  homestead  in  Orange,  aged  82 
years.  He  lost  his  wife  three  years  ago,  and  his 
family  have  all  married  and  settled,  as  families  will. 
One,  a  son,  lives  in  Lower  California;  one  in  South- 
ern Kansas;  two  daughters  in  Missouri,  and  two  in 
Orange,  near  the  old  home.  His  relatives  are  in 
every  State  in  the  Union,  and,  with  very  few  excep- 
tions, among  her  best  citizens — patriotic,  honorable 
and  industrious. 


^^ames  McClymont  is  a  farmer,  residing  on 
section  18,  in  Copley  Township,  Knox 
County,  and  one  of  our  most  substantial 
and  progressive  citizens.  He  was  born  in 
Copley  Township  Oct.  2,  1853.  His  parents, 
Peter  and  Margaret  (Miller)  McClymont,  were 
natives  of  Scotland  and  had  a  family  of  four  chil- 
dren—Mary, Margaret,  Helen  and  James.  They 
came  to  America  in  1844,  and,  settling  in  Copley 
Township,  took  180  acres  on  section  18,  made  all 


J 


*r 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


939 


the  improvements  and  lived  on  the  same  until  1885, 
when  they  retired  from  what  had  been  pleasant  and 
agreeable  labor  and  moved  to  Oneida,  where  the 
father  is  now  living.     Mrs.  McClymont  died  in  1880. 

James,  of  this  writing,  remained  at  school  until 
he  was  21  years  old,  then  took  up  the  home  farm 
on  shares.  He  was  thus  engaged  until  1878,  when 
he  purchased  the  place  where  he  now  lives.  It  con- 
sists of  140  acres,  and  to  it  he  has  added  all  the  un- 
provenients  that  an  ingenious  mind  can  devise  and 
a  skillful  hand  e.xecute. 

Mr.  McClymont  was  married  in  1878  to  Isabelle 
McDowell,  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  (Gordon) 
McDowell.  They  were  natives  of  Scotland  and 
most  estimable  and  worthy  people.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McClymont  have  a  family  of  five  children — Ethel, 
Fred,  Gordon,  Jenette  and  Clyde.  Mr.  C.  is  a  Re- 
publican and  has  held  some  of  the  minor  township 
offices,  having  been  Town  Collector,  School  Director 
and  Pathmaster. 

^#^ ^ 


\  rector  P.  Myers.  Prominent  on  the  rec- 
fe  ords  of  Knox  County  are  the  names  of 
*,ii^^  many  prosperous  and  successful  farmers, 
jj!^  and  among  tlie  leading  ones  may  be  found  that 
J/U-  of  our  subject.  His  homestead  lies  on  section 
9,  of  Persifer  Township,  and  he  may  be  reck- 
oned among  the  settlers  of  earlier  days,  as  he  located 
in  this  section  of  country  in  1S58,  in  Haw  Creek 
Township.  By  a  happy  combination  of  native  ability 
and  the  smiles  of  prosperity,  he  has  won  his  way  until 
he  stands  high  among  the  influential  members  of  so- 
ciety. 

Mr.  Myers  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Ohio,  Oct. 
17,  18 14,  and  was  almost  tliree  years  of  age  w'hen  his 
parents  removed  to  Highland  County,  that  State,where 
he  continued  until  he  attained  the  age  of  21  years. 
In  his  younger  days  he  learned  the  tanner's  trade, 
and  also  that  of  milling.  He  did  not  continue  in  the 
former  branch  of  business  after  coming  to  Illinois.  He 
first  setHed  in  Vermilion  County,  where  he  lived 
nearly  12  years  before  coming  to  Knox  County.  In 
Haw  Creek  Township  he  lived  about  seven  years, 
trading  for  mill  property  in  Persifer  Townshij),  and 
removing  to  this  latter  township  in  i860.  He  oper- 
ated a  grist-mill  nearly  four  years,  then  sold  it  and 
purchased  the  farm  where  he  now  resides.  He  is  one 


of  the  most  extensive  landowners  in  this  section  of 
country,  owning  about  225  acres,  one-fourtli  of  which 
is  improved  and  under  good  cultivation. 

Mr.  Myers  was  married  in  Vermilion  County,  to 
Sarah  Johns,  who  was  a  native  of  Clinton  County, 
Ohio,  and  to  them  have  been  born  ten  children,  eight 
living,  as  follows:  Abraham,  Richard,  Franklin,  Da- 
vid, Douglas,  Charlie,  Adeline  and  Nancy  E.  John 
and  Hannah  R.  are  deceased. 

Mr.  Myers  is  a  useful  member  of  society,  is  some- 
what interested  in  educational  matters,  and  while  liv- 
ing in  Haw  Creek  was  School  Director  and  Road 
Commissioner.  Politically  he  identifies  himself  with 
the  Democratic  party,  supporting  the  doctrines  of 
thatorganization  and  casting  his  vole  witli  it.  He  has 
watched  the  varying  shades  of  political  differences 
and  the  movements  of  national  affairs  for  a  long  time, 
as  he  voted  first  for  Andrew  Jackson. 

ouis  Palmquist.     Among  the  more  promi- 
nent business  men  and  leading  citizens  of 
Knoxville  is   found   the  gentleman   whose 
biograjihy  is   herein  briefly    recorded.     He  is 
engaged  in  the  furniture  and  undtrtaking  busi- 
ness, and   has  secured  a  good  patronage  and 
esteem  and  confidence   of    the    community   of 
which  he  is  a  member. 

Mr.  Palmquist  was  born  in  Sweden,  Oct.  2,  1834, 
and  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  country.  He 
was  trained  in  the  public  schools,  where  he  received 
his  early  education,  and  which  he  attended  till  he  at- 
tained the  age  of  14  years.  At  this  time  reverses  of 
fortune  compelled  the  young  boy  to  depend  upon  his 
own  exertions  for  maintenance.  Believing  thai  if  he 
could  not  do  as  he  would,  he  must  do  as  he  could,  he 
engaged  with  a  gardener,  intending  to  learn  this  call- 
ing, and  so  faithfully  did  he  devote  his  attention  to 
the  business  in  hand,  and  so  minutely  did  he  follow 
the  directions  of  his  employer,  that  he  soon  became 
very  proficient  in  the  art.  He  followed  this  occupation 
till  1856,  when  he  emigated  to  America,  sailing  from 
Guttenberg,  Sweden,  in  the  month  of  May.  The 
voyage  proved  an  unfortunate  one  for  the  young 
emigrant,  who  was  shipwrecked  off  the  coast  of  New- 
foundland, and  55  of  the  ship's  61  passengers  were 
lost  at  sea.    The  cause  of  this  disaster  was  the  heavy 


!4-6- 


4 


940 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4* 


overhanging  fogs,  which  prevented  a  clear  survey  of 
the  ocean,  and  at  midnight  the  ship  encountered 
rocks  and  was  dashed  to  pieces  upon  them.  As  she 
went  down,  the  pumps  and  the  hard-working  crew 
having  been  employed  in  vain,  young  Palmquist  and 
two  others  as  a  last  resort  climbed  into  the  rigging 
and  so  were  saved,  as  a  fragment  of  the  vessel  drifted 
about.  In  the  morning  these  survivors  were  discov- 
ered and  taken  on  a  fishing  smack,  which  landed 
them  in  New  York  City  in  the  month  of  July. 

From  this  section  of  the  country  Mr.  Palmquist 
set  his  face  toward  the  setting  sun,  and  in  the  hearty 
and  honest  belief  that  "  the  gods  help  those  who  help 
themselves,"  engaged  with  O.  B.  Judson,  an  enter- 
prising furniture  manufacturer  of  Galesburg.  With 
him  he  served  an  apprenticeship  for  three  years, 
after  which  he  worked  in  the  same  shop  until  tiie 
year  r86i,  when  he  came  to  Knoxville,  and  with  his 
brother,  Peter,  as  associate  partner,  engaged  in  the 
^  manufacture  of  furniture  and  coffins.  They  opened 
a  salesroom  in  connection  with  this,  and  received  a 
fair  amount  of  patronage  from  the  people  of  the  sur- 
^  rounding  country,  continuing  their  partnership  until 
a  few  months  before  his  brother's  death,  in  1876, 
since  which  time  he  has  conducted  the  business  alone. 
The  connubial  relations  of  Mr.  Palmquist  ajid  his 
wife,  Carrie  (Nelson)  Palmquist,  also  a  native  of  Swe- 
den, in  which  country  she  was  born  Sept.  12,  1838, 
and  whom  he  married  Sept.  15,  i860,  have  been  of 
the  most  agreeable  and  congenial  character.  Their 
happiness  has  been  made  more  perfect  by  the  ad- 
vent of  six  children,  whose  names  are  as  follows  : 
Charlie,  Will,  Ada,  Amanda,  Hulda  and  Anna.  The 
family  is  well  known  and  highly  respected;  the 
father  and  mother  worship  in  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Mr.  Palmquist  is  actively  interested  in  public  affairs, 
and  in  politics  is  a  Republican. 


'saac    Jones,    foreman    of   tlie    coppersmith 
shop  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  at  Gales- 
J^    burg,  was   born    in  Chester,  Cheshire  Co, 
^J^     England,   Aug.   27,    1844.     He   is   the  son  of 
Robert  and   Elizabeth  (Davis)  Jones,  who  re- 
moved  to  Wolverhampton,  where  the  subject 
of  our  sketch  was  reared  and  educated. 
At  the  age  of  14  years,  Isaac  Jones  became  ap.-^. 


prenticed  to  learn  the  coppersmith's  trade,  and  com- 
pleted the  same  in  his  20th  year.  He  then  followed 
this  vocation  in  Wolverhampton  for  four  years,  and 
in  1868  he  set  sail  for  the  United  States,  coming 
directly  West,  where  he  spent  a  short  time  in  the  city 
of  Chicago,  subsequently  coming  to  Galesburg, 
where  he  accepted  the  position  which  he  has  since 
so  creditably  filled. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  married  at 
Galesburg,  to  Mrs  Hannah  Elliott  (nee  Barry),  who 
has  borne  him  three  children — two  sons,  Isaac  and 
Robert,  and  a  daughter,  Maggie,  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  skilled  workman,  and,  although 
coming  a  stranger  to  our  shores,  has  through  his  pro- 
fessional ability  and  persistent  industry  secured  for 
himself  a  worthy  place  among  his  fellow-craftsmen, 
and  a  high  position  with  the  corporation  which  he 
represents. 


R.  Hardy,  of  Abingdon,  was  born  in  the 
county  of  Brant,  Canada,  about  80  miles 
norihwest  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.  The  county  »< 
of  his  birth  probably  lias  more  fine  stock  than 
any  other  in  Canada,  and  it  was  there  that  our 
subject  had  his  first  experience  in  handling  and 
raising  cattle,  which  was  on  his  father's  farm.  When 
a  young  man  he  left  home  and  took  uj)  his  residence 
in  Michigan,  where  he  lived  for  about  15  years  and 
then  removed  to  St.  Augustine,  Knox  County,  111., 
and  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Five  years 
later  he  sold  out  and  removed  to  Abingdon.  While 
on  one  of  his  visits  to  Canada  he  first  saw  some  Gal- 
loway cattle,  that  were  recently  imported.  He  was 
struck  with  their  appearance  and  the  manner  in 
which  they  withstood  the  cold  climate  of  Canada, 
as  compared  with  the  best  horned  cattle,  and  the  im- 
pression made  on  his  mind  has  never  been  eradi- 
cated. He  was  not  satisfied  until  he  had  provided 
himself  with  some  of  the  breed,  and  has  found  that 
they  even  exceed  his  expectation  in  "  rustling  "qual- 
ities, and  that  they  are  the  cattle  which  will,  in  time, 
be  in  more  demand  than  any  other.  They  mature 
early  and  make  excellent  beef  from  the  time  they  are 
six  months  old  to  the  age  of  three  years.  The  hide 
of  the  three-year-old  steer  will  weigh  from  30  to  40 
lb.  more  than  our  common  cattle,  thus  giving  him 
an  additional   overcoat,  as  it  were,  which  gn  a  cold 


!^=rW- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


94T 


night  will  be  highly  appreciated.     Their  beef  is  beau- 

I    tifully  marbled.     The  Short-horn  cattle  have  proved 

I     the  best  to  cross  with,  as  they  appear  to  be  most  sus- 

i     ceptible  to  an   infusion   of  new  blood  and  produce 

robust,  well-coated,  beefy  cattle,  with  90  per  cent  of 

them  )x>lled  and  black,  maturing  early,  and  can  be 

made  ripe  for  the  block  at  an  early  age. 

After  corresponding  and  reading  the  history  of  the 

\    cattle,  our  subject  decided   to   be  the  champion  of 

that  breed,  and,  in  connection  with   Mr.  Parker,  was 

the  first  to  bring  them  to  Indian  Point  Township  and 

among  the  first  to  introduce  them  into  the  State  of 

I     Illinois. 

!         Mr.  R.  A.  Parker,  who  consented  to  join  our  sub- 
I    ject  in  raising  this  breed  of  cattle,  was  from  Ken- 
j    tucky,  and  a  region  of  the   State  noted  for  its   blue 
grass  and  cattle.     He    was  a  gentleman  who  had  a 
life  experience  in  cattle,  and  was  an  adept  at  hand- 
ling and  breeding,  and  a  judicious  and  careful  feeder. 
'    They  commenced  in  a  small  way  and  in  a  little  over 
C  four  years  their  herd  numbers  about  75    head    and 
,  j  is  composed  mostly  of  cows  and  heifers.     They  look 
I  for  a  rapid  increase  in    their  sales,  which    prevent 
>■  them  froiii  becoming  overstocked. 
I       The  following  is  the  pedigree  of  some  of  the  stock 
owned  by  Parker  &  Hardy,  as  shown  by  the  Araeri- 
•  can    and  Scotch  Herd-books:     Imp.  Prince   Ji\n)bo, 
'     ii4i,at  the  head  of  the   herd.     Sire,  Scottish  Bor- 
der,  No.  667.     Dam,  Kate,  No.   538.     Sire,   Black 
Prince   of  Druratanrig,  No.   546.     Dam,  Llythia,  of 
Drumlanrig,  No.  1307.     Sire,  Knowsley,  No.   1279. 
Dam,  Beauty,  of  Fallow  Wheat,  No.  2767.     Prince 
Jumbo's  pedigree,  e.xtended,  shows  31   prize  winning 
animals,  and  the  prizes  repeated  on  the  same  animals 
amount  to    upward  of   150,     many  of  them  being 
Royal.     Scottish  Border  (669)  was  used  successfully 
in   the  herds  of  the    Earl  of  Galloway,  Mr.  Routh- 
ledge  Elrig  and  Mr.  Cuninigam  Tarbercoch,  and  very 
I    few  Galloways  have  enjoyed  a  higher  reputation.  As 
a  sire,  his  produce  combines  substance  and  quality 
in  an  uncommon  degree.      His   sire  was  the  match- 
less bull,  Black  Prince  of  Drumlanrig,  546     Scottish 
Border's  dam  was  Llythia  of  Drumlaniig,  1307,  once 
first,  once  second  and   twice  third  at  shows  at  the 
Highland  Society.     Her  d;im.  Miss  Magill,  1302,  re- 
ceived  the  first  prize  at   the  International  show  at 
London,  in  1862,  and  she   traces  back  to  the  oldest 
strains  in  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch's  magnificent  herd. 
Black  Prince  of  Drumlanrig,  546,  was  the  most  dis- 


tinguished Galloway  bull  for  20  years.  He  was  easily 
first  at  all  the  national  and  other  leading  shows,  and 
was  never  vanquished  in  a  long  show  career.  His 
produce  have  been  so  distinguished  that  at  one  of  the 
largest  ex|X)sitions  of  Galloways  ever  seen,  at  Dum- 
frees  Union  in  1883,  about  70  per  cent  of  the  prize- 
winners were  his  descendants  and  900  guineas  was  re- 
fused for  him  when  he  was  upward  of  ir  years  old. 
The  Duke  of  Buccleuch's  name  will  thus  live  as  long 
as  the  Galloway  cattle  endure,  and  when  the  fertile 
fields  of  Illinois  become  blackened  with  these  horn- 
less beauties,  the  name  of  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch, 
the  pioneer  breeder  of  improved  Galloways,  will  be- 
come a  household  word  in  the  home  of  stockmen  all 
over  our  land.  Prince  Jumbo  cannot  fail  to  be  the 
prince  of  breeders,  as  there  is  nothing  back  of  him 
but  prize-winners,  and  he  either  breeds  after  him- 
self or  some  of  his  ancestry,  and  in  either  case  the 
results  will  be  gratifying. 

The  question  as  to  how  to  breed  polled  cattle  is 
often  propounded,  and  while  interviewing  Messrs. 
Parker&  Hardy, we  obtained  the  following  infoimation 
on  that  point :  Select  a  thoroughbred  bull,  with  high 
pointed  poll,  well  sunken  where  the  horns  should  be. 
Never  select  a  high-horned  cow,  as  it  is  found  that 
more  of  their  progeny  have  horns  or  scurs  as  a  rule 
than  any  others.  A  low,  short,  crooked  or  crumpled 
horn  will  breed  the  most  |X)lled  calves,  and  nearly 
as  many  as  a  low-jxilled  cow.  Jerseys  are  noted 
next  to  the  Short- horns  as  breeding  more  polled  calves 
than  any  other  breed  of  horned  cattle,  if  crossed 
with  the  above  described  bull.  A  Galloway  will 
breed  more  blacks  than  any  other  breed  in  crossing, 
as  their  get  is  almost  universally  black  and  polled, 
with  only  an  occasional  exception. 

Of  the  origin  of  the  Galloways,  in  a  recent  article 
a  Scotch  writer  traces  their  genealogy  to  long  before 
the  Christian  era,  introducing  them  into  Britain  with 
the  Gauls,  into  the  district  in  the  southwest  of  Scot- 
land. We  read  of  polled  cattle  appearing  in  South 
America  among  horned  ones,  probably  a  throwing 
back  to  a  remote  polled  cross.  In  a  survey  of  the 
reign  of  Alexander  III,  1249,  a  com|)iled  history  of 
Scotland  refers  to  the  black  cattle.  We  have  fre- 
quent mention  of  their  early  establishment  and  rec- 
ognition. The  agricultural  reports  of  Scotland, 
1794-5,  say:  The  Galloway  breed  of  black  polled 
cattle  is  universally  known  and  admired.  Thus  the 
Galloways   are    the  old   ranch  cattle  of  Britain,  and 


p 


94  2 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


■while  the  ancient  trails  are  fenced  and  tilled,  and  the 
drives  long  a  thing  of  the  past,  the  cattle  still  retain 
those  hardy  and  impressive  traits  which  especially 
fit  them  for  the  hardy  outdoor  life  to  whicli  cattle  are 
subjected  in  all  parts  of  America. 

Their  long  ancestry  of  the  same  fixed  type  is  what 
gives  them  their  great  prepotency,  a  wonder  to  many 
modern  breeders,  since  crossing  a  thoroughbred  Gal- 
loway bull  with  any  breed  of  horned  cattle  gives  a 
very  large  percentage — fully  98  per  cent — of  black 
polled  calves.  They  are  the  largest  and  most  typi- 
cal breed  of  Scotch  polled  cattle,  and,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  West  Highlander,  the  only  existing 
breed  of  superior  beef-producing  quality  that  still 
retains  its  aboriginal  coat  of  long,  rich,  warm  hair. 
In  their  character  as  a  superior  beef  producing  cattle, 
they  have  been  so  long  and  favorably  known  to  the 
English  epicure  that  for  many  years  the  "  Scots  " 
have  commanded  two  cents  per  pound  more  in  En- 
glish markets  than  other  breeds.  As  "  Scots  "  have 
often,  also,  been  included  the  West  Highland  cattle, 
as  likewise  the  Angus. 

A  typical  Galloway,  with  his  bright,  expressive 
countenance,  his  trim,  symmetrical  body,  his  glossy, 
black  coat,  long,  brushy  tail  and  perfect  feet,  is  an 
attractive  and  interesting  animal.  He  has  rather  a 
large  head  without  the  slightest  trace  of  horns  or 
scurs  ;  high  frontal  bone,  with  rounded  crown;  large, 
clear,  prominent  eyes;  ears  moderate  in  length  and 
broad,  pointing  upward  and  forward,  and  full  of  long, 
silky  hair;  neck  rather  short,  clean,  and  fitting  well 
into  the  shoulders,  the  top  in  line  with  the  back  in 
the  female,  and  in  the  male  naturally  rising  with  age. 
A  Idng,  round  body,  well-ribbed  liome,  shoulders  wide 
above  ;  breast  full  and  deep,  plenty  of  room  for  lungs  ; 
large  through  the  heart,  denoting  a  good  circulation 
of  blood,  hence  one  of  the  reasons  for  their  ability  to 
stand  the  severe  weather  of  our  extreme  winters  ; 
heavy  hind  quarters,  small  hock  bones.  The  whole 
body  round  like  a  barrel,  set  on  short,  muscular  legs 
with  clean,  fine  bone;  the  hind  legs  straighter  than 
those  of  other  breeds,  and  squarely  fleshed  right 
down  to  the  hock.  He  is  clad  in  a  coat  of  short, 
black  fur,  through  which  in  autumn  a  coat  of  hair 
four  or  five  inches  long  protrudes.  In  the  spring  the 
long  hair  is  shed,  leaving  only  the  mossy  undercoat 
until  the  following  autumn,  when  they  again  begin 
growing  their  overcos^ts.  This  long,  wavy  hair — 
shaggy  almost — and  thick  mossy  undercoat  is  an  im- 


portant point,  in  cold  weather  retaining  warmth,  and 
on  wet  days  throwing  off  the  rain.  Another  impor- 
tant point  is  their  light  weight  of  bone  as  compared 
with  other  breeds.  They  are  lively,  active  and  spir- 
ited, having  the  instinct  of  self-preservation  well  de- 
veloped. They  will  be  found  even  in  extreme 
weather  hunting  the  old  grass  of  the  pastures,  and 
eating  quite  undisturbed  by  the  cold  and  storm  when 
other  cattle  will  not  venture  from  shelter. 

Ere  many  years  the  farmers  of  the  Eastern  and 
Middle  States  must  turn  their  attention  to  something 
that  will  yield  a  better  profit  than  raising  grade  cattle 
for  market.  A  demand  for  thoroughbred  animals  has 
already  been  created,  and  they  are  being  freely  used 
to  improve  the  stock  of  the  Western  ranch.  The 
polled  Galloway  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  this  branch  of 
cattle  industry,  and  wherever  introduced  has  proved 
and  will  continue  to  prove  the  favorite  of  the  Western 
stockmen.  Ex-Gov.  Routt,  says  in  Field  and  Farm, 
that  in  the  grand  round-up,  in  1886,  of  cattle  of  the 
State,  not  a  dead  carcass  of  a  Galloway  or  Angus 
was  found.  They  are  the  hardy  brutes  of  this  West- 
ern country  ;  he  believes  a  Galloway  would  outlive  a 
buffalo  in  a  long  continued  storm. 

The  question  is  often  asked  the  owners  of  black 
cattle  why  it  is,  if  they  are  so  good,  that  we  have 
never  heard  of  them  before.  If  they  were  so  valu-, 
able,  why  were  they  not  brought  over  before,  etc.  .' 
The  large,  bony  Scotch  overran  Northern  Ireland  and 
drove  out  or  conquered  the  Irish,  and  married  their 
women  and  settled  up  that  part  of  Ireland.  In  their 
removal  to  that  country  they  took  their  cattle  with 
them.  They  were  at  the  time  hornless,  and  many 
of  them  reds  and  brindles  ;  even  at  that  early  day 
many  were  black.  The  great  fire  of  London  took 
place  in  1616  ;  the  farmers  largely  lived  in  London 
and  tilled  their  land  in  the  country;  these  benevo- 
lent Scotch-Irish  sent  over  their  black  Galloways  in 
large  numbers,  and  presented  them  to  the  impover- 
ished farmers.  The  House  of  Lords  soon  after 
passed  a  bill  prohibiting  the  importation  of  any  more 
black  and  hornless  cattle  into  England,  and  com- 
pelled the  farmer  to  put  sheep  upon  his  farm  in- 
stead of  the  comely  blacks.  Thus  they  were  at  an 
early  period  of  their  history  barred  from  competing 
with  the  cattle  of  England.  Had  they  been  allowed 
a  foothold  on  the  shores  of  England,  it  is  not  im- 
probable that  tliey  would  to-day  be  more  numerous 
than  any  breed  of  cattle  on  earth. 


UBi^ARY 
OF  TH£ 


o6^C^i^J3AA^A/^ 


LIBRARY 
OF  THE 


.»_T> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


947 


Messrs.  Parker  &  Hardy  have  invested  a  large 
sum  of  money  in  their  magnificent  herd.  Their 
breeding  cows  are  of  the  best  families,  and  of  un- 
questioned purity  of  blood.  They  are  of  a  fi.\ed 
type  of  the  improved  Galloways.  A  bull  is  half  of 
the  herd,  because  he  is  the  sire  of  all  the  young 
members  of  the  herd,  and  in  Prince  Jumbo  they  have 
everything  to  be  desired,  as  prominent  breeders 
have  remarked  that  they  firmly  believed  that  Prince 
Jumbo  was  the  best  animal  of  the  breed  between  the 
two  oceans,  as  well  as  the  best  breeder.  We  would 
advise  parties  wishing  to  start  a  herd  to  first  see  what 
there  is  in  their  own  county,  as  the  best  families  are 
brought  almost  to  their  doors.  In  starting  a  herd  it  is 
highly  imix)rtant  that  you  should  start  with  the  right 
sorts.  If  the  first  is  bred  right,  they  will  remain  the 
same;  and  if  bred  from  poor  ancestors,  the  results 
will  be  anything  but  encouraging.  Laying  the  foun- 
dation of  a  herd  can  be  likened  to  the  laying  of  a 
foundation  of  a  house.  They  should  both  be  right 
to  endure.  We  present  in  this  Album  a  view  of 
their  place,  showing  some  of  their  magnificent  cattle, 
among  them  Prince  Jumbo  (1141). 


H3= 


=£>- 


^ala  Blakeslee,  deceased.  The  subject  of 
this  biographical  notice,  whose  portrait, 
with  that  of  his  e.xcellent  wife,  who  sur- 
vives him,  we  present  on  the  preceding  pages, 
was  one  of  the  most  widely  respected  and 
best  known  citizens  of  Knox  County.  He 
was  a  resident  of  Salem  Township,  and  up  to  the 
date  of  his  demise  was  one  of  its  most  useful  members 
of  society.  He  was  a  pioneer  in  this  section  of  the 
country,  coming  to  Illinois  in  June,  1834,  thus  ex- 
periencing the  hardships  incident  to  that  day  and  all 
of  the  triumphs  to  which  those  early  settlers  look 
back,  at  the  present  day,  with  deep  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Blakeslee  was  born  in  Plymouth,  Conn  ,  Jan 
14,  1805.  His  father,  also  by  name  Sala  Blakeslee, 
was  a  native  of  the  same  State,  and  his  grandfather, 
Asher  Blakeslee,  was  of  Welsh  ancestry  and  Ameri- 
can birth,  who  likewise  claimed  Connecticut  as  his 
native  State.  Our  subject  was  a  model  in  his  chosen 
field  of  labor,  agriculture,  and  was  systematic  and 


accurate  as  a  business  man.  He  shirked  no  duty, 
was  a  kind  friend  and  good  neighbor,  and  left  the 
world  with  the  comfortable  assurance  that  his  life 
had  been  a  fair  success. 

Sala  Blakeslee,  Sr.,  was  by  occupation  a  blacksmith, 
at  which  branch  of  business  he  continued  until  1817. 
In  September  of  that  year  he  emigrated  to  the  Far 
West.  His  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  six  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  three  daughters.  Two  of  these 
had  preceded  them  several  years.  He  loaded  the 
household  goods  and  traveled  by  wagon,  drawn  by 
oxen,  while  the  family  occupied  a  one-horse  vehicle. 
In  this  primitive  way  they  continued  their  journey, 
which  occupied  from  September  2  to  October  9.  At 
this  time  they  entered  the  State  of  Ohio,  settling  in 
Ashtabula  County,  where  they  purchased  timber 
land.  Their  location  is  now  included  in  the  city 
limits  of  Ashtabula.  Continuing  at  his  trade,  he  in- 
structed his  sons  in  the  clearing  of  the  farm,  and  by 
unflagging  industry  a  home  was  erected,  in  which  he 
continued  to  reside  until  his  death. ^ 

Our  subject  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  family 
and  grew  to  manhood  in  Ohio.  He  assisted  his 
father  in  agricultural  pursuits,  continuing  with  him 
until  of  age.  Arriving  at  the  state  of  manhood,  he 
rented  a  brother's  farm,  and  engaged  in  labor  for 
himself  His  marriage  took  place  Jan.  10,  1830,  to 
Lydia  B.  Pearce,  who  was  born  in  Grafton,  N.  H., 
July  23,  1803  She  was  the  daughter  of  Earl  and 
Betsey  (Maranville)  Pearce,  both  natives  of  New 
Hampshire.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blakeslee  continued  to 
liva,in  Ohio  for  the  space  of  four  years,  and  June  2, 
1834,  started  for  Illinois,  filled  with  the  enterprise 
that  commands  new  effort  in  a  new  country.  Com- 
ing by  stage  as  far  as  Wellsville,  Ohio,  they  com- 
pleted their  journey  by  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi 
Rivers,  landing  at  Oquawka,  111.,  June  17  of  the 
same  year.  The  following  day  they  employed  a 
man  to  take  them  with  an  ox  team  as  far  as  Mon- 
mouth. At  That  point  Mrs.  B.,  with  two  small  chil- 
dren, remained,  while  her  husband  went  on  foot 
across  the  trackless  prairie  in  search  of  a  brother-in- 
law  living  in  Fulton  ("ounty.  Night  came  upon  him 
before  he  completed  his  journey,  but,  passing  the 
night  in  a  cabin  at  the  invitation  of  the  owner,  he 
the  next  morning  resumed  his  march  and  succeeded 
in  reaciiing  his  destination.  His  next  move  was  to 
return  for  his  family,  when  he  located  in  Fulton 
County.     There  they  s|)ent  the  summer  and  in  Sep- 


'J<^=L 


Hr» 


H^ 


948 


"•    .  -Y. 

JirjV^OX  COUNTY. 


tember  of  that  year  returned  to  Knox  County,  and 
moved  into  a  building  owned  and  occupied  by 
James  Milan,  which  stood  on  ground  previously 
bought,  on  section  25,  Maquon  Township.  The 
building  was  a  double  log  structure  and  had  been 
partly  a  smokehouse.  Mr.  Milan  retained  posses- 
sion of  the  main  building,  and  Mr.  Blakeslee  used 
the  smokehouse  department  for  a  dwelling  until 
spring,  and  with  much  ingenuity  succeeded  in  mak- 
ing it  comfortable,  among  other  things  putting  in  a 
three-light  window,  carving  the  sash  with  his  pocket- 
knife.  During  the  year  he  piircliased  land  from  Mr. 
Milan,  and  also  a  claim  on  section  30,  of  township  9, 
now  known  as  Salem.  Later  he  entered  the  land 
at  the  Land-Office,  at  Quincy,  111.,  and  as  early 
as  1837  erected  a  frame  barn,  which  was  the  first 
frame  building  in  the  township.  In  the  following 
year  this  barn  was  struck  by  lightning  and  burned, 
together  with  the  entire  crop  of  small  grain,  and  a 
mow  of  "  tip-top "  hay,  raised  from  seed  brought 
with  him  when  he  came  West — the  first  tame-grass 
seed  in  the  county.  In  1840  he  built  the  struct- 
ure which  is  now  standing.  The  lumber  used  was 
sawed  at  Littler's  Creek,  and  the  shingles  made  by 
hand. 

At  this  place  Mr.  Blakeslee  resided  until  1842, 
having  made  his  home  in  Maqnon  Township  during 
the  intervening  year.  He  then  erected  a  frame 
house  on  section  30  in  Salem  Township,  which  was 
his  home  up  to  the  date  of  his  death,  Jan.  24,  1886. 
He  left,  to  mourn  his  loss,  a  widow  and  five  grown 
children,  as  follows  :  Eli  A.,  Chauncey,  Salmon, 
Sarah  H.  and  Mary,  who  still  resides  at  home. 

Not  only  was  Mr.  Blakeslee  a  pioneer  in  the  full 
sense  of  the  word,  but  he  set  on  foot  and  forwarded 
many  movements  for  the  good  of  the  community  at 
large.  He  took  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  edu- 
cational matters,  and  organized  the  first  school  in 
Maquon  Township,  the  building  being  on  the  old 
Milan  farm.  He  furnished  the  logs  to  build  the  first 
school-house  at  Uniontown,  doing  fully  one-half  the 
work  with  his  own  hands.  His  interest  in  this 
school  never  lessened  and  he  Was  for  50  years  con- 
nected with  it  in  the  capacity  of  Director,  an  office 
held  longer  by  him  than  any  man  known  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  His  life  had  proved  the  truth 
tliat  "  the  actions  of  the  just  smell  sweet  and  blossom 
in  the  dust." 

Mrs.  Blakeslee  came  to  Ohio  at   an  early  day,  in 


i8ti,  when  but  a  child.  As  already  stated,  she  was 
the  daughter  of  Earl  Pearce  and  was  born  at  Graf- 
ton, N.  H.,  July  23,  1803.  Her  father  came  to  Ohio 
with  his  wife  and  three  children,  all  daughters,  in 
company  with  his  father-in-law,  Charles  Maranville, 
and  settled  at  Conneaut.  Charles  Maranville,  the 
grandfather  of  Lydia  Pearce,  was  a  descendant  of 
John  de  Manville,  or  Maranville,  the  son  of  a  French 
nobleman  who  came  to  America  at  an  early  day  and 
settled  in  Massachusetts.  He  was  a  man  well  edu- 
cated and  left  a  large  family.  Miss  Pearce  lost  her 
mother  while  still  young,  and  from  this  time  forward 
made  her  own  living.  She  was  enabled  to  secure  only 
a  limited  education,  but  became  a  methodical  and 
experienced  housekeeper.  She  was  living  in  the 
family  of  Capt.  Wood  when  he  came  to  Michigan, 
and  she  accompanied  them  and  continued  to  reside 
with  them  for  two  years..  Capt.  Wood,  having  set- 
tled on  the  St.  Clair  River  about  30  miles  above 
Detroit,  followed  the  occupation  of  a  sailor,  and  in 
later  years  was  interested  in  a  prominent  line  of 
steamers.  Mrs.  Wood,  thus  left  alone  a  good  share 
of  the  time  during  the  summer,  with  but  few  neigh- 
bors save  French  and  Indians,  at  the  end  of  two 
years  returned  on  a  visit  to  friends  in  the  East,  Miss 
Pearce  accompanying  her  back  to  Conneaut,  from 
which  place  she  went  to  Ashtabula  and  made  her 
home  with  a  well-to-do  farmer  there.  Miss  Pearce 
had  become  a  skillful  housekeeper,  and  was  very 
well  versed  in  all  the  arts  of  cooking,  spinning  and 
weaving  both  wool  and  linen.  This  education  had 
prepared'  her  for  an  early  pioneer  and  adapted  her 
for  the  duties  of  her  future  home  in  Illinois,  enabling 
her  to  keep  her  family  supplied  with  homespun 
clothing  for  their  everyday  wear,  both  of  wool  and 
linen,  woolen  blankets  for  her  beds  and  linen  for 
table-spreads  and  towels.  She  was  in  all  a  careful, 
economical,  industrious  wife,  a  good  mother  and  a 
kind  neighbor. 

Mrs.  Blakeslee  still  occupies  the  liomestead  with 
three  of  her  children.  Sarah  H.  resides  in  Maquon 
Township  and  is  the  relict  of  the  late  Thomas  Fos- 
ter; Salmon  is  a  practical  and  successful  farmer, 
whose  home  is  on  section  32  in  Salem  Township. 
Those  at  home  are  Eli,  Chauncey  and  Mary. 

Mr.  Blakeslee  was  Democratic  in  politics,  and  lib- 
eral in  religious  matters.  He  was  one  of  the  Direct- 
ors who  hired  a  Miss  Minerva  Hart  to  teach  school, 
and  paid  her  one  dollar  per  week;  this  was  in  the 


^^ 


— -A:' 


i 


f 


rW* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


949 


year  1837.  The  other  two  Directors  were  George 
Saunders  and  Ira  Baker,  of  Fulton  County.  The 
pupils  were  eight  in  number,  and  Mr.  B.  boarded 
the  teacher. 


>ank  H.  Case.  Nature  makes  no  mis- 
takes. She  bestows  uix)n  man  various 
gifts.  She  gives  to  one  the  penetrating, 
analytical  mind  that  befits  the  thinker  and  sci- 
entist ;  to  another  she  spurs  his  ambition  to 
deeds  of  martial  prowess.  She  wraps  the  man- 
tle of  prosy  and  dreamy  philosophy  about  the  form 
of  another,  and  to  a  few  she  rises  to  her  happiest 
mood  and  invests  them  with  genial  cordiality,  win- 
some ways  and  large  sympathies,  and  an  open,  frank 
countenance  that  bespeaks  a  welcome  to  all  man- 
kind. You  seem  to  see  written  across  the  face  in 
such  plain,  unmistakable  letters  "that  though  you 
run  you  may  read,"  "  Nature's  best  effort,"  the  true, 
genuine  hotel-keeper.  Such  a  man  is  the  subject 
of  the  following  sketch: 

Frank  H.  Case  was  born  in  Rome,  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  Oct.  12,  1854.  The  family  were  thorough 
Yankees.  His  paternal  grandfather,  William  Case, 
was  a  native  of  Vermont,  whence  lie  moved  to  Adams, 
in  the  northern  part  of  New  York,  in  1806,  and  there 
died,  in  1848.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  War 
of  1812.  His  son,  Henry  C.  Case,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  N.  Y.,  April  15, 
1825.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of  four  sons  and 
six  daughters,  and  soon  after  obtaining  his  majority 
he  went  to  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  whence  he  removed  to 
Rome,  that  State.  There  he  engaged  in  the  clothing 
business,  from  which  he  drifted  into  the  boot  and 
shoe  trade.  Removing  from  Rome  to  Utica,  he 
opened  the  first  boot  and  shoe  manufactory  in  that 
city.  His  health  tailing  him,  he  went  to  Henderson 
Harbor,  in  Northern  New  York,  and  there  erected  a 
summer  resort,  which  he  kept  for  a  short  time  and 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire.  His  next  move  was  to 
purchase  the  Cooper  House,  in  Adams,  N.  Y.,  which 
he  operated  for  several  years,  subsequently  return- 
ing to  Utica.  In  1881,  Henry  C.  Case  leased  the 
Brown  Hotel,  in  Galesburg,  and  continued  as  genial 
"mine  host"  for  five  years.  In  December,  1885, 
he  went  to  Rockford,  and,  becoming  proprietor  of  the 
Holland  House,  he  again  entered  upon  the  duties  of 


a  landlord  and  is  there  resident  at  this  time,  ready, 
with  a  smile  upon  his  countenance  and  a  hearty 
shake  of  the  hand,  to  welcome  the  traveling  public. 
Frank  H.  Case  is  the  eldest  of  two  sons,  the  off- 
spring of  Henry  C.  and  Sarah  (Phillips)  Case.  He 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  and  aft- 
er his  graduation  he  assisted  his  father  in  his  manu- 
factory. He  soon  became  a  commercial  traveler 
and  continued  in  that  business  until  Dec.  i,  1885, 
when  he  assumed  the  management  of  the  Brown 
Hotel,  at  Galesburg.  He  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Josephine  Buell,  Sept.  12,  1883,  and  they 
have  one  daughter — Josephine  Ida.  Politically  he  is 
a  stanch  Democrat.  He  is  an  honored  member  of 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  Mr.  Case  has  wisely  chosen 
the  vocation  he  follows,  for  he  is  admirably  adapted 
to  the  hotel  business.  He  is  affable,  accommodating 
and  pleasant  to  all.  At  the  same  time  he  possesses 
e.\ecutive  ability  to  that  degree  that  the  various  de- 
partments of  his  business  move  along  quietly,  with- 
out a  hitch  or  the  least  friction.  But  few  men  know 
how  to  keep  a  hotel,  and  Mr.  Case  of  this  notice  is 
one  of  them. 


imothy  G.  Hadley,  an  extensive  farmer,  re- 
siding in  the  city  of  Galesburg,  was  born  at 
Brownfield,  Me.,  Jan.  31,  181 1.  His  par- 
ents are  Dr.  Samuel  and  Margaret  (Gibson) 
Hadley,  descendants  of  old  colonial  families. 
He  married  at  Brownfield,  and  there  reared  five 
sons  and  four  daughters.  Dr.  Hadley  came  from 
Maine  into  Knox  County,  in  the  year  1852,  and  set- 
tled in  Sparta  Township,  where  he  died  in  the  fall  of 
1864,  at  the  age  of  80  years.  His  widow  lived  until 
1878,  her  life  having  begun  with  the  present  century. 
Her  father,  Timothy  Gibson,  was  one  of  the  men  who, 
disguised  as  Indians,  threw  the  tea  overboard  at  Bos- 
ton harbor,  on  the  night  of  Dec.  16,  1773,  or.in  other 
words,  one  of  the  "  Boston  tea  party." 

Timothy  Hadley  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm 
and  educated  in  the  common  schools  of  Maine.  In 
1835,  he  removed  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  where  he  kept 
hotel  a  few  years,  coming  thence  into  Illinois  in  1840; 
he  thus  won  the  name  of  pioneer.  He  spent  four 
years  in  Shelby  County,  111.,  conducting  a  large  mill- 
ing and  distilling  business.  From  that  county  he 
went  to  Chicago,  where  he  remained  eight  years,  en- 


•^ 


4 


;=^ 


95° 


Ji:NOX  COUNTY. 


4-^ 


gaged  in  running  a  livery  stable  and  in  speculations. 
He  came  to  Galesburg  in  1852,  and  since  coming  to 
Knox  County  has  been  a  farmer, devoting  considera- 
ble attention  to  the  breeding  of  horses,  of  which  he 
makes  a  specialty.  His  large  farm  lies  contiguous  to 
the  city,  and  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  in  the 
county. 

Mr.  Hadley  has  won  his  way  in  the  world,  work- 
ing against  many  drawbacks.  He  began  without  a 
dollar,  accumulated  considerable  property,  all  of 
which  was  destroyed  by  fire,  in  Shelby  County, 
bringing  him  down  to  the  very  beginning,  but  he  as- 
sumed an  undaunted  front,  and  perseverance  with  a 
fixed  purpose  has  again  raised  him  to  independence, 
and  he  has  reason  to  believe  in  the  saymg,  "  The 
gods  help  those  who  help  themselves." 

He  has  been  twice  married,  first  in  Chicago,  in 
1844,  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Read,  a  native  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  died  in  Sparta  Township,  in  this  county, 
leaving  one  child,  a  daughter — Frances  M.,  who  be- 

Icame  the  wife  of  Joseph  Harrington.    His  second  al- 
liance was  celebrated  at  Galesburg  in  1865,  with  Mrs. 
Emily  A.  Young,  nee  Gordon.    She  was  the  daughter 
J  of  John  A.  and  Mary  A.  (Gordon)  Gordon,  both  na- 
I  lives  of  New  York.  Both  moved  to  Canada  and  were 
I  married;  there  Mrs.  Hadley  was  born  Jan.  9,  1838. 
J  Mr.  H.  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  four  children,  two 
daughters  and  two  sons,  all  of  whom  are  now  living  : 
Cinderella  Gordon  became  the  wife  of  Robert  Chap- 
pell   and    lives   in    Galesburg.      The  only  child   of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hadley,  Bertha  W.  Hadley,  is  a    stu- 
dent at  the  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Oberlin,  Ohio. 
Mr.  Hadley  votes  the  Republican  ticket. 


rheldon  W.  Allen.  It  would  be  very  dif- 
ficult to  find  in  Galesburg,  or  its  vicinity, 
a  gentleman  with  whom  the  community  is 
better  acquainted  or  in  whose  estimation  its 
interests  stand  higher  than  Mr.  S.  W.  Allen, 
of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  Sept.  29,  1808, 
in  Augusta,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  came  from  his 
native  place  directly  to  Knox  County,  in  1837.  The 
only  mode  of  conveyance  he  employed  was  a  one- 
horse  wagon,  in  which  he  was  accompanied  by  his 
wife  and  child.  In  starting  \Vest  his  objective  point 
was  Log  City,  and  here  he  settled  for  some  time.  He 


was  among  the  first  and  most  prominent  men  of  the 
colony  which  first  founded  that  city. 

After  remaining  three  years  in  this  location,  Mr. 
Allen  proceeded  to  Galesburg,  which  he  decided  to 
make  his  home.  He  was  the  first  regular  butcher 
in  Knox  County,  and,  we  ought  to  have  stated,  was 
the  first  to  engage  in  that  business  at  Log  City.  In 
Galesburg  he  continued  in  this  calling  for  several 
years,  but  since  1865  has  lived  mostly  in  retirement. 
Though  now  quite  advanced  in  years,  he  still  may  be 
numbered  among  the  most  active  men  of  Galesburg, 
although  his  health  is  far  from  good.  He  is  the 
owner  of  several  fine  tracts  of  land  outside  that  city 
and  scattered  through  Knox  County.  In  the  city  he 
owns  some  valuable  property. 

Mr.  Allen  was  married  in  Augusta  Centre,  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  15,  1835,  to  Fidelia  Leach,  an  esti- 
mable lady  and  a  native  of  New  York,  who  was  born 
Nov.  28,  1 813.  By  her  union  with  Mr.  Allen,  eight 
children  were  born — James  S.,  Sheldon  O.,  Albert  H., 
Henry  A.,  Norman  T.,  Chester  E.,  Mary  F.  and 
John  S.  James  S.  resides  in  Galesburg,  and  is  oc- 
cupied in  farming;  Sheldon  O.  (see  sketch);  Albert 
H.  resides  in  Galesburg  and  is  Chief  Engineer  of  the  ^ 
Fire  Department;  Henry  A.  lives  in  Russell,  Kan., 
and  is  farming ;  Norman  T.  is  a  very  prominent 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  persuasion  and 
is  at  present  stationed  at  Wataga ;  Chester  E.  is  a 
member  of  the  police  force  in  Galesburg  and  has 
charge  of  the  calaboose;  Mary  F.  is  the  wife  of 
John  Wycoff  and  resides  at  Canton,  111. ;  John  S.  re- 
sides in  Keithsburg,  111.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  suc- 
cessfully practicing  medicine  ;  he  also  has  a  good 
drug  business. 

Mrs.  Allen,  the  first  wife  of  our  subject,  died  on 
the  22d  of  November,  1855.  He  was  married  the 
second  time  in  Galesburg,  in  the  month  of  January, 
1858,  to  Nancy  Shaver.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
David  and  Nancy  (Grove)  Shaver,  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. They  emigrated  from  that  State  to  Ohio  about 
1808.  In  the  year  1834,  they  again  turned  West- 
ward and  settled  in  La  Salle  County,  this  State, 
where  they  died;  the  father  in  1846,  the  mother  in 
1869.  Mrs.  Allen  was  the  eleventh  child  of  a  fam- 
ily of  12  children,  nine  of  whom  reached  the  age  of 
maturity.  Tlie  following  are  their  names:  Cyrus, 
Harvey  G.,  David  K.,Josiah;  Rebecca,  who  became 
the  wife  of  John  Snelling;  Jackson  R.;  Barbara,  who 
married  Joseph  Miller;  Nancy  A.,  the  wife  of  our 


■^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


JJ^^M?^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


953 


subject;  and  Catharine  K.,  who  married  John  K. 
Spencer.  All  are  well-to-do  fanners  except  J.  R., 
who  is  in  the  tile  business  in  Ottawa,  111.  Mrs.  A. 
came  to  Galesburgin  1856.  By  this  second  marriage 
seven  children  were  born — Frank,  Lida  K.,  Fred 
R.  and  Ida  D.  Frank  resides  in  Streator,  111.,  where 
he  follows  the  profession  of  architect;  Lida  K. 
is  the  wife  of  George  Stuckey  and  resides  in  Chicago  ; 
Fred  R.  is  engaged  in  cattle-dealing  and  mining 
speculations  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  Miss  Ida  Allen 
is  attending  Kno.\  Seminary. 

Our  subject  is  interested  in  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  Galesburg,  of  which  he  is  a  verj'  promi- 
nent, active  member.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
prominent  in  that  body  and  is  looked  up  to  as  one  of 
its  foremost  sympathixers.  He  is  a  Republican  in 
politics  and  by  his  intellectual  foresight  has  often 
proved  a  directing  help  when  the  party's  interests 
most  needed  it.  On  questions  of  public  policy  and 
political  morality  his  judgment  seldom,  if  at  all,  errs. 

[Through  his  efficient  efforts,  questions  affecting  the 
good  of  Galesburg  have  on  more  occasions  than  one 

i  received  special  attention. 


khauncy  Sill  Colton,  deceased.  The 
|/  subject  of  this  biography,  who  has  gone  to 
his  rest  after  a  long,  active,  honest  life, 
^"■'^  may  be  truthfully  called  one  of  the  great  men 
^  of  Knox  County.  Born  in  1800,  he  had  com- 
j  pleted  a  large  part  of  a  century,  and  had 
trodden  the  path  of  duty  incident  to  that  life  with  so 
much  innate  manhood  and  goodness  that  the  light 
of  his  memory  is  reflected  or.  the  waiting  hearts  of 
those  left  behind,  and  the  eyes  that  seek  to  peer  into 
tlie  future  see  him  as  he  was,  great,  because  he  was 
j,uad,  and  waiting  ears  catch  the  refrain,  "  It  is  well 
with  my  soul." 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Springfield,  Pa.,  Sept.  21, 
1800.  He  was  the  son  of  Justin  and  Abigail  (Sill) 
Colton.  Tl.ey  removed  to  Massachusetts  and  fol- 
lowed firming  as  an  occup.ition  while  Chauncy  was 
still  young.  Justin,  his  father,  was  the  son  of  Gad 
Colton,  of  English  ancestry  ;  the  latter  was  a  farmer 
and  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War. 
The  subject  of  this  brief  history  was  educated  at 


Munson,  Mass.,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  June,  1836, 
locating  on  the  site  of  Galesburg,  where  he  erected 
the  first  store  and  dwelling-house.  He  continued 
dealing  in  general  merchandise  17  or  18  years,  and, 
associating  his  sons  with  him  in  the  business,  it  was 
known  for  ten  years  as  C.  S.  Colton  &  Sons.  He 
was  a  prominent  figure  in  the  community  and  was 
intimately  associated  with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 
not  only  with  its  management,  but  with  its  beginning 
and  growth,  and  he  lived  to  see  it  cover  5,000  miles 
of  territory. 

He  was  Director  of  the  First  National  Bank  and 
also  an  organizer  of  the  Farmers'  and  Mechanics' 
Bank,  and  was  its  first  President.  He  was  a  Direct- 
or of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  and  a  Trustee  of  Knox 
College,  and  labored  faithfully  in  the  founding  and 
growth  of  the  Congregational  Church;  in  short,  to 
all  good  enterprises  he  gave  his  ablest  efforts  and 
was  strong  in  his  power  to  achieve  the  right. 

Mr.  Colton  was  united  in  marriage  Jan.  5,  1826, 
with  Miss  Emily  H.,  daughter  of  Samuel  McLana- 
than,  of  Sangerville,  Me.  They  were  the  parents  of 
five  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  They 
were  named  Harriet  S.  (Mrs.  J.  H.  Noteware),  Sarah 
M.,  Francis  and  John  B.  In  1862  the  latter  assisted 
in  the  formation  of  the  83d  III.  Reg.  and  was  subse- 
quently Quartermaster,  which  he  resigned  on  ac- 
count of  illness.  He  was  a  le.iding  man  in  Gales- 
burg at  the  time  of  its  founding,  and  for  many  years 
after;  and  to  do  Mr.  Colton  justice  would  recpiirc 
far  greater  space  than  this  biography  admits. 

At  Mr.  Colton's  death  expressions  of  sympathy 
from  numerous  men  whose  names  are  an  honor  to 
any  county,  leading  men  in  educational  matters  and 
affairs  of  the  public,  came  to  the  bereaved  family. 
Not  only  were  they  couched  in  terms  of  respect,  but 
they  were  filled  with  that  tenderness  and  affection 
which  only  came  from  an  honest  regard.  There  sur- 
vive him  his  daughters,  Mrs.  Harriet  S.  Noteware  and 
Miss  Sarah  Colton,  besides  his  sons,  John  B.  and 
Hon.  Francis  Colton.  Our  subject  was  an  unostenta- 
tious man,  quiet  in  his  tastes,  and  previous  to  1848 
was  a  Democrat ;  since  then  a  Free-Soiler  and  after- 
ward a  Republican.  He  was  of  strong  will  and  clear 
and  logical  intellect,  and  stood  like  a  prop  to  all  or- 
ganizations for  good.  In  short  our  subject  had 
proved  the  truth  that,  "  'Tis  only  noble  to  be  good," 
and  had  held  himself  answerable  to  God   and  his 


'J^ 


rin 


own  conscience  with  "duty  "his  watchword,  while 
with  strong  hands  he  upheld  college  and  church, 
and  those  who  knew  him  rejoice  to  feel  that  "  he 
builded  better  than  he  knew." 


•«</\/v-Atai2j2/®~^^t 


»>»©J-®/3'OT»^'Vv>^ 


M.  Kimber,  conductor  of  tlie  C,  B.  &  Q. 
_^M  R.  R.,  resident  of  Galesburg,  was  born  in 
tfJP*'  Portage  County,  Wis.,  Aug.  24,  1851.  His 
father,  Fredrick  F.  Kimber,  is  a  native  of  En- 
gland, and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Clarke,  was  born  in  the  State  of  Ohio- 
They  reared  two  sons,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  be- 
ing the  eldest.  He  spent  20  years  upon  a  farm  in 
Lake  County,  111.,  whither  his  parents  removed  from 
the  Badger  State  in  1853. 

The  common  schools  of  Illinois  afforded  our  sub- 
ject opportunity  for  a  fair  education,  and  in  1875  he 
'  began  work  for  the  "  Q."  as  train  brakeman.  At  the 
end  of  23  months  the  company  placed  him  in  charge 
of  a  train  as  conductor,  and  here  he  has  since  been 
found.  He  was  married  at  Clayton,  this  State,  May 
15,  1876,  to  Miss  Emma  Thompson  ;  the  one  child 
born  to  them  is  named  Harry  Francis.  Mr.  Kimber 
'  is  one  of  the  most  popular  members  of  the  Order  of 
Railway  Conductors,  as  he  is  also  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F. 


[/j\rrv. 

Farm,  consisting  of  600  acres  in  Cedar  Township, 
giving  special  attention  to  the  raising  of  stock.  He 
was  the  first  to  introduce  thoroughbred  Hereford 
cattle  into  Knox  County.  He  has  at  present  a  herd 
of  25  thoroughbreds  and  about  100  grades. 

Mr.  Tryon  in    religion  is  a  Presbyterian,  in  poli- 
tics a  Republican,  in  temperance  a  Prohibitionist. 


•WW -^<i^£J2'®^& 


„^^l/Umr>\^'V\y\^ 


illiam  M.  Combs.     Standing  on  section  36 


*p 


eovge  A.  Tryon  was  born  in  Ogdensburg, 
.^jf  St.  Lawrence  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April  5,  1826. 
ij?^  At  the  age  of  nine  years  his  parents,  Eber 
lih  and  Maria  (Barber)  Tryon,  removed  to  Nor- 
}\^  thern  Ohio,  and  located  on  a  farm,  where  he 
remained  until  1852.  He  then  came  to  this 
State,  and  after  stopping  temporarily  at  several  dif- 
ferent points  in  the  State,  finally  located  permanently 
in  Galesburg,  and  in  1854  engaged  in  the  lumber 
trade. 

Mr.  Tryon  was  married  July  27,  1857,  to  Miss 
Julia  L.,  daughter  of  Charles  and  Lorinda  Whiting, 
of  Lake  County,  Ohio.  Two  children,  Louise  and 
Fred.  G.,  and  two  adopted  children,  Estelle  M.  and 
James  W.,  constitute  his  family. 

In  1867  he  started  a  branch  lumber-yard  at  Abing- 
don, and  in  1879  transferred  his  business  in  Gales- 
burg to  this  point.     He  is  proprietor  of  Cherry  Grove-w^ 


il^i^aiL   111  Chestnut  Township   may  be  seen  the 

f^  home  of  the  subject  of  whom  this  personal 
'>  sketch  is  written.  He  is  an  honest  and  re- 
liable citizen,  whose  landed  possessions  in- 
:lude  IT2  acres  and  who  does  a  general  farm 
business. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Highland  County,  Ohio, 
April  19,  1824.  His  father  was  Robert  W.  Combs 
and  his  mother  Martha  (Parker)  Combs,  the  former 
being  born  in  Virginia  in  the  year  T796,  and  the  lat- 
ter in  Pennsylvania  in  1797.  She  passed  from  earth 
May  4,  1863,  in  Fuhon  County.  Her  husband  still 
survives,  and  they  were  the  parents  of  ten  children, 
namely:  Cynthia  A.,  Mary  A.,  James  P.,  William 
W.,  Zur  M.,  Cary  A.,  Andrew  J.,  John  M.  and  Mar- 
tha J. 

Mr.  Combs  came  to  Illinois  in  1835  and  located  in 
Fulton  County,  this  State,  where  he  remained  for  18 
years.  He  then  moved  to  California,  then  to  Ore- 
gon, and  finally  to  Washington  Territory;  and  after 
an  absence  of  r6  years  returned  to  Knox  County  and 
settled  down  for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

In  1874,  March  18,  he  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Sarah  C.  Timmons,  a  native  of  Knox  County, 
born  April  8,  1849,  and  who  is  the  daughter  of 
Stephen  and  Lucinda  Timmons,  natives  of  Ohio. 
Mrs.  Combs'  father  was  born  Feb.  14,  1814,  and  is 
still  living,  and  her  mother,  born  Jan.  8,  1817,  died 
in  December,  1862,  in  Fulton  County.  She  was  the 
mother  of  ten  children,  to  wit:  Andrew  J.,  Peter  S., 
Annie,  Thomas,  Mary  E.  and  Martha  J.,  twins, 
Sarah  C,  Margaret  E.,  Joseph  N.  and  George  W. 

In  politics  Mr.  Combs  is  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Combs  tells  with  considerable  interest  and 
merriment  the  story  of  his  Western  trip.  It  seems 
he  started  overland  for  the  Pacific  Slope  in  1852, 
driving  an  ox  team.      The  journey   consumed   five 


v 


■j^^X^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


9SS 


months  and  nine  days,  but  they  had  no  trouble  with 
the  red  men  of  the  forest.  He  worked  in  the  mines 
three  years  and  was  engaged  in  packing  over  the 
mountains,  and  eventually  he  acquired  a  fair  compe- 
tency, and,  what  was  still  better,  good  health.  Mr. 
Combs  is  of  Irish  and  German  extraction  and  his 
wife  is  of  Scotch  and  German  ancestry. 

—^i~r •o*<>-@v*'v1^-o*o' s-~ 


i    M.  Campbell.     Among   those    solid   and 

_i_    substantial  men  who  figured  in  the  found- 

j  ^(^^°'   ing  of  Wataga  village  and  purchased  land 

AV|    upon  which  they  marked  the  boundaries  and 

W      located  their  homes  was  R.  M.  Campbell,  of 

I         Sparta   Township,  who   came   to    Illinois    in 

1856  and  purchased  a  house  and  lot  at  that  village. 

Although  not  one  of  the  earliest  settlers,  he  was  one 

of  those  men   who   figured   actively  in   making  im- 

,  provements  and  watching  the  growth  of  the  place, 

!  purchasing  60  acres  of  land  in  the  corporation,  for 

I  which  he  paid  $60   per  acre,  e.xchanging  his  house 

>.  and  lot  in  partial  payment.     On  this  land  bought  by 

I  him  there  was  a  coal-mine,  which  had  previously  been 

i  worked,  but  without  success. 

R-  M.  Campbell,  believing  in  the  old  adage 
I  "  Nothing  ventured,  nothing  had,"  against  the  advice 
of  many  doubters  re-opened  the  coal-mine,  and  to 
his  delight  and  the  surprise  of  the  people  in  that 
vicinity,  it  proved  the  best  yielding  and  most  fruitful 
mine  in  that  section  of  the  country.  It  was  a  real 
bonanza  to  its  purchaser,  and  to  his  introductory 
purchase  he  has  since  added  62}^  acres  on  section 
15  and  40  acres  on  section  22.  He  has  25  town 
lots,  three  stores,  two  tenant-houses,  besides  owning 
three  stores  in  Galesburg  on  Prairie  street,  one  ten- 
ant-house in  the  east  part  of  town,  besides  a  half 
interest  in  a  house  and  lot  near  the  Commercial 
j     Hotel. 

I  Mr.  Campbell  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1836,  and  bis 
parents  were  James  and  Elizabeth  Gillmore  Camp- 
bell. They  were  descendants  of  the  Scotch  and 
boasted  a  long  line  of  lineage  of  which  they  were 
justly  proud.  At  the  age  of  16,  our  subject,  with  all 
the  aspirations  and  dreams  of  youth,  emigrated  to 
America  to  seek  his  fortune.  On  reaching  Balti- 
more, Md.,  he  tarried  for  a  brief  space  of  time  in  that 
city,  and  in   1857  came  to  the  State  of  Illinois  and 


settled  in  Wataga,  as  previously  staled.  For  two 
years  he  labored  by  the  day,  but,  "There  is  a  tide  in 
the  affiiirs  of  men,  that,  taken  at  its  flood,  leads  on 
to  fortune,"  and  our  subject,  being  possessed  of  keen 
foresight  and  much  financial  ability,  made  the  pur- 
chase previously  mentioned  and  a  life  competency, 
all  at  one  stroke. 

He  was  married  in  June,  1863,  to  Miss  Catherine 
Dolan,  who  proved  an  active  helpmate  and  a  con- 
genial life  companion,  and  to  them  were  given  two 
children,  both  of  them  now  living,  by  name  George 
and  Lizzie. 

Mr.  Campbell,  as  before  shown,  is  distinguished  as 
one  of  the  largest  owners  of  real  estate  and  as  one 
of  the  most  able  business  men  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  He  takes  considerable  interest  in  politics, 
and  supports  the  doctrines  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  in  Galesburg. 


Q.harles  A.  Hinckley  is  a  farmer  on  section 
»^t  I,  Galesburg  Township,  and  was  born 
Jan.  23,  1825,  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y., 
^^  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1845.  His  father, 
A  Alfred,  was  a  native  of  New  York  and  born 
«  Dec.  6,  1799,  in  Albany  County.  In  1846, 
July  of  that  year,  he  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in 
Knox  County.  He  married,  in  Delaware  County,  N. 
Y.,  Miss  Eliza  Stanley,  on  the  23d  day  of  March, 
1824.  She  was  a  native  of  Cork,  Ireland,  where  she 
was  born  in  1797,  but  came  to  the  United  States 
when  she  was  only  two  years  old.  The  name  of  her 
paternal  parent  was  John  Stanley.  In  principle  he 
was  a  Liberator  in  the  old  country,  and  on  account 
of  his  views  found  it  almost  impossible  to  remain  at 
home.  He  therefore  resolved  on  coming  to  America, 
where  he  knew  every  liberal  principle  received  the 
assent  of  its  people.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Rol- 
lins. His  passage  across  the  Atlantic  (in  those  days 
a  tedious  one)  was  accompanied  by  many  hardships. 
For  several  days  they  were  in  constant  fear  of  the 
vessel  being  lost. 

Mrs.  Stanley,  the  grandmother  of  our  subject,  was 
so  affrighted  that  she  locked  two  of  her  daughters  in 
a  wooden  chest,  while  yet  alive,  so  that  if  the  vessel 
happened  to  go  down  their  bodies  would,  in  some 
measure,  be  protected  from   the  sharks.     Their  lives 


95  6 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


were,  however,  all  saved.  Mrs.  Hinckley,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  died  March  3.  1874,  in  Galesburg. 
Had  she  lived  to  the  23d  day  of  March,  i.  <?.,  20 
days  longer,  she  would  have  celebrated  her  golden 
wedding.  This  had  already  been  arranged  by  her 
children,  but  they  were  doomed  to  disappointment. 
This  good  lady  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
to  which  she  had  belonged  for  2 1  years.  Her  husband 
still  survives  her. 

Mr.  Charles  Hinckley,  the  eldest  son  of  Mr. 
Hinckley,  was  married  March  17,  1861,  to  Miss  Clar- 
issa N.'  Root.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by  Rev. 
Kingsbury,  of  the  Baptist  Church.  She  was  born  in 
1831,  on  the  22d  of  November,  in  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.  Her  parents  were  Riley  and  Lavinia  (Butler) 
Root,  both  natives  of  New  York.  Her  father  was 
born  Aug.  29,  1795,  and  died  Feb.  24,  1870.  Her 
mother's  birth  took  place  April  9,  1803,  and  her  de- 
mise on  June  25,  1834.  By  the  marriage  there  were 
five  children,  two  of  whom  were  twins.  These  latter 
died  in  their  infancy,  also  the  youngest ;  of  those  sur- 
viving, Dency  E.  was  born  Dec.  9,  1823  ;  Clarissa  N., 
Nov.  22,  1831.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Charles 
A.  Hinckley  are  Mary  E.,  George  VV.,  William  S., 
Francis  E.  and  Harriet  A. 

The  paternal  parent  of  Mrs.  Hinckley  came  to 
Illinois  in  1836,  and  located  in  Knox  County.  His 
children  accompanied  the  colony  that  settled  in 
Galesburg  in  that  year.  He  soon  followed  in  their 
footsteps,  but  arrived  at  the  township  before  them. 
Their  journey  was  commenced  at  Oneida  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  they  proceeded  in  a  canal  boat  down  the 
Ohio  River,  up  the  Mississippi,  and  from  there  up 
the  Illinois  until  they  reached  the  mouth  of  Copperas 
Creek,  in  Fulton  County;  from  here  they  made  their 
way  by  land  to  Log  City.  Riley  Root  helped  to  build 
the  first  house  in  Galesburg.  He  was  an  excellent 
mechanic,  and  an  inventor,  whose  name  still  exists 
in  the  old  patent-right  records  at  Washington. 
Among  his  inventions  was  that  of  a  machine  to  clear 
railroad  tracks  of  snow,  also  a  process  for  clarifying 
sorghaiTi-cane  juice,  which  was  considered  the  great- 
est invention  of  the  day.  His  invention  for  leveling 
railroad  tracks  was  also  patented.  Among  other 
things  he  made  a  fine-toned  violin,  which  he  afterward 
sold  in  Galesburg  to  a  prominent  musician. 

In  connection  with  this  notice  it  must  not  be  omit- 
ted to  state  that  in  early   times  the  father  of  Mrs. 


Hinckley,  in  his  first  efforts  to  gain  success,  cut  out 
millstones  in  his  own  house  and  erected  a  horse  mill 
for  grind  corn.  This  mill  was  used  by  the  settlers  of 
Knox  County,  and  was  the  earliest  among  those 
known  before  water  or  steam  mills.  The  early  set- 
tlers were  taught  by  experience  to  seek  his  aid  in 
scores  of  useful  projects. 

Mr.  Charles  Hinckley  owns  200  acres  of  good 
land,  on  which  there  is  a  good  dwelling-house  31x50 
feet  and  two  stories  high.  His  barn  measures  35x43 
feet,  with  19-feet  posts.  He  is  interested  in  the  rais- 
ing of  high-grade  stock.  He  is  also  breeding  road- 
sters, the  stock  being  of  the  Blue  Bull  and  Long 
John. 

The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hinckley  are  Pluma 
E.,  Ada  P.,  Arthur  E.  and  Alice  G.  Mr.  Hinckley's 
family  are  prominent  members  of  the  Baptist 
Church. 

ohn  T.  Kennedy,  a  farmer,  residing  on  sec- 
tion 24,  Galesburg  Township,  was  born  in- 
Knox  Township,  July  27,  1847,  being  the 
son  of  Andrew  T.  and  Mary  (Sheldon)  Ken- 
nedy. They  were  natives  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania,  and  came  to  Knox  County  in 
The  father  was  born  in  i8o8,  and  died  Oct. 
I2.  The  mother  was  born  in  1808  and  died 
May  20,  1883.  They  had  eight  children,  namely : 
Theodore  D.,  Andrew  J.,  Lucinda,  Lasetta,  William, 
John  T.,  Samuel,  dying  in  infancy,  and  Mary,  also 
deceased,  dying  when  an  infant. 

It  would  be  interesting,  if  space  permitted,  to  re- 
view what  must  have  been  a  most  primitive  condi- 
tion of  affairs  when  the  parents  of  our  subject  first 
came  to  the  then  wild  West  "to  grow  up  with  the 
country."  At  that  time  the  country  was  almost  en- 
tirely unsettled,  without  public  highways  except  the 
old  Indian  trails,  with  no  great  trunk-line  railroads  as 
now,  without  schools  and  colleges  such  as  now  make 
Knox  County  one  of  the  very  first  in  educational 
facilities  in  the  State.  Under  much  such  circum- 
stances as  the  former,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was 
born  and  reared,  growing  up  a  rugged  backwoods 
boy,  and  assisting  his  parents  in  the  development 
of  their  homestead.  He  was  married  Sept.  4,  1872, 
to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Painter,  a  native  of  Ohio,  born 
Dec.   23,  1856,  and  they  are  the   parents  of  seven 


1833 
I,  18 


'K  — 


-^^ 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UKIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


■  v. 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


957 


children,  as  follows  :  Minnie  J.,  born  July  i,  1873 
Sarah  L.,  born  Jan.  2,  1875  ;  John  E.,  Feb.  27,  1876 ; 
Charlie  E.,  born  Jan.  30,  1878;  George  J.,  Oct.  31, 
1879;  Harley  L.,  born  Aug.  4,  1881,  and  Ella  I., 
Sept.  22,  1883. 

The  parents  of  Mrs.  Kennedy,  named  William 
and  Mary  A.  (McCoy)  Painter,  were  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia and  moved  to  Ohio,  where  the  mother  died  in 
September,  1866.  They  have  eight  children  living, 
named  as  follows:  Sarah  A.,  Thomas  F.,  David  A., 
Harriet  E  ,  Armelia,  Arnimisha,  Charles  B.  and  Jes- 
sie R. 

Mr.  Kennedy,  through  those  habits  of  industry  and 
good  management  so  characteristic  of  the  people  of 
this  county,  acquired  an  excellent  farm  of  90  acres, 
on  which  are  a  good  house  and  commodious  barn. 
Accustomed  to  self-rehance  from  early  boyhood,  he 
possesses  those  sterling  qualities  which  lead  to  suc- 
cess in  whatever  department  their  possessor  may 
have  chosen.  In  ix)litics  he  is  a  Democrat,  and,  like 
the  children  of  most  pioneers,  has  not  only  the  ele- 
ments of  public  spirit  and  enterprise,  but  also  those 
generous  and  neighborly  qualities  which  secure  the 
good  will  of  all.  Yet  in  the  prime  of  life,  with  an  in- 
teresting and  growing  family  about  him,  he  has  the 
promise  of  many  years  before  him  in  which  to  work 
out  a  still  more  successful  and  useful  life. 


Y-  illiam  Talbot,  a  retired  farmer,  residing  on 
?jS  section  i,  Sparta  Township,  was  born  in 
"  "'  England,  Feb.  2,  1824.  His  parents  were 
Robert  and  Elizabeth  (Co.x)  Talbot,  naUves 
of  England,  dying  in  1829  and  1827.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  after  the  death  of  his  par- 
ents went  to  live  with  a  step-grandmother,  residing 
with  her  until  he  was  20  years  old,  working  on  the 
farm,  aftenvard  working  one  year  with  a  brother.  He 
came  to  America  in  1846,  and  to  Knox  County, 
where  he  settled  in  Sparta  Township,  working  out  by 
the  month,  unril  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Ontario 
Township,  on  section  27,  of  40  acres,  afterward 
adding  thereto  20  acres,  and  residing  on  the  same 
until  1868.  He  then  sold  this  land  and  purchased, 
in  Sparta  Township,  the  place  where  he  now  resides, 
of  80  acres;  on  this  he  has  made  all  his  improve- 
ments, and  done  a  general  farming  business. 


He  was  married  Aug.  26,  1852,  to  Miss  Susan 
Stephenson,  a  native  of  Scotland.  To  this  union  five 
children,  living,  have  been  born,  as  follows:  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  John  W.,  Sarah  J.  and  Emma.  Mr.  Tal- 
bot and  wife  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  he  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of 
Sparta  Township,  being  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
a  gentleman  highly  esteemed  by  his  friends  and 
neighbors,  having  by  industry  and  integrity  secured 
a  competency  for  himself  and  family,  and  done  his 
full  share  in  building  up  the  community  of  which  he 
is  a  member. 

Although  a  foreigner  by  birth,  he  is  devoted  to  the 
institutions  of  his  adopted  country,  which  he  never 
fails  to  indicate  upon  all  proper  occasions. 

-^>r •o*o-@^<v®-o*o. <c— 

on.  Francis  Colton,  retired  capitalist,  son  of 
If  Chauncy  S.  and  Emily  H.  (McLanathan) 
Colton,  was  born  at  Monson,  Me.,  May  22, 
1834  The  family  came  to  Galesburg  in  1836. 
Our  subject  was  educated  in  Knox  College, 
which  institution  conferred  upon  him  the  de- 
gree of  A.  B.  in  r855  and  A.  M.  in  1858.  Leaving 
college,  he  engaged  in  the  mercantile  business  in 
company  with  his  father,  under  the  style  and  firm 
name  of  C.  S.  Colton  &  Sons.  This  partnership  was 
continued  for  about  seven  years.  He  then  became 
Vice  President  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Gales- 
burg, a  position  he  resigned  in  1866  to  accept  the 
appointment  of  United  States  Consul  to  Venice, 
Italy,  under  the  Johnson  administration,  and  re- 
mained abroad  until   1869. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Colton 's  arrival  at  his  post,  as  our 
representative  in  Italy,  an  incident  occurred  worthy 
of  record  in  this  connection,  as  an  interesting  bit  of 
history. 

Venice  was  then  held  as  an  Austrian  province, 
and  the  Austro-Prussian  War  was  in  progress,  which 
resulted  in  the  freedom  of  Venice,  whose  population 
was  Italian.  At  this  time  one  of  our  war  vessels 
came  into  the  port  of  Venice  and  dropped  anchor  in 
front  of  the  palace  of  the  Imperial  .Austrian  Govern- 
or. The  Italians  took  this  occasion  to  show  special 
honor  to  the  United  States  officials  and  war  vessel. 
At  this  the  Austrian  Governor  took  umbrage  and 
vented  his  rage  on  the  officers,  as  he  could  not  well 
do  so  toward  the  Italians.     The  American  Commo- 


95  8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


dore  had  paid  his  official  visit,  the  day  previous,  to 
the  Austrian  Governor,  which  he  neglected  to  return, 
as  international  courtesy  required  he  should  do. 
Mr.  Colton,  upon  consultation  with  the  Commodore, 
concluded  that  it  was  a  national  insult,  which  could 
not  honorably  be  overlooked.  The  result  was  that 
the  affair  was  reported,  through  our  minister  at  Vi- 
enna, to  the  Austrian  War  Department,  and  an  order 
was  promptly  sent  to  the  Imperial  Governor  to  make 
due  apologies  to  the  American  representative  in  Ven- 
ice, which  he  did  a  couple  of  weeks  later,  in  the  most 
approved  manner.  The  apology  was  made  in  the 
imperial  palace,  on  the  occasion  of  the  Empe- 
ror's birthday,  when  the  representatives  of  all  the 
different  Governments  were  present.  This,  occurring 
as  it  did,  just  at  the  close  of  our  war,  gave  assurance 
that  we  were  a  live  nation,  and  knew  when  and  how 
to  resent  an  insult  to  our  flag. 

Mr.  Colton  resided  in  Italy  during  a  very  interest- 
ing period,  at  the  time  of  the  Austro-Prussian  War, 
and  subsequently  during  the  unification  of  Italy. 
During  this  time  he  was  correspondent  of  the  New 
York  Tribune,  and  wrote  up  the  various  historical 
changes  then  going  on. 

In  October,  1869,  he  was  appointed  General  Pas- 
senger Agent  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway,  to  which 
he  gave  his  attention  until  187:,  visiting,  in  the 
meantime,  the  various  capitals  of  China,  Japan,  In- 
dia, etc.,  and  estabhshed  foreign  agencies  through 
Euro[)e  for  the  Union  and  Central  Pacific  Railways. 
This  mission  of  Mr.  Colton  around  the  world  in 
behalf  of  the  Pacific  Railways  resulted  in  a  very 
large  increase  of  business,  not  only  for  that  line,  but 
for  all  the  lines  between  New  York  and  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  result  of  having  diverted  the  business  from 
the  old  route  by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea  and  Suez 
Canal  to  this  new  American  line.  This  traffic  has 
largely  increased  every  year  since,  much  to  the  ben- 
efit of  American  railways. 

Retiring  from  the  railway  service  in  1872,  Mr.  Col- 
ton became  President  of  the  Farmers'  and  Mechan- 
ics' Bank,  Galesburg,  from  which  institution  he  re- 
tired in  1884.  It  will  be  observed  that  he  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  Farmers' and  Mechanics'  Bank  for  a  period 
of  12  years,  during  which  time  the  bank  was  very 
successfully  managed,  and  increased  its  business 
largely. 

In  December,  18S4,  he  removed  his  family  to 
Washington  City,  D.  C,  whicli  he  contemplates  mak- 


ing his  future  home,  though  continuing  his  various 
interests  in  the  West,  where  he  spends  much  of  his 
time.  He  has  large  landed  interests  throughout  the 
West,  particularly  in  Nebraska  and  Kansas,  where, 
during  the  last  16  years,  he  has  been  the  owner  of 
many  thousand  acres,  and  now  is  the  owner  of  very 
large  tracts,  mostly  rich  farming  lands  in  the  older 
settled  portions  of  those  States. 

He  has  been  a  reliable  Republican  in  politics,  but 
never  an  office-seeker.  The  honors  conferred  ujwn 
him  have  been  unsought.  He  has  no  particular  am- 
bition to  sacrifice  himself  to  his  country's  service, 
and  to  the  accumulation  of  money  he  can  afford  to 
be  wholly  indifferent,  for  he  is  possessed  of  enough 
of  that  article  to  see  him  safely  through  life  in  a 
style  befitting  his  social  rank. 

Mr.  Colton  was  married  in  Brooklyn,  N  Y.,  in 
January,  1875,  to  Miss  Annie  C.  Snively,  and  they 
have  one  son  and  three  daughters.  The  son  has  in- 
herited largely  his  father's  business  qualities,  which 
were  not  exceeded  by  those  of  any  other  man  ever 
residing  in  the  county.  In  financial  matters  Mr. 
Colton  was  remarkably  far-seeing  and  accurate  in 
his  calculations  and  methods.  He  has  visited 
Europe  on  various  business  matters  of  importance, 
several  times. 

Mr.  Colton  may  justly  be  classed  among  the  hon- 
ored sons  of  Knox  County,  having  been  raised  and 
educated  here,  and  as  such  we  take  pleasure  in  plac- 
ing his  portrait  among  those  of  other  citizens  of  the 
county  who  have  added  strength  to  her  position  as 
one  of  the  first  in  this  great  commonwealth. 

-^ ^-^ ^ 

||^^^|(  ndrew  Harpman.  Tracing  the  history  of 
SraJlM  Knox  County,  and  looking  out  the  origin  of 
wt^  "  "i^^y  points  in  its  growth,  we  find  as  its 
^^!}a  support  and  help  the  names  of  many  good  and 
\&  worthy  men,  who  aided  in  its  founding  and 
j  helped  along  its  progress.  Among  these  stands 
prominently  the  name  of  our  subject.  He  is  a  farmer, 
residing  on  section  26  of  Copley  Township,  and  one 
of  the  important  factors  in  its  prosperity. 

Mr.  Harpman  was  born  on  the  22d  of  February, 
1840,  in  Sweden,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Eliza 
Harpman,  who  claim  Sweden  as  their  birthplace,  and 
who  came  to  America  in  1850.  They  settled  in 
Victoria  Township,  this  county,  where  he  lived  six 


-^^=1 


I 


:^^^9^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


959 


months.  He  then  went  to  Minnesota  and  settled  at 
Marine  Mills,  Washington  County.  The  mother 
died  in  Victoria  Township,  in  1851,  and  the  father  in 
the  State  to  which  he  emigrated  in  the  same  year. 
To  them  was  born  a  family  of  seven  children,  four  of 
whom  still  survive  as  follows:  Martha,  now  Mrs. 
Rosengrand;  John,  Andrew  and  William. 

The  subject  of  this  narration  was  at  home  until 
1852,  and,  under  the  laws  of  his  country,  being  com- 
pelled to  go  to  school,  went  three  miles  to  do  so 
daily.  He  had  very  limited  education,  and  felt 
sorely  the  narrowness  of  the  same.  He  went  to 
Minnesota  in  185 1,  and  came  back  to  Illinois  in 
1858;  he  afterward  went  to  Iowa,  and  again  returned 
in  i860  to  Illinois,  and  in  1861  enlisted  in  Co.  i,  6th 
Iowa  Vol.  Inf ,  and  there  continued  for  four  years 
and  three  months.  Necessarily  he  figured  in  many 
large  battles,  among  them  Pittsburg  Landing,  Vicks- 
burg,  Jackson  and  Missionary  Ridge,  Lookout 
Mountain  and  others,  being  in  the  Atlanta  cam- 
paign. He  was  wounded  at  Pittsburg  Landing,  and 
also  sunstruck  at  Jackson,  Miss.  After  the  close  of 
his  term  of  service  he  came  back  to  Altona  and  en- 
gaged in  farming,  renting  one  year.  Then,  in  1868, 
he  purchased  120  acres  on  section  r,  Victoria  Town- 
ship, and  lived  on  the  same  four  years.  He  then 
sold  and  purchased  127^^  acres  on  section  26  of 
Copley  Township,  where  he  at  present  resides. 

Mr.  Harpman  was  united  in  the  holy  bonds  of 
matrimony  in  1868,  with  Miss  Annie  C.  Rosenlief 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Herman  and  Christa  M.  (Bro- 
man)  Rosenlief.  Her  parents  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1850,  from  Sweden,  and  made  settlement 
in  La  Fayette,  Stark  County,  this  State.  There  they 
lived  for  five  years,  when  her  father  purchased  160 
acres  of  land  on  section  26,  Copley  Township,  and 
was  there  engaged  in  his  chosen  vocation  until  1862. 
He  then  enlisted  to  fight  in  defense  of  the  cause  of 
the  Union,  and  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harpman  have  a  family  of  seven 
children,  all  living— Ruth  L.,  Adelaide  C,  John  W., 
Rebecca  R.,  Thomas  H.,  Victor  A.  and  an  infant 
unnamed.  They  lost  one  child,  si.x  years  of  age  at 
her  death,  by  name  Carrie  A. 

Mr.  Harpman  is  one  of  the  most  active  helpers  in 
the  county,  and  more  especially  within  his  own  town- 
ship.    He  has  held  the  oflSce  of  Township  Collector, 


Pathmaster  and  also  of  School  Director,  and  is  con- 
siderably interested  in  educational  affairs.  With  his 
wife  he  belongs  to  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  both  are  in  possession  of  large  and 
kindly  sympathies,  and  tiie  will  and  ability  to  for- 
ward any  good  enterprise. 


iram  Enke  is  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
23,  Chestnut  Township,  and  is  one  of  the 
reliable  and  practical  men  of  Knox  County. 
He  is  the  son  of  John  and  Nancy  (Pryor)  Enke, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  His  father,  who  was 
of  German  descent,  was  born  in  1800  and  died 
in  1854,  the  same  year  he  came  to  Illmois  from 
Ohio.  Hiram's  mother  was  born  in  1810  and 
died  in  (856,  two  years  after  coming  to  this  State,  of 
heart  disease.  She  was  of  English  extraction  and 
birth  and  was  the  mother  of  15  children. 

The  children  of  this  family  bear  the  names  re- 
spectively of  Edward,  Lewis,  Francis  ;  John,  de- 
ceased;  Jessie;  Josiah  and  Alford,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy ;  Josiah  and  Alford,  namesakes  of  the  little 
ones  lost  by  death;  Elizabeth,  Sarah  K.,  Hiram, 
our  subject,  Lydia,  Mary  and  one  twin  sister,  who 
died  in  infancy  unnamed. 

Hiram  Enke  was  the  tenth  child  in  order  of  biith 
in  his  father's  family,  and  united  in  marriage  early 
in  life  with  Miss  Margaret  E.  Reece,  Jan.  23,  r868. 
She  was  born  in  Ohio,  Feb.  15,  1840,  and  died  Aug. 
27,  1885,  of  consumption  of  the  lungs.  She  left  to 
the  bereaved  husband  two  children,  named  Leva, 
born  Jan.  23,  1872,  and  Lula,  Sept.  28,  1876.  Our 
subject  is  a  man  of  considerable  influence  and 
marked  ability  in  his  special  line  of  labor.  To  the 
work  of  farming  he  adds  the  breeding  of  cattle,  and 
has  proven  his  ability  to  succeed. 

Mr.  Enke  enlisted  in  the  hour  of  his  country's 
need  in  the  7th  III.  Cav.,  Co.  D,  Capt.  Reynolds,  of 
Galesburg,  having  command.  This  was  in  August, 
1862,  and  Capt.  Bradshaw  was  recruiting  officer. 
He  entered  his  regiment  at  Camp  Yates,  Springfield, 
111.,  thence  proceeding  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  they 
remained  for  two  weeks.  They  were  then  ordered 
to  Columbus,  Ky.,  and  from  there  to  Corinth,  where 
occurred  that  pitiful  struggle  on  the  4th  and  5th  of 
October,  1862.     The  regiment  came  out  of  the  fight 


■4-3- 


i4  ' 


^^^ 


960 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


without  the  loss  of  a  single  man,  and  Mr.  Enke  re- 
mained in  the  city  of  Corinth  for  the  next  three 
months,  at  the  close  of  which  time  he  was  ordered 
to  Bolivar,  Tenn.  At  that  place  they  went  into 
camp,  but  were  marched  to  La  Grange  for  winter 
quarters,  where  they  did  picket  and  scouting  duty 
during  the  winter.  This  was  during  the  winter  of 
1862,  and  the  next  summer  was  spent  in  guarding 
the  railroad  from  Memphis  to  Corinth,  and  in  the 
former  city,  in  the  fall  of  1863,  they  went  into  winter 
quarters  for  that  year,  remaining  most  of  the  season 
doing  guard  duty,  and  in  the  spring  went  to  Middle 
Tennessee,  noting  the  movements  of  Hood,  at  Flor- 
ence, Ala.  That  was  in  tlie  fall  of  1864,  and  in  the 
battle  of  FrankHn,  Tenn.,  Mr.  Enke's  regiment  was 
situated  on  the  left  flank.  Succeeding  the  battle 
they  removed  to  Nashville,  where  they  remained  a 
short  time,  until  the  battle  at  that  city.  His  brigade 
took  two  stockades  and  lost  several  men  in  the  en- 
gagement.    They  next  followed  Hood  to  the  Tennes- 

'  see  River,  and  at  Tuscumbia  all  his  regiment  was 
dismounted  and  compelled  to  wade  the  swollen 
stream,  which  gave  him  a  severe  illness,  from  which 

'  he  has  never  fully  recovered.  Mr.  Enke  was  mus- 
tered out  of  service  on  the  ist  day  of  July,  1864,  at 
Nashville,   Tenn.,    with  honor  attending  him  as    a 

'  courageous  man  and  a  soldier.  In  politics  he  up- 
holds the  Republican  party  with  word  and  deed. 
In  theological  belief  he  owns  no  "  creed  save  that  of 
common  good,"  but  is  of  true  and  pure  moral  charac- 
ter, and  in  earnest  sympatliy  with  the  doctrines  of 
faith  as  shown  by  the  Christian  Church.  United  to 
his  political  belief  lie  holds  the  principles  of  the 
Prohibitionist. 


H.  Inness,  manufacturer  of  and  dealer  in 
mineral  waters,  ginger  ale  and  soda  water, 
and  bottler  of  lager  beer,  is  carrying  on 
business  at  No.  532  South  Cherry  street,  Gales- 
burg,  III.  He  began  this  industry  in  1879,  at 
the  corner  of  West  and  Second  streets,  where 
his  establishment  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1881. 
His  annual  product  at  this  writing  (1886)  is  about 
3,600  cases  of  beer,  about  3,000  cases  of  soda  water, 
and  ginger  ale  in  still  greater  quantities. 

Mr.  Inness  is  a  native  of  England,  being  born  at 
Newcastle,  Jan.  16,  1849,  and  was  brought  by  his 


parents,  George  and  Ruth  (Elliott)  Inness,  to  Amer- 
ica in  1850.  The  family  lived  at  Abingdon  up  to 
1866,  and  there  the  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
the  common  schools  and  assisted  his  father  at  his 
business.  He  went  into  farming  for  himself  when 
21  years  of  age  and  followed  it  for  about  nine  years. 
In  March,  187  r,  Mr.  Inness  was  married  in  Gales- 
burg  Township  to  Miss  Emma  Belden,  who  lived 
thereafter  only  about  three  years  and  left  one  child, 
a  daughter,  Isabelle.  The  present  Mrs.  Inness,  to 
whom  Mr.  Inness  was  married  in  Galesburg  Town- 
ship on  Jan.  31,  1877,  was  Mrs.  Jennie  (Van  Riper) 
Elliott. 

Farney  Wagoner.  Throughout  his  district 
Mr.  Wagoner  is  regarded  as  a  representa- 
tive farmer  of  the  old  school.  He  resides 
on  section  20,  Galesburg  Township,  where 
his  land  is  to  be  found  in  an  advanced  state 
of  cultivation.  He  was  born  in  Madison  , 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1830,  and  came  to  Illinois  in  1856, 
locating  first  at  Peoria.  For  some  time  he  worked 
on  the  Peoria  &  Oquawka  Railroad  as  engineer,  an  i^. 
occupation  which  he  subsequently  followed  for  25 
years  on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  While  serving  in 
this  responsible  capacity,  he  was  considered  a  very  ^ 
careful  hand,  and  never  met  with  any  serious  acci- 
dent while  on  the  road.  His  parents  were  Henry 
and  Maty  (Lane)  Wagoner,  natives  of  Pennsylvania. 
The  mother  was  born  in  1800  and  the  father  either 
in  1798  or  1799.  He  died  about  the  year  1835,  in 
the  State  of  New  York  ;  his  wife's  decease  took  place 
in  Peruville,  Tompkins  Co.,  N.  Y.  By  the  inarriage 
there  were  ten  children — Nancy  and  Catherine,  liv- 
ing; Myra,  Elizabeth  and  EfTaline,  who  died  of  chol- 
era in  1832;  Hiram,  Barney,  Jane,  Caroline  and 
Joseph,  living. 

Jan.  28,  1862,  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  biography  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Bruington, 
the  daughter  of  Benjamin  and  Harriet  (Scott)  Bru- 
ington, both  natives  of  Kentucky.  Benjamin  Bru- 
ington was  born  in  181 1,  while  his  wife's  birth  took 
place  in  1818.  They  first  came  to  Illinois  in  1833, 
and  located  on  section  19,  now  Galesburg  Township. 
He  was  the  father  of  five  children  and  still  resides 
in  this  township.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bruington  are  George,  Thomas,  Mary,  deceased 
July  13,  1886;  Elizabeth  and  Melissa.     Mrs.  Bru- 


t-K 


-H- 


KJVOX  COUNTY. 


961 


ington's  decease  took  place  in  1881,  and  she  lies 
buried  in  Williams  Cemetery.  Melissa,  her  daugh- 
ter, is  also  dead,  her  demise  taking  place  in  1879. 
By  Mr.  Wagoner's  marriage  there  were  seven  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  living — Hattie,  born  Oct.  27, 
1862;  George  F.,  Jan.  19,  1864;  Marion,  May  21, 
1868;  Henry  H.,  Feb.  12,  1870;  Barney  EUwood, 
Sept.  10,  1874;  Eugene  C  ,  Sept.  26,  1878,  and  Ed- 
win Benjamin,  Dec.  11,  1883. 

Mr.  Wagoner  has  100  acres  of  prime  land,  which  is 
in  a  thorough  state  of  cultivation.     His  residence  is 
one  of  the  best  buildings  of  his  vicinity,  being  com- 
fortably planned  and  well  furnished.     He  is  a  prom- 
inent member  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  En- 
gineers, a  body  to  which  he  has  belonged  since  1865. 
In  |x>litics  he  is  a  thorough   Republican   and  con- 
stantly watchful  of  all   movements  connected   with 
and  dear  to  Republican  principles.     Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wagoner   have   two   interesting  grandchildren,    the 
son  and  daughter  of  Willard  and  Hattie  (Wagoner) 
f  Ellis — Charles  A.,  born  Jan.  25,    [884,  and    Maude 
'  I.,   born    March    i,    1886.      This    family    is   widely 
I  known  and  universally  respected  in   their  township 
,  and  surrounding  vicinity. 


'(X 


%p®^fenjamin  F.  Arnold,  lawyer,  real  estate 
--.  L£Jr  dealer  and  farmer,  Galesburg,  is  a  son  of 
©'.{^  Horace  and  Harriet  (Hine)  Arnold,  na- 
tives of  York  State  and  of  English  descent, 
who  reared  eight  sons  and  seven  daughters. 
He  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  N.  Y., 
July  26,  1833.  His  father  was  an  old  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812,  and  died  in  1845,  and  his  mother  has 
made  her  home  with  him  since  1865.  She  is  now 
(January,  1886)  nearly  86  years  of  age. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  at  the  district 
schools  and  at  the  Fergusonville  Academy,  N.  Y.,  and 
taught  several  terms  of  school.  He  came  to  Gales- 
burg  in  1855,  subsequently  studied  law;  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1862,  and  has  practiced  more  or 
less  since.  He  is  a  Director  in  the  Galesburg  Na- 
tional B.ink,  and  is  an  extensive  farmer  and  largely 
interested  in  the  Galesburg  Water-Works  Company. 
Mr.  Arnold  was  married  at  Galesburg,  May,  [864, 
to  Miss  Ella  G.  Ferris,  the  accomplished  daughter 
of  Henry  Ferris,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Knox  County 


(see  biography  of  Henry  Fenis),  and  has  had  borne 
to  him  nine  children.  Mr.  Arnold  is  ar.  extensive 
breeder  of  fine  stock,  and  a  heavy  real  estate  owner 
in  Galesburg,  and  owns  the  Knox  County  Nursery. 
He  has  laid  out  fully  half  a  dozen  new  streets  in  the 
city,  and  has  served  14  years  as  Councilman  and  two 
years  as  Mayor. 


tliF  ;s-!if  tiomas  H.  Pool.  Standing  among  the  more 
prominent  men  and  industrious  workers  of 
this  vicinity  we  find  the  subject  of  this 
personal  narration,  who  may  be  cited  as  one  of 
the  most  substantial  and  worthy  farmers  of 
I  I  Knox  County.  He  resides  on  section  4,  on 
which  location  he  has  established  a  pleasant,  attract- 
ive home,  and  is  himself  one  who  inspires  the  confi- 
dence of  those  about  him  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
has  been  the  incumbent  of  many  of  the  local  offices. 
He  has  held  the  position  of  Constable  for  16  years,  \ 
ably  filling  that  office  and  discharging  the  duties 
incident  to  it,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  in  any  way 
interested. 

Mr.  Pool  was  first  brought  to  Knox  County,  in  the 
spring  of  1839,  from  Clark  County,  Ind.,  and  lived 
in  several  parts  of  that  section  of  country  until  the 
spring  of  1844,  when  he  removed  to  Rio  Township, 
in  1852.  Here  he  has  since  resided  and  is  now  the 
owner  of  40  acres  of  good  land,  which  he  has  culti- 
vated and  improved,  working  it  up  to  a  high  degree 
of  culture. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Clark  County,  Ind.,  Aug. 
29,  1830,  and  attended  the  public  schools,  receiving 
a  good  practical  education.  He  never  failed  to  im- 
prove his  opportunities,  and,  unlike  many  boys,  who 
idle  away  the  precious  hours  of  youth,  he  attended 
diligently  to  his  studies,  and  in  manhood  he  reaped 
the  fruit  of  the  seed  so  well  sown.  When  he  was 
four  years  of  age,  he  came  with  his  parents,  who 
emigrated  to  Illinois,  and  there  grew  up.  His  mar- 
riage, which  occurred  in  his  early  manhood,  was  cele- 
brated in  Henderson  Township,  Dec.  4,  1850,  and 
Nancy  McMurtry  was  the  other  contracting  party. 
She  is  the  daughter  of  William  McMurtry,  Lieuten- 
ent-Governor  of  Illinois  (see  sketch),  and  was  born 
May  8,  1830,  in  Knox  County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pool  are  tlie  parents  of  eight  chil- 
dren, viz  :     Lucinda  M.,  Ruth  A.,  Mary  I.,  William 


4^1-^ 


v 


^"6—^ 


962 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^?=^H* 


A.,  Cora  Z.,  James  F.  and  Jemima  E.  Luella  died 
after  reaching  the  interesting  age  of  three  years. 
She  was  the  pride  of  her  parents'  heart  and 
the  pet  of  the  neighborhood,  and  her  loss  was 
deeply  felt  by  the  entire  community.  I,acinda 
is  engaged  in  teaching  in  Henderson  Township, 
and  is  an  amiable  and  intelligent  young  lady. 
The  other  children  are  still  under  the  parental  roof. 
Mr.  Pool  is  an  earnest  worker  in  all  good  and 
noble  enterprises,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic 
Lodge,  and  although  not  united  by  membership  to 
any  church,  is  a  man  of  charitable  impulses  and 
warm  sympathies.  He  belongs  to  the  Democratic 
party,  with  which  he  votes,  and  is  alert  and  wide- 
awake to  the  situation  of  affairs  in  the  nation. 


orenzo  D.  Ferris.  Here  is  one  of  the 
most  successful  farmers  on  section  31,  Wal- 
nut Grove  Township.  Residence  one  and 
one-half  miles  east  of  Oneida.  He  possesses 
160  acres,  which  he  located  and  purchased  in 
1866.  He  subsequently,  however,  lived  in 
Chestnut  Township,  where  he  had  settled  as  early  as 
''  1838,  having  come  from  Cuyahoga  County,  Ohio, 
where  he  spent  his  youth.  His  native  county  was 
Lorain,  where  he  was  born  Feb.  17,  1824.  His 
father,  Henry  R.  Ferris,  was  a  Wesleyan  Methodist 
minister,  a  native  of  Gree.ie  County,  N.  Y.  His 
mother  was  born  in  Vermont,  her  maiden  name  be- 
ing Lodema  Culver,  his  parents  marrying  in  Portage 
County,  Ohio,  where  they  followed  the  occupa- 
tion of  farming  for  some  years.  They  afterward  re- 
moved to  Lorain  County,  in  the  same  State,  where 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born.  Six  children 
were  born  to  them.  Their  removal  to  this  county 
took  place  in  the  spring  of  1838,  and,  as  was  custom- 
ary in  those  days,  'hey  "  pitched  their  tent  "  on  the 
banks  of  Spoon  River,  in  the  township  of  Chestnut, 
and  in  this  location  resided  some  time.  Then  the 
surrounding  country  was  one  unbroken  prairie  and 
vast  forest  spreading  out  on  every  side.  It  was  not 
long,  however,  before  a  comfortable  residence  was 
erected,  and  the  family  began  to  make  a  permanent 
home.  The  father  and  two  of  the  daughters  had 
died  within  six  years  from  the  date  of  settlement, 
while  the  mother  and  surviving  children  still  live  ori 


the  first  plantation.  This  lady,  however,  finally  re- 
moved to  Smith  County,  Kan.,  and  died  at  the  home 
of  her  only  surviving  daughter,  Mrs.  Lovinia  F. 
Markham,  on  Jan.  6,  1882,  at  the  advanced  age  of 
83.  She  was  a  strong  woman,  retaining  her  faculties 
until  the  last,  excepting  her  eyesight.  She  had  been 
blind  for  six  years  before  her  death.  For  70  years 
of  her  life  she  was  a  devoted  Christian. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  his  father,  the  gentleman 
whose  name  begins  this  history  set  out  on  his  own 
account,  taking  after  his  mother  in  constitution,  and, 
possessing  a  will  for  any  fate,  he  faced  the  world 
alone. 

It  ought  to  be  here  mentioned  that  his  father  took 
an  active  part  in  the  War  of  18  r2,  while  his  father, 
or  our  subject's  grandfather,  had  taken  his  share  in 
the  Revolutionary  War. 

In  his  young  manhood  Mr.  L.  D.  rented  a  farm 
from  his  uncle.  In  his  24th  year  he  was  married  in 
Chestnut  Township,  March  2,  1848,  to  Miss  Cynthia 
R.  Carpenter,  a  native  of  Tompkins  County,  York 
State.  This  lady  was  the  daughter  of  Stephen  and 
Jerusha  (Rose)  Carpenter,  both  of  Long  Island  and 
New  York  State. 

They  were  married  in  Tompkins  County,  and  fol- 
lowed the  occupation  of  farming.  By  the  union  there 
were  ten  children,  Mrs.  Ferris  being  the  youngest. 

In  the  year  1839  she  came  westward  with  her  par- 
ents and  settled  m  Chestnut  Township,  remaining 
there  until  their  deaths. 

After  the  marriage  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris,  they 
lived  for  several  years  in  Chestnut  Township.  Six 
children  were  the  result  of  this  very  happy  union, 
three  of  whom  are  married.  Henry  S.  became  the 
husband  of  Rebecca  V.  Stuckey  and  they  reside  near 
Murray,  Iowa,  where  they  have  a  very  delightful 
farm.  Lizzie  M.  resides  at  home  and  is  a  very  suc- 
cessful teacher.  Katie  L.  is  also  with  her  parents. 
Eva  L.  and  Emma  L.  (twins)  are  both  happily  mar- 
ried, the  former  to  J.  E.  Day,  now  a  resident  at 
Roodhoiise,  Greene  Co.,  111.  The  latter  is  the  wife  of 
Will  E.  Webb,  and  lives  at  Clarinda,  Iowa.  Jennie 
M.  resides  at  home.  Mrs.  Ferris  and  part  of  her 
family  are  members  of  the  Congregational  Church 
of  Oneida,  where  they  are  held  in  high  esteem. 

Politically,  Mr.  Ferris  is  a  solid  and  very  reliable 
Republican. 

Since  the  preceding  part  of  this  history  was  writ- 
ten, the  death-angel  has  entered  this  home  and  taken 


u 


^1^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


9*3 


from  the  family  circle  the  loved  wife  and  mother. 
This  occurred  on  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  April, 
i886.  Her  age  was  57  years  and  i  month.  She  had 
been  an  invalid  for  over  20  years. 


lavid    Harshman.     Among   the  men  who 

lead  in  farming  interests,  and  are  promi- 

If^^  "ent  for  enterprise  and  success,  may  be 
found  the  gentleman  wliose  name  heads  this 
historical  sketch,  and  some  of  the  principal 
points  in  whose  career  are  herein  noted.  He 
is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in  Knox  County, 
to  which  he  came  in  1856,  engaging  in  the  work  that 
he  has  since  followed  uninterruptedly.  On  entering 
Knox  County,  Mr.  Harshman  settled  first  in  Hen- 
derson Township,  where  he  passed  an  interval  of  :8 
months  before  moving  into  Rio  Township,  where  he 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  up  the  present  time. 
He  is  now  the  owner  of  68  acres  of  land,  most  of 
which  is  capable  of  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  Nov. 
9,  1825.  There  he  lived  until  he  took  his  departure 
into  Kno.v  County,  with  which  he  was  favorably 
impressed,  and  where  he  made  a  settlement  for  good. 
Having  previously  learned  the  cooper's  trade,  he 
worked  at  it  in  connection  with  his  farm  work.  He 
has,  also,  for  the  past  30  years,  run  a  thrashing  ma- 
chine for  the  convenience  of  the  people  at  large, 
from  which  he  has  realized  considerable  profit. 

He  was  united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony  in  Rio 
Township,  on  tlie  29111  of  December,  1881,  when  he 
took  as  his  wife  Mary  A.  Medhurst,  the  widow  of 
Godfrey  Fortwangler.  These  two,  after  a  happy 
married  life  of  some  years'  standing,  have  had  added 
to  their  family  circle  two  children,  viz.:  Elizabeth 
and  Annie  B.  Mrs.  Harshman  lost  her  first  hus- 
band in  Jacksonville,  111.,  who  left  her  in  charge  of 
their  family  of  eight  children,  by  name  as  follows  : 
Susan,  Mary  E.,  Susan  C,  Charles  G.,  Dollie  J., 
Hulda  M.,  Jessie  and  Ralph.  Of  these  ilie  two  eld- 
est have  been  taken  by  death — Susan  and  Mary  E. 
Susan  C.  was  married  to  Mr.  Jacob  Fishell,  Oct.  15, 
1879,  and  since  has  become  the  mother  of  three  chil- 
dren— Maggie,  Norman  and  May.  Dollie  Jane  was 
married  to  Mr.  Henry  Julian,  and  has  two  children  — 
one  boy  and  one  girl,  Perley  A.  and  Willy  H.     Susan 


C.  lives  in  Page  County,  Iowa,  and  Dollie  J.  lives  in 
Cameron,  Warren  Co.,  III. 

Mr.  Harshman  has  been  Commissioner  of  High- 
ways and  Road  Commissioner,  and  he  has  also  taken 
quite  an  interest  in  educational  affairs,  having  Deen 
School  Director  for  some  length  of  time.  He  is  one 
of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  is  governed  in  politics 
by  the  Democratic  sentiment  and  belief  He  and 
his  wife  were  formerly  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Harshman's  present  marriage  is  his  second 
matrimonial  alliance,  the  first  having  been  contracted 
in  Fayette  County,  Pa.,  on  the  27th  of  August,  1846, 
with  Sallie  White,  widow  of  M.  Eiker,  who  died  in 
that  county.  The  fruit  of  this  union  was  one  child,  ■ 
Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  Thomas  Crovens,  and  who 
resides  in  Henry  County,  111.  She  is  the  mother  of 
six  children,  as  follows :  David  H.,  Sarah,  Alice, 
Margaret,  Minnie  and  Annie  M.  The  motlier  of 
Mrs.  Crovens  departed  this  life  Dec.  24,  r88o. 


iouston  P.  Tait.  farmer,  was  born  in  Knox 
County,  June  29,  1841,  and  is  the  son  of 
William  and  Mary  A.  (McDowell)  Tait. 
They  are  natives  of  Scotland,  and  came  to 
America  in  1839,  settling  on  section  16,  of  Cop- 
ley Township,  where  he  purchased  a  farm. 
There  they  lived  until  his  death,  which  took  place  in 
1842,  and  to  them  were  born  four  children,  all  sons — 
John,  William  F.,  Peter  G.  and  Houston  P.  All 
served  as  soldiers  in  the  Civil  War.  John  and  Peter 
G.  were  killed  in  the  army.  John  was  mortally 
wounded  at  the  battle  of  New  Hope  Church,  May  27, 

1864,  and  died  from  his  injuries  the  19th  of  June  of 
the  same  year.  Peter  G.  was  killed  the  second  day 
of  the  battle  of  Nashville,  on  the  i6th  day  of  Decem- 
ber, 1864.  They  were  brought  home  and  buried  side 
by  side  in  the  cemetery  on  section  14,  of  Copley 
Township,  and  every  year  their  graves  are  strewn 
with  the  flowers  of  loving  remembrance.  "  Rest  in 
peace,  O  gallant  dead." 

Mr.  Tait,  of  this  writing,  grew  up  on  a  farm,  work- 
ing and  attending  the  district  school  and  also  a  select 
school  at  Victoria,  until  he  was  21  years  of  age.  He 
then,  Aug  6,  1862,  enlisted  and  served  until  July  16, 

1865.  He  fought  at  the  battle  of  Stone  River,  was 


-M^ 


4.^ 


964 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


is  the  general  field  hospital  at  Murfreesboro  for 
four  months.  He  was  then  exchanged  to  Louisville 
and  was  retained  in  the  Veteran  Reserve  Corps,  re- 
ceiving an  honorable  discharge  at  the  close  of  the 
war.  After  it  closed  he  returned  to  Illinois,  and  in 
1867  purchased  a  farm  on  section  10,  of  Copley 
Township.  It  included  80  acres,  and  here  he  lived 
until  1882,  when  he  sold  out  and  purchased  his  pres- 
ent home,  consisting  of  100  acres. 

He  was  married  in  1867  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Leval- 
ley,  a  native  of  Knox  County,  who  was  born  Dec. 
20,  1846.  Her  parents  were  Christopher  H.  and 
Harriet  (Gaines)  Levalley,  natives  of  New  York. 
Annie  J.  is  the  only  child  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tait.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  holds  many  offices  in 
the  neighborhood.  With  his  wife,  he  belongs  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 


frthur  W.  Jones,  senior  member  of  the  firm 
of  Metcalf  Bros.  &  Jones,  dealers  in  lum- 
ber, hardware,  agricultural  implements,  etc., 
was  born  in  Utica,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y.,  April 
22,  1847.  His  parents  settled  in  Oneida  when 
he  was  1 1  years  of  age  (see  sketch  of  T.  E. 
Jones),  and,  giving  him  the  benefit  of  educational  ad- 
vantages, placed  in  the  High  School  of  that  place, 
where  he  pursued  his  studies,  living  at  home  till  the 
year  1875. 

About  this  time  occurred  his  marriage,  Sept.  16, 
1875,  at  Oneida,  with  Miss  Nettie  Muzzy,  who  was 
born  in  Pleasant  Mount,  Pa.,  Sept.  26,  1867.  (See 
sketch  of  A.  D.  Metcalf  for  history  of  Mrs.  Jones.) 
At  the  age  of  ten  years  she  came  to  Oneida  under  the 
guardianship  of  her  mother,  who  settled  at  that 
place,  and  with  whom  she  continued  through  the 
years  of  her  girlhood  up  to  the  date  of  her  marriage. 
Three  children  have  been  born  into  the  home  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Jones — Edward  C,  Aug.  ro,  1876;  Albert 
M.,  Nov.  14,  1879;  and  Mabel  E.,  Nov.  28,  188  t. 

While  at  home  Mr.  Jones  was  engaged  under  the 
direction  of  his  father  for  some  length  of  time,  in  the 
stock  business,  and  about  the  year  1870,  in  company 
with  his  older  brother,  C.  L.  Jones,  he  established 
an  extensive  trade  in  grain,  to  which  three  years 
later  he  added  the  lumber  trade.  This  company  ex- 
isted until  1875,  when  C.  L.  Jones  withdrew  and 
Albert  D.   Metcalf  became  a  member  of  the  firm. 


One  year  later  Mr.  Jones  sold  out  his  interest  in  the 
business  and  joined  his  two  brothers  in  the  hardware 
business  previously  spoken  of  at  Oneida.  The  firm 
continued  under  the  name  of  Jones  Bros,  till  1879, 
when  the  two  brothers  withdrew  and  their  places 
were  filled  by  Metcalf  Bros.,  the  present  partners. 
(See  sketch.) 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jones  by  religious  belief  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Congregational  Church.  Mr.  Jones  takes 
an  interest  in  both  local  and  public  affairs,  and  in 
politics  is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 


eorge  Runkle.  Mr.  Runkle  is  a  farmer 
on  section  8,  Galesburg  Township,  and  was 
bnrn  on  the  2d  of  February,  1844,  in  Knox 
County,  111.  He  is  the  son  of  Eldert  Runkle, 
a  prominent  pioneer  of  this  county.  He  was  a 
native  of  New  York  State,  where  the  latter  was 
born  in  August,  1803.  his  decease  taking  place  June 
15,  1862,  in  Knox  County. 

Mr.  Runkle's  father  came  to  Illinois  in  1834,  and 
first  located  in  Knoxville.  He  was  a  millwright  by  h 
calling,  but  conmienced  and  followed  farming  after 
his  arrival  in  Illinois.  In  1833  he  married  Miss 
Nancy  Bowen,  who  was  born  in  1808  and  still  sur- 
vives her  husband.  To  the  marriage  six  children 
were  born,  viz. :  Elizabeth,  James,  Mary  H.,  Lucy 
G.,  George  and  Frank.  Of  these,  the  subject  of  this 
biography  married  Miss  Mattie  E.  Ferris  on  the  15th 
of  February,  1871.  The  ceremony  was  performed 
by  Rev.  L.  Pratt.  This  lady  was  born  on  the  3d 
of  May,  1848,  in  Knox  County,  111.  Her  parents 
were  Nathan  and  Currance  A.  (Winegar)  Ferris. 
Her  father  was  born  in  1790,  in  Herkimer  County,  N. 
Y.  Her  parents'  marriage  took  place  in  1827,  the 
ceremony  being  performed  by  Rev.  Mr.  Culver.  The 
mother  was  born  in  1805  and  was  a  native  of  Wash- 
ington County,  N.  Y.  In  1850  the  father  died  at 
Weaverville,  Cal.  His  death  was  occasioned  by  a 
kick  from  ahorse.  They  first  came  to  Illinois  in  r837 
and  had  eight  children — Sylvanus  S  ,  Chauncy  G., 
Nathan  O.,  Samuel,  Horace  F.,  Sallie  A.,  James  H. 
and  Mattie  E. 

George  Runkle  by  his  marriage  with  Miss  Ferris 
has  three  children — William  J.,  born  April  28,  1874; 
Currance  A.,  born  April  7,  1879;  Emily  L.,  born 
Oct.  23,  1881.     Mr.    Runkle's  farm  consists  of  100 


-:jt 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


96s 


H^ 


acres  of  well-improved  land,  on  which  is  a  desirable 
dwelling-house  24x20  feet.  He  is  interested  in  breed- 
ing Holstein  and  Siiort-horn  cattle,  and  has  a  few 
sheep  on  his  farm. 

During  the  Civil  War  he  enlisted  in  the  100-day 
service,  joining  Co.  D,  139th  111.  Vol.  Inf.,  which  was 
mustered  into  the  service  in  May  and  served  until 
October  of  the  same  year.  He  was  stationed  at 
Cairo.  Our  subject  is  a  good  Republican  and  warmly 
espoused  the  cause  of  the  Government  in  the  Civil 
War.  He  is  a  highly  respected  member  of  his 
community,  an  industrious  worker,  and  is  a  promi- 
nent member  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  at  Galesburg,  till- 
ing the  position  of  Guide  in  his  Lodge. 


jenedict  Wainright.  One  of  the  influen- 
tial and  successful  farmers  of  Chestnut 
Township,  residing  on  section  3,  is  the 
subject  of  whom  the  facts  recorded  in  this 
personal  history  are  written.  Mr.  W.  was 
born  in  this  township,  Nov.  25,  1856,  and 
was  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Eliza  Jane  (Cramer) 
Wainright,  both  natives  of  the  State  of  Ohio.  The 
father  opened  his  eyes  upon  life  May  4,  1829, 
and  the  mother  was  born  Sept.  9,  1832.  The  n.atri- 
monial  connection  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wainright,  senior, 
resulted  in  the  addition  of  si.x  children  to  the  family 
circle,  as  follows :  Vincent,  who  married  Fr.inces 
Howk,  in  the  eastern  part  of  this  State;  McGuire, 
who  took  to  wife  Miss  Susan  Coe;  Joseph,  who  united 
in  marriage  with  Derinda  F.  Mowry,  and  Benedict, 
our  subject ;  Sarah  Eliza  is  an  inmate  of  the  pa- 
rental household,  and  Clara  L.  died  at  the  age  of  18 
months. 

Benedict  Wainright  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm, 
where  he  grew  to  the  age  of  22  years,  at  which  time 
he  commenced  attendance  at  Knox  College,  where 
he  continued  for  two  terms.  Soon  after  leaving 
school  he  espoused  Miss  Mimmie  Hall,  Nov.  29 
1883,  who  was  the  daughter  of  John  and  Salome 
(Freemold)  Hall,  the  former  a  native  of  Germany,  in 
which  country  he  was  born  March  16,  1825,  and  the 
latter  Aug,  18,  1834.  The  brothers  and  sisters  of 
Mrs.  Mimmie  Wainright  number  three,  and  are  as 
follows:  Harmon,  who  died  May  13,  1882,  leaving 
a  wife,  Alma  (Hartsook)  Hall;  Carl,  who  died   aged 

"X 


four  months,  and  Emma,  wife  of  David  Bearmore. 
Mrs.  Wainright  is  the  second  child  in  order  of  birth 
and  was  born  June  21,  i860. 

Mr.  Wainright  is  successful  in  his  occupation  as  a 
farmer  and  has  large  herds  of  common-blooded  cat- 
tle. He  is  an  industrious,  energetic  member  of  so- 
ciety, an  agreeable  neighbor,  and  Democratic  in  po- 
litical belief  Into  their  pleasant  litile  home  one 
daughter  has  been  born — Bessie  V.,  the  date  of  birth 
being  Dec.  3,  1884. 

I^M^'H'  sa  A.  Matteson,  Vice-President  of  the  First 
&§^3i(  National  Bank  of  Galesburg,  111.,  Secretary 
ll^  and  Treasurer  of  the  College  City  Street 
S^  Railway  Co.,  and  President  of  the  Galesburg 
li^  Public  Library,  is  a  native  of  Warren  County, 
j  111.,  having  been  born  near  Berwick,  Oct.  24, 
1837.  His  father  was  Elon  and  his  mother  Ann, 
(Ogden)  Matteson.  The  parents  of  Mr.  Matteson 
were  married  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  in  1836 
emigrated  to  Illinois.  The  senior  Mr.  Matteson  was 
a  farmer  by  occupation  and  died  at  his  home  in  War- 
ren County,  in  1845,  aged  44  years;  his  widow  lived 
to  attain  the  age  of  73,  and  died  in  Galesburg  in  1 883. 
The  Mattesons  came  originally  from  Holland  and  the 
Ogdens  from  England,  both  families  being  among 
the  pioneers  of  New  England.  Elon  and  Ann  (Og- 
den) Matteson  were  natives,  respectively,  of  Ver- 
mont and  York  State,  and  reared  five  sons  and  one 
daughter,  the  latter  and  three  of  the  sons  surviving 
at  this  writing. 

Mr.  Asa  A.  Matteson  was  educated  at  the  Gales- 
burg schools,  studied  law  with  T.  G.  Frost,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  i860.  He  remained  in  the 
office  of  his  preceptor  until  in  1865,  when  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  Judge  Tunnicliff,  at  Macomb, 
and  there  practiced  law  ten  successive  years.  Aban- 
doning the  legal  profession,  in  1875,  he  returned 
to  Galesburg  and  became  actively  identified  with  the 
interests  and  management  of  the  First  National 
Bank.  The  stockholders  of  that  institution  elected 
him  one  of  the  Directors,  and  in  1877  he  became 
Vice-President.  During  the  time  since  he  has  con- 
tinuously held  the  position  of  Vice-President,  and 
also,  a  portion  of  the  time,  of  Bookkeeper  and  of 
Cashier.     This  banking  house  relied  upon  him  as  a 


-H- 


■r4^ 


-4 


966 


■  Y. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


kind  of  " general  utility  man."  In  the  absence  of 
any  employe  or  officer,  from  Assistant  Bookkeeper 
up  to  President,  Mr.  Matteson,  as  a  sort  of  reserve 
force,  has  been  called  into  requisition.  In  1883, 
however,  he  decided  to  take  a  less  active  part  in  the 
bank,  and,  as  an  evidence  of  good  faith,  turned  his 
attention  to  farming.  As  he  continued  his  residence 
in  the  city,  the  presumption  is  fair  that  his  agricultu- 
ral enterprise  constitutes  but  an  incident. 

Mr.  Matteson  was  one  of  the  projectors  and 
organizers  of  the  College  City  Street  Railway, 
and  has  since  held  the  position  of  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  of  the  company.  December  6,  1865,  at 
Galesburg,  Mr.  Matteson  was  married  to  Miss  Helen 
M.  Gardner,  whose  family  came  from  Herkimer 
County,  N.  Y  ,  in  1837.  Their  children  are  named 
respectively  Frank,  Fred,  Gracie  and  Ralph.  Yet 
young  in  years,  he  has  already  achieved  enviable  suc- 
cess, his  enterprising  spirit  proving  not  only  a  bene- 
fit to  himself,  but  also  to  the  community. 


'aylor  Linn.  Among  the  higlily  respected 
and  estimable  citizens  of  Knox  County, 
^  and  one  of  its  leading  farmers,  may  be 
'ffi^  reckoned  the  subject  of  this  brief  biography. 
He  has  been  successful  in  the  prosecution  of 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  is  known  throughout 
the  entire  section  of  country  as  a  substantial  man 
and  a  worthy  member  of  the  community. 

Mr.  Linn,  of  this  writing,  came  to  Knox  County 
in  1875,  from  Mercer  Count).  111.,  and  settled  in  Rio 
Township,  where  he  has  since  lived.  He  is  the 
owner  of  200  acres,  only  a  part  of  which  is  tillable, 
but  of  which  he  makes  the  best  possible  use.  He 
was  born  in  Morrow  County,  Ohio,  April  i,  1849, and 
when  nearly  seven  years  of  age  his  father  removed 
to  Msrcer  County,  where  the  little  boy  lived  an  in- 
mate of  his  father's  home  until  he  attained  the  years 
of  discretion.  He  received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation, and  wisely,  instead  of  following  in  the  wake 
of  so  many  misguided  American  youth,  he  heeded 
the  injunction,  "  Don't  leave  the  farm,  boys,"  and  has 
always  pursued  that  vocation. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  in  Knoxville,  with  Miss 
Elizabeth  Henderson,  who  was  a  native  of  Knox 
County,  and  the  fruit  of  their  union  has  been  the 
birth  of  one  child — Almon,  who  was   left  motherless 


Jan.   I,  1882,    by    the   death   of  Mrs.    Linn,  in  Ric' 
Township,  where  she  was  buried.    , 

Mr.  Linn  formed  a  second  matrimonial  alliance 
in  Rio  Township,  Feb.  13,  1884,  with  Miss  Lizzie 
H.,  daugliterof  Samuel  Junk, of  that  township.  She 
was  born  in  Knox  County,  May  18,  1859,  and  is  a 
devoted  wife  and  mother,  esteemed  and  respectedby 
all.  Mr.  Linn  takes  an  active  interest  in  outside 
affairs,  and  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican,  supporting  and  voting  for 
that  party. 


|»I  ohn  Mangion,  one  of  the  most  esteemed 
citizens  of  Sparta  Townsliip,  residing  on 
section  34,  was  born  June  20,  1808,  in 
County  Limerick,  Ireland.  He  was  the  son 
of  David  and  Bridget  (Morsey)  Mangion,  and 
came  to  America  in  1850.  He  landed  in  New 
York  City  and  remained  in  the  Empire  State,  working 
on  a  farm,  for  five  years,  then  came  to  Galesburg,  111., 
proceeding  thence  to  Mercer  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farm  work  for  two  years  and  then  rented  a 
farm,  near  Shanghai,  which  he  managed  for  three 
years.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  came  to 
this  township  and  purchased  the  40  acres  where  he 
now  resides,  and  to  which  he  subsequently  added 
130  acres. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  in  February, 
about  the  year  1845  or  1846,  with  Miss  Mary  Cala- 
han,  and  became  the  father  of  nine  children,  viz. : 
Bridget,  Mary,  John,  David,  Kate,  Tliomas,  Michael, 
a  second  Mary,  and  Jolianna  ;  of  these  two  only  are 
living — Thomas  and  Michael. 

Mr.  Mangion  is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  politically  a  Democrat.  He  is  an  up- 
right, honest  man  and  a  good  citizen,  and  possesses 
in  a  marked  degree  the  confidence  and  esteem  of 
all  who  know  him. 


joooe 


g>44fe 


-S^^^l  Ibert  D.  and  Samuel  J.  Metealf,  members 
4S^^E  of  the  firm  of  Metealf  Bros.  &  Jones,  dealers 
,r|IS^  in  hardware,  cutlery,  guns,  lime,  farm  imple- 
^yfca  ments  and  stone,  are  the  subjects  of  this  no- 
li^ tice.  In  connection  with  the  above  business, 
I  they  hold  an  interest  in  the  lumber  yards  of 
Oneida,  and  their  previous  history  is  stated  as  fol- 


t 


=ir: 


■4- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


967 


lows:  They  came  to  Oneida  in  1861,  under  the 
care  of  their  parenls,  Samuel  and  Hannah  Elizabeth 
(Bruce)  Metcalf,  who  were  natives  of  New  York  and 
Vermont  respectively.  They  were  of  American  pa- 
rentage, the  father  of  English  and  the  mother  of 
Scotch  ancestry.  The  parents  of  these  people  came 
West  and  settled  in  Knox  County  early  in  life.  They 
were  united  in  marriage  at  Galesburg,  and  imme- 
diately after  settled  in  Knoxville  on  a  farm.  This 
they  worked,  cultivating  and  improving  it  till  the 
year  1856,  when  they  came  to  Ontario  Township 
and  here  purchased  a  farm  of  160  acres,  one  and 
one-half  miles  from  Oneida.  In  this  section  of  the 
country  the  father  continued  to  reside  till  his  death, 
which  took  place  in  November,  1856,  and  which  left 
bereaved  a  wife  and  two  children — Albert  D.  and 
Samuel  J.  Later  in  het  widowhood  the  mother 
united  in  marriage  with  A.  N.  Bancroft,  who  died  at 
Galesburg  in  1880,  where  the  mother  still  lives,  hav- 
ing readied  the  age  of  56  years.  The  birthplace  of 
Albert  D.  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville,  and  the 
date  of  his  birth  Nov.  20,  1852,  while  Samuel  is 
five  years  younger,  being  born  in  Knoxville,  Jan.  i, 

1857- 

The  two  brothers,  having  many  tastes  in  common, 
grew  to  boyhood  and  manhood  in  the  home  of  their 
mother,  attending,  in  their  earlier  years,  the  graded 
schools  of  Oneida,  and  later,  during  their  more  ad- 
vanced years,  Knox  College,  Galesburg.  From  this 
institution  Albert  graduated  in  1875.  The  same 
year  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Arthur  W. 
Jones,  and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  firm  as  it 
now  exists.  Together  they  established  a  grain  and 
lumber  market  at  Oneida,  and  the  company  was 
known  as  Metcalf  &  Jones.  Ten  months  later  they 
dissolved  partnership,  and  Mr.  Jones,  taking  the 
grain  department,  yielded  into  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Metcalf  the  lumber  interest.  In  the  year  1876,  and 
during  the  month  of  May,  his  brother  joined  him  in 
this  business,  and  together  they  conducted  the  lum- 
ber trade  under  the  style  of  Metcalf  Bros.  This 
firm  continued  till  1879,  and  during  this  interval 
Mr.  Jones  went  out  of  the  grain  trade  and  established 
a  hardware  store.  In  1879  Metcalf  Bros,  consoli- 
dated their  lumber  trade  with  Mr.  Jones'  business, 
and  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Metcalf  Bros.  & 
Jones,  by  which  -coalition  an  extensive  business  is 
carried  on.  At  this  time  they  estimate  their  annual 
trade  at  $50,000,  and,  though  young  merchants  in 


years,  they  are  rapidly  winning  golden  opinions  from 
the  people  of  the  community  by  their  enterprise  and 
attention  to  business. 

Albert  D.  Metcalf  was  married  May  4,  1876,  at 
the  residence  of  the  bride's  sister,  to  Miss  E.  J. 
Muzzy,  who  was  born  at  Mount  Pleasant,  Pa.,  June 
20,  1855,  and  who  came  to  Illinois  with  her  mother, 
who  was  a  widow,  having  lost  her  husband  in  the 
late  war  while  she  was  yet  a  young  woman.  The 
little  family  settled  in  Oneida,  where  the  mother 
now  resides  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Albert  Metcalf. 
Samuel  J.  Metcalf  was  married  in  the  city  of  Gales- 
burg Oct.  20,  1879,  to  Miss  Carrie  A.  Brooks,  who 
was  born  in  Jacksonville,  111.,  in  1859,  and  whose 
father  is  an  agricultural-implement  dealer,  doing  a 
good  business  in  Galesburg.  She  attended  school 
in  that  city,  beginning  about  the  year  1875,  where 
she  remained  until  her  marriage.  Of  this  union 
one  son  is  the  issue — Irving  B.,  born  May  30,  1884. 
Both  brothers  and  their  wives  are  active  and  useful 
members  of  the  Congregational  Church,  at  Oneida, 
the  doctrines  of  which  faith  they  vigorously  support 
and  exemplify  in  their  daily  lives.  In  politics  both 
uphold  the  Republican  party ;  the  junior  is  Alder-  ' 
man  of  this  city,  and  is  the  youngest  member  of  that 
body. 

oseph  Torley.  One  of  the  popular  and 
successful  merchants  and  substantial  citi- 
zens of  Wataga  is  personified  in  the  sub- 
ject of  this  personal  history.  From  his  intro- 
]C  ductory  launch  onto  the  wide  sea  of  commerce, 
he  has  received  the  hearty  patronage  of  the 
people  of  that  vicinity,  who  are  quick  to  recognize 
uprightness  and  native  force  of  character.  He  came 
to  Illinois  from  Iowa  in  the  year  i860,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  occupied  in  mercaniile  transactions. 

Mr.  Torley  was  born  in  Germany,  May  17,  1843, 
and  was  the  son  of  Frederick  and  Caroline  (Strach- 
wash)  Torley,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1848,  and  settled  in  Burlington,  Iowa.  They 
were  farmers,  and  at  the  time  of  their  coming  pur- 
chased 90  acres  of  land,  which  they  sold  in  1863 
and  came  to  Warren  County,  111.,  where  they  lived 
until  1868,  when  they  sold  out  again  and  moved  to 
Oquawka,  and  there  lived  from  1871  to  1884.  Leav- 
ing that  town,  they  removed  to  West  Point,  Iowa, 
where  they  now  live  a  retired  life, 


4 


968 


1    —^)r*-     > 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


-£-<N 


Their  family  consisted  of  eight  children,  of  which 
the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  sixth  in  order  of 
birth.  His  younger  days  were  spent  on  the  farm 
and  in  school,  and  he  removed  from  home  when  20 
years  of  age  and  apprenticed  himself  to  learn  the 
blacksmith's  trade.  At  this  he  worked  for  several 
years,  then  in  1870  became  engaged  in  selling  agri- 
cultural implements  at  Oquavvka.  He  continued  in 
Henderson  County  until  1885,  then  sold  out  and 
removed  to  Wataga,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits.  He  carried  a  general  stock  of  goods,  and 
estimates  his  patronage  at  a  high  figure. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  in  1870,  took  a  life 
companion  to  his  heart  and  home,  in  the  person  of 
Miss  Maggie  Vatter,  a  native  of  Henderson  County, 
111.  Three  children  have  come  to  gladden  their 
home,  who  bear  the  names  of  Margaret,  Ida  and 
Joseph. 

Mr.  Torley  is  a  man  of  worth  and  ability,  respected 
by  all  who  know  him.     He  and  his  wife  attend  the 

(Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  by  which  organization 
they  are  held  in  iiigh  esteem.  He  belongs  to  the 
J.  O.  O.  F.,  and  is  Democratic  in  political  belief. 


,on.    George    Cromwell    Lanphere.     The 

late  Judge  Lanphere  was  United  States 
Commissioner  and  a  distinguished  attorney 
and  counselor  at  law  of  Galesburg  at  the  time 
of  his  death.  He  was  the  son  of  George  and 
Martha  (Pierce)  Lanphere,  natives  of  Connect- 
icut and  Massachusetts,  respectively,  and  of  French 
Huguenot  and  Saxon-English  extraction.  He  was 
born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  June  30,  1814.  His 
parents  were  married  in  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y., 
but  shortly  afterward  removed  to  Delaware  County 
and  subsequently  to  Oneida  County.  They  reared 
four  sons  and  one  daughter,  the  subject  of  our  sketch 
being  the  youngest. 

His  father  was  for  several  years  a  civil  engineer  or 
surveyor,  but  later  on  devoted  his  time  to  contracting 
and  building.  He  died  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1834,  in  the  66th  year  of  his  age.  His  widow  re- 
married, but  ere  many  years  she  was  again  alone  in 
the  world  with  her  children,  and  the  year  1842  found 
her  in  Warren  County,  111.,  whither  her  son  George 
had  preceded  her,  and  where  she  spent  the  rest  of 
her  life.     She  died  in  1858,  in  her  83d  year. 


At  the  common  and  select  schools  George  Lan- 
phere received  a  limited  education,  and  from  the  age 
of  17  to  21  years  taught  during  the  winters  in  his 
native  county.  The  summer  season  found  him  em- 
ployed at  farming.  He  was  about  22  years  of  age 
when  he  began  the  study  of  law  with  Alanson  Ben- 
nett, of  Rome,  N.  Y.  After  a  few  months' reading, 
he  gathered  his  worldly  effects  and,  with  his  wife  and 
child,  started  overland  for  the  Great  West,  and  the 
year  1838  found  them  at  Monmouth,  in  Warren 
County.  For  their  transportation  the  wagoner 
charged  %-,o,  and  to  pay  it  young  Lanphere  had 
$[7.50.  But  those  were  days  when  the  bright  exam- 
ple of  "railroad  enterprise"  and  the  grinding  selfish- 
ness of  the  power  of  money  had  not  yet  obscured 
humanity.  The  creditor  was  satisfied  and  happy  at 
having  improved  the  oppoitunity  to  benefit  a  fellow- 
man,  and  the  young  lawyer  was  able  to  "  foot  "  the 
difference  in  about  a  year. 

In  1838  Mr.  Lanphere  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at 
Vandalia,  111.,  being  examined  before  Justices  Brown 
and  Lockwood,  of  the  Supreme  Court.  Monmouth 
was  the  scene  of  his  first  forensic  efforts,  and  Ivory 
Quinby,  afterward  Judge  of  the  Warren  County 
Court  for  many  years,  was  his  first  law  partner.  The 
partnership  lasted  up  to  1839,  when  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  was  elected  Judge  of  the  County  Court. 
Leaving  the  office  of  Judge  at  the  expiration  of  his 
term.  Judge  Stephen  A.  Douglas  appointed  him 
Master  in  Chancery,  and  he  continued  the  practice 
of  law  up  to  1847,  at  Monmouth.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Mexican  War,  associated  with  W.  B.  Stapp,of 
Monmoutli,  he  raised  a  company  of  volunteers,  in 
which,  as  First  Lieutenant,  he  was  absent  about  one 
year.  Their  companj,  known  as  Capt.  Stapp's 
Mounted  Volunteers,  was  rejected  in  1846,  but  in  the 
following  year,  in  response  to  the  importunities  of 
Lieut.  Lanphere,  the  Secretary  of  War  accepted 
them,  and  they  went  forward  to  Mexico  in  1847,  ar- 
riving there,  however,  too  late  to  participate  in  any 
of  the  more  important  batdes.  The  company  was 
disbanded  at  Alton,  111.,  in  July,  1848,  and  Lieut. 
Lanphere  returned  to  Monmouth  and  resumed  his 
law  practice.  About  that  time  he  launched  fully  into 
politics,  and  it  may  be  truthfully  said  that  thence- 
forward his  services  could  be  fully  relied  upon  by  the 
party  of  his  clioice.  In  1848  he  removed  from  Mon- 
mouth to  Galesburg,  and  the  following  year,  during 
his  absence  from  the  State,  the  Democrats  of  Knox 


"T 


•*^ 


rvv: 


K^NOX  COUNTY. 


969 


*i 


County  placed  him  upon  their  ticket  as  the  candi- 
date for  the  County  Judgeship.  The  nomination 
proved  the  wisdom  of  their  choice  so  far  as  party 
success  was  concerned,  but  somelime  after  his  elec- 
tion his  opixjnents  discovered  what  proved  fatal  to 
his  eligibility.  The  new  constitution  of  the  State, 
which  had  been  a  short  time  in  force,  provided  that 
before  any  person  should  hold  the  office  of  County 
Judge,  such  person  should  have  been  a  resident  of 
the  county  at  least  two  years  prior  to  the  election. 
Since  coming  to  Galesburg,  Mr.  Lanphere  had  been 
engaged  in  the  drug  business,  and,  not  anticipating 
that  he  should  be  called  upon  to  run  for  any  office  so 
soon  after  coming  into  the  county,  much  less  to  fill 
one,  the  new  constitution  had  not  been  examined  by 
him.  So  his  position  was,  in  law,  scarcely  debatable, 
and  a  writ  of  quo  warranto  was  laid  and  his  office 
declared  vacant.  However,  the  success  of  his  opjx)- 
nents  was  short-lived.  They  at  once  renominated 
their  defeated  candidate,  and  Lanphere,  who  had  by 
'  this  lime  been  fully  two  years  in  the  county,  beat  him 
by  a  much  larger  majority  than  in  the  first  instance. 
'  Judge  Lanphere  was  appointed  United  States  Com- 
^  missioner  in  1857,  and  held  the  office  continually  till 
'  his  death.  He  was  always  an  ardent  Democrat, 
and  from  the  age  of  15  up  to  56  an  active  and  per- 
sistent worker  for  the  success  of  that  party.  He  was 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  the  establishment  of  the 
Central  Miliiar)'  Tract  Railroad  (now  the  C,  B.&  Q.), 
was  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Directors,  and 
for  some  years  Secretary  of  the  Company. 

In  speaking  of  Judge  Lanphere's  public  career, 
we  should  not  forget  to  mention  a  fact  that  reflects 
credit  upon  his  already  good  name,  and  attests  the 
high  standard  of  his  manhood.  In  1854  President 
Pierce  appointed  him  to  the  Postinastership  at  Gales- 
burg. When  Mr.  Buchanan  came  into  power,  and 
the  subsequent  difficulty  developed  between  him  and 
Senator  Douglas,  a  number  of  Illinois  Postmasters 
were  notified  that  the  tenure  of  their  official  jwsitions 
rested  upon  their  denunciation  of  Mr.  Douglas.  As 
is  well  known,  many  of  Mr.  Douglas'  whilom  friends 
did  not  stand  by  him  and  hence  received  their  re- 
ward in  renewed  commissions,  but  the  Postmaster  of 
Galesburg,  suffice  it  to  say,  stood  by  his  principles 
and  consequently  lost  his  office. 

The  Judge  was  a  Mason,  and  in  religion  a  Swed- 
enborgian.  He  was  married  at  Boonville,  Oneida 
Co.,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  20,  1835,  to  Miss  Matilda  G.  Kent, 


with  whom  he  had  just  celebrated  his  golden  wed- 
ding. Of  the  nine  children  born  to  Judge  and  Mrs. 
Lanphere  we  have  the  following  brief  memoranda: 
lone,  wife  of  Frank  E.  Short,  of  Kansas  City  ;  Sabina, 
wife  of  O.  F.  Price,  .\itorney  for  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R. 
R.;  Jane,  wife  of  VV.  H.  Wood,  a  merchant  of  Wataga, 
111.;  Mary,  wife  of  J.  E.  Shears,  of  Ottumwa,  Iowa; 
George  H.,  a  railroad  man  at  Kansas  City,  and 
Frank  E.,  conductor  on  the  U.  P.  Railroad. 

Judge  Lanphere  died  while  this  work  was  being 
prepared  and  after  tiiis  sketch  was  written.  His  loss 
was  greatly  felt,  and  his  death  mourned  by  the  entire 
community. 


bomas  D.  StafiTord.  There  are  many  ex- 
tensive and  important  manufactories  in  and 

_  around  the  busy  and  thriving  city  of  Gales- 

P^  burg,  prominent  among  which  is  the  brick 
raanufactory  of  Stafford  &  Wood.  The  senior 
member  of  this  well-known  and  jxDpular  firm 
is  Thomas  D.  Stafford,  subject  of  this  biographical 
notice.  He  was  born  in  Essex  County,  N.  Y.,  May 
t4,  181 6,  and  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  at- 
tained the  age  of  manhood,  in  the  meantime  work- 
ing on  the  farm  and  attending  the  common  schools. 
On  attaining  his  majority  he  engaged  to  learn  the 
brick-making  business  and  has  followed  the  same 
for  a  livelihood  ever  since. 

In  1 84 1  Mr.  Stafford  commenced  to  make  brick 
on  his  own  account,  in  Rochester,  Sangamon  Co., 
this  State,  where  he  was  engaged  for  one  year.  He 
then  removed  to  Springfield,  remained  two  years  and 
returned  to  Rochester,  where  he  resided  until  the 
spring  of  1856,  and  then  came  to  Galesburg.  On 
his  arrival  in  that  city  he  immediately  began  the 
making  of  brick,  in  a  yard  which  he  established, 
and  from  which  the  present  firm,  as  stated,  sprang. 
Their  business  is  an  extensive  one  and  they  have 
manufactured  over  1,000,000  per  annum  for  the  last 
30  years. 

Mr.  Stafford  was  tnarried  to  Miss  Polly  M.  Fisher 
in  1837.  She  died  Jan.  17,  1873,  ^fter  having  borne 
her  husband  three  children — Eliza  J.,  Cecelia  L.  and 
Ellen  M.  The  first  born  married  George  W.  Flag, 
and  died  Dec.  2,  1876,  leaving  four  children  to  the 
care  of  her  husband — Lillie,  Thomas  I.,  Alva  and 
Gilbert;  Ellen  M.  departed  this  life  May  19,  1881; 
Cecelia  is  the  happy  wife  of  N.  C.  Woods.  The  second 


—^ 


X 


matrimonial  alliance  of  our  subject  occurred  Aug.  ii, 
1873,  at  which  time  Mrs.  Ann  Eliza  Dutcher,  the 
widow  of  G.  M.  Dutcher,  became  his  wife.  She  had 
three  children  by  Mr.  Dutcher,  named  Hattie  A., 
born  Aug.  18,  1850;  Deyo  W.,  born  Dec.  11,  1854, 
and  Carrie  M.,  born  June  i,  1857.  Hatlie  A.  was 
married  Dec.  i,  1869,  to  Thomas  G.  Brooks,  a  har- 
ness-maker doing  business  in  Appleton  City,  Mo. 
Their  offspring  are  as  follows:  Bert  D.,born  March 
16,  1871;  Roy  D.,born  Nov.  23,  1872;  Essie  died 
Jan.  24,  1880,  aged  2  years,  3  months  and  12 
days;  Blythe  O.,  born  November,  1879;  Alta  G., 
born  March  18,  1884,  and  an  infant  daughter,  born 
June  5,  1886  (unnamed.)  Deyo  was  married  May 
I,  1876,  to  Miss  Alma  H.  Brown;  one  child  was 
born  to  them,  viz.,  Roy  H.,  April  5,  1877.  Carrie 
M.  was  married  Sept.  17,  1874,  to  Frank  H.  Slater,  a 
tinner  by  trade,  residing  in  Creston,  Iowa;  they  have 
one  child  living— Louie,  born  Aug.  9,  1877  ;  Mamie, 
the  eldest,  was  born  Aug.  11,  1875,  and  died  Oct.  17. 

1877. 

Mr.  Stafford  is  the  proprietor  of  two  acres  of  land 
in  Galesburg,  on  which  he  has  a  fine  residence  two 
stories  in  height.  Aug.  6,  1870,  he  lost  his  eye- 
giglit — a  misfortune  which  has  never  been  repaired, 
and  one  the  more  keenly  felt  as  Mr.  Stafford  enjoyed 
^  to  the  fullest  extent  the  sight  of  associates  and 
friends.  In  all  these  afflictions  Mr.  Stafford  is  sus- 
tained by  the  consolation  of  religion,  both  he  and  his 
wife  being  members  of  the  Universalist  Church. 
The  Stafford  family  in  America  is  traced  back  to  the 
time  of  the  landing  of  the  Mayflower,  in  which  ves- 
sel the  ancestors  of  our  subject  came  from  England, 
and  the  subject  of  this  notice  in  character  and  repu- 
tation has  well  sustained  the  dignity  of  his  origin. 
He  came  to  Illinois  in  1840,  and  in  politics  is  a  Re- 
publican. He  has  always  been  enterprising  and  pub- 
lic spirited,  and  worthy  of  being  designated  as  a 
highly  esteemed  member  of  society. 


r  ohn  W.  Olson,  senior  member  of  the  firm 
^  of  Olson  Bros.,  at  Maquon,  is  a  son  of  Olof 
and  Jennie  Olson.  The  parents  were  born 
in  America ;  married  and  settled  in  Knoxville, 
where  the  father  died  in  December,  1862. 
Mrs.  Olson  died  in  Kansas.  She  met  her 
death  by  being  caught  in  a  cyclone.     They  had  four 


children,   three  of  whom  lived  to  maturity.     Their 
names  are  William,  John  W.,  Emma  and  Olof. 

John  W.  was  born  in  Knoxville,  April  22,  1857. 
He  received  a  common-school  education,  and  lived 
there  till  he  came  to  Maquon,  in  1871,  where  he  has 
since  made  his  home,  with  the  exception  of  one  year 
in  Elmwood.  His  father  was  a  cabinet-maker,  and 
John  learned  the  wagon  maker's  trade,  which  he  still 
follows.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother 
Olof,  under  the  firm  name  of  Olson  Bros.,  in  the 
spring  of  1884,  and  located  in  Maquon,  where  they 
still  continue  and  carry  on  a  good  business.  He  was 
married  in  Knoxville,  111.,  Feb.  28,  1883,  to  Addie 
Green,  daughter  of  George  and  Jannie  Green.  Mrs. 
Olson  was  born  in  Peoria,  Feb.  28,  1864.  They  have 
one  child — George  P.  Mr.  Olson  is  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows.     In  politics  is  a  Democrat. 


l^^^^arwin  B.  Day,  of  Walnut  Grove  Township, 
lp^'.\  is  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  Knox  County, 
jif^"'^  where  he  has  lived  for  nearly  half  a  cent- 
j^  ury,  having  come  first  to  the  county  in  1837, 
^  from  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  born 
i  in  tliat  county  Jan.  27,  1810.  His  father, 
Thomas  C.  Day,  was  a  practising  physician,  and  a 
native  of  the  same  county  and  State  as  his  son,  and 
lived  and  died  there.  He  was  of  New  England  pa- 
rentage and  ancestry,  and  was  married  in  Onondaga 
County,  N.  Y.,  to  Julia  Cappell.  She  was  of  parent- 
age of  people  who  had  come  from  Nova  Scotia,  and 
she  also  lived  and  died  in  Onondaga  County. 

Our  subject  is  the  oldest  of  three  children,  and  the 
only  one  who  now  survives.  He  had  a  brother  and 
a  sister,  Elzina,  the  latter  having  died  unmarried  when 
a  young  woman  18  years  old.  In  1880  the  brother, 
David  E.,  died  in  this  county,  near  Galesburg.  He 
had  been  a  successful  farmer,  and  came  herein  1838. 
While  he  was  living  in  his  native  county,  he  was 
married,  in  December,  1830,  to  Miss  Sarah  Vorse, 
who  was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y.  She  lived 
to  come  to  Illinois  with  her  husband,  and  soon  after- 
ward died  at  Log  City,  this  county,  March  ig,  1840. 
She  was  the  mother  of  two  children— Francis  P.,  de- 
ceased, and  Charles  H.,  a  farmer,  married  and  re- 
siding in  Lyons  County,  Kan. 

Mr.   Day  was  the  second  time  married,  in  Knox 


*-^ 


a. 


■^^^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


97* 


County,  Oct.  5.  1845,  to  Miss  Narcissa  Fuqua.  She 
was  from  Kentucky,  having  come  to  Illinois  when  a 
child.  She  died  in  Sparta  Township,  Knox  County, 
Sept.  28,  1873.  She  was  the  mother  of  seven  chil- 
dren :  David  died  in  the  army,  after  serving  one  year ; 
John  H.  is  married  and  carrying  on  a  farm  in  Ne- 
braska; Norman  and  Sidney  are  married  and  farmers, 
and  both  live  in  Adair  County,  Iowa  ;  Julia  is  the 
wife  of  L.  Aldrich,  a  mechanic,  and  they  live  in 
Guthrie  Centre,  Iowa ;  Daniel  is  married  and  resides 
in  Oneida;  Emma  is  the  wife  of  John  Spurgen,  a 
farmer,  and  resides  in  Nebraska.  Mr.  Day  was  mar- 
ried in  Galesburg  to  Mrs.  Mehilabel  (Firkins)  Hitch- 
cock, who  was  born  in  Cato,  Cayuga  Co.,  N.  Y., 
March  13,  1820.  Her  father,  George  Firkins,  was 
born  and  reared  in  London,  England.  He  came  to 
the  United  States  wheji  a  young  man,  during  the 
French  War,  with  a  merchant  vessel.  He  was 
captured  by  the  French,  and  after  six  weeks  was  sur- 
rendered, having  in  the  meantime  lost  all  his  goods 
and  everything  but  his  wearing  apparel.  He  then 
settled  at  Philadelphia.  He  was  married  in  Spafford, 
N.  Y.,  to  Lydia  Cappell.  He  had  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  \Var,  and  was  in  the  War  of  181 2. 
He  was  a  highly  educated  man  and  an  extensive 
writer,  and  served  as  aid  to  generals  through  these 
wars.  He  and  his  wife  lived  to  be  very  old  i)eople, 
and  died  in  DeKalb  County,  near  Shabbona  Grove, 
on  the  I  ith  day  of  May,  1861 ;  he  was  98  years  old. 
The  mother  died  ten  years  and  a  day  later,  and  was 
then  of  the  same  age  as  her  husband  when  he  died. 
They  were  the  parents  of  1 1  children,  six  sons  and 
five  daughters.  Mrs.  Day,  of  this  sketch,  was  the 
younger  but  two;  all  lived  to  be  grown.  Three  of 
the  latter  and  one  of  the  sons  are  yet  living;  the  son 
in  De  Kalb  County.  Mrs.  Day  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Wolcott,  Wayne  Co,  N.  Y.  She  came, 
when  19  years  of  age,  with  her  parents,  who  first  set- 
tled in  Henderson,  Knox  County.  She  was  first 
married  to  J.  P.  Hitchcock,  who  was  killed  while  de- 
fending the  flag  of  his  country,  by  the  guerrillas,  at 
Frankfort,  Ky.,  Feb.  28,  1865.  He  was  born  in 
Crawford  County.  Ind.,  April  21,  18 18,  and  came 
West  when  a  young  man,  early  in  the  history  of  this 
county,  with  his  parents. 

Mr.  Day  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Log  City, 
and  helped  to  build  the  first  saw-mill  there.  He 
went  thence  to  Knoxville  four  years  later,  and  lias 
since  been  a  citizen  of  this  county.     He  came  to  this 


place  in  March,  1881.  He  owns  80  acres  of  good 
land  where  he  no>v  lives.  He  has  been  a  successful 
farmer,  and  helped  all  his  children  to  a  start  in  life. 
In  the  early  days  he  broke  a  large  area  of  the 
prairie  sod,  and  added  his  full  quota  to  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  virgin  soil.  Mrs.  Day  is  a  member  of  the 
Universalist  Church.  In  politics,  Mr.  D.  was 
formerly  a  Republican,  but  now  casts  his  vote  witii 
the  Prohibitionists. 


-»- 


-e^ 


,ewitt  Smith,  a  successful  farmer  and  re- 
spected citizen  of  this  county,  residing  on 
section  13,  Maquon  Township,  was  born  in 

rPennyslvania.  Nov.  19,  1834,  and  was  quite 
young  when  his  parents  moved  to  this  county. 
He  has  lived  in  Knox  County  since  that  time, 
with  the  e.xception  of  five  months  in  Fulton  County. 
In  1859  he  went  to  California,  where  he  spent  three 
years,  or  rather  two  years  there,  one  year  en  route  to 
and  from.     He  met  with  fair  success. 

He  was  married  in  Salem  Township,  this  county, 
to  Phoebe  Day;  they  have  one  child  living — Victor. 
His  parents  were  V.  R.  and  Angeline  (Catlin) 
Smith,  and  hers  Aaron  and  Permilla  (Randall)  Day, 
natives  of  Ohio  and  Massachusetts  respectively. 
They  settled  in  Clermont  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
still  resides.     She  is  dead. 

Mr.  Smith  has  been  Road  Commissioner  six  years. 
In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He  is  the  owner  of 
80  acres  in  Maquon  Township,  the  most  of  which 
is  tillable. 

,     J     amuel  G.  Holyoke  was  born  in  Cincinnati, 

^  —       Ohio,  Sept.  27,  1824,  and  was  fourth  son  of 

William  and  Lucy  (Greenleaf)  Holyoke,  of 

f,^  early  Massachusetts  families.  The  senior 
I  Mr.  Holyoke  brought  his  effects  to  Knox 
County  in  1837,  and  here  carried  on  farming 
and  wagon-making.  He  learned  wagon-making 
while  young,  and  carried  it  on  in  Cincinnati  several 
years.  He  made  the  first  wagon  ever  constructed  in 
Knox  County.  The  old  man  died  in  1867,  aged  68 
years,  and  his  widow  followed  him  in  1876. 

Samuel  G.  was  educated  at  Knox  College  ;  learned 


<-*- 


972 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4^ 


to  be  a  mechanic  while  a  boy  and  worked  at  farming ; 
started  a  wagon-shop  in  1842  in  Galesburg ;  carried 
it  on  till  1855,  and  made  the  first  covered  carriage 
ever  constructed  in  this  county.  In  1871-72  he  en- 
gaged with  G.  W.  Brown  as  wheel-man,  and,  as  such 
invented  the  machinery  for  making  the  kind  of  wheels 
now  used  in  tlie  famous  Brown  Corn-Planter.  Since 
1878  he  has  been  at  the  head  of  the  pattern  depart- 
ment of  G.  W.  Brown  &  Co.,  and  is  recognized  as  a 
workman  of  extraordinary  skill. 

He  was  married  in  Knoxville  Township  June  2, 
1847,  to  Miss  Amanda  L.  Hoag,  of  Otsego,  N.  Y.,  and 
has  two  sons — James  E.,  collecting  agent  for  the  C, 
B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  Hastings,  Neb.,  and  Rev.  Edward  O. 
Holyoke,  in  charge  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Pittsfield, 
Mass.,  a  position  of  high  rank  in  that  great  de- 
nomination, and  one  to  which  he  was  called  immedi- 
ately upon  leaving  the  seminary. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  is  a  brother  of  Hon. 
J.  M.  Holyoke,  who  represented  Knox  County  three 
terras  in  the  Illinois  Legislature,  and  is  now  (1885) 
Enrolling  Secretary  of  the  Colorado  Senate. 


f- 


j^enry  W.  Smith  is  a  farmer  on  section  tz. 
Haw  Creek  Township,  Knox  County,  111. 
He  was  born  in  Wyandot  County,  Ohio, 
A  Aug.  9,  1828,  and  is  the  son  of  Abraham  and 
'^  Hester  Ann  (Winslow)  Smith  is  the  eldest  of 
a  family  of  six  children,  the  others  being  named 
as  follows:  Daniel,  Margaret,  Samuel,  Ozias  and 
Amy,  four  of  whom  are  living;  Daniel  and  Amy  are 
dead. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  a 
farmer  by  occupation,  and  a  native  of  New  Jersey. 
With  his  wife  he  removed  from  Ohio  to  Knox  Coun- 
ty, in  1850,  and  resided  here  up  to  the  time  of  his 
decease,  March  14,  1853;  the  mother  died  in  Mis- 
souri, March  16,    1880. 

Henry  W.  Smith  was  married  to  Amanda  McHen- 
ry,  Aug.  23,  1849.  She  is  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Harriet  (Richardson)  McHenry,  who  were  the  parents 
of  13  children,  Mrs.  Smith  being  the  fourth;  they 
were  named  James,  Mary,  Eliza,  Amanda,  Elizabeth, 
Daniel,  Harriet,  Carrie  A.,  John,  Nancy,  and  three 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  are  the  parents 
of  seven  children — Daniel,  born  Sept.   13,  1850,  died 


July,  18,  1851;  Abraham,  born  Feb.  16,  1852,  died 
Feb.  23,  1852  ;  Harriet,  born  March  27,  1853;  John 
W.,  born  Jan.  i,  1855;  Belle,  born  Jan.  15,  1859; 
Leefie  J.,  born  Aug.  18,  1862  ;  Flora,  Sept.  29,  1868. 
Mr.  Smith  enlisted  in  the  57th  111  Vol.  Inf.,  Co.  F, 
Capt.  F.  A.  Battey,  and  served  until  July,  1865,  and 
was  mustered  out  at  Louisville  Ky.,  and  was  dis- 
charged and  para  off  at  Chicago,  111.  He  was  with 
his  regiment  all  the  time  that  he  served,  in  its 
marches,  campaigns  and  battles,  and,  after  his 
discharge,  came  home  and  jvent  to  farning.  He  is  a 
Republican  and  has  held  the  office  of  School  Direct- 
or. He  has  40  acres  of  land,  all  under  fence,  and 
has  good  farm  improvements  and  everything  in 
prime  condition.  The  parents  of  Mrs.  Smith  are 
natives  of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  served  in  the 
late  war  and  is  still  living;   the  mother  is  deceased. 


P.  Burnett  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser  on 
section  30,  Haw  Creek  Township.  He 
was  born  in  Putnam  County,  Ind.,  April  ' 
II,  1834,  and  is  the  son  of  Joshua  and  Eliza- 
b^h  (Housh)  Burnett,  natives  of  Georgia,  who 
emigrated  from  Indiana  to  Knox  County,  111., 
in  1836,  coming  overland  with  a  team  of  oxen.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Sarah  Conser 
Sept.  27,  1855.  She  is  the  daughter  of  George 
and  Catherine  Conser;  she  was  born  March  5, 
1827.  To  this  union  there  were  born  five  children: 
Mary  E  ,  June  13,  1856,  is  the  wife  of  L.  P.  Dar- 
nell, living  in  this  township;  Joshua  F.,  born  July 
28,  1857,  is  married  to  Rosa  A.  Allen,  and  lives  in 
this  township;  Ella  A.,  born  Feb.  4,  1859,  is  the 
wife  of  William  E.  Housh,  living  in  this  township; 
Sarah  A.,  born  Nov.  17,  1861 ;  Flora  B.,  June  24, 
1864,  and  they  are  raising  a  boy  named  James  A. 
Nevett,  born  April  i,  1S72.  Mr.  Burnett  makes  the 
breeding  and  raising  of  Short-horn  Durham  cattle  a 
specialty,  also  fine  horses  and  stock  of  all  kinds. 
He  has  traveled  over  the  Southern  and  Western 
States,  and  has  been  shipping  stack  for  a  number  of 
years,  mostly  to  the  Western  States.  He  owns  500 
acres  of  good  land,  all  under  fence,  and  the  most  of 
it  improved,  with  good  buildings  of  all  kinds  and 
ever)'thing  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

Mr.  Burnett  has  been  a  successful  hunter  of  all 


V 


t 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


973 


kinds  of  game  that  infested  the  Illinois  prairies,  and 
is  the  owner  of  the  celebrated  English  foxhounds, 
the  only  dogs  that  can,  unaided,  capture  and  kill  a 
wolf.  He  has  a  rifle  carried  by  his  grandfather, 
Joshua  Burnett,  through  the  Wars  of  the  Revolution 
and  of  1812  and  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  the  old 
piece  is  now  in  good  condition,  all  the  changes  made 
being  that  the  old  flint  lock  is  modernized  by  the 
percussion  cap,  and  the  stock,  formerly  six  feet  in 
length,  has  been  cut  off  to  the  length  of  guns  of  the 
present  day.  /*. 


|S  rasmus  J.  Earel.  Among  the  more  prom- 
inent and  enterprising  farmers  of  Knox 
County,  noteworthy  for  persistent  indus- 
try and  financial  ability,  may  be  counted  the 
subject  of  this  sketCh,  a  brief  summary  of 
whose  personal  history  is  herein  given.  He 
owns  a  farm  on  section  10,  of  Indian  Point  Town- 
ship, and  upon  it  stands  a  pleasant  and  attractive 
home.  He  is  within  a  convenient'distance  of  town 
:  privileges,  living  two  and  three-quarter  miles  south- 
east of  Abingdon. 

Mr.  Earel,  of  this  writing,  was  born  ift  Adams 
County,  111.,  March  28,  1855,  and  came  to  Knox 
County  in  1865,31  the  age  often  years.  Considera- 
ble attention  was  given  to  his  educational  training 
and  he  seemed  to  possess  a  natural  predilection  for 
intellectual  industry.  He  attended  Hedding  College 
three  terms  and  his  application  won  him  golden 
opinions.  He  is  the  son  of  Harvey  D.  and  Margaret 
Earel,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Ohio,  in  1831, 
and  the  date  of  the  latter  parent's  birih  not  being 
positively  known,  the  records,  by  some  unfortunate 
circumstance,  being  lost. 

Mr.  Earel,  of  this  sketch,  lost  his  mother  when 
about  eight  years  of  age.  She  died  of  congestive 
chills,  the  date  of  her  death  being  1863.  She  was 
the  mother  of  five  children,  by  name  Mary  E.,  who 
died  at  the  early  age  of  four  years;  Erasmus,  Silas, 
Mary  F.  and  Jennie  F. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  5»rasmus  Earel  were  united  in  the 
holy  bonds  of  wedlock,  July  3,  1878,  and  his  wife's 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Elwell.  She  was  born  Feb. 
9,  1859,  and  was  at  the  time  of  her  marriage  19 
years  of  age.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and 
Harriet  (Haynes)  Elwell,  and  her  father  was  born  in 


•ir 


Indiana,  July  4,  :835,  while  her  mother.  Miss  Har- 
riet Ha)nes,  first  saw  the  light  of  day  Oct.  2,  1841. 
The  father  now  lives  in  Van  Buren  County,  Iowa. 
She  died  Aug  20,  1865,  leaving  one  child,  a  daugh- 
ter, who  is  the  wife  of  our  subject.  One  year  after 
Mrs.  Elwell  died,  Mr.  Elwell  remarried,  Mrs.  Emily 
A.  Laymon,  of  Ohio,  being  his  chosen  companion. 
Both  she  and  her  husband  survive,  and  are  living  in 
the  State  of  Iowa.  To  them  were  lx)rn  five  children, 
viz:  Araminta,  who  died  in  infancy;  Anna  W., 
Myra,  Hattie  and  Ora.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs  Earel,  of 
this  sketch,  have  been  given  two  children — Harley 
D.,  born  April  18,  1879;  and  Jamie  R.,  Aug.  30, 
1882. 

Mr.  Earel  is  the  owner  of  100  acres  of  fine  land 
and  devotes  himself  to  the  breeding  of  good  blooded 
cattle.     He  has   always  been   prominent   in   public 
affairs  and  has  held  the  office  of  School  Director  for 
a  long  {jeriod.     In  politics  he  affiliates  with  the  Re- 
publican party  and  keeps  his  eyes  open  relative  to 
public  and  private  good.     His  wife  is  a  member  of, 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Abingdon,  and 
formerly  attended  the  St.  Mary's  Seminar)-  at  Knox- 
ville,  at  which  institution  she  remained  two  years. , 
Mr.  Earel  has  an  intelligent  and  interesting  family,  \ 
and  the  home  is  a  place  of  pleasant  resort  to  friends 
and  neighbors. 


ames  T.  Main  is  of  English  birth  and  de- 
_J.-  scent,  and  is  the  son  of  John  and  Martha 
1;^"''^*^  Main.  He  came  to  America  about  1854, 
^i,^  and  worked  at  blacksmithing  in  Chicago  two 
^r  and  a  half  years.  Thence  he  came  to  Ontario 
\  Township,  followed  his  trade  for  a  time,  and, 
by  the  exercise  of  industry  and  economy,  was  enabled 
to  purchase  a  farm  of  80  acres,  to  which  he  subse- 
quently added  80  acres  more  and  now  has  a  good 
farm  and  good  buildings. 

Mr.  Main  was  married  June  15,  1865,  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  George  and  Elizabeth  Edwards.  Miss 
Edwards  was  born  Oct.  23,  1842,  in  Somerton,  En- 
gland, and  came  with  her  parents  to  America  and 
located  in  Ontario  Township,  where  they  now  reside. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Main  seven  children  have  been 
born,  viz.:  Nellie  B.,  April  15,  1866;  Carrie  E.,  Nov. 
27,  1870;  Addie  M.,  June  27,  1874;  Dora,  Oct.  23 
1876  ;   James  T.,  Aug.  16,  1879  ;    Gertie  E.,  Feb.  9,' 


"4*^ 


-s^^ 


974 


KKOX  COUNTY. 


f 


1S82;  William  A.,  Sept.  16,  1884.  Mrs.  Main  is  a 
member  of  the  Congregational  Church.  Mr.  Main 
is  an  upright  and  worthy  member  of  the  community 
and  greatly  esteemed  for  his  integrity  and  all  those 
qualities  which  constiuite  the  true  man  and  good 
citizen.  His  comfortable  surroundings  have  been 
secured  by  unremitting  industry  and  the  exercise  of 
that  judgment  which  has  enabled  him  not  only  to 
acquire,  but  to  take  good  care  of  what  he  has  ac- 
quired, so  that  his  later  years  may  be  passed  in  ease 
and  contentment. 


-^*>* 


udson  W.  Briggs,  a  progressive  farmer  and 

honored  citizen  of  tiiis  county,  residing  in 

Maquon  Township,  came  to  Knox  County 

in  the  spring  of  1856,  and  lived  in  Altona  for 

one  year,  and  in   1857  came  to  Maquon.     He 

came  from  Madison  County,  N.Y.    He  learned 

the  trade  of  tinsmith  in  Oneida,  Oneida  Co.,  N.  Y., 

and  followed  the  same  for  some  three  years  and  then 

^  came  to  Chicago,  where  he  worked  one  winter.     On 

coming  to  Altona   he   followed  the  same   business. 

Arrixing  in  Maquon,  he  followed  his  trade  for  about 

,  four  years,  and  then  engaged  in  farming  and  dealing 

in  stock,  which  business  he  is  at  present  following. 

Mr.  Briggs  is  the  owner  of  1,350  acres  of  land  in 
this  county.  He  was  born  in  Madison  County,  N.Y. , 
March  18,  1837.  He  received  a  somewhat  limited 
school  education,  and  when  he  was  11  years  old  he 
worked  out  by  the  month  for  I4  per  month.  When 
he  was  about  14  years  of  age  he  was  apprenticed  to 
learn  the  tinsmith's  trade,  and  after  three  years  mas- 
tered the  same.  He  was  married  in  Maquon,  Aug. 
13,  1859,  to  Priscilla  Jones,  born  in  Meadville,  Pa., 
and  they  have  had  four  children — Ida,  Charlie  D., 
Frank  and  Maud.  The  latter  died  when  two  years 
old.  Ida  is  the  wife  of  Wm.  Coffman  and  resides  in 
Chestnut  Township;  she  has  two  children — Nina 
and  Henry.  Charlie  married  Lizzie  Combs  and  re- 
sides in  Maquon  Township.  Frank  resides  at  home. 
In  politics  Mr.  Briggs  is  a  Republican.  His  parents 
were  Cyrus  and  Mary  A.  (Tinker)  Briggs,  natives  of 
New  York  and  Connecticut  respectively.  They 
married  and  settled  in  Madison  County,  N.  Y.,  where 
the  father  died  when  Judson  W.  was  quite  young. 
The  mother  survives  and  resides  in  New  York.  Thev 


T- 


had  five  children — George,  Cornelia,  Ebenezer,  Dan- 
iel and  Judson  W. 

In  1883  Mr.  Briggs  opened  a  livery-stable  in  Ma- 
quon, which  he  has  since  operated.  He  is  an  exten- 
sive shipper  of  hogs,  cattle  and  horses. 


-?— 


.3S#ft«r 


S.  Bradford,  of  whose  history  we  give  a  few 
brief  details,  is  a  farmer  on  section  3,  in 
Haw  Creek  Township.  He  was  born  in 
the  State  of  Maine,  Sept.  27,  1809,  and  is  the 
son  of  Charles  and  Elizabeth  (Clark)  Brown 
Bradford.  The  father  of  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  a  native  of  Massachusetts  and  his  mother 
of  Maine.  The  father  in  his  younger  days  was  a 
potter  by  trade,  and  removed  to  Ohio  when  his  son, 
H.  S.,  was  four  years  old.  There  he  followed  farm- 
ing, and  about  the  year  1833  he  removed  to  Knox- 
ville,  111.,  with  his  family.  They  came  overland  with 
teams.  The  father  bought  and  improved  land  in 
Persifer  Township,  in  this  county,  and  made  a  home 
for  himself  and  his  family.  He  died  on  the  home- 
stead about  the  year  1873  ;  the  mother  died  at  the 
same  place  in  1833,  directly  after  coming  to  Illinois. 
The  subject  of  this  notice  was  married  to  Hester 
Whiten  in  1835.  To  this  union  were  born  nine 
children,  named  as  follows :  Elizabeth,  Ann  M., 
William,  Sophia,  Louisa,  Rufus,  Alia  and  Olive 
(twins)  and  Emma.  His  son  William  was  a  soldier 
in  the  late  War  for  the  Union.  Mr.  Bradford  has 
217  acres  of  land  in  Knox  County,  with  good  and 
comfortable  buildings  of  all  kinds.  In  politics  he  is 
a  Republican. 

Ivin  H.  Potter,  M.  D.  and  A.  M.,  residing 

If  at  Maquon,  is  a  son  of  Sheldon  and 
"®°  Wealthy  (Baldwin)  Potter,  he  of  English- 
Scotch  and  she  of  English  and  French  ances- 
try. They  were  natives  of  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts  respectively.  Sheldon  Potter, 
our  subject's  grandfather,  came  from  England  in  the 
time  of  Oliver  Cromwell.  There  were  three  brothers 
who  came  to  America,  refugees  from  England.  They 
came  with  the  Judges,  Whaley  and  Goffe,  who 
sentenced  King  Charles  I  to  death.  On  arriving 
here,  they,  with  the  Judges,  were  concealed  in  a  cave 
on  the  Hudson  River  for  about  a  year.  The  brothers 


I 


4= 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


975 


then  separated ;  one  of  thein,  the  grandfather  of 
Sheldon  Potter,  settled  in  Connecticut.  He  was  the 
original  inventor  of  shoepegs. 

Sheldon  Potter  became  the  father  of  six  children. 
Their  names  were :  Laurens  B.,  Norman  Z.,  Lorin 
E.,  Alvin  H.,  Anson  S.  and  Sherman  S. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  what  is 
now  Erie  County,  N.  Y.,  15  miles  from  Buffalo,  June 
30,  1825.  He  passed  his  early  life  on  his  father's 
farm  until  12  years  old.  He  then  went  to  live  with 
Col.  Fillmore,  an  uncle  of  ex-President  Fillmore,  and 
while  with  him  he  attended  school  at  Aurora  Acad- 
emy two  years  and  graduated  when  14  years  of  age. 
He  then  went  to  Ashtabula  County,  Ohio,  to  his 
father's,  who  had  removed  from  Erie  County,  N.  Y., 
and  worked  on  a  farm  until  he  was  17  years  old.  He 
then  entered  Kingsville  Academy  at  Kingsville,  Ohio, 
and  graduated  three  years  later,  at  the  age  of  20. 
He  entered  the  law  office  of  Giddings  &  Wade 
(Joshua  R.  Giddings  and  Ben.  Wade),  and  while  at- 
tending school  studied  under  their  instruction  for 
three  years  and  was  admitted  to  practice  by  the  Su- 
preme  Court  of  Ohio.  The  fall  he  was  20  he  went 
to  Jackson  County,  Mich.,  and  taught  school  the 
following  winter,  and  in  May  he  entered  the  Michi- 
gan Central  College,  known  now  as  Hillsdale  Col- 
lege. He  attended  this  college  about  four  months, 
graduating  the  following  June,  and  the  same  sum- 
mer he  worked  out  by  the  month  on  a  farm  at  $17 
per  month. 

In  1847  Mr.  Potter  began  the  study  of  medicine 
with  Dr.  Colton  in  Jackson  County,  Mich.,  and  con- 
tinued with  him  until  he  came  West,  in  1S50.  In 
October,  1S50,  he  came  to  Maquon  and  for  one  year 
was  engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  read  the  Ho- 
meopathic system  of  medicine  and  also  studied  law 
at  the  same  time.  He  has  been  located  in  Maquon 
since  that  time,  with  the  exception  of  three  months, 
when  he  was  at  Pekin,  111.  He  graduated  from  the 
Rush  Medical  College  at  Chicago  in  the  session  of 
i854-.S5-  In  1856  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of 
Knox  County  and  is  still  a  member.  His  first  mar- 
riage look  place  at  Lenawee  County,  Mich.,  July  5, 
1 848,  to  Thankful  Fowler,  a  niece  of  Prof.  O.  S. 
Fowler.  She  was  born  in  Onondaga  County,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  23,  1S28,  and  has  borne  him  two  children — Abby 
A.  and  Virgil  A.  Abby  A.  is  the  wife  of  S.  Z.  Mc- 
Culloch  and  resides  in  Maquon  Township  ;  she  is 
the  mother  of  seven  children.  Virgil  is  married  and 
- ,    ■ 'X. 


resides  at  David  City,  Neb.  They  have  three  chil- 
dren and  lost  two  at  birth. 

Mrs.  Potter  died  at  Maquon,  June  30,  1858.  He 
was  again  married  in  Knox  County,  June  19,  i860, 
to  Eliza  J.  Moore,  who  is  a  native  of  Knox  County, 
born  March  4,  1842.  They  have  two  children — An- 
son S.  and  Alvin  G.  Anson  married  Amanda  Housh 
and  resides  in  Nebraska.     Alvin  resides  at  Maquon. 

Dr.  Potter  has  been  Coroner  two  years.  He  has 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  1 1  con- 
secutive years,  and  in  April,  1885,  he  was  again 
elected  to  that  office.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican. 
Dr.  Potter  is  a  member  of  the  State  Homeopathic 
Medical  Society ;  also  a  member  of  the  Western 
Homeopathic  Society;  a  member  and  late  Presi- 
dent of  the  Central  Military  Tract  Homeopathic 
Society ;  a  member  of  the  Missouri  Homeopathic 
Medical  Society,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Cen- 
sors of  the  same  society,  and  honorary  member  of  the 
California  Homeopathic  Medical  Society. 

*  ■   : ^;  %^%  ■ ; — ^ 


1|Wlbert  A.  Cawkins.  Prominent  among  the 
r  well-to-do  farmers  of  Sparta  Township,  who 
i0's^  came  to  this  county  away  back  in  1836, 
/|.}a  and  who  have  continued  to  reside  here  until 
li^  the  present  time,  meeting  with  success  in  their 
I  chosen  vocation,  is  the  gentleman  of  whom 
these  notes  are  written.  He  is  at  present  residing  on 
section  2,  Sparta  Township,  being  township  12  north, 
range  2  east  of  the  4th  principal  meridian,  where 
is  located  his  fine  farm  of  220  fertile  acres,  on  which 
there  are  good  and  substantial  improvements. 

Mr.  Cawkins  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Hillsdale, 
Columbia  Co.,  N.  Y.,  June  r,  1808.  His  parents 
were  Stephen  (the  sixth  generation  from  Hugh)  and 
Anna  (Smith)  Cawkins,  likewise  natives  of  York 
State.  The  father  of  Stephen  Cawkins  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  his  distant  forefather,  Hugh 
Cawkins,  born  in  Monmouthshire,  England,  in  1600, 
came  from  England  to  Massachusetts  in  the  year 
1640,  and  soon  settled  in  Connecticut.  From  Hugh 
Cawkins  conies  the  Cawkins  family  existing  through- 
out different  parts  of  the  United  States  to-day. 
Stephen  Cawkins  came  to  Illinois,  in  1838,  and  set- 
tled in  Henry  County,  where  he  purchased  a  farm, 
on  which  he  located  and  there  lived,  engaged  in  iha\ 


V 


■<* 


976 


JCJVOX  COUNTY. 


honorable  calling  until  his  death,  in  1857  ;  his  wife 
had  died  in  1843. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  an  inmate  of  the 
parental  household  until  he  attained  the  age  of  23 
years.  He  received  a  common-school  education  and 
diligently  assisted  his  father  in  the  labors  of  the  farm, 
and  after  leaving  home  engaged  to  learn  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  This  he  mastered  and  followed  for  sev- 
eral years,  when  he  was  employed  as  a  salesman,  to 
travel  throughout  the  Southern  States,  and  was  thus 
occupied  for  three  years.  In  1836  our  subject  came 
to  this  State  and  at  once  entered  1 80  acres  of  land 
on  section  2,  Sparta  Township.  Subsequently  he 
increased  his  landed  interests  by  an  additional  pur- 
chase of  40  acres.  When  he  first  came  here  the 
county  was  sparsely  settled  and  the  hand  of  civili- 
zation was  hardly  visible;  indeed,  there  was  not  a 
white  man  who  had  settled  upon  the  broad  prairie 
one  mile  from  the  timber,  all  who  had  made  settle- 
ment having  selected  the  timber.  It  was  at  this  date 
that  the  Underground  Railroad  was  being  operated, 
and  the  subject  of  this  notice  at  this  day  is  not 
afraid  to  acknowledge  that  he  was  an  active  partici- 
pant. Mr.  Cawkins,  on  settling  on  the  land  which 
he  originally  entered,  at  once  began  its  improvement 
and  cultivation,  and  for  50  years  has  continued  to 
reside  thereon,  having  through  his  own  exertions  and 
labor  brought  it  to  the  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
value  that  it  occupies  at  this  writing. 

In  1837,  one  year  after  his  arrival  in  this  country, 
he  concluded  that  he  needed  a  helpmate  to  aid  him 
in  the  improvement  of  his  home  and  to  share  in  the 
successes  which  he  was  certain  he  saw  in  the  near 
future.  He  consequently  selected  Miss  L.  M.  Park 
as  his  companion.  She  was  a  native  of  Massachu- 
setts, and  a  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Frink)  Park,  and  bore  her  husband  eight  children, 
five  only  of  whom  are  now  living:  Calvin,  wlio  mar- 
ried Elizabeth  Berry  and  by  whom  he  has  had  three 
children — Ella,  Carrie  and  Ida  ;  Leonard  took  to  wife 
Flora  Snell,  and  their  children  are  eight  in  number — 
Ernest,  Hugh,  Nellie,  Riifus,  Eli,  Abigail,  Rosa  and 
Lois  M.;  Dwight  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth; 
Leroy  married  Fannie  Reed,  and  they  have  one  son — 
Willis  ;  Fremont  L.  also  became  a  married  man,  the 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  being  Helen  R.  Parker. 

In  politics  Mr.  Cawkins  is  a  Republican  and  has 
been  one  in  sentiment  ever  since  1850.  Being  in- 
tensely Anti-slavery  in  sentiment,  he  left  the  Whig 


party  on   the    passage   of  the   Fugitive-Slave   law, 

which  he  considered  a  disgrace  to  civilization.  While 

in  the  midst  of  slavery  he  opposed  it   with  tongue 

and  pen.     The  following  is  a  small  specimen  of  what 

he  left  among  the  slaveholders  and  which  he  wrote 

in  1834 : 

Founded  on  oppre.ssion, 
Stigma  to  the  Nation, 

Witliout  shadow  of  Equity, 
I.S  held  as  a  treasure 
For  profit  and  pleasure, 

Hotbeds  of  all  iniquity. 

Mr.  Cawkins  and  his  wife,  who,  when  another  year 
shall  have  rolled   around,  will  have  been  man  and 
wife  for  50  years,  will  celebrate  their  golden  wedding. 
They  are  true  and  consistent  members  of  the   Bap- 
tist Church,  and  hand  in  hand  have  climbed  the  lad- 
der of  difficulty  until  at   last  they  are  hving  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  competency  earned  through  honest 
toil.     Mr.  Cawkins  has  held  the  office  of  School   Di- 
rector, and  to  him  belongs  the   honor  of  calling  the 
first  school  meeting  ever  held  in  Sparta  Township, 
and  he  was  the  only  one  who  attended  that  meeting  T 
who  could  re^d  or  write.     His  past  career  has  been 
an  honorable  one,  and  he  is  one  of  the  respected  and  1 
honored  citizens  not  only  of  Sparta  Township,  but  of  "^ 
Knox  County. 

Mr.  Cawkins  bears  the  reputation  oi  being  one  of 
the  best  carpenters  in  the  country,  and  is  a  thorough- 
ly reliable  business  man.  At  his  old  home  in  New 
York  he  was  esteemed  the  best  posted  man  in  mili- 
tary tactics,  and  was  compelled  to  drill  the  field  and 
staff  officers  of  the  militia  regiment  to  which  he  be- 
longed. 


'ames  Neely,  a  highly  respected  and  well- 
^  to-do  farmer,  residing  on  section  30,  Sparta 
Township,  was  born  Sept.  17,  1806,  in 
Herkimer  County,  N.  Y.  He  was  the  son  of 
Abraham  and  Hannah  (Dill)  Neely,  both  na- 
tives of  New  York.  He  was  reared  on  the 
farm  and  received  a  common -school  education.  He 
came  to  Illinois  in  1848,  locating  for  a  short  time 
with  what  was  known  as  the  Log  City  Colony,  and 
finally  settling  in  Henderson  Township,  where  he  lived 
nine  years.  During  this  time  he  purchased  the  farm 
upon  which  he  now  resides,  and  cultivated  and  im- 
proved it  while  he  lived  on  the  Henderson  Town- 


i^^^4^ 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


977 


ship  farm;  he  also  built  his  present  dwelling  in  1847, 
and  moved  the  same  year  to  tiie  farm  upon  which  he 
has  since  resided  and  carried  on  his  agricultural  pur- 
suits. 

Mr.  Neely  was  married  in  New  York  on  the  2d 
day  of  November,  1827,  to  Miss  Sabrina  Arnold, 
daughter  of  Edward  and  Mercy  Arnold.  Miss  Ar- 
nold was  born  Oct.  13,  1806,  in  Herkimer  County,  N. 
Y.  By  this  union  were  born  nine  children,  six  of 
whom  are  living,  viz.:  Mandevill,  Maria,  Mortimer, 
Hannah,  Lucy  and  Charles  R. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neely  are  members  of  the  Congre- 
gational Church. 

Abraham  Neely,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  a 
captain  in  the  Revolutionary  War  under  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, and  Mrs.  Neely's  father  also  served  in  tlie 
War  of  the  Revolution.  Mortimer  Neely,  the  son 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  N.  of  our  sketch,  served  three  years 
in  the  Union  Army,  and  served  his  country  fighting 
Indians  for  two  years  afterward,  in  the  Far  West. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch,  now,  after  a  goodly 
number  of  years  spent  in  frugal  industry,  is  enabled 
to  sit  under  "  his  own  vine  and  fig-tree,"  obtaining 
satisfaction  in  the  review  of  a  well-spent  past,  and 
pleasure  in  the  anticipation  of  a  pleasant  afternoon 
of  life,  to  which  an  unvarying  course  of  integrity  and 
rectitude  has  given  him  abundant  title. 


ideon  S.  Hawkins,  general  dealer  in  gro- 
ceries, etc.,  at  Oneida,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
citizens  of  Knox  County,  having  come  to 
Galesburg  in  1838,  when  that  place  was  yet  a 
small  village,  and  the  country  around  it  al- 
most an  unbroken  prairie.  He  was  the  son  of 
Jacob  Hawkins,  a  resident  of  Suffolk  County,  N.  Y., 
where  he  lived  and  died.  He  was  of  American  pa- 
rentage and  English  ancestry.  The  mother,  Mary 
Smith,  was  horn  in  Setauket  village,  Brookhaven 
Township,  Suffolk  Co.,  N.  Y.,  and  spent  her  life  in 
her  native  county.  Her  father  was  an  old  sea  cap- 
tain, and  is  supposed  to  be  of  Englisli  descent  and 
parentage. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  successful  farmer. 
The  family  consisted  of  nine  children,  six  sons  and 
three  daughters.  Mr.  Hawkins  of  this  notice  was 
the  fifth  in  order  of  birth.     He  received  a  common- 


school  education,  and  resided  at  home  until  17  years 
of  age,  when  he  set  out  for  New  York  City.  There 
he  engaged  as  an  apprentice  to  learn  the  carpenter 
and  joiner  trade,  under  the  instruction  of  Noah 
Tompkins,  a  Quaker  from  White  Plains,  N.  Y.  He 
was  with  Mr.  Tompkins  four  years,  receiving  for  his 
labor  $25,  $30,  $35  and  $40  respectively  for  each 
year's  work,  and  clotlied  himself.  After  he  had  com- 
pleted his  trade,  he  worked  for  Mr.  Tompkins  from 
Dec.  21,  1837,  till  May,  1838,  when  with  but  $1.50 
in  money  he  set  out  for  the  then  Far  West.  He 
worked  his  way  from  Philadelphia  across  the  Alle- 
ghanies  to  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  where  he  took  passage  on  a 
boat  down  the  Ohio  River  to  Cincmnati,  where  he 
got  onto  another  boat  laden  with  a  cargo  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  on  which  he  worked  his  passage  to  the 
last-named  place,  where  he  secured  a  job  unloading 
the  steamer,  and  thereby  secured  money  enough  to 
get  to  Rock  Island.  Thence  with  a  rifle  on  his 
shoulder  he  started  out  in  quest  of  work,  and  finally 
reached  Henry  County,  where  he  did  some  carpen- 
ter work  for  George  Brandenburg,  his  first  work  in 
this  State.  He  remained  in  Henry  County  for  some  J 
months.  In  the  meantime  he  built  the  first  house "^ 
on  the  original  site  of  Morristown,  that  county.  In 
October,  1838,  he  struck  out  for  Knox  County. 
Some  of  his  first  work  was  in  Knoxville,  for  old 
Deacon  Chambers,  who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
of  that  place.  He  afterward  went  to  Henderson 
Township  and  worked  for  Mr.  William  Riley  for  two 
years.  Afterward  he  worked  in  the  village  of  Hen- 
derson for  some  time,  and  finally  drifted  into  cabinet- 
making,  which  he  followed  in  that  place  till  1857. 
In  that  year,  while  in  Henderson,  he  became  surety 
for  a  large  stock  of  goods  which  he  was  obliged  to 
take  possession  of,  and  he  then  engaged  in  merchan- 
dising with  varied  success  for  five  years.  He  suc- 
ceeded in  paying  the  indebtedness  against  the  store, 
and  had  a  small  stock  of  goods  left,  and  liipiidated 
the  debt  on  an  80-acre  farm  he  had  contracted  for 
in  Sparta  Township  about  the  time  he  took  the 
store.  Mr.  Hawkins  went  on  the  farm  then  in  187  i, 
and  added  40  acres  more,  operating  it  for  nine  years. 
In  1880  he  leased  the  farm  and  went  to  Wataga,  and 
one  year  later  came  to  Oneida  and  purchased  a 
meat-market.  Six  months  later  he  sold  out  and  en- 
gaged in  his  present  business.  He  has  since  pur- 
chased a  good  house  and  lot  in  this  place. 

While  in  Henderson  Township,  Mr.  Hawkins  was 


-N^ 


i-^  » 


^^^ 


978 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


marrisd,  in  April,  1843,  to  Miss  Margaret  M.  Levalley. 
She  was  born  in  Oswego  County,  N.  Y.,  and  came 
to  Illinois  with  her  parents,  who  at  once  settled  in 
Henderson  Township,  and  there  died.  Mrs.  Haw- 
kins is  the  mother  of  three  children — Mary  E.,  wife 
of  Isaac  Rucker, residing  in  Oneida;  John  A.  resides 
at  home  in  Oneida;  Frank  E.,  married  and  resides 
on  a  farm  in  Sparta;  he  was  formerly  an  engineer. 

Mrs.  Hawkins  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
Church.  Mr.  Hawkins  was  Police  Magistrate  here 
for  two  years,  but  is  now  out  of  office.  In  politics 
he  is  a  solid  Republican,  and  is  a  Swedenborgian  in 
religion.  He  is  a  thorough  student  in  philosophy, 
and  is  the  originator  of  some  new  ideas  in  regard  to 
the  cause  of  the  earth's  action  and  shape  and  the 
various  forces  of  the  planets  in  relation  to  each 
other,  and  he  is  an  eloquent  advocate  of  the  sciences, 
whose  pursuit  proves  to  him  a  source  of  great  pleas- 
ure and  satisfaction. 

.,>, o»o.-@;>><V^-o*o- — V-- 

D.  Thomas,  a  farmer,  residing  on  section 
2,  Victoria  Township,  Knox  County,  was 
born  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  Sept.  20, 
818.  His  parents  were  Enoch  and  Anna 
(Dilley)  Thomas,  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and 
'New  Jersey  respectively.  They  came  to  Ohio 
at  an  early  day  and  settled  in  Guernsey  County,  pur- 
chasing 160  acres  of  land,  to  which  they  afterward 
added  about  320  acres.  They  had  a  family  of  15 
children,  eight  still  living  :  Hannah,  now  Mrs.  Glas- 
ner;  Lucy  A.,  now  Mrs.  Campbell;  Martha  A.,  now 
Mrs.  A.  L.  Brooks:  Mary  C,  now  Mrs.  King;  Will- 
iam D.,  Enoch  J.,  James  and  Ephraim.  The  par- 
ents remained  in  Ohio  until  the  death  of  the  father 
in  1857;  the  mother  died  July  r2,  1882,  aged  94 
years. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
22  years  old,  and  assisted  on  the  farm  and  attended 
school.  After  leaving  home  he  went  onto  a  farm  of 
80  acres,  in  1841,  and  lived  on  it  until  1853.  He 
then  sold  out,  and  purchased  a  woolen  factory,  oper- 
ating the  same  two  years,  then  sold  it  and  came  to 
Illinois,  by  wagon,  and  was  on  the  road  23  days. 
He  settled  in  Knox  County,  on  section  34,  Victoria 
Township,  and  purchased  90  acres,  where  he  lived 
ten  years.     This  he  sold  and  moved  onto  section  2  ., 


same  township,  where  he  now  lives,  and  purchased 
160  acres,  to  which  he  has  since  added  240,  and 
is  engaged  in  the  stock  business. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  married  to  Miss  Lovina  Kinney, 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  and  daughter  of  David 
and  Mary  (Shafer)  Kinney.  They  were  natives  of 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and 
came  to  Ohio  in   1824,  settling  in  Guernsey  County. 

They  had  a  family  of  six  children,  five  still  living — 
Peter;  Leah,  now  Mrs.  Davis;  John;  Lovina,  now 
Mrs.  Thomas;  Margrett,  now  Mrs.  Morns,  lives  in 
Des  Moines,  Iowa.  The  parents  lived  in  Ohio  until 
their  death,  in  r86o  and  [864  respectively. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomas  have  a  family  of  i  r  chil- 
dren, nine  still  living  :  Margrett  A.,  now  Mrs.  Mc- 
Clanahan,  has  five  children — Edna  D.,  Daniel,  Carl 
D.,  Franklin  and  Bert.  John  F.  married  Elizabeth 
Burch,  and  they  have  tliree  children — John  D.,  Ella, 
Sanoria.  William  F.  married  Eliza  Patton ;  they 
have  two  children — Norris  and  Maud.  Mary  C, 
now  Mrs.  Mills,  has  three  children — Estella,  Bert  and 
Bessie.  Erastus  R.  lives  in  Nebraska ;  Elwood 
married  Salome  Keiser ;  they  have  one  child — -John 
W.  R.;  Ruth,  now  Mrs.  Guild,  has  one  child,  Elli- 
son, and  lives  in  Nebraska;  Abraham  L.  also  lives 
in  Nebraska  ;  Samuel. 

Mr.  Thomas  in  politics  is  a  Greenbacker,  and 
he  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church.  He  is  one  of  the  representative  and 
solid  men  of  Victoria  Township. 


•'\r\r\.-ntsisiaM^^ 


>-»^^W;<jr*»~'v\/\~ 


,eorge  F.  Edwards,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Edwards  &  Taylor,  dealers  in 
groceries,  etc.,  Altona,  is  also  proprietor  of 
the  Edwards  House  and  a  first-class  restau- 
y^  rant.  Mr.  Edwards  came  to  Altona  in  r879, 
j  and  opened  up  the  restaurant,  afterward 
forming  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Taylor  in  the  grocery 
business,  purchasing,  Dec.  7,  1885,  the  stock  of  Mr. 
Frederick.  In  December,  1880,  Mr.  Edwards 
bought  and  opened  the  "  Edwards  House,"  running 
it  in  connection  with  his  other  business. 

George  Edwards  was  born  in  Somersetshire, 
England,  March  4,  1844,  his  father,  George,  being  a 
farmer  and  native  of  the  same  shire,  where  he  was 
inarried  to  Elizabeth  Hilborne.     After  the  birth  of  a 


*  + 


f^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


»  T» 


979 


family  of  ten  children,  seven  sons  and  three  daugh- 
ters, George,  Jr ,  being  the  youngest  but  one,  they 
came  with  all  the  family  to  America,  settling  in 
Ontario  Township,  where  the  father  purchased  120 
acres  of  good  land,  on  which  he  still  resides.  The 
mother  died  June  23,  1885,  aged  nearly  65  years. 
Two  other  daughters  were  born  to  them  after  their 
arrival  in  Knox  County. 

George  Edwards  was  14  years  old  when  the  family 
came  to  this  country,  and  when  18  years  old  began 
farming  on  his  own  account  in  Ontario  Township, 
which  he  continued  until  1877.  During  these  years 
he  had  procured  a  good  farm  of  80  acres  in  that 
township,  which  he  still  owns,  and  since  1S77  he  has 
been  engaged  in  the  business  in  which  he  is  at  pres- 
ent interested. 

Nov.  7,  1867,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  J.  Noble,  in  Ontario  Township.  She 
was  born  in  Cumberland,  England,  in  1850,  and 
came  to  this  country  with  her  parents,  who  were 
farmers,  when  a  young  woman,  her  mother  dying  on 
Quarantine  Island,  N.  Y.,  while  on  the  way  out. 
Her  father  now  resides  in  Kansas.  Mrs.  Edwards 
'  I  is  the  mother  of  one  child — Nellie,  a  devoted 
daughter,  who  was  born  Aug.  20,  iS68.  Mr.  Ed 
wards  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  possesses  e.xcel- 
lent  business  abilities,  which  he  has  turned  to  good 
account,  and,  better  than  all,  is  a  useful,  enterpris- 
ing, public-spirited  citizen,  accommodating  and 
courteous  and  well  liked  by  the  people  among  whom 
most  of  his  years  have  been  passed.  He  is  yet  a 
young  man,  and  many  years  are  yet  before  him  in 
which  to  advance  the  interests  of  and  serve  his  fel- 
low-citizens. 


ii^onas  Johnson,  a  farmer  on  section  g,  Cop- 
If'  ley  Township,  Knox  County,  was  born  in 
-Sweden,  Sept.  28,  1830.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Brita  (Johnson)  Oleson.  They  were 
farmers  and  had  a  family  of  eight  children. 
They  died  in  their  native  land  in  1861  and 
1857.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest 
of  the  family,  and  remained  at  home  until  22  years 
old.  He  received  a  good  common-school  education 
and  assisted  on  the  farm.  In  1S53  he  left  his  native 
land  and  came  to  America.  He  sought  a  home  in 
the  West,  and,  locating  in  Sparta  Township,  Knox 


County,  engaged  to  work  on  the  railroad  and  followed 
the  same  six  months.  He  was  then  variously  em- 
ployed until  1862,  when  he  enlisted  in  Co.  A,  47th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  and  was  in  the  service  nine  months; 
he  had  enlisted  for  three  years,  but  on  account  of 
disability  was  discharged.  He  returned  to  Tazewell 
County,  and  worked  on  a  farm  until  1868,  wiien  he 
located  a  homestead  where  he  now  lives. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  married,  in  1869,  to  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Morrison,  a  native  of  Sweden,  and  daughter  of 
Eric  and  Brita  (Lawson)  Erickson.  They  came  to 
America  in  1847  and  settled  in  Knox  County,  Cop- 
ley Township,  on  section  22,  where  they  lived  until 
the  father's  death,  in  1854;  the  mother  is  still  living, 
in  Kansas.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Johnson  are  the  parents 
of  two  children — Theodore  O.  and  Frank  VV.  Mrs. 
Johnson  was  married  to  her  first  husband,  Alexan- 
der Morrison,  in  1855.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.  had  two 
children — Carrie  and  Emma  C,  both  living.  Mr. 
Morrison  died  in  1861. 

Mr.  Johnson  is  a  Republican  and  a  member  of 
the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  He  is  a 
worthy  citizen  and  possesses  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  his  community. 


jK' 


[jSatrick  Sheahan.  The  subject  of  this  nar- 
rative is  a  general  farmer,  residing  on  section 
ijkSiT'^  II,  Walnut  Grove  Township.  He  is  the 
^  son  of  Patrick  and  Berdelia  (Riley)  Sheahan, 
iV.  both  natives  of  Ireland,  where  they  were  mar- 
ried, but  subsequently  came  to  the  United 
Slates.  They  at  first  located  in  New  York  City,  where 
all  their  children  were  born.  By  this  happy  union 
there  were  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  Mr.  Shea- 
han, Jr.,  being  the  younger  son,  and  the  youngest 
but  two  of  the  family.  He  was  born  on  the  5th  of 
August,  1857.  In  1866  the  family  all  came  Westward 
and  settled  on  a  farm  of  160  acres  in  the  township 
above  referred  to.  A  portion  of  the  family  still  re- 
side on  the  original  homestead,  where  the  father  died 
Oct.  14,  1874.  The  mother  is  in  her  65th  year,  a 
venerable  and  kindly-hearted  old  lady,  still  living  on 
the  homestead,  and  to  which  the  children  have  added 
80  acres  since  the  death  of  their  father.  The  farm 
is  now  owned  and  operated  by  the  son,  Thomas  S. 

Mr.  Sheahan,  of  this  biography,  resided  at  his  par- 
ents' home  until  he  was  married,  in  Wataga,  Knox 


-H- 


■64 


qSo 


-    . .y. 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


jX» 


County,  Sept.  i,  1880,  to  Miss  Dora  Wickham,  a 
native  of  New  York  City,  where  she  was  born  March 
12,  1862.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Ellas  and  Nettie 
Davis,  of  New  York  State.  The  parents  were  farm- 
ers, and  first  came  to  Illinois  in  1865,  settling  in 
Galva,  later  at  Altona,  where  they  purchased  a  farm 
of  240  acres  in  Walnut  Grove  Township.  This  they 
made  their  home  for  eight  years  and  then  proceeded 
to  the  State  of  Nebraska,  where  they  arrived  in  1881 
and  took  up  a  farm  of  1,120  acres  in  Merrick  Coun- 
ty. This  opened  an  opportunity  for  extensive  stock- 
raising,  which  was  carried  on  with  success  and  profit. 
Mrs.  Sheahan  was  educated  in  Knox  County  and 
resided  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage.  By 
this  union  one  child  has  been  born — Maud,  May  17, 
1881.  For  a  few  years  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Shea- 
han operated  a  portion  of  the  old  homestead  farm, 
but  in  the  spring  of  1885  he  took  up  his  present  loca- 
tion, which  consists  of  about  144  acres,  in  an  ad- 
vanced state  of  cultivation. 

■  These  good  people  are  both  active  and  consistent 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  in  which 
[  they  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  By  political 
"  persuasion  Mr.  Sheahan  is  a  Democrat,  who  is  al- 
ways willing  and  ready  to  give  his  earnest  support 
to  any  measure  calculated  to  further  the  interests  of 
the  party  whose  policy  he  believes  to  be  for  the 
good  of  the  country. 

■•€-^^# ^^- 


ichael    H.    Collins,     a     stock-buyer     of 

^^ ,    Knoxville,  was  born  in  Pickaway  County, 

|,i'i^^'i  Ohio.  His  father,  Michael  Collins,  was  a 
^U''^\  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  1800.  When  a 
^  young  man  he  left  his  native  land  and  came  to 
I  America.  He  lived  in  New  York  City  eight 
years,  employed  on  public  works.  From  there  he 
went  to  Pennsylvania,  thence  to  Maryland,  and 
thence  to  Pickaway  County,  Ohio,  where  he  pur- 
chased a  small  farm  and  resided  until  1848,  when 
he  sold  out  and  started  for  Iowa,  accompanied  l)y  his 
wife  and  eight  children,  with  a  four-horse  team.  One 
of  the  children  was  taken  sick  at  Knoxville  and  he 
tarried  for  a  few  days,  and  in  the  meantime  he  con- 
cluded to  locate  in  Knox  County.  He  bought  a  farm 
of  160  acres  located  in  Knox  Township.  There 
was  a  log  cabin  on  the  place  and  40  acres  of  land 


broken  and  fenced.  He  improved  the  remainder  of 
the  land  and  lived  there  until  i860,  when  he  left  his 
son  Thomas  in  charge  and  moved  to  Copley  Town- 
ship, where  he  bought  an  improved  farm  of  240  acres 
and  lived  there  until  his  death,  Dec.  31,  1862. 

The  wife  of  the  elder  Mr.  Collins  was  Margaret 
Griffin,  born  in  Ireland,  and  coming  to  America  when 
quite  young.  There  were  nine  children  born  to 
them.  The  three  oldest.  May,  Thomas  and  John, 
were  born  in  New  York,  and  the  others  in  Ohio.  The 
three  eldest  are  dead.  The  survivors  are  Catherine, 
Michael  H.,  Edward  M.,  Margaret  E.,  William  and 
Peter.  Mrs.  Collins  died  Nov.  4,  1864.  After  her 
death  the  children  carried  on  the  farms  two  years 
then  sold  out.  William  now  lives  in  Bancroft,  Neb. ; 
Edward  lives  in  Persifer  Township ;  the  remainder 
are  in  Knoxville  ;  Margaret  is  the  widow  of  George 
Wilson.  She  and  her  sister  Catharine  own  a  fine 
residence  in  Knoxville,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
a  single  man,  makes  his  home  with  his  sisters. 

Mr.  Collins  is  a  member  of  Knoxville  Lodge,  No. 
66,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  The  sisters  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church. 


•s.  Margaret  A.  Bulkeley,  residing  on 
section  9,  Copley  Township,  Knox  Coun- 
''  ty,  is  the  widow  of  Augustus  W.  Bulkeley, 
who  died  in  1879.  He  was  married  to  Miss 
Margaret  A.  Conenhoven,  in  New  York  City,  in 
!29.  They  were  natives  of  Connecticut  and 
New  York,  and  came  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Fulton 
County,  in  1839.  They  remained  there  12  years, 
Mr.  B.  following  the  carpenter's  trade.  He  was  also 
a  contractor  and  employed  from  5  to  30  men.  He 
came  to  Knox  County  in  1851  and  settled  in  Victo- 
ria for  one  year,  then  moved  onto  section  9,  Copley 
Township,  where  he  had  previously  purchased  160 
acres,  and  continued  to  live  there  until  his  death. 
His  parents  were  descendants  of  the  English,  who 
first  made  a  settlement  in  Concord,  Mass.,  in  1636. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Bulkeley  traced  their  ancestry 
back  to  Holland,  some  of  whom  came  early  to  this 
country  and  first  settled  in  New  York. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bulkeley  had  a  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  still  living — Annie,  now  Mrs. 
Leach;  Henry  D. ;  Salinda  W.,  now  Mrs.  L.  B.  Cum- 


■=LkL 


hU= 


?=4+ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


981 


inings;  James  C;  John  A.  and  William  I.  James 
C.  was  born  in  Fulton  County,  III.,  July  2t,  1S40, 
and  remained  at  home  until  1S65.  He  then  built  a 
livery-stable  at  Oneida  village  and  carried  on  the 
same  one  year.  Then  he  went  to  Washington  Coun- 
ty, Iowa,  and  there  engaged  in  the  same  business  for 
a  few  months,  then  returned  to  Oneida  village  and 
opened  a  grocery  store,  occuying  himself  thus  until 
1869,  when  he  went  to  New  Me.xico  and  engaged  in 
gold  mining  and  remained  14  months,  proceeding 
thence  to  Cheyenne,  Wyoming  Ter.,  Utah,  Idaho, 
Montana,  Washington,  Oregon,  and  then  to  Cali- 
fornia. After  these  wanderings  he  then  returned  to 
Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming,  on  the  old  homestead, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  He  was  married  June  10, 
1879,  to  Miss  Sarah  Copley,  a  native  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, and  they  have  two  children — Roily  C.  and 
Ma.x  M. 

Miss  Sarah  Copley  was  the  daughter  of  Joseph  H. 
and  Ruth  A.  (Hinman)  Copley,  natives  of  Delaware 
County,  N.  Y.    They  came  to  Illinois  in  1858,  and 
settled   in  Victoria   Township,    Knox   County,  and 
I,  lived  there  eight  years,  then  came  to  Walnut  Grove 
J    Township  and    purchased    170  acres  of  land;  from 
there  they  removed  to  Nebraska,  in  1881.     They  be- 
came the  parents  of  five  children,  four  of  whom  are 
^  still  living — Sarah   C  ,    Emma  H.,    Joseph  B.  and 
Isaac  N. 

Copley  Township  was  named  after  Isaac  Copley,  a 
brother  of  the  father  of  Mrs.  Sarah  Bulkeley.  Mrs. 
B.  was  a  graduate  of  Lombard  University,  Gales- 
burg.  Mr.  James  C.  Bulkeley  is  a  Democrat,  and  is 
one  of  the  representative  men  of  Copley  Township. 

— --s •o*o-Sr  X^S)-"*"'         *<•' — 


'  '■"  elson  W.  Burneson,  a  native  of  New  York, 

was  born  in  Otsego  County,  Dec.  31,  1838. 
He  is  a  son  of  Samuel  and  Nancy  (Robin- 
son) Burneson,  both  of  pioneer  stock  of  Otsego 
County,  N.  Y.  Samuel  was  a  son  of  Andrew 
Burneson,  a  native  of  Ireland,  who  settled  in 
Otsego  County  and  hewed  out  a  farm.  Nancy  Rob- 
inson was  a  daughter  of  Robert  Robinson,  of  the 
same  ancestry  as  Andrew  Burneson. 

Nelson  W.  Burneson  spent  his  boyhood  in  Phila- 
delphia, his  father  being  an  engineer  and  machinist, 
who  located  in  Philadelphia  when  N.  W.  was  about 


si.\  years  old.  The  father  died  there,  while  in  the 
employ  of  J.  B  Lippincott  &  Co.,  in  1862.  N.  W.  came 
West  at  the  age  of  19  and  located  in  Altona.  He 
did  firing  on  an  engine  from  1859  to  1862.  He  then 
enlisted  in  Co.  G,  Sgth  III.  Vol.  Inf ,  and  did  active 
and  honorable  service  till  the  end  of  the  war.  He 
was  promoted  to  Sergeant-Major  of  the  regiment  and 
participated  in  all  the  battles  of  the  campaign. 
After  the  war  he  was  engaged  in  firing  for  about  two 
years  and  was  then  promoted  to  engineer,  in  which 
capacity  he  is  at  present  engaged.  He  runs  a  pas- 
senger train,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  most 
trustworthy  engineers  on  the  road. 

Mr.  Burneson  was  married  in  Oneida,  Kno.x 
County,  to  Martha,  daughter  of  Needham  and  Cath- 
erine (Raper)  Rodgers,  natives  of  North  and  South 
Carolina  respectively,  and  pioneers  of  this  county. 
Mrs.  Burneson  is  a  lady  of  ver)'  estimable  attain- 
ments, who  has  blest  their  union  with  one  little  girl, 
Mattie  Eva,  a  priceless  little  gem  in  their  domestic 
circle.  Mr.  Burneson  is  a  just  and  upright  Mason, 
and  stands  well  in  the  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive 
Engineers.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Woodmen  of  America.  He  has  always  stuck  strict-*^ 
ly  to  his  text  and  has  never  allowed  himself  to  de- 
viate from  strict  professional  duties,  holding  his  rights 
of  citizenship  independently  with  regard  to  all  polit- 
ical and  social  matters,  and  although  a  pronounced 
partisan  of  the  good  old  Democratic  school  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  yet  supports  the  man  above 
party  on  all  local  issues.  In  social  life  he  and  his 
worthy  lady  enjoy  a  merited  respect  from  all  who 
know  them. 

^avid  Greenleaf,  a  leading  druggist  of 
Galesburg  and  President  of  the  Electric 
'^^  Light  and  Power  Company  of  that  city,  is 
a  native  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he  was 
born  Jan.  16,  1828.  His  parents  were  Dr. 
Charles  and  Electa  (Tucker)  Greenleaf,  and 
were  both  of  early  New  England  families,  tracing 
their  respective  ancestry  to  the  French  Huguenots. 
They  reared  six  sons  and  si.x  daughters,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  being  the  youngest  of  the  former.  He 
was  fairly  educated  at  the  public  schools,  and  while 
quite  young  learned  dentistry  under  the  instruction 
of  an  older  brother  at  Hartford.     He  left  that  city 


4^ 


4 


t> 


982 


«■  -vT  >-      — -^ 

XNOX  COUNTY. 


in  1852,  and  at  Peoria, III,  prosecuted  his  profession 
until  1857.  In  that  yeai  he  moved  to  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  thence  a  year  later  to  St.  Louis;  in  1861  to 
Knoxville,  III,  and  in  the  spring  of  1862  to  Gales- 
burg.  Here  he  dropped  dentistry  and  bought  out  a 
drugstore  and  at  once  took  rank  as  a  successful  dis- 
penser of  physic.  His  public  spirit  is  a  prominent 
characteristic. 

He  was  among  the  promoters  of  the  two  promi- 
nent hotels  of  the  city,  and  in  the  summer  of  1885 
organized  the  Galesburg  Electric  Light  and  Power 
Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000,  and  at 
once  became  its  President.  In  1879  he  was  elected 
Mayor  of  the  city,  the  first  and  only  Democrat  ever 
elected  to  that  office  in  Galesburg.  On  coming  into 
that  position  he  found  a  city  debt  of  $76,000.  This 
under  his  administration  was  reduced  to  $50,000, 
and  when  he  left  the  office  at  the  end  of  two  years, 
the  residue  was  bonded  at  a  low  rate  of  interest,  and 
the  City  Treasurer  showed  a  balance  in  its  favor  of 
$38,000.  These  simple  though  important  facts  leave 
comment  upon  the  successful  official  career  of  Dr. 
Greenleaf  wholly  unnecessary. 

Our  subject  was  married  at  Peoria,  111.,  Aug.  15. 
1854,  to  Miss  Helen  Johnston,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
has  two  children— Marianne  (Mrs.  VV.  J.  Martin, 
living  at  Omaha,  Neb.)  and  David,  a  youth  at  this 
writing. 


11  H.  Mcllravy,  farmer,  on  section  35,  Cop- 
ley Township,  was  born  in  Magnolia,  Car- 
roll County,  Ohio,  Sept.  21,  1858.  His 
parents  were  Dr.  H.  C.  and  Ruth  D.  (Herron) 
Mcllravy,  natives  of  Ohio.  They  were  married 
Nov.  19, 1857,  in  Ohio.  The  father  studied  medi- 
cine at  New  Hagerstown  Academy,  Ohio,  and  began 
practice  in  1856  and  followed  his  profession  in  Ohio 
until  1867,  when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  settled 
in  Victoria  village,  where  he  practiced  medicine 
until  his  death,  May  i,  1877.  The  mother  died  May 
6,  1872.  They  had  a  family  of  two  children — Hugh 
H.,  born  Sept.  21,  1858,  and  Ruth  E.,  born  Oct.  25, 
1865. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
his  father's  death.  He  attended  Monmouth  College 
during  the  terms  of  1875-76,  and  in  1877  went  to 
Ohio  and  attended  school,  returning  March  8,  1878. 


He  then  engaged  to  work  by  the  month  at  farming. 
After  working  a  few  months  he  entered  Hedding  Col- 
lege at  Abingdon,  where  he  studied  one  year,  then 
engaged  in  fanning,  and  purchased  t7  6  acres  of 
land  on  section  35,  Copley  Township,  where  he  has 
since  remained  and  is  engaged  in  stock  and  grain 
raising. 

Our  subject  was  married,  Feb.,  1881,  to  Miss  Vi- 
annie  Taylor,  the  daughter  of  David  and  Hettie 
(Parkins)  Taylor,  of  Nova  Scotia  and  Ohio  respect- 
ively. They  have  a  family  of  six  children — Thomas 
E.,  Clara  L.,  Viannie  M.,  William  D.,  Minnie  L., 
Charles  A.  Mr.  Mcllravy  has  one  child — Hugh  H. 
Our  subject  is  a  Republican,  and.  with  his  wife,  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
he  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Copley  Town- 
ship, Knox  County,  111. 


■vw\,-^t2a£?®^@' 


i/g§.gJ/Z7OT'»>~">/WN. 


Cohn  Peterson,  merchant  tailor,  of  the  firm 
^'■113^'  of  Peterson  &  Anderson,  29  South  Prairie 
-'iSt:-'.^'*^  street,  Galesburg,  was  born  in  Sweden, 
and  came  to  this  country  in  1854.  His 
^r     parents,  Peter  Johnson  and  Cecilia  (Johnson), 

I  are  yet  living  in  the  old  country,  aged  84  and  82 
years  respectively.  They  reared  two  sons  and  one 
daughter,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  the  young- 
est son.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  country  and 
there  learned  the  tailor's  trade.  Arriving  in  Knox 
County,  he  stopped  at  Knoxville  a  few  months  and 
came  to  Galesburg  in  1855.  After  two  years  at  "jour" 
tailoring,  he  began  business  for  himself  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Public  Square,  in  company  with  Mr.  An- 
derson. SeUing  out  in  1862,  he  made  a  trip  to  Swe- 
den, visited  his  parents,  returned  to  Galesburg,  re- 
entered the  merchant-tailoring  business,  and  in  1869 
made  another  visit  to  the  old  country. 

In  1870  he  was  appointed  United  States  Ganger, 
at  Peoria,  a  position  he  held  till  August,  1885,  when 
he  resigned  and  returned  to  Galesburg  and  to  his 
old  business.  In  addition  to  his  regular  business  he 
has  for  many  years  handled  foreign  exchange  and 
ocean  passage  tickets,  as  much  for  the  convenience 
of  his  countrymen,  however,  as  for  the  profit  to  be 
benefit  to  be  derived  therefrom. 

Mr.  Peterson  was  married  at  Galesburg,  Jan.  19, 
1856,  to  Miss   Malina  Johnson,   a  young  lady  who 


*+ 


X* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


983 


happened  to  come  to  America  in  the  same  ship  with 
him.  Their  only  child  is  named  Jennie  A.  The 
family  belong  to  tlie  Lutheran  Church. 

Mr.  Peterson  has  not  been  particularly  identified 
with  politics,  though  he  has  always  been  a  reliable 
Republican.  He  has  represented  his  ward — the  2d — 
in  the  City  Council  a  couple  of  years,  which  appears 
to  be  the  sum  of  his  office-holding,  aside  from  the 
one  he  so  long  and  so  honorably  filled  under  the 
General  Government.  For  more  than  15  years  a 
gauger  at  one  of  the  largest  whisky  distilleries  in  the 
world,  covering  a  period  of  the  most  rank  corruption 
and  frauds  known  in  civilized  history;  passing 
through  a  time  when  the  very  nation  shook  with  hor- 
ror from  the  exposures  of  the  notorious  whisky 
rings;  a  time  when  people  were  prepared  to  be  sur- 
prised at  the  arrest  of  no  man  connected  in  any  way 
with  the  traffic;  through  those  times,  and  coming  out 
of  the  service  at  his  own  request,  not  only  without 
taint  or  blemish,  but  with  'he  highest  order  of  testi- 
monials, is  a  record  of  which  any  man  may  feel 
proud. 

IL    O.  Williamson,  one  of  the  proprietors  of 

the  Wataga  Custom   Mills,   was  born  on 

f/^i  '^  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  July   14,  1850.     His 

/K  '^^  parents  were   William   and    Margaret  Will- 

■  '     iamson,  and  were   natives  of  Sweden,  and   it 

was  while  coming  to  America  the  subject  of  this 

sketch   was  born.      His    parents   settled    in    Sparta 

Township,  Knox  Co.   His  father  bought  a  small  farm, 

on  section  22,  and  remained  there  until  his  death,  in 

1854;   the  mother  is  still  living   in  Wataga.    They 

had  a  family  of  six  children,  who  lived  to  man  and 

womanhood. 

M.  O.  Williamson  remained  at  home  until  12 
years  old,  when  he  went  to  work  on  a  farm,  and  con- 
tinued until  14  years  of  age.  He  then  came  to  the 
village  of  Wataga  to  learn  the  harness  trade,  and 
served  three  years,  then  worked  one  year  as  jour- 
neyman. He  then  bought  out  one  of  the  partners 
in  the  harness  business,  and  was  in  company  with 
William  C.  Olson  from  1867  to  1879.  He  then 
bought  out  his  partner  and  has  since  carried  on  the 
business.  In  1844  he  purchased  one-third  interest 
in  the  Custom  Mill  at  Wataga  village,  and  at  the 
present   owns    one-half    interest   in    the    mill.     He 


built  a  house  in  1875,  on  Faulkner  street,  where  he 
now  lives. 

Mr.  W.  was  married,  Oct.  18,  187 1,  to  Mary 
Driggs,  a  native  of  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
daughter  of  William  M.  and  Millicent  (Housted) 
Driggs.  They  have  two  children  living — Nellie  and 
Ada. 

Mr.  Williamson  is  a  Republican,  and  he  belongs 
to  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Coun- 
cilman, Justice  of  the  Peace,  Village  and  Town 
Clerk,  and  is  one  of  the  solid  and  substantial  men 
of  Knox  County.  He  was  Secretary  of  the  Repub- 
lican Central  Committee  in   1884. 


Harlan,  city  undertaker  and  funeral  direct- 
or, at  Galesburg,  is  a  native  of  the  State  of 
Indiana.  He  was  born  in  Rush  County, 
Feb.  1,  1840,  and  is  a  son  of  John  G.  and 
Eliza  (Gregg)  Harlan,  the  former  a  native  of 
Ohio,  the  latter  of  Kentucky.  Mr.  Harlan 
spent  his  boyhood  in  Peru,  Ind.,  whither  his  parents 
had  removed,  and  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  At 
the  age  of  13  he  became  apprenticed  to  the  under- 
taking business  in  an  extensive  establishment  in  •• 
Peru,  Ind.,  and  completed  it  as  far  as  he  could.  He 
afterward  attended  embalming  schools  and  visited 
other  large  factories,  with  the  view  of  adding  to  his 
already  large  stock  of  knowledge  in  the  business. 

During  the  late  Civil  War  he  volunteered  his 
services  in  defense  of  the  Union,  and  served  nearly 
four  years,  receiving  worthy  promotion  during  iiis 
service  and  an  honorable  discharge.  In  1867  he 
embarked  in  business  in  Peru,  Ind.,  in  which  he 
still  holds  an  interest.  In  1883  he  came  here  and 
established  a  nice  business,  and  has  very  success- 
fully carried  it  on  since.  Mr.  Harlan  is  a  very 
public-spirited  business  man  and  citizen,  and  con- 
tributes liberally  to  all  measures  tending  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  city's  social  and  industrial  growth. 
He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
in  which  he  was  knighted  in  Fort  Wayne  Com- 
mandery.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Oriental  Con- 
sistory, being  accepted  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 
which  he  had  visited  in  1858.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Foresters,  Pilgrim  Knights  and  about  all  of  the 
temperance  societies,  G.  A.  R.,  Post  45,  and  was  pne 


^ 


-^ 


984 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-H- 


of  the  original  members  of  the  W.  B.  Reyburn 
Post,  No.  62,  of  Peru,  Ind.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Uniform  Rank,  and  has  taken 
all  the  knighted  ranks  in  that  order  and  has  served 
as  Sir  Knight  Commander.  Is  a  member  of  the 
Order  of  Red  Men,  and  of  the  Standard  Club  of 
Galesburg. 


O.  Williamson,  of  the  firm  of  L.  O.  Will- 
iamson &   Co.,  prominent  dry  goods  mer- 
chants, of  Galesburg,  is   a  son  of  William 
and  Kate  (Olson)  Williamson,  natives  of  Swe- 
den, and  was  born  at   Wataga,  111.,  Dec.  20, 
1862.     The  subject  of  this   sketch  spent  the 
first  15  years  of  his  life  upon  his  father's  farm  and  in 
attendance    at   the    public    schools.      In    February, 
1879,   he  graduated  from   the  Galesburg   Business 
College,  and    in    March   following    engaged   in    the 
r  mercantile  business.      For  four  years  he  had  an  as- 
sociate in  the  business,  but  since  that  time  he  has 
been  sole  manager  and  director,  the  "  company  "  of 
;Hthe  concern  being  in  no  way  actively  engaged  in  the 
[business.     The  house  of  L.  O.  Williamson  &  Co.  is 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  successful  dry  goods  es- 
Itablishments  in  the  city  of  Galesburg,  and  gives  em- 
ployment to  from  14  to  18  people  the  year  round,  and 
the  discipline  and  order  of  the  place  show  the  skill 
of  a  master  manager. 

Parenthetically  the  writer  desires  to  call  attention 
to  the  fact  that  the  head  of  this  house  was  reared 
upon  a  farm,  from  which,  when  only  17  years  of  age, 
he  stepped  at  once  into  the  position  of  a  first-class 
merchant.  Mr.  Williamson  was  married  at  Center 
Point,  Knox  County,  Sept.  17,  1885,  to  Miss  Mary 
C.  Swanson,  an  accomplished  young  lady  graduate 
of  Knox  College. 


eorge  H.  Graves,  general  farmer  and  bee- 
raiser,  section    19,  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ship, is  a  son  of  John  G.  Graves,  also  a 
farmer  and  bee-grower,  who  came  from  New 
Hampshire,  where  he  was  born,  to  Illinois,  in 
1858,  and  lived   in   Walnut  Grove  Township 
till  his  death,  May  26,  1884.     He  was  of  New  En- 


gland parentage,  of  English  descent,  and  was  mar- 
ried in  his  native  State  to  Emeline  Shedd,  who  is  yet 
hving  with  her  son.  The  father  died  of  paralysis  of 
the  heart  while  sitting  in  his  chair.  Three  children 
were  born  to  the  mother,  our  subject  being  the  oldest 
but  one.  Two  are  yet  living — our  subject  and  Charles 
G.,  who  is  married  and  resides  in  Oneida.  The 
youngest  died  at  the  age  of  one  year. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Cheshire  County,  N.  H., 
May  22,  1853.  Since  his  parents  came  to  Illinois  he 
has  made  this  county  and  township  his  liome.  He 
received  a  good  common-school  education,  lived  at 
home,  and  since  the  death  of  his  father  he  has 
operated  the  farm  under  his  own  charge,  and  now 
owns  85  acres  of  well-improved  land.  His  bee- 
raising  has  been  conducted  in  connection  with  his 
farming.  He  is  a  skillful  manager  of  bees,  as  was  his 
father  before  him. 

Feb.  9,  1880,  Mr.  G.  was  married  in  Galesburg  to 
Miss  Minnie  Sherman,  who  was  born  near  Gales- 
burg, Oct.  3,  i86r.  She  was  reared  and  educated 
in  Knox  County.  Her  parents  were  farmers  from 
York  State,  and  came  to  this  county  about  1849,  and 
are  now  living  in  Woodhull. 

Mr.  Graves  and  wife  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren— M.  Emeline,  born  in  November,  i88r,  and 
George  H.,  Jan.  3,  1884. 

^^^^^ 

jhomas  Housh,  a  farmer  on  section  28,  Haw 
Creek  Township,  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Ind.,  Dec.  25,  1829.  He  is  the 
son  of  George  P.  and  Polly  Housh.  They  re- 
moved from  Indiana  in  1837.  They  were 
farmers,  and  when  they  came  to  Illinois  bought 
and  improved  land  and  made  a  home,  on  which  both 
of  the  old  people  died.  The  mother  died  a  number 
of  years  ago;  the  father  in  1864.  This  family  was 
of  German  origin.  The  father  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  r8r2  and  in  the  Black  Hawk  war. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  to  Eliza- 
beth Mowery,  Feb.  23,  1851.  She  is  the  daughter 
of  John  and  Elenor  Mowery,  and  was  born  in  Ohio, 
Oct.  31 ,  1835.  Her  father,  John  Mowery ,  was  born  in 
February,  1809,  and  her  mother  Aug.  13, 1810.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  and  wife  are  the  parents  of 
eight  children,  as  follows  :    Milton  A.,  born  Nov.  25, 


a^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4. 


185 1 ;  Mary,  May  22,  1854;  John  M.,  Oct.  13, 
1857;  Grant,  April  11,  1863;  Charles  F.,  Sept.  8, 
1869,  and  Jennie  Pearl,  Aug.  24,  1881.  Jessie  and 
Willie  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  H.  is  raising  a  girl,  .Ad- 
die  M.  House,  born  July  14,  1876.  Mrs.  Housh 
died  March  20,  1S85. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  enlisted  in  Co.  F,  86th 
111.  Vol.  Inf.,  under  Capt.  J.  L.  Burkhalter,  Aug.  7, 
1862,  and  served  nine  months.  He  took  part  in  the 
battle  of  Perr)-ville,  Ky.,  and  the  raid  after  Gen. 
Bragg  and  his  forces,  and  was  mustered  out  at  Quin- 
cy,  111.,  April  i,  1863.  He  then  came  home  and 
lived  on  the  farm  up  to  the  present.  He  owns  157 
acres  of  good  land,  all  under  fence  and  has  fine  im- 
provements. He  is  a  member  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.,also 
is  a  member  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  politically  is  a 
Republican. 


4^^C°S6pb  Masters,  a  retired  farmer,  on  section 
^    >^l;r  3-  ^P-irta  Township,  was  born  in  the  soiith- 
1'^'         "'est  part  of  England,  Jan.  17,  1833.     His 
X'^    parents  were  William  and  Mar)-  (Cox)  Mas- 
W,      ters,  natives  of  England.     They  were  farmers, 
\       and  had  a  family  of  eight  children.     They  re- 
mained in   England  until  their  deaths  in   1865  and 
1843   respectively.     The  subject  of  this  sketch  re- 
mained at  home  until   1854  and  received  a  common- 
school  education,  and  worked  on  the  farm.    He  came 
to  America  in    1854,  settled   in    Knox  County,  and 
purchased  96  acres  of  prairie  land.    On  this  he  built 
a  house  and  barn,  fences,  and  set  out  an  orchard,  and 
remained  on  the  same  until  1883.     Then  he  moved 
onto  section  3,  where  he  now  lives,  and  has,  since  his 
first  purchase,  bought  162  acres.     He  has  built  three 
fine  farmhouses,  which  he  still  owns,  and  values  his 
land  at  $80  per  acre.     He  was  married  in  1855  to 
Miss     Phebe    Fooks,    a    native    of    England,    and 
daughter  of  Thomas  Fooks. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Masters  have  only  one  child  living 
— William.  They  also  have  an  adopted  daughter — 
Kate.  Mr.  Masters  is  a  Republican,  and  with  his 
wife  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
He  has  held  the  office  of  Road  C:ommissioner  and 
School  Director,  and  is  one  of  the  solid  and  substan- 
tial men  of  Knox  County. 


oro 


?!^.f  JH/ylark  Glenn,  farmer,  on  section  31,  Sparta 
tvl^Jj    Township,  was  born  in   Jefferson  County, 
I'i;^*"^      Ohio,   Jan.   lo,  1810.     His  parents  were 
fi^     Thomas   and    Jane   (Bromfield)    Glenn,   na- 
,-'.^      tives  of  Pennsylvania.     They  came  to  Ohio 
f        in  1807  and  bought  135  acres  of  land,  all  of 
which  was  timbered,  and  lived  there  until  their  death, 
the  former  dying  in    1842   and  the  latter  in    1845. 
They  had  a  family  of  ten  children — John,  Elizabeth. 
Jane,    Polly,   Nancy,    James,   Alexander,   Mary  A., 
William  and  Clark.     The  subject  of  this  sketch  re- 
mained at  home  until  1846,  then   went  to  Wyandot 
County,  Ohio,  and   bought    r6o  acres  of  land   and 
lived  on  the  same  eight  years,  and  in   1854  sold  out 
and  came  to  Illinois.     In   1864  he  settled  where  he 
now  lives  and  purchased  So  acres.     Our  subject  was 
married  in  1S42  to  Sarah  Coe,  a  native  of  Ohio,  and 
to  them  have  been  born  si.\  children  ;  four  are  living 
and  two  are  dead.     The  living  are  Jane  B.,  John, 
William  and  Rowlin.     Benjamin  died  in  the  service 
of  his  country ;   Elizabeth  E.  died  in   1881,  aged  26 
years. 

Mrs.  Glenn  was  killed  by  lightning  in  Knox 
Township,  with  an  infant  in  her  arms,  while  standing 
under  a  tree;  the  child  lived  only  a  few  hours. 

The  second  marriage  of  our  subject  was  in  1857, 
to  Miss  Clarissa  Percival,  a  native  of  Ohio.  Mr. 
Glenn  is  a  Republican,  and  with  his  wife  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  He  has  held  the 
office  of  Assessor  in  Knox  Township  for  two  years, 
and  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of  Sparta 
Township.  His  first  vote  was  cast  for  Henry  Clay 
in  1832,  and  he  has  voted  at  every  one  of  the  presi- 
dential elections  except  in  1S72. 


j|.apt.  George  W.  Reynolds,  farmer,  on  sec- 
tion iS,  Victoria  Township,  was  born  in 
the  town  of  Milton,  Mass.,  July  15,  1826 
His  parents,  George  F.  and  Abigail  (Ix)ckej 
Reynolds,  natives  of  New  Hampshire,  had  a 
family  of  four  children— George  W.,  Charles 
C,  John  W.,  Julia  A.  The  parents  came  10  Illinois 
in  1835  and  settled  in  Tazewell  County,  but  re- 
mained only  a  short   time,  coming  to  Knox  County 


-H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


■!►+ 


f     t 


in  1837.  They  settled  in  Victoria  Township  and 
purchased  130  acres  of  land,  and  were  the  first  set- 
tlers who  put  up  a  house  in  Victoria.  Victoria  vil- 
lage stands  mostly  on  his  land.  He  is  at  present 
leading  a  retired  life,  aged  87  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  1853.  In  the  early  days  he  traveled  three 
miles  to  attend  a  district  school,  which  was  held  in  a 
log  cabin  16x20.  He  says  that  in  those  days  the 
schoolmaster  was  allowed  to  use  the  hickory  rod,  and 
he  remembers,  when  about  14  years  old,  he,  with 
some  other  boys,  got  to  school  early  and  locked  the 
door,  shutting  the  teacher  out  until  lie  would  treat 
them  to  apples  or  candy.  But  he  would  not  suc- 
cumb to  their  wishes,  but  called  for  the  Directors, 
and  they  threatened  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  get 
on  the  old  log  school-house  and  took  straw  and  set  it 
on  fire  ard  threw  it  down  the  chimney  to  smoke  the 
rebellious  boys  out;  but  they  held  the  fort,  and,  their 
enemy  retreating,  the  boys  returned  home.  The 
ne.xt  day  the  school  resumed  its  wonted  aspect  and 
all  again  was  harmony.  George  W.  did  not  think 
that  a  country  school  was  quite  satisfactory,  and  wlien 
about  18  years  of  age  attended  the  Knox  Academy 
for  one  year,  and  paid  for  his  board  with  his  services 
n  doing  chores  nights,  mornings  and  Saturdays.  He 
then  returned  10  the  old  homestead  in  the  village  of 
Victoria  and  remained  until  1847,  when  he  made  a 
visit  to  the  New  England  States  and  remained  until 
the  next  spring.  Returning  to  Illinois,  he  worked  on 
his  father's  farm  on  shares  until  1854.  He  then 
went  to  California,  via  the  overland  route,  in  search 
of  gold,  and  was  gone  two  years.  Returning  by  way 
of  Panama  and  New  Orleans,  he  went  on  a  farm  of 
100  acres  that  he  had  purchased  subsequently  to  his 
California  trip,  where  he  now  lives.  Since  then  he 
has  added  40  acres. 

Capt.  R.  took  took  an  active  part  in  the  campaign 
of  i860,  and  m  1862  enlisted  in  Co.  K,  83d  III.  Vol. 
Inf.,  being  chosen  its  Captain,  and  served  about 
three  years.  He  was  engaged  in  the  second  battle  of 
Fort  Donelson,  but  most  of  his  service  was  on 
provost  duty.  After  returning  home  he  settled  down 
to  farming  and  also  engaged  in  raising  stock  and 
grain. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1849  to  Miss  Mary  C. 
Hotchkiss,  a  native  of  New  York.  They  have  only 
one  child  living — Lewis  M.,  born  Oct.  26,  1849.  He 
married  Electa  Bonar  and  they  have  two  children- 


^h 


=!X! 


Frank  and  Fred.  Mrs.  G.  W.  Reynolds  died  in  1858, 
and  for  his  second  wife  he  married,  in  1859,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Swickard,  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  Ohio, 
and  daugliter  of  Jonathan  and  Sarah  (Baughman) 
Swickard,  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  They  came  to 
Illinois  in  1852,  and  made  a  short  stay,  where  the 
father  died  the  same  year.  They  had  a  family  of  ten 
children,  six  of  whom  are  still  living — Noah,  Mary, 
David,  Lucy,  Elizabeth  and  John  W.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
R.  have  one  daughter — Jennie  L.,  born  Nov.  i,  1868. 
The  Captain  is  a  Republican,  and  also  belongs  to 
the  Congregational  Church,  and  is  a  Trustee  and 
Clerk  of  his  congregation.  He  has  been  Town  Clerk 
and  Town  Treasurer,  School  Director  and  twice  on 
the  Central  Committee  of  the  Republican  party,  and 
has  always  been  ready  to  lend  a  helping  hand  to 
every  good  cause. 

I 
H.    GoflF,  evangelist,  veterinary  surgeon 

and  farmer,  on  section  23,  Copley  Town- 
"^^  ship,  was  born  in  Medina  County,  Ohio,. 
Oct.  17,  1839.  His  parents  were  William 
and  Sarah  A.  (Bates)  Goff.  They  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania  and  New  York  respectively,  , 
and  married  Nov.  20,  1821.  They  came  to  Illinois 
in  1844,  and  settled  in  Copley  Township,  on  section 
14,  and  remained  there  until  their  deaths.  They  had 
a  family  of  14  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  living 
— Rhuma  N.,  Marvin  H.,  Royal  F.,  Mariette,  War- 
ren T.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  farmer  and 
veterinary  surgeon,  and  followed  the  same  until  his 
death.  He  owned  210  acres  in  Copley  Township,  on 
section  14. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  remained  at  home  until 
14  years  old;  then  worked  out  on  a  farm  by  the 
month,  and  during  winters  attended  school.  He  pur- 
chased his  own  books  and  paid  his  own  tuition,  and 
continued  at  school  until  18  years  of  age.  Was  mar- 
ried Feb.  4,  1858,  to  Miss  M.  Smith,  daughter  of 
George  and  Rebecca  (Messmore)  Smith.  Her  par- 
ents were  natives  of  Ohio,  and  came  to  Illinois  in 
1853  and  settled  in  Victoria  Township.  They  had  a 
family  of  eight  childrt;n,  six  still  living — John  M., 
Mary  E.,  Sarah,  Abigail,  Hannah  and  Margaret. 
Mr.  Gofif  of  this  notice  has  ten  children  living — 
Julia,    John  R.,     Mary    L.,    Marvin   H.,  Sarah  R., 


— -H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


987 


George  W.,  Abbie  M.,  Charles  L.,  Lewis  A  ,  Maggie 
O.  Julia  is  now  Mrs.  Grim;  Mary  L.  became  Mrs. 
Mitchell;  and  John  R.  was  married  to  Miss  L.  Ross. 
Mr.  Goff,  after  his  marriage,  bought  school  and 
other  books  and  taught  himself  at  night  after  his 
days'  work,  learning  Greek  and  Hebrew.  He  rented 
a  farm  for  seven  years  after  marriage,  and  then 
bought  80  acres  of  brush  land  in  Victoria  Township, 
paying  for  the  same  $5 00.  He  made  a  payment  of 
S50  on  the  place,  and  sold  the  same  in  three  weeks 
at  a  profit  of  S300.  In  1867  he  purchased  40  acres 
of  improved  land  in  Copley  Township,  and  lived  on 
the  same  two  years,  then  sold  it  and  moved  to  Mis- 
souri and  remained  three  years,  renting  land.  While 
there  he  commenced  to  preach,  and  in  187  i  returned 
to  Illinois,  settling  in  Copley  Township,  where  he 
now  lives.  He  has  145  acres  of  good  land  and  is 
engaged  in  mixed  farming.  Mr.  Goff  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace. 

^^^^^^ 


r.  Elijah  F.  Purdum,  a  practicing  physi- 
„^  cian  of  Abingdon  since  1876,  was  born  in 
\^r  '  Montgomery  County,  Md.,  Oct.  r4,  1839, 
vjiv  and  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and  Rebecca  (Etchi- 
^  son)  Purdum.  His  father  was  born  in  Maryland 
J  and  was  descended  from  the  French.  His 
mother  was  born  in  the  same  county  as  her  son,  and 
was  descended  from  the  English  and  Irish. 

Our  subject  went  to  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  when 
eight  years  of  age.  He  began  the  study  of  medicine 
ill  1859,  with  Dr.  Francis  Rea,  of  Washington, 
Ohio;  enlisted  in  July,  r86i,  in  Co.  F,  30th  Ohio 
Vol.  Inf,  serving  until  Oct.  30,  1862,  and  was  dis- 
charged for  physical  disability  resulting  from  typhoid 
fever.  He  took  a  regular  course  at  the  Medical  Col- 
lege of  Ohio,  at  Cincinnati,  graduating  in  tlie  Class  of 
1863,  July  6.  He  passed  an  examination  before  the 
Medical  Board  of  Examiners  of  Ohio,  within  a  few 
days  after  graduating,  with  so  creditable  a  record 
that  he  was  recommended  as  being  qualified  to  serve 
as  Regimental  Surgeon.  Not  having  had  the  neces- 
sary experience,  he  was  disqualified  for  the  position, 
but  was  commissioned  -Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  89th 
Ohio  Vol.  Inf.  The  appointment  was  a  compliment 
to   the  young  Doctor,  as  it    was  unsought,  the   re- 


ceipt of  his  commission  and  orders  being  the  first  in- 
timation he  had  of  the  matter.  He  re-entered  the 
service  under  his  commission,  July  24,  1863,  and  was 
captured  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga,  Sept.  20,1863. 
His  whole  regiment  was  either  killed,  wounded  or 
captured,  and  not  re-organized  again  until  the  fol- 
lowing December.  After  his  capture  Dr.  Purdum 
was  taken  to  Richmond  and  held  a  prisoner  at  Lib- 
by  Prison,  in  that  city,  for  two  months  and  a  few 
days.  He  was  then  exchanged,  and  in  December 
rejoined  his  regiment.  He  served  in  the  Army  of  tiie 
Cumberland,  14th  Army  Corps,  under  Gen.  Sted- 
man.  His  army  record  is  one  his  friends  are  proud 
of. 

He  was  mastered  out  June  28,  1865.  In  October 
of  that  year  he  removed  to  Abingdon,  III,  and  spent 
the  winter  of  1865-66  in  that  city,  and  the  following 
spring  took  up  his  residence  in  the  town  of  Hermon, 
Knox  Co.,  where  he  was  engaged  in  practice  until 
1876,  when  he  returned  to  Abingdon  and  has  since 
made  that  city  his  home,  and  has  pursued  his  prac- 
tice successfully.  Dr.  Purdum  was  married  in 
Washington,  Guernsey  Co.,  Ohio,  July  4,1865,  to  Miss 
Callie  Swan,  daughter  of  Edward  and  Caroline  ^ 
Swan.  Mrs.  Purdum  was  born  in  Belmont  County, 
Ohio.  Her  people  were  natives  of  Loudon  County, 
Va.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Purdum  have  one  child,  a  son, 
Charles  W.,  born  in  Hermon. 

-.  t  i^  i  evi  Hager,  a  general  farmer,  residing  on 
?  LkJ-^  '3°  '""^res  of  improved  land  on  section  30, 
?f^^  Lynn  Township,  was  born  in  the  township 
feiOr  in  which  he  is  now  living,  on  the  farm  where  he 
now  resides,  Oct.  27,  1842.  He  was  the 
youngest  son  and  child  of  a  family  of  four 
children — two  daughters  and  two  sons.  His  father, 
Peter,  was  formerly  a  tailor,  and  later  a  farmer.  His 
early  history  is  unknown  to  our  subject,  he  having 
died  when  Levi  was  four  years  of  age.  His  wife, 
Catherine  Smith,  born  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania, 
most  likely  came  to  Illinois  before  she  was  married. 
She  died  in  Victoria  Township  in  July,  1876. 

Our  subject  resided  with  his  mother  most  of  the 
time  until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in  Victoria 
Township  at  the  residence  of  the  bride's  parents,  Feb. 


T" 


€4^! 


^'^^^ 


ITAOX  COUNTY. 


4,  1869,  Miss  Sarah  A.  Heatoa  being  ihe  other  con- 
tracting party.  Her  parents  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky and  Pennsylvania  respectively,  and  moved  to 
Fayette  County,  Ohio,  before  their  marriage.  After 
their  marriage  in  that  county  and  the  birth  of  three 
children  they  moved  to  Boone  County,  Ind.,  settling 
near  Tliorntown,  where  Mrs.  H.  of  this  notice  was 
born.  Aug.  24,  1846.  She  is  the  youngest  of  a  fami- 
ly of  seven  children.  She  was  nine  years  old  when 
her  parents  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in  Victora 
Township,  where  they  lived  until  their  death,  the 
father  dying  in  1875  and  the  mother  in  April,  1873. 
They  had  improved  a  farm  and  made  a  home  before 
their  death,  in  Victoria  Township.     Mrs.  H.  is  the 


motlier  of  two  children — Allen  A.,  born  Nov.  i,  1869, 
and  Levi,  Feb.  2r,  1874.  Since  marriage  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hager  have  resided  on  their  present  farm.  Mr. 
Hager  has  been  Collector  of  this  township,  and  in 
politics  is  a  Greenbacker. 

Aug.  9,  1863,  Mr.  Hager  enlisted  in  the  Rebell- 
ion, joining  Co.  G,  89th  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He  remained 
with  the  company  all  through  the  campaign,  partici- 
pating in  the  engagements  at  Stone  River,  Chick- 
mauga  and  Mission  Ridge,  and  later  on  he  became 
teamster,  wliich  occupation  he  filled  until  he  was 
honorably  discharged  at  Nashville,  Tenn,  June  10, 
1865.  He  suffered  some  from  sickness,  othenvise  he 
escaped  unhurt. 


t 


•*rrA^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


«  I N "T R o b u o X OR Y .  f: 


-=^ 


^T^ 


* 


IME  is  ever  moving  on.  The 
deeds  and  actions  of  to-day 
form  the  subject  of  history 
to-morrow.  From  the  rec- 
ord of  these  deeds  men  form 
opinions,  and  their  actions 
in  tiie  present  and  future  are  gov- 
erned thereby.  Knox  County  fur- 
nishes the  world  a  record  that  is 
of  great  interest,  a  record  that  tells 
of  heroic  deeds  of  its  pioneers, 
how  that  vast  territor}'  was  se- 
cured from  savage  tribes  and 
made  the  home  of  civilized  man. 
In  Rock  Island  County  originated 
the  troubles,  and  from  this  county 
nearly  everj-  movement  was  made, 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  here  the  chiefs  gath- 
ered together  in  council,  and  treaties  were  made,  re- 
sulting] in  lasting  peace.  Upon  the  lovely  island 
and  magnificent  bluffs  that  overlook  the  river,  the 
red  men  were  wont  to  stray,  and  many  beautiful  and 
touching  legends  are  told  of  their  presence  here. 
The  white  men  came,  and  that  country  so  lovely  in 
nature  has  been  greatly  changed,  but  it  can  never  be 
robbed  of  its  great  beauty.  The  island  and  the 
bluflTs  still  exist,  and  the  valleys  are  transformed  into 
fields  of  waving  grain.  The  trails  of  the  hunters  and 
the  wily  red  man  have  given  place  to  railroads,  and 
broad  thoroughfares,  school-houses,  churches,  mills, 
post-offices,  manufactories  and  elegant  dwellings 
are  now  to  be  seen  upon    every  hand.      The  rec- 


ord of  the  marvelous  change  is  history,  and  the  most 
important  that  can  be  written. 

It  is  but  little  more  than  half  a  century  since  the 
white  men  came  to  this  beautiful  land  for  the  pur- 
pose of  securing  homes,  but  in  that  lime  what  great 
and  startling  events  have  transpired  !  Monarchies 
since  then  have  crumbled  into  dust  and  republics 
have  been  reared  upon  their  ruins.  Inventions  that 
have  revolutionized  labor  have  been  given  to  the 
world,  and  in  much  of  what  has  been  done  the  peo- 
ple of  Knox  County  have  borne  a  leading  part. 

The  question  is  often  asked,  why  men  leave  the 
comforts  and  pleasures  of  civilized  lands  and  strike 
out  into  anew  and  almost  unknown  country,  bearing 
the  toils  and  privations  which  are  unavoidable.  Not 
more  from  choice  than  necessity  did  the  old  pioneers 
bid  farewell  to  the  playgrounds  of  their  childliood 
and  the  graves  of  their  fathers.  One  generation 
after  another  had  worn  themselves  out  in  the  service 
of  avaricious  landlords,  or  to  eke  out  a  miserable 
existence  upon  barren  or  worn-out  land,  which  they 
called  their  own.  From  the  first  flashes  of  the  morn- 
ing light  until  the  last  glimmer  of  the  setting  sun  they 
had  toiled  unceasingly  on  from  father  to  son,  carry- 
ing home  each  day  upon  their  aching  shoulders  the 
precious  proceeds  of  their  daily  labor.  Money, 
pride  and  power  were  handed  down  in  the  line  of 
succession  from  the  rich  father  to  his  son,  while  un- 
ceasing work,  continuous  poverty  and  everlasting 
obscurity  were  the  heritage  of  the  workingman  and 
his  children.     For   the  sons  and  daughters   of  the 


^ 


■H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^> 


poor  man  to  remain  there  was  to  follow  and  never  to 
lead — to  be  poor  forever. 

Without  money,  prestige  or  friends,  the  old  pioneer 
drifted  along,  seeking  the  garden  spot,  the  place 
where  he  might  establish  a  home,  where  he  might  ed- 
ucate liis  sons  and  daughters,  giving  them  privileges 
he  never  enjoyed  himself.  The  broad  prairies  and 
beautiful  groves  of  Knox  County  in  that  early 
day  were  indeed  inviting  to  those  seeking  a  home  in 
a  more  favored  land,  and  here  they  planted  their 
stakes,  many  of  whom  the  present  generation  have 
reason  to  rise  up  and  call  blessed.  To  secure  and 
adorn  the  homes  desired  by  the  pioneers  more  than 
ordinary  ambition  was  required,  greater  than  ordi- 
nary endurance  demanded.  How  well  they  have 
succeeded,  let  the  broad,  cultiva'ted  fields  and  fruit- 
bearing  orchards,  the  flocks  and  the  herds,  the  pa- 
latial residences,  the  places  of  business,  the  spacious 
halls,  the  clattering  car-wheels  and  ponderous  en- 
gines all  testify. 

There  was  a  time  when  pioneers  waded  through 
deep  snows,  across  bridgeless  rivers  and  through  bot- 
tomless sloughs,  more  than  a  score  of  miles,  to  mill 
or  market,  and  when  more  time  was  required  to  reach 
and  return  from  market  than  is  now  required  to  cross 
,  the  continent  or  Atlantic  Ocean.  These  were  the 
times  when  their  palaces  were  constructed  of  logs 
and  covered  with  "  shakes  "  riven  from  forest  trees. 
These  were  the  times  when  children  were  stowed 
away  during  the  nights  in  the  low,  dark  attics, 
among  the  horns  of  the  elk  and  the  deer,  and 
where  through  the  chinks  in  the  "  shakes  "  they  could 
count  the  twinkling  stars.  These  were  the  times 
when  chairs  and  bedsteads  were  hewn  from  the  for- 
est trees,  and  tables  and  bureaus  constructed  from 
the  boxes  in  which  goods  were  brought.  These  were 
the  days  when  all  were  required  to  work  six  days  in 
the  week  and  all  the  hours  in  a  day  from  sunrise  to 
sunset.  Now  all  is  changed.  In  viewing  the  bless- 
ings which  now  surround  us,  we  should  reverence 
those  who  made  them  possible,  and  ever  fondly  cher- 
ish in  memory  the  sturdy  old  pioneer  and  his  log 
cabin. 

Generation  after  generation  comes  and  goes  like  the 


leaves  of  autumn.  Nations  have  been  born,  have 
had  their  rise  and  fall,  and  then  passed  away,  leav- 
ing scarcely  a  riffle  on  the  great  ocean  of  time  to  show 
that  they  ever  existed,  so  imperfect  and  changeable 
have  been  the  means  to  perpetuate  their  achieve- 
ments. It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an 
intelligent,  undecaying,  immutable  method  of  per- 
petuating this  history;  immutable  in  that  it  is  almost 
unlimited  in  extent,  and  perpetual  in  its  action ;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing.  Nations  may  be- 
come disintegrated  and  pass  away,  monuments  and 
statues  may  crumble  into  dust,  but  books  will  live. 
This  art  has  been  rapidly  advancing  from  its  first  in- 
ception until  now  it  would  seem  that  there  were  no 
longer  any  further  grounds  for  improvement.  This  is 
pre-eminently  an  age  of  printing,  an  age  of  books. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  are  we  indebt- 
ed for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system  of 
local  history  and  local  biography.  By  this  system 
every  man,  though  he  has  not  achieved  what  the 
world  calls  greatness,  has  the  means  to  perpetuate 
his  life,  his  history  through  the  coming  ages  ;  so  alike 
has  every  community.  ^ 

We  come  now  to  the  work  before  us :  To  our  pat-  . 
rons,  we  say,  that  the  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ; 
nothing  of  the  physical  man  is  left;  the  monument 
which  his  children  or  friends  may  erect  to  his  mem- 
ory in  the  cemetery  will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass 
away  ;  but  his  life,  his  achievements,  the  work  he  has 
accomplished,  which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is 
perpetuated  by  this  book  through  coming  ages. 
Shakspeare  has  said : 

The  evil  that  men  do  lives  after  them ; 
The  good  is  oft  interred  with  their  bones. 

Our  aim  in  this  work  has  been  only  to  preserve  the 
good.  We  have  sought  to  gather,  from  the  best 
sources  of  information  obtainable,  the  conditions  and 
incidents  of  early  pioneer  life,  and  to  present  them 
together  with  the  present  development  of  the  county. 
Many  of  the  pioneers  came  into  this  beautiful  coun- 
ty without  a  dollar  in  their  pockets,  but  with  the 
unflinching  determination  to  carve  out  their  fortunes 
and  build  up  a  community.  With  undaunted  hearts 
and  a  courage  equal  to  that  of  the  great  heroes  of 
our  country,  they  began  life. 


*1 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


977 


..dWiS!., 


Zy  ^^ttl^T^^nt, 


E  desire,  previous  to  entering 
on  the  discussion  of  the 
•~=  iiistory  of  Knox  County, 
to  give  a  brief  account  of 
the  settlement  and  organ- 
ization of  the  State  of  llli 
nois,  which  is  essential  to  the 
proper  understanding  of  the  condition 
of  the  countr)'  in  this  part  of  the  State 
prior  to  its  settlement.  The  entire  territory 
now  embraced  in  this  State  at  one  time 
belonged  to  the  aborigines.  The  time  of 
their  settlement  here  has  never  been  defi- 
nitely fixed  by  history.  They  have  never, 
however,  been  treated  by  historians  in 
other  than  a  nomadic  sense;  never  having  been 
recognized  as  citizens,  or  even  occupants,  of  this 
continent.  Therefore,  we  will  make  our  bow  to  the 
illustrious  precedents  that  have  been  established  by 
historians,  and  pass  on.  We  will  say,  then,  tliat  this 
territory  was  originally  a  part  of  Florida  and  belonged 
to  the  Spanish  Government ;  that  the  Spanish  chev- 
alier, Fernando  de  Soto,  with  his  band  of  followers, 
was  the  first  to  discover  this  beautiful  land.  This 
was  as  early  as  1541.  The  Spanish,  however,  never 
took  possession  of  it,  and  it  was  first  occupied  by  the 
French,  who,  after  having  planted  settlements  along 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  in  Canada,  fitted  out  one  of 
their  Jesuit  missionaries  and  sent  him  westward  up 


•H^ 


the  St.  Lawrence.  Thence  he  was  to  take  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  follow  its  course.  This  explorer  was 
the  famous  Father  Marquette.  He  reached  the 
great  "  Father  of  Waters  "  in  the  spring  of  1673, 
hoisted  the  sails  on  his  little  bark  canoes,  and,  with  L 
his  companions  and  two  Indian  guides,  with  joy  un- 
speakable floated  down  the  majestic  river  between 
the  broad  plains  of  Illinois  and  Iowa.  While  de- 
scending the  Mississippi  he  discovered  an  Indian 
trail  and  immediately  moored  his  boats  and  look  the 
trail.  After  walking  about  six  miles  they  came  to  an 
Indian  village,  when  the  inhabitants  advanced  to 
meet  them,  and,  through  their  calumets,  the  pipe  of 
peace  was  smoked.  In  saluting  Father  Marquette 
they  addressed  him  in  a  language  familiar  to  him. 
"  We  are  Illinois,"  they  said.  "  How  beautiful  is 
the  sun,  O  Frenchman,  when  thou  comest  to  see  us. 
Our  village  awaits  thee;  thou  shall  enter  in  peace 
all  dwellings."  He  remained  with  these  hospitable 
people  a  few  days  and  then  descended  the  Missis- 
sippi River  until  he  was  satisfied  that  it  entered  into 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  when  he  returned,  and,  reach- 
ing the  39th  degree  of  north  latitude,  entered  ihe 
Illinois  River  and  followed  it  to  its  soutce.  He  was 
cordially  invited  by  the  Illinois  Indians  to  occupy  its 
banks  and  remain  with  them.  Desiring,  however,  to 
continue  his  travels,  he  declined  their  generous  offer 
and  was  conducted  by  one  of  the  ciiiefs,  accompa- 
nied by  several  of  his  warriors,  to  a  point  near  Chi- 
cago, if  not  that  point,  where  he  remained  to  preach 


^ 


X 


978 


■  Y. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  Gospel  to  the  Miamis,  sending  his  companions 
back  to  Quebec  to  announce  his  discoveries.  This 
may  be  said  to  be  the  inception  of  the  settlement  of 
lUinois  by  the  Caucasian  race. 

Father  Marquette's  discoveries  and  his  fame 
thrilled  the  hearts  of  many  adventurers  in  France, 
and  among  these  was  Robert  Cavalier  de  la  Salle. 
La  Salle  came  to  this  country,  remained  awhile,  and 
then  returned  to  France.  He  sought  an  interview 
at  once  with  Louis  XIV,  whom  he  inspired  with  his 
own  enthusiasm  and  from  whom  he  received  a  com- 
mission to  explore  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  He 
returned  with  a  number  of  mechanics,  military  stores, 
merchandise,  etc.,  in  the  year  1678.  After  leaving 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  Niagara  Rivers  and  crossing 
Lake  Erie,  he  reached  Green  Bay,  and  next  entered 
St.  Joseph  River.  At  these  places  he  established 
trading-posts.  He  then  descended  the  Illinois  River 
as  far  as  Lake  Peoria,  where  he  was  met  by  a  large 
party  of  Illinois  Lidians,  who  offered  him  the  calu- 
met and  with  whom  he  formed  an  alliance.  He 
was  received  vvith  great  joy,  and  when  they  learned 
that  he  was  to  establish  a  colony  among  them  their 
happiness  knew  no  bounds.  Thus  began  the  first 
white  settlement  in  this  fair  territory. 

A  long  war  arose  between  England  and  France 
*  over  the  possession  of  this  country.  Peace  was 
concluded  between  these  two  countries  Feb.  10, 
1763,  by  virtue  of  which  France  ceded  to  England 
the  Canadas,  Nova  Scotia,  Louisiana  (east  of  the 
Mississippi)  and  her  possessions  on  the  Mississippi 
and  Ohio,  which  included  the  territory  of  Illinois. 
At  this  time  the  white  population  numbered  about 
3,000  souls.  These  resided  along  the  Mississippi 
and  Ohio  Rivers,  the  largest  towns  being  Kaskaskia 
and  Cahokia. 

Although  Illinois  was  ceded  in  1763,  it  was  not 
taken  possession  of  by  England  until  1765,  when 
Capt.  Sterling,  sent  by  Gen.  Gage,  then  Commander- 
in-Chief  of  the  British  forces  in  America,  assumed 
control  in  the  name  of  Great  Britain.  Illinois  re- 
mained in  the  possession  of  the  British  until  1778, 
when  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark  was  secretly  fitted  out 
by  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia  with  seven  compa- 
nies, money,  arms,  ammunition  and  military  stores, 
and  clothed  with  all  the  authority  he  could  wish. 
After  a  brief  resistance,  he  took  possession  in  tlie 
name  of  Virginia.  Reporting  his  signal  triumpli  to 
the  Governor  of  that  State,  the   Legislature  passed 


an  act  in  October,  1778,  establishing  "  As  the  county 
of  Illinois  all  that  part  of  Virginia  west  of  the  Ohio" 
(which  surpassed  in  dimensions  tlie  whole  of  Great 
Britain),  and  appointed  Col.  John  Todd  Civil  Com- 
mander and  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  that  county.  After 
establishing  garrisons  at  Kaskaskia,  Cahokia  and 
the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  (on  the  site  of  Louisville), 
Col.  Clark  exerted  his  great  influence  to  bring  about 
a  good  feeling  between  the  Indians  and  the  Amer- 
icans. 

After  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  and  the 
surrender  of  Cornwallis  with  his  whole  army,  Oct. 
ig,  1781,  to  the  Americans,  a  treaty  of  peace  was 
signed  between  England  and  the  United  Colonies, 
by  virtue  of  which  the  independence  of  the  latter 
was  recognized,  and  all  the  land  east  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  south  of  Lakes  Ontario,  Erie,  Huron  and 
Superior  and  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  which  included 
Illinois,  was  ceded  to  the  Americaris.  All  this  terri- 
tory, by  virtue  of  the  conquest  thiough  that  renowned 
soldier.  Col.  George  Rogers  Clark,  was  claimed  by 
Virginia  ;  in  part  it  was  also  claimed  by  New  York, 
Massachusetts  and  Connecticut,  but,  having  in  view 
the  all-paramount  object,  a  union  among  the  States 
of  the  confederacy  and  the  establishment  of  a  perma- 
nent government,  the  people  of  these  States,  in- 
fluenced by  their  patriotism,  ceded  all  their  rights 
to  this  territory,  which  was  called  the  Northwest 
Territory,  to  the  Federal  Government.  Subsequently 
Congress,  in  the  summer  of  T787,  passed  a  general 
law  for  the  government  of  the  Territories  of  the 
United  States.  This  law  provided  for  a  Governor,  a 
Secretary,  a  court  of  three  Judges,  Representatives, 
and  a  Legislative  Council,  which  was  to  be  ap- 
pointed by  Congress.  The  Legislature  was  author- 
ized to  elect  by  joint  ballot  a  Delegate  to  Congress. 
Gen.  Arthur  St.  Clair,  a  distinguished  officer  of  the 
Revolutionary  Army,  was  appointed  to  the  gov- 
ernorship (which  was  the  first  to  be  appointed  to  the 
Northwest  Territory)  and  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  Territory.  The  new  government,  however,  was 
not  destined  to  remain  in  peace,  for  the  Indians 
again  commenced  hostilities,  incited  by  English 
gold  and  also  by  the  hope  of  recovering  their  favorite 
hunting-grounds.  St.  Clair,  being  in  feeble  health 
and  unable  to  properly  command  his  troops,  was  dis- 
astrously defeated  by  the  Indians.  To  remove  the 
disgrace  of  this  defeat  and  retrieve  the  credit  of  the 
American  arms,  the  gallant  Gen.  Wayne  was  sent 


C^ 


nt       1 

4* 


h 


JCJVOX  COUNTY. 


979 


out,  who  completely  routed  the  Indians  and  once 
more  restored  peace. 

In  1803  a  new  Territory  was  formed,  called  the 
Territory  of  Indiana,  which  embraced  the  whole 
Northwest  Territory,  with  the  exception  of  that  part 
from  which  Ohio  was  formed,  and  William  H.  Har- 
rison was  appointed  Governor.  This  government 
remained  until  1S09,  when  another  change  was 
made  and  Illinois  was  erected  into  an  independent 
Territory,  with  Ninian  Edwards  as  Governor.  Peace 
had  been  made,  and  the  whole  people  commenced 
again  their  agricultural  pursuits  on  ground  which 
had  been  occupied  by  the  red  men.  This  condition 
remained  until  the  second  conflict  with  England, 
known  as  the  War  of  1812.  A  bold,  daring  chief, 
Tecumseh  by  name,  taking  advantage  of  this  war 
between  the  two  countries,  incited  his  people  again 
to  battle,  and  joined  the  British  forces,  who  again 
occupied  a  part  of  this  Territory.  This  war  was 
carried  on  chiefly  in  the  Northwest  Territory,  and 
Gen.  Harrison  was  one  of  the  chief  actors.  The 
conflict  was  hot  and  decisive,  and  the  Americans 
•  were  again  victorious.  The  defeat  of  the  British  by 
I  Com.  Perry,  on  Lake  Erie,  and  on  land  at  the  battle 
i  of  the  Thames  by  Gen.  Harrison  and  the  gallant 
I  Col.  Johnson  (in  which  battle  Black  Hawk  took 
part),  the  killing  of  Tecumseh  and  the  rout  and 
slaughter  of  his  warriors,  terminated  this  conflict  in 
the  Northwest  Territory,  which  was  once  more  a 
peaceful  part  of  the  Republic. 

In  1812,  under  the  ordinance  of  1787,  a  Delegate 
was  sent  to  Congress  and  a  Territorial  Government 
established.  In  this  manner  the  Territory  existed, 
with  Ninian  Edwards  as  Governor,  until  181 8.  The 
population  at  the  close  of  the  War  of  18 12  did  not 
exceed  12,000  souls.  In  1818  the  inhabitants  num- 
bered 50,000.  At  the  beginning  of  this  year  the 
people  of  the  Territory  unanimously  resolved  to 
enter  the  Union  as  a  State,  and  instructed  their 
Delegate,  Nathaniel  Pope,  who  was  then  in  Congress, 
to  bring  the  subject  before  that  body  and  take  such 
means  as  were  necessary  to  accomplish  this  result. 

The  bill  for  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the 
Union  as  a  State  was  passed  in  April,  18 18.  An 
election  was  held  under  the  provisions  of  this  act,  for 
State  officers,  and  Shadrach  Bond  was  chosen  Gov- 
ernor, and  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  his  duties 
in  October  of  the  same  year,  with  the  seat  of  gov- 
ernment at   Kaskaskia.     Subsequently   Ninian   Ed- 


wards and  Jesse  B.  Thomas  were  chosen  Senators. 
In  1822  Edward  Coles,  an  anti-slavery  man,  was 
elected  to  succeed  Gov.  Bond.  In  1826  Gov.  Coles' 
term  expired,  and  Ninian  Edwards  was  ele(  ted  to 
succeed  him.  This  brings  the  history  of  the  State, 
the  principal  jwintsof  which  have  only  been  touched, 
down  to  the  period  when  the  settlement  of  Knox 
County  begins,  and  at  this  point  the  former  is  left, 
that  the  history  of  the  latter  may  be  taken  up. 

Knox  County  is  situated  in  the  Military  Tract, 
and  has  for  its  boundary  lines  Henry  County  on  the 
north,  Stark  and  Peoria  on  the  east,  Fulton  on  the 
south  and  Warren  and  Mercer  on  the  west.  The 
Military  Tract  is  situated  between  the  Illinois  and 
Mississippi  Rivers,  extending  as  far  north  as  the 
northern  line  of  Mercer  County.  It  was  so  called 
because  it  was  set  aside  by  the  Government  for  the 
soldiers  who  were  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  patented 
to  them  in  quarter-sections.  Very  few  of  these  sol- 
diers placed  any  value  on  this  land,  and  a  still  less 
number  entertained  any  idea  of  occupying  it.  But ' 
immigrants  came,  entered  Government  lands  and 
"  squatted  "  on  "  patent  "  or  military  lands,  improved 
them  and  made  them  valuable.  It  was  seldom  that"< 
a  "patentee"  could  be  found  when  wanted  by  the 
settlers,  and  many  of  them  believed  that  the  owners 
would  never  be  known.  In  a  great  many  instances, 
after  the  patented  land  had  been  improved  and  ren- 
dered valuable,  the  original  patent  would  be  pre- 
sented by  someone,  who  would  evict  the  occupant, 
or  squatter,  and  take  possession.  If  he  was  an  hon- 
est man,  the  occupant  would  be  paid  for  his  improve- 
ments; otherwise,  as  would  often  happen,  he  would 
get  nothing.  This  condition  of  afl"airs  invited  what 
were  very  properly  called,  in  those  days,  "  land- 
sharks,"  who  would  come  into  this  section  of  the 
country  and  work  up  cases,  ostensibly  for  the  orig- 
inal patentees,  but  in  reality  for  themselves. 

Among  these  landsharks  was  Toliver  Craig,  who 
made  a  business  of  forging  patents  and  deeds.  He 
carried  his  knavery  on  quite  extensively,  and  at  one 
time  had  40  forged  deeds  put  on  record  at  Kno.\- 
ville  in  one  day.  He  was  arrested  in  the  State  of 
New  York  in  1854,  by  H.  M.  Boggess,of  Monmouth, 
and  taken  to  Cincinnati,  where  he  was  lodged  in 
jail.  Here  he  attempted  suicide  by  taking  arsenic. 
He  remained  in  jail  about  a  year,  when  he  was  re- 
leased. 

The  Legislature  of  the  State,  at  its  session  during 


«- 


*-- 


-"-*• 


980 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  winter  of  1822-23,  l^id  out  into  counties,  together 
with  other  unorganized  territory,  the  Military  Tract. 
On  the  admission  of  Illinois  into  the  Union,  the  ter- 
ritory now  embraced  by  Knox  County  formed  a  part 
of  Madison  County.  Subsequently,  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature,  it  was  placed  within  the  boundaries  of 
Pike,  the  oldest  county  within  the  Military  Tract. 
It  then  embraced  the  whole  country  north  and  west 
of  the  Illinois  River.  By  an  act  of  the  Legislature 
approved  Feb.  10,  1826,  its  present  boundaries  were 
defined,  and  it  was  attached  to  Fulton  County  for 
judicial  and  recording  purposes. 

When  the  Military  Tract  was  laid  off  into  counties, 
most  of  them  were  named  after  the  military  heroes 
of  the  country.  This  county  was  named  after  that 
distinguished  General  and  statesman,  the  beloved 
and  confidential  friend  of  Washington,  Gen.  Henry 
Knox.  It  is  on  the  divide  between  the  Illinois  and 
the  Mississippi  Rivers,  with  the  41st  parallel  of  north 
latitude  running  a  little  north  of  its   center.     It  is 

Ivery  liberally  supplied  with  timber,  and  well  drained 
by  streams  running  east  and  west  from  the  divide. 
.Its  soil  is  deep  and  fertile  and  underlaid  with  coal- 
Ibeds  and  good  building-stone. 
The  first  settlement  made  in  this  county  was  by 
Daniel  Robertson,  in  February,  1828,  who  located 
/  first  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  15,  in  Hen- 
derson Township.  He  was  very  soon  followed  by 
his  brother  Alexander,  and  his  brotlier-in-law,  Rich- 
ard Matthews.  During  the  spring  and  summer  fol- 
lowing, quite  a  number  of  settlers  came  in,  among 
whom  was  Maj.  Thomas  McKee.  Those  who  lo- 
cated in  this  neighborhood,  or  in  Henderson  Town- 
ship, were  the  only  settlers  who  came  to  the  county 
in  1828,  except  a  man  by  the  name  of  Palmer,  who 
was  noted  for  his  eccentric  habits  and  for  his  success 
in  bee-hunting.  He  dwelt  for  awhile  at  the  deserted 
Indian  village  on  Spoon  River,  and  then  went  on 
westward.  Of  these  pioneers  of  1828,  only  two  are 
now  living — Daniel  Robertson  and  Maj.  McKee. 
For  a  more  particular  account  of  these  early  settlers, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  the  history  of  Henderson 
Township. 

The  first  white  child  born  in  the  county  was  a  son 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zephaniah  Gum,  in  January,  1829. 
The  first  couple  married  were  Alex.  Osborn  and 
Ann  Hendricks,  in  July,  1829. 

The  first  death  in  the  county  was  that  of  Philip 
Nance,  who  died  Jan.  7,  1829. 


The  first  school  taught  was  by  Franklin  B.  Barber, 
in  1830,  in  a  log  schoolhouse  near  the  grove. 

The  first  sermon  preached  was  by  Rev.  Jacob 
Gum,  in  a  log  cabin,  in  1829;  but  the  first  church  to 
organize  was  the  Baptist,  and  the  Universalists 
tame  next. 

The  first  mill,  or  corn-cracker,  was  put  up  in  1830, 
on  Henderson  Creek. 

Daniel  Robertson  turned  the  first  furrow  in  the 
county  in  1828,  with  a  rudely-shaped  plow,  which  he 
brought  with  him.  This  plow  is  still  in  his  possession. 
It  was  known  as  the  "  barshare  "  plow.  His  first 
crop,  which  was  corn,  yielded  about  40  bushels  to  the 
acre. 

Thomas  Sheldon,  who  was  one  of  the  1828  set- 
tlers, returned  with  his  family  '.o  Rock  Island,  where 
lie  died  in  June,  1829.  The  pioneers  of  Knox,  hear- 
ing of  his  death,  sent  two  of  their  number  to  ascer- 
tain the  condition  of  his  family.  It  was  anything  but 
favorable.  They  concluded  to  bring  the  widow  and 
her  children,  four  in  number,  to  Henderson,  and 
started  off  Thomas  McKee,  with  a  wagon  and  two 
yoke  of  oxen,  for  this  purpose.  He  was  at  this  time 
but  19,  yet  he  was  hardy  and  brave,  and  they  had  ; 
confidence  that  he  would  do  his  errand  well.  On 
his  return  to  Rock  River,  as  there  were  no  bridges  or 
ferries,  he  started  to  ford  it,  which  he  accomplished 
successfully,  though  a  dangerous  undertaking  with- 
out a  guide.  He  also  crossed  Mill  Creek  safely;  but 
a  little  this  side  his  wagon  got  bogged,  and  in  at- 
tempting to  pull  out  he  broke  the  neckyoke.  He 
was  obliged  to  return  to  Rock  Island  for  a  new  yoke, 
and,  returning,  reached  his  wagon  about  dark.  Here 
the  party  were  obliged  to  remain  all  night.  A  heavy 
rain  fell,  and  in  the  morning  the  water  was  up  to  the 
bed  of  the  wagon.  He  unloaded  and  pulled  the 
wagon  out.  There  were  some  heavy  goods,  and 
among  them  a  barrel  of  meat.  It  is  to-day  a  won- 
der to  the  Major  how  he  ever  handled  that  barrel, 
as  he  had  no  help  from  the  widow  or  her  children. 
Going  on,  he  again  got  stalled,  and  was  obliged  to 
unload  and  reload  again.  At  Edwards  River  he 
was  bogged  again  and  had  to  go  through  the  same 
process.  Here  there  was  a  steep  embankment,  and 
he  was  obliged  to  roll  the  goods  up  this  to  the  wagon, 
and  by  skillful  engineering  got  them  in.  He  came 
into  Rio  Township  about  dusk,  and  as  he  found  a 
slough  confronting  him  he  concluded  to  rest  for  the 
night.     The  next  day  he  arrived  home,  after  a  jour- 


r 


¥ 


■  V. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


-H- 


981 


ney  of  four  days.  The  Major  says  he  became  quite 
well  acquainted  with  those  barrels  before  he  arrived 
at  home. 

This  is  a  specimen  of  the  many  trials  which  the 
pioneers  had  to  pass  through  at  this  period. 

There  was  but  one  traveled  road  in  the  county, 
which  ran  along  the  western  line.  This  was  known 
as  the  old  "  Galena  Trail, '  and  was  made  by  the 
Galena  miners  in  going  to  and  from  their  homes  in 
the  central  part  of  the  State  to  the  mines. 

In  the  fall  of  1829  a  settlement  was  made  in  Haw 
Creek  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Owens  and  family.  During 
this  year  also  there  was  a  settlement  made  in  Kno.x 
Township  by  Parry  Morris,  John  Charles  and  John 
Montgomery,  who  located  near  the  present  site  of 
Knoxville.  Prior  to  this,  in  1828,  a  settlement  was 
made  in  the  territory  now  embraced  in  Cedar  Town- 
ship, by  Asel  Dorsey  and  family,  Mr.  Finch  and 
Rev.  Hiram  Palmer.  This  settlement  was  increased 
in  1829  by  Rev.  Abraham  D.  Swartz  and  wife.  In 
1830  Joseph  Wallace  commenced  the  improvement 
of  a  farm  in  Orange  Township.  During  this  year 
the  pioneers,  James  Millan,  William  Darnell  and 
William  Parmer,  made  a  settlement  in  Maquon 
Township.  Michael  Fraker  put  him  up  a  cabin  in 
Lynn  Township  in  1830  and  commenced  house- 
keeping, and  was  soon  found  here  by  others.  Rio 
was  not  left  unoccupied  this  year,  for  Joseph  Rowe, 
Reese  Jones  and  Joseph  Halliday  came  in  and  be- 
gan their  pioneer  labors. 

The  settlers  came  in  so  rapidly,  and  there  were 
such  favorable  prospects  for  a  steady  flow  of  emi- 
gration, that  in  the  early  part  of  1830  the  people  be- 
gan to  consider  the  question  of  the  organization  of 
the  county.  A  meeting  was  called  at  the  store  of 
Samuel  White,  in  Henderson  Township,  May  15. 
This  store  had  been  used  as  a  tavern.  It  was  a  log 
cabin,  about  16  feet  square,  and  contained  but  one 
room.  Riggs  Pennington  was  chosen  chairman  of 
this  meeting  and  John  G.  Sanburn,  secretary.  Among 
those  present  at  this  meeting  were  the  two  citizens 
above  mentioned,  and  Philip  Hash,  Stephen  Osborn, 
Dr.  Charles  Hansford  (the  first  physician  to  open 
practice  in  the  count)),  Henry  Bell,  Jacob  Gum, 
Nicholas  Vailes  and  John  D.  Gum.  Dr.  Hansford, 
Riggs  Pennington  and  John  G.  Sanburn  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  draft  a  petition  to  Hon. 
Richard  M.  Young,  Judge  of  the  5th  Judicial  Dis- 
trict, {.raying  for  the  organization  of  the  county.  An- 


other committee  consisted  of  Messrs.  Pennington, 
Hash,  Hansford  and  Osborn  to  present  the  petition 
and  address  the  Judge  in  behalf  of  the  organization. 
This  committee  proceeded  to  Fulton  County,  where 
the  court  was  in  session,  and  laid  their  petition  be- 
fore the  Judge,  who,  believing  that  the  county  con- 
tained 350  inhabitants,  the  number  required  by  law, 
and  that  it  was  the  wish  of  the  people  of  the  county 
that  an  organization  be  had,  granted  the  prayer  of  the 
petitioners.  An  order  was  also  issued  by  the  Court 
on  the  10th  of  June,  declaring  the  county  of 
Knox  organized  and  entitled  to  the  same  rights  and 
privileges  as  other  counties  of  the  State.  Subse- 
quently an  order  was  issued  by  Judge  Young  for  an 
election  to  be  held  on  the  3d  day  of  July,  1830,  for 
the  pur|X)se  of  electing  three  County  Commissioners. 
This  order  was  issued  at  Galena. 

The  election  was  duly  held,  the  judges  and 
Clerks  being  Jacob  Gum,  Nicholas  Vailes,  Stephen 
Osborn,  William  McMurtry  and  Jonathan  Reed. 
The  election  resulted  in  the  unanimous  choice  of 
Riggs  Pennington,  Charles  Hansford  and  Philip 
Hash. 

On  July  7  the  Commissioners  held  their  first 
meeting  at  the  residence  of  John  B.  Gum,  who  was 
by  them  chosen  Clerk.  Mr.  Gum's  house  was  a 
double  log  cabin,  containing  two  rooms,  and  was 
situated  on  section  32,  Henderson  Township,  and 
here  the  first  seat  of  justice  of  Knox  County  was 
located.  On  the  9th  of  July  the  Commissioners 
held  their  second  meeting.  At  this  meeting  John  G. 
Sanburn  was  appointed  Clerk,  John  B.  Gum  having 
declined  to  serve.  The  latter,  however,  was  ap- 
fwinted  by  the  Court  Treasurer  of  the  county,  in 
which  position  he  qualified  himself  by  taking  an  oath, 
and  filing  a  bond  of  $500.  Mr.  Gum  was  really 
Clerk  of  the  county  for  two  days,  yet,  inasmuch  as 
he  did  not  discharge  any  of  the  functions  of  this 
office,  Mr.  Sanburn  is  regarded  as  the  first  Clerk 
of  the  county. 

In  the  organization  of  this  county,  townships  12 
and  13  north,  range  5  east,  were  included  within  its 
boundaries.  In  t837,  when  Stark  County  was  or- 
ganized, these  two  townships  were  taken  from  this 
county  and  attached  to  that.  The  town  of  La  Fayette, 
in  Stark,  is  located  in  this  section,  and  consequently 
was  originally  in  Kno.x  County.  It  was  through  the 
influence  of  Riggs  Pennington  that  these  townships 
were   attached  to  Knox  County.  They  contained  a 


-W" 


;l_X> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


beautiful  grove,  which  he  thought  would  not  only  add 
to  the  wealth,  but  materially  to  the  beauty  of  this 
county.     Hence  his  efforts  to  secure  them. 

An  election  was  ordered  by  the  Court  for  county 
officers  to  be  held  Aug.  i,  1830.  At  this  lime  there 
was  but  one  election  precinct,  and  the  territory  was 
larger  by  two  townships.  Jacob  Gum,  Nicholas 
Vailes  and  Thomas  Maxwell  were  appointed  Judges 
of  the  election.  A  special  term  of  the  County  Com- 
missioners' Court  was  held  July  17.  At  this  session 
the  county  was  divided  into  two  districts  for  the 
election  of  Justices  of  the  Peace  and  Constables.  The 
election  was  held  August  7,  being  the  day  of  the  gen- 
eral election  throughout  the  State.  Riggs  Penning- 
ton, Philip  Hash  and  Alexander  Frakes  were  elected 
County  Commissioners.  The  first  term  of  the  Cir- 
cuit Court  was  held  on  Friday,  Oct.  i,  1830,  at  the 
house  of  John  B   Gum.     It  held  only  one  day. 

Having  placed  the  pioneers  in  the  full  enjoyment 
of  civil  and  political  government,  we  will  leave  this 
line  of  history,  which  will  be  found  in  detail  in 
another  part  of  this  work,  and  take  up  the  more  gen- 
l  eral  incidents  connected  with  their  history.  The  set- 
'*'  tiers  up  to  1833  were  obliged  to  send  or  go  to  Rush- 
ville  for  their  mail,  which  was  a  great  inconvenience 
to  them.  Upon  petition  to  the  Postmaster-General 
by  the  Commissioners,  a  post-office  was  established  at 
Knoxville  (then  called  Henderson),  the  county  seat 
having  been  located  there  in  January,  1831.  John 
G.  Sanburn  was  appointed  Postmaster.  The  peace 
of  the  early  settlers  was  much  disturbed  by  the 
Indian  troubles  and  the  Black  Hawk  war,  and  the 
settlement  was  greatly  retarded.  Many  of  the  peo- 
ple left  the  county  until  the  war  was  over,  and  some 
located  elsewhere.  Forts  had  been  constructed  for 
the  protection  of  tlie  settlers,  and  whenever  anything 
would  occur  to  create  a  suspicion  of  an  attack,  the 
people,  particularly  the  women  and  children,  would 
gather  into  these  forts.  The  fright  and  anxiety 
proved  to  be  unnecessary,  as  there  were  no  Indian 
raids  in  the  county. 

One  of  the  enemies  the  early  settlers  had  to  fight 
and  to  be  constantly  on  their  guard  against  was  prairie 
fires.  They  sometimes  threatened  the  destruction  of 
the  entire  community.  Sometimes  these  fires  were 
caused  by  accident,  and  often  through  wanton- 
ness, or  with  a  view  of  bewildering  the  game.  The 
offense  became  so  serious  that  persons  were  indicted 
and  tried  for  it.     The  best  way  they  had  for  fighting 


the  fires  was  by  "  burning  back."  These  fires,  with 
their  columns  of  livid  flame  mounting  heavenward, 
were  grand  to  look  at,  and,  when  the  settlers  were 
out  of  immediate  danger,  they  would  gaze  on  them 
with  awe  and  admiration. 

In  1830  the  big  snowstorm  came,  which  caused  a 
great  deal  of  suffering.  Snow  began  to  fall  on  the 
night  of  the  29th  of  December,  and  continued  for 
three  days.  The  average  depth  was  four  feet,  but  in 
places  it  drifted  to  the  height  of  20  feet.  It  re- 
mained on  the  ground  until  after  the  ist  of  April. 

The  early  settlers  carried  their  produce,  which  was 
chiefly  wheat  and  hogs,  to  Chicago  or  Peoria.  The 
roads  were  oftener  bad  than  good,  and  the  journey 
was  long  and  tedious,  taking  several  days  to  make 
the  trip.  They  would  take  their  cooking  utensils — 
frying-pan  and  coffee-pot,  and  their  provisions,  bread 
and  bacon,  and  camp  by  the  roadside.  Prices  were 
never  very  high,  and,  if  labor  and  time  were  counted, 
they  would  be  largely  the  losers  when  they  returned 
home. 

Judge  R.  L.  Hannanian,  in  an  early  day,  thought 
he  would  get  up  a  little  corner  on  hogs.  He  gath- 
ered  up  some  1,300  head  and  drove  them  to  Chicago, 
employing  16  boys  to  drive  them.  The  hogs  and  the 
boys  arrived  at  the  Garden  City  on  the  1 6th  day. 
The  hogs  were  slaughtered,  packed  and  shipped  to  ' 
New  York  and  Boston.  The  Judge  made  in  this 
speculation  $5,000  on  the  debit  side.  He  states  that 
he  could  have  bought  any  quantity  of  land  there  at 
that  time  for  almost  nothing,  but  he  would  not  take 
it  as  a  gift. 

One  of  the  great  events  in  the  early  days  of  Knox 
Coanty  was  the  arrival  of  the  Galesburg  Colony,  a 
part  of  which  came  in  1836,  and  a  part  in  1837. 
Their  advent  created  quite  a  flutter  among  the  set- 
tlers, and  gave  the  county  an  impetus  forward  that 
was  very  auspicious.  They  brought  with  them  energy, 
brains  and  money,  and  went  to  work  with  a  will  that 
soon  made  them  felt  in  the  county.  The  party 
of  Hugh  Conger  and  Nehemiah  West,  who  came 
overland,  as  they  were  nearing  the  site  of  their  colony, 
on  the  ist  of  June,  1839,  stopped  for  the  night  near 
what  is  now  known  as  Victoria.  They  were  short  of 
provisions,  and  the  family  on  whom  they  called  had 
no  meal.  Corn  was  ground  in  a  hand-mill,  and  then 
"  corn-dodgers  "  were  made  for  supper.  The  next 
day  they  dealt  out  their  scanty  supplies  to  the 
younger  members  of  the  party,  and  weary  and  hun- 


^ 


■H" 


f4=^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


983 


gry  they  proceeded  on  their  journey  to  Henderson 
Grove.  Here  they  gathered  up  what  they  could  from 
the  settlers  for  supper,  and  took  their  first  meal  in 
the  colony  on  a  door  from  an  old  cabin,  resting  on 
boxes. 

The  first  national-anniversary  celebration  was  held 
in  Sanburn's  Grove,  near  Knoxville,  in  1836.  This 
celebration  came  verj-  near  having  everybody  ia  the 
county  at  its  festivities.  Rev.  Gardner  Bartlett 
made  the  opening  prayer,  and  Hon.  James  Kno.x  de- 
livered the  oration.  After  the  ceremonies  were  over, 
the  procession  was  formed,  and  marching  to  the 
tables  which  were  spread  beneath  the  protecting 
boughs  of  shade  trees,  the  more  enjoyable  part  of 
the  celebration  was  begun.  The  meats  were  cooked 
in  a  pit ;  the  other  eatables  were  brought  already 
prepared  by  the  celebrators.  This  celebration  will 
be  remembered  as  long  as  there  is  anyone  living  who 
was  present.     For  enthusiasm  and  hearty,  patriotic 

•     enjoyment,    it  probably   will    never  be   equaled   in 
■  Knox  County. 

The  early  settlers  invariably  located  in   groves  or 

1 1  along  the  borders  of  timber.     It  was  many  years  be- 

>•  fore  anyone  had  the  rashness,  or  so  little  judgment, 
,  t  -  _  J      a  I 

as  was  then  thought,  as  to  make  a  claim  out  in  the 
I  "  wild  prairie  grass."     This  is  not  so  strange  when  it 

I  '  is  considered   that  these   settlers  mostly  had  been 

I  brought  up  in  clearings  or  lived  in  the  shelter  of 
groves.  To  live  out  away  from  timber  was  something 
foreign  to  their  habits,  and  then  again  they  had  no 
confidence  in  the  productive  qualities  of  this  prairie 
soil. 

The  cabins  were  rude  structures  for  habitation,  but 
then  ihey  were  cheerful  and  homelike.  The  large 
fireplaces  would  send  their  radiating  heat  out,  glow- 
ing on  the  domestic  circle  around.  This  served  for 
heating,  cooking  and  ventilation.  There  was  seldom 
more  than  one  room  ;  but  there  were  always  conven- 
ient  contrivances,   and  a  stranger   or  traveler   was 

'  never  turned  away,  though  there  might  be  a  dozen  in 
the  family. 

There  are  some  who  are  rather  prone  to  give  the 
dark  side  of  pioneer  life  only.  While  there  were 
many  discomforts,  and  what  would  now  be  consid- 
ered by  those  accustomed  to  all  the  conveniences  of 
modern  civilization  privations,  yet  there  were  many 
pleasures  and  much  happiness.     There  were  their 

'  quilting-bees,  corn-huskings,  apple-bees,  for  both 
sexes,  and  for  the  men  the  log-rollings  and   house- 


raisings  ;  and  no  end  to  the  little  social  amusements. 
Then  there  was  that  grand  fraternity  of  feeling,  that 
bond  of  human  sympathy,  unalloyed  and  unaffected, 
which  overshadowed  all. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  excitement  in  Knox 
County  during  the  early  period  of  its  history,  caused 
by  the  establishment  and  operation  of  the  Under- 
ground Railroad,  as  it  was  called.  In  the  settle- 
ment of  the  county  there  were  many  who  did  not  be- 
lieve in  human  bondage,  and  who  were  willing  to  aid 
in  every  way  possible  the  oppressed  slave  in  securing 
his  freedom.  The  murder  of  Lovejoy,  at  Alton,  in 
1837,  stimulated  this  feeling,  and  largely  increased 
the  anti-sUvery  party  in  the  county.  Growing  out 
of  this  agitation  and  the  formation  of  the  anti-slavery 
party  was  the  organization  of  what  its  operators  were 
pleased  to  call  the  Underground  Railroad,  the  object 
•of  which  was  to  aid  the  fugitive  slave  in  his  escape 
to  the  land  of  freedom. 

In  this  organization  there  were  no  particular   signs 
or  passwords,  but  each   relied  on  the  honor  of  the 
other,  and  their  faith  in  the  just  cause  that  moved 
them.     It  was  no  place  for  cowards  or  weak-minded 
men,  and  few  were  connectedwith  this  transportation.    •< 
They  had  the  most  bitter  opiwsition  from  the  slave-    [ 
holders  and  the  pro-slavery  men,  yet  they  were  never 
daunted  and  never  wearied  in  their  good  work.    The   J 
northern  terminus  of  this  railroad  was  in  Canada; 
when  once  reached  by  the   slave,  he  was  free — free 
from  the  lash  and  the  manacles  of  the  slave- power, 
and  free  from  the  teeth  of  the  bloodhound.     At  that 
end  of  the  road  stood  Rev.  Hiram  Willson,  ready  to 
receive  the  fugitive    and  to  provide  for  him.     The 
Queen    had  declared    in    February,    1841  :    "That 
every  fuoitive  from  United  States  slavery  should  be 
protected  as  a  British  subject  the  moment  his  or  her    • 
foot  touched  'the  soil  of  the  domain."   Arrangements 
were  made  to  have  all  supplies  or  goods  shipped  to 
the  fugitives  admitted  free  of  duty. 

One  of  the  peculiar  features  of  this  railroad  com- 
pany was  that,  while  people  knew  very  well  who  was 
engaged  in  operating  it,  and  where  the  depot  was  lo- 
cated, freight  was  seldom  found  after  the  most  dili- 
gent search.  Space  will  permit  us  to  deal  only 
with  generalities  on  this  subject.  One  of  the  princi- 
pal stations  in  Western  Illinois,  if  not  of  the  whole 
State,  was  Galesburg.  This  station  was  generally 
managed  by  Nehemiah  West,  George  Davis  and 
Samuel    Hitchcock,  and  others.     A   station   was  at 


r*^ 


\ 


=^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


the  latter-named  gentleman's  house  for  many  years. 
There  was  another  station  in  Ontario  at  the  residence 
of  C.  F.  Camp.  Hod  Powell  was  generally  the  con- 
ductor here.  The  trains  were  always  run  through 
in  the  night-time,  and  there  was  never  any  whistling 
for  down  brakes  or  crossroads. 

The  first  record  of  any  convention  is  a  Democratie 
one,  which  was  held  in  Henderson  during  the  cam- 
paign of  Martin  Van  Buren.  The  Whigs  at  this 
period  were  in  the  minority.  The  candidate's  name 
and  office  for  which  he  was  running  were  announced 
by  the  persons  voting  and  taken  down  by  the  Clerk  of 
the  election. 

The  first  Wliig  Representative  from  the  county  was 
John  Denny,  who  was  elected  in  1840.  A  year  prior 
to  this  the  first  Anti-Slavery  Society  was  organized.  It 
was  organized  at  Knoxville  in  the  winter  time,  and 
was  presided  over  by  Wm.  Holyoke.  He  was  after- 
ward one  of  the  Presidential  Electors  of  the  Liberty 
party  in  1840,  when  James  G.  Birney  ran  for  Presi- 
dent. The  list  of  those  who  had  the  nobility  and 
manhood  at  this  time  to  come  out  and  take  a  firm 
stand  against  slavery  was  comparatively  small.  There 
were  13  in  this  county  who  voted  for  Mr.  Birney, 
and  their  names  should  be  perpetuated  in  history. 
They  were  William  Holyoke,  Levi  Spencer,  Patrick 
Dunn,  John  McMiillin,  Samuel  Metcalf,  Thos.  Sim- 
mons, John  G.  West,  L.  C.  Conger,  G.  A.  Marsh, 
George  Avery,  Abram  Tyler,  Leonard  Chapel  and 
Horatio  Foote.  From  this  time  the  Liberty  party 
increased  until  ihey  numbered  enough  to  hold  the 
balance  of  power.  In  1854-56  came  the  disinte- 
gration of  the  Whig  and  Democratic  parties,  and  a 
new  party  was  formed  from  these — the  Liberty 
party,  known  to  the  world  since  as  the  Republican 
party,  the  standard  of  which  the  bold  members  of 
the  Liberty  party  followed  to  victory  in  i860. 

The  most  exciting  political  contest  in  Illinois, 
probably,  was  that  between  Abraham  Lincoln  and 
Stephen  A.  Douglas,  in  1838,  for  the  United  States 
Senatorship.  They  had  a  joint  debate  at  Gales- 
burg,  October  7,  at  which  were  gathered  some  25,- 
000  people.  The  topic  discussed  was  almost  solely 
that  of  slavery,  and  the  attendance  here  showed  the 
interest  the  people  had  taken  in  it.  Douglas  was  the 
successful  candidate,  but  his  election  only  increased 
the  ardor  of  tlie  Republica]is. 

The  campaign  of  1859  was  a  continuation  of  the 
struggle.     It   is   claimed    the    Republicans    of   this 


county  were  the  first  to  bring  out  Lincoln  for  the 
Presidency.  Hon.  R.  W.  Miles,  from  Persifer,  sat  by 
Abraham  Lincoln  at  the  secret  caucis  held  in  the 
library- room  of  the  capitol  at  Springfield,  held  in 
June,  1859.  This  was  soon  after  the  Legislature  had 
elected  Douglas  to  the  United  States  Senate,  A 
gentlemati  in  making  a  speech  said  that  they  were 
going  to  bring  out  Abraham  Lincoln  as  a  candidate  for 
President  in  i860.  Mr.  Lincoln  at  once  arose  and, 
with  considerable  emotion,  exclaimed  :  "For  God's 
sake,  let  me  alone  !  I  have  suffered  enough  !  "  It 
was  not,  however,  for  Mr.  Lincoln  to  have  his  way. 

We  have  somewhat  anticipated  in  following  out 
some  leading  features  in  the  political  history. 

In  1847  an  election  was  held  for  members  of  the 
Constitutional  Convention.  A  new  constitution  was 
prepared  and  submitted  to  the  people,  which  was 
adopted  in  1848.  One  of  the  provisions  of  this  con- 
stitution was  the  establishing  of  a  County  Court  and 
the  doing  away  with  the  County  Commissioners' 
Court.  It  provided  for  a  County  Judge  and  two  As-  ^ 
sociale  Justices,  if  the  Legislature  saw  proper  to  so 
order  it,  which  it  did. 

The  last  meeting  of  the  County  Commissioners''^ 
Court  was  held  Oct.  12,  1849.  On  the  3d  of  Decem- 
ber following,  the  first  term  of  the  County  Court  was 
held.  This  court  had  charge  of  the  affairs  of  the 
county  until  the  township  organization  system  was 
adopted,  which  was  in  1853.  The  new  constitution 
gave  the  counties  the  privilege  of  either  adopting  the 
County  Court  or  the  Supervisors. 

At  the  fall  elections  of  1849  a  vote  was  taken 
"  for  "  or  "  against  township  organization,"  which 
resulted  in  favor  of  it  by  728  votes  against  420.  At 
this  time  there  were  12  election  precincts — Brush 
Creek,  Pope  Creek,  Fraker's  Grove,  Victoria,  Haw 
Creek,  Spoon  River,  Littler  Creek,  French  Creek, 
Cherry  Grove,  Galesburg  and  Knoxville.  It  was  de- 
cided that  the  election  was  in  favor  of  organization 
It  was  subsequently  decided  that  township  organiza- 
tion was  not  adopted,  inasmuch  as  it  did  not  receive 
a  majority  of  all  the  votes  in  the  county.  During 
this  discussion  it  was  claimed  by  many  that  the  law 
was  unconstitutional. 

Julius  Manning  rendered  an  opinion  that  the 
township  organization  had  not  been  legally  adopted, 
which  opinion  was  sustained  by  the  Supreme  Court 
of  the  State.  In  the  spring  of  1850  a  Board  of  Su- 
pervisors   \^2A    elected,  but   it    held    but  one  ses- 


I 


t 


4s 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


98s 


sion.  The  County  Court  ordered  another  election, 
which  was  held  Nov.  5,  1850,  the  result  of  which 
was  673  votes  for  and  317  against  organization. 
This  was  not  a  majority  of  all  the  legal  voters  in  the 
county,  and  the  measure  was  again  lost.  It  will  be 
seen  by  these  elections  that  there  was  a  large  element 
against  it.  , 

Another  election  was  subsequently  held,  which  re- 
sulted in  favor  of  township  organization.  On  the  sth 
day  of  April,  t853,  an  election  was  held  for  Super- 
visors. This  board  held  its  first  meeting  at  Knox- 
ville,  June  6,  1S53.  The  last  meeting  of  the  County 
Court  was  held  March  4,  1853. 

In  the  fall  of  1854  the  first  railroad  was  completed 
through  the  county,  which  much  increased  its  pros- 
perity and  development.  Following  this  came  man- 
ufactories, the  most  important  of  which  was  that  of 
Geo.  W.  Brown.  In  the  spring  of  1857  the  Peoria 
Branch  completed  its  line  to  Galesburg.  In  August, 
1870,  the  Rockford,  Rock  Island  &  St.  Louis  Rail- 
road completed  its  track  across  the  northwestern 
corner  of  the  county,  and,  in  the  spring  of  1883,  the 
Central  Iowa  ran  its  trains  across  the  southwestern 
corner.  With  all  these  lines  of  road  crossing  the 
county  from  every  direction,  it  was  given  the  most 
ample  facilities  for  transportation. 

One  of  the  most  troublesome  subjects  ever 
brought  up  before  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  and  also 
before  the  people,  was  the  removal  of  the  county  seat 
to  Galesburg.  This  question  began  to  be  agitated 
soon  after  the  advent  of  the  railroads.  The  people 
of  Galesburg,  believing  that  their  city  was  to  be  the 
important  town  in  the  county  and  was  the  railroad 
center,  thought  they  ought  to  have  the  seat  of  justice 
there.  Several  elections  were  held  for  the  purpose 
of  voting  on  the  removal,  but  each  time  it  was  de- 
feated. But  Galesburg  was  growing  rapidly,  and  she 
thought  that  her  having  the  county  seat  would  be 
only  a  question  of  time  and,  perhaps,  a  little  money. 
April  6,  1869,  another  election  was  held.  When  the 
returns  were  made  up  the  result  showed  247  votes 
against  removal.  The  question  of  fraud  was  raised 
by  the  Galesburg  party,  and  the  case  was  carried  to 
the  courts  by  Geo.  Davis,  who,  on  behalf  of  himself 
and  the  people  of  the  county,  brought  suit  against 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  and  county  officials  to  im- 
peach the  election  returns  and  purge  the  poll-book 
of  illegal  returns.  The  case  came  up  in  the  Circuit 
Court  of  the  county,  when  a  change  of  venue  was 
• -^ 


taken  to  the  Circuit  Court  of  McDonough  County. 
It  was  called  up  at  the  September  term  of  187 1, 
when  Judge  Higbie  decided,  after  throwing  out  what 
he  decided  to  be  illegal  votes,  in  favor  of  the  removal 
of  the  seat  of  justice  to  Galesburg. 

The  Knoxville  patty  took  an  appeal  to  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  the  State,  when,  after  some  three 
years  from  the  time  of  the  holding  of  the  election, 
Judge  Walker  rendered  a  decision  confirming  the  de- 
cree of  the  lower  or  Circuit  Court. 

Jan.  30,  1873,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  ordered 
all  records  to  be  moved  to  Galesburg.  Wagons  were 
in  waiting  at  Knoxville  pending  the  order,  and  it 
lives  yet  vividly  in  the  memory  of  many,  that  no 
public  records  were  ever  transferred  with  such  rapid 
dispatch  as  those  from  Knoxville  to  Galesburg.  It 
took  a  long  time  to  get  them  started,  but  when  they 
did  move,  they  went  as  though  they  were  on  the 
wings  of  air;  and  here,  in  charity,  perhaps,  it  is  well 
to  drop  this  subject  and  "  lay  this  sheet  of  sorrow  on 
the  shelf." 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  held  their  first  meeting 
in  the  new  county  seat,  Feb.  27,  1873.  In  consider-  1, 
ation  of  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Galesburg 
that  city  officially  and  the  citizens  individually  gave 
the  county  the  following  lands  and  money  :  A  deed  , 
to  the  lots  on  Cherry  street ;  a  deed  to  the  lots  where 
now  stands  the  jail ;  a  deed  from  the  city  of  Gales- 
burg for  the  east  half  of  College  Park,  provided  the 
court-house  should  be  constructed  thereon.  The 
city  also  agreed  to  furnish  a  court-room  for  ten  years, 
and  to  pay  all  expenses  incurred  in  removal  of  the 
county  records  and  property  ;  and  also  gave  two  cer- 
tificates of  $2,000  each,  and  $2,000  toward  the  build- 
ing of  a  jail.  At  their  meeting  in  January,  1874, 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  ordered  all  the  county  prop- 
erty in  Knoxville,  consisting  of  the  court-house  and 
jail,  to  be  deeded  to  the  city  of  Knoxville  for  the 
consideration  of  one  dollar.  A  grand  county  build- 
ing has  been  commenced  on  the  site  donated  by  the 
city,  and  it  is  expected  that  it  will  be  completed  by 
the  end  of  this  year.  The  jail  was  completed  in 
t874,  and  is  a  credit  to  the  county. 

When  the  Rebellion  broke  out,  and  a  call  to  arms 
was  made,  Knox  County  was  among  the  first  to  re- 
spond,and  made  during  that  long  and  bloody  con- 
flict an  enviable  reputation  for  her  patriotism  and 
devotion  to  the  country. 


t 


t 


■*-^ 


986 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Knox  County  has  20  full  townships,  all  of  which 
are  subject  to  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  This 
would  give  her  460,800  acres  of  land,  hardly  an  acre 
of  which  but  what  could  advantageously  be  tilled. 
It  is  claimed  for  one  of  its  townships,  Ontario,  that 
for  richness  of  soil  and  completeness  of  cultivation 
it  is  equal  to  any  township  in  the  country. 

The  population  of  this  county  in  1880  was  38,344, 
with  an  assessment  value,  as  shown  by  the  reports  of 
1885,  of  $6,305,295  on  lands  ;  town  lots,  $1,954,641 ; 
personal  property,  $2,833,922. 

For  beauty  of  location,  for  richness  of  soil,  for  its 
railroad  facilities,  for  its  educational  institutions,  and 
the  culture  of  its  people,  Knox  County  is  unsur- 
passed by  any  county  in  the  State.  From  the  time 
of  the  settlement  of  the"  Robertsons,  it  has  been 
steadily  developing,  improving  its  farms,  building 
railroads  and  manufactories,  establishing  extensive 
business  towns,  erecting  church  edifices  and   institu- 


tions of  learning  until  it  stands  out  to-day  in  beauti- 
ful, bold  relief,  a  complete  civilization,  wrought  out 
from  a  wilderness  within  a  half  century,  and  com- 
manding the  admiration  of  the  world. 

There  are  four  old  settlers  living  who  have  been 
closely  identified  with  the  county  almost  from  its  first 
settlement,  whom  we  think  it  would  not  be  out  of 
place  to  mention  before  closing  this  sketch,  and  in 
doing  so  we  think  it  will  give  pleasure  to  all,  and 
these  are  Maj.  Thomas  McKee,  George  W.  Brown, 
Judge  Dennis  Clarke  and  Judge  Robert  L.  Hanna- 
man.  These  worthy  pioneers  and  noble  citizens, 
while  they  have,  with  but  one  exception,  never 
been  possessed  of  very  much  of  this  world's  goods,  yet 
their  hearts  have  ever  been  ready  to  sympathize,  and 
their  hands  ever  prompt  to  help  the  poor,  the  unfort- 
unate and  afflicted.  Many  a  widow,  many  an 
orphan,  many  a  poor  man  has  had  frequent  occasion 
to  bless  them  for  their  acts  of  kindness. 


c^rr 


.j^\^}01PTS^K 


o.gia-<aiHg>°    »  lo 


IVIL  Government  was  inaug- 
urated in  Knox  County,  July 
7,  1830,  by  the  assembling  of 
the  County  Commissioners 
and  the  organization  of  the 
("ounty  Comraissioners'Court 
at  the  residence  of  John  B. 
Gum,  on  section  32,  Hen- 
^^f^i^f  derson  Township,  then  the  temporary 
"^  seat  of  justice.     The  court  was  com- 

posed of  Riggs  Pennington,  Philip 
Hash  and  Charles  Hansford.  There 
was  but  little  business  transacted  at 
this  session  beyond  that  of  organizing 
One  of  the  first  orders  made  was  to 
grant  a  license  to  Samuel  S.  White  to 
keep  a  tavern,  which  they  were  careful  to  give  under 


certain  restrictions.  As  they  may  be  interesting  to 
the  newer  generation,  they  are  given  below  :  For 
each  half  pint  of  whisky,  he  was  allowed  to  charge 
i2j4  cents;  half  pint  of  brandy,  18?^  cents;  for 
each  half  pint  of  wine,  25  cents ;  for  each  meal  of 
victuals,  25  cents;  for  lodging  for  one  person  one 
night,  25  cents  ;  for  a  feed  of  corn  or  oats  for  a  horse, 
T2^  cents;  for  feed  and  stabling  for  a  horse  one 
night,  25  cents. 

About  the  next  order  of  the  Commissioners  was 
one  given  to  the  Clerk,  who  was  requested  to  notify 
the  Postmaster-General  "  that  the  county  of  Knox  is 
organized,  and  that  the  seat  of  justice  for  said  county 
is  at  the  residence  of  John  B.  Gum,  Esq.,  and  re- 
quest him  to  supply  the  said  county  with  mail  as 
soon  as  practicable." 

Knox  had  been   attached  to  Fulton   for  judicial 


O 


I 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


987 


purposes,  and  this  year  the  assessment  of  taxes  had 
been  made  by  the  Assessor  of  Fulton.  The  Commis- 
sioners requested  of  the  Commissioners  of  FuUon 
County  to  be  allowed  to  collect  all  taxes  for  the  past 
year,  the  assessment  of  which  had  been  made  by 
that  county.  This  request  was  granted,  and  Sheriff 
Osborn  was  directed  to  make  the  collection.  Mr. 
Osborn  collected,  after  riding  over  the  entire  county, 
$19.32,  and  his  commissions  on  the  same  were 
$1,563^. 

The  first  session  of  the  Circuit  Court  opened  on 
Friday,  Oct.  i,  T830,  Hon.  Richard  M.  Young 
presiding ;  John  G.  Sanburn,  Clerk ;  Stephen  Osborn, 
Sheriff,  and  James  M.  Strode,  State's  Attorney  pro 
tent.,  in  absence  of  Thomas  Ford.  The  session  lasted 
only  one  day,  but  little  business  was  transacted,  and 
the  juries  were  discharged. 

In  December  there  was  another  session  of  the 
Commissioners'  Court,  beginning  Monday,  the  6th. 
At  this  term  the  Commissioners  made  an  order  to 
pay  themselves  for  their  services,  which,  at  least, 
could  not  be  called  exorbitant  charges,  allowing  for 
their  salary  about  50  cents  a  term.  Sheriff  Osborn 
was  T)aid  $3  for  attendance  at  all  the  terms.  The 
sum  of  I4  was  appropriated  to  pay  John  B.  Gum 
for  the  use  of  his  house  for  court  and  election  pur- 
poses. 

In  March,  1831,  Treasurer  Gum  made  his  report, 
which  was  the  first  made  in  Knox  County.  The 
largest  revenue  at  this  period  was  from  the  State;  the 
tax  on  personal  property  was  }^  of  i  per  cent. 

About  this  time  began  to  be  considered  the  pro- 
priety of  having  a  court-house  and  of  building  up  a 
town.  An  act  was  procured  from  the  Legislature 
locating  the  county  seat  and  authorizing  the  Com- 
missioners to  lay  off  the  town.  The  county  seat  was 
laid  off  on  section  28,  township  11  north  of  range  2 
east,  and  was  christened  Henderson,  but  was  after- 
ward changed  by  the  Legislature  to  Knoxville.  This 
act  of  the  Legislature,  which  also  defined  the  bound- 
aries of  the  county,  was  approved  by  the  Governor, 
Jan.  15,  1831. 

The  next  imix)rtant  act  of  the  Commissioners  was 
the  erection  of  a  court-house.  At  a  special  meeting 
held  March  12,  1831,  they  adopted  plans  and  sub- 
mitted them  to  the  public,  with  the  announcement 
that  the  contract  for  the  erection  of  the  building 
would  be  let  to  the  lowest  bidder.     The  contract  for 


the  erection  of  the  building  was  let  to  VVm.  Lewis, 
and  for  the  completion  to  Parnach  Owen.  The  total 
cost  of  this  court-house,  with  furniture  as  itemized, 
was  as  follows:  Erection  of  building,  $78;  comple- 
tion of  same,  $100;  six  extra  windows,  $6;  chinking, 
daubing,  underpinning,  $37-5°;  upper  floor,  $i8; 
judges'  stand,  tables,  benches  and  fitting  window, 
$43;  stove  and  pipe,  $38,  and  laying  of  floor,  stair- 
way and  window  shutters,  $74.93.  Total,  $395.43. 
And  yet  this  building  was  thought  at  this  time  to  be 
rather  an  imposing  structure.  This  building  stood 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  lot  10,  block  5.  Even  as 
small  as  this  sum  was,  the  Commissioners  had  to 
advance  money  to  the  contractors  to  enable  them  to 
finish  their  work. 

Parnach  Owen,  who  was  the  first  Surveyor  of  the 
county,  was  employed  to  lay  off  the  county  seat,  for 
which  he  received  i2j4  cents  per  lot  of  one  quarter- 
acre  each.  To  Andrew  Osborn  was  let  the  job  of 
furnishing  the  posts  and  stakes,  for  which  he  received 
$15.     Owen's  job  amounted  to  $18.25. 

This  site  was  on  "  Congress  land,"  and  conse- 
quently the  Legislature  had  no  power  to  convey  title. 
This  power  rested  with  the  U.  S.  Government.  The  ^ 
County  Commissioners  could,  however,  pre-empt  it 
for  county  purposes,  and  this  was  done.  Rees  Jones 
was  sent  to  the  Land-Oflice  at  Springfield  and  made  , 
the  necessary  pre-emption.  The  price  was  $1.25 
per  acre,  and  embraced  one  quarter-section.  Rees 
Jones  was  paid  $8  for  his  services. 

Saturday,  April  23,  1831,  was  the  day  appointed 
by  the  Commissioners'  Court  for  the  public  sale  of 
lots.  Settlers  attended  this  sale  from  all  parts  of  the 
county.  The  lots  were  readily  sold  and  at  very  fair 
prices.  There  were  79  lots  sold,  aggregating  $1,256. 
The  highest  price  paid  for  a  lot  was  $61,  and  the 
lowest  was  $2. 

These  Commissioners  were  liberal-minded  and 
awake  to  the  wants  of  their  fellow  creatures.  They 
did  not  want  them  to  come  there  and  stay  all  day 
bidding  on  lots  and  go  home  hungry;  accordingly 
they  provided  refreshments  for  them,  and  at  tlie  next 
meeting  of  their  court  paid  to  Morton  Carver  $1.75 
from  the  county  funds.  Corn  dodgers  and  wliisky 
were  cheap  in  those  days. 

The  Commissioners  of  those  days  were  very  judi- 
cious and  very  careful  of  the  use  of  the  public  money. 
They    were    exceedingly    particular   that    the    law 


h^^ 


-H- 


-0- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


\ 


should  be  strictly  complied  witli.  There  is  no  set- 
tlement long  without  its  poor  people.  Knox  County 
had  them,  but  her  people  were  very  liberal  and 
charitable  to  them.  In  May,  1831,  the  first  record 
appears  of  a  pauper,  who  was  let  by  the  County  Com- 
missioners' Court  to  Stephen  Osborn. 

In  the  fall  of  1832  William  McMurtry  was  ap- 
pointed Commissioner  of  School  Lands,  Abraham  D. 
Swartz  having  declined  the  position  the  year  before. 
He  served  in  this  capacity  many  years  and  proved  a 
most  excellent  officer,  advancing  the  educational  in- 
terests of  the  county  very  much.  He  gave  bonds  in 
the  sum  of  $12,000,  which  was  large  for  those  days. 
A  session  of  the  Circuit  Court  was  held  in  June. 
The  Grand  Jury  made  their  report,  stating  "  that  they 
had  no  business  before  them,  and  that  they  knew  of 
no  violation  of  law  which  it  was  made  their  duty  to 
report." 

There  is  no  community  but  has  its  bad  characters, 
who  are  either  members  of  it  or  are  passing  through. 
Knox  County  was  not  an  exception  to  this  rule,  and 
the  Commissioners,  indorsed  by  the  people,  decided 
that  they  should  have  a  jail.  A  contract  was  accord- 
ingly let  to  John  G.  Sanburn  to  build  a  jail,  which 
was  to  cost  $250.  Though  this  sum  was  not  large, 
yet  the  Commissioners  deducted  $5  25  from  it  before 
they  accepted  the  work,  and  this  was  not  done  until 
June  7,  1838,  though  the  jail  had  been  completed 
and  occupied  for  several  years.  It  was  constructed 
of  logs  and  was  20  feet  square,  and  stood  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Square. 

It  seems  that  in  those  days  the  people  had  some 
idea  of  high  license,  for  we  find  the  Commissioners 
in  1834  increasing  the  tavern  or  saloon  license  to  $5, 
while  they  reduced  the  price  of  whisky  to  61^  cents 
per  half  pint.  It  is  probable  they  saw  in  the  traffic 
of  spirits  too  great  a  profit,  and,  having  the  welfare 
of  their  people  in  view,  reduced  the  price.  License 
for  peddling  clocks  was  raised  the  year  following 
from  $12.50  per  year  to  $50  per  year.  Undoubtedly 
the  Commissioners  saw  that  these  peddlers  were  im- 
posing on  their  constituency,  and  raised  the  license 
to  keep  them  out  of  the  county. 

One  of  the  provisions  of  the  law  in  those  times 
was  that  slock  was  allowed  to  run  at  large,  having 
certain  ear-marks,  which  it  was  made  the  duty  to 
have  recorded  by  the  County  Clerk.  In  each  coun- 
ty seat  was  an  estray-pen,  where  all  unknown  and 
unclaimed  stock  was  confined. 


For  many  years,  or  until  1837,  Henry  County  was 
attached  to  this  county  for  judicial  purposes,  and 
embraced  at  that  time  a  part  of  Whiteside  County. 
All  taxes  were  collected  over  this  territory  by  Knox 
County,  and  elections  were  ordered  and  Judges  ap- 
pointed by  the  Commissioners.  Licenses  were 
granted,  roads  opened  and  other  matters  were  at- 
tended to  by  them. 

The  increase  in  population  required,  in  the  minds 
of  the  Commissioners,  an  increase  in  court-house 
facilities,  and  accordingly  we  find  them  in  Septem- 
ber, 1836,  ordering  the  Clerk  to  advertise  for  plans. 
On  the  loth  of  March,  1838,  the  contract  was  let  to 
Alvah  Wheeler  and  Zelotes  Cooley  for  $15,450,  and 
it  was  to  be  completed  by  May  i,  1840.  A  cupola  was 
afterward  added  at  an  expense  of  $725.  (See  article 
on  court-house.)  The  Commissioners  ordered  that 
the  old  court-house  be  sold  at  public  auction  on  the 
rst  of  April,  1840,  and  it  was  bid  off  to  Alvah 
Wheeler  for  $89.50.  It  was  subsequently  moved 
about  a  mile  west  of  Knoxville,  onto  Mr.  Wheeler's 
farm.  Prior  to  the  building  of  the  new  court-house, 
or  in  1836,  the  old  court-house  was  moved  from  its 
original  site  to  a  lot  on  the  corner  of  Smith  and  West-* 
streets.  It  was  moved  by  John  Carnes  for  $67.50. 
The  old  site  was  ordered  to  be  subdivided  into  nine 
lots  by  the  Commissioners,  and  sold.  Eight  of  these  ' 
lots  sold  for  $39.01  each,  the  other  lot  sold  for  $37.50. 
Soon  after  the  completion  of  the  new  court-house 
it  was  determined  by  the  County  Commissioners' 
Court  to  have  a  new  jail.  At  their  January  term, 
1841,  a  contract  was  let  to  Zelotes  Cooley  for  $8,724. 
This  contract  was  rescinded  and  another  made  with 
Alvah  Wheeler,  who  in  1845  completed  the  building. 
It  is  now  used  for  a  tenement-house.  Prisoners 
escaped  from  this  new  jail  as  well  as  the  old.  There 
were  many  horsethieves  in  those  days,  and  they  were 
very  bold  and  troublesome  to  the  settlers.  In  order 
to  protect  themselves  and  to  get  rid  of  these  thieves, 
if  possible,  the  citizens  banded  together  and  formed 
what  was  known  as  the  "  Knox  County  Society  for 
the  Detection  of  Thieves."  In  this  they  had  the 
co-operation  of  the  Commissioners,  who,  in  1845, 
offered  a  reward  of  $50  for  the  detection  of  anyone 
stealing  a  horse. 

The  last  meeting  of  the  Commissioners'  Court  was 
Oct.  12,  1849.  At  this  time  Manyweather  Brown, 
Alfred  Brown  and  Amos  Ward  were  members,  and 


i 


^H- 


J^AOX  COUNTY. 


989 


all  were  present.  After  transacting  the  business 
they  had  before  them  they  adjourned  "  until  court  in 
course,"  but  they  never  met  again.  And  thus  passed 
away  this  institution  of  county  government,  to 
the  economical  administration  of  which  the  counly 
of  Knox  was  much  indebted  for  its  favorable  finan- 
cial beginning  and  its  continuous  prosperity. 


County  Court. 


^a^ 


^ 


|.'N  Dec.  3,  1S49,  the  first  term  of  the  County 
Court  was  held.  The  duties  of  this  court 
were,  in  a  legislative  capacity,  identically 
the  same  as  those  of  its  predecessor,  the  Coun- 
ty Commissioners'  Court.  In  addition  to  the 
legislative  power,  the  members  of  this  court, 
under  the  act  by  which  it  was  established,  were  al- 
lowed the  exercise  of  judicial  authority,  having  the 
same  jurisdiction  as  Justices  of  the  Peace.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  County  Judge  and  two  Associate  Justices. 
The  Judge  and  the  .\ssociates  acted  together  in  the 
transaction  of  county  business  only.  The  Justices 
had  an  equal  vote  with  the  Judge  and  received  the 
same  salary  while  holding  court,  which  was  §2  a 
day.  Two  of  the  three  constituted  a  quorum  for  the 
transaction  of  business.  George  C.  Lan|)here  was 
the  first  County  Judge,  with  James  M.  Hunter  and 
Alfred  Brown  as  Associate  Justices.  During  the 
existence  of  this  court  township  organization  was 
brought  forward,  discussed  and  finally  adopted, 
which  relieved  this  body  from  further  charge  of 
county  matters.  Its  last  meeting  was  held  March 
4,  1853,  when  it  adjourned  sine  die. 


Board  of  Supervisors. 

URING   the   spring    elections   of    1853    a 

Board  of  Supers-isors  was   elected,  which 

consisted   of  one    Supervisor    from    each 

V)i%      township,   there   being   20  townships.     This 

^    Board  held  its  first  session  June  6,  1853,  in  the 

i     court-house  at  Knoxville.     At  this  meeting  16 

townships  were  represented  by  the  following-named 

Supervisors:     Daniel    Meek,    W.   S.   Gale,    Reuben 

Hefiin,  J.  P.  West,  G.  W.  Manly,  J.  M.  Foster,  S.  S. 


Buffum,  J.  C.  Stanley,  Augustus  Lapham,  W.  M. 
Clark,  J.  H.  Nicholson,  J.  L.  Jarnagin,  E.  P.  Dun- 
lap,  Peter  Frans,  Asa  Haynes  and  E.  Crane.  This 
Board  proved  very  competent  in  the  administration 
of  the  affairs  of  the  counly. 

The  Board  first  organized  by  electing  Daniel  Meek 
Chairman.  The  first  order  made  by  thein  was  that 
the  Clerk  issue  an  order  on  the  Treasurer,  in  favor 
of  John  Miller,  for  §9,  for  extra  labor  as  Road  Super- 
visor for  the  year  1852  in  Road  District  No.  27. 

The  Board  of  Supervisors  for  Knox  County  has 
generally  been  comix)sedof  men  of  broad,  expansive 
ideas,  progressive,  and  partaking  largely  of  that 
character  of  human  kindness  so  commendable. 

It  was  but  a  few  years  after  their  first  assembling 
when  they  took  measures  to  provide  a  suitable  place 
tor  the  poor  and  demented  people  of  the  county. 
The  main  building  and  the  west  wing  were  com- 
pleted in  1866,  and  in  1877  the  east  wing  was  fin- 
ished. 

When  the  Rebellion  broke  out  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors were  unflinching  in  their  patrotism  and  untir- 
ing in  their  zeal  to  do  all  in  their  power  for  the 
pieservation  of  the  Union.  To  them  in  a  great 
measure  was  the  State  indebted  for  the  ever  prompt 
response  of  the  people  of  Knox  County  to  the  call 
for  soldiers. 

In  the  early  part  of  1874  the  Supervisors  con- 
tracted for  the  erection  of  a  new  jail,  which  was 
completed  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year. 

One  of  the  most  important  acts  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors  was  the  order  for  the  erection  of  the  new 
court-house,  which  was  made  in  April,  1884.  The 
action  of  the  Board  was  almost  unanimous  in  this 
matter.  Plans  were  adopted  and  contracts  were  let 
soon  after.  As  this  may  justly  be  regarded  as  the 
crowning  act  in  the  administration  of  the  Board  of 
Supervisors,  this  brief  sketch  will  close  with  the  names 
of  the  members  under  whose  direction  the  building 
was  commenced,  and  who  were  a  committee  on  con- 
struction:  R.  H.  Mathews,  Milton  B.  Harden,  J. 
S.  Latimer,  James  Paden,  W.  S.  Gale,  Geo.  W. 
Foote,  S.  H.  Olson,  M.  D.  Cooke,  Thos.  McKee, 
Samuel  Rankin,  W.  May,  L.  A.  Townsend,  Luther 
Clark,  A.  G.  Charles,  H.  Montgomery,  William 
Robson,  J.  M.  Allen,  Jason  Boynton,  James  Reb- 
stock,  E.  J.  Wyman,W.  H.  Leighton,  J.  W.  Andrev^s, 
John  Sloan,  W.  H.  Parker,  C.  P.  Sansbury,  Sr.,  W. 
B.  Todd. 


H^ 


i^ 


990 


KJVOX  COUNTY. 


HERE  is  no  profession  that 
occupies  so  important  a  po- 
sition in  our  political  or  so- 
cial system  as  the  legal.  It 
is  associated  with  the  closest 
of.  family  ties,  and  is  often 
solicited  to  adjust  disputes  and 
misunderstandings  which  are  in 
their  nature  most  vital  to  the  peace 
and  happiness  of  domestic  life. 
To  this  profession  are  we  also  in- 
debted for  our  constitutions  and 
our  laws,  and,  in  a  great  measure, 
the  management  and  direction  of 
our  political  system.  On  it  must 
we  depend  for  the  enforcement  of 
our  laws,  the  punishment  of  its 
violators,  and  the  maintenance  of  peace  and  good 
order  in  our  communities.  The  judicial  system  of 
Knox  County,  as  at  present  constituted,  may  be  di- 
vided into  the  Justices'  Courts,  County  Court  and 
the  Circuit  Court.  Philip  Hash  was  the  first  Justice 
.of  the   Peace  of  tlie  county. 

Circuit  Court. 

'he  first  term  of  the  first  Circuit  Court  held 
in  Knox  County  was  opened  Friday,  Oct.  i, 
1830,  at  the  residence  of  John  B.  Gum,  in 
Henderson    Township,  section   32.       Officers 
present:    Richard  M.  Young,  Judge;  John  G. 
Sanburn,     Clerk;     Stephen    Osborn,    Sheriff; 
James  M.  Strode,  Attorney  J>ro  tern. 
The  first  order  was  for  spreading  on  the  records 


previous  orders  for  the  organization  of  the  county. 
The  next  order  of  Judge  Young  was  one  appointing 
John  G.  Sanburn  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court,  made 
June  10,  1S30.  On  July  5,  he  made  an  order  fixing 
the  days  for  the  holding  of  the  court,  which  was  in 
such  places  as  may  be  selected  and  provided  by  the 
County  Commissioners'  Court,  on  the  Thursday  after 
the  fourth  Monday  in  June,  and  the  Friday  after  the 
first  Monday  in  October.  , 

FIRST    GRAND   JURY. 

The  Sheriff  returned  into  court  a  panel  of  the 
Grand  Jurors,  consisting  of  the  following  named 
persons,  to  wit : 

Wm.  McMurtry,  Hiram  Palmer,  Parnach  Owen, 
Benj.  Coy,  James  Reynolds,  John  B.  Gum,  Wm. 
Lewis,  John  Vaughn,  Chas.  Hansford,  James  Mc- 
Murtry, Alex.  Robertson,  Daniel  Robertson,  Robert 
Grunwell,  Solomon  Denbow,  Alex.  Oshorn  and  Jacob 
Gum.  The  jury,  after  having  been  sworn,  retired  to 
their  room.  The  jury  soon  returned  into  court,  made 
a  report  in  relation  to  the  jail,  which  was  ordered  to 
be  filed.  They  also  stated  to  the  Court  that  there 
were  no  cases  for  them  to  examine  and  asked  to  be 
discharged,  which  was  done  by  the  Court. 

The  Petit  Jurors  were  called  and  answered  to  their 
names.  There  being  no  cases  before  the  court  for  them 
to  try,  they  were  ordered  to  be  discharged. 

On  the  second  day,  it  appearing  that  there  was 
no  other  business  before  the  court  but  to  order  that 
the  County  Commissioners'  Court  pay  Stephen  Os- 
born, Sheriff  of  Knox  County,  for  two  days' service 
of  the  court,  and  then  it  was  ordered  that  the  court 
adjourn  "  until  court  in  course." 

The  next  term,  June,  1832,  was  more  remarkable 


=4^ 


■  » 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


991 


-^ 


than  the  first.  They  had  a  Grand  Jury,  but  it  was 
at  sea ;  it  had  no  business  before  ii  and  knew  of  no 
\'iolations  of  law,  and  asked  that  they  be  discharged, 
which  was  done.  There  being  no  cases  on  the 
docket,  either  criminal  or  c\\\\,  the  court  adjourned. 

The  first  case  heard  before  the  court  was  a  suit  for 
divorce  by  Rhoda  Tanner,  complainant,  against  John 
Tanner,  at  the  October  term,  1832.  This  case  was 
continued  for  the  defendant's  answer  this  term,  and 
was  finally  disposed  of  at  the  September  term,  1S34, 
by  granting  the  prayer  of  the  complainant. 

The  first  murder  trial  was  that  of  John  Root,  a 
Swede,  from  Henry  County.  He  had  been  educated 
as  an  American,  but  became  a'tached  to  a  young 
Swedish  girl  who  had  recently  came  over  from 
Sweden,  and  who  belonged  to  the  Bishop  Hill  colony. 
A  man  by  the  name  of  Eric  Jansen  was  the  auto- 
crat of  this  colony  and  refused  to  allow  Mrs.  Root 
to  leave  it  to  live  with  her  husband  among  the 
Americans. 

Mr.  Root  brought  suit  against  Jansen  at  Cam- 
bridge, and  while  the  case  was  pending,  shot  and 
killed  him  in  the  court-room,  while  the  people  were 
mostly  out  at  dinner.  Root  was  indicted  for  murder 
and  was  brought  to  Knoxville  for  trial,  where  he  was 
con\'icted  of  manslaughter  and  sentenced  by  the 
court  to  the  penitentiary.  He  served  about  a  year 
and  was  pardoned. 

Ephraim  J.  Young  was  tried  for  murder  at  the  Oc- 
tober term  of  1857,  and  was  sentenced  for  man- 
slaughter for  a  term  of  six  months. 

The  most  important  murder  trial  was  that  of  John 
M.  Osborne  for  the  murder  of  Mrs.  Adelia  M.  Math- 
ews, about  a  mile  west  of  Yates  City,  Aug.  5,  1872. 
He  was  a  short  time  in  the  army,  and  subsequent- 
ly became  a  member  of  the  "  Western  Bandits." 
He  was  sent,  for  crimes  committed  while  with  this 
band  of  outlaws,  to  the  penitentiary  of  Iowa  for  two 
and  a  half  years.  After  his  release  he  came  to  Mc- 
Donough  County  under  the  name  of  Frank  Clark, 
and  worked  awhile.  From  there  he  came  to  Gales- 
burg  and  remained  awhile.  In  1871  he  went  to  live 
with  his  aunt  near  Yates  City,  where  he  married  his 
cousin.  He  then  went  to  work  for  Mr.  Mathews, 
the  husband  of  the  murdered  woman.  On  the  day 
of  the  murder  he  went  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Mathews, 
where  he  found  Mrs.  Maihews  alone.  As  she  was 
going  down  cellar  for  some  butter  for  his  dinner  he 
followed,  and  while  she  was  stooping  over  to  take 


some  butter  out  of  a  tub.  he  struck  her  on  the  back 
of  the  head  with  a  brickbat,  then  with  a  board,  and 
finally  cut  her  throat  with  a  knife.  He  did  not  run 
away,  but  joined  in  the  pursuit  of  the  murderer. 
Suspicion  was  finally  directed  to  Osborne ;  he  was 
arrested,  indicted  at  the  October  term  of  Court,  1872, 
and  at  the  February  term  of  1873  was  tried  and 
convicted  of  murder  in  the  first  degree.  After  a 
most  e.vciting  trial  of  eight  days,  he  was  sentenced 
on  February  20  to  be  hung.  He  was  executed  in  the 
jail  yard  at  Knoxville  and  was  buried  in  Hope  Cem- 
etery. State's  Attorney  J.  J.  Tunnicliff  prosecuted 
the  case,  assisted  by  K.  M.  Craig.  George  W.  Kretz- 
inger  and  A.  L.  Humphrey  defended  the  prisoner. 
This  was  the  first  and  only  criminal  executed  in 
Knox  County. 

Following  the  above  there  were  several  trials  for 
murder,  none  of  which  resulted  in  more  than  a  peni- 
tentiary sentence.  The  most  important  of  these  was 
that  of  Frank  Rande,  who  had  several  aliases,  but 
whose  real  name  was  Charles  C.  Scott,  who  was  from 
Fairfield,  Iowa,  and  tried  for  what  was  known  as  the 
Gilson  murder.  It  occurred  Sunday  aftern  xjn,  Aug. 
5,  1877.  A  burglary  had  been  committed,  tracks 
discovered  of  the  burglar,  and  pursuit  was  made  by 
a  number  of  armed  people.  He  fired  several  shots, 
wounded  Willie  Helter,  James  Pickrel,  Charles  Mc- 
Kown,  and  killed  Charles  Belden.  He  escaped,  but 
was  subsequently  captured  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  after 
killing  one  of  the  officers  in  their  attempt  to  arrest 
him.  He  was  also  wounded.  He  was  brought  back 
to  Knox  County,  and  after  a  long  and  exciting  trial, 
in  which  State's  Attorney  J.  J.  Tunnicliff  nobly  ac- 
quitted himself,  was  found  guilty  and  sentenced  to 
the  penitentiary  for  life. 

Another  noted  murder  trial  was  that  of  Belle 
Spaulding  for  the  killing  of  Martin  O'Connor,  for- 
merly her  husband.  This  was  an  affair  of  jealousy. 
O'Connor  had  been  riding  out  with  a  woman  by  the 
name  of  May  Robinson,  and  returned  to  the  livery 
stable  at  the  same  time  that  Belle  did,  who  had  been 
driving  with  Carrie  Reed.  Belle  reproached  May 
for  keeping  company  with  O'Connor,  and  a  furious 
combat  of  words  ensued,  during  which  O'Connor 
withdrew.  Returning  to  the  stable.  Belle  commenced 
on  him,  quarreling  with  him  as  they  walked  along 
Simmons  street.  They  had  proceeded  but  a  little 
way  when  Belle  drew  a  re%'olver  and  shot  her  for- 
mer husband  twice,  inflicting  a  mortal  wound.     He 


=Jt^ 


^-f- 


e4--^ 


992 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


'~¥ 


L 


died  within  an  hour.  After  shooting,  Belle  shot  her- 
self, the  ball  entering  her  left  breast.  For  several 
day's  she  was  hovering  between  life  and  death,  but 
finally  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  taken  to  the  jail. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  Dr.  J.  W.  Spaulding,  who 
was  at  one  time  one  of  the  leading  physicians  of 
Galesburg.     She  was  tried  and  acquitted. 

The  officials  of  the  court  and  the  members  of  the 
bar  did  not  have  in  the  early  days  the  luxurious 
modes  of  travel  nor  the  pleasant  places  of  habita- 
tion that  they  now  enjoy,  neither  was  it  possible  to 
surround  the  court  with  that  dignity  which  has  al- 
ways been  thought  necessary,  and  which  our  modern 
civihzalion  offers.  Judge  Richard  M.  Young  and 
State's  Attorney  Thomas  Ford  were  wont  during  the 
early  times  to  travel  about  their  extensive  district 
together.  On  one  occasion,  while  going  from  Galena 
to  Knoxville,  they  wandered  from  the  main  trail  and 
became  lost.  They  traveled  on,  but  failed  to  reach 
their  destination  or  any  other  habitation.  Night 
came  on  and  they  found  themselves  in  darkness,  and 
in  a  strange  country  without  food  or  shelter.  They 
made  their  bed  upon  Mother  Earth  in  the  wild  forest, 
and  passed  the  night.  When  daylight  dawned  they 
arose  and  started  on  their  journey,  but  failed  to  reach 
the  little  log  court-house  in  the  new  town  of  Knox- 
ville. At  last  they  came  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Owen's 
cabin  in  Haw  Creek  Township,  and  from  there  were 
directed  to  Knoxville.  The  tavern  at  Knoxville  was 
a  double-room  log  cabin,  in  which  there  was  also  a 
store,  both  kept  by  Mr.  Newman.  There  was  a  low 
garret,  and  into  this  place  the  two  principal  officers 
of  the  court  were  directed  for  their  nightly  repose. 
A  ladder  was  placed  in  one  corner,  on  which  they  as- 
cended, and  after  groping  around  for  awhile  laid 
themselves  down  on  their  rude  couches  for  that 
sleep  that  comes  to  the  high  and  the  low.  Judge 
Young  was  afterward  a  distinguished  United  States 
Senator,  and  Attorney  Ford  Governor  of  the  State. 

Probate  Court. 

?HE   Probate  Court   was   established   under 
a  law  passed  in  1836,  which  provided  for  a 
*   Probate    Justice   of  the    Peace,   who    had 
charge  of  all  probate  matters,  and  who  was 
also  vested  with  the  same  power  and  jurisdic- 
tion in  civil  cases  as  was  given  to  Justices  of 
the  Peace.     The  first  term  of  this  court  was  held 


Aug.  26,  1836,  with  H.  J.  Runkle  presiding.  The 
first  act  of  this  court  was  to  issue  letters  of  admin- 
istration to  Peter  Godfrey,  on  the  estate  of  Joseph 
Godfrey.  Judge  Runkle  served  until  1837,  and  was 
succeeded  by  R.  L.  Hannaman.  This  system  re- 
mained in  force  until  1849,  when  a  County  Court 
was  established. 


f?tfeti±t* 


County  Court. 
1849,  the  General   Assembly,   under  the 


constitution  of  1848,  passed  an  act,  which 
was  approved  February  12,  providing  for  a 
'6^  court  of  record  to  be  styled  the  County  Court, 
i>^  andtobepresidedoverby  a  County  Judge.  Un- 
der this  act  the  County  Court  was  vested  with 
all  the  powers  and  jurisdiction  heretofore  vesting  in 
the  Probate  Court ;  and  in  addition  thereto,  it  was 
further  provided  that  the  County  Judge,  with  two 
associates,  should  sit  as  a  County  Court  and  have  all 
the  powers  that  were  vested  in  the  Commissioners' 
Court,  the  latter  under  this  act  being  aboHshed. 

The  first  term  of  this  Court  was  held  Dec.  3,  1849, 
Judge  George  C.  Lanphere  presiding.  This  court 
had  charge  of  county  matters  until  the  organization 
of  the  Board  of  Supervisors,  in  1853. 

In  1872  the  General  Assembly  passed  an  act  giv- 
ing it  concurrent  jurisdiction  with  the  Circuit  Court 
in  all  civil  cases,  where  the  value  of  property  in  con- 
troversy should  not  exceed  $500;  and  in  all  criminal 
cases,  where  the  punishment  was  not  imprisonment 
in  the  penitentiary  or  death. 

Judges,  State's  Attorneys  and  Members  of 
the  Bar. 

■ift 

IfePACE  will  only  permit  a  brief  history  of  the 
|F  Judges  who  have  presided  at  Knoxville  and 
jjjp^H  Galesburg,  and  of  the  State's  Attorneys 
fjl^  and  members  of  the  bar.  Hon.  Richard  M. 
\h  Young,  who  resided  at  Galena,  was  the  first 
Judge  to  preside  in  this  circuit.  In  1833  he 
transferred  his  residence  to  Quincy.  He  remained 
in  office  until  January,  1837,  when  he  resigned  to 
take  his  place  in  the  United  States  Senate.  He  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  and  was  among  the  first  settlers 
in  Northern  Illinois.  He  was  of  unimpeachable 
character,  a  good  lawyer,  and  did  much  to  give  tone 
and  dignity  to  the  bench  and  the  bar. 

This  circuit  was  changed  to  the  loth,  then  to  the 


i-i- 


«tt 


I 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


993 


i 


8th,  and  back  again  to  the  loth,  embracing,  as  it  is 
constituted  at  present,  the  counties  of  Knox,  War- 
ren, Mercer,  Henderson,  Henry  and  Rock  Island. 
Hon.  James  H.  Ralston,  also  a  native  of  Ken 
tucky,  succeeded  Judge  Young.  He  resigned  the 
same  year  on  account  of  ill  health.  In  1840  he  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate.  Hon.  Peter  Lott, 
formerly  from  New  York,  succeeded  Judge  Ralston, 
and  served  till  January,  1841.  He  was  afterward 
apixjinted  Circuit  Clerk  of  Adams  County,  and  served 
until  1852.     He  went  West  and  died  in  Kansas. 

Hon.  Stephen  A.  Douglas  was  elected  as  Judge  of 
the  District  in  1841,  and  continued  in  office  until  the 
summer  of  1843.  when  he  resigned  to  take  his  seat 
in  the  United  States  Congress.  The  ability  he  showed 
as  a  judge  and  his  popularity  on  the  bench  were 
accessories  to  his  political  elevation.  His  sociability 
also  made  him  popular.  While  a  suit  was  pending 
he  watched  every  point  of  law,  and  kept  track  of  all  the 
proceedings,  while  at  the  same  time  he  would  leave 
the  bench,  go  back  among  the  spectators — "  the 
boys  " — talk  with  Tom,  Dick  or  Bill,  take  or  give  a 
cigar,  and  enjoy  a  social  smoke  with  them,  oftentimes 
'"^  sitting  on  their  laps,  at  the  same  time  closely  follow- 
ing the  cause  on  trial. 

Hon.  Jesse  B.  Thomas  succeeded  Judge  Douglas, 
and  served  until  1S45,  when  he  resigned.  He  had  a 
clear,  judicial  mind,  and  made  an  excellent  judge, 
discharging  his  duties  with  credit  to  himself  and 
satisfaction  to  the  people.  He  was  subsequently  ap- 
pointed to  another  circuit  and  died  soon  after. 

Hon.  Norman  H.  Purple  was  the  next  jirdge  to 
preside  over  this  circuit.  He  was  elected  in  1845, 
and  served  till  1849,  when  he  resigned.  He  was  dis- 
tinguished for  his  legal  attainments  and  executive 
ability. 

Hon.  William  A.  Minshall,  a  native  of  Tennessee, 
was  elected  in  May,  1849,  and  served  till  his  death, 
in  October,  1851.  He  had  been  prominent  in  poli- 
tics before  his  election,  having  been  a  member  of  the 
Legislature  and  also  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion. He  was  a  good  lawyer  and  an  excellent  judge. 
He  has  been  dead  these  many  years. 

Hon.  William  Kellogg  succeeded  Judge  Minshall, 
and  remained  on  the  bench  till  1852.  He  was  from 
Canton,  and  was  an  eminent  lawyer  and  made  a  fair 
and  impartial  judge.      He  has  been  dead  some  years. 

Hon.  H.  M.  Weed  presided  on  the  bench  from 
'X- 


1852  to  1855.  He  was  a  fair  lawyer,  but  did  not 
achieve  much  distinction  as  a  judge.  He  died  in 
Peoria. 

Hon.  John  S.  Thompson,  from  Mercer  County, 
served  from  1855  to  i860,  and  again  from  i860  to 
1864.  He  was  not  brilliant,  but  was  a  careful 
judge  and  gave  general  satisfaction.  He  went  to 
California,  where  he  accumulated  a  fortune  and  is 
still  living  to  enjoy  it. 

Hon.  Aaron  Tyler,  from  Knoxville,  served  from 
i860  to  1861.  He  was  only  a  medium  lawyer,  and 
achieved  no  special  distinction  as  a  judge.  He  was 
appointed  to  fill  a  vacancy.  He  died  in  Knoxville 
some  years  ago. 

Hon.  Charles  B.  Lawrence  presided  on  the  bench 
from  1 86 1  to  1864.     As  a  lawyer  he  was  good  in  all 
branches  of  the  profession,  except  in  criminal  cases. 
He  presided  with  distinction,  and  was  an  ornament 
to  the  bench.     He  was  one  of  the  ablest  judges  that 
ever  presided  in  this  circuit.     He  was   promoted  to 
the  bench  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  where  , 
he  remained  several  years,  adding  new  laurels  to  his 
judicial  fame.     His  health  giving  way,  he  made  a 
visit  to  the  South  in  1884,  with  the  hope  that  change  jU 
of  air  and  rest  would  restore  his  physical  power  and 
renew  his  vital  energies.     But  it  was   too  late.     He 
died  before  he  reached  home,  and  his  remains  were  , 
brought  back  and  interred   in  Mount  Hope  Ceme- 
tery, at  Galesburg. 

Joseph  Sibley  served  from  1866  to  1867.  He 
was  a  fair  judge,  discharging  his  duties  faithfully. 
This  (toth)  Judicial  District  is  represented  at  pres- 
ent by  three  judges  :  Arthur  A.  Smith  of  Galesburg, 
John  J.  Glenn  of  Monmouth  and  Geo.  W.  Pleas- 
ants of  Rock  Island.  Tiie  judges  divide  their  work 
between  them,  but  generally  arrange  so  that  they 
sit  in  the  courts  of  their  respective  counties.  Arthur 
A.  Smith  assumed  the  ermine  in  the  fall  of  1867.  He 
was  reared  in  this  county,  where  he  secured  his  legal 
education.  He  is  a  a  good,  sound  lawyer,  and  a  man 
of  strict  integrity.  John  J.  Glenn  was  elected  in 
1877.  He  had  distinguished  himself  as  a  lawyer  and 
advocate  before  he  was  promoted  to  the  bench,  and 
had  a  good  practice.  Judge  Glenn  is  a  man  of  fine 
executive  ability,  very  ready  and  clear  in  his  solution 
of  legal  questions,  sound  in  his  judicial  decisions, 
and  irreproachable.  He  is  noted,  also,  for  the  large 
amount  of  judicial  business  dispatched  during  his 
sessions  of  court. 


T 


%. 


^^ 


994 


js:jvox  county. 


Geo.  W.  Pleasants  was  elected  to  this  circuit  in 
1879,  but  seldom  presides  at  Galesburg.  He  is  well- 
read  in  his  profession,  of  good  executive  ability,  very 
correct  in  his  decisions,  and  conscientious  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  duties. 

In  1877  this  circuit  was  changed  from  the  8th 
to  the  loth.  The  8th  Circuit,  comprising  Knox, 
Warren  and  Henderson  Counties,  was  consolidated 
with  the  Northern  Circuit,  consisting  of  Mercer, 
Henry  and  Rock  Island  Counties,  and  is  now  called 
the  10th  Judicial  District. 


-^^- 


State's  Attorneys. 


ELOW  is  given  a  brief  notice  of  the 
%  State's  Attorneys  of  the  districts  of  which 
"^  Knox  County  has  formed  a  part.  One  of 
the  most  talented  and  distinguished  of  all 
the  bright  galaxy  of  men  who  have  held  this 
position  in  this  District  was  the  first,  Hon. 
Thomas  Ford,  who  served  from  the  organization  of 
*  the  county  to  1835.  He  possessed  a  high  and  noble 
mind  and  was  an  assiduous  law  student,  untiring  in 
his  application  to  his  professional  duties,  and  of 
strict  integrity.  He  was,  subsequent  to  his  retirement 
from  this  office,  elected  Judge  of  one  of  the  north- 
ern districts.  In  1842  he  was  elected  Governor  of 
Illinois.  His  term  of  office  embraced  the  period  of 
the  Mormon  and  Mexican  Wars,  which  was  a  very 
critical  era  in  the  history  of  the  State.  He  discharged 
his  trusts,  however,  with  eminent  ability.  He  was  a 
man  also  of  literary  tastes  and  wrote  one  of  the  most 
authentic  histories  of  the  State  ever  publislied.  He 
was  born  in  Uniontown,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1800,  and 
died  at  Peoria,  111.,  Nov.  2,  t8so. 

The  successor  of  Mr.  Ford  was  Wm.  A.  Richard- 
son, who  served  till  1837.  Like  his  predecessor,  his 
character  and  public  services  are  too  well  known  to 
require  much  comment.  He  had  the  perseverance 
and  courage  to  carry  out  his  convictions,  and  was 
conscientious  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties. 
He  was  an  able  lawyer  and  a  fine  advocate. 

Henry  L.  Bryast  followed   Mr.  Richardson,  serv- 


ing from  1837  to  1839.  He  was  a  good  lawyer  and 
acquitted  himself  in  this  office  creditably. 

Wm.  Elliott  was  the  next  incumbent.  He  served 
the  long  period  of  11  years.  He  was  an  able  law- 
yer, successful  before  a  jury,  and  distinguished  him- 
self as  a  prosecuting  attorney.  He  was  a  warm- 
hearted, genial  man  and  much  attached  to  his  friends. 

R.  S.  Blackwell,  from  Rushville,  succeeded  Mr. 
Elliott.  He  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  law- 
yers in  the  State,  and  had  no  superior  at  this  bar. 
He  was  pre-eminent  in  criminal  practice,  and  a  great 
advocate,  carrying  most  of  the  attorneys  and  jury 
with  him.  In  social  intercourse  he  was  a  desirable 
companion,  possessing  great  wit  and  fine  conversa- 
tional powers. 

Harman  G.  Reynolds,  from  Rock  Island,  served  as 
attorney  from  1852  to  1854.  He  made  a  fair  prose- 
cutor. After  his  term  expired  he  moved  to  Spring- 
field, where  he  lived  awhile,  and  then  went  to  Kan- 
sas. 

William  C.  Goudy,  from  Fulton  County,  succeed- 
ed Mr.  Reynolds,  serving  in  Knox  County  for  about 
one  year.  Mr.  Goudy  was  a  genial  man,  a  good 
lawyer  and  advocate,  discharging  his  duties  as  Prose- 
cuting Attorney  with  ability  and  satisfaction  to  the 
public.  He  was  a  prominent  politician,  taking  part 
in  all  the  conventions  of  his  party,  which  was  Demo- 
cratic, and  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate  at  one 
time.  He  moved  to  Chicago  and  is  still  in  practice 
there, 

James  H.  Stewart  was  Mr.  Goudy 's  successor.  He 
was  elected  and  re-elected,  serving  ten  years,  until 
1865.  Mr.  Stewart  was  an  able  lawyer  and  a  good 
prosecuting  attorney. 

James  A.  McKenzie  served  from  1865  to  r872.  He 
was  a  strong  prosecutor,  eloquent  in  his  addresses 
before  a  jury,  and  very  effective. 

J.  J.  Tunnicliff  succeeded  Mr.  McKenzie  in  1872, 
and  is  the  present  incumbent,  having  been  three 
times  re-elected.  He  was  born  in  Penn  Yan,  N.  Y., 
March  17,  i84r,  and  was  educated  at  Hamilton  Col- 
lege, N.  Y. 

Mr.  Tunnicliff  is  a  good  lawyer  and  an  able  advo- 
cate. He  is  one  of  the  best  prosecuting  attorneys 
that  has  ever  held  the  position  in  this  district.  He 
is  indefatigable  in  the  trial  of  a  cause,  careful  in  all 
the  details,  and  forcible  in  his  arguments  before  a 
jury.  It  is  very  seldom  that  a  criminal  brought  be- 
fore him  escapes  punishment. 


4-11- 


3e= 


i 


:^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


995 


Attorneys. 

ULIUS  MANNING  was  one  of  the  most 
|g^  brilliant  lawyers  of  the  Knox  County  bar, 
and  had  in  his  day  few  equals  in  the  State. 
He  was  born  in  Canada,  but  was  educated  at 
^P    Middlebiirg    College,    N.    Y.      He    came    to 

1  Knoxville  in  1839,  and  opened  his  office  with 
Hiram  Swift,  under  the  firm  name  of  Manning  & 
Swift.  The  latter  died  at  an  early  age.  He  was  a 
well-read  lawyer,  but  not  brilliant.  In  1844,  Man- 
ning formed  a  partnership  with  Robt.  L.  Hannaman, 
under  the  name  of  Manning  &  Hannaman,  which 
partnership  continued  for  seven  years. 

In  1853  Mr.  Manning  moved  to  Peoria.  He  was 
at  one  time  County  Judge,  member  of  tlie  Legisla- 
ture, and  member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention. 
He  was  a  man  of  fine  appearance,  an  eloquent 
speaker,  and  almost  unrivaled  before  a  jury.  He 
died  July  4,  1862,  at  Knoxville,  and  his  remains 
were  interred  in  Knoxville  Cemetery. 

Robt.  L.  Hannaman,  one  of  the  first  men  to  open 
practice  in  Knox  County,  was  born  in  Portsmouth, 
Ohio,  in  1803.  He  received  a  common-school  educa- 
tion, and  then  studied  surveying.  He  subsequently 
studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  183 1. 
When  he  first  came  to  Knoxville  he  embarked  in  the 
mercantile  business.  In  1837  he  was  elected  Pro- 
bate Justice  and  was  re-elected,  holding  the  position 
until  1849. 

In  1844  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Julius  Man- 
ning, which  was  dissolved  in  i8sr.  Subsequently 
Mr.  Hannaman  formed  a  partnership  with  T.  J. 
Hale,  and  aftenvard  Clayton  Hale  came  in,  the  firm 
being  then  Hannaman,  Hale  &  Co.     This  firm  con- 


tinued until  the  war  broke  out,  and  the  junior  partner 
went  into  the  army.  The  old  firm  was  continued 
until  Hale  was  elected  Circuit  ClerL  Judge  Han- 
naman was  a  good  lawyer,  both  as  a  counselor  and 
an  advocate,  conscientious  and  successful.  (See 
biography.) 

Curtis  K.  Harvey  was  a  very  prominent  and  prom- 
ising young  lawyer  of  Galesburg.  He  was  born  in 
Knoxville  and  educated  at  Knox  College,  where  he 
was  graduated.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in 
1869,  and  subsequently  formed  a  partnership  with 
Leander  Douglass,  of  Galesburg.  He  was  a  man  of 
fine  ability,  talented,  and  an  eloquent  and  forcible 
pleader.  He  died  March  2,  1878,  in  the  prmie  of 
life  and  just  at  the  beginning  of  what  promised  to  be 
useful  and  successful  career. 

Hon.  G.  C.  Lanphere,  recently  deceased,  was  one 
of  the  reliable  and  prominent  members  of  the  bar  for 
many  years. 

PRESENT    ME.MBERS    OF    THE    BAR. 

The  present  bar  is  composed  of  Robt.  L.  Hanna- 
man, J.  J.  TunnicIiflT,  James  A.  McKenzie,  George 
Tunnicliff,  O.  P.  Cooley,  George  W.  Thompson, 
George  A.  Lawrence,  Edgar  A.  Bancroft,  Zelotes 
Cooley,  A.  M.  Brown,  Albert  J.  Perry,  W.  C.  Calk- 
ins, Arthur  A.  Smith,  Jr.,  E.  P.  Williams,  Fletcher 
Corney.  F.  A.  Willoughby,  F.  S.  Murphy,  Geo.  W. 
Prince,  Wm.  B.  Bradford,  Chas.  S.  Harris,  A.  C. 
Mason,  J.  L.  Hastings,  J.  B  Boggs,  R.  C.  Hunt, 
Eugene  W.  Welch,  Josiah  Gale,  Wm.  Andrews,  F. 
F.  Cook,  T.  L.  McGirr,  J.  L.  Wells,  L.  K.  Byers,  A. 
S.  Curtis,  E.  H.  West,  P.  H.  Sanford,  E.  A.  Corbin, 
W.  H.  Clark,  S.  H.  Ritchey,  Chas.  H.  Nelson,  A.  P. 
Richercau,  T.  J.  Hale,  H.  N.  Cately. 


X 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


>^^//?v\K^. 


0®mmiy  MulWla^M 


^f) 


HE  first  court-house,  which 
was  only  temporary,  was  tlie 
residenceof  John  B.  Gum, on 
section  32,  Henderson  Town- 
ship, where  the  first  term  of 
the  Circuit  Court  was  held,  Fri- 
day, Oct.  I,  1830.  After  the 
location  of  the  county  seat  at 
Knoxville,  in  183 1,  the  County 
Commissioners  contracted  for 
the  erection  of  a  court-house. 
The  entire  cost  when  finished  and 
furnished  was  $395.43.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  the  spring  of  1831,  and 
was  a  log  building,  two  stories  high, 
containing  several  windows,  and  was  quite  an  impos- 
ing structure  for  those  days. 

In  1836  the  County  Commissioners  decided  to 
have  a  new  court-house,  and  on  September  6  instruct- 
ed the  Clerk  to  advertise  for  plans.  On  the  loth  of 
March,  1838,  the  contract  was  let  for  the  sum  of 
$r5,45o,  with  the  agreement  that  the  building  should 
be  completed  by  May  i,  1840. 

It  was  erected  in  the  center  of  the  northern  por- 
tion of  tGe  Public  Square  at  Knoxville,  where  it  still 
stands.  It  is  a  two-story  brick  and  contains  six  rooms. 
At  that  day  it  was  regarded  as  a  very  fine  court- 
house. Since  the  county  seat  was  removed  to  Gales- 
burg,  it  has  been  used  for  offices,  and  as  a  hall  for 
entertainments. 

The  new  court-house  served  the  purposes  of  the 
county  until    1873,  when  the  county  seat  was  re- 


moved to  Galesburg.  Here  a  temporary  building 
was  erected  for  county  offices  and  court-room,  which 
is  still  occupied.  The  question  of  building  a  new 
court-house  commensurate  with  the  demands  and 
the  wealth  of  the  county  had  long  been  a  subject  of 
thought  and  conversation  by  the  people  of  the 
county  and  their  representatives,  but  it  was  not  until  , 
18S4  that  the  subject  assumed  any  form.  At  the  "s 
annual  spring  elections  of  this  year  most  of  the 
townships  instructed  their  Supervisors  to  take  steps 
for  the  erection  of  a  county  building.  Accordingly, 
at  the  meeting  of  the  Board  in  April,  the  matter  was 
brought  up  and  it  was  determined  to  have  a  new 
court-house,  which  was  the  most  important  work  un- 
dertaken since  the  organization  of  the  county.  A 
committee  was  appointed  from  the  Board  to  espe- 
cially look  after  the  matter,  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Gale,  Robertson,  Sloan,  Charles,  Hardin  and  Leigh- 
ton.  The  first  thing  to  determine  was  the  needs  of 
the  county,  and  then  what  the  county  could  or  ought 
to  pay.  This  done,  plans  and  specifications  were 
called  for.  The  design  selected  was  the  one  pre- 
sented by  E.  E.  Myers,  of  Detroit,  Mich.  The 
site,  the  east  half  of  College  Park,  had  already  been 
donated  by  the  city  of  Galesburg.  It  was  hoped  by 
the  committee  that  the  court-house  could  be  built  in 
accordance  with  the  plans  for  ^r  00,000.  But  the  low- 
est bid  received,  which  was  $rr4,3ir.52,  by  Dawson 
&  Anderson,  of  Toledo,  was  accepted,  with  the 
agreement  that  the  building  should  be  completed  on 
or  before  Sept.  i,  1886.  The  corner-stone  was  laid 
June    24,  1885,  und^   the  auspices  of  the  Masonic 


4-4- 


o 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Grand  Lodge  of  Illinois.  Some  40  lodges  were 
here  from  different  parts  of  the  State.  Grand  Mas- 
ter Alex.  T.  Darrah  and  nearly  all  the  officers  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  were  present.  Alter  the  deposit 
of  records,  papers,  etc.,  the  Grand  Master  laid  the 
stone  with  the  beautiful  and  impressive  rites  of  the 
fraternity. 

The  architecture  of  the  new  court-house  is  al- 
most purely  Norman.  It  is  three  stories  high,  with  a 
basement,  and  stands  facing  the  east.  On  the 
northeast  corner  rises  in  beautiful  proportions  the 
tower  to  a  height  of  141  feet,  on  a  bed  of  concrete 
18  inches  thick.  Up  to  the  grade  line  the  walls, 
which  are  heavy,  are  stone,  and  above  this  line 
brick,  with  stone  facings  of  Bedford  limestone. 

In  the  basement  are  the  steam  heating  arrange- 
ments, and  also  a  complete  ventilating  apparatus 
with  exhaust  fan  and  pipes,  which  connect  with 
every  room  in  the  building.  The  court-room  is  pro- 
vided with  a  grate,  and  so  arranged  that  the  ashes 
drop  into  a  pit  in  the  basement.  The  foundation  for 
the  floor  of  the  first  story  is  of  wrought-iron  beams, 
stayed  with  cross  rods,  with  a  formation  of  brick  arches 
between  and  leveled  up  with  concrete.  The  other 
floors  are  similarly  constructed.  Iron  stairways  lead 
from  one  floor  to  the  otlier.  The  windows  are 
of  heavy  plate  glass,  and  are  shaded  with  inside 
blinds.  The  floors  in  all  the  rooms  are  made  of 
hard  pine,  that  of  the  corridors  of  marble  and  encaus- 
tic tile.  The  roof  is  constructed  with  iron  rafters, 
with  corrugated-iron  arches  between,  filled  up  with 
concrete  and  covered  with  slate.  On  the  first  floor  are 
located  the  offices  of  the  County  and  Circuit  Clerks, 
the  offices  of  the  Sheriff,  County  Superintendent, 
Recorder  and  Treasurer,  and  County  Judge. 

On  the  second  floor  is  the  Circuit  Court  room,  the 
County  Court  room,  the  law  library,  private  rooms 
for  the  Judges,  State's  Attorney's  and  Master  in 
Chancery's  offices,  consultation  and  witness  rooms. 
The  court-room  is  47x57  feet  in  dimensions,  with 
high  ceiling  and  a  commodious  gallery  for  the  use 
of  visitors.  The  hall  on  this  floor  is  a  spacious  one, 
with  fine  arclies  over  the  passage  ways.  The  third 
floor  is  arranged  principally  for  jury-rooms,  but  has 
a  small  court-room,  or  hall,  for  the  use  of  the  Super- 
visors or  other  purposes.  This  structure  is  elegant 
is  every  way,  inside  and  out.  In  the  inside  there  is 
no  attempt  in  the  finishing  and  furnisiiing  at  much 
embellishment,  but  everything  is  neat,  tasteful  and 


997 


substantial.  The  building  is  a  credit  to  the  good 
taste  and  judgment  of  the  people  who  erected  it, 
and  a  monument  to  their  culture  and  refinement. 

JaU. 


HE  first  jail  erected  in  the  county  was  con- 
structed of  logs.  The  contract  was  let  to 
"^  John  G.  Sanburn,  Sept.  14,  1832,  for  $250. 
It  stood  north  of  the  court-house,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Square.  With  the  growth  of  the 
county  came  the  increase  of  offenses  against 
the  law,  and  this  primitive  log  prison  became  too 
small  for  its  patronage.  In  184 1  a  contract  was  let 
Alvah  Wheeler  to  build  a  brick  jail,  who  in  1845 
completed  the  building.  It  was  a  two-story  brick 
and  stone  building  and  stood  on  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  the  Square.  It  is  now  used  as  a  tenement- 
house. 

In  the  latter  part  of  1873  the  Board  of  Supervis- 
ors finally  decided  to  erect  a  new  jail,  and  advertised  i 
for  plans  and  bids.  The  plan  of  William  Quagle 
was  accepted,  and  January  14,  1874,  a  contract  was 
let  to  Ira  R.  Stevens  for  $34,000.  The  building  was 
completed  in  the  fall,  and  was  occupied  by  the  Sheriff 
Oct.  3,  1S74,  and  subsequently  the  prisoners  were 
transferred  from  the  old  jail  at  Knoxville.  It  is  a 
two-story  building  with  basement,  and  attractive  in 
its  architecture.  In  front  are  rooms  for  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Sheriff  and  offices.  The  basement 
is  of  stone,  the  superstructure  of  brick,  trimmed  with 
stone.  The  jail  contains  30  cells,  41^  by  7  feet,  and 
7J^  feet  in  height,  with  6-inch  stone  walls.  The 
doors  of  the  cells  are  all  locked  from  the  dining  hall, 
and  so  arranged  that  the  attendants  are  not  required 
to  come  in  contact  with  the  prisoners.  In  the  rear 
portion  of  the  second  story  of  the  dwelling  part  are 
the  female  and  debtors'  apartments,  consisting  of 
three  large  and  airy  rooms.  Here  also  is  a  sleeping 
apartment  for  the  Turnkey  and  a  bath-room.  A 
good  fence  surrounds  the  grounds,  which  are  well 
kept,  adding  much  to  the  general  appearance. 

The  present  condition  of  the  building  is  indicative 
of  the  good  and  efficient  management  at  the  hands 
of  the  county's  able  and  gentlemanly  Sheriff,  J.  A 
Stuckey. 


^ 


4u 


4-* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Almshouse. 

JL  OR  many  years  after  the  settlement  of  the 
|f  county,  the  provisions  for  the  poor  were 
l^'YiC  very  limited.  In  1856  there  was  a  farm 
r^  and  a  small  building  for  the  keeper's  family 
^1%-^  and  the  inmates,  who  were  necessarily 
%  crowded  together.  Many  of  the  paupers  who 
were  idiotic  or  insane  were  assigned  to  two  small 
chambers.  A  very  small  cell  was  fitted  up  for 
"crazy  Hannah  "so  that  she  could  not  hurt  herself. 
March  5,  1856,  the  Board  of  Supervisors  purchased 
the  west  half  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  21, 
Knox  Township,  for  a  Poor  Farm,  for  $3,000.  In  1866 
the  Board  of  Supervisors  appointed  a  committee, 
consisting  of  Rufus  Miles,  L.  E.  Conger  and  Cephas 
Arms,  to  superintend  the  construction  of  an  alms- 
house. Another  committee  was  appointed  to  select 
a  location.  A  majority  of  this  committee  selected 
and  purchased  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  24, 
Galesburg  'lownship,  for  which  they  paid  $8,000; 
L but  this  was  not  used  and  the  land  was  subsequently 
sold  for  $9,000.  The  Board  of  Supervisors  secured 
additional  land  adjoining  the  old  farm,  and  decided 
to  make  that  the  permanent  location.  When  this 
was  determined,  a  contract  for  the  erection  of  a  build- 
ing was  let  to  William  Armstrong,  for  $26,000. 
This  amount  was  increased  to  $39,037.21,  for  furni- 
ture, heating  apparatus,  and  stocking  the  farm.  This 
only  completed  the  main  building  and  the  west  wing. 


In  1876,  in  accordance  with  the  original  plan,  a 
contract  for  building  the  east  wing  was  awarded  to 
Parry  &  Stevens,  for  $17,000.  The  work  was  soon 
completed,  which  gave  to  Knox  County  one  of  the 
finest  and  best  arranged  almshouses  in  the  State. 
It  is  of  gothic  style  of  architecture  and  constructed  of 
brick  and  limestone.  The  design  was  the  work  of 
W.  W.  Boyington,  of  Chicago.  It  is  two  stories  high, 
with  basement.  It  has  166  feet  front  by  80  feet  in 
depth,  and  having  in  all  about  100  rooms.  In  the 
male  department  on  the  main  floor  are  dining-hall, 
sitting-room,  chapel,  and  sleeping-rooms  with  bath- 
rooms attached.  In  the  chapel,  religious  services 
are  held.  This  room  is  also  used  for  funeral  services. 
The  whole  is  heated  by  steam,  the  heat  being  sup- 
plied by  radiators.  Several  of  the  rooms  are  made 
additionally  attractive  by  the  presence  of  beautiful 
and  fragrant  flowers.  There  are  at  present  115  in- 
mates, who  are  about  equally  divided  between  the 
sexes.  The  farm  embraces  140  acres  of  rich  land, 
and  is  located  about  one  mile  north  of  Knoxville.  ' 
Twenty  cows  are  kept  for  the  use  of  the  almshouse. 

The  almshouse  has  been  under  the  management 
for  many  years  of  Dr.  McClelland,  the  County  Phy-*^ 
sician,  who  seems  to 'be  endowed  with  special  quali- 
ties to  take  charge  of  an  institution  of  this  kind. 
Dr.  McClelland  is  also  well  qualified  for  his  position, ' 
and  is  aff'ectionately  regarded  by  the  inmates.  The 
institution  altogether  seems  as  complete  in  all  its 
arrangements  as  is  possible,  and  that  reflects  great 
credit  upon  the  people  of  Knox  County. 


^» 


*ir 


►^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


999 


I  ■.  'i  •,  'i  ■.  'i  ■.  'i  •.  '::'•.•.'  r■^7•■^;l^^,^';;;l^^l'.:^:l'?a'sg^'^'g^'^'^'6§»: 


uv  Tor 


i'i^at^'^'^'.^'.^ i' ;  I'^i'.;  i'.;  .i;»i ,' ;  i<- •ij'^i'*;  .rVti;,.'. -'■  ;.'^j;,.'tjv  ^g.'ta.'ta.'i^'t^t^t^tai'l 


O  greater  evidence  can  be 
adduced  of  the  patriotism  of 
the  people  of  Knox  County 
tlian  that  presented  in  her 
record  of  the  War  for  the 
Union.  The  love  of  coun- 
**  try  implanted  here  by  the 
early  settlers  did  not  die  out,  but 


was  strengthened  by  time.  The  re- 
pwrt  of  the  great  guns  which  sent 
their  destructive  shot  against  Fort 
Sumter  had  hardly  ceased  to  echo 
before  the  people  of  Knox  County 
rushed  to  arms,  and  call  after  call 
was  responded  to  with  alacrity  dur- 
ing the  years  of  the  Rebellion,  and 
neither  age,  infirmities  nor  youth 
kept  them  from  offering  their  services, 
their  lives  on  the  altar  of  their  country.  Over  4,000 
of  as  brave  men  as  ever  marched  against  an  enemy 
went  out  from  Kno-x  County,  many  never  to  return  ; 
some  to  die  before  the  deadly  missiles, some  in  trenches 
ami  on  battle-fields,  others  in  horrid,  cruel  prisons 
and  in  hospitals. 

The   first  to  resent  the  act  of  treason    in    Knox 
County,  and  probably  the  first  in  the  State,  were  G. 
W.  Bainbridge,  \Vm.  McBride  and  Joseph  Gibbs. 
When  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  had  been  flashed  by 


than  Gibbs'  in  Lynn  Township,  and  , 
squire"  up,  made  known  to  him  the  \ 
,  with  bated  breath,  "  Our  country  is  j 
:  must  go  to  her  aid."    Mr.  McBride  J 


the  electric  wires  over  tlie  country,  Mr.   Bainbridgei 
though  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  mounted  his  horse 
and  rode  to  Jonathan  Gibbs'  in  Lynn  Township,  and 
calling  the  old  "  sqt 
news,  exclaiming, ' 
in  danger  and  we 

and  young  Gibbs,  who  had  been  aroused  from  their 
slumbers,  then  came  in,  and  here,  before  the  mid- 
night lamp,  this  trio  of  young  patriots  took  a  solemn 
oath, administered  by  'Squire  Gibbs,  "that  they  would 
remain  true  and  loyal  to  the  Union."  To  make  the 
scene  more  impressive,  the  old  gentleman,  in  trem- 
bling tones,  exhorted  them  to  be  faithful  and  true 
and  he  would  look  to  them  for  protection.  Could 
the  people  of  the  Southern  States  have  witnessed  this 
scene,  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that,  at  least, 
there  would  have  been  less  States  to  secede. 

Early  the  next  morning  these  brave  boys  rode  into 
Knoxville  to  offer  their  services  to  the  country.  No 
call  had  been  made  yet  for  troops,  and  no  enlist- 
ments could  be  received,  but  they  lelt  their  names. 
Subse(iuently  they  enlisted  in  the  ist  111.  Vol.  Cav. 

At  the  first  call  for  troops  Knox  County  very 
quickly  more  than  raised  her  quota,  and  so  continued 
until  nearly  the  end  of  the  struggle. 

President  Lincoln  issued  a  call  Dec.  21,  1864, 
— which  was  his  last — for  300,000  volunteers.  At 
this  time  there  were  comparatively  few  able-bodied 


44- 


rv^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


men  in  the  county,  enlistment  was  slow,  and  it  was 
thought  that,  unless  there  was  some  extra  inducement 
offered,  a  draft,  which  patriotic  people  much  disliked, 
would  have  to  be  made  to  meet  the  quota.  A  draft 
had  been  ordered  to  take  place  Feb.  15,  1865.  Ac- 
cordingly the  Board  of  Supervisors,  who  had  ever  been 
prompt  and  ready  to  do  everything  in  their  power 
to  assist  the  cause  of  the  Union,  passed  a  resolution 
offering  a  bounty  of  S300  for  each  acceptable  recruit. 
A  resolution  was  also  offered  and  passed  at  this  time 
exempting  soldiers  in  the  field,  or  those  that  might 
hereafter  be,  widows  who  have  sons  in  the  army,  or 
who  may  hereafter  volunteer,  from  the  payment  of 
the  bounty  tax  levy. 

From  the  first  appeal  to  arms,  the  people  of  Knox 
County,  with  a  generosity  and  a  devotion  unexcelled 
by  any  county  in  the  Union,  looked  after  the  boys  in 
the  field  and  provided  for  their  families  at  home. 

Soon  after  the  first  enlistment,  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors made  an  order  for  the  support  of  volunteers, 
pending  marching  orders.  At  the  same  meeting 
(May  13,  1861)  a  resolution  was  passed  for  a  com- 
mittee to  be  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  expediency 
of  the  Board  appropriating  a  sum  of  money  for  the 
support  of  families  of  citizens  who  had  entered  the 
service  of  the  countiy.  The  following  day  the  Com- 
*■  mittee  reported:  "The  Committee  are  of  the  opinion 
that  the  county  should  make  provisions  to  secure 
from  want  the  families  of  volunteers  during  their  ab- 
sence on  service."  There  were  many  acts  of  this 
Board  during  the  war  equally  as  generous  and 
patriotic,  which  were  fully  sustained  by  the  people. 
Another  resolution  was,  that  the  Sheriff  be  required 
to  erect  on  the  court-house  a  suitable  standard  with 
the  flag  of  the  American  Union  thereon,  which 
should  be  displayed  during  the  sessions  of  the  Board 
and  the  Courts.  Bounty  funds  were  liberally  appro- 
priated by  this  Board,  and  everything  was  done  that 
could  be  to  assist  those  in  the  field  and  provide  for 
those  they  left  behind  at  home. 

Space  will  only  permit  a  brief  mention  of  the  war 
or  the  incidents  connected  with  it.     We  think  this 


work  would  be  incomplete  if  it  did  not  mention  Mrs. 
Bickerdyke,  "  Mother  Bickerdyke,"  as  she  was  affec- 
tionately called,  who  went  from  this  county  to  the 
camps  and  hospitals  to  alleviate  the  sufferings  of  the 
wounded  and  cheer  their  hearts.  She  was  one  of 
the  first  to  go  into  the  camps  and  the  last  to  come 
out.  She  instituted  many  reforms  in  the  hospitals 
and  made  many  a  poor  soldier  happy.  One  of  her 
memorable  acts  was  to  come  North  and  secure  200 
cows  and  1,000  chickens  and  take  them  back  to 
Memphis  for  the  use  of  the  soldiers. 

The  Soldiers'  Aid  Society  also  did  a  noble  work. 
They  were  ever  active  and  untiring  in  their  zeal  to 
comfort  the  soldier  and  relieve  his  wants.  These 
noble  women  could  not  fight,  but  they  could  aid  and 
comfort  the  wounded  and  sick  who  did  fight  to  save 
the  life  of  the  nation.  Volunteers  from  Knox  County 
were  in  most  of  the  hard-fought  battles  of  the  South- 
west—Fort Donelson,  Pea  Ridge,  Shiloh,  Slone  River, 
Vicksburg,  Chattanooga,  Nashville  and  many  others, 
and  in  all  they  distinguished  themselves  for  their 
bravery';  There  were  soldiers  from  this  county  in 
the  7th,  8th,  loth,  14th  and  i6th  Infantry.  In  the 
17th  Infantry,  which  was  mustered  into  the  service  at 
Peoria,  111.,  May  24,  1861,  there  were  131  volunteers 
from  Knox  County.  In  all  the  regiments  of  infantry, 
to  the  148th,  Knox  County  was  more  or  less  repre- 
sented. 

In  the  cavalry  service  Knox  County  was  well  rep- 
resented, in  all  605  men.  In  the  rst  Cavalry  there 
were  152;  in  the  7th,  212;  in  the  iitii,  108;  in  the 
r4th,  72,  and  a  few  in  the  8th,  9th  and  12th.  There 
were  also  enlistments  in  the  ist  and  2d  Light  Artil- 
lery, and  quite  a  number  of  colored  men  who  went 
out  to  join  colored  regiments.  The  service  rendered 
by  Knox  County  in  battling  against  treason,  and  in 
the  preservation  of  the  Union,  is  one  to  be  proud 
of  by  her  citizens,  although  many  of  her  bravest 
sons  fell  in  the  conflict  for  freedom  and  sleep  in 
Southern  graves,  or  returned  to  die  and  be  buried  at 
home,  and  although  many  seats  were  made  vacant 
around  her. 


I— •- 


'X:^ 


^=:^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


<*> 


UR  favored  countn-  has  but 
few  localities  more  fertile 
than  that  known  as  the  MiH- 
tary  Tract.  Knox  Count)-  is 
r^- --  "^^^^^^^^^  situated  in  about  the  center 
^''  ■'  ~  t-^OQ  of  this  district  aid  contains 
an  area  of  720  square  miles,  divided 
5^  t?0  "P  "I'o  20  full  townships.  It  is  pretty 
*Cf:.yi^  well  watered  with  one  large  and  sev- 
eral small  water-courses.  Spoon  River 
crosses  the  county  in  the  northern 
part  of  Truro  Township,  and  mean- 
dering southwesterly  passes  out  near 
the  middle  of  Chestnut  Township. 
About  the  center  of  this  county,  run- 
ning nonh  and  south,  the  surface  is  higher  and  the 
streams  run  each  way,  emptying  finally  on  the  west 
into  the  Mississippi  and  on  the  east  into  the  Illinois 
River. 

Knox  County  contains  within  its  borders  no  rugged 
scenes  of  grandeur,  but  rather  the  quiet  beauty  of 
finished  and  rounded  outlines,  of  a  surface  clothed 
with  far-reaching  prairies  and  beautiful  groves.  The 
mean  elevation  of  the  county  is  about  600  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  There  are  but  few  springs,  but 
good  water  can  be  obtained  at  a  depth  of  from  15 
to  60  feet.  The  county  is  largely  undulating  prairie, 
and  interspesed  with  fine  groves  of  limber,  some  of 
them  (juite  large.  In  some  parts  of  the  county,  partic- 
ularly along  the  water-courses,  the  country  is  quite 
broken.  The  soil  is  mostly  a  dark,  rich  vegetable 
loam.  The  drift  is  spread  over  the  entire  surface  of 
the  uplands  to  a  depth  of  from  10  to  60  feet.  It 
comprises  a  series  of  yellow  and  blue  clay,  which  is 
occasionally  mixed  with  sand  and  gravel.  The 
original  timber  consisted  of  the  oak  varieties,  elm, 
ash,  hickory,  black-walnut  and  the  maples.     In   ad- 


1-^ 


dition  to  these  there  were  along  the  slopes  and  the 
bottom  lands  the  sycamore,  box-elder,  linden,  cotton- 
wood,  locust,  cofl'ee-tree,  wild  cherry,  wild  plum, 
thorn,  crab-apple,  dogwood,  redbud,  hackberry  and 
mulberry.  The  alluvial  deposits  are  not  extensive, 
seldom  over  a  mile  in  width,  and  generally  much  less, 
and  comprise  the  bottom  lands  along  the  water- 
courses. All  the  stratified  rocks  exposed  in  the 
county  belong  to  the  coal  measures,  and  they  com- 
prise a  series  of  sandstones,  limestones,  clays,  slates,  ' 
and  seams  of  coal,  and  represent  the  middle  and 
lower  parts  of  the  series  of  coal  No.  6  of  the  Illinois 
section  to  No.  t  inclusive.  The  upper  seam.  No.  6,.^ 
is  found  prigcipally  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  county, 
and  varies  in  thickness  from  four  to  six  feet,  and 
affords  a  good  quality  of  coal.  Mines  have  been 
opened  and  extensively  worked  m  the  western  half 
of  Victoria  Township;  also  in  Copley,  Sparta  and 
Persifer.  In  Elba  Township,  section  15,  coal  ap- 
pears along  the  bluff  a  number  of  feet  above  the 
stream.  South  of  Spoon  River  there  are  a  number 
of  mines  along  Litiler's  Creek,  on  sections  26,  27,  34 
and  35,  in  Maquon  Township.  The  county  has  but 
a  limited  supply  of  good  building-stone.  In  some 
portions  there  is  sufficient  for  home  wants.  In  Knox 
Township,  sections  16  and  21,  there  is  abed  of  very 
good  sandstone;  much  of  this,  however,  is  of  but  little 
value  for  building  purposes.  In  the  northwest  quar- 
ter of  section  t6  is  a  rock  of  more  value,  which 
makes  a  very  good  building-stone.  It  is  a  dark  drab- 
colored  conglomerate  rock.  It  is  compact  and  suffi- 
ciently hard  for  building  purposes. 

Limestone  for  lime  purposes  is  not  found  in  any 
large  deposits  in  the  county.  In  Sparta  Township, 
on  section  24,  it  has  been  found  in  moderate  quan- 
tity, and  a  very  good  quality  of  lime  has  been  made 
here  from  it. 


T 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


AILROADS  form  one  of  the 
important  factors  in  the  de- 
velopment of  a  country.  They 
have  been  the  means  of  open- 
ing up  our  broad  domains  to 
settlement,  and  by  them  our 
civilization  has  been  so  rapidly 
advanced,  while  at  the  present  day 
they  form  a  large  portion  of  the 
wealth  of  the  country.  It  is  now  59 
years  since  the  first  railroad  bar  was 
laid  in  the  United  States  From  the 
year  1827,  which  marks  an  epoch  in 
the  history  of  this  nation — that  year 
wliich  inaugurated  the  genesis  of 
our  railway  system — the  laying  of  track,  under 
many  forms  of  improvement,  has  gone  rapidly  on 
until  today  there  are  upward  of  150,000  miles  of 
railroad  in  our  country,  extending  from  ocean  to 
ocean  and  penetrating  every  State  and  Territory  in 
the  Union  and  employing  over  700,000  men  and 
women.  From  the  day  the  first  locomotive  was  built, 
in  1829,  they  have  been  constantly  increasing  in 
numbers  until  they  can  now  be  counted  by  the  tens 
of  thousands,  and  they  are  the  lever  that  is  moving 
the  business  of  the  country. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  agitation  of  railroad 
building  in  this  county,  which  was  about  as  early  as 
that  of  any  other  part  of  the  State,  the  people  have 
been  very  earnest  and  active  on  the  subject.  The 
people  of  this  county — the  early  settlers — being 
largely  from  the  Eastern  States,  were  naturally  among 


the  first  to  desire  to  be  connected  by  rail  with  that 
part  of  the  world  whence  they  came. 

The  gigantic  system  of  internal  improvements 
which  was  inaugurated  by  Legislature  in  1836  in- 
cluded the  building  of  many  railroads  in  the  Stale 
and  involved  the  expenditure  of  about  $30,000,000. 
Soon  after  the  enactment  of  this  law  certificates  of 
internal-improvement  stock  were  eagerly  sought  for 
and  readily  taken,  contracts  were  let,  and  work  com- 
menced in  different  parts  of  the  State.  Hundreds 
of  thousands  of  dollars  were  squandered  in  this  way 
before  the  year  expired.  The  financial  crash,  which 
swept  over  the  country,  came  on,  and  the  internal- 
improvement  system  of  Illinois,  which  apparently 
began  so  auspiciously,  went  down,  leaving  the  State 
in  almost  hopeless  bankruptcy.  Fortunately,  how- 
ever, Knox  County  was  not  affected  by  this,  save  in 
a  general  way.  She  was  among  the  few  favored 
counties  who  received  the  money  instead  of  railroad 
schemes  on  paper. 

Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad. 

HEN  Galesburg  was  first  settled,  railroads 

were   comparatively    new    and   were    re- 

jI^^*^'    garded   as   an  experiment.     Natural  and 

■^''"'^  artificial  water-courses  were  then  regarded 

as    the    best    means  of  transportation   and 

\  '    commercial  intercourse.     On  Feb.  12,  1849,  the 

Legislature    granted    a   charter    to    the     Peoria    & 

Oquawka  Railroad  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of 

$500,000,  divided  into  shares  of  $100  each.     Under 


^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1003 


r 


Ihe  provisions  of  this  charter  a  certain  amount  of 
stock  had  to  be  subscribed  by  February  1 2  following, 
before  grading  could  commence,  and  other  conditions 
were  imposed  which  were  burdensome  and  were 
modified  by  the  next  session  of  the  Legislature. 
The  corporation  was  to  be  managed  by  a  board  of 
nine  directors,  to  be  chosen  annually  by  the  stock- 
holders from  among  their  number.  The  following 
persons  were  appointed  as  Commissioners  to  receive 
subscriptions  to  stock:  Samuel  B.  Anderson,  James 
Knox  and  Daniel  Meek,  of  Knox  County ;  Alexander 
Turnbull,  James  W.  Davidson  and  Wyatt  B.  Stapp, 
of  Warren  County;  Preston  \V.  Martin,  John  Mc- 
Kinney  and  Robert  M.  Patterson,  of  Henderson 
County;  and  \Vm.  S.  Maus,  Alfred  G.  Curtenius  and 
Isaac  Underbill,  of  Peoria  County. 

The  first  railroad  meeting  held  in  Knox  County 
was  held  at  Knoxville,  Sept.  9,  1849,  'hi^  object  of 
which  was  principally  to  provide  for  the  general  as- 
sembling of  the  citizens  of  the  county  on  the  9th  of 
October.  John  Johnston  acted  as  Chairman  and 
John  G.  Sanburn,  Secretary.  There  was  a  large  and 
enthusiastic  meeting  and  speeches  were  made  by 
James  Knox  and  Robert  S.  Blackwell.  A  motion 
was  made  and  carried  in  favor  of  voluntary  taxation 
to  provide  funds  to  prosecute  the  work.  The  esti- 
mated cost  was  between  §500,000  and  $750,000. 

The  people  of  Oquawka  refused  to  aid  the  enter- 
prise, and  Burlington  coming  forward  with  the  neces- 
sary subscriptions,  the  route  was  changed  to  the  latter 
place  and  the  former  was  left  out.  The  company 
spent  all  their  money  and  exhausted  their  credit  in 
building  the  road  from  Burlington  to  Kirkwood.  A 
resolution  was  adopted  requesting  the  Commissioners 
of  this  county  to  correspond  with  those  of  the  other 
counties  in  order  to  bring  about  a  concerted  action  in 
the  matter.  Meetings  were  held  throughout  the 
county  and  a  good  deal  of  interest  was  manifested. 
The  Knoxville  Journal,  then  owned  by  John  S.  Win- 
ter, was  very  zealous  in  its  advocacy  of  the  cause 
and  did  much  good  in  awakening  an  interest  in 
railroad  matters.  A  meeting  was  held  in  Galesbuig, 
Nov.  29,  1849,  when  several  residents  of  the  place 
spoke  in  favor  of  ths  enterprise.  A  large  meeting 
was  again  held  in  Knoxville,  inaugurated  by  the  peo- 
ple of  Peoria,  at  which  Judge  Purple  presided.  The 
idea  entertained  by  the  people  of  Knoxville  at  this 
time  was  that  the  road  would  build  up  Peoria  and 
thereby  bring  manufactories  nearer  to  them. 

'A 


The  defects  of  the  charter  caused  the  enterprise 
to  drag,  and  in  the  meantime  the  people  of  Peoria 
organized  a  new  company  under  an  old  charter  which 
had  been  granted  to  Andrew  Gray  to  build  a  road 
ten  miles  in  a  westerly  direction  from  Peoria,  and 
finally  pass  through  Fnrniington  and  thence  direct 
to  Burlington,  leaving  Knoxville  and  Galesburg  to 
the  north.  It  was  called  the  Peoria  &  Mississippi 
Railroad  Company.  The  people  of  Knoxville  favored 
this  road  to  having  no  railroad  in  the  county.  How- 
ever, Feb.  10,  185  I,  the  defects  in  the  charter  of  the 
Peoria  &  Oquawka  Company  were  remedied  by  the 
Legislature,  which  allowed  the  company  to  com- 
mence work  with  a  less  amount  of  stock  paid  in,  and 
providing,  also,  for  the  road  to  run  through  Knox- 
ville and  Monmouth,  with  Galesburg  left  to  the 
north.  This  did  not  satisfy  the  citizens  of  Gales- 
burg, so,  Feb.  15,  1851,  the  Central  Military  Tract 
Railroad  Company  was  incorporated,  with  William 
McMurtry,  C.  S.  Colton,  James  Bunce,  W.  S.  Gale, 
Geo.  C.  Lanphere,  H.  H.  May,  W.  A.  Wood,  Alfred" 
Brown,  Alvah  Wheeler,  Peter  Grouse,  Amos  Ward, 
Patrick  Dunn,  Daniel  Meek,  Silas  Willard,  A.  C. 
Wiley,  and  their  asssociates  and  successors,  a  body" 
politic  and  corporate,  under  the  name  and  style  of 
the  Central  Military  Tract  Railroad  Company,  with 
power  to  build  a  railroad  from  Galesburg  in  a  north- 
easterly course  to  some  point  on  the  Rock  Island  & 
La  Salle  Railroad. 

On  the  19th  of  June,  1852,  their  charter  was  so 
amended  as  to  give  them  the  right  "  to  build  a  road 
from  Galesburg,  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  on  the 
most  direct  and  eligible  route  towaid  the  city  of 
Chicago,  to  a  point  to  be  designated  by  said  com- 
pany on  or  near  the  line  of  the  Chicago  &  Rock 
Island  Railroad,  or  on  or  near  the  line  of  any  other 
railroad,  or  railroads,  communicating  with  or  ex- 
tending to  the  city  of  Chicago."  This  charter  was 
the  result  of  the  deliberations  of  a  coterie  of  men  who 
were  wont  to  meet  in  the  office  of  W.  S.  Gale,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Square  in  Galesburg,  and  talk 
over  railroad  matters.  Among  these  men  were  C.  S. 
Colton,  W.  S.  Gale,  Silas  Willard,  Geo.  C.  Lanphere 
and  James  Bunce.  They  were  aided  in  their  scheme 
by  Marcus  Osborn,  of  Rock  Island.  Their  first 
charter  was  written  in  this  office,  and  George  C. 
Lanphere,  the  only  Democrat  in  the  ring,  was  sent 
to  the  Legislature,  which  was  Democratic,  to  have 
the  bilPpassed.     Under  this  charter  a  siirvey  wa^ 


^^ 


V 


I004 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-H" 


made  by  Messrs.  Whipple,  Wentworth  and  Churchill. 
Sheffield  was  the  point  aimed  at. 

Plans  and  estimates  were  made  and  the  line  from 
Galesburg  to  Sheffield,  on  the  Chicago  &  Rock  Island 
Railroad,  was  put  under  contract  in  the  winter  of 
1851-52.  The  contracts  were  revoked,  however, 
and  there  was  nothing  done,  the  company  having 
changed  its  plans  and  decided  to  meet  the  Chicago 
&  Aurora  Railroad  at  Mendota. 

On  Feb.  12,  1849,  "The  Aurora  Branch  Railroad 
Company  '  was  incorporated  to  build  a  road  from 
Aurora  to  the  "  Galena  &  Chicago  Railroad ;"  on 
June  22,  1852,  this  act  was  so  amended  as  to  allow 
them  to  extend  their  road  from  Aurora  in  a  south- 
westerly direction,  on  the  most  practicable  route,  to 
a  point  at  least  15  miles  north  of  La  Salle,  and  when 
such  extension  may  intersect  any  railroad  built  or  to 
be  built  northward,  "  then  to  form  a  connection  with 
any  such  railroad." 

On  Feb.  i,  185 1,  power  was  granted  to  the  North- 
ern Cross  Railroad  to  build  a  lateral  branch  from 
some  point  on  that  road  in  Adams  County,  and  run- 
ning thence  or  the  most  expedient  and  eligible  route 
J>=throagh  the  Military  Tract,  terminating  at  the  most 
advantageous  point  at  or  near  the  southern  termina- 
tion of  the  Illinois  &  Michigan  Canal,  with  a  proviso 
I  that  the  said  company  should  not  locate  or  construct 
this  branch  upon  any  line  east  of  the  town  of  Knox- 
ville..  June  21,  1852,  this  act  was  further  modified 
so  as  "  to  authorize  tlie  said  Northern  Cross  Railroad 
Company  to  terminate  the  lateral  branch  of  said 
road  at  any  point  where  the  said  railroad  may  con- 
nect with  any  other  railroad  extending  northward  to 
the  city  of  Chicago." 

The  change  in  the  plans  of  the  Central  Military 
Tract  Company  was  caused  by  the  following  circum- 
stances :  While  the  Peoria  &  Oquawka  Railroad 
interests  were  being  slowly  worked  up  by  local  sub- 
scriptions, C.  S.  Colton,  being  in  the  East,  met  acci- 
dentally, in  Boston,  J.  W.  Grimes,  of  Burlington, 
Iowa,  who  was  a  member  of  the  State  Senate,  and 
Mr.  Wadsworth,  of  Chicago,  President  of  the  Chi- 
cago &  Aurora  Railroad,  a  branch  of  the  Galena  & 
Chicago  Railroad ;  and  after  a  conference  they  de- 
cided that  an  independent  route  direct  to  Chicago 
was  the  most  practicable  line. 

Mr.  Colton  returned  home  and  had  a  conference 
with  his  railroad  friends,  and  it  was  determined  tu 
have  their  charter  changed.     It  was  found   impos- 


sible to  secure  Eastern  capital  to  aid  in  the  construc- 
tion of  railroads  while  the  rates  for  transportation 
were  subject  to  and  controlled  by  State  legislation. 
This  was  made  a  distinct  issue  at  the  time.  It  was 
held  that  if  capitalists  put  their  money  into  railroads 
they  must  have  the  control  over  the  freight  and  pas- 
senger tariff.  Accordingly,  a  special  charter  was 
prepared  similar  to  that  of  the  Illinois  Central,  which 
removed  the  objections  above  referred  to,  and  gave  the 
company  entire  control  of  their  property,  the  same  as 
any  personal  property,  with  full  power  to  establish 
and  regulate  their  rates  of  transportation.  Mr.  Col- 
ton was  delegated  to  go  to  Springfield  and  secure  the 
passage  of  this  special  charter  through  the  Legis- 
lature, which  was  done.  He  also  had  the  amend- 
ment of  June  2T,  1852,  above  referred  to,  at  the 
same  time  the  Aurora  extension  amendment  was 
made.  It  was  here  he  met  for  the  first  time  James 
F.  Joy,  who  became  interested  in  Colton's  plans,  and 
who  suggested  to  him  the  changing  of  the  terminus 
of  the  lateral  branch  of  the  Northern  Cross  Road,  and  ^ 
securing  the  interest  of  the  Quincy  people  in  this 
branch,  and  here  undoubtedly  was  the  birth  of  what 
was  to  be  the  future  gigantic  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad,  and  the  pride  of  the  State.  Subse- 
quently, James  W.  Brooks,  President  of  the  Michigan 
Central  Railroad  Company,  and  James  F.  Joy,  both  of  . 
Detroit,  Mich.,  interested  themselves  in  the  Central 
Military  Tract  Road,  and  proposed  that  if  the  people 
along  the  route  from  Galesburg  to  Mendota  would 
subscribe  $300,000,  they  would  furnish  enough  more 
to  complete  the  grading  of  the  road  and  laying  of  the 
ties ;  and  when  that  was  done  they  would  borrow 
money  on  the  bonds  of  the  company  to  complete  the 
road  and  put  it  in  operation.  One  of  the  first  meet- 
ings held  in  Galesburg  for  the  purpose  of  raising 
stock  was  at  the  old  academy  building.  The  first 
three  subscribers  were  James  Bunce,  James  Bull  and 
Henry  Ferris.  Dr.  Bunce  is  dead,  Mr.  Bull  never 
paid  his  subscription,  and  Mr.  Ferris  is  the  oldest 
stockholder  of  the  road  now  in  Galesburg. 

After  several  months  of  canvassing  for  subscrip- 
tions to  the  new  company  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 
for  the  $300,000  required  as  a  guarantee  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  road,  they  were  still  short  of  the  re- 
quired amount  by  $50,000.  At  this  juncture  Messrs. 
Joy  and  Brooks  came  to  Galesburg  and  gave  notice 
that  they  could  not  promise  a  further  extension  of 
time  on  behalf  of  their  principals,  who  had  agreed  to 


■^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1005 


build  the  road  when  the  $300,000  was  subscribed  on 
the  line  of  the  road.  This  was  a  critical  time,  for 
$50,000  must  be  immediately  raised,  or  the  whole 
enterprise  be  abandoned,  and  all  the  work  lost. 
Every  precinct  had  been  canvassed,  and  every  effort 
made  to  complete  the  amount,  but  to  no  purpose. 
At  this  vital  moment  C.  S.  Colton  and  Silas  Willard, 
who  had  been  the  pnncipal  movers  in  the  enterprise, 
consulted  together  and  finally  determined  to  risk 
everything  on  the  success  of  the  undertaking.  They 
subscnbed  the  necessary  $50,000,  thereby  binding 
all  the  other  subscribers,  and  also  the  Eastern  capi- 
talists, to  their  contract  for  building  the  road.  This 
subscription  proved  a  heavy  load  for  these  gentlemen 
to  carry,  and  they  were  compelled  to  borrow  the  en- 
tire amount  at  the  rate  of  ten  per  cent,  their  own 
means  being  fully  absorbed  in  their  business.  It  was 
several  years  before  their  stock  paid  a  cent  of 
dividend. 

In  1852  a  survey  was  made  from  G.Tlesburg  to 
'  Mendota  by  Chief  Engineer  \V.  P.  Whipple,  assisted 
by  B.  B.  Wentworth  and  Prof.  Gen.  Churchill.  The 
road  at  first  had  been  surveyed  through  Henderson, 
t  but  afterward  it  was  thrown  four  miles  east  to 
straighten  the  line  and  avoid  the  banks  of  Hender- 
son Creek.  During  this  period  Knoxville  was  fight- 
y  ing  Galesburg,  and  tried  to  get  the  Nortliern  Cross 
Road  to  come  to  that  place. 

Throughout  the  years  1851-52  the  peojjle  between 
Peoria  and  Burlington  were  anxiously  waiting  for  their 
road  to  go  ahead.  The  terminal  cities,  by  a  corpora- 
tion vote,  subscribed  each  $75,000  stock.  Burling- 
ton got  ahead  of  Oquawka,  and  then  Henderson 
County,  by  a  vote  of  100  majority,  refused  to  take 
any  slock  in  the  road. 

On  June  20,  1851,  the  stockholders  of  the  Peoria 
&  Oquawka  Railroad  met  at  Knoxville,  after  notice 
by  the  Commissioners,  and  elected  their  first  Board  of 
Directors,  as  follows :  Charles  Mason  and  J.  W. 
Grimes,  of  Bloomington  ;  A.  C.  Harding  and  Samuel 
Webster,  of  Monmouth ;  James  Knox  and  Julius 
Manning,  of  Knoxville ;  Asa  D.  Reed,  of  Farming- 
ton  ;  Rudolphus  Rouse  and  Washington  Cockle,  of 
Peoria,  to  serve  one  year.  James  Knox  was  chosen 
President;  Robert  L.  Hannaman,  Secretary,  and  Will- 
iam Phelps,  Treasurer.  The  first  contract  for  grad- 
ing on  this  road  was  let  in  October,  [851,  at  the 
Peoria  end. 

After  a  long  negotiation  between  the  managers  of  the 


Central  Military  Tract  and  the  Northern  Cross  Com- 
panies, carried  on  by  C.  S.  Colton  for  the  former  and 
N.  Bushnell  for  the  latter,  a  junction  of  the  two  roads 
was  made  at  Galesburg,which  was  subsecpiently  rati- 
fied by  the  Legislature.  In  August,  the  Northern 
Cross  Company  agreed  to  meet  tiie  Central  Military 
Tract  at  Galesburg.  June  15,  1853,  H.  Rouse  was 
chosen  President  of  the  P.  &  O.  Co. ;  W.  Cockle,  Sec- 
retary, J.  P.  Hotchkiss,  Treasurer,  and  Julius  Man- 
ning, Attorney.  The  board  accepted  the  amendment 
to  the  charier  providing  for  the  "  Eastern  Extension  " 
from  Peoria. 

By  September  of  that  year,  all  parts  of  this  road 
were  under  contract.  Burlington  organized  for 
a  northern  extension  to  the  Missouri  River.  Prior 
to  this,  or  Oct.  14,  1852,  the  Central  Military  Tract 
Company  increased  their  stock  from  $100,000  to 
$600,000,  and  elected  the  following  Directors  :  James 
W.  Brooks,  Henry  Ledyard,  James  F.  Joy  and  G.  V. 
N.  Lothrop,  of  Detroit;  I.  H.  Burch,  C.  G.  Ham- 
mond and  John  H.  Kinzie,  of  Chicago;  C.  S.  Col- 
ton, W.  S.  Gale,  James  Bunce  and  Silas  Willard,  of 
Galesburg;  William  McMurtry,  of  Henderson,  and 
John  H.  Br)'ant,  of  Princeton. 

Mr.  Brooks  was  elected  President ;  J.  M.  Berrien, 
Chief  Engineer;  David  Sanborn,  of  Galesburg,  Sec- 
retary and  Treasurer.  The  Engineer's  and  Treas- 
urer's offices  were  to  be  at  Galesburg,  and  assess- 
ments were  to  be  made  on  the  stock  at  the  rate  of 
five  per  cent  a  month.  The  work  progressed  finely. 
The  cars  reached  Princeton  Sept.  11,  1854,  and  on 
December  7  the  first  locomotive  steamed  into  Gales- 
burg. 

When  the  eastern  end  ^i{  the  P.  &  O.  Road  was 
completed  to  Elmwood,  and  the  western  end  to  Mon- 
mouth, work  ceased.  George  C.  Bestor,  of  Peoria, 
was  President ;  Henry  Nollte,  Secretary,  and  J.  P. 
Hotchkiss,  Treasurer.  For  some  time  the  officers 
failed  to  report  to  the  public  the  operations  of  this 
road,  which  created  dissatisfaction,  and  when,  in  July, 
they  called  for  the  balance  of  the  stock,  the  suliscrib- 
ers  were  suspicious  that  something  was  wrong. 
William  S.  Maus,  of  Peoria,  James  Knox,  of  Kno.v- 
ville,  and  A.  C.  Harding,  of  Monmouth,  entered  into 
a  contract  to  finish  the  road  between  the  above-men- 
tioned points,  but,  being  unalde  to  carry  out  their 
contract,  they  sold  out  to  the  Central  Military  Tract 
Company,  the  latter  agreeing  to  complete,  equip  and 
operate  the  road. 


w 


■cX  » 


1006 


ATV^CA"  COUNTY. 


?=?+ 


.    of 

I;; 


The  road  from  Burlington  to  Peoria  was  not  com- 
pleted until  about  the  close  of  the  year  1854,  the 
first  passenger  train  running  through  the  following 
spring.  Abut  this  lime  the  Chicago  &  Aurora,  the 
Northern  Cross,  the  Central  Military  Tract  and  the 
Peoria  &  Oquawka  Companies  were  all  consolidated 
under  the  name  of  the  "Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad  Company,"  this  name  being 
adopted  from  the  terminal  points  of  the  lines  that 
formed  the  consolidation.  James  W.  Brooks  was 
elected  President  of  the  company.  Upon  the  con- 
solidation of  these  lines,  Galesburg  was  made  a  cen- 
tral division,  which  was  placed  under  the  supervision 
of  Henry  Hitchcock,  who  for  years  faithfully  and 
with  marked  ability  managed  its  affairs.  This  large 
corporation  now  has  control  of  what  was  formerly 
known  as  the  Rockford,  Rock  Island  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad.  This  road  was  aided  in  its  construction  by 
Warren  County,  which  issued  its  bonds  to  the  amount 
of  ^284,000,  at  eight  per  cent  interest,  a  large  iX)riion 
of  which  is  still  outstanding,  as  well  as  other  coun- 
ties along  the  route.  This  road  was  completed  in 
|k^  1870,  the  first  passenger  train  running  into  Mon- 
mouth  August  22,  same  year,  making  the  connection 
to  St.  Louis.  Connection  was  made  with  Rock 
Island  November  1 1.  The  remainder  of  its  line  the 
company  was  never  able  to  complete.  It  was  sold 
under  foreclosure  of  mortgage,  April  21,  1876,  to  the 
St.  Louis,  Rock  Island  &  Chicago  Railroad  Com- 
pany, and  subsequently  came  under  the  control  of 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  and  is  known  as  its  St. 
Louis  Branch.  This  road  is  said  to  have  cost  $11,- 
000,000.  It  was  sold  for  ^r, 600,000.  The  bond- 
holders were  mostly  in  Germany,  and  they  lost  about 
six-sevenths  of  their  investment. 

An  important  branch  road  belonging  to  this  corpo- 
ration is  the  Buda  &  Rushville  line.  This  road 
runs  from  Rushville  to  Buda,  a  distance  of  109 
miles.  It  enters  this  county  in  Salem  Township,  run- 
ning north  to  Yates  City ;  then  east  on  the  Peoria 
branch  to  Elmwood  and  northeasterly  to  Buda, 
where  it  forms  a  junction  with  the  main  line. 

In  1884  the  large,  handsome,  new  passenger  de- 
pot was  completed.  It  was  opened  to  the  public 
May  10,  and  the  first  train  came  to  its  platform  on 
this  day.  It  is  an  elegant  and  very  conveniently 
arranged  station-house,  two  stories  high,  and  of  com- 


posite style  of  architecture,  and  an  ornament  to  the 
city. 

Galesburg  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Galesburg 
Division.  Here  are  located  the  company's  car-shops, 
round-house,  locomotive  department,  bridge  depart- 
ment and  stock-yards. 

The  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  has  104  miles  of  track 
in  this  county.  In  the  Galesburg  Division  there  are 
504  miles.  The  equalization  of  its  property  in  the 
county  for  1885  was  $877,017;  in  the  city,  §224,352. 
The  returns  from  the  ticket  office  were  about  $212,- 
000.  The  local  receipts  on  freight  were  nearly 
$126,000.  The  average  number  of  employes  in  the 
different  shops  is  500,  who,  with  the  trainmen,  etc., 
increase  the  number  to  about  1,400. 

In  this  sketch  of  this  road  we  have  only  aimed  at 
giving  the  history  of  its  inception,  the  events  which 
culminated  in  the  consolidation  of  the  different  rail- 
road enterprises  which  resulted  in  the  organization 
of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.,  and  its  operations  in 
Kno.x  County,  whose  rails  now  carry  the  product  of 
millions  of  acres  of  land,  and  move  the  population 
of  a  continent.  This  company  has  the  reputation  of 
having  one  of  the  best  tracks  in  the  United  States.*^ 
Its  coaches  are  elegant,  and  are  of  the  best  made. 
A  double  steel  rail  track  is  laid  now  on  nearly  all 
its  lines,  and  its  trains  are  always  run  to  the  closest 
time.  The  management  of  the  road  is  in  keeping 
with  its  equipment.  From  the  President  down,  all 
are  courteous,  obliging  and  faithful  in  the  discharge 
of  their  respective  duties. 


-f3= 


7— T 


1~^ 


SH 


The  Fulton  County  Narrow-G-auge  R.  H. 

HIS  road  runs  from  Galesburg  to  Havana, 
111.,  a  distance  of  61  miles,  passing  through 
London  Mills,  Ellisville.  Fairview,Cubaand 
Lewistown.  It  is  a  narrow-gauge  road  and  was 
completed  in  1882.  It  passes  through  a  rich 
bituminous  coal  country,  which  contributes  a 
large  portion  of  its  freight  traffic,  and  which  has  been 
of  great  value  to  the  city  of  Galesburg,  This  road 
has  been  a  success,  and  its  business  is  constantly 
increasing.  Its  track  is  smooth  and  its  road-bed 
good.     Two  passenger  trains  run  each  way  daily. 


>¥. . 

^■JVOX  COUNTY. 


■^^4^ 


1007 


Old  Settlers'  Aasociation. 

T  is  now  nearly  60  years  since  the  first 
settlement  of  Knox  County,  and  two  of  its 
earliest  settlers,  Maj.  McKee  and  Daniel 
Robertson,  are  still  living  here.  The  interest 
surrounding  the  early  settlements  and  the  ties 
formed  there  by  the  pioneers  are  very  strong. 
The  trials,  hardships,  struggles  and  pleasures  of  pio- 
,  near  life  bind  with  indissoluble  ties  the  hearts  of 
those  who  have  in  such  relations  been  brought  to- 
gether; and  it  was  to  keep  up  the  memories  of  the 
early  life  and  renew  the  associations  of  bygone 
years  that  the  Old  Settlers'  Association  was  organ- 
ized. It  is  to  be  regretted,  however,  that  such  as- 
sociations are  not  organized  sooner,  and  that  more 
complete  records  are  not  kept  of  the  important 
events  of  the  early  days,  of  arrivals,  births,  mar- 
riages, deaths,  removals  and  other  incidents.  Had 
this  been  done  more  generally,  it  would  have  been  of 
great  assistance  to  the  biographer,  and  added  much 
to  the  literature  of  the  county,  and  been  invaluable 
to  every  community.  After  many  deliberations  among 
the  old  settlers  regarding  the  formation  of  some  so- 
ciety which  would  have  the  effect  of  perpetuating 
the  incidents  of  early  pioneer  days,  and  also  the  as- 
sociations formed  then,  a  call  was  made  for  a  meet- 
ing to  be  held  at  Knoxville,  April  3,1867.  About 
400  old  settlers  responded  to  the  call,  the  result  of 
which  was  the  organization  of  the  "  Old  Settlers" 
Association."  Maj.  Thomas  McKee  called  the  meet- 
ing to  order.     Several  speeches  were  made,  giving 


interesting  reminiscences  of  pioneer  life.  Daniel 
Robertson  was  elected  President ;  Maj.  McKee,  Vice- 
President,  and  Dennis  ('lark  and  Robert  L.  Hanna- 
nian,  Secretaries.  Mr.  Robertson  not  being  present, 
Maj.  McKee  acted  in  his  place. 

The  next  meeting  was  held  at  Galesburg,  Sept.  9, 
1859,  which  was  addressed  by  VVm.  McMurtry.  There 
was  a  large  attendance,  and  a'n  enjoyable  time  was 
had.  Mr.  McMurtry,  in  his  speech,  among  the  many 
interesting  things  said,  that  during  the  period  of  six 
years  while  he  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  at  Hender- 
son Grove,  there  was  only  one  case  on  his  docket, 
and  that  was  amicably  adjusted  without  trial.  The 
next  meeting  of  the  society  was  at  Gilson,  Sept.  9, 
1871.  There  was  a  good  turnout  here  and  an  inter- 
mingling of  old  friends. 

In  1872  the  association  met  at  the  Fair  Grounds 
in  Knoxville,  and  again  in  1877  and  1878.  Since 
that  time  meetings  have  been  held  pretty  regularly. 
Minutes  of  the  meetings  of  this  association  have  not 
been  regularly  kept,  hence  the  history  must  neces- 
sarily be  incomplete. 

In  1885,  Aug.  20,  the  Old  Settlers'  Associatio- 
held  their  annual  meeting  at  Gilbert's  Park,  in  Knox- 
ville. There  was  a  large  crowd,  eloquent  addresses 
and  a  good  dinner.  After  this  it  would  be  super- 
fluous to  say  that  there  was  a  good  time.  Hon. 
Rufus  W.  Miles,  the  old  friend  of  Lincoln,  was  the 
orator  of  the  day,  and  that  good  old  citizen,  Ander- 
son Barnett  (poet-laureate  of  Knoxville),  was  the 
poet.  Speeches  were  made  by  Maj.  Thomas  Mc- 
Kee, Col.  Carr  and  others. 


h"- 


t 


ioo8 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


After  the  election  of  officers,  the  Association  ad- 
journed to  meet  the  third  Thursday  in  August,  1886, 
at  Gilbert's  Park.  Officers  elected  :  John  G.  West, 
President,  and  O.  L.  Campbell,  Secretary.  Messrs. 
Campbell,  Miles  and  Eads  were  appointed  to  collect 
statistics,  and  form  the  Association  into  a  regular 
organization. 

The  following  poem,  by  Anderson  Barnett,  will  be 
a  fitting  close  to  the  history  of  the  Old  Settlers'  As- 
sociation : 

OLD   FRIENDS. 

"  Old  friends,"  wlint  magical  words! 

They  are  music  embellished  with  love. 
Emotions  come  fortli  from  the  sounds  thoy  produce 

As  light  from  the  ether  above. 

The  days  of  my  childhood  and  youth. 
My  friends  of  those  years  long  since  past, 

As  long  as  my  senses  my  thoughts  can  control. 
Those  soul-pleasing  memories  shall  last. 

As  I  sit  by  my  fireside  and  think 

Of  ray  father  and  mother  now  dead, 
My  mind  will  revert  to  the  scenes  of  my  youth 

And  the  many  kind  words  that  they  said. 

Their  faces  remembered  so  well. 

Their  features  I  cannot  mistake. 
So  often  in  dreams  I  go  back  to  my  youth 

And  ponder  those  scenes  when  awake. 

Where  are  they  ?  those  friends  that  I  knew 

So  well  in  the  morning  of  life? 
My  brothers  and  sisters  who  .shared  all  my  joys 

And  sorrows  abounding  so  rife? 

Companions  endeared  to  me  then 

By  manv  compassionate  ties, 
I  n<n\  look  back  through  the  vista  of  years 

To  those  pleasures  and  sorrows  and  sighs. 

Many  years  have  passed  with  their  fruitage, 

Aiid  flowers  so  brilliant  and  gay. 
But  those  dear  companions  of  childhood  and  youth, 

Dear  to  me  as  life,  where  are  tliey  ? 


Agricultural  Board. 

''^KW'^  a  very  early  day  in  the  history  of  Knox 
Mfiif  County,  the  people  felt  the  need  of  an  or- 
>ilfT  ganization  of  some  kind,  for  the  perfection 
Jlij^  and  development  of  their  agricultural  interests. 
jjl^  To  this  end  much  time  and  thought  were  de- 
1  voted  by  some  of  the  ablest  men,  who  sought 
to  determine  the  best  method  to  accomplish  the 
highest  good  of  the  community  at  laige. 

This  work  was  begun  by  the  establishment  of  local 
clubs.  These  were  continued  until  the  year  1851, 
and  the  Agricultural  Board  was  organized,  with 
Robert  L.  Hannaman  as  President  and  P.  H.  Sanford 


as  Secretary.  The  first  meeting  of  the  society,  held 
in  that  year,  was  highly  successful,  fully  attended 
and  interesting  in  the  extreme  to  its  adherents.  It 
met  at  Knoxville,  but  subsequently  grounds  were 
purchased  and  the  location  settled  upon  at  Gales- 
burg. 

Since  that  time  many  improvements  have  been 
made  and  a  half-mile  track  built,  the  work  entire 
amounting  to  $10,000.  All  these  efforts  in  behalf  of 
Knox  County's  good  have  proven  worthy  their 
originators,  as  farming  interests  have  been  advanced 
in  no  small  degree.  Annually  this  society  holds  a 
meeting  and  its  exhibits  are  rarely,  if  ever,  equaled 
in  this  State.  Its  displays  of  live  stock,  products 
of  the  soil,  works  of  art  and  fancy  work,  in  every 
department,  are  unexcelled.  This  county  feels 
an  honest  pride  and  pleasure  in  its  growth  and 
progress,  but  more  largely  in  its  agricultural  devel- 
opment. Its  present  officers  are  M.  L.  Overstreet, 
President;  D.  M.  Eiker,  Vice-President;  O.  L. 
Campbell,  Secretary ;  I.  B.  Gault,  Treasurer;  Will- 
iam Arms,  General  Superintendent,  and  D.  B.  Hug- 
gins,  Chief  Marshal. 

County  Officials. 

NOX  COUNTY  has  been  especially  favored 
t^r    fyo„^  its  first  organization,  in  1830,  down  to 
the  present  time,  in  having  honest  and  ca- 
pable  officials.       Very    few  counties    in    the 
State,  if  any,  can  present  a  list  of  officials  that 
will   compare   more  favorably  for  character, 
abihty  and  integrity. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  various  officials  serv- 
ing the  county  : 

COUNTY  COMMISSIONERS. 

Riggs  Pennington,  Philip  Hash,  Charles  Hans- 
ford, Alex.  Frakes.Thos.  Maxwell,  Humphrey  Finch, 
John  G.  Roundtree,  James  Ferguson,  Alfred  Brown, 
Joseph  Rowe,  Jonathan  Rice,  John  H.  Wentworth, 
Asa  Haynes,  Eldert  Runkle,  John  Jackson,  Samuel 
B.  Anderson',  Daniel  Meek,  Martin  B.  Mason  and 
Many  weather  Brown. 

COUNTY    CLERKS. 


John  G.   Sanburn 1830-37 

Henry  J.  Runkle 1837-47 

Zelotes  Cooley  1847-57 

John    S.  Winter 1857-65 


James  S.  Egan 1865-69 

John   S.  Winter 1869-8J 

Albert  J.Perry 1882-86 


rrX^ 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


t 


1009 


CIRCUIT    CLERKS. 


John  G.  Sanburn 1830-^5 

Achilles  Shannon 1845-46 

Alex.  Sanders 1846-47 

T.  J.Hale .847-5= 

H.T.  Morey... >85S-56 

Cephas  Arms 1856-60 


lohn   H.  Lewis 1860-65 

JohnAberdicn   1865-67 

James  W.  Temple 1867-73 

(Ico.  L.  Hannaman 1873-84 

JosiahCale 1884-86 


John  G.  Sanburn. 
Henry  J.Runkle. 
R.  L.   H.innaman. 


PROBATE   JUDGES. 

.....835-         I     W.n.  Kins 
....1836-  Kobert  L. 

...  .1837-35     I 

COUNTY   JUDGES. 


(leo.  C.  Lanphcre 1850-54 

H.G.Rejnolds 1854-58 

L.  Douglass 1858-62 


.\.  M.  Craig 1862-66 

1  Ji-nnis  Cbark ^866-86 


COUNTY    SCHOOL    SUPERINTENDENTS. 


VVm.  H.  Whilton 1849-53 

J.  H.   Noteware 1853-55 

P.  H .  Sanford 1855-61 

J.  H .   Knapp 1861-69 


Joseph    Henderson 1851-52 

J.W.  Brewer ,853-54 

Joseph  Henderson 1855-56 

Wm.  Hamilton   1857-58 

Alvin  H.  Hotter 1859-60 

Reuben  Bailey 1861-62 

Giles  Cook 1863-64 


Frederick  Christiancr. . . .  1869-73 

Mary  Allen  West 1873-82 

Wm.  L.  Steele 1882-85 

G.  W.  Oldfathcr 1885-86 


Levi  Massie 1865-70 

Jessie  W.  Kimball 1871-72 

Albert  S.  Slater 1873-76 

D.   W.  Aldrich 1876-82 

Albert  S.  Slater 1882-84 

D.  W.  Aldrich 1884-86 


COUNTY   TREASURERS. 


John  Eads 

Henry   Arms 

Zclotes  Coolcy... 
David  Edgerton. 
Chas.  Rogers.. .  . 
David  Edgerton. 
W.  H.    Whitton. 


830-33 
833-35 
835-37 
837-43 
843-46 
846-47 
847-49 
849-51 
85-53 
853-55 


1855-59 


Wm.  McGowan.. 
George   Davis.... 

T.  A.  E.  Holcomb 1861-63 

John  A.  West 1863-65 

Thos.   Harrison 1865-67 

Homer  Gaines 1867-69 

Edwin  T.  Ellett 1860-71 

FrancisM.  Sykes 1871-73 

Edwin  T.  Ellett 1873-75 

James  L.  Biirkhalter 1875-86 


Parnach  Owen... 
Geo.  A.  Charles 
David    Kendall  .. 
Arthur  .K.  Denny 

E.  T.  Byram 

R.  Deatherage. .. 

E.  T.  Byram 

Alex.  Knapp 


COUNTY    SURVEYORS. 
E.  T.  Byra 


853-SS 
855-57 
857-59 


R.  Vor 
D 


d  Wilts.... 
W.  H.  Robinsoi 
E.T.  Byram  .. 
Henry  Vaughn. 

RalfVoris 

MillsG.  Voris.. 


Stephen  Osborn 1830-35 

Henry  D.Bell 1835-38 

Peter   Frans   1838.47 

Henry  Arms 1847-51 

S.  W.  Brown 1S5.-52 

John   Eads 1852-54 

Cornelius  Runkic 1855-56 

Geo.  M.  Enkc 1856-58 

Andrew  Thompson 1858-60 


Elijah  C.  Brott... 

J.  C.  Cover 

James  Soles 

D.  W.  Bradshaw. 
Wllkins  Seacord.. 
Samuel  F.  Patton. 
A.  W.  Berggren.. 
J.  A.  Stuckey.... 


871-73 
873-75 
875-79 
879-85 


866-68 
868-70 
870-72 
872-78 


STATE  S   ATTORNEYS. 


Thomas  Ford 1830-35 

Wm.  \.  Richardson 1835-37 

Henry  L.  Bryant 1S37-39 

Wm.    Elliott 1839-48 

Roberts.  Blackwell 1848-52 


H.G.  Reynolds 1852-54 

Wm.C.  Goudy 1854-55 

James  H.  Stewart 1855-65 

James  A.  McKenzie.    ..   1863-72 
J.  J.Tunnicliff 1872-86 


CIRCUIT   JUDGES. 


Richard  M.  Young 1830-36  • 

James  H.  Ralston 1836-39 

Peter  Lott 1839-40 

Stephen  A.  Douglas 1841-43 

Jesse  B.Thomas 1843-4S 

N.  H.  Purple 1845  49 

Wm.  A.  Minshall 1849-50 

Wm.  Kellogg 1850-53 

H.M.Weed "853-55 


John  S.  Thompson 1855-60 

Aaron  Tyler 1860-61 

Chas.  B.Lawrence 1861-64 

John  S.  Thompson 1864-66 

Joseph  Sibley 1866.67 

Arthur  A.Smith 1867 

John  J.Glenn 1877 

Geo.  W.  Pleasants 1879 


Educational. 

HERE  are  few,  if  any,  counties  in  this 
State  having  better  educational  facilities 
than  that  of  Knox.  Almost  immediately 
following  the  first  settlement  within  its  borders, 
a  school  building  arose,  and  the  search  for 
knowledge  began.  This  was  in  830,  and  the 
first  school  was  presided  over  by  Franklin  B.  Barber, 
who  "  taught  the  young  idea  "  in  a  log  house  in  Hen- 
derson Grove. 

The  primary  object  of  a  large  number  of  those 
who  made  up  the  early  settlement — -the  Galesburg 
Colony — was  to  establish  an  educational  institute  for 
the  rapidly  growing  West.  The  disposition  to  have 
good  schools  thus  sprang  to  life  in  the  primeval  his- 
tory of  Kno.v  County,  and  from  that  day  has  "  grown 
with  its  growth  and  strengthened  with  its  strength." 
This  desire  has  been  upheld  and  perfected  by  prompt 
intelligence  and  energetic  action. 

Hence,  there  are  at  this  writing  excellent  graded 
public  schools  and  advanced  institutions  of  learning 
throughout  the  county.  Among  the  latter  we  may,' 
mention  Kno-\  College,  Lombard  University,  St.  Jo- 
seph's Academy,  St.  Mary's  School  and  Hedding Col- 
lege. Besides  these  there  are  thoroughly  graded  high 
schools  in  different  parts  of  the  section.  These  are 
well  known  and  a  pride  and  honor  to  this  part  of  the 
country  for  their  excellent  system  of  training,  which 
is  shown  by  the  attendance  of  countless  students 
who  come  from  the  boundaries  of  Illinois.  From 
the  humble  log  school-house  has  sprung  the  neat 
and  handsome  school  building,  which  now  graces  the 
borders  of  Knox  County.  Here  are  found  all  mod- 
ern adjuncts  to  educational  advancement.  The 
thorough  and  complete  system  of  the  public  schools 
in  this  section  of  country  is  largely  due  to  the  zeal- 
ous and  untiring  efforts  of  Mary  Allen  West.  She  is 
one  of  the  noblest  of  women  and  most  efficient  edu- 
cators to  be  found  in  this  State,  and  was  for  many 
years  Knox  County's  Superintendent  of  Schools.  She 
is  an  able  thinker,  an  intelligent  and  strong-minded 
woman  of  ample  physical  and  mental  proportions, 
alert  and  helpful  in  every  good  work,  and  was  one  of 
the  best  Superintendents  ever  elected  in  Illinois. 
Too  much  cannot  be  said  in  favor  of  Miss  West,  and 
it  is  imjjossible  to  enumerate  the  good  things  done  by 
her,  not  only  in  the  school,  but  in  the  community. 


♦"; 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


--+ 


The  annual  school  meeting,  orgamzed  by  Miss 
West,  was  one  of  the  best  means  ever  devised  lo  as- 
sist struggling  teachers.  It  was  a  thorough  Normal 
drill,  and  through  it  they  obtained  light  on  the  sub- 
jects which  comprised  their  daily  duty.  These  are 
still  continued,  in  addition  to  the  Teachers'  Local 
Association,  which  is  held  in  different  parts  of  the 
county,  at  the  option  of  the   majority.     The  public 


schools  are  now  in  charge  of  G.  W.  Oldfather,  who 
devotes  his  entire  time  to  the  work,  and  is  considered 
a  first-class  educator. 

Knox  County  is  a  wealthy  one  as  regards  its  edu- 
cational possessions.  The  value  of  its  property  is 
$294,718.05  ;  its  tax  levy  is  $80,585.67.  The  num- 
ber of  persons  of  scholastic  age  is  i2,.^o8,  the  en- 
rollment 8,633. 


^).5^§^.(2)(S)'Y®)^<®V^'€»^^ 


^ 


< 


b  RE  we  have  an  illustration 
f  one  of  the  peculiar  feat- 
ures    of    this      continent, 
whicli  is  unlike  that  of  any 
other  country,  in  the  found- 
-  «»^  ing  of  its  new  settlements, 
^   r    the   establishment,  growth 
^Qj/a   a,id  development  of  its  towns.    The 
)^    inauguration  of  this  system  may  be 
said   to  have   commenced   with    the 
landing  of   the  Mayflower  at  Plynt- 
oulh  Rock.     From  that  time  on,  by 
colonization  and  emigration,  this  sys- 
tem has  continued  until  three-fonitlis 
of  this  country   is   pretty  fairly  set- 
tled up,  and  it  will  not  be  many  years 
before  there  will  be  no  virgin  fields,  no  wild  prairies 
or  forests  upon  which  to  found  a  settlement  or  build 
up    a   town.     There   are    many  disadvantages    and 
hardships  attendant  upon  emigration  and   coloniza- 
tion.    Those  who  turn  their  faces  from  old,  well-es- 
tablished societies  toward  an   unsettled   country — a 
wilderness — to  build  up  a  new  civilization,  have  no 
luxurious  pathway  strewn  with   flowers.     Many  are 
the  struggles,  many  are  the  hardships,  and  many  are 
the  privations  to  be  endured.     The   conditions  at- 


tendant upon  new  settlements  of  the  present  day,  the 
state  of  society,  the  outgrowth  or  the  general  product, 
are  much  different  from  what  they  were  in  former 
times.  Then,  surrounding  tlie  new  settlements  was  a 
healthy  moral  and  religious  atmosphere,  a  refining, 
elevating  element;  now,  the  settling  up  of  our  Western 
country  is  attended  with  the  reverse  01  this.  The 
establishment  of  a  school  or  a  church  is  almost  the 
last  thing  done ;  the  atmosphere  is  anything  but 
moral;  religious  sentiment  is  rarely  expressed;  dis- 
soluteness is  the  prevailing  habit,  and  general  wick- 
edness the  rule.  This  is  a  serious  question,  and  one 
which  our  good  reformers,  philanthropists  and  mis- 
sionaries, while  they  are  engaged  in  foreign  work, 
sliould  consider.  Possibly  a  home  service  might  be 
beneficial  in  its  results,  at  least  to  our  people. 

Galesburg  may  properly  be  said  to  be  the  out- 
growth of  Knox  College.  It  is  admirably  located  on 
higli  ground,  surrounded  by  rolling  prairies  and  a  rich 
agricultural  country,  about  the  center  of  the  west 
side  of  the  county.  By  rail  it  is  164  miles  from  Chi- 
cago, 43  miles  from  Burlington  and  100  miles  from 
Quincy.  Before  this  town  was  started  there  were 
settlements  in  Henderson,  Knoxville  and  different 
parts  of  the  county,  and  some  half  dozen  towns  had 
been   platted,  all  of  which  had   the  most  sanguine 


i  + 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


hopes  of  becoming  its  principal  city.  At  that  time 
all  these  locations  for  towns  seemed  favorable 
enougli,  and  their  founders  were  justified  in  looking 
forward  to  a  large  ix)i)ulation.  Often,  however,  it 
needs  something  besides  a  favorable  location  to  make 
a  town.  By  reviewing  the  history  of  towns  it  is 
found  that  their  birih,  growth  and  development  are 
very  eccentric.  Some  towns,  with  splendid  locations, 
will  grow  rapidly  for  a  time  and  then,  like  states  and 
empires,  go  down  to  decay.  Others,  whose  locations 
have  been  exceedingly  unfavorable  and  which  have 
been  passed  by  by  the  would-be  far-seeing  as  hardly 
worth  the  establishment  of  a  post-office,  have  had  a 
constant  growth  and  become  large  commercial  cen- 
ters. 

While  the  early  settlements  were  being  made  and, 
as  stated  above,  while  sites  were  being  laid  out  in 
different  parts  of  the  county,  an  enterprise  was  ma- 
turing in  the  Eastern  States,  the  ultimate  results  of 
which  were  the  founding  and  building  up  of  the  city 
of  Galesburg.  This  was  during  a  period  which  was 
prolific  of  colonization  and  emigration  schemes — 
from  1830  to  1840.  No  decade  before  or  since,  in 
the  history  of  this  country,  had  more  activity  in  such 
enterprises  than  this.  While  most  of  these  schemes 
had  for  their  leading  object  personal  aggrandizement, 
the  one  which  was  forming  and  which  ultimately 
concentrated  its  efforts  on  the  prairie  now  occupied 
by  Galesburg  had  primarily  the  grand  object  of  es- 
tablishing educational  and  religious  institutions  that 
would  elevate  and  mold  the  character  of  the  people 
that  were  to  form  the  population  of  the  Great  West. 

Rev.  G.  W.  Gale  is  justly  credited  with  being  the 
originator  of  this  plan.  His  idea  was  to  establish  a 
place  somewhere  in  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  en- 
dow it  with  schools,  churches  and  colleges.  His 
object  was  distinctively  a  philanthropic  and  benevo- 
lent one,  but  to  attract  to  it  a  business  system,  to 
surround  it  with  such  financial  backing  as  would 
enable  him  to  carry  out  the  ends  in  view.  Mr.  Gale 
very  happily  expressed  his  object,  which  gives  the 
key  to  the  enterprise,  when  he  said :  "  The  object 
which  gave  birth  to  the  enterprise  was  that  of  diffus- 
ing over  an  important  region  of  country,  at  an  early 
period  of  its  settlement,  the  combined  influence  of 
education  and  religion."  Mr.  Gale  was  then  resid- 
ing in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and  had  been  connected 
with  the  Oneida  Institute.  He  conferred  with  the 
leading  men  of  this  institution  and  with  others,  and 


-^ 


was  heartily  indorsed  by  them.  As  early  as  1834 
his  plan  was  matured  and  was  a  remarkable  combi- 
nation of  philanthropy  and  wisdom.  Originally,  his 
design  was  to  raise  by  subscription  ^40,000  and  pur- 
chase a  whole  township.  Had  tiiis  amount  been 
raised  and  a  whole  township  purchased  at  Govern- 
ment price  it  would  have  still  left  u|)ward  of  $1 1,000 
in  the  treasury  for  college  purposes,  and  when  the 
subscribers  had  all  received  iheir  lands  at  an  average 
of  $5  per  acre,  it  would  have  left  15,000  acres  as  the 
property  of  the  college.  The  town  site  was  also  to 
be  located  on  college  lands,  which  would  furnish  a 
large  endowment  fund. 

In  the  summer  of  1835,  about  30  subscribers  to 
the  colony  plan  having  been  obtained,  an  exploring 
committee  was  appointed,  consisting  of  Nehemiah 
West,  Thomas  Gilbert  and  Timothy  B.  Jarvis.  They 
spent  some  months  in  traveling  through  the  West, 
examining  particularly  the  country  in  Northern  Indi- 
ana and  Northern  Illinois,  but  returned  without  mak- 
ing any  selection.  They  visited'  this  part  of  the 
State  and  were  favorably  impressed  with  it,  one  of 
the  committee  purchasing  a  farm  for  himself  in 
Knoxville,  believing  that  the  colony  would  eventu-><J 
ally  purchase  in  this  locality.  This  committee  rec- 
ommended that  a  purchasing  committee  be  imme- 
diately sent  out  to  make  further  explorations  and  to 
purchase  some  suitable  tract  of  land  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  This  committee  consisted  of  Rev.  Geo. 
W.  Gale,  Sylvanus  Ferris,  Nehemiah  West  and 
Thomas  Simmons.  Mr.  Gale,  having  been  taken  sick 
on  the  journey,  was  left  at  Detroit,  and  Samuel  Tomp- 
kins, who  was  accompanying  the  committee,  was 
substituted  to  act  for  Mr.  Gale.  They  arrived  at 
Knoxville  about  the  middle  of  October,  1835. 

While  on  their  way,  and  off  Cleveland,  an  accident 
occurred  to  their  boat  which  might  have  settled  the 
fate  of  this  colonization  scheme.  About  3  o'clock  in 
the  morning  they  were  run  into  by  another  vessel 
which  was  coming  down  the  lake  under  full  steam. 
Providentially,  however,  they  were  all  saved  from 
going  to  the  bottom.  A  rent  was  made  in  their 
steamer  near  the  water's  edge,  which,  fortunately, 
was  soon  repaired  so  that  they  could  continue  on 
their  journey. 

Here  were  30,000  acres  of  the  best  prairie  land 
lying  in  a  body,  beautifully  rolling,  well  watered, 
with  an  abundance  of  mineral  coal,  and  surrounded 
by  fine  groves,  all  being  subject  to  entry  under  Con- 


•--¥ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^^ 


gress  title  and  at  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  per  acre. 
Their  attention  was  directed  to  the  beautiful  prairie 
south  of  Henderson  Grove,  now  the  present  site  of 
Galesburg.  They  at  once  decided  to  make  their  lo- 
cation here.  In  addition  to  this  prairie  site  they 
purchased  two  improved  farms  and  a  body  of  timber 
in  the  grove.  The  land  purchased  amounted  to 
10,746  81-100  acres,  for  which  was  paid  $14,821.10, 
which  with  the  expenses  of  the  committees  amounted 
to  $16,559.07.  This  was  the  business  commence- 
ment of  Galesburg.  After  making  the  purchase  the 
committee  returned  home  and  submitted  their  report. 
The  stockholders  of  the  colony  met  Jan.  7,  1836, 
at  Whitesboro,  N.  Y  ,  heard  the  report  and  appointed 
a  Board  of  Trustees  of  their  colonial  possessions, 
including  their  prospective  college,  consisting  of 
John  Waters,  Sylvanus  Ferris,  H.  H.  Kellogg, 
Thomas  Simmons,  John  C.  Smith,  Walter  Webb, 
Geo.  W.  Gale,  N.  West,  Isaac  Mills  and  Samuel 
Tompkins.  At  this  meeting  it  was  decided  that 
their  institution  should  be  called  "  Prairie  College," 

I  and  Galesburg  the  name  of  their  town.  Thus,  be- 
fore the  soil  of  this  territory  was  broken  by  the  iiand 

J>«of  the  white  man,  and  while  the  snows  of  winter 
were  yet  covering  its  prairies,  this  beautiful  city  site 
received  a  thousand  miles  away  its  baptism. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  appraising  the  lands 
and  distributing  tliem  to  the  stockholders,  and  sell- 
ing to  those  outside;  also  for  laying  out  the  village, 
appraising  tlie  lots  and  bringing  them  into  matket. 
A  liberal  reserve  was  made  for  college  and  church 
grounds,  a  parsonage  and  for  a  cemeterj'.  Steps 
were  taken  toward  securing  as  early  as  possible  ma- 
terial for  the  college  building,  the  erection  of  a 
steam  sa%v-mill  and  a  public  house.  In  the  spring 
of  1836  the  colony,  having  completed  all  their  ar- 
rangements for  their  long  journey,  started  for  the 
promised  land  with  hearts  full  of  hope  for  the  future. 
Some  came  with  their  own  teams,  and  some  by 
water.  John  C.  Smith  persuaded  some  of  the  col- 
onists to  join  with  him  in  the  purchase  of  a  canal- 
boat,  in  which  they  embarked  with  their  families 
and  goods.  They  proceeded  through  the  Erie 
Canal  to  Buffalo,  and  from  there  they  were  towed  by 
a  steamer  to  Cleveland;  thence  through  the  Ohio 
Canal  to  Portsmouth,  on  the  Ohio  River.  From  this 
point  they  floated  down  the  Ohio  to  Cincinnati. 
This  was  too  slow  a  mode  of  travel  for  these  colo- 
nists,  who  were  impatient  to   reach   their   land   of 


promise,  and,  finding  it  impossible  to  hire  a  steam- 
boat to  tow  them  along  which  would  stop  on  the 
Sabbath,  they  constructed  a  stern-wheel  to  their 
boat  and  propelled  it  by  their  horses. 

An  incident  occurred  while  they  were  at  Ports- 
mouth, which  illustrates  the  peculiar  character  of 
these  colonists.  A  steamer  came  up  one  Sabbath 
.morning  which  had  on  board  a  number  of  the  Com- 
missioners to  the  Presbyterian  Assembly,  which  had 
just  closed  its  sessions.  A  clergyman  came  to  the 
canal-boat,  and,  addressing  an  old  lady  (most  of  the 
boat's  company  were  holding  service  on  shore),  in- 
vited her  and  those  on  board  to  come  to  the  steamer 
and  join  with  them  in  worship.  The  old  lady  in- 
quired if  this  boat  had  not  come  in  that  morning. 
The  clergyman  replied  that  it  had.  "  We  have 
heard,"  she  said,  "  that  you  were  to  have  worship  on 
board,  but  we  had  concluded  not  to  attend  the 
preaching  of  those  who   are  breaking  the  Sabbath." 

With  their  new  propelling  power,  on  Monday 
morning,  the  colonists  started  down  the  river  from 
Cincinnati.  Their  motive  power  was  not  very 
strong,  their  machinery  was  defective,  and  they 
were  unacquainted  with  the  navigation  of  the  river. 
All  these  things  impeded  their  progress,  but  after 
patient  labor  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio. 
From  here  they  were  towed  to  St.  Louis,  and  from 
St.  Louis  they  propelled  their  boat  to  Alton,  where 
they  were  again  towed  into  the  Illinois  River.  After 
reaching  the  Illinois  River  they  worked  their  way 
up  to  Meredosia  with  their  stern-wheel  power.  At 
this  place  some  of  the  party  were  taken  sick,  others 
left  the  boat  to  go  by  land,  and  the  rest  remained 
with  the  old  canal-boat  and  were  towed  up  Copperas 
Creek,  near  Peoria,  the  nearest  point  by  water  to 
Galesburg. 

As  soon  as  word  reached  the  settlement  teams 
were  sent  out  to  bring  them  in.  They  were  found 
at  a  tavern,  a  few  miles  from  the  river,  and  nearly 
all  sick.  They  had  secured  a  large  room,  on  the 
floor  of  which  they  had  spread  the  beds,  and  it 
looked  more  like  a  hospital  than  a  camp  of  colonists 
moving  to  a  new  country.  There  had  been  40  per- 
sons, for  most  of  the  time  during  three  months, 
crowded  into  one  small  canal-boat,  during  warm 
weather  with  chilly  nights,  and  passing  through  a 
miasmatic  country.  The  wonder  is  that  they  were 
not  all  sick  and  that  there  were  not  more  deaths  re- 
sulting from  this  journey.     As  soon  as  possible  they 


t 


^-¥ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1013 


were   removed  to  Henderson  Grove,  where   cabins 
were  prepared  for  them. 

Col.  Isaac  Mills  died  ten  days  after  his  arrival. 
Capt.  John  C.  Smith,  who  was  the  projector  of  the 
canal-boat  expedition,  soon  followed  Mr.  Mills. 
Henr)-  Lyman  died  after  a  lingering  sickness  of  two 
months.  These  deaths  cast  a  gloom  over  the  new 
colony  for  some  time.  Thus  ended  this  lU-faled  and 
unwisely  planned  expedition,  bold  enough  in  con- 
ception and  perseverance  to  command  admiration. 
Here  was  a  party,  who,  without  any  knowledge  of 
the  countrj'  or  waters  over  which  they  were  to  travel, 
with  but  little,  if  any,  knowledge  of  navigation,  start- 
ing out  on  a  voyage  of  over  2,000  miles.  Those  who 
came  with  teams  arrived  at  "  Log  City,"  their  tem- 
porary headquarters,  June  2,  1836.  Others  came 
singly  or  in  groups  daring. the  summer.  The  names 
of  those  who  came  in  1836  are  Rev.  George  W. 
Gale,  Rev.  John  Waters,  Prof.  N.  H.  Losey,  John  C. 
Smith,  Henry  Lyman,  Elisha  King,  Riley  Root,  Mrs. 
Phelps,  Leonard  Chaj>el,  Thomas  Simmons,  Samuel 
Tompkins,  Daniel  Wheeler,  Isaac  Mills,  Patrick 
Uunn,  Mathew  Chambers,  Roswell  Payne,  Luther 
►  Gay,  William  Hamblin,  Erastus  Swift,  Henry  Wilcox, 
C.  S.  Colton,  George  Ferris,  Nehemiah  West,  Caleb 
Finch,  John  Kendall,  Andoniram  Kendall,  George 
^  Aver)-,  mother  and  sisters;  Mrs.  Hitclicock  and  her 
sons,  Elam,  Samuel  and  Henry  ;  John  G.  West,  John 
Haskins,  Jonathan  Simmons,  John  McMulIen,  Abram 
Tyler  and  the  families  of  those  who  had  them. 

During  this  summer  Prof.  Ix)sey  surveyed  the  vil- 
lage and  lands  in  accordance  with  the  plat,  which 
was  prepared  in  New  York.  By  this  plat  the  town 
was  to  be  a  half  mile  square,  having  six  tiers  of  six 
blocks  each,  bounded  on  the  north  by  North  street. 
South  street  on  the  south,  Seminary  street  on  the 
east,  and  Academy  street  on  the  west.  By  this  plan 
the  public  square  came  upon  poor  ground,  and  a 
seventh  tier  was  added  on  the  west  to  give  the 
square  a  better  location. 

During  this  season  several  cabins  were  put  up 
on  the  farms — one  by  William  Hauiblin,  one  by 
Henry  Ferris,  one  by  Sherman  Williams  and  another 
by  Joel  Martin.  Philemon  Phelps  put  up  a  frame 
house  on  block  16,  afterward  known  as  the  Holyoke 
House.  When  cold  weather  came  on  the  colony 
went  into  winter  quarters  in  Log  City.  This  was 
located  in  the  southwestern  edge  of  Henderson 
Grove,  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  ■j,'^.    There 


were  13  cabins  altogether,  and  one  was  often  used 
for  a  school-house.  Gathered  in  that  historic  place, 
of  which  no  vestige  now  remains,  during  the  winter 
of  1836-67,  were  about  170  souls,  and  a  glorious  time 
they  had ;  all  were  sociable,  and  they  could  not  be 
otherwise  than  neighborly.  It  is  said  that  there  was 
no  room  to  quarrel,  and  it  is  not  believed  there  was 
much  inclination  to. 

This  winter  did  not  pass  without  its  matrimonial 
results.  Henry  Ferris  and  Maria  Hudson  were  led 
up  to  the  hymeneal  altar,  and  gave  their  pledges  to 
love  each  other  during  this  life.  After  a  grand  feast 
and  hearty  congratulations  from  all,  they  went  to 
housekeeping  in  one  of  the  log  cabins  belonging  to 
Mr.  Pomeroy.  This  was  the  first  marriage  among 
the  colonists.  About  this  time  Mrs.  Daniel  Wheeler 
manifested  her  zeal  and  activity  in  the  success  of  the 
colony  by  presenting  to  it  a  native  member.  This 
produced  a  genuine  sensation  at  "  Log  City,"  and 
little  Miss  Fidelia  was  the  recipient  of  many  caresses. 
She  grew  to  womanhood  to  become  the  wife  of  Albert ' 
Porter.  The  first  male  child  born  in  Log  City  was 
S.  O.  Allen,  Sept.  10,  1838,  who  now  resides  on  his 
farm  near  his  birthplace.     (See  biography.) 

Along  about  the  ist  of  January,  1S37,  Prof.  Losey 
and  Miss  Lucy  Gay  opened  a  school,  which  was 
largely  attended.  Religious  services  were  held  dur- 
ing the  winter,  presided  over  by  Rev.  George  W. 
Gale,  and  also  by  Rev.  John  Waters  and  John  T. 
Avery.  In  February  the  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized — subsequently  better  known  as  the  First 
Church,  or  the  First  Church  of  Christ. 

Pretty  thickly  packed  together  these  colonists  were 
during  this  winter,  and  many  "  shifts  "  were  made  to 
enable  them  to  "  get  along."  Household  furniture 
as  well  as  kitchen  utensils  were  limited  in  the  ex- 
treme ;  yet  the  most  coveted  thing  was  room,  and 
the  good  matrons  of  that  settlement  were  most  sorely 
tried  to  find  room  to  put  things,  especially  their 
children. 

As  soon  as  spring  opened,  building  commenced  in 
the  village.  The  first  houses  pat  up  were  by  Daniel 
Wheeler  and  Elisha  King,  the  former  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  Cedar  and  Ferris  streets,  and  the  lat- 
ter on  the  northwest  corner  of  the  same  block.  Tiiere 
was  another  also  put  up  on  Cedar  street.  By  May 
there  were  several  log  cabins  ready  for  occupation. 
One  of  these,  where  President  Bateman's  residence 
I   now  is,  was  occupied  by  Col.  Caleb  Finch.     In  this 


^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^^ 


I 


cabin  was  born  Harriet  Finch,  whose  birth  was  the 
first  in  the  village  of  Galesburg.  Miss  Harriet  was 
married  to  Luther  Wilcox.  As  the  weather  became 
warmer  and  the  ground  in  a  condition  for  cultivation, 
this  village  presented  a  very  busy  picture.  Tlie 
prairie  sward,  which  had  lain  untouclied  by  the  plow 
since  its  formation,  was  being  turned  up  to  the  sun, 
houses  were  going  up,  and  every  person  old  enough 
to  labor  was  doing  something.  The  work  of  building 
up  had  now  actually  begun.  About  this  time  the 
last  installment  of  the  colony  arrived.  The  names 
of  these  are  Barber  Allen,  D.  Allen,  Nelson  and 
Sheldon  W.  Allen,  Floyd  Buckingham,  Dr.  J.  Bunce, 
Isaac  Collon,  Eli  Farnham,  Sylvanus  Ferris,  N.  O. 
Ferris,  William  Ferris,  W.  Holyoke,  Agrippa  Martin, 
H.  H.  May,  J.  C.  Prentice,  Levi  Sanderson,  Hiram 
Marsh,  Levi  Stanley,  Enos  McEnlear,  Lorentus  Con- 
ger, A.  Z.  Manor,  Charles  Gilbert,  Ed.  Dailey,  A.  C. 
Higgins. 

Other  families  came  during  the  summer  and 
autumn,  but  those  mentioned  above  and  those  pre- 
ceding founded  the  colony. 

To  facilitate  the  building  department,  George  W. 
Gale,  Neheniiah  West  and  Erastus  Swift  erected  a 
steam  saw-mill.  It  was  located  on  block  8.  Mr. 
Swift,  having  practical  knowledge  of  the  business, 
secured  the  other  interests  and  became  sole  owner. 
A  small  space  in  this  mill  was  rented  to  Enos  Mc- 
Enlear, who  opened  the  first  blacksmith-shop  in 
Galesburg.  Mr.  C.  S.  Colton  moved  down  his  stock 
of  goods  from  the  grove,  and  set  up  in  the  prairie 
town  what  was  considered  in  those  days  an  extensive 
mercantile  establishment.  He  had  added  to  his 
stock  and  opened  here  a  first-class  store.  It  was 
located  where  J.  B.  Colton  many  years  later  had  his 
store.  It  was  on  the  west  side  of  the  Public  Sqfiare. 
Soon  after  Mr.  Colton  came  Mathew  Chambers  with 
a  small  stock  of  goods,  which  he  opened  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Square.  He  did  not  stay  long  here,  but 
moved  to  Knoxville,  where  he  thought  the  field  for 
business  was  better.  His  store-room  was  used  for  a 
school-house  on  week  days  and  for  the  holding  of 
religious  services  on  Sunday. 

A  post-office  was  established  this  summer,  with 
Prof.  Losey  as  Postmaster.  This  saved  the  people  of 
the  new  colony  going  to  Knoxville  for  25 -cent  letters. 

By  the  time  cold  weather  set  in,  in  the  fall  of 
1837,  most  of  the  colonists,  who  had  spent  the  previ- 
,    • -T 


ous  winter  in  "  Log  City,"  were  settled  on  the  prairie, 
either  on  farms  or  in  the  village.  Galesburg  had 
become  a  reality,  a  full-fledged  Western  town,  sans 
the  gambling,  drinking  and  other  vices  which  now 
distinguish  modern  Western  towns. 

During  the  winter  of  1837-38  there  were  in  and 
about  the  village  about  250  souls,  and  they  were  sit- 
uated much  more  pleasantly  than  at  "Log  City,"  the 
previous  winter.  Everything  went  on  pleasantly 
and  the  spring  of  1838  opened  with  bright  prospects. 
The  college  building  was  put  up  during  this  season, 
and  in  the  fall  the  school  was  formally  opened.  It 
had  been  chartered  by  an  act  of  the  Legislature  in 
1837,  under  the  title  of  "Knox  Manual  Labor  Col- 
lege." Prof.  N.  H.  Losey  was  Principal,  and  Hiram 
Marsh,  Assistant. 

The  "  Old  Academy  "  building  stood  on  the  ground 
now  occupied  by  "the  First  National  Bank.  It  was 
moved  off  and  was  occupied  by  A.  Nelson.  Hal- 
lowed memories  cluster  around  this  old  building. 
To  the  old  settlers  it  is  as  sacred  as  the  roof  be- 
neath which  they  were  born.  To  those  who  were 
educated  here  it  has  been  as  a  beacon  light  guiding 
them  onward  and  upward.  Within  these  walls  the 
anti-slavery  and  temperance  orators  have  held  their 
audiences  spellbound  by  their  eloquence.  If  those 
silent  old  walls  could  speak,  they  would  portray  in 
vivid  light  the  struggles,  the  appeals  that  were  made 
for  a  higher  civilization,  for  our  country  to  carry  out 
its  pledges  made  to  the  world,  that  "  all  men  are 
created  free."  If  these  walls  could  speak,  they  would 
tell  of  the  sweet  strains  of  music  drawn  out  by  Prof. 
Bacon  on  his  famous  violin,  and  of  the  village  maid- 
ens whose  clear  voices  filled  the  space,  and,  as 
though  imprisoned  there,  burst  forth  into  the  outer 
air  with  their  melodious  notes. 

C.  S.  Colton  was  the  only  merchant  in  the  village 
for  several  years.  Mr.  Chambers  had  opened  a  store, 
but  soon  after  moved  to  Knoxville.  During  the 
early  years  Knoxville  and  Henderson  were  the  prin- 
cipal places  for  trade.  Mr.  Colton  could  not  keep 
everything  that  was  wanted  by  the  people  here,  and 
they  would  go  to  the  above-mentioned  places  and 
sometimes  to  Farmington  before  they  could  get  what 
they  wanted.  This  condition  of  business  remained 
until  r84o  or  1841. 

In  r842  the  standard  price  for  pork  was  $1.50  per 
hundred.     Beef  cattle  were  not  to  be  had.     Drovers 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^ 


lois 


from  Ohio  were  constantly  picking  these  up,  young 
and  old,  driving  them  off  and  fattening  them  for 
market.  Wheat  was  hauled  into  Chicago,  where  it 
sold  at  from  45  to  50  cents  a  bushel.  In  1841  Mr. 
Chambers,  from  Knoxville,  opened  a  store  on  the 
corner  of  the  Square.  Following  him  were  several 
unsuccessful  efforts  in  the  mercantile  line.  In 
1843  (if  rightly  informed)  Mr.  Johnson,  of  Knoxville, 
opened  a  branch  store  and  was  successful.  He  was 
soon  followed  by  the  Willards,  who  also  succeeded  in 
establishing  a  good  business. 

In  1841  the  Female  Seminary  building  was  com- 
pleted at  a  cost  of  $5,000.  It  was  located  where 
George  W.  Brown's  lumber-yard  now  is.  It  was 
burned  in  1843.  The  following  year  the  wmgs  of 
the  college  building  were  completed  and  were  occu- 
pied for  lecture-rooms  and  dormitories.  In  1846  the 
"  New  Academy  "  was  erected.  It  was  occupied  for 
some  I  2  years,  and  then  was  used  for  a  High  School 
until  the  demands  of  the  town  forced  it  out  to  make 
room  for  the  Union  Hotel.  During  the  second  dec- 
ade the  business  of  the  town  had  materially  in- 
creased. Emigration  had  been  constantly  increasing 
the  population,  the  wealth  and  the  activity  of  the 
settlement ;  the  college  had  been  prosperous,  and 
the  condition  was  such  as  to  make  the  hearts  of  the 
colonists,  particularly  the  projectors,  joyful  and  happy. 

On  Jan.  27,  1841  ,Galesburg  had  been  incorporated 
as  a  village,  and  on  ."^pril  5,  of  same  year,  an  elec- 
tion was  held  under  the  charter,  which  resulted  in 
the  choice  of  James  Bull,  Novman  Churchill,  Jacob 
Edgerton,  J^imes  Bunce  and  Levi  Sanderson  as 
Trusiees;  Agripjia  S.  Martin,  Assessor;  Roswell 
Payne,  Treasurer;  Oliver  Adams,  Constable.  This 
Board  established  ipiite  a  re|iutalion  for  enacting  or- 
dinances. 

No  town  with  ambitious  hopes  can  get  along  with- 
out a  newspaper  and  without  a  press  to  represent  its 
advantages  and  interests;  its  amjjition  would  be  like 
a  vessel  at  sea  with  sails  unfurled  and  no  wind.  Vet, 
starting  a  newspaper  is  sometimes  risky,  and  is  often 
attended  with  disastrous  consequences  to  the  pro- 
jector. Tlie  fault,  however,  is  chiefly  in  the  lime  and 
place  of  starting,  and  the  want  of  capacity  for  the 
work.  A  good  editor  is  about  as  rare  as  a  good  poet, 
and,  like  a  poet,  he  must  be  born  so.  Tiie  first 
paper  published  in  Galesburg  was  the  Knox  Intelli- 
gencer, and  was  established  by  Rev.  C.  R.  Fisk.  The 
first  issue  went  out  into  the  world,  disseminating  its 


intelligence,  the  ist  of  January,  1849.  The  office 
was  then  over  Mr.  Sanderson's  store.  It  is  remem- 
bered that  the  editor  took  great  pride  in  his  paper, 
and  was  very  solicitous  about  its  reception,  as  he 
cast  it  forth  to  the  public.  He  undoubtedly  had  some 
feeling  akin  to  Southey  as  he  sent  out  his  first  vol- 
ume to  the  world  : 

'•  Cd,  uiv  little  liook,  from  this  my  solitude. 

1  ("isttlicc  (in  the  waters,  fjo  thy  ways; 
And  if.  as  1  suppo.<e.  tliy  vein  be  good. 

The  wurUl  will  tiiul  thee  after  many  days.'' 

A  patriotic  people  were  these  colonists,  much  after 
the  old  Plymouthiles,  and  those  of  Revolutionary 
time.  The  Fourth  of  July  was  a  grand  day  with 
them.  It  must  be  celebrated  and  in  a  manner  after 
the  old  days.  The  Declaration  of  Independence 
must  be  read,  patriotic  orations  delivered,  guns  fired, 
and  a  big  dinner  with  enough  to  eat  for  all.  They 
had  no  cannons,  but  there  were  anvils,  and  they 
were  charged  to  the  fullest  extent  and  touched  off, 
their  reports  reverberating  over  the  wild  prairies  for 
miles.  What  heartiness,  what  genuine  mirth  entered 
into  those  celebrations  !  All  were  rejoiced,  all  were 
friendly,  and  in  syinpathy  with  one  another;  all  were 
engaged  in  one  common  cause,  that  of  building  up 
a  community  that  would  be  an  honor  to  the  coun- 
try, true  to  the  principles  of  Christianity  and  morali- 
ty, and  true  to  the  principles  and  the  memory  of 
tiieir  fathers.  In  speaking  of  celebrations,  it  might 
be  opportune  to  refer  to  that  one  given  in  honor  of 
the  completion  of  the  Atlantic  Cable,  unsurpassed 
probably  before  or  since  in  the  history  of  Galesburg. 
Preparations  were  made  for  a  grand  celebration,  and 
speakers  were  invited  from  abroad.  Among  them 
were  Hon.  Robert  S.  Blackwell,  of  Chicago,  formerly 
a  member  of  the  Galesburg  bar,  and  Hon.  T.  J.  Hale, 
of  K'noxville.  Mr.  Blackwell  made  one  of  his  char- 
acteristic speeches,  an  extract  from  which  is  given. 
He  said : 

"  We  meet  to-day,  in  this  age  of  special  wonders, 
upon  that  summit  level  which  divides  the  waters  of 
two  noble  rivers,  upon  a  spot  which,  thirty  years  ago, 
was  tiie  home  and  hunting-ground  of  the  savage;  in 
the  midst  of  an  incorporated  city  only  one  year  old, 
which  already  contains  a  population  of  8,000  inhabit- 
ants ;  in  a  State  which,  tliough  but  40  years  of  age, 
ranks  at  least  fifth  in  wealth  and  power  in  this  glori- 
ous confederacy  of  ours,  and  in  sight  of  a  pioneer 
institution  of  learning  wliose  honors  are  already 
sought  after  by  the  scholar — to  celebrate  the  jubilee 


a 


1016 


•     .  .Y. 

ji:nox  county. 


•H^ 


of  nations;  the  crowning  act  of  civilization;  the 
dawn  of  the  Christian  millennium  ;  the  conquest  of 
time;  the  annihilation  of  distance;  the  triumph  of 
science ;  the  nuptial  cereuionies  by  which  the  two 
hemispheres  are  united  together  during  all  time." 

Mr.  Hale  followed  in  an  eloquent  address,  in  which 
he  made  some  vivid  comparisons  with  the  pioneer 
days  and  those  at  that  time,  from  which  we  quote 
briefly.     Mr.  Hale  said  : 

"These  boundless  steppes  were  but  a  few  years 
ago  wild,  waving  seas  of  grass,  and  wo  to  the  ad- 
venturous voyager  who,  without  a  pilot  or  compass, 
ventured  out  of  sight  of  land.  Then  the  red  tongue 
of  the  Fire  Kmg  lapped  and  licked  over  the  surface 
that  is  now  dotted  over  with  smiling  farms  and  living 
herds.  The  scream  of  the  steam  whistle  is  now 
heard  instead  of  the  bark  of  the  wolf,  and  what  was 
then  a  wild  waste,  with  an  occasional  garden  spot,  is 
now  a  wide  garden,  with  an  occasional  waste  spot. 
Why,  Mr.  President,  your  own  beautiful  oily,  spread- 
ing out  on  every  hand,  embosomed  in  trees,  and 
stretching  across  from  swell  to  swell,  with  its  churches, 
and  spires,  and  colleges,  and  bells,  and  factories,  and 
hotels,  and  storehouses,  and  busy  marts,  and  subur- 
ban villas,  is  a  greater  achievement  in  one  point  of 
view  than  the  Atlantic  telegraph." 

The  celebration  terminated  with  a  torchlight  pro- 
cession and  a  magnificent  display  of  fireworks. 

The  most  important  event  occurring  to  Galesburg 
after  its  foundation  was  tlie  completion  through  its 
precincts  of  the  first  railroad — the  C,  B.  &  Q.  It 
was  a  great  event  for  the  people  of  Galesburg  when 
the  "  Reindeer  "steamed  into  town  with  a  construc- 
tion train.  This  was  on  Dec.  7,  1854,  and  was  the 
first  locomotive  to  enter  the  town.  This  event  gave 
great  impetus  to  the  growth  of  Galesburg;  it  en- 
hanced the  value  of  real  estate,  and  increased  specu- 
lation ;  it  also  inflated  many  an  air  bubble,  and  pro- 
duced many  wild  schemes  by  which  everybody  was 
to  become  rich.  Back  of  all  this,  however,  there  was 
a  solid  growth  of  business,  a  substantial  increase  in 
the  value  of  real  estate  and  the  development  of  the 
material  interests  of  the  town  and  county.  The 
college  lands  found  a  ready  sale  at  good  prices, 
which  swelled  its  e.xchequer  to  large  proportions. 
They  then  began  the  erection  of  their  main  college 
and  female  seminary  buildings,  which  were  in  good 
time  finished  at  a  cost  of  nearly  a  hundred  thousand 


dollars.  The  history  of  this  institution  will  be  found 
elsewhere. 

The  most  important  event  to  Galesburg,  next  to 
the  completion  of  the  railroad,  was  the  establishment 
of  George  W.  Brown's  corn-planter  factory  in  1855. 
He  removed  from  Shanghai  to  this  place,  being  in- 
duced to  do  so  by  its  favorable  locality,  and  also  by 
its  railroad  facilities.  His  location  here  proved  to 
be  of  as  much  benefit  to  Galesburg  as  to  Mr.  Brown. 

The  advent  of  the  railroad  and  the  establishment 
of  manufacturing  industries,  with  the  consequent 
increase  of  population  and  busi.iess,  stimulated  the  de- 
sire among  the  people  for  a  city  corporation,  and  a 
petition  to  this  effect  was  presented  to  the  Legisla- 
ture. The  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was  granted 
and  "An  Act  to  Incor|X)rate  the  City  of  Galesburg" 
was  passed,  and  was  approved  Feb.  14,  1857.  This 
charter  was  subsequently  amended  several  times,  and 
remained  as  amended  until  July  17,  1866,  when  a 
general  charter  was  adopted  under  the  general  law 
providing  for  the  incorporation  of  cities  and  vil- 
lages. An  election  was  held  under  the  incorporation 
act,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  the  following 
named  officers : 

Henry  R.  Sanderson,  Mayor  ;  O  S.  Pitcher,  Clerk, 
and  A.  M.  Phelps,  Treasurer. 

Having  clothed  itself  with  the  habiliments  of  a 
city,  it  was  then  essential  that  its  new  dignity  should 
have  the  additional  attraction  of  being  illuminated 
with  gas,  and  during  this  year  (1886)  Galesburg 
established  its  gas-works. 

Galesburg  had  a  population  at  that  time  of  over 
4,000.  At  the  end  of  the  first  decade — or  1846 — it  had 
a  population  of  about  800.  During  the  second  decade 
another  institution  of  learning  was  established  at 
Galesburg,  the  famous  Lombard  University.  It  was 
opened  for  students  in  September,  1852.  The  colo- 
nists, carrying  out  the  system  they  first  adopted,  of 
having  ample  educational  facilities,  in  1866  es- 
tablished a  High  School,  having  erected  a  fine  build- 
ing for  this  purpose. 

In  the  spring  of  1857  another  railroad  was  added 
to  Galesburg — the  Peoria  Branch.  In  1882  the  Ful- 
ton County  Narrow-Gauge  Railroad  was  completed, 
running  from  Galesburg  to  Havana.  With  this  line 
and  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  system,  Galesburg  certainly  has 
the  most  ample  railroad  facilities. 

In  1872  the  city  bought  of  Knox  College  the 
grounds   now  occupied  by   the  City  Park,  with  the 


^XF 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1017 


privilege  of  paying  for  it  in  20  years,  bat  before  the 
end  of  1877  it  was  all  paid  for.  The  eastern  half 
of  this  park  was  given  to  the  county  as  an  induce- 
ment to  secure  the  county  seat,  on  condition  that 
the  Court-House  should  be  erected  there.  They,  how- 
ever gave  the  county  the  option  of  either  erecting 
the  building  on  this  land  or  on  the  Public  Square. 
Another  important  event  to  Galesburg  was  the  loca- 
tion of  the  county  seat  here,  which  took  place,  after 
a  long  and  bitter  contest,  Jan.  30,  1.S73. 

During  the  summer  ot  '84,  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co. 
completed  their  Union  Depot.  The  first  train  came 
up  to  its  platform  May  10,  before  the  building  was 
finished.  It  is  a  beautiful  structure,  and  one  in 
which  the  city  may  justly  take  pride,  and  which  was 
much  needed  for  many  years. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  year  1885  a  company  was 
organized  for  the  construction  of  a  street  railroad, 
and  the  line  was  completed  during  the  summer.  In 
keeping  with  the  general  progress  of  the  city,  an  elec- 
tric light  was  put  in  in  the  fall  of  1885,  and  a  second 
one  introduced  in  January,  1886. 
,  We  have  thus  briefly  presented  the  leading  features 
'connected  with  the  history  of  Galesburg,  from  its 
first  settlement  to  the  present  time.  Much  of  its  his- 
tory, of  which  in  this  chapter  we  have  only  given  a 
passing  notice,  such  as  schools,  colleges,  churches, 
industrial  branches,  corporate  institutions,  societies, 
etc.,  will  be  found  under  their  respective  heads.  We 
have  traced  the  history  of  this  town  from  its  com- 
mencement in  1857,  in  the  wild  prairie  grass,  to  its 
present  metropolitan  appearance.  Its  growth  has 
been  gradual,  healthy  and  sure.  There  has  been 
but  one  serious  interruption  to  its  steady  develop- 
ment, but  one  period  when  the  present  and  the  fut- 
ure were  shrouded  with  darkness  and  doubt,  and 
this  was  during  the  business  panic  of  1857.  Could 
an  inhabitant  of  this  place,  some  two-score  years  ago, 
have  taken  a  Rip  Van  Winkle  sleep  and  awakened 
at  the  present  time,  he  would  have  been  as  much 
surprised  and  as  much  at  a  loss  as  to  his  locality  as 
that  mythical  individual  was.  He  might  after  a 
vigilant  search  have  found  his  Gretchen.but  it  would 
be  in  a  mansion  instead  of  a  shanty.  Its  private, 
public  and  business  buildiugs  have  gone  up  one  by 
one,  its  streets  laid  out  and  beautified,  until  it  is  now 
one  of  the  finest  cities  in  the  State. 

The  streets  and  residence  grounds  are  adorned 
with  beautiful  shade-trees   and  evergreens.     This  is 


largely  due  to  the  colonists,  who,  very  soon  after 
their  settlement,  commenced  to  set  out  trees  and 
start  nurseries.  One  of  the  leaders  in  the  latter  en- 
terprise was  Adnah  Williams.  That  element  of 
character  which  was  planted  here  by  the  colonists 
and  early  settlers  has  been  perpetuated.  To  them  the 
present  condition  of  society  in  Galesburg  is  greatly 
due  for  its  culture,  its  refinement,  its  good  taste,  its 
moral  and  religious  standing.  These  sturdy  pioneers 
laid  the  foundation.  One  of  the  peculiar  features  of 
this  city  is  the  uniformity  of  the  dwellings ;  the 
dwellings  of  the  wealthy  differ  but  little  from  the 
abodes  of  those  who  are  in  comfortable  circum- 
stances. There  is  no  attempt  at  rivalry,  no  gaudy 
display  of  wealth,  but  a  gentility  of  comfort  and  a 
quiet  refinement  are  manifested  throughout.  There  is 
no  affected  display  of  superiority  on  account  of  wealth 
or  position,  but  a  bond  of  common  sympathy,  of 
mutual  interest  and  neighborly  regard,  seems  to  per- 
vade the  entire  community. 

Many  of  the  early  settlers,  as  well  as  their  descend- 
ants, still  live  to  enjoy  the  fruit  of  their  labors, 
and  can  now  take  a  retrospective  view  of  the  past 
and  contemplate  with  pride  and  pleasure  the  pro-  *= 
duct  of  their  noble  work ;  they  can  behold  now  a  beau- 
tiful city  with  its  happy  popularion,  surrounded  with 
the  arts,  the  culture  and  all  the  refinements  of  an  ad- 
vanced civilization,  grandly  resting  where  a  few  years 
ago  was  but  an  unbroken,  wild  prairie. 

Knox  College. 

HE  history  of  Knox    College  is    so   inter- 
woven   with   that   of    Galesburg  that  the 
jr^^  "•*   historian  finds  its  difficult  to  separate  them. 
''^^  If  the  reader  does  not  find  all  he  seeks  under 
®      this  head,  probably  he  may  under  that  of  the 
I       city  of  Galesburg,      Our  effort  is  to  have  as 
little  repetition  as  possible. 

It  may  be  truthfully  said  that  the  beginning  of 
Knox  College,  in  its  educational  feature,  was  in  a 
log  school-house  in  "  Log  City,"  during  the  winter  of 
1836-37,  with  Prof.  N.  H.  Losey  and  Miss  Lucy 
Gay  as  instructors.  But  Knox  College  had  its  in- 
ception on  the  7th  day  of  January,  1836,  at  Whites- 
boro,  N.  Y.  It  was  here  and  on  this  day  that  the 
subscribers  to  Geo.  W.  Gale's  plan  met,  organized 
the  college,  appointed  a  Board  of  Trustees,  and  then 
donated  to  it  several  thousand  acres  of  land  where 


V 


^^ 


-H- 


1018 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Galesburg  now  is.  The  credit  of  this  vast  enterprise 
is  due  to  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Gale,  D.  D.,  a  Presbyterian, 
with  whom  the  plan  in  its  details  originated,  and  to 
whose  efforts  is  due  its  consummation.  A  charter 
was  granted  by  the  Legislature  of  the  State  in 
March,  1837,  under  the  title'  of  Knox  Manual  Labor 
College.  The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
under  this  charter  was  held  August  9,  1837,  when 
their  organization  was  perfected.  It  was  decided 
at  this  meeting  to  erect  a  school  building  as  soon  as 
possible.  There  were  some  delays,  however,  and 
the  building  was  not  completed  until  late  in  the  fall 
of  1838,  when  the  academy  was  formally  opened  by 
Prof.  N.  H.  Losey  as  Principal,  and  Hiram  Marsh 
as  Assistant.  In  1841  the  college  was  fully  organ- 
ized. Rev.  H.  H.  Kellogg  was  chosen  President; 
Rev.  G.  W.  Gale,  Professor  of  Belles  Lettres,  and 
Prof.  N.  H  Losey,  Professor  of  Mathematics.  The 
following  year  another  professorship  was  added,  that 
of  Languages,  with  Prof.  Grant  at  its  head.  In 
1843  the  first  catalogue  was  issued,  representing 
a  list  of  17s  students.  In  1845,  President  Kellogg 
resigned,  and  Jonathan  Blanchard  was  elected. 

In  June,  1846,  the  first  class  was  graduated,  which 
consisted  of  W.  S.  Bush,  Southwick  Davis,  Wm. 
Holyoke,  Francis  Leonard,  Chas.  F.  Martin,  Asa  C. 
Olney,  Sanford  Richardson  and  Edwin  G.  Smith. 

In  1851  the  first  class  of  ladies  was  graduated — 
Misses  Ann  Dunn,  Sarah  Fisk,  Margaret  Gale.  The 
building  for  the  Female  Seminary,  which  was  con- 
nected with  the  college,  was  erected  in  1841,  but 
was  burned  in  1843. 

After  the  completion  of  the  railroad  to  Galesburg 
and  the  sale  of  real  estate,  which  largely  mcreased 
the  funds  in  the  treasury  of  the  college,  a  new 
female  seminary  building  was  erected.  The  cost  of 
the  building  was  $30,000.  It  was  a  large,  five-story 
brick  edifice,  with  chapel,  recitation  rooms,  rooms 
for  music  and  painting,  and  ample  accommodations 
for  boarding.  The  college  building  cost  $50,000. 
It  is  an  imposing  edifice,  constructed  of  brick,  with 
all  the  necessary  conveniences  for  school  purposes. 
At  this  time  the  whole  endowment  of  this  institution 
was  estimated  at  about  $400,000,  and  the  donations 
it  had  received  outside  of  the  colony  had  been  less 
than  $50,000.  In  1876  a  building  was  erected,  36X 
72  feet  in  dimensions,  for  a  gymnasium,  which  cost 
$1,500. 

Comparatively  few  changes  have  been  made  in  the 


Faculty  of  this  institution  since  its  foundation.  The 
following  gentlemen  have  served  as  Presidents: 
Rev.  H.  H.  Kellogg,  from  1839  to  1845  ;  Rev.  Jona- 
than Blanchard,  from  1845  to  1858;  Rev.  Harvey 
Curtis,  from  1858  to  1863;  Rev.  W.  S.Curtis,  to 
1868;  Rev.  J.  P.  Gulliver,  to  1872;  Prof.  A.  Hurd, 
Acting  President  to  1875,  when  the  present  incum- 
bent. Dr.  Newton  Batenian,  took  possession  of  the 
presidential  chair. 

With  Dr.  Bateman  at  the  head  of  the  College,  and 
Prof.  George  Churchill  at  the  head  of  the  Academy, 
with  the  able  Faculty,  this  institution  of  learning  could 
not  be  otherwise  than  eminently  efficient  and  pros- 
perous. 

The  college  classical  course  is  modeled  after  the 
best  American  educational  institutions.  The  study 
of  the  languages,  mathematics,  sciences,  the  various 
branches  of  pliilosophy,  rhetoric,  logic,  general  his- 
tory and  literature  are  made  the  feature  of  the  col- 
lege. On  recommendation  of  the  Faculty  the 
Board  of  Trustees  confer  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Arts  on  all  persons  who  have  completed  the  pre- 
scribed classical  course  in  the  college  satisfactorily, 
and  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Science  upon  all  who 
have  satisfactorily  completed   the  scientific  course. 

The  Academy  comprises  two  departments,  English 
and  classical.  The  former  gives  a  full  course  of 
English  studies  and  affords  special  advantages  to 
students  who  intend  to  become  teachers.  The  latter 
is  a  preparatory  department,  devoted  to  a  thorough 
preparation  of  students  for  the  college  and  young 
ladies'  seminary. 

The  college  library  contains  over  4,000  volumes. 
There  is  a  reading-room  in  connection  with  the 
library,  in  which  may  be  found  the  leading  reviews, 
magazines  and  newspapers. 

The  collections  in  natural  history  contain  3,000 
specimens;  geological,  1,100;  mineralogical,  10,000; 
zoological,  embracing  nearly  3,000  species,  and  1,300 
botanical  specimens,  which  are  constantly  receiving 
valuable  additions. 

Connected  with  the  college  are  two  literary  socie- 
ties, the  Adelphi  and  the  Gnothautii ;  the  former  was 
organized  in  1846  and  the  latter  in  1849.  They  are 
both  chartered. 

Knox  College  has  fully  established  its  right  to  be 
the  representative  college  of  the  West.  The  same 
standard  of  culture  is   maintained   here  as  in  the 


^1^ 


-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


H» 


1019 


Eastern  colleges,  imbued  with  the  vigorous  life  of  the 
West.  The  influence  it  has  ajran  this  part  of  the 
country  has  been  very  manifest. 

Great  attention  is  given  here  to  the  physical  de- 
velopment, and  every  facility  is  afforded  for  this  in 
the  large  gymnasium,  which  is  well  eijuipped.  With 
this  is  the  military  department,  under  the  command 
of  Lieut.  S.  C.  Mills,  U.  S.  A.,  who  was  detailed  to 
this  professorship  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

A  musical  conservatory,  with  Prof.  F.  W.  Bently, 
is  one  of  the  additions  to  this  college. 

Lombard  University. 

i'j^Sjj'  T  the  residence  of  Amos  Pierce,  Greenbush, 
S%^^i  Warren  Co.,  111.,  the  Lombard  University 
iM'f^  ''^"^  ''^  inception.  It  was  here,  in  the  early 
t*lj^  part  of  1850,  that  the  initiatory  steps  were 
^  taken  toward  the  establishment  of  a  high 
school  or  academy.  Mr.  Pierce  was  chosen 
Chairman  of  the  meeting.  After  a  conference  it  was 
decided  to  invite  Rev.  C.  P.  West  to  draw  up  a  plan 
and  submit  to  the  next  meeting  of  the  Spoon  River 
Association.  May  19,  following,  this  Association 
convened  at  Greenbush  and  the  following  preamble 
and  resolutions,  which  were  drafted  by  Mr.  West, 
were  presented  and  adopted : 

"  Whereas,  The  intellectual  and  moral  improve- 
ment of  our  youth  is  a  subject  of  vital  importance, 
not  only  to  our  denomination,  but  also  to  the  commu- 
nity at  large;  and  whereas,  most,  if  not  all,  the  lit- 
erary institutions  of  this  State,  higher  than  common 
schools,  established  by  law,  ever  have  been  and  still 
are  in  the  hands  and  under  the  control  of  our  relig- 
ious opponents;  and  whereas,  the  sectarian  influ- 
ences of  these  institutions  are  detrimental  to  the 
cause  of  free  inquiry  after  religious  truth,  injurious  to 
the  spread  of  Universalism,  and  sometimes  ruinous 
to  the  peace  and  happiness  of  the  students  them- 
selves ;  therefore, 

'■'Resolved,  That  the  Universalists  of  the  State 
ought  immediately  to  adopt  measures  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  seminary  of  learning  which  shall  be 
free  from  the  above-named  objections. 

'''  Resolved,  That  said  institution  should  be  located 
in  Galesburg,  Knox  Co.,  111." 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  aim  of  its  founders 
was  to  establish  a  thoroughly  liberal  Christian  insti- 


tution of  learning,  with  freedom  to  worship  God  after 
the  Puritan  principle  and  according  to  the  dictates 
of  their  own  consciences. 

In  October,  1850,  a  joint-stock  company  was  or- 
ganized with  shares  at  $25  each.  A  sufficient 
amount  was  raised  to  enable  the  company  to  erect  a 
building  for  school  purposes,  which  was  comiileted  in 
1852,  and  a  school  was  opened  under  the  name  of 
the  "  Illinois  Liberal  Institute,"  in  September,  with 
Rev.  P.  R.  Kendall  as  President.  A  meeting  of 
stockholders  was  held  at  Galesburg,  October  24,  and 
elected  15  Trustees,  a  Clerk  and  a  Treasurer.  A  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  was  also  elected,  and  a  Building 
Committee.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  the  Board  de- 
cided to  erect  a  more  substantial  building  of  brick^ 
three  stories  high,  60  feet  long  and  40  feet  wide,  to 
cost  about  $6,000. 

The  act  of  incorporation  was  approved  Feb.  15, 
185  I,  and  the  Board  of  Trustees  elected  at  the  Octo- 
ber meeting  reorganized  under  the  new  charter.  In 
1853  an  amendment  was  made  to  the  charter,  with' 
power  to  confer  degrees  for  collegiate  honors.  Presi- 
dent Kendall  was  of  great  assistance  to  this  new  in- 
stitution. Through  his  untiring  energy  during  the"<[ 
the  years  1852,  '53,  '54,  '55,  the  institution  was  par- 
tially endowed  ;  more  than  $100,000  worth  of  scholar- 
ships were  sold  during  this  period.  The  price  of 
scholarships  was  $50,  $ioo  and  $200,  being  divided 
into  three  classes,  which  entitled  the  purchaser  to 
double  the  worth  in  tuition. 

From  the  fall  of  1854  to  the  fall  of  1857,  Prof.  J. 
V.  N.  Standish  was  nominally  the  Acting  President, 
although  President  Kendall  held  the  office  until  the 
summer  of  1856.  April  27,  1855,  the  building  was 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  school  kept  on  in  its  work, 
renting  rooms  in  various  parts  of  the  town.  In  1856 
the  )jresent  college  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$45,000.  The  fall  following  it  was  occupied  for 
school  purposes,  although  it  was  unfinished.  During 
this  period  the  number  of  students  was  245. 

In  r855  Benjamin  Lombard  made  a  donation  to 
the  institution  of  $20,000,  and  the  charter  and  the 
name  of  the  institution  were  changed,  it  taking  the 
name  of  the  Lombard  University.  In  1869  the 
cliarter  was  again  changed,  increasing  the  numlierof 
the  Trustees  to  20  elective  members,  and  making  the 
board  self-perpetuating,  the  offices  of  one-fifth  of 
the  number  expiring  annually,  the  President  of  the 
institution  being  ^.v  oficio  a  member  of  the  Board  of 


L>r 


-T 


■♦■ 


•^^-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Trustees.  In  1857  Rev.  Oris  A.  Skinner,  D.  D., 
was  elected  President,  which  position  he  verj'  ac- 
ceptably filled  until  1859,  when  Rev.  James  P.  Wes- 
ton was  chosen  President,  which  office  he  held  for 
15  years.  Prof.  William  Livingston  was  the  AcUng 
President  from  1872  to  1875.  In  1876,  the  Cen-  | 
tennial  year,  Rev.  Nehemiah  White  was  called  to  the 
presidential  chair,  which  position  he  still  holds.  The 
first  class  was  graduated  in  1856. 

The  college  grounds  embrace  14  acres,  and  are 
ornamented  with  trees  and  shrubs.  The  building  is 
a  very  fine  brick  structure,  three  stories  high,  80  feet 
long  and  66  feet  wide,  and  has  excellent  apartments 
for  libraries,  apparatus,  lectures  and  recitations.  The 
library  contains  upward  of  5,000  volumes,  besides 
pamphlets  and  magazines.  The  cabinet  contains  a 
large  and  valuable  collection  of  specimens. 

Among  others  who  made  donations  to  this  institu- 
tion, besides   Mr.   Lombard,  were  E.  G.  Hall,  who 
i    gave  Jio,ooo,  and  L.  E.  Conger  §10,000. 
I  .      A  few  years  ago  a  theological  department  was  es- 
'    tablished,  which  has  been  quite  successful.     At  the 
last  comraencen)ent  exercises  the  first  class  in  this 
v^  department  was  graduated.     Belonging  to  the  Uni- 
:  \  versity  are  two  literary  societies,  the  Enesaphian  and 
the  Philomathean,  which  are  strong  in  membership 
t  and  are  doing  good  service.     The  Alumni  Literary 
1    Society  is  another  attractive  feature  of  Lombard,  and 
i    is  attended  by  the  Faculty  and  the  Senior  Class. 
I         Rev.  E.  L.  Conger  is  the  financial  agent,  and  has 
!     secured  during  the  past  year  many  valuable  dona- 
tions.    Alfred  Knowles  is  President  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees.     Lombard   University  is  one   of  the  very 
creditable  mstitutions  of  learning,  not  only  to  Knox 
County,  but  to  the  State.     It  has  done  much  to  ad- 
vance liberality  of  thought,  civilization  and  culture. 

\  St.  Joseph's  Academy. 

f  HIS  Catholic  institution  of  learning  was  es- 
tablished in  1879.  The  building  was  com- 
pleted in  the  early  part  of  that  year  and  the 
Academy  was  opened  in  September.  The 
building  was  erected  and  the  school  established 
by  Father  Costa.  The  building  is  a  large, 
commodious  brick  structure,  erected  at  a  cost  of 
^30,000,  and  is  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the 
city  of  Galesburg,  corner  of  Academy  and  Knox 
streets,  on  a  high  eminence  overlooking  the  town. 


It  stands  on  the  highest  ground  in  the  city.  It  is 
under  the  direction  of  the  Sisters  of  Providence,  who 
came  from  St.  Mary's  of  the  Woods  (Indiana).  This 
institution  was  established  by  the  Sisters  of  Provi- 
dence from  Riiille,  France,  and  is  located  about  four 
miles  west  of  Terre  Haute. 

In  the  St.  Joseph  Academy  are  14  Sisters,  at  the 
head  of  whom  is  the  Mother  Superior,  a  verj-  estima- 
ble, accomplished  and  devout  lady,  whose  life  is  de- 
voted to  this  school.  At  present  there  are  350 
pupils,  male  and  female,  many  of  the  latter  boarding 
at  the  Academy.  The  curriculum  consists  of  a  four 
years'  course  of  study,  embracing  a  primary,  interme- 
diate and  senior,  and  includes  all  those  branches  of 
study  essential  to  a  thorough  preparation  for  the 
duties  of  life,  as  well  as  a  classical  course.  There 
are  departments  of  music,  plain  and  fancy  needle- 
work, painting  and  drawing.  The  scholastic  year 
consists  of  four  terras,  each  comprising  a  period  of 

I I  weeks,  the  first  term  commencing  on  the  first 
Monday  in  September.  The  building  is  heated  by 
steam,  lighted  with  gas  and  has  water  conductors. 
The  rooms  are  lightsome  and  airy  and  pleasantly 
arranged.  A  beautiful  little  chapel  is  one  of  the 
pleasant  features,  where  services  are  held  every 
morning  at  8  o'clock.  Adjoining  this  and  communi- 
cating by  folding  doors  is  an  elegant  art  gallery. 

Western  Business  College. 

Something  over  20  years  agothistJollege 

_1^    was  estabhshed  by  H.  E.  Hayes  and  J.  B. 

^{  Si'''^  Marsh.  It  was  first  located  in  the  upper 
1^  story  of  the  Colton  Block.  It  changed  hands 
several  times,  when, in  T873,  J.  M.  Martin  be- 
came the  proprietor  and  removed  the  institu- 
tion to  the  third  floor  of  the  Allen  Block,  corner  of 
Prairie  and  Simmons  streets,  where  it  is  still  located. 

III  health  compelled  Mr.  Martin  to  retire  from  the 
arduous  labors  of  the  College,  and,  March  17,  1883, 
M.  H.  Barringer  became  the  proprietor  and  still  holds 
this  position.  A  thorough  system  of  bookkeeping 
is  taught  at  this  college,  under  practical  and  busi- 
ness-hke  principles.  Naturally  accompanying  this 
course  are  arithmetic,  penmanship  and  commercial 
law.  There  are  taught  here  also  telegraphy  and 
short-hand.  Mr.  Barringer  has  improved  the  sys- 
tem of  leaching  bookkeeping  very  much.     The  busi- 


if 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ness  transactions  that  enter  into  the  course  of  in- 
struction are  not  imaginary,  but  real  deals.  The 
department  of  correspondence  is  also  of  the  same 
character,  and  is  extended  to  numbers  of  other  col- 
leges in  Chicago,  New  York  and  elsewhere.  Under 
Mr.  Barringer's  management,  this  college  has  become 
a  very  popular  place  to  secure  a  business  education. 
The  average  attendance  during  the  past  season  was 
125.  M.  H.  Barringer,  Principal;  Jennie  E.  Bene- 
dict and  Winona  Edgerton,  Assistants  ;  George  W. 
Thompson,  Lecturer  on  Commercial  Law. 

Public  Schools. 


^^^^HE  first  public  school,  as  has  been  men- 
tioned on  another  page  of  this  work,  was 
taught   by  Prof.  N.   H.    Losey    and    Miss 

Lucy  Gay  in  the  storehouse  of  Mr.  Chambers, 

in  the  summer  of  1837.     This  was  used  for  a 

school  building  until  what  was  called  the 
"  Old  Academy  "  building  was  put  up,  when  the 
school  was  opened  there.  In  1839  a  district  school- 
house  was  erected  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
Public  Square.  As  the  scholastic  population  in- 
creased, other  districts  were  laid  out  and  buildings 
erected,  until  in  1857  there  were  eight.  About  this 
time  efforts  were  made  to  grade  and  consolidate 
these  schools.  Nothing,  however,  was  accomplished 
until  1859,  when  the  ei^jht  districts  were  made  one, 
partially  graded,  and  A.  B.  Campbell,  George 
Churchill  and  J.  H.  Knapp  were  elected  Directors. 
After  much  labor  a  charter  was  granted,  giving  to 
the  School  Board  more  power  than  was  extended  to 
them  under  the  State  law.  In  1867  a  School  Board 
was  elected  and  organized  under  this  charter. 
Rufus  B.  Guild  was  the  first  Superintendent.  He 
only  served  a  short  time,  and  was  succeeded  by  J. 
B.  Roberts,  who  served  until  1874,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Mathew  Andrews. 

In  1886  the  high  school  building  was  completed, 
at  a  cost  of  about  §60,000.  It  is  a  three  story  brick 
structure,  with  light  and  airy  school  departments. 
Subsequently  ward  buildings  were  erected — one  each 
in  the  3d,  4th,  5lh,  6th  and  7th  Wards — at  an  average 
cost  of  $15,000.  These  buildings  are  now  well  heated 
and  ventilated,  with  all  the  necessary  apparatus. 
Telephones  are  placed  in  each  building,  which  com- 
municate  with  the    Superintendent's    office  in  the   '       This  is  one  of  the  leading  papers  of  the  Military 


high  school  building.  The  buildings  are  all  brick 
but  one,  which  is  frame,  and  the  seven  schools  are 
all  graded. 

The  school  property  is  valued  at  ^125,000.  Ac- 
cording to  the  County  Superintendent's  report  for  last 
year,  there  were  in  all  these  wards  of  persons  under 
2 1  years  of  age  6,336,  of  whom  4,486  were  of  scho- 
listic  age,  2,112  being  enrolled.  The  higliest  wages 
paid  male  teachers  were  $188.89  P^r  month,  and  the 
lowest  $66.68  ;  the  higliest  wages  paid  female  teach- 
ers were  $88.89,  ^"d  the  lowest  $35.  The  tax  levy 
was  $20,000.  There  is  one  library  of  300  volumes. 
The  present  Superintendent  is  W.  L.  Steele,  who  has 
demonstrated  a  peculiar  fitness  for  this  position. 
There  are  eight  grades  and  a  year's  high  school 
course  in  the  curriculum.  The  efficiency  of  these 
schools  is  due  in  a  great  measure  to  the  fact  that 
every  person  connected  with  them  is  permanent, 
from  the  Board  down.  The  majority  of  the  present 
Board  has  served  from  10  to  15  years. 

There  are  also  three  private  schools,  with  470. 
pupils,  male  and  female. 

The  Press  of  Galesburg.  , 

HE  following  is  a  brief  history  of  the  pres- 
ent   press  of  Galesburg,    and  of  those  of 
which  they   are  the  outgrowth.     This  has 
been  an  extensive  field  for  the  burial    of  jour- 
nalistic hopes.     In  this  respect  it  is  not  unlike 
all   Western  or  new  counties.     Many   papers 
have  been  established  from  time  to  time  in  this  and 
other  towns  of  the  county.    On  the  sea  of  journalism 
here  many  little  barks  were  cast ;  they  struggled  for 
awhile  against  tiie  elements  of  opposition,  and  then 
they  went  down  to  rise  no  more. 

The  press  unquestionably  is  one  of  the  most  jx)- 
tent  influences  toward  the  development  of  a  new 
country  and  the  advancement  of  civilization.  It  is 
the  vehicle  for  the  dissemination  of  ideas,  and  the 
medium  to  which  people  must  look  to  advertise  en- 
terprises and  projects  for  the  advancement  of  their 
own  or  public  interests.  But  where  one  newspaper 
succeeds  one  hundred  fail.  Yet  the  effort  must  be 
made.  Through  the  sifting  of  chaff  we  get  at  the 
wheat;  by  the  retort  of  the  amalgam  wc  get  the 
gold. 

REPUBLICAN-REGISTER. 


i«>-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


-** 


Tract.  It  is  the  result  of  a  union  of  the  Gaksburg 
Republicaii  and  Galesburg  Register.  The  former  was 
founded  by  Clark  E.  Carr  and  J.  M.  Prior,  and  the  lat- 
ter in  1866,  by  Steve  R.  Smith,  H.  D,  Babcock  and 
W.  J.  Mourer.  It  was  subsequently  purchased  by 
E.  F.  Phelps,  who  in  a  few  months  sold  it  to  the 
present  company. 

The  i¥f///MV«// was  purchased  in    1872   by  S.  W. 
Grubb,  who  published   it  till    the  close  of  the  year. 
In  December  of  this    year    the    Galesburg  Printing 
Company  was  organized,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $15,- 
000,  under  the  general   incorporation   laws,  and  the 
Register  and  Republican  were  purchased  and  the  two 
papers  were  consolidated  under  the  title  ol  Republi- 
can-Register.    The   officers   of  this   company    were 
George  N.  Dieterich,  President;  Z.  Beatty,  Vice-Presi- 
dent; S.   VV.   Grubb,   Secretary  and  Treasurer.     Z. 
Beatty  was   the  editor,  and  S.  W.  Grubb  the  business 
manager,  which  positions   they    still   hold.     Under 
this  management  the  Republican-Register  has  been 
made  prosperous  and  mfluential,  with  a  large  circu- 
lation.    It  a  six-column  quarto.  Republican  in  poli- 
^  tics,    progressive,  and    devoted  to   the    interests   of 
•^Galesburg.      An    extensive   job-office    is   connected 
I    with   this  office,  with  steam-power,  which    has   an 
I    enviable  reputation  for  the  excellence  of  its  work,  and 
\  is  very  liberally  patronized.     A  daily  paper  is  pub- 
lished in  connection  with  the  weekly. 

THE  PLAINDEALER. 

In  1872  Judson  Graves  started  a  semi-weekly  pa- 
per called  the  Republic,  an  eight-column  folio.  He 
continued  the  semi-weekly  publication  for  about 
three  months,  when  he  changed  it  into  a  weekly. 
Sept.  5,  1874,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Plain- 
dealer,  on  account  of  the  similarity  of  name  with  the 
other  Republican  papers  in  the  county. 

In  December,  1879,  Messrs.  Emrich  &  Biggs  pur- 
chased the  office  of  this  paper.  They  still  publish 
the  paper  under  the  company  name  of  the  Plain- 
dealer  Printing  Company.  The  paper  was  enlarged 
to  a  six-column  quarto  in  1881.  In  politics  it  is  an 
independent  Republican  sheet,  and  is  issued  every 
Friday.  A  good  job  department  with  latest  improve- 
ments has  been  added  to  the  plant,  which  has  largely 
increased  the  business.  The  company  have  the  rep- 
utation of  doing  excellent  job-work.  The  papers 
are  worked  by  steam. 

The  Plaindealer  is   well  conducted,  is  a  bright, 


newsy  paper,  and  has  a  circulation  of  about   1,200. 
The  office  is  located  on  Main  street. 

PRESS  AND  PEOPLE. 

This    paper    is    the    outgrowth,    through    many 
changes,  of  the  News-Letter,  or  the  plant  of  that 
paper,  with  the  additions  that  have  been  made  from 
time   to  time  is  the  same  as  that  now  used    by  the 
Press  and  People.    The  News-Letter  was  established 
in  1850,  under  the  editorial  management  of  W.  S. 
Gale,  James  Bunce  and  G.  C.  Lanphere.    This  paper 
took  the  place  of  the  Intelligencer.     It  was  an  able 
advocate  of  measures  affecting  the  interests  of  Gales- 
burg.    It   had    an   extensive    circulation,   not   only 
about  the  county,  but  with   the   advocates   of  the 
Military  Tract   Railroad,  a  project  which  was  then 
being  worked  up.     Its  columns  were  open  and  were 
generally  pretty  well  filled  with  articles  on  the  sub- 
ject of   railroads,    which   secured  marked  attention. 
Its  office  was  over  a  store  on  the  south  side  of  the 
Square.     In  1852  it  was  purchased  by  S.  G.  Cowan, 
who  issued  it  under  the    title  of  News-Letter  and 
Henry  County  News.     At  the  beginning  it  was  neu- 
tral in  politics,  but  later  on  it  becam«  a  little  tinct-^ 
ured  with  Free-Soilism.     In  the  fall  of  1853  J.  W. 
Lane  purchased  it  and  changed   the   name  to  the 
Western  Freeman.    This  was  really  the  first  political 
paper  ever  published  in  Galesburg.     It  was  an  anti- 
'^lavery    paper,   which   was   then  a  very   unpopular 
subject,  in  this  part  of  the  ceuntry  at  least.     Its  hfe 
was  brief,  but  by  no  means  delightful.     In  two  short 
months  the  slave-power  of  the  country  quenched  its 
life  and  it  was  entombed   in   their  cemetery.     The 
plant  was  purchased  by  Southwick  Davis  and  Wm. 
H.  Holcomb,  who  started  the  Galesburg  Free  Demo- 
crat, which  was  also  an  anti-slavery  journal.     The 
first  issue  of  this  paper  was  on  Jan.  5,  1854.  Novem- 
ber 30  witnessed  another  change  in  the  office,  which 
passed  into  the  hands  of  W.  J.   Woods,  with  B.   F. 
Haskins  as  editor.     In  March,   1855,  Mr.  Haskins 
was  succeeded  by  C.  J.   Sellon.  who  only   remained 
in  the  editorial  chair  a  very  short  time.     In    July, 
1855,  S.  W.  Brown,  R.  H.  Whiting  and   D.  H.  Fris- 
bie  became  proprietors ;  several  changes  were  made 
and  in  the  summer  of  t8s6  J.  H.  Sherman  with  C. 
J.  Sellon  took  charge.     On  March  17,  1857,  the  first 
copy  of  the  Daily  Free  Democrat  ^?a  issued.     J.  H. 
Sherman  was  proprietor  until  1865,  passing  through 
the  war  period,  when  Bailey  &  McClelland  purchased 


*+ 


•rs?: 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


io»3 


the  office  and  the  name  was  clianged  to  Free  Press. 
In  1872  M.  S.  Barnes  purchased  the  paper,  and  for 
some  time  he  issued  a  daily  and  weekly.  Mr.  Barnes 
changed  the  name  to  the  Leader  and  subsequently, 
in  June,  18S2,  the  name  was  changed  to  the  Press 
and  People.  It  is  an  eiglu-coluran  paper  and  inde- 
pendent in  politics,  but  advocates  prohibition  princi- 
ples. In  February,  1883,  Gersh.  Martin  purchased 
the  paper  and  is  the  present  proprietor  and  editor. 
The  Press  and  People  is  a  strong  Democratic  sheet, 
like  its  owner,  who  is  a  Democrat  of  the  old  Andrew 
Jackson  school.  It  is  ably  conducted  and  marked 
for  its  bright  editorials,  and  has  a  circulation  of  about 
1,400.  It  is  issued  every  Friday  ;  connected  with  it 
is  a  fine  job-office. 

Manufacturing  Interests. 

^{■ivJALESBURG  has  become  quite  a  manu- 
e^^^^    facturing    center.     Here  are  turned  out 
^.'^    goods  which  find  a  market  in  all  parts  of  the 
f^^     world.      A    great    deal    of    enterprise    has 
V      been   manifested   both  in  the  manufacture  of 
the  goods  and  in  pushing  the   sale  of  them. 
The  following  is  a  brief  review  of  the  various  indus- 
trial concerns  of  this  order  located  at  Galesburg  : 

brow"n's  corn-planter  works. 

One  of  the  greatest  and  most  useful  agriculturaK 
implement  inventions  of  the  19th  century,  if  not  in 
the  entire  history  of  the  world,  in  the  corn-planter, 
which  was  conceived  in  the  brain  of  George  W. 
Brown,  and  by  him  perfected  and  patented.  With 
the  personal  history  of  this  great  inventor,  only  so 
far  as  it  has  to  do  with  his  invention,  this  article  has 
nothing  to  do,  and  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  bio- 
graphical part  of  this  work. 

Mr.  Brown  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Saratoga  County, 
N.  Y.,  and  there  lived  until  he  was  14  years  of  age, 
when  he  gave  bis  attention  to  learning  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  He  remembers  very  distinctly  the  first 
canal-boat  which  passed  through  the  Erie  Canal.  It 
had  on  board  DeWitt  Clinton  and  many  other  dis- 
tinguished people.  He  worked  at  his  trade  on  the 
railroad  from  Albany  to  Schenectady,  which  road 
was  16  miles  long,  and  when  completed  was  re- 
garded as  one  of  the  great  triumphs  of  the  age.  An 
excursion  party  of  distinguished  persons  made  the 
first  trip  over  the  road.    The  cars  were  about  the  size 


of  our  omnibuses  and  were  drawn  by  an  engine 
named  the  John  Bull. 

Mr.  Brown  waa  appointed  Roadmaster  of  this  rail- 
way, but  it  was  not  to  his  taste  and  he  soon  resigned. 
Some  relatives  of  his  had  gone  to  the  then  Far  West 
and  wrote  glowing  accounts  of  the  country  and  of  what 
"he  might  accomplish  there  by  his  trade.  These  let- 
ters set  him  to  thinking,  but  he  did  not  think  long 
before  he  acted.  He  purchased  a  wagon  and  filled  it 
with  his  worldly  possessions,  and  with  his  young  wife 
started  for  the  prairies  of  Illinois.  During  the  trip 
it  rained  much  of  the  time,  and  tiiey  had  a  slow  and 
disagreeable  journey,  arriving  at  their  destination  in 
July,  1836. 

He  located  on  a  farm  near  Tylerville,  in  Kelly 
Township,  Warren  County.  He  traded  his  team  for 
80  acres  of  land,  and  went  to  work  on  his  farm  and 
at  his  trade.  By  continuous  later  he  made  a  com- 
fortable living  only.  There  are  many  houses  in  this 
township  ujKin  which  he  worked  and  several  which 
he  built  alone.  He  also  workecj  at  Galesburg  and 
Knoxville.  Aside  from  these  duties,  Mr.  Brown  was 
often  called  upon  to  repair  the  rude  farming  imple- 
ments then  used.  This  undoubtedly  directed  his 
mind,  which  was  mechanical  by  nature,  to  the  study 
of  farm  machinery.  He  experimented  a  great  deal 
and  made  many  plans  and  models.  One  day  in 
1846,  John  S.  Winter  came  to  him  and  found  him  in 
a  deep  study.  He  was  very  lightly  dressed,  having 
on  only  a  straw  hat,  a  hickory  shirt  and  a  pair  of 
pants,  and  was  seemingly  reflecting  upon  the  possi- 
bilities of  the  future. 

As  early  as  1848  the  cultivator  had  been  invented 
and  was  used  by  those  who  could  afford  it.  These 
implements  were  necessarily  somewhat  of  a  rude 
character  when  Mr.  Brown  began  his  experiments, 
and  he  soon  conceived  the  idea  of  converting  the 
cultivator  into  a  corn-planter.  Under  the  light  of 
his  first  discoveries  Mr.  Brown  must  have  felt  as 
joyful  as  did  Archimedes  of  old,  when  he  discovered 
a  great  philosophical  principle. 

The  first  plan  of  Mr.  Brown  was  to  drop  the  corn, 
at  the  same  time  placing  the  shovels  of  the  cultiva- 
tor as  wide  apart  as  he  wished  the  rows  of  corn  ;and 
with  boxes  of  corn  on  the  beams  back  of  the  shovels, 
so  arranged  that  the  center  of  each  box  could  be 
be  directly  over  the  middle  of  the  furrows  made  by 
the  shovels.  A  slide  appearing  adequate,  it  was 
necessary  to  move  it  so  there  would  be  an    aperture 


r 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


in  the  center  of  the  bottom  of  each  box  large  enough 
to  allow  from  three  to  five  kernels  of  corn  to  pass 
through  at  one  time,  which  would  naturally  fall  into 
the  middle  of  the  furrows  behind  the  shovels.  This 
slide  was  operated  by  a  man  walking  behind;  heavy 
wooden  wheels  made  from  sections  sawed  off  from 
logs  were  attached  to  the  cultivator  back  of  the 
boxes,  which  rolled  along,  covering  the  corn  and 
leveling  tlie  furrow.  This  invention  seems  very  sim- 
ple now,  like  all  other  great  inventions  after  they  are 
discovered  and  we  become  familiar  with  them.  It 
was  simple  enough  to  find  this  continent  after  the 
way  was  prepared  by  Columbus. 

Our  inventor  continued   his  experiments,  making 
improvements    and    gathering  new  ideas,  until  the 


invention,  Mr.  Brown  determined  to  stake  all  he 
possessed  on  its  success.  He  had  already  sold 
everything  about  the  farm,  even  to  his  best  horse,  to 
secure  his  patents  and  perfect  his  machine.  He  now 
sold  his  farm  for  what  he  could  get  and  borrowed 
additional  money  and  took  the  risk  before  him. 
There  were  very  few  farming  implements  for  the 
purpose  of  marking  ground,  and  everything  had  to 
be  made  by  hand.  He  soon  became  heavily  in- 
volved, and  had  the  friends  who  loaned  him  money 
called  on  him  for  settlement,  he  could  not  have 
raised  a  dollar.  He  was  an  honest  man,  however, 
and  bore  an  excellent  reputation,  which  characteris- 
tics were  at  this  time  invaluable  to  him.  His  credit- 
ors did  not  press  him,  but   were  willing  to  give  him 


ESTABLISHED      AD    18S3 


/ ^^ ■„ 


CJt^JLEiSa^lDI^^CicaflKL,. 


spring  of  185  i,  when  he  constructed  his  first  com- 
plete corn-planter  of  the  present  style,  and  from  that 
time  on  he  has  continued  to  make  improvements  in 
his  machine.  During  the  past  winter  he  added 
another  valuable  improvement  to  the  planter. 

In  May,  185  i,  as  soon  as  the  ground  was  ready  for 
planting,  he  drove  out  his  new  planter  and  put  in  his 
first  crop  of  seed.     The  planter  worked  charmingly. 

The  following  year  Mr.  Brown  planted  16  acres 
for  himself  and  four  acres  for  Alfred  Brown  in  Knox 
County.  In  the  spring  following  he  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  ten  machines,  but  on  account  of  his 
limited  means  only  succeeded  in  finishing  one.  It 
was  about  this  time  that,  having  absolute  faith  in  his 


a  fair  trial.  He  had,  however,  to  pay  exorbitant 
rates  of  interest,  sometimes  as  high  as  3  per  cent  a 
month.  This  is  the  rock  that  brings  the  ruin  of 
many  an  inventor.  Mr.  Brown  steadily  kept  his 
object  in  view,  and  continued  to  manufacture  his 
planters,  and  in  1853  pursued  his  operations  in 
Shanghai,  in  Warren  County,  during  that  year  com- 
pleting 12  machines.  During  that  summer  one  of 
these  machines  planted  300  acres  of  corn.  In  the 
following  year  Mr.  Brown  manufactured  100  planters 
and  in  1855  300.  At  the  close  of  this  latter  year  he 
moved  his  factory  to  Galesburg,  where  he  could  ob- 
tain better  facilities  for  the  extension  of  his  business. 
During  his  first  year  at  Galesburg,  he  manufactured 


•x^ 


. Y  - 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


1025 


600  corn-planters,  and  the  next  year  1,000.  The 
business  has  been  gradually  extended  until  the  fac- 
tory now  turns  out  as  high  as  7,000  planters  during 
a  single  year. 

After  the  Brown  Corn-Planter  had  been  used  to 
the  satisfaction  of  the  few  who  first  adopted  it,  it 
was  difficult  to  introduce  it  generally  or  get  the  pub- 
lic to  understand  its  merits  and  value.  With  many 
it  was  a  "  new-fangled  concern."  It  was  not  the  old 
hoe,  the  use  of  wliich  never  failed  to  make  the  corn 
grow.  They  could  see  that  the  machine  ran  nicely 
over  the  field,  but  did  it  drop  the  corn  in  proper 
quantities,  in  the  right  ])laces,  and  was  it  well  cov- 
ered ?  These  were  objections  which  first  met  the  in- 
ventor on  every  hand,  and  to  overcome  these  he  had 
about  as  much  difficulty  as  when  first  getting  up  his 
machine.  All  these  objections  and  doubts  were 
finally  overcome,  and  thenceforward  he  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  selling  the  planter  to  those  who  could  afford 
to  pay  for  it.  The  business  increased,  new  machine- 
ry was  put  in,  and  buildings  erected,  until  during 
the  latter  part  of  the  war,  when  there  came  a  de- 
pression in  business,  things  began  to  look  very  blue 
for  Mr.  Brown.  The  war  had  circumscribed  the  sale 
of  the  planter  veiy  materially.  His  machines  were 
scattered  throughout  the  country,  in  warehouses  and 
in  depots,  and  were  absorbing  a  vast  amount  of  capi- 
tal. He  had  been  persuaded  to  manufacture  that 
year  2,000  more  planters  than  his  judgment  dictated, 
which  proved  to  be  that  number  more  than  there  was 
any  demand  for.  They  had  been  sent  about  the 
country  at  considerable  expense,  and  were  on  his 
hands.  He  was  also  in  debt.  Matters  indeed  looked 
very  dark,  and  the  majority  of  men  would  have  sur- 
rendered, but  Mr.  Brown  was  not  the  man  to  easily 
give  up;  he  had  passed  through  so  many  hard  strug- 
gles that  he  could  not  now  stop  or  go  back.  He  se- 
cured a  loan  of  $25,000,  called  in  his  planters  and 
stored  them  in  warehouses.  The  war  closed  and  the 
battle-field  was  deserted.  Swords  were  turned  into 
plowshares  and  spears  into  pruning-hooks.  There 
was  great  activity  in  the  agricultural  districts,  and 
the  Brown  Corn-Planter  became  in  great  demand. 
From  this  time  on  the  prosperity  of  the  inventor  and 
manufacturer  steadily  progressed  until  the  present 
time. 

When  the  usefulness  of  this  planter  became  gener- 
ally known  many  manufacturers  in  different  parts  of 
the  country  commenced  the  construction  of  these  ma- 


chines without  any  regard  to  Mr.  Brown's  rights  of 
patent  or  personally.  He  protested  against  this  and 
appealed  to  the  manufacturers  to  desist  or  to  pay  him 
a  royalty.  They  refused,  and  proceedings  were  in- 
stituted in  the  Federal  Courts  for  redress.  After 
many  delays  and  appeals,  the  contest  was  finally 
settled  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States, 
which  declared  that  George  W.  Brown  was  the  in- 
ventor and  sole  patentee  of  the  planter.  This  de- 
cision brought  the  infringers  on  his  patent  forward 
for  a  settlement,  and  they  were  called  upon  to  pay  a 
royalty  to  him  for  all  the  machines  they  had  manu- 
factured. 

In  187s  the  large  and  splendid  new  Corn-Planter 
Works  of  Mr.  Brown  were  completed,  and  the  23d 
of  September  following  the  event  was  celebrated 
with  appropriate  ceremonies.  Hon.  Clark  E.  Carr, 
of  Galesburg,  the  distinguished  orator  of  the  Prairie 
State,  delivered  one  of  his  characteristic  addresses 
upon  the  occasion.  The  buildings  comprise  foundry, 
machine  siiop,  blacksmith-shop,  polishing-room,  pat-' 
ent-room,  wheel-room,  paint-rooms,  warehouse  and  j 
office,  in  all  covering  30,000  feet  of  ground.  They 
were  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $60,000.  Since  then  ¥ 
Mr.  Brown  has  made  many  other  improvements,  and 
now  has  a  manufacturing  capacity  of  probably  20,000 
implements  annually.  He  has  also  continued  to  de-^ 
vise  new  improvements  and  attachments  for  the 
planter  until  it  would  seem  that  there  were  nothing 
more  to  be  done  for  its  perfection.  Into  every  ma- 
chine goes  the  best  thought,  the  best  materials  and 
the  best  mechanical  skill.  To  perfect  his  machine 
has  been  his  constant  study  from  its  inception. 

The  sale  of  the  Brown  Corn-Planter  is  not  limited 
to  any  State  or  Territory  of  the  Union,  and  has  ex- 
tended into  Mexico,  Europe,  Asia  and  South  Amer- 
ica. The  manufactory  has  been  one  of  the  princi- 
pal factors  in  the  growth  of  the  city  of  Galesburg. 
Mr.  Brown  also  manufactures  the  cultivator,  to  which 
he  has  added  very  valuable  improvements.  Also  the 
Brown  Check-Rower  and  Stalk-Cutter. 

We  have  thus  briefly  given  some  of  the  essential 
points  in  the  history  of  the  Brown  Corn-Planter. 
The  long,  weary  days  and  nights  of  hard  study,  the 
doubts  and  the  hopes,  the  intense  anxiety  pending 
success  endured  by  the  inventor,  no  language  can 
express.  Its  success  lias  been  as  complete  as  its 
benefits  are  immeasurable,  and  places  its  inventor 
among  the  foremost  men  of  the  age,  as  a  great  bene- 


=!A^ 


^ 


M 


H»4 


1026 


JsTNOX  COUNTY. 


-il-*" 


factor  to  the  country  and  the  world,  for  the  planter 
is  known  largely  the  world  around.  The  soldier  who 
goes  to  battle  and  conquers  nations  is  entitled  to 
great  praise,  but  the  man  whose  application  of  me- 
chanics produces  such  a  great  labor-saver  gives  to 
the  world  that  which  will  benefit  toiling  men.  The 
company  was  incorporated  in  1880,  with  a  capital 
stock  of  $300,000.  Geo.  W.  Brown,  President ;  I. 
S.  Perkins,  Vice-President;  Loren  Stevens,  Secre- 
tary-; James  E.  Brown,  Treasurer;  M.  T.  Perrin, 
Superintendent;  Edward  Hebbard,  Bookkeeper. 
This  year  (1886)  there  will  be  a  change  of  officers  of 
the  corporation,  the  Vice-President,  Mr.  Perkins,  and 
the  Secretary,  Mr.  Stevens,  retiring. 

In  the  mechanical  department,  A.  M.  Hill  is 
foreman  of  the  woodwork-shop;  Frank  Olesen,  fore- 
man of  the  blacksmith-shop  ;  Daniel  Spence,  foreman 
of  foundry;  A.  Abrahamson,  foreman  of  paint-shop; 
M.  D.  Hebbard,  foreman  of  lumber  department.  A. 
O.  Peterson  is  the  foreman  of  the  machine-shops, 
having  been  with  Mr.  Brown  for  the  last  20  years; 
he  is  considered  one  of  the  best  mechanics  in  the 
I  State.  He  has  been  Chief  of  the  Galesburg  Fire  De- 
\  partment  for  three  terms.  A  branch  house  has  been 
established  in  Kansas  City  under  charge  of  O.  B. 
Folger. 

NOVELTY  MACHINE  WORKS, 

by  G.  D.  Colton  &  Co.  These  works  are  the  product 
of  a  venture  away  back  in  pioneer  days.  In  the 
spring  of  1838  G.  D.  Colton,  just  out  of  his  appren- 
ticeship as  a  cabinet  maker,  arrived  in  the  embryo 
city  of  Galesburg,  erected  himself  a  little  shop  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  block  20,  and  commenced  the 
manufacture  of  furniture.  He  had  nothing  but  man- 
power to  begin  with,  driving  the  lathe  and  mortise 
machine  by  treadle-power.  In  a  few  years  a  horse- 
power was  added.  His  business  increased  and  a 
new  shop  was  needed  with  better  machinery,  which 
was  put  up  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Public 
Square.  The  establishment  continued  to  prosper, 
and  about  the  time  of  the  coming  in  of  the  railroads 
the  shop  was  moved  to  its  present  site  near  the  depot, 
and  converted  into  a  planing-mill  and  plow  and  cul- 
tivator factory. 

In  1865  Mr.  Colton  took  in  Mr.  Cheeney  as  a 
partner,  who  added  to  the  establishment  a  foundry 
and  machine-shop,  under  the  name  of  the  "  Novelty 
Works."     After  the  death  of   Mr.    Cheeney,   C.  S. 


Colton  purchased  an  interest  in  the  establishment, 
and  the  business  was  largely  increased.  One  feat- 
ure of  these  works  is  the  manufacture  of  the  check- 
rower  and  corn-planter  combined,  called  the  "  New 
Deal,"  an  invention  of  O.  J.  Colton.  This  invention 
is  highly  spoken  of  The  death,  last  July,  of  C.  S. 
Colton  was  a  sad  loss  to  this  establishment.  Present 
officers— G.  D.  Colton,  President;  Francis  Colton, 
Vice-President,  and  O.  J.  Colton,  Secretary  and  Gen- 
eral Business  Manager. 

FROST    MANUFACTURING    COMPANY. 

These  works  were  established  by  J.  P.  Frost,  in 
1855,  with  W.  S.  Bellows  and  Andrew  Harrington  as 
partners,  under  the  name  of  J.  P.  Frost  &  Co.  Mr. 
Frost  came  from  Henderson,  where  he  had  located  as 
early  as  1837.  He  first  put  up  a  saw-mill  in  Hen- 
derson Grove,  which  he  run  about  six  years.  He 
then  commenced  farming,  and  while  engaged  in 
farming  he  did  machine  work  at  Galesburg  and 
vicinity. 

After  running  for  several  years  under  the  above 
name  it  was  organized  into  a  joint-stock  company, 
under  the  name  and  style  of  "  Frost  Manufacturing 
Company."  It  was  for  many  years  the  leading  es- 
tablishment in  the  manufacture  of  all  kinds  of  iron- 
work connected  with  steam  engines,  mills  and  heavy 
machinery.  They  also  manufacture  the  spiral  knife 
stalk-cutter,  which  was  invented  by  R.  H.  and  C. 
M.  Avery,  and  the  corn-planter.  After  Mr.  Frost's 
death  the  business  of  this  establishment  was  greatly 
diminished.  The  business  has  been  increasing  of 
late,  and  they  now  are  having  quite  a  sale  for  the 
Frost  Elevator  Engine  and  outfits.  These  are 
shipped  as  far  as  Dakota  and  to  Nebraska,  while 
they  are  largely  patronized  in  this  and  adjoining 
States.  A  new  feature  has  been  introduced  into 
their  manufactory,  and  that  is  the  clay-crusher. 
They  employ  from  30  to  40  men  during  the  year. 

GALESBURG    PRESSED    BRICK    AND    TILE    COMPANY. 

This  extensive  manufacturing  company  was  char- 
tered April  4,  1883,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000^ 
which  was  subsequently  increased  to  ^150,000.  A. 
C.  Calkins,  President;  Charles  R.  Calkins,  Treas- 
urer; J.  H.  Calkins,  Secretary;  and  Joseph  Stafford, 
Superintendent.  The  present  officers  are  A.  C.  Cal- 
kins, President  and  Manager;  J.  H.  Calkins,  Secre- 
tary; H.  M.  Wheeler,  Treasurer;  and  J.  M.  Bushong, 
Superintendent.     This   company  has  by  ownership 


W^ 


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-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1027 


and  lease  130  acres  of  clay-beds,  which  extend  be- 
low the  surface  some  65  feet.  In  these  beds  aie  de- 
posited the  best  kind  of  terra  cotta  clay.  They  have 
also  a  fine  coal-bed  down  about  60  feet. 

They  manufacture  pressed  brick,  facing  and  or- 
namental brick  and  tile.  Their  pressed  brick  are  of 
fine  texture,  with  smooth  and  close-grained  surface 
and  attractive  color.  Some  800,000  were  used  the 
past  year  in  street  and  sidewalk  pavement,  and  so 
far  they  have  been  found  to  be  very  durable.  Brick 
are  shipped  by  this  company  to  Chicago,  and  also  to 
Peoria,  where  they  have  a  large  contract  for  street 
pavements.  In  December  last  a  fire  broke  out, 
destroying  their  drying-room,  machine-shop  and 
shafting.  These  were  immediately  rebuilt  and  of  a 
more  substantial  character.  One  great  advantage 
the  company  have  is  in  their  drying-sheds,  where 
artificial  heat  is  used,  which  prevents  exposure  of 
the  brick  to  weather.  Some  $So,ooo  has  been  e.\- 
pended  by  the  company  in  fitting  up  their  works, 
which  gives  them  now  a  complete  plant  for  carrj-ing 
on  their  business.  They  employ  from  60  to  75  men, 
and  expect  to  turn  out  during  the  year  1886  from 
11,000,000  to  12,000,000  of  brick.  This  is  one  0/ 
the  industries  that  make  trade  and  build  up  cities, 
and  Galesburg  should  feel  very  proud  of  it. 

GALESBURG    BRICK    AND   TERRA    COTTA    COMPANY. 

This  company  was  established  in  the  fall  of  1884, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  §50,000,  and  is  incorporated. 
The  officers  of  the  company  are  L.  L.  Scott, 
President;  John  Bassler,  Secretary;  Albert  Hurd, 
Treasurer,  and  Joseph  Pine,  Superintendent.  The 
works  are  located  east  of  the  city,  and  since  they 
started  have  made  decided  progress.  They  employ 
from  40  to  50  men,  and  have  a  capacity  of  20,000 
brick  per  day,  which  they  propose  to  increase  the 
coming  season  so  that  they  will  be  able  to  supply 
foreign  markets.  They  have  good  beds  of  clay 
which  makes  a  paving  brick  claimed  to  be  equal  to 
stone.  They  have  50  acres  of  ground,  with  clay  de- 
posits extending  down  50  feet.  Their  brick  has  been 
used  for  paving  and  has  proved  very  durable. 

With  this  and  other  brick-manufacturing  com- 
panies, Galesburg  ought  to  be  well  paved,  as  she 
will  have  right  at  her  door  a  cheap  and  durable  pav- 
ing material. 

INDUSTRIAL    MACHINE- WORKS. 

This  factory,  which  is  owned  by  T.  W.  Peterson,  is 


doing  a  good  business.  He  makes  a  special  feature 
of  manufacturing  brick  and  tile  machinery.  The 
Galesburg  Brick  and  Terra  Colta  Company  was  fur- 
nished with  boiler,  engine  and  clay-crusher  from 
these  works.  Mr.  Peterson  is  working  on  a  machine, 
or  a  steam  press,  for  making  tile  and  sewer  pipe 
ranging  up  to  two  feet  in  diameter.  All  kinds  of 
foundry-work  up  to  two-ton  castings  can  be  done 
here.  In  the  manufacture  of  light  engines,  ranging 
up  to  20-horse  power,  the  works  have'been  very  suc- 
cessful, and  all  such  engines  sent  out  are  giving  sat- 
isfaction. Under  the  skillful  management  of  Mr. 
Peterson  these  works  are  growing  and  are  useful  ad- 
juncts to  the  city. 

COLVILLE  &  BRO. 

This  firm  has  a  bookbmding  establishment,  which 
was  established  in  1856.  They  do  all  kinds  of  book- 
binding, jobwork,  make  blank  books,  etc.  They  also 
publish  the  Galesburg  Directory,  which  they  issue 
ever)'  two  years. 

THE    DVE-WORKS. 

A  very  imixjrtant  addition  to  the  industries  of 
Galesburg  are -the  Dye- Works  established  by  Kraft  & 
Chase.  Tc  start  their  works  they  first  erected  a  fine 
brick  building  at  a  cost  of  $6,000,  into  which  they 
placed  §8,000  worth  of  machinery,  all  adapted  for  ' 
superior  work.  In  the  dye-room  are  20  large  vats 
for  dyeing  cotton  goods,  four  dye-vats  with  steam-reel 
attachments  for  coloring,  on  a  large  scale,  woolen 
goods,  silks,  velvets,  plushes,  etc.  The  latter  vats 
have  a  capacity  of  500  yards  each  per  day.  After 
dyeing,  the  goods  are  transferred  to  the  second  story 
to  go  through  the  finishing  process.  In  this  story  is 
a  steam-press,  with  a  capacity  of  40  tons'  pressure. 
All  the  machinery  is  worked  by  steam-jwwer,  a  15- 
horse  power  engine  being  one  of  the  features  of  the 
works. 

Since  these  gentlemen  started  their  dye-works, 
which  was  only  a  few  months  ago,  they  have  estab- 
lished an  enviable  reputation  for  their  dye  works, 
and,  in  consequence,  are  securing  a  large  patronage, 
which  is  not  confined  to  Galesburg  or  Knox  County. 
They  perfectly  understand  their  art,  and  are  pains- 
taking, which  is  the  secret  of  their  success.  They 
employ  now  about  15  hands. 

hover's  BROOM  FACTORY. 

This  factory  was  established  in  1867  by  Mr.  Boyer. 


•4-> 


H- 


rH> 


1028 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4-4> 


He  bought  a  lot  on  South  Prairie  street,  upon  which 
he  erected  a  small  building.  Upon  this  lot,  also, 
he  moved  an  old  frame  building,  which  he  converted 
into  a  factory  and  commenced  the  manufacture  of 
brooms,  employing  six  men  at  the  start.  His  busi- 
ness increased  rapidly  and  his  factory  was  enlarged. 
In  1870  the  factory  with  stock  and  machinery  was 
burned,  with  a  total  loss,  he  having  no  insurance. 
He  was  not  discouraged  by  this  loss,  but  bought  an 
additional  lot  and,  within  a  month,  had  a  new  two- 
story  frame  building  erected  and  again  began  his 
business,  which  increased  rapidly.  In  1881  another 
fire  destroyed  his  works,  involving  a  loss  of  $7,000. 
Profiting  by  his  former  experience,  he  was  this  time 
amply  insured.  This  enabled  him  to  rebuild  and  to 
put  up  a  substantial  factory.  Subsequently  he  added 
steam-power  and  put  in  new  and  improved  machine- 
ry. His  business  has  constantly  increased  until  it 
is  now  one  of  the  fixed  establishments  of  Galesburg. 

!He  removed  his  old  dwelling  and  upon  its  site  he 
f  erected  a  fine  brick  house  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  Mr. 
I  Boyer's  success  has  been  remarkable,  he  having  been 
[4  blind  from  boyhood.  His  success  shows  what  energy, 
ytoil  and  perseverance  will  do.  He  employs  from  25 
I  to  35  men.  The  broom  corn  is  obtained  from  Knox 
I  and  adjoining  counties.  His  market  is  mostly  in  the 
*  State. 

COLLEGE   CITY    SOAP    FACTORY. 

This  factory  was  established  in  the  spring  of  1885 
by  Pease  &  Bro.,  young  and  enterprising  men,  who 
propose  to  supply  the  people  of  the  county  with  as 
good  an  article  of  plain  or  toilet  soap  as  can  be  pur- 
chased anywhere.  They  have  now  a  capacity  of 
about  1,500  pounds  daily,  and  intend  to  increase  it. 
They  use  pure  materials  in  their  factory,  and  with 
their  improved  machinery  and  conscientious  pride 
in  theirbusiness,  cannot  but  make  a  soap  that  will 
prove  acceptable  to  all. 

ACME   MILLING  COMPANY. 

There  is  no  article  the  manufacture  of  which  is 
more  beneficial  to  a  community  than  good  flour,  and 
in  this  particular  Galesburg  is  especially  blessed. 
This  mill  was  built  many  years  ago,  and  after  passing 
through  many  ownerships  was  organized  into  the 
Acme  Milling  Company , which  was  incorporated.  The 
new  proprietors  rebuilt  the  mill,  and  reconstructed  it 
on  a  larger  plan  ;  took  out  the  old  machinery  and  put 
in  the  most  approved  roller  system. 


The  building  is  30x60  feet,  four  stories  high,  and 
contains  ten  pairs  of  rollers.  It  has  a  capacity  of  75 
barrels  of  flour  per  day,  besides  meal  and  feed.  A 
pure  grade  of  flour  is  made  by  the  Acme  Mills,  which 
is  largely  increasing  its  patronage.  Wheat  is  shipped 
them  from  Minneapolis  and  Southern  Illinois,  from 
which  they  make  their  finest  grades  of  flour.  They 
also  manufacture  graham  and  rye  flour.  D.  L.  Pe- 
terson is  President,  and  Miss  Minnie  Peterson  Secre- 
tary and  Treasurer;  A.  R.  Stoner  is  the  Superin- 
tendent and   Manager ;  E.   M.  Warfel,  head  miller. 

GALESBURG     PLATING-WORKS. 

These  works  were  started  in  1884,  and  have  rap- 
idly increased  in  business  since.  They  were  started 
by  E.  J.  Tyler  and  Walter  Gucker,  who  are 
thoroughly  experienced  in  their  trade.  This  estab- 
lishment is  completely  equipped  for  all  branches  of 
work  in  the  plating  line,  which  is  done  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  its  patrons.  They  make  a  specialty 
of  new  work,  which  they  sell  at  wholesale  prices.  , 
The  people  of  Galesburg  and  vicinity  can  now  have 
their  plating  done  without  going  to  foreign  cities. 

Banking. 

HE  first  banking  house  opened  in  Gales-  , 
burg  was  by  J.  F.  Dunn,  in  1853.  It  was 
located  south  of  the  Square,  in  the  second 
story  of  \V.  J.  Wood's  building.  Here  in  a 
7x9  room,  in  which  was  an  iron  safe  propor- 
tioned in  size  to  the  room,  the  first  bank  of  the 
city  of  Galesburg  was  opened.  These  quarters  soon 
became  too  small  for  the  business.  In  1857  Mr. 
Dunn  erected  on  the  southeast  corner  of  Main  and 
Prairie  streets  a  building  known  as  Dunn's  Block, 
and  occupied  the  corner  room  as  his  banking  office. 
It  was  not  a  bank  of  issue,  but  Mr.  D.  occasionally 
issued  scrip  as  a  convenience.  During  the  war,  in 
1863,  on  Thanksgiving  Day,  the  bank  was  closed 
up  and  the  business  was  continued  by  D.  H.  Frisbie. 
In  July,  1855,  what  was  known  as  Reed's  Bank- 
ing House  was  opened,  with  A.  D.  and  Horatio 
Reed  and  E.  L.  Chapman  as  proprietors.  The 
building  first  occupied  was  located  on  the  south- 
west corner  of  the  Square  and  Main  street.  Subse- 
quently they  removed  to  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
Square  and  Main  street. 

In  1857,  having  organized  under  the  general  bank- 


■4^ 


H: 


, .y. . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


1029 


ing  law  of  the  State,  it  became  a  bank  of  issue. 
During  the  hard  times,  wheii  many  of  the  banks  of 
the  State  went  down  in  the  general  panic,  this  bank 
reared  its  head  above  the  dark  waters  of  ruin  and 
remained  firm.     Its  paper  was  at  par. 

In  i860  Mr.  Reed  erected  a  new  building  and 
moved  into  it.  Here  he  remained  until  he  moved  to 
Chicago.  This  building  is  now  owned  and  occupied 
by  the  Second  National  Bank.  About  this  time  the 
banking  house  of  Sidney  Meyers  &  Co.  was  opened. 
This  firm  was  succeeded  by  the  "  Knox  County  Sa- 
vings Bank,"  which  was  of  short  life. 

In  1855  T.  S.  Mackay  opened  a  large  packing 
house  in  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  near  the 
track.  Subsequently  he  opened  a  bank,  which  was 
nominally  located  in  Brownsville,  Neb.,  but  in  reality 
in  Galesburg.  He  built  for  its  accommodation  the 
building  now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  city  for 
offices.  The  bank  was  called  Nemaha.  It  was  a 
bank  of  issue,  the  bills  of  which  circulated  quite 
freely,  and  were  found  in  many  pockets  after  the 
doors  of  Nemaha  were  closed  against  tliem. 

To  meet  the  expenses  of  the  Rebellion,  a  new 
circulating  medium  was  introduced,  a  new  system  of 
banking  was  established,  and  the  old  "  wild-cat  "  cur- 
rency disappeared  from  the  country  with  the  opening 
of  National  Banks.  The  first  opened  in  Galesburg 
was  the  First  National  Bank,  which  was  organized  in 
January,  1S64,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000.  Subse- 
quently it  was  increased  to  $150,000.  Its  first  offi- 
cers were  C.  H.  Mathews,  President ;  F.  Colton,  Vice- 
President ;  E.  L.  Chapman,  Cashier.  In  1S66  they 
erected  their  new  banking  house,  which  was  on  the 
site  of  the  "  Old  Academy," 

This  bank  has  had  a  large  patronage,  and  is  one 
of  the  substantial  banks  of  the  country.  Pres- 
ent officers :  Francis  Fuller,  President ;  Asa  A.  Mat- 
teson,  Vice-President;  Joseph  Hoover,  Cashier; 
W.  H.  Bigelow,  Teller. 

In  May,  1864,  the  Second  National  Bank  was  or- 
ganized with  a  capital  stock  of  $60,000,  which  was 
afterward  increased  to  $100,000.  The  first  officers 
were:  David  Sanborn,  President;  Edwin  Post,  Vice- 
President ;  Albert  Reed,  Cashier.  Geo.  W.  Brown, 
David  Sanborn,  W.  S.  Bellows,  Josiah  Babcock,  H. 
Hitchcock,  Alfred  Knowles,  E.  Post,  M.  W.  Gay  and 
A.  G.  Watkins  were  the  first  Board  of  Directors. 
This  has  been  a  very  successful  banking  institution, 
never  failing  to  pay  liberal  dividends. 


The  Farmers'  and  Mechanics'  Bank  was  estab- 
lished in  1870,  with  a  capital  of  $100,000.  A  savings 
department  was  attached  to  this  bank,  which  was 
continued  until  1880.  The  first  Board  of  Directors 
were:  E.  R.  Adams,  C.  S.  Colton,  A.  S.  Hoover,  C. 
E.  Grant,  \V.  H.  Little,  Marcus  Belden,  H.  S.  Hurd, 
John  B.  Colton  and  O.  T.  Johnson.  C.  S.  Colton, 
President;  C.  E.Grant,  Vice-President;  \V.  Little, 
Cashier,  and  P.  F.  Brown,  Teller.  This  bank  has 
had  but  four  presidents  since  its  organization — C.  S. 
Colton,  John  Becker,  Francis  Colton  and  James  L. 
Burkhalter,  the  present  incumbent.  This  has  been 
one  of  the  popular  banking  institutions  of  Gales- 
burg, and  has  been  continually  prosperous.  Present 
officers:  James  L.  Burkhalter,  President;  \V.  Sea- 
cord,  Vice-President;  P.  F.  Brown,  Cashier;  I.  G. 
Dieterich,  Teller. 

The  city  of  Galesburg  has  a  cause  of  great  pride 
in  her  banking  institutions ;  none  have  ever  de- 
faulted, and  no  blemish  casts  its  shadow  uiwn  them. 

Churches. 

HERE  is  perhaps  no  city  of  its  size  in  the 
State  more  favored  with  religious  societies 
than  Galesburg.  Almost  every  member 
of  the  colony  which  located  here  in  1836  was 
deeply  rooted  and  grounded  in  the  faith  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ,  and  one  of  their  first  acts 
was  to  provide  a  place  of  worship.  The  following 
congregations  have  houses  of  worship  here  : 

First  Church  of  Christ.  This  church,  which  has 
been  appropriately  called  the  "  Mother  of  Churches," 
had  its  inception  at  Log  City  soon  after  the  first  in- 
stallment of  the  Galesburg  Colony  arrived,  or  during 
the  winter  of  1836-37.  Rev.  Geo.  VV.  Gale  was  the 
first  clergyman  to  preach  to  this  congregation,  and 
was  assisted  by  Rev.  John  T.  Avery.  A  series  of 
meetings  was  held  during  this  winter,  and  several 
conversions  were  made  among  the  youths  of  Log  City. 
On  the  25th  of  February,  1837,  an  organization  was 
perfected,  with  82  members.  On  this  occasion  Rev. 
Messrs.  Gale  and  Waters  officiated,  assisted  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Noel,  of  Knoxville,  who  represented  the  Schuyler 
Presbytery.  The  church  is  Presbyterian  in  its  name 
and  also  in  its  ecclesiastical  relations,  but  with  a 
strong  Congregational  element  pervading  it,  out  of 
deference  to  which  the  modes  of  administering  its 


->  — 


1030 


=x^ 


™^"*H  H^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


affairs  were  to  some  extent  modified.  During  the 
summer  of  1837,  Galesburg  village  having  been 
started,  and  many  of  the  families  moved  in  from  Log 
Cit)',  public  worship  was  held  alternately  at  these 
places.  The  first  room  used  for  holding  services  in 
Galesburg  was  a  store-room,  built  by  Duncan  M. 
Chambers,  which  was  afterward  used  for  a  store. 
In  the  winter  of  1 839  the  first  academy  building  was 
used  for  holding  services,  and  continued  to  be  used 
until  the  summer  of  1846,  when  a  house  of  worship 
was  so  far  completed  as  to  permit  the  holding  of 
meetings  in  it.  This  edifice  was  not  finished  until 
the  early  part  of  184S,  when  it  was  dedicated.  For 
some  three  years  subsequent  this  was  the  only  house 
of  worship,  and  on  Christmas  every  denomination  in 
the  village  would  worship  together  here.  In  1851 
a  lecture-room  was  added  to  the  building.  The 
same  year  in  which  this  church  held  its  meetings  in 
the  academy  was  one  of  great  spiritual  prosperity, 
and  probably  the  most  interesting  period  in  its  his- 
tory. Revs.  G.  W.  Gale  and  J.  Waters  served  as 
acting  pastors  of  the  church  for  the  first  three  years. 
It  was  then  supplied  for  one  year  by  Rev.  Mr.  Foote. 
Mr.  Gale  then  resumed  his  pastoral  duties  for  a 
year,  and  was  followed  by  President  Kellogg,  who 
^  was  stated  supply  for  two  years.  For  the  next  year 
the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  Revs.  Marsh,  Waters 
and  HoUister.  From  May,  1844,  to  May,  1845,  Rev. 
Mr.  Parker  was  acting  pastor.  Mr.  Kellogg  was  at 
this  time  installed  as  pastor,  and  served  till  his 
health  gave  way,  in  the  spring  of  1847.  President 
Blanchard  succeeded  him  as  pastor,  and  he  in  turn 
was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Bascom,  in  December,  1840, 
who  served  till  May,  1856.  Rev.  Charles  Tyler  then 
took  charge,  remaining  three  years,  when  he  retired 
and  Mr.  Barnard  was  a  supply  for  about  six  months. 
Rev.  F.  T.  Perkins  then  took  charge,  remaining  un- 
til 1868,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Willis  J. 
Beecher.  In  187 1  Mr.  Beecher  retired  and  Henry 
M.  Tyler  was  called  to  take  charge,  serving  until 
1872,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  F.  Bascom,  who 
only  remained  till  December  of  that  year.  After  Mr. 
Bascom  came  Henry  S.  Huntington,  who  remained 
until  November,  1876.  In  April,  1877,  Alex.  R. 
Thain  assumed  the  pastoral  duties,  and  is  the  pres- 
ent pastor. 

In  1845  the  church  government  was  modified  and 
a  compromise  plan  adonted,  securing  to  both  Con- 
gregationalists  and   Presbyterians  their  preferences. 


and  giving  the  church  a  double  ecclesiastical  connec- 
tion. In  1856  the  term  Presbyterian  was  dropped 
from  its  name,  and  it  has  since  been  known  as  the 
First  Church  of  Christ,  having  withdrawn  from  the 
Presbytery  previous  to  this  action. 

In  1854  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church  was 
organized,  with  30  members,  who  withdrew  from  this 
church  for  that  purpose.  During  this  same  year  18 
members  withdrew  from  this  church  and,  with  others, 
formed  the  Old-School  Presbyterian  Church.  In 
1855,  another  limb  was  taken  from  it  for  the  or- 
ganization of  the  Congregational  Church. 

While  from  this  church  members  have  been  taken 
to  form  others,  it  still  remains  numerically  one  of 
the  strongest  in  the  city.  It  has  a  membership 
now  of  503,  with  a  large,  flourishing  Sunday-school 
of  250  members.  The  building  is  a  plain,  substan- 
tial one,  and  while,  since  its  erection,  costlier  and 
more  stylish  edifices  have  gone  up,  there  is  none  in 
which  there  is  more  true  Christianity. 

First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This  church 
was  organized  in  the  year  r847  by  Rev.  J.  J.  Hed- 
strom.  The  membership  was  small,  and  for  sev-^ 
eral  years  it  met  for  worship  in  a  school-house  anap 
at  the  homes  of  its  members.  Galesburg  church  at 
that  time  was  simply  an  "  appointment,"  and  was 
embraced  within  the  bounds  of  the  Knoxville  Circuit. 
In  1851,  at  the  corner  of  Kellogg  and  Tompkins 
streets,  a  small  wooden  church  building  was  erected. 
Peter  Cartwright,  of  sainted  memory,  preached  the 
dedication  sermon. 

In  1855  the  Galesburg  Church  became  a  "  sta- 
tion," and  Rev.  Milton  S.  Haney  .was  appointed  as 
its  pastor.  Rev.  John  P.  Brooks  next  served  as  pas- 
tor, from  the  fall  of  1856  to  that  of  1858.  Rev.  Jo- 
seph O.  Gilbert  followed  him  from  1858  to  i860. 
Rev.  W.  H.  Hunter  from  i860  to  October,  1862.  It 
was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  church  building 
was  enlarged  and  greatly  improved.  Rev.  L.  B. 
Kent,  the  following  pastor,  remained  until  the  con- 
ference of  1864;  under  his  labors  many  were  con- 
verted and  added  to  the  church.  Rev.  A.  Magee 
received  the  next  appointment,  and  served  acceptably 
for  three  years,  or  until  the  fall  of  1867.  Rev.  M. 
F.  Havermale  and  Rev.  D.  H.  Gray,  the  first  for  one 
year,  and  the  latter,  owing  to  failing  health,  for  only 
one  year  and  a  half,  tlie  last  few  months  being  sup- 
plied by  Rev.  M.  S.  Haney.  Rev.  G.  VV.  Arnold 
served  for  three  years,  retiring  in  1873.     It  was  dur- 


■*t 


4 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1031 


ing  his  labors  that  the  first  steps  were  taken  toward 
building,  and  work  commenced  on  the  new  and  pres- 
ent beautiful  church  edifice. 

Rev.  Selah  W.  Brown,  a  nephew  of  Hon.  George 
\V.  Brown,  followed  with  three  years  of  noble  work, 
doing  much  to  advance  the  cause  of  Christ,  and  aid- 
ing greatly  in  the  financial  interests  of  the  church. 
In  October,  1876,  Rev.  Geo.  \V.  Brown,  a  brother  of 
Selah  W.  Brown,  succeeded  the  latter  for  three  years, 
also  doing  the  church  lasting  benefit.  From  1879 
to  t882,  Rev.  R.  G.  Pearce  filled  the  pulpit  with 
honor  to  himself  and  greatly  blessing  the  church. 
From  1882  to  1884,  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Collins  was  pas- 
tor, being  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  D.  Clark,  the  present 
worthy  incumbent. 

As  before  mentioned,  in  1872,  during  the  pastorateof 
Rev.  G.  W.  Arnold,  the  present  church  structure  was 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  old   one,  costing,  together 
with    a  new  parsonage,  about  §40,000,  the  corner- 
stone  being   laid   in  July  of  that  year.  Rev.  R.   M. 
f  Hatfield  officiating  at  the  ceremony. 
I        In  January,  1873,  the  basement  or  lecture-room,  be- 
1  ing  completed,was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Bowman.  The 
"  people  occupied  it  for  worship  and  all  church  meet- 
ings until  Feb.  27,  1876,  when  the  auditorium,  being 
ready,  was  dedicated  by  Bishop  Harris,  and  for  the 
^  past  ten  years  has  been  a  source  of  comfort  and  pride 
to   its    people.      The    present    membership   of  the 
church  is  about  400. 

A  flourishing  Sabbath-school,  with  an  average  at- 
tendance of  250  scholars,  meets  every  Sabbath  in  the 
lecture-room. 

The  church  has  become  a  power  in  Galesburg,  and 
its  influence  is  being  felt  for  good  throughout  Knox 
County  Under  the  administration  of  the  present 
pastor,  Rev.  H  D.  Clark,  the  interests  of  the  church 
are  being  carefully  watched  and  the  cause  of  Christ 
advanced. 

Sweiiish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of  Galesburg 
was  organized  in  1851,  by  Rev.  J.J.  Hedsirom. 
They  had  no  regular  pastors  until  1857.  During 
the  previous  year  they  erected  their  house  of  wor- 
ship and  completed  and  dedicated  it  in  January,  1857. 
The  first  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  A.  J.  Anderson, 
who  took  charge  of  the  church  in  the  early  part  of 
1857,  remaining  two  years.  The  following-named 
pastors  followed  in  the  order  named  :  Revs.  P. 
Newberg,  one  year;  L.  Lindquist,  three   years;  N. 


O.  Westergraen,  one  year;  A.  J.  Anderson,  two  years  ; 
S.  B.  Newnan,  two  years  ;  N.  O.  Westergreen,  four 
years.  During  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Westergreen 
they  erected  their  fine  new  church  edifice,  at  a  cost 
of  about  $1 7,000.  It  stands  on  the  corner  of  Waters 
and  Kellogg  streets.  Rev.  John  Liend  was  the  next 
pastor  in  charge,  remaining  two  years.  During  Mr. 
Liend's  term,  the  house  was  finished  and  a  great  por- 
tion of  the  debt  was  paid  off.  Succeeding  Mr.  Liend, 
in  the  order  in  which  they  are  named,  were  Revs.  Al- 
fred Anderson,  three  years ;  O.  Gunderson,  three 
years;  H.  W.  Ekiand,  two  years;  E.  Shogren,  two 
years,  and  then  C.  G.  Nelson,  the  present  pastor. 
At  the  time  of  the  erection  of  the  new  house  of  wor- 
ship, an  old  house  was  purchased,  moved  onto  the 
church  property  and  refitted  for  a  parsonage,  and 
was  used  for  such  until  last  year,  when  it  was  sold, 
moved  off  and  a  new  parsonage  commenced,  which 
was  completed  in  the  early  part  of  this  year  at  a  cost 
of  §2,000. 

The  first  members  were  John  Peter  Peterson,  Peter 
Cassell,  Anders  Anderson,  Mrs.  Sophia  and  Miss 
Carrie  Anderson,  and  Miss  Caroline  Lassan. 

This  society  has  been  quite  prosperous  and  has  a 
membership  at  present  of  about  330,  with  an  aver- 
age attendance  at  Sunday-school  of  200. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  (African)  Church  is  lo- 
cated on  Tompkins  street,  and  is  in  a  thriving  condi- 
tion. Rev.  J.  W.  Laws  is  the  present  pastor,  and  he 
presides  over  a  congregation  of  some  180  members. 
During  the  past  year  they  have  been  making  many 
improvements  in  and  about  their  house  of  worship. 
They  have  a  good  Sabbath-school,  with  some  75 
members.  Mr.  Laws  is  an  eloquent  man  and  a  great 
favorite  with  his  congregation. 

First  Congregational  Church.  The  rapid  increase 
of  population  in  this  community,  and  the  want  of 
sufficient  room  in  the  Presbyterian  house  of  worship 
to  accommodate  all  who  applied,  led  the  pastor  and 
many  members  of  that  church  to  the  conviction  that 
the  time  had  arrived  for  the  organization  of  a  new 
church. 

Accordingly,  after  a  full  discussion  of  the  matter 
in  various  meetings  held  for  that  pur|X)se,  and  with 
the  general  assent  of  the  church,  a  number  of  breth- 
ren and  sisters  observed  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer, 
in  order  to  secure  the  divine  aid  and  blessing  in  their 
proposed  undertaking. 


■Xr: 


-^ 


zrt'. 


1032 


a:nox  county. 


November  9, 1855,  those  interested  met  at  the  lect- 
ure-room of  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  2  o'clock 
P.  M.,  and  51  members  presented  themselves  for  or- 
ganization into  a  Congregational  Church.  After 
their  organization,  they  voted  that  the  church  be 
called  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Gales- 
burg. 

It  was  also  voted  to  extend  an  invitation  to  Rev. 
Edward  Beecher,  D.  D.,  of  the  Salem  Church,  Bos- 
ton, to  become  the  pastor  of  the  church,  which  invi- 
tation was  accepted. 

Rev.  Edward  Beecher  served  the  church  until 
1871.  They  had  supphes  until  1872,  when  Rev. 
M.  L.  Williston  assumed  the  pastorate,  remaining 
until  1876.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  A.  Ells- 
worth, who  remained  until  Rev.  J.  W.  Bradshaw,the 
present  pastor,  was  called.  Mr.  Bradshaw  is  a  man 
of  culture  and  ability,  and  is  advancing  the  interests 
of  the  church. 

During  the  past  year  the  Young  People's  Literary 
Society  was  organized,  which  is  doing  a  good  work. 
The  church  edifice  was  erected  in  1856  at  a  cost  of 
$15,000.  It  had  the  misfortune  of  losing  its  spire, 
carried  away  by  a  tornado  in  1858.  It  was  replaced 
the  same  year.  Present  membership  32  i,  with  a  Sab- 
bath-school of  266  members. 

Presbyterian  Church.  This  congregation  is  the 
result  of  the  union  of  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church  and  the  Old-School  Presbyterians,  which 
were  offshoots  from  the  First  Church,  they  having 
organized  into  separate  congregations  in  1854.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  of  1869-70  the  question  of  a  union 
of  the  two  churches  was  discussed  at  length,  and 
was  finally  agreed  upon,  the  union  taking  place 
March  i.  Services  were  held  in  the  house  belong- 
ing to  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church.  Rev.  M. 
B.  Lowrie,  who  was  for  many  years  pastor  of  this 
church,  resigned  early  in  1885,  when  they  were  with- 
out a  pastor  for  several  months,  and  were  served  by 
supplies.  In  November  last  a  call  was  extended  to 
Rev.  Mr.  Worrall,  which  was  accepted,  and  in  De- 
cember following  he  entered  upon  the  discharge  of 
his  duties. 

The  membership  at  present  is  about  250,  with  a 
flourishing  Sabbath-school  of  225   scholars. 

Christian  Church.  An  organization  of  the  mem- 
bers of  this  church  was  perfected  some  years  ago. 
Meetings  were  held  in  private  rooms  for  some  time, 
when  the  old  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 


building  was  purchased  for  $1,000.  Subsequently 
it  was  removed  from  East  Ferris  street  to  West 
Tompkins  street,  and  refitted. 

This  congregation  has  not  been  very  prosperous. 
They  had  at  one  time  a  membership  of  60.  Many 
of  their  members  have  moved  away,  and  no  regular 
services  have  been  held  for  several  months. 

The  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in  Novem- 
ber, 1852,  with  about  20  members.  Jt  was  organ- 
ized by  Dr.  T.  N.  Hasselquist,  now  of  Rock  Island. 
Many  of  those  who  formed  the  first  organization  are 
still  living,  and  members  of  this  church.  The  pres- 
ent house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1869  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Water  and  Seminary  avenues,  at  a  cost  of 
$15,000.  Since  then  a  parsonage  has  been  secured, 
worth  $3,000.  Mr.  Hasselquist  served  the  church 
until  1864,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  A.  W. 
Dahlsten,  who  remained  until  1869.  From  1869  to 
1873  Rev.  N.  T.  Winquist  had  charge,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  Rev.  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl,  who  remained  until 
1885,  when  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  C.  A.  Backman, 
commenced  his  duties.  Communicant  members 
number  about  1,000;  total  membership,  1,600.  The 
past  year  the  membership  was  increased  nearly  100.  ^ 
Mr.  Backman  is  an  eurnest  worker  and  a  gentle- 
man of  fine  ability  and  scholarship.  To  him  is  due 
in  a  great  measure  the  present  prosperous  condition 
of  the  church.  An  interesting  Sabbath-school  is 
one  of  the  attractive  features  of  this  society.  The 
congregation  have  two  sewing  societies  and  a  com- 
mittee to  look  after  the  wants  of  the  poor.  A  school- 
house  has  been  erected,  adjoining  the  church,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,000.  Its  dimensions  are  40x60  feet.  To- 
tal valuation  of  church  property,  $25,390. 

The  Second  Lutheran  Church  was  organized  in 
August,  1868,  by  Rev.  Nickolaus  Bergenskold.  They 
erected  a  substantial  house  of  worship.  Considera- 
ble interest  has  been  awakened  in  this  church  the 
past  year,  and  the  membership  has  been  increased  to 
upward  of  200.  They  have  a  good  Sunday-school, 
with  an  average  attendance  of  75.  Present  pastor. 
Rev.  E.  G.  Hjerpe. 

First  Baptist  Church.  This  congregation  was  or- 
ganized in  1847.  Some  years  after  their  organiza- 
tion they  purchased  a  lot  on  the  corner  of  Broad  and 
Tompkins  streets,  upon  which  they  erected  a  church 
building.  In  1857  a  portion  of  the  membership 
withdrew  and  formed  wliat  was  called  the  Cherry 
Street  Baptist    Church.      This    separation    did   not 


'JKTZ 


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t 


.Y. 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


»033 


prove  advantageous,  and  Nov.  6,  1S64,  they  again 
united  and  formed  the  present  church,  called  the 
First  Baptist  Church.  Rev.  Mr.  Stickney  was  the 
first  pastor,  serving  the  church  one  year.  He  was 
followed  by  Revs.  A.  Gross,  Barr)-,  Reuben  Newton, 
Silas  Tucker,  Eustis,  J.  W.  Daniels,  H.  H.  Northrup, 
\V.  W.  ^Joore,  all  serving  short  terms,  until  1865. 
In  the  spring  of  1865,  Rev.  \Vm.  D.  Clark  took 
charge,  serving  until  1868.  It  was  during  his  pas- 
torate that  they  erected  the  present  fine  edifice,  which 
cost  $29,000.  Rev.  J.  H.  Griffith  followed  Mr. 
Clark,  remaining  until  1873,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Rev.  \V.  M.  Haigh,  who  remained  until  1877. 
From  1877  to  1878  Rev.  W.  H.  H.  Templeton  was 
in  charge;  from  1878  to  1880,  Rev.  J.  W.  L.  Booth. 
Mr.  Booth  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  O.  A.  Williams, 
the  present  pastor. 

During  the  past  year  the  inside  of  the  building  has 
been  redecorated  at  a  cost  of  §1,000.  This  society 
is  in  a  prosperous  condition,  and  has  a  membersliip 
at  present  of  400,  and  a  Sabbath-school  of  550  schol- 
ars, which  is  in  charge  of  E.  R.  Drake,  Superintend- 
ent. 

'  Second  Baptist  i^Africaii)  Church  was  organized  in 
1865  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Jackson.  Their  house  of  wor- 
ship stands  on  the  corner  of  South  and  Cherry 
'streets.  It  is  a  good  frame  building,  costing  about 
$5,000.  Rev.  A.  W.  Newsora  is  the  present  pastor, 
and  has  proved  a  good  and  successful  pastor  for  this 
organization,  and  has  done  much  toward  invigorating 
and  advancing  its  interests.  To  him  is  the  church 
indebted  for  the  large  increase  in  its  membership 
during  the  past  year,  and  its  present  favorable  finan- 
cial condition.  They  have  a  membership  of  about 
eoo,  and  a  Sabbath-school  numbering  some  50 
pupils. 

Episcopal  Church.  Grace  Church  was  organized 
in  1859.  Their  church  building  is  located  on  the 
corner  of  Prairie  and  Tompkins  streets.  It  is  a 
frame  building  of  Gothic  architecture.  Rev.  C. 
Shrirapton  is  the  present  pastor,  and  has  an  average 
attendance  at  his  service  of  250.  A  Sunday-school 
is  attached,  which  is  very  prosperous,  and  is  con- 
ducted by  W.  F.  Bailey,  the  efficient  Superintendent. 
Universalis t  Church.  This  society  was  organized 
in  January,  1856,  with  some  25  members.  It  has 
had  its  periods  of  prosperity  and  adversity  during  all 
these  years.     Not  having  the  strength  of  organiza- 


tion which  is  secured  by  the  orthodox  system,  these 
organizations  are  often  depressed  for  want  of  proper 
supix)rt,  and  sometimes  broken  up  altogether. 

The  present  condition  of  this  church  in  Gales- 
burg  is  very  fair,  and  it  is  reasonably  prosperous. 
Tlie  society  is  out  of  debt  and  has  a  good  liouse  of 
worship.  The  present  membership  is  about  180, 
%vith  an  average  attendance  of  i^o.  An  interesting 
Sabbath-school  is  one  of  the  features  of  the  society, 
which  is  under  the  superintendency  of  John  W. 
Grubb.  Connected  with  the  cluirch  is  a  Young  Peo- 
ple's Missionary  Association,  the  objects  of  which  are 
to  develop  the  missionary  service,  distribute  religious 
literature  and  to  raise  funds  in  the  interest  of  the 
church.     The  present  pastor  is  Rev,  S.  Crane. 

The  Church  of  Corpus  Christi  {Catholic).  The 
first  opening  of  the  Catholic  service  in  Galesburg 
was  by  a  missionary  at  a  very  eariy  day.  Services 
were  held  in  a  shanty,  which  was  afterward  blown 
down.  Rev.  John  O'Neil  was  the  first  settled  priest, 
and  it  was  during  his  pastorate  that  the  first  church 
building  was  erected,  which  was  in  1857.  This  was 
located  in  the  southwest  part  of  the  town. 

Father  O'Neil  was  succeeded  in  1863  by  Rev. 
James  Power,  who  only  remained  one  year,  when 
Rev.  Maurice  Howard  assumed  charge.  Mr.  How- 
ard served  the  church  until  1877,  when  Rev.  Joseph 
Costa,  the  present  pastor,  was  appointed. 

Father  Costa  neither  liked  the  old  church  build- 
ing nor  its  location,  and  it  was  not  long  after  he  as- 
sumed charge  before  he  began  to  lay  his  plans  for  a 
new  edifice  and  a  new  location.  What  he  wanted 
was  a  good  location  in  the  center  of  the  city.  All 
available  ground,  however,  was  occupied.  But  he 
made  up  his  mind  he  would  not  build  until  he  se- 
cured grounds  that  suited  him.  A  few  years"  waiting 
and  the  exercise  of  a  little  strategy  finally  brought 
him  into  possession  of  just  the  site  he  wanted,  which 
was  on  the  corner  of  South  and  Prairie  streets. 
Work  was  then  commenced,  which  finally  terminated 
in  the  completion  of  the  present  edifice.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  in  May,  1884,  by  Bishop  Spaulding. 
It  was  dedicated  Sunday,  Oct.  4,  1885,  the  services 
being  conducted  by  Bishop  Spaulding,  of  Peoria. 
The  building  is  122  feet  long  by  .■;7  feet  in  width. 
The  foundation  is  of  cut  stone,  and  the  superstruct- 
ure is  of  brick.  Its  graceful  and  weIl-proiX)rtioned 
spire  rises  150  feet  high.     The  auditorium  is  large, 


% 


■->■ 


4-} 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


to34 

light  and  airy  and  elegantly  finished,  having  a  heavy 
Gothic  ceiling  with  groined  side  arches  on  each  side, 
and  across  the  front  is  a  gallery.  From  each  side  of 
the  altar  there  are  also  two  invisible  galleries,  which 
command  a  view  of  the  altar  through  arched  open- 
ings. The  altar  is  beautifully  and  artistically  de- 
signed. The  panel  in  front  represents  the  Lord's 
Supper.  The  figures  are  in  basso-relievo,  carved  in 
wood  and  exceedingly  well  executed.  The  basement, 
which  is  quite  high,  is  fitted  up  for  a  vesper  room 
and  other  like  services.  It  is  lighted  with  gas  and 
heated  by  steam.  iVIr.  Guido  was  the  architect  and 
Matthias  Schnell  the  builder.  To  Father  Costa, 
however,  the  credit  must  be  given  for  the  design  and 
plan  of  the  edifice.  Total  cost  of  building  and 
grounds,  S35'0°°-  A.  bell  has  been  put  in,  weighing 
600  pounds,  and  costing  $600.  A  large  pipe  organ 
is  to  be  an  additional  attraction. 

Father  Costa  is  assisted  by  Father  Selva.     The 
present  membership  of  the  church   consists  of  200 
f   parochial  fauiilies  and  about  100  mixed  families. 

Secret  and  Benevolent  Societies. 

'HERE    are,    perhaps,   more   organizations, 
and  in  a  more  flourishing  condition,  coming 
under  the   above   heading,  than   in    many 
cities  of  double  its  size.     Almost  every  variety 
of  secret    and  benevolent   societies  is  repre- 
sented here,  as  shown  by  the  following  sketches  : 

MASONIC. 

Alpha  Lodge,  .\o.  155,  was  chartered  Oct.  3, 1854, 
with  J.  W.  Spaulding,  J.  L.  Clay,  Isaac  Delano,  C. 
P.  West,  L.  Dolbear,  L.  C.  Conger,  J.  I.  McCool,  J. 
P.  Fuller,  Stephen  Hitchcock  and  A.  S.  Davenport, 
as  charter  members.  J.  W.  Spaulding  was  appointed 
W.  M. ;  S.  Dolbear,  S.  W.  ;  J.  P.  Fuller,  J.  W. 
Preseat  officers  are:  George  W.  Thompson,  W.  M.; 
George  H.  Perren,  S.  W.;-  Fletcher  Carney,  J.  VV.  ; 
C.  E.  Allen,  Treas. ;  A.  J.  Ostrander,  Secy.  ;  A.  W. 
Silvius,  Chaplain;  B.  Anderson,  S.  D.;  J.  C.  HolHs, 
J.  D. ;  W.  N.  Harvey,  S.  S. ;  H.  B.  Burton,  J.  S.  ; 
William  Patch,  Tiler.  This  lodge  has  been  prosper- 
ous since  it  was  instituted,  but  its  membership  has 
been  lessened  by  death  and  emigration,  and  has  a 
present  membership  of  140.  It  has  no  debts,  but  on 
the  contrary  has  a  fund  which  is  invested  in  stocks. 
They  have  a  fine  hall,  which  is  used  jointly  by  all  the 


Masonic  bodies  in  the  town.  Connected  with  the 
hall  is  a  banquet-room,  and  room  for  regalias  and 
uniforms. 

Vesper  Lodge,  No.  584,  A.,  F.    &'    A.    M.,  was 
chartered  Oct.  6,  1868.     Charter  members:  Robert 

B.  Carson,   John  M.  Morse,  David   Greenleaf,  John 

C.  Stewart,  Charles  E.  Baldwin,  Jonas  F.  Anderson, 
James  T.  McKnight,  William  O.  Claycomb,  John 
McFarland,  Robert  N.  Pollock,  George  C.  Lan- 
phere,  Julius  L.  Dewey,  Oscar  F.  Price.  First 
officers :   R.  B.  Carson,  W.  M.  ;  J.  M.  Morse,  S.  W. ; 

D.  Greenleaf,  J.  W. ;  C.  E.  Baldwin,  Treas.;  J.  Mc- 
Farland, Secy. ;  J.  L.  Dewey,  S.  D  ;  R.  N.  Pollock, 
J.  D. ;  O.  F.  Price,  S.  S. ;  J.  F.  Anderson,  J.  S. ; 
Tliomas  McQueen,  Tiler.  Present  membership,  128. 
Present  officers :  W.  R.  Hoyle,  Jr.,  W.  M. ;  F.J.  Allen, 
S.  W. ;  F.  E.  Fellows,  J.  W. ;  J.  F.  Anderson,  Treas. ; 
N.  A.  Knowles,  S.  D. ;  H.  N.  Joslyn,  J.  D. ;  G.  W. 
Williams,  Tiler;  P.  Zetterberg  and  J.  P.  Howland, 
Stewards.  They  have  a  large,  beautiful  hall,  elegantly 
decorated,  and  well  equipped  and  furnished  with  a 
banquet-room  and  armory-room,  with  closets,  etc. 
They  have   an  organ  ;  money  invested  in  the  C,  B. 

&  Q.  R.  R.  bonds,  and  money  at  interest,  and  have  J 
no  debts.  The  lodge  is  on  the  increase  and  in  a 
very  prosperous  condition.  The  hall  they  finished 
off  and  furnished  at  their  own  expense.  The  hall  is  ' 
owned  jointly  by  the  four  Masonic  bodies.  They 
have  two  Trustees  from  each  body,  wliich  constitute 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Masonic  Hall,  which  is  in- 
corporated under  the  laws  of  the  State.  The  Board 
has  charge  of  all  Masonic  property,  makes  assessment 
on  the  individual  membership  for  payment  of  bills. 
The  Masonic  Lodges  of  the  city  took  prominent  part 
in  the  ceremonies  of  laying  the  corner-stone  to  the 
new  court-house,  June  24,  1885.  The  stone  was 
laid  by  the  M.  W.  Grand  Master,  Alex.  T.  Darrah. 

Gaksbtirg  Chapter,  No.  46,  was  chartered  Oct.  2, 
1858,  with  J.  W.  Spaulding,'G.  C.  Lanphere,  Caleb 
Finch,  S.  C.  Buckley,  W.  W.  Patch,  H.  M.  Hale,  E. 
W.  Hazzard,  I.  A.  Perry,  T.  N.  McQueen  and  E.  L. 
Ives  as  charter  members,  with  J.  W.  Spaulding,  H. 
P.  ;  George  C.  Lanphere,  King;  Caleb  Finch,  Scribe. 
The  Chapter  holds  its  meetings  in  the  Masonic  Hall. 
Present  officers :  Rowley  Page,  H.  P. ;  H.  R.  San- 
derson, King;  E.  C.  Stone,  Scribe;  F.  E.  Fellows, 
Captain  of  the  Host ;  W.  R.  Hoyle,  P.  S.. ;  P.  F. 
Brown,  Treas.;  N.  A.  Knowles,  Secy. ;  R.C.Harris, 


=*^ 


■^^ 


4 


H- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


'03S 


R.    A.    C.      Present    membership   about    97.     This 
Chapter  is  prosperous  and  in  good  working  order. 

KNIGHTS  TEMPLAR. 

GaUsburg  Commandery,  No.  8.  The  Blue  Lodge 
and  the  Chapter  were  established  at  an  early  day, 
and  have  been  prosperous  notwithstanding  the  bitter 
opposition  made  by  a  man  by  the  name  of  Jonathan 
Blanchard.  It  seemed  that  the  more  secret  societies 
were  denounced  by  this  man,  the  more  they  pros- 
pered, and  in  the  winter  of  1S59  the  members  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  concluded  to  establish  a  com- 
mandery.  Prominent  among  these  were  Messrs. 
T.  N.  McQueen  and  William  McMurtry.  The 
former  had  received  orders  in  Ireland  and  the  latter  in 
Joliet.  A  dispensation,  upon  petition  of  these  men 
and  others,  was  granted  at  Chicago,  May  9,  1859. 
The  first  conclave  was  held  May  31,  1S59,  in  Ma- 
sonic Hall.  The  officers  and  Sir  Knights  present 
were  :  H.  W.  Hubbard,  E.  C.  ;  William  McMurtry, 
Gen.  ;  T.  N.  McQueen,  Capt.  Gen.  ;  R.  E.  Good- 
rich, Treas. ;  J.  W.  Parish,  Rec. ;  Z.  N.  Hotchkiss, 
S.  W.;  C.   E.  Munger,    J.   W. ;  L.  Keyon,  Warder. 

^  and  J.  P.  Fuller,  C.  G.  At  this  conclave  ten  com- 
panions petitioned  for  the  orders,  all  of  whom  were 
accepted,  to  wit :  James  A.  Thompson,  John    W. 

•  Spaulding,  George  C.  Lanphere,  H.  M.  Hale,  John 
A.  Marshall,' A.  C.  Dunnaker,  A.  W.  Simpson,  Sid- 
nev  Meyers,  Caleb  Finch  and  E.  W.  Hazzard.  On 
the  i2thof  December,  1859,  a  special  dispensation 
was  granted  to  the  commandery,  in  which  James  A. 
Thompson  was  appointed  E.  C. ;  J.  W.  Spaulding 
was  appointed  Generalissimo  and  Caleb  Finch,  Cap- 
tain-General. A  charter  for  the  commander)'  was 
granted  Oct.  22,  i860.  The  charter  members  were 
James  A.  Thompson,  John  W.  Spaulding,  George  C. 
Lanphere,  Mollis  M.  Hale,  Augustus  S.  Converse, 
Caleb  Finch,  John  A.  Marshall,  T.  N.  McQueen,  H. 
D.  S.  Smith  and  S.  H.  D.  Mathews,  of  whom  only  two 
are  living — Messrs.  H.  M.  Hale  and  J.  A.  Marshall. 
On  Dec.  18,  1863,  the  officers  of  the  commandery 
were  publicly  installed  During  this  year  it  was 
honored  by  the  Grand  Commandery  of  the  State,  by 
the  election  of  one  of  its  members,  G.  C.  Lanphere, 
Grand  Commander.  At  several  different  times  the 
commandery  has  gone  into  encampment  for  the  pur- 
fxjse  of  drill,  once  at  Rock  Island,  once  at  Keiths- 
burg,  once  at  Oquawka  and  once  at  Knoxville. 
Like  most  of  similar  bodies,  this  society  has  had  its 


periods  of  prosperity  and  adversity,  but  it  has  passed 
successfully  through  all  and  stands  to-day  as  high  as 
any  commandery  outside  of  Chicago,  and  has  a 
membership  of  170.  With  financial  matters  in  an 
excellent  condition,  it  has  a  record  of  which  any 
body  might  be  proud.  Meetings  are  held  in  the 
Masonic   Hall.     Present  officers:  J.   L.   Burkhalter, 

E.  C. ;  P.  S.  Port,  GIs.  ;  A.  A.  Price,  Capt.  Gen. ; 
N.  A.  Knowles,  Prelate ;  Thomas  Harrison,  S.  W. ; 
T.  J.  Hale,  J.  W. ;  P.  F.  Brown,  Treas.;  J.  H.  Cal- 
kins, Rec. 

ODD  FELLOWS. 

Gahsburg  Lodge,  No.  140,  was  chartered  Oct.  12 
1854.  The  Metropolitan  Block,  in  which  they  had 
their  hall,  was  burned  in  1873,  consuming  all  their 
books  and  records.  A  charter  was  re-issued  to  them 
Oct.  14,  1873.     The  first  charter  members  were   E. 

F.  Wicker,  W.  D.  Holcorab,  S.  G.  Cowan,  Robert 
McCormick  and  B.  H.  Harrington.  This  was  the 
first  lodge  of  this  order  instituted  in  Galesburg.  It 
has  a  membership  at  present  of  70,  and  is  in  a  good 
financial  condition,  having  a  fund  in  stocks  of  §3,500, 
and  is  flourishing  handsomely.  Their  hall  is 
owned  jointly  by  the  three  lodges,  and  is  well 
equipped  and  furnished.  Present  officers  :  John  G. 
Malick,  N.  G.;  B.  F.  Reynolds,  V.  G.;  E.  Scharps, 
Secretary;  E.  J.  Ostrander,  Treasurer.  This  Order 
propose  soon  to  erect  for  their  use  a  fine  building, 
and  have  some  $20,000  subscribed  for  that   purpose. 

Veritas  Lodge,  .\o.  478,  was  instituted  Feb.  14, 
1872,  with  16  charter  members,  and  received  a 
charter  October  8  of  the  same  year.  At  its  organ- 
ization the  following  officers  were  elected  :  Newton 
Briggs,  N.  G.;  C.  A.  Dirr,  V.  G.;  Thomas  Aylesbury, 
Secretary  ;  D.  E.  Holston,  Treasurer.  It  has  a  mem- 
bership at  present  of  97.  Present  officers  :  E.  W. 
Searle,  N-  G.;  James  E.  Hamblin,  V.  G.;  W.  F.  Mc- 
Cawley,  Secretar)- ;  Hiram  Mars,  Treasurer.  This 
lodge  is  increasing  in  members  and  is  prosperous. 
They  hold  their  sessions  with  the  other  lodges. 

First  Scandinavian  Lodge,  No.  446,  was  instituted 
Jan.  26,  187  I,  and  was  chartered  October  11,  follow- 
ing. It  was  burned  out  in  1873,  and  was  re-char- 
tered Oct.  14,  1873.  There  were  13  charter  members. 
First  officers :  A  W.  Berggren,  N.  G.;  A.  Klingsoerg, 
V.  G.;  P.  B.  Anderson,  Secretary ;  John  Clarkson, 
Treasurer.  This  lodge  was  formed  from  Lodge  No. 
142;  membership,  about   50.     Present   officers:  A, 


1036 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^* 


W.  Berggren,  N.  G.;  C.  N.  Munson,  V.  G.;  J.  O.  Frosty 
Recording  Secretary;  J.  F.  Anderson,  Permanent 
Secretary;  A.  Hofflund,  Treasurer.  The  lodge  is  in 
good  financial  condition.  The  records  were  all  lost 
by  the  fire;  no  insurance.  The  following  are  the 
present  officers  :  A.  W.  Berggren,  N.  G.;  C.  N.  Mun- 
son, V.  G.;  J.  O.  Frost,  R.  S.;  J.  F.  Anderson,  P.  S.; 
A.  Hofflund,  T. 

Aftior  Lodge,  No.  5g4,  was  chartered  Oct.  15, 
1875,  with  George  Host,  Henry  Bierdermann,  Peter 
Wies,  lAither  Becker,  Carl  Host  and  Jacob  Gretz- 
inger.  Present  membership,  27.  Present  officers — 
S.  G.  Hoffheimer,  N.G.;  D.  Muhlberger,  V.  G.;  Max 
J.  Mack,  Secretary;  J.  Gretzinger,  Treasurer;  F. 
Oestricher,  Jolm  Walter,  Henry  Gardt  and  S.  Froe- 
lich,  Trustees.  The  lodge  is  in  good  working  order 
and  financial  condition. 

KNIGHTS   OF    PYTHIAS. 

Myrtle  Lodge,  No.  100,  organized  April  12,  1882; 
regular  meetings   every  Thursday  evening   at  their 
hall,  in   Washburn's  Block,  216   Main  street.     First 
officers  were  B.  Lindburg,  P.  C;  J.  O.   Frost,  C.  C; 
I  H.  La  Hann,  V.  C;  C.  M.  C.  Burns,  P.;  N.  E.  John- 
'^son,  K.  of  R.  &  S.;    C.  L.  Hedell,  M.  of  Exch.;  E. 
I   L.  Thorsen,  M.   of  F.;  N.   P.  Swenson,  M.  at  A.;  S. 
I  F.  Sivenson,  J.  G.;  F.  Weinman,  O.  G.;  J.  O.  Frost, 
^  Rep.  to  Grand  Lodge.      The  officers  for  the  present 
term  are  Fletcher  Carney,  P.  C;  N.  P.  Swenson,  C. 
C;  George  Ekins,  V.   C;  W.  C.    Parker,  P.;  J.   O. 
Frost,  K.  of  R.  &  S.;  Gust.  Henderson,  M.  of  Exch.; 
H.  P.  Parker,   M.   of  F ;  E.  P.  Williams,  M.   at  A.; 
F.  Weinman,  L  G.;    G.    W.  Williams,  O.  G.;  N.  P. 
Swenson,  Rep.  10  Grand  Lodge.     Present  member- 
ship, 65. 

hsel  Lodge,  Ac.  127,  instituted  Aug.  8,  1884; 
meets  every  Friday  evening  in  Knights  of  Pythias 
Hall,  216  Main  street.  First  officers:  S.  D.  Cole, 
P.  C;  C.  L  Hubbell,  C.  C;  B.  J.  Huff,  V.  C;  E, 
O.  Clark,  P.;  G.  L.  Arnold,  M.  of  Exch.;  A.  G. 
Humphrey,  M.  of  F.;  D.  S.  Hecker,  K.  of  R.  &  S.; 
D.  S.  Markley,  M.  at  A.;  George  S.  Best,  J.  G.;  Ed. 
Rogers,  O.  G.;  C.  L.  Hubbell,  Grand  Lodge  Rep. 
Officers  for  present  term  are  M.  P.  Hale,  P.  C; 
F.  C.  Willoughby,  C.  C;  R.  C.  Hunt,  V.  C;  William 
Cousins,  P.;  J.  Bellows,  M.  of  Exch.;  S.  D.  Cole, 
K.  of  R.  &  S.  and  M.  of  F.;  D.  S.  Markley,  M.  at  A.; 
J.  Smith,  J.  G.;  W.  W.  Adams,  O.  G.  Present  mem- 
bership, 40.  The  order  is  in  a  prosperous  condition; 
financially  the  two  lodges  represent  over  $1,500. 


THE  A.  o.   u.  w. 

The  four  bodies  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  have  a  good 
hall,  which  they  use  jointly.  The  hall  has  been 
neatly  fitted  up  at  a  cost  of  about  $1,000.  A  good 
organ  forms  a  part  of  this  furniture,  and  a  piano, 
which  they  lease.  Each  one  of  them  has  a  liberal 
sick  benefit  fund,  which  is  one  of  the  blessings  offered 
by  them  in  time  of  need. 

Garfield  Legion,  No.  S,  was  organized  March  20, 
1882,  with  1 9  charter  members.  First  officers — 
T.  W.  Russell,  S.  C;  H.  Emrich,  V.  C. ;  Ed.  Flinn, 
Lt.  C;  P.  F.  Clark,  Rec;  Thos.  Hopkins,  Treas.;  G. 
W.  Fitch,  Rec.  Treas.;  A.  G.  Johnston,  Chaplain  ; 
John  H.  Davidson,  St.  B.;  Christian  Hanson,  J.  W.; 
Charles  H.  Edmund,  S.  W.;  A.  G.  Millspaugh,  Mar- 
shal. Its  membership  now  is  33.  Present  officers : 
W.  O.  Salisbury,  S.  C;  A.  J.  Capron,  V.  C;  J.  W. 
Dukes,  L.  C;  E.  B.  Rhodes,  St.  B.;  A.  F.  Starr,  S. 
W.;  W.  A.  Starrett,  J.  W.;  R.  W.  Sweeney,  Rec;  O. 
P.  Wenquist,  Treas.;  Thos.  Hopkins,  Guard ;  H.  , 
Emrich,  Marshal ;  J.  Sanquist,  Trustee.  It  is  in 
good  condition  and  prosperous.  I 

Vasa  Lodge,  No.  210,  was  chartered  March  18,-M 
[882,  with  28  charter  members.  First  officers:  John 
A.  Engstrum,  P.  M.  W.;  S.  G  Johnson,  M.  W.;  John 
A.  Johnson,  Recorder;  Andrew  D.  Johnston,  Finan-  , 
cier;  Nelse  P.  Paulson,  Receiver;  Frank  G.  Strom- 
stedt.  Foreman;  C.  H.  Edmund,  Overseer;  John 
Chelstram,  Guide;  August  Johnson,  Inside  Watch- 
man; Charles  Scaglund,  Outside  Watchman.  This 
lodge  is  increasing  in  membership,  and  its  finances 
are  in  a  good  condition.  Present  number,  50.  Offi- 
cers: Nels  M.  Burg,  Master  Workman;  Orrin  Linroth, 
Foreman;  A.  F.  Starr,  Overseer;  August  Johnson, 
Recorder;  O.  P.  Wenquist,  Financier;  P.  B.  Fried- 
Uind,  Receiver;  A\igust  Johnson,  Guide;  Aleck 
fohnson.  Inside  Watchman;  H.  Hawkinson,  Out- 
side Watchman ;  Trustees — A.  F.  Starr,  elected  for 
three  years  ;  Frank  G.  Stromstedt,  elected  for  two 
years. 

Gale  Lodge,  No.  iig,  was  organized  July  18,  1878, 
with  34  charter  members.  First  officers:  P.F.Clark, 
P.  M.  W. ;  D.  S.  Hecker,  M.  W.;  F.  A.  Brown,  Fore- 
man ;  James  Webb,  Overseer;  E.  J.  Tyler,  Guide; 
S.  H.  Oleson,  Recorder;  John  Sadler,  Financier;  J. 
A.  Peterson,  Recorder;  J.  K.  Howland,  J.  W. ;  A. 
N.  Tyler,  O.  W.  Trustees :  F.  A.  Brown,  J.  R.  Pol- 
lock and  P.  F.  Clark.     The  following  are  the  present 


u 


?jh- 


JCNOX  COUNTY. 


'037 


officers:  R.  W.  Sweeney,  M.  W. ;  Geo.  E.  Duty, 
Foreman;  J.  \V.  Long,  Overseer;  J.  O.  Frost,  Re- 
corder; H.  Emrich,  Financier;  M.  Squires,  Receiver; 
A.  Leech,  Guide;  B.  Hurt,  I.  W. ;  Jas.  Boyd,  O.  W.; 
Trustee,  F.  Carney.  Financial  condition  good  ;  funds 
on  hand.    The  lodge  is  increasing  and  prosperous. 

College  City  Lodge,  No  214,  was  chartered  April 
29,  1882,  with  85  charter  members.  First  officers  : 
M.  Mount,  P.  M.  W.;  Rowley  Page,  M.  vy.;  W.  O. 
Lovejoy,  Foreuian  ;  E.  S.  Kimball,  Overseer;  H.  W. 
Carpenter,  Financier;  J.  F.  Boydston,  Receiver;  H. 
H.  Blick,  Recorder;  C.  E  Dudley,  Guide ;  W.  W. 
Tompkins,  I.  W. ;  Chas.  T.  Eldridge,  O.  VV. ;  S.  D. 
Pollock,  NL  E.  Present  membership,  104.  Finan- 
cial condition  good,  and  funds  to  meet  all  beneficiary 
demands.  Present  officers :  C.  T.  Eldridge,  M.  W.; 
G.  W.  Tuttle,  Foreman;  W.  E.  Looniis,  Overseer; 
A.  H.  Blick,  Recorder,  re-elected;  F.  S.  Bartlelt, 
Financier,  re-elected;  VV.  B.  Wood,  Receiver,  re- 
elected ;  E.  B.  Rhodes,  Guide  ;  James  Kingan,  L  \V. ; 
W.  O.  Salisbury,  O.  \V. ;  S.  K.  McCullough,  Trustee, 
re-elected. 

ORDER   OF    RAILROAD   CONDUCTORS — GR.AND  DIVISION. 

This  order  had  its  inception  at  Mendota,  111.,  in 
1868.  It  was  organized  with  8  members  and  i 
,  division.  They  now  have  187  divisions  and  about 
8,000  members.  Their  headquarters  aie  in  Chicago. 
Here  they  publish  a  monthly  magazine,  which  is  un- 
der the  management  of  the  Grand  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  W.  P.  Daniels.  This  order  has  a  system 
of  insurance  for  the  benefit  of  disabled  members, 
their  widows  and  orphans.  Under  its  provisions  the 
disabled  brother,  or,  in  case  of  his  deatli,  his  widow 
or  orphans,  if  such  there  be,  receive  $2,500.  In  this 
direction  the  order  has  paid  out  up  to  date  about 
3 1 00,000.  They  have  at  present  about  $2,925  in  the 
treasury.  This  is  an  organization  in  which  every 
railroad  company  should  take  a  deep  interest  and 
give  every  [wssible  encouragement.  Grand  Chief 
Conductor,  C.  S.  Wheaton ;  Grand  Secretary  and 
Treasurer,  Wm.  P.  Daniels. 

Galesburg  Division,  A^o.  Sj,  Order  of  Railroad 
Conductors,  was  chartered  July  25,  1883,  with  47 
charter  members.  The  first  officers  were :  E.  H. 
Belknap,  Chief  Conductor;  W.  O.  Salisbury,  Assist- 
ant Chief  Conductor;  W.  S.  Dewey,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer;  Wm.  Patrick,  Senior  Conductor;  Thomas 
Brown,  Junior  Conductor;   D.  V.  Simpson,  Inside 


Sentinel;  J.  L.  Long,  Outside  Sentinel;  Ed.  Flinn, 
W.  C.  Johns  and  W.  O.  Salisbury,  Trustees. 

The  object  of  this  order  is  to  promote  the  interests 
of  conductors  and  advance  the  standard  of  the  serv- 
ice. Members  of  this  order  are  pledged  to  avoid 
all  irregularities  and  intemperance  which  might  impair 
their  faculties  or  debase  the  dignity  of  their  profes- 
sion ;  to  aid  a  brother  when  in  difficulty,  console  liim 
in  the  hour  of  grief,  relieve  him  when  in  distress, 
counsel  him  when  asfay,  and  to  avoid  every  word 
and  act  that  might  injure  him  in  person,  character, 
purse  or  feeling.  They  are  also  pledged  to  support 
the  by-laws  and  all  the  rules  of  the  Division,  together 
with  the  constitution  and  statutes  of  the  Grand  Di- 
vision, in  spirit  as  well  as  letter.  A  Relief  Commit- 
tee is  formed,  composed  of  the  Chief  Conductor  and 
the  Board  of  Trustees,  whose  duty  it  is  to  visit  any 
sick  or  disabled  brother,  inquire  into  his  wants  and 
report  the  same  to  his  division.  In  case  of  death  of 
any  brother  in  good  standing,  they  are  to  see  that  he 
has  a  respectable  burial,  and  to  e.xtend  aid  and  com-  ' 
fort  to  his  family,  if  he  has  one.  This  is  one  of  the 
organizations  which  has  intrinsic  merit  and  through 
which  great  good  can  be  accomplished.  Present"^ 
officers:  S.  C.  Ayers,  Chief  Conductor;  W.  I.  Leg- 
gett.  Assistant  Chief  Conductor;  Ed.  Flinn,  Secretary 
and  Treasurer;  F.  E.  Rogers,  Senior  Conductor;  J.  • 
K.  P.  Howland,  Junior  Conductor;  R.  Swain,  Inside 
Sentinel;  T.  C.  Bowes,  Outside  Sentinel;  M.  T. 
Prentiss,  T.  C.  Bowes  and  E.  S.  Kimball,  Trustees. 
This  division  has  now  about  85  members,  and  some 
$700  in  the  treasury.  The  organization  and  pros- 
perity of  this  division  are  greatly  due  to  W.  O.  Salis- 
bury and  Ed.  Flinn. 

BROTHERHOOD  OF  RAILROAD  HRAKE.MEN. 

C.  E.  Judge  Lodge,  No.  24,  was  instituted  Aug. 
II,  1884,  and  was  among  the  first  of  this  order  to  or- 
ganize. It  was  started  with  20  members,  and  has 
at  the  present  writing  60,  and  is  increasing  daily.  It 
is  officered  by  the  following-named  members  of  the 
order :  C.  E.  Judge,  Master  ;  A.  B.  Talbot,  Sec- 
retary; L.  J.  Burke,  Financier.  At  present  this 
society  meets  in  the  G.  A.  R.  hall,  holding 
its  meetings  weekly.  As  this  is  a  compara- 
tively new  order  in  this  county,  a  few  words  in 
regard  to  its  organization  and  objects  may  not  be  in- 
opportune. 

This  society  was  first  organized  at  the  quiet  little 


1038 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


town  of  Oneonta,  N.  Y.,  Sept.   23,  1883.     Its  first 
convention  was   held   at   this   place  Sept.  20  to  25, 
1884,  with   32   delegates,    when  the  Grand   Lodge 
was  formed.       The   full  title  of   the  order    is    the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Brakemen  of  the  Western 
Hemisphere.     The  second  annual  convention  met 
at   Burlington,  Iowa,  and  at  this  convention    there 
were  161  delegates,  showing  a  remarkable  increase 
over   the   last    convention.     It  is  instituted  for  the 
purpose  of  financial  benefit  in  case  of  accidents,  and 
to  elevate  the  service.   It  has  for  its  motto  "  Benevo- 
lence, Sobriety  and  Industry."     It  aims  to  unite  the 
railroad  brakemen  of  this  continent,  to  promote  their 
general   welfare,  and  to  advance  their  social,  moral 
and  intellectual  interests,  as  well  as  to  protect  and 
administer   to    the  wants  of  their   widows  and  or- 
phans.    It  further  aims   to  maintain  a  harmonious 
understanding  between  its  members  and  their  em- 
ployers, and  to  establish  mutual   confidence  and  re- 
spect.    There    are    now    180    lodges    of  the    order, 
which   are  located   in  various   parts   of  the    United 
States  and  Territories.     The  next  annual   meeting 
will  be  held  at  San  Antonio,  Texas. 
'      From  a  small  beginning  tliis  order  has  increased 
to  a  membership  now  of  about  7,000.     Two  men  are 
constantly  on  the  road  instituting  new  lodges.     In 
'  connection  with  their  societies  they  have  a  magazine, 
which  is  published  at  Burlington,  Iowa,  called  the 
Railroad  Brakeman's  Journal,  which  is  in  its  second 
volume.     It  is  edited  by  J.   P.  Bledsoe,  of  Burling- 
ton, Ed.  F.  O'Shea  and  C.  E.  Judge,  of  Galesburg. 
It  is  ably  conducted,   containing  principally  railroad 
news,  accidents  in  the  service,  and  devoted  to  the 
interests  of  the  Brotherhood.     This  eventually  will 
be  one  of  the  strongest  organizations  in  the  country. 
It  certainly  will  be  one  of  the  most  beneficial.     The 
officers  of  the  Grand  Lodge  are  :     S.  E.  Wilkinson, 
G.  M.,  Chicago,  111. ;  Ed.   F.  O'Shea,  G.  S.  and  T. ; 
L.  C.  Foster,  Jr.,  G.  O.  and  I.     Executive  Commit- 
tee, J.  A.  Lang,  John  B.  Gillroy,    J.    E.  McConnell 
and    J.  W.    Quinn.     Grand    Trustees,    E.    White, 
Daniel  L.  Cease  and  Daniel   McCarty.     It  is  esti- 
mated that  there  are  now  in  this  country  about  75,- 
000  brake^ien,  and   it  is  safe  to  say  that  in  time  75 
per  cent  of  these  will  be  members  of  the  Brother- 
hood 

MODERN    WOODMEN    OF    AMERICA. 

Oak  Leaf  Camp,  No.  g2  was  organized  April    17, 


1885.  David  Spence,  Consul;  John  A.  Westfall, 
Adviser;  M.  C.  Loomis,  Clerk ;  E.  D.  Aikin,  Bank- 
er; D.  W.  Aldridge,  Physician;  C.  A.  Benkirt,  Es- 
cort ;  W.  E.  Brooks,  Watchman  ;  T.  J.  Dyer,  Sentry  ; 
Board  of  Managers :  D.  W.  Aldridge,  H.  F.  Leon- 
ard and  Wm.  Elder.  Present  officers  :  David  Spence, 
Consul;  John  A.  Westfall,  Adviser;  W.  E.  Brooks, 
Clerk;  E.  D.  Aikins,  Banker;  D.  W.  Aldridge,  Phy- 
sician; J.  O.  Regnier,  Escort;  T.  J.  Dyer,  Watch- 
man ;  H.  F.   Leonard,  Sentry. 

This  society  has  a  membership  of  28,  and  meets  in 
the  G.  A.  R.  hall. 

THE   women's   christian    TEMPERANCE    UNION 

was  organized  in  March,  1874.  The  first  President 
was  Mrs.  M.  Waite;  Mrs.  E.  Hurd,  Secretary.  It  was 
organized  with  a  large  membership.  Present  officers: 
Mrs.  M.  F.  Webster,  Prest.;  Mrs.  Marshall  Hurd, 
Vice-Prest.;  Miss  Mary  Jelliff,  Rec.  Sec'y ;  Mrs.  J. 
W.  Dieterich,  Cor.  Sec'y;  Mrs.  M.  L.  Hyde,  Treas., 
and  Mrs.  H.  C.  Bliss,  Auditor.  About  60  members, 
in  full  standing,  belong  to  the  society.  It  has  been 
very  active  in  its  work  during  the  past  year,  which 
has  strengthened  the  cause  of  temperance.  The 
society  has  held  during  the  past  year  25  business 
and  devotional  meetings,  and  thiee  parlor  meetings. 
Regular  meetings  are  held  on  the  first  and  third 
Thursdays  of  each  month,  at  the  temperance  rooms, 
and  the  parlor  meetings  occur  quarterly  at  private 
houses.  Growing  out  of  the  efforts  of  this  society, 
there  has  been  established  a  Young  Men's  Christian 
Temperance  Union,  in  which  there  has  been  con- 
siderable interest  taken,  and  three  Bands  of  Hope, 
one  of  which  is  composed  of  colored  members. 

The  Y.  W.  C.  T.  U.  have  organized  a  girl's  union, 
in  which  a  lively  interest  is  manifested.  Connected 
with  this  is  a  gymnasium  and  a  Kindergarten. 

CLUBS. 

Galesburg  Club.  A  call  was  made  March  4,  1885, 
addressed  to  the  business  men,  requesting  that  they 
should  meet  at  the  Galesburg  National  Bank,  for  the 
purpose  of  considering  the  organizing  of  a  club,  to 
meet  on  the  9th  of  March.  Some  50  citizens  re- 
sponded to  this  call.  A  committee  was  appointed, 
consisting  of  T.  J.  Hale,  J.  K.  Mitchell,  A.  A.  Mat- 
teson,  L.  W.  Sanborn  and  Max  J.  Mack,  to  report  a 
plan  for  organizing.  Col.  Clark  E.  Carr  presided  at 
this  meeting.  The  meeting  adjourned  to  meet  on 
the   1 6th.     At  this  meeting  the  report  of  the  com- 


*% 


'J^ 


'^^^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


«o39 


mittee  was  received,  and  their  plan  of  organizing 
and  constitution,  after  some  amendments,  were 
adopted.  Signatures  were  then  received  lor  charter 
members,  when  a  board  of  directors  and  officers 
were  elected. 

Officers :  T.  J.  Hale,  President ;  Clark  E.  Carr, 
Vice-President;  J.  K.  Mitchell,  Secretary;  G.  P. 
Hoover,  Treasurer. 

The  Club  was  incorporated  March  19,  1885.  Di- 
rectors :  Philip  Sidney  Post,  E.  F.  Phelps,  Clark  E. 
Carr,  T.  J.  Hale,  C.  E.  Lanstrum,  A.  A.  Matteson, 
F.  C.  Rice,  P.  M.  Johnson,  G.  P.  Hoover  and  J.  K. 
Mitchell.  The  rooms  of  this  Club  are  located  on 
South  Prairie  street,  near  Main,  and  are  fitted  up 
and  decorated  in  elegant  style,  and  are  very  pleas- 
ant. They  have  a  billiard  room  with  three  tables, 
reading  room,  reception  room  and  card  room.  As 
soon  as  they  can  secure  a  lease  they  intend  to  add 
a  larger  reception  room.  They  have  a  membership  of 
some  250,  and  are  in  a  thrifty  condition. 

The  Standard  Library  and  Social  Club  of  Gales- 
burg  was  organized  in  the  fall  of  1885,  and  chartered 
October  t  of  the  same  year.  It  was  organized  with 
^  115  members.  W.  F.  Stanton  was  chosen  President; 
Max  J.  Mack,  Vice-President ;  George  Ekins,  Sec- 
retary, and  James  L.  Burkhalter,  Treasurer.  Trus- 
tees—John C.  Stewart,  A.  J.  Dow,  Henry  Sisson, 
M.  J.  Daugherty,  D.  L.  Greenleaf,  J.  R.  Gordon,  Olof 
Hawkinson,  Henry  Mayers.  Present  membership  204, 
and  the  Club  is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 

Their  rooms  are  located  on  Boon  avenue,  near 
Main  street,  and  are  fitted  with  elegance  and  taste. 
One  room  is  set  apart  for  billiards,  in  which  they  have 
three  tables  ;  then  they  have  a  reading  room,  and  re- 
ception room,  with  a  fine  upright  piano.  The  whole 
was  fitted  up  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,500.  This  Club 
affords  a  ver)'  pleasant  place  for  its  members  and 
guests  to  spend  their  leisure  hours. 

The  Workingmens  Club  was  chartered  Nov.  19, 
1885.  It  is  a  social  clul>,  with  hall  in  Opera  Build- 
ing. President,  R.  Bushard  ;  Secretar)',  C.  W.  Wi- 
nans,-  and  Sidney  Prait,  Treasurer.  They  have  recep- 
tion room,  reading  room  and  billiard  room,  two  tables. 
Present  membership,  200. 


f 


James  T.  Shields  Post,  No.  45,  was  instituted 
Aug.  8,  1867.  Its  charier  was  granted  July  26,  with 
30  members.    First  officers  were  Rowley  Page,  Com- 


mander; James  E.  Hall,  S.  V.  C;  D.  W.  Bradshaw, 
J.  V.  C;  S.  S.  Flint,  Adjt.  ;  Chas.  B.  Hyde,  Q. 
M.  :  L.  S.  Lambert,  Secretary;  \V.  H.  Hansel,  Chap- 
lain ;  Henry  A.  Allen,  Officer  of  the  Day  ;  Daniels. 
Hecker,  Officer  of  the  Guard. 

This  Post  was  first  organized  as  the  Galesburg 
Post.  After  the  death  of  Gen.  James  T.  Shields, 
who  was  an  honorary  member  of  the  order,  the  name 
was  changed. 

Present  officers  :  J.  P.  Hamblin,  Commander  ; 
H.  C.  Ward,  S.  V.  C. ;  H.  F.  Leonard,  J.  V.  C. ; 
J.  J.  De  Grummond,  Adjt.;  M.  S.  Barnes,  Q.  M.; 
L.  S.  Lambert,  Secretary;  J.  P.  Hippert,  O.  of  the 
Day;  \V.  B.  Camp,  O.  of  the  Guard. 

The  Post  is  in  a  prosperous  condition,  with  a  mem- 
bership of  II  r  in  good  standing.  They  have  a  good, 
large  hall,  which  is  well  furnished,  and  is  equipped 
very  tastefully,  the  special-order  furniture  being 
unique.  It  was  made  by  B.  Hyde,  who  has  fitted  up 
several  Posts  after  this  style.  Thirty-five  members 
were  added  to  this  Post  during  the  last  year. 

The  present  officers  are:  J.  P.  Hamblin,  C. ;  H. 
C.  Ward,  S.  V.  C. ;  H.  F.  Leonard,  J.  V.  C. ;  M.  S. 
Barnes,  Chaplain;  L.  S.  Lambert,  Surgeon;  J.  P. 
Hippert,  O.  D. ;  W.  B.  Camp,  O.  G. 

\..ollege  City  Guards.  One  of  the  attractive  organ- 
izations of  Galesburg  is  the  Guards,  forming  com- 
pany C,  6th  Regiment,  I.  N.  G.  They  were  insti- 
tuted Sept.  23,  1878,  and  have  added  during  the 
past  year  to  their  number,  making  a  company  now 
of  upward  of  60  members.  They  are  fully  uni- 
formed and  are  armed  with  the  latest  improved 
breech-loading  Springfield  rifles.  Drills  are  had 
weekly  in  their  armory,  and  every  pains  is  taken  10 
make  the  company  efficient.  W.  S.  Weeks  was 
elected  Captain  last  fall,  to  fill  the  place  of  G.  P. 
Hoover,  who  resigned. 

Covenant  Mutual  Benefit  Association  of  Illinois. 


pHIS  Association  was  incoriwrated  Jan.  9, 
[.'^77,  the  incorporators  being  A.  W.  Herg- 
t;rL-n,  E.  F.  Phelps  and  Jacob  Hoffheimer. 
e  first  Board  of  Directors  were  W.  L. 
Sweeney,  Rock  Island;  M.  E.  Newcomer, 
Freeport;  E.  F.  Phelps,  A.  W.  Berggren,  C.  E. 
Lanstrum,  N.  J.  Oleen,  N.  D.  Calkins,  Newton 
Briggs,  Jacob  Hoffheimer,  Edward  Maul  and  L.   W. 


t 


1040 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4-<^ 


Sanborn,  Galesburg;  A.  J.  Shaw,  Quincy;  H.  A. 
Bush,  D.  C.  Frazier,  Peoria;  Albert  Fishell,  Pittsfield  ; 
L.  H.  Hauss,  Woodlawn  ;  J.  M.  Brown,  Toulon;  T. 
C.  Swafford,  Oneida  ;  D.  W.  Jacobi,  Sbelbyvilie,  and 
S.  O.  Simons,  Joliet.  The  first  officers  were  as  fol- 
lows:  A.  W.  Berggren,  President;  Jacob  Hoflflieimer, 
Vice-President;  E.  F.  Phelps,  Secretary;  L.  W. 
Sanborn,  Treasurer;  Newton  Briggs,  Superintendent 
of  Agents;  George W.  Foote,  Medical  Director,  with 
M.  Herman  and  A.  G.  Humphrey  as  Associates ;  W. 
C.  Calkins,  Attorney. 

This  association  had  its  inception  in  the  Odd 
Fellows'  Order,  and  was  developed,  matured  and 
perfected  through  the  energetic  labors  of  E.  F.  Phelps 
and  Newton  Briggs.  After  much  discussion  among 
the  members  of  tlie  Odd  Fellows'  Lodge,  a  genera', 
meeting  was  called  at  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  Dec.  29, 
1876,  of  such  members  of  the  different  lodges  as  were 
desirous  of  organizing  a  mutual  benefit  association. 
About  100  members  met  on  the  day  appointed.  Geo. 
'  W.  Foote  was  made  Chairman  of  the  meeting,  and 
E.  F.  Phelps,  Secretary.  Plans  for  the  organization 
were  presented  and  adopted,  and  a  charter  applied 
r^for. 

The  plan  of  the  association  was  to  form  a  cheap 
and  reliable  insurance  company  for  the  members  of 
the  Order  and  their  wives.  The  meeting  was  a  suc- 
cessful one,  and  about  200  signatures  were  received 
for  certificates  of  membership.  This  was  a  new  en- 
terprise to  the  people  of  this  locality.  Co-operative 
life  insurance  was  but  little  known,  and  had  been 
attended  with  disaster  in  most  instances  where  it  had 
been  tried.  This  made  it  more  difficult  to  start,  and 
the  goal  of  success  less  easily  reached.  But  the 
association  was  fortunate  at  the  start  in  securing  a 
Secretary  and  Manager  in  the  person  of  E.  F.  Phelps, 
who  was  equal  to  the  occasion ;  to  whom  obstacles 
only  acted  as  stimulants  to  greater  efforts,  and  gave 
him  the  nerve  to  subdue  all  hindrances  and  remove 
all  doubts.  He  was  a  man  in  the  right  place,  ably 
assisted  and  backed  by  a  good  board,  who  had  the 
confidence  of  the  people,  and  the  Covenant  Mutual 
Association  is  now  an  established  fact,  a  full-fledged, 
permanent  institution  of  the  couniry,  and  in  insur- 
ance cheap,  reliable  and  safe. 

From  the  report  of  the  Secretary  for  the  year  end- 
ing Dec.  31,  1885,  the  following  extracts  have  been 
taken : 

Applications  received  since  the  organization,  34,- 


650.  Of  these,  6,342  were  received  during  the  year 
1885.  During  the  period  of  its  organization  there 
were  3,062  applications  rejected.  Number  of  certifi- 
cates in  force  at  the  end  of  1885,  21,382.  Amount 
of  insurance  written  in  1885,  3^4,073,750.  Total 
amount  paid  beneficiaries,  $383,572.07.  Average 
amount  paid  beneficiaries,  ^3,144.04.  Average  cost 
per  $t,ooo,  all  ages  and  grades,  for  the  last  four  years, 
$7.14.  Total  amount  paid  to  beneficiaries  since 
organization,  $[,337,026.43.  Total  amount  paid  since 
organization  without  assessment,  $132,894.82.  Re- 
ceipts from  various  sources  during  the  year  1885, 
$533,402.43.  Disbursements,  $437,941.10.  General 
expenses,  $33,603.1 1.  Cash  on  hand  Dec.  31,  1885, 
$60,393.12.  United  States  registered  bonds,  $65,000. 

The  above  figures  show  almost  an  unprecedented 
increase  of  business  for  so  short  a  time.  The  Cove- 
nant now  operates  in  Illinois,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Pennsyl- 
vania, New  York,  Maryland,  Michigan,  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota,  Iowa,  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Dakota,  Utah, 
Colorado,  Wyoming,  Nevada,  Oregon,  Montana, 
California,  District  of  Columbia  and  Canada. 

Average  number  of  employes  in  office,  about  18; 
special  agents,  25.  Present  officers:  A.  W.  Berg- 
gren, President ;  A.  Ell  wood,  Vice-President;  E.  F. 
Phelps,  Secretary  and  General  Manager;  C.  E. 
Lanstrum,  Treasurer;  C.  E.  Hambleton,  Assistant 
General  Manager;  W.  C.  Calkins,  Attorney;  A.  M. 
Funk,  General  Superintendent  of  Agents;  S.  D. 
Pollock,  Medical  Director;  E.  D.  Wing  and  J.  T. 
Wilson,  Assistants. 

This  is  really  a  beneficiary  organization,  for  it 
places  it  within  the  reach  of  almost  every  member  of 
the  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  to  take  out  a  ix)licy  and 
thereby  provide,  in  case  of  death,  for  his  family. 

Scandinavian  Mutual  Aid  Association. 


MEETING  of  the  Swedish  citizens  of 
_^  Galesburg  was  held  at  the  school-house 
Ijfe^^  of  the  First  Lutheran  Church,  July  20, 
j^-J^  1883,  for  the  purpose  of  discussing  the  best 
|f^  plan  for  the  organization  of  a  mutual  insurance 
H  association.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order 
by  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl.  After  much  discussion  it  was 
determined  that  a  life  insurance  organization  be 
formed,  with  headquarters  at  Galesburg.  It  was  de- 
cided to  adopt  the  name  of  the  Swedish  Mutual  Aid 


LA!r: 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1041 


Association.  A  committee  was  selec'ed  to  draft  by- 
laws, etc.,  etc,  and  to  report  at  the  next  meetitjg,  to 
be  held  Aug.  3,  1883.  Committee:  S.  P.  A.  Lin- 
dahl,  Nels  Nelson,  J.  A.  Oberg,  B.  A.  Streedain, 
C.  X.  Johnson,  S.  A.  Youngren,  J.  F.  Ostrand,  Jonas 
A.  Johnson  and  N.  A.  Gristfason.  The  meeting  was 
held  open  to  adjournment.  Subsequently  the  name 
selected  was  found  to  belong  to  another  association 
in  the  State,  and  it  was  clianged,  they  deciding  to 
call  it  "  The  Scandinavian  Mutual  .Aid  Association." 
It  was  also  learned  that  the  State  law  required  200 
applicants  before  the  association  could  be  incorpo- 
rated, and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  solicit  signa- 
tures for  membership.  At  the  meeting  August  24,  the 
committee  reported  that  they  had  secured  a  sufficient 
number  to  comply  with  the  law.  A  Board  of  Direct- 
ors was  then  elected  for  one,  two  and  three  years, 
consisting  of  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl,  Nels  Nelson,  J.  A. 
Oberg,  N.  J.  Oleen,  Jonas  A.  Johnson,  Chas.  A.  Pe- 
terson, B.  A.  Streedain,  Chas.  A.  Lindstr^m  and  John 
F.  Ostrand.  After  the  election  of  Directors,  the  by- 
laws were  read  and  adopted.  The  charter  was 
granted  on  the  12th  of  September,  1883.  At  a 
meeting  of  the  directory,  September  24,  the  following 
officers  were  elected:  S.  P.  A.  Lindahl,  President; 
N.J.  Oleen,  Vice-President;  Nels  Nelson,  Secretar)-; 
Jonas  A.  Johnson, Treasurer;  J.  T.  Wilson,  M.  D.,  H. 
La  Mann,  Examining  Physicians.  Not  much  business 
was  done  until  the  beginning  of  the  year  1884. 
Since  that  time  the  business  has  increased  very  rap)- 
idly.  In  1884  they  wrote  1,204  applications  for 
membership,  which  made  a  net  membership,  Jan.  i, 
t885,  of  1,144.  At  this  time  the  amount  of  the 
indemnity  was  §2,139,000.  Six  dollars  is  charged 
for  admission  fee;  then  there  are  assesments.  The 
certificates  run  from  $1,000  to  $3,000,  and  the  assess- 
ments are  made  so  as  to  cover  the  death  losses, 
which  have  been  very  low. 

In  1885  they  wrote  1,640  applications,  and,  de- 
ducting losses,  tliey  have  a  net  membership  of  2,467. 
On  Jan.  t,  1886,  they  had  an  indemnity  of  $4,125,- 
000.  This  association  has  extended  its  business 
into  Illinois  and  Minnesota,  and  intends  to  e.Ktend 
its  operations  into  other  Western  States  as  soon  as 
legislation  is  favorable.  This  is  a  splendid  institution 
for  the  Scandinavian  population ;  it  offers  them  a  re- 
liable and  cheap  means  of  insurance.  Its  managers 
are  men  of  high  character,  strict  integrity,  and  justly 
have  the  confidence  of  the  people. 


Homestead  and  Loan  Association. 

HIS  is  a  new  institution,  but  is  growing 
rapidly.  It  was  organized  in  April,  1882, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $500,000,  divided 
into  5,000  shares  of  $100  each.  Every  sub- 
scriber pays  for  his  stock  at  the  rate  of 
50  cents  per  share  per  month,  or  $6  per  year. 
A  board  of  nine  Directors  manages  the  affairs  of  the 
association,  whose  names  are  as  follows :  Geo. 
Churchill.  S.  W.  Grubb,  E.  F.  Phelps,  W.  C.  Calkins, 
J.  B.  Boggs,  Max  J.  Mack,  A.  O.  Peterson,  Geo.  W. 
Brown,  W.  B.  Wood,  M.  G.  Kennedy.  Officers : 
George  Churchill,  President;  Isaac  Jones,  Vice- 
President;  W.  B.  Washburn,  Treasurer;  L.  W.  San- 
born, Secretary.  It  has  upward  of  six  hundred 
shareholders,  about  one-sixth  of  whom  are  women. 
This  is  an  institution  of  undisputed  worth,  one  cal- 
culated to  advance  the  highest  interests  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  ever)-  good  citizen  should  feel  a  special  pride 
in  its  beneficial  work. 

Through  the  medium  of  the  association  lots  have 
been   purchased,  many   houses   have  been    erected,  |s 
and  others  repaired.     Its  assets  now  are  about  $80,- 
000,  most  of   which  represent  first-mortgage  loans. 

Miscellaneous. 
Fire  Department. — The  fire  department  of  the 
city  of  Galesburg  was  inaugurated  by  the  purchase 
of  a  hand  engme,  and  ihe  organization  of  a  company 
to  man  it.  After  the  construction  of  the  water-works 
mains  were  put  in,  with  hydrants  to  furnish  the 
water  supply.  The  water-works  failing  to  furnish  the 
water,  arrangements  were  made  with  Frost  &  Co.'s 
works  to  force  the  supply  into  the  fire  mains.  In 
1878  a  chemical  engine  was  purchased,  and  in  tSSj 
a  steam  engine  at  a  cost  of  $r,ioo,  also  two  hose 
carriages,  with  2,000  feet  of  hose.  The  fire  company 
consists  of  seven  full-paid  men  and  five  call  men. 
A.  H.  Allen  is  Chief  of  the  Fire  Department. 

MAYORS. 

H.  R.  Sanderson,  1857  ;  S.  W.  Brown,  1S58  ;  John 
C.  Stewart,  1859;  James  F.  Dunn,  i860;  Alfred 
Knowles,  1861;  .Albert  Reed,  T862;  James  F.  Dunn, 
1863;  John  V.  Marshall,  1864-66;  Chas.  P.  West, 
1867  ;  Edwin  Post,  1S68-69;  Marcus  Belden,  1870  ; 
Timothy  Nash,  1871;  L.  C.  Field,  1872;  O.  T. 
Johnson,   1873-74;  James  H.  Calkins,  1875;   Geo. 


LA^ 


-r- 


X 


1642 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


W.  Brown,  1876;  John  C.  Stewart,  1877-78;  David 
Greenleaf,  1879-80;  B.  F.  Arnold,  1881-82;  John 
C.  Stewart,  1883-84;  Geo.  W.  Foote,  1885-86. 

THE   ELECTRIC  LIGHT    AND   POWER   CO. 

This  company  was  incorporated  in  the  fall  of  1885, 
with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  The  incorporators 
are  David  Greenleaf,  I  T.  Brady  and  A.  M.  Searles. 
OflScers  :  David  Greenleaf,  President ;  I.  T.  Brady, 
Secretary;  A.  M.  Searles,  Treasurer. 

The  franchise  granted  by  the  city  to  the  Gales- 
burg  Electric  Illuminating  &  Power  Company  was 
transferred  to  this  company.  The  plant  is  tempora- 
rily located  at  the  water-works  until  the  company 
erect  a  building  of  their  own,  which  they  contem- 
plate doing  soon.  The  light  was  first  put  into  the 
Brown  Hotel,  and  then  on  the  streets,  and  is  now 
adopted  by  most  of  the  business  houses.  The 
Sperry  system  is  used,  the  same  as  in  the  Chicago 
Board  of  Trade  Building.  It  is  contemplated  by 
this  company  to  put  in  the  incandescent-lamp  plant 
for  the  use  of  dwellings  at  a  less  cost  than  gas- 
light. This  plant  is  to  comprise  six  dynamos  of  a 
capacity  of  100  lights  each. 

THE  THOMSON-HUSTON    LIGHT. 

The  Gas  Light  &  Coke  Company  in  the  fall  of 
1885  added  this  electric  light  to  their  works.  They 
put  in  a  65 -horse  power  boiler  and  a  50-horse  power 
engine,  and  two  dynamos.  They  placed  their  light 
in  business  houses  by  the  side  of  the  Sperry  as  an 
experiment.  'i"he  capacity  of  tlieir  works  when  fully 
equipped  will  be  150  lights. 

HOTELS. 

The  first  hotel  opened  in  Galesburg  was  by  Mr. 
Adams,  sometime  in  1838  or  1839,  and  was  located 
on  the  site  ik)w  occupied  by  the  Metropolitan  Block. 
After  serving  a  good  purpose  it  was  torn  down,  and 
in  1842  a  new  building  was  erected  by  H.  H.  Kel- 
logg, which  was  opened  as  the  Galesburg  House. 
Levi  Sanderson  was  the  first  landlord.  It  had  sev- 
eral landlords  and  was  continued  as  a  hotel  until  it 
was  burned,  in  1872. 

The  Haskell  House  opened  its  doors  for  public 
patronage  in  1855.  It  was  erected  by  George  Has- 
kell and  stood  wliere  O.  T.  Johnson's  store  now  is. 
It  was  kept  first  by  Mr.  Haskell,  then  by  Mr.  Bal- 
lingall  and  Edward  Bonney.     It  also  was  burned. 

In  1857  George   C.  Bancroft    built  quite  a  large 


house  for  those  days,  on  the  corner  of  Depot  and 
Center  streets.  It  was  opened  by  him  under  the 
name  of  the  Bancroft  House.  This  hotel  has  passed 
through  a  series  of  ownerships,  and  under  different 
names.  It  is  now  called  the  Lindell  House  and  is 
kept  by  Hull  &  Son. 

D.  Henshaw  opened  a  hotel  in  i860,  called  the 
Henshaw  House.  It  was  on  West  street,  between 
Simmons  and  Tompkins.  It  was  a  very  popular 
house,  and  was  open  for  several  years,  and  then  was 
converted  into  dwelling-houses. 

The  City  Hotel  was  opened  about  the  close  of  the 
war.  It  was  built  by  Thomas  Taylor,  who  was  the 
landlord  for  many  years,  then  Ste|)hen  Reynolds  ran 
it.  It  was  closed  up  and  the  building  converted  into 
dwelling-houses. 

Sometime  in  1862  a  hotel  building  was  com- 
pleted, which  was  opened  by  Mr.  Barton  as  the 
Commercial  House,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Kel- 
logg streets.     It  is  kept  now  by  James  Boyd. 

In  1869  the  Galesburg  Hotel  Company  erected  a 
hotel  building  on  the  north  side  of  the  Public  Square. 
The  first  building  was  burned  down  after  it  had 
been  opened  only  a  few  months.  The  fire  occurred 
April  18,  1870.  The  present  structure  was  built  in 
the  spring  of  1872.  It  is  a  plain,  substantial  build- 
ing of  brick  and  stone,  four  stories  high,  with  a  front- 
age of  1 14  feet  and  a  depth  of  90.  H.  Belden  was 
the  first  landlord,  while  L.  Stansbury  is  the  present 
host.  The  town  is  lighted  by  gas,  and  has  bill- 
iard-hall and  saloon  attachments. 

In  1870  the  erection  of  a  new  hotel  was  started 
on  Main  and  Kellogg  streets.  It  was  completed 
under  the  management  of  an  association.  It  subse- 
quently came  into  the  possession  of  George  W. 
Brown  and  C.  H.  Mathews,  and  was  named  Brown's 
Hotel  in  honor  of  the  former.  Mr.  Mathews  died 
in  1883,  and  his  interest  was  purchased  by  N. 
Anthony.  There  were  several  landlords  at  the  head 
of  this  house,  when,  in  1880,  H.  C.  Case  assumed 
control.  In  December,  1885,  Mr.  Case  went  to 
Rockford  to  open  the  Holland  House,  and  took  one 
of  his  sons,  Frank  H.,  in  as  a  partner  in  the  Brown 
Hotel,  who  is  now  the  landlord,  and  a  very  active, 
popular  and  successful  one  he  is  making.  There 
will  be  an  addition  put  onto  the  building  on 
the  west  side.  The  office  will  be  transferred  to  the 
first  floor  and  many  other  important  improvements 
made,  the  whole  cost  of  which  will  be  about  $20,000. 


=fe 


KONX  COUNTY. 


1043 


The  Brown  Hotel  is  an  imposing  four-story  brick 
structure,  and  attractive  in  its  architecture.  The 
rooms  are  large,  airy,  well  arranged  and  well  fur- 
nished. The  building  is  lighted  by  gas  and  the 
electric  light  and  heated  Wy  steam.  The  cuisine  is 
first-class  and  the  table  is  provided  with  everything 
that  the  market  affords.  Every  attention  is  given 
to  the  guest  to  the  end  that  he  may  feel  at  home, 
comfortable  and  happy.  This  is  one  of  the  hotels  in 
which  a  traveler  may  stay  and  feel  assured  that  in 
every  way  he  is  in  a  respectable  place. 

POST-OFFICE. 

The  first  post-office  established  at  Galesburg  was 
in  1837,  with  Prof.  Nehemiah  H.  Losey  as  Postmaster. 
There  have  been  but  few  changes  in  this  office  since 
it  was  established.  Col.  Clark  E.  Carr  held  it  for 
an  unusually  long  period,  receiving  his  appointment 
from  President  Lincoln  in  March,  1861,  and  holding 
the  same  until  April  19,  1885,  when  M.  J.  Daugh- 
erty  took  charge.  During  last  December  the  office 
was  transferred  to  the  new  building  on  the  north  side 
of  East  Main  street,  which  was  e.xpressly  built  and 
fitted  up  for  a  post-office.  It  was  erected  by  Robert 
Chappell,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000,  his  bid  having  been  ac- 
cepted by  the  Post-Office  Department.  The  plan 
for  the  interior  of  the  office  was  devised  by  Mr. 
Daugherty,  and  it  is  certainly  very  creditable  to  him, 
for  it  is  as  complete  in  all  of  the  arrangements  as 
could  be  desired. 

The  Yale  lock  boxes  are  arranged  on  three  of  the 
sides  of  a  quadrangle  which  extends  forward  to 
within  16  feet  of  the  front,  and  occupies  the  center 
of  the  room,  the  lobby  extending  around  the  sides. 
It  is  finished  off  in  light  hardwood,  neatly  orna- 
mented and  artistically  designed. 

This  was  made  a  free-delivery  office  some  years  ago. 
The  average  number  of  letters  mailed  daily  is  5,000. 
The  carriers  handle  about  157,000  pieces  each  month, 
while  the  registered  letters  issued  are  about  500  each 
quarter.  The  excess  of  money  orders  over  receipts 
amounts  to  about  $250,000  a  year.  There  are  52 
street  letter-boxes,  with  five  carriers,  who  make  six 
delivery  trips  and  three  collection  trips.  During  the 
last  fiscal  year  there  were  5,892  registered  letters  de- 
livered, 478,125  mail  letters,  102,486  postal  cards 
and  24,654  local  letters,  and  337,484  newspapers. 
Revenue  from  box  rents,  $630.75;  from  sale  of  stamps, 


$21,807.27;  total,  $22,438.02.  Expenses,  $10,835.- 
44;  net  surplus  to  the  department,  $11,602.58. 
Amount  received  for  orders  issued,  $54,205.92  ; 
an)ount  paid  on  orders,  $270,201.87  ;  total  amount 
of  business,  $324,407.79;  excess  of  orders  paid  over 
receipts,  $215,995.95. 

To  meet  this  demand  drafts  were  made  on  the  De- 
partment during  the  year  for  $216,000. 

GALESBURG  WATER-WORKS. 

The  projector  and  sole  beneficiary  of  the  Gales- 
burg Water- Works  appears  to  have  been  a  man  by 
the  name  of  Nathan  Shelton.  Sometime  in  1883, 
the  franchise  of  the  city  was  granted  to  Mr.  Shelton 
for  the  purpose  of  erecting  water-works.  A  stock 
company  was  organized  by  him,  which  was  incorpo- 
rated, and  the  works  were  prosecuted  to  completion. 
They  are  located  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
northeast  of  the  Public  Square.  The  water  was 
islended  to  be  obtained  through  a  grarel  seam  or 
stratum  of  some  13  feet  in  thickness  at  a  depth  of  , 
about  80  feet,  by  means  of  gang-wells  bored  through 
and  piped  into  the  gravel  stratum.  These  wells  were 
connected  by  a  large  main  14  feet  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground.  The  water  was  to  rise  up  through  ' 
these  pipes  by  automatic  pressure  to  the  surface,  or 
the  main  connecting  the  wells.  The  Holly  system 
was  adopted,  with  ttie  Worthington  pumps.  The 
machinery  consists  of  three  duplex  pumps,  with  a 
total  capacity  of  4,500,000  gallons  per  day.  The 
machinery  is  covered  by  a  suitable  brick  building. 
Near  the  works  rises  the  iron  tower  or  standpipe, 
which  is  t5  feet  in  diameter  and  132  feet  high.  This 
pipe  is  connected  with  the  mains,  and  so  arranged 
that  it  can  at  any  time  be  disconnected.  About  nine 
miles  of  mains  were  laid  through  the  city,  dis- 
tributed along  which  were  80  hydrants.  According 
to  the  ordinance  the  city  was  to  pay  $roo  each  for 
these  hydrants,  or  $8,000  per  annum. 

There  is  but  Utile  else  to  say  about  these  works. 
They  look  well.  The  tower  rises  majestically  toward 
the  heavens.  They  are  certai.ily  an  ornament  to  the 
city.  If  the  world  possesses  an  inventive  genius 
who  could  bring  the  water  down  this  tower,  which 
seems  to  look  imploringly  at  the  blue  sky  and  the 
clouds,  it  would  be  a  good  thing.  We  wish  we 
could  say  that  there  was  water  here ;  that  it  was  dis- 
tributed throughout  this  beautiful  city,  supplying  all 
the  necessary  wants  of  an  advanced  civilization,  but 


hH^ 


■^ 


-H- 


1044 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


we  cannot  without  lying.  The  great  mistake  the 
company  made  was  in  constructing  these  water- 
works before  they  got  the  water.  They  should  have 
followed  the  sage's  advice— caught  the  rabbit  before 
they  prepared  to  cook  him.  However,  the  projector 
made  it  profitable,  and  with  him,  at  least,  it's  an  ill 
wind  that  blows  nobody  any  good. 

PUBLIC   LIBRARY. 

The  Galesburg  Public  Library  is  one  of  the  at- 
tractive features  of  the  city.  It  had  its  inception 
with  the  organization  of  the  Young  Men's  Literary 
and  Library  Association  in  i860.  A  nucleus  for  a 
library  was  formed  by  donations  of  books  by  the  citi- 
zens and  also  by  money.  Prof  A.  Hurd  was  selected 
as  Librarian,  and  rendered  most  efficient  service  by 
his  valuable  experience.  He  was  aided  in  his  efforts 
by  many  of  the  citizens.  In  1866  the  library  had 
2,850  volumes.  A  small  membership  fee  was  charged 
to  keep  up  expenses   and  increase  the  books.     In 

[1872  the  Association  donated  its  accumulation  of 
books  to  the  city  and  dissolved  its  society.  There 
are  now  some  15,000  volumes  in  the  library,  and  the 
>->number  is  constantly  increasing.  The  Directors  are 
(appointed  by  the  Mayor  and  have  full  powers  to  act 
for  the  best  interests  of  the  library,  as  their  judg- 
ment dictates.  The  City  Council  annually  appro- 
priates $2,500,  which,  with  the  receipts  from  fines, 
etc.,  make  up  the  income.  The  library  rooms  are 
lightsome  and  comfortable   and   are  well  patronized 


by  the  public.  The  selection  of  books  has  been  good. 
The  leading  newspapers  and  magazines  are  also  kept 
on  file.  A  monthly  report  of  the  Librarian  shows 
about  3,000  volumes  drawn  out,  with  a  visitation  of 
about  5,000.  Present  Board  of  Directors  :  I.  S.  Per- 
kins, T.  J.  Hale,  Geo.  Churchill,  Parley  Johnson, 
Hiram  Mars,  A.  A.  Matteson,  E.  R.  Drake,  J.  B. 
Holland  and  A.  G.  Humphrey.  Librarian,  Miss  D. 
M.  Rice. 

HOPE   CEMETERY. 

Galesburg,  with  its  characteristic  humanity  and 
refinement,  has  provided  an  attractive  resting-place 
for  the  departed.  Hope  Cemetery  Association  was 
organized  Oct.  26,  1858.  It  is  located  toward  the 
west  end  of  the  town,  a;nd  has  natural  attractive 
advantages.  It  is  well  laid  out  and  ornamented  with 
beautiful  shrubs  and  shade  trees,  and  the  grounds 
are  well  kept.  There  are  some  elegant  monuments 
in  the  cemetery,  which  mark  the  resting-place  of 
some  of  Galesburg's  most  distinguished  citizens  and 
pioneers.  This  cemetery  is  a  good  index  to  the 
character  of  the  people.  No  better  evidence  can  be 
presented  of  the  culture,  refinement  and  humanity  of  >c 
a  people  than  thai  presented  in  a  well-laid-out,  ap- 
propriately ornamented  and  well-kept  cemetery. 
Present  officers  :  Geo.  Ekins,  President;  S.Fletcher, 
Vice-President;  L.  T.  Stone,  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer; Trustees,  A.  A.  Matteson,  W.  W.  Washburn 
and  C.  A.  Webster. 


ir 


4-9^ 


E-J-— 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^-> 


I04S 


jHIS  old  and  historic  town  is 
situated  in  the  southwest 
portion  of  Knox  Townsliip. 
Its  location  at  the  time  of 
settlement  was  one  of  ex- 
ceeding beauty,  being  on  a 
ir^  charming  little  prairie  and 
lying  between  two  beautiful  groves. 
It  is  the  first  town  that  was  laid 
out  in  the  county,  and,  next  to 
Henderson,  the  first  settled.  It 
was  laid  off  by  order  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  Court,  on  section 
28,  in  1831,  Parnach  Owen  being 
the  surveyor.  No  finer  site  in  the 
county  could  have  been  selected 
for  a  town.  To  the  eastward  and 
westward  lie  extensive  rolling  prai- 
ries, while  to  the  nortii  and  south  are  fine  bodies  of 
timber.  It  has  been  stated  in  the  history  of  the 
township  that  the  first  settler  here  was  Parry  Morris, 
in  1829,  and  that  he  sold  out  to  Capt.  John  Charles. 
The  Captain  purchased  Mr.  Morris'  claim  for  farm- 
ing purposes,  and  had  not  thought  at  the  time  that 
a  town  would  be  laid  out  here.  John  Montgomery 
and  Dr.  Charles  Hansford  came  in  subsequently, 
making  claims  on  the  present  town  site.  Dr.  Hans- 
ford was  the  first  physician  to  locate  in  Knox  County. 
He  was  born  in  Kanawha  County,  Va.,  in  1801.  He 
came  to  Galena  at  an  early  day,  and  from  there  to 
Henderson  Grove,  where  he  erected  a  log  cabin  and 
commenced  his  practice.  In  1833  he  moved  to 
Knoxville.     He  died  in  1852. 

The  first  store  opened  here  was  under  the  super- 


vision of  John  G.  Sanburn,  in  the  early  part  of  1832, 
about  the  time  the  county  seat  was  located  here. 
He  moved  his  stock  over  from  Henderson,  where  he 
had  conducted  a  store,  and  opened  his  goods  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  Public  Square.  The  log 
house  is  still  standing,  as  well  as  the  frame  one  he  \ 
built  afterward.  Mr.  Sanburn  came  to  the  State 
from  Ontario  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1818.  He  went  back 
in  a  short  time,  and  in  1825  returned  for  a  perma- 
nent residence  in  this  State,  settling  in  Vandalia. 
He  came  to  the  Military  Tract  and  settled  at  Hen- 
derson Grove  in  1829,  and  opened  a  store,  having  J 
brought  a  stock  of  goods  with  him.  At  this  time  he 
was  a  single  man.  He  married  in  1831,  and  reared 
a  family  of  seven  cliildren,  all  of  whom  are  living 
but  one.  He  was  the  first  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court 
and  County  Court,  and  the  first  Clerk  of  the  County 
Commissioners'  Court,  also  Assistant  Assessor  of 
Internal  Revenue  under  President  Lincoln.  He 
passed  away  to  the  other  world  on  the  same  day  as 
the  martyred  President.  Mr.  Sanburn  was  the  first 
Postmaster  of  Knoxville. 

Dr.  VVillson  Boomer  located  here  in  1832  and 
practiced  medicine  until  his  death,  in  1845.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  physicians  to  locate  in  the 
county. 

Henry  J.  Runkle  came  in  1833  and  settled  in  the 
northeast  part  of  the  town.  His  cottage,  which  was 
built  in  1845,  is  still  standing.  In  1834  his  brother 
and  in  1835  another  brother,  Eldert  by  name,  joined 
him.  That  year  they  opened  a  store  in  Knoxville, 
under  the  name  of  Runkle  &  Bros.  Henry  J.  Run- 
kle started  a  steam  saw-mill  in  1836  near  the  town, 
on  section  28,  and  to  it  he  afterward  attached  a  flour- 


t 


I 


=0(F 


I046 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


r., 


.  mill.  This  was  the  first  steam  mill  in  the  township. 
He  had  quite  a  flourishing  business  for  those  days, 
and  shipped  flour  as  far  as  St.  Louis.  He  died  in 
1852,  and  his  brother  Eldert  in  1865. 

The  first  sermon  preached  in  the  town  was  by 
Rev.  Jacob  Gum,  a  Baptist  minister. 

The  first  death  was  a  child  of  Mr.  Tabor. 

Robert  L.  Hannaman  opened  a  general  store  in 
1836,  and  continued  in  the  mercantile  business  until 
1842,  when  he  was  elected  Probate  Justice.  (See 
biography,  page  443.) 

In  1857  Cornelius  Runkle,  with  his  brother  Eldert, 
opened  a  private  bank.  In  1865  he  organized  the 
First  National  Bank,  which  was  opened  June  16  of 
that  year.  He  was  its  firsi  President,  and  continued 
in  this  position  for  the  long  term  of  20  years.  After 
the  expiration  of  the  charter  and  the  reorganization 
of  the  bank,  he  retired.  He  has  been  and  is  still 
one  of  the  prominent  business  men  of  Knoxville. 
He  is  hale  and  hearty,  and  there  has  not  been  a  day 
since  he  came  to  the  town  that  he  was  not  able  to 
attend  to  business. 

Knoxville  was  incorporated  as  a  village  in  1845. 
An  election  was  held  for  village  officers  April  7  of 
that  year,  and  the  following-named  citizens  were 
elected:  Robert  L.  Hannaman,  Birdsy  Booth,  Win. 
Leighton,  Miles  Smith  and  Gilbert  Evans,  as  Trus- 
tees; and  James  Price,  Clerk.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Trustees,  held  on  the  7th  of  May,  R.  L.  Hannaman 
was  chosen  President  of  the  Board.  Before  this 
action,  however,  the  Trustees  took  an  oath  to  faith- 
fully support  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
and  that  of  their  own  State,  and  to  faithfully  and 
impartially  perform  their  duties  as  Trustees.  There 
was  no  Treasurer  elected,  and  the  Board  appointed 
Jason  Duncan  to  this  place.  Mr.  Hannaman  was 
appointed  Weighmaster  for  the  ensuing  year. 

The  last  meeting  of  the  Knoxville  Board  of  Trus- 
tees was  Saturday,  March  4,  1853.  Their  last  order 
was  that  John  Eads  pay  over  to  the  Street  Commis- 
sioner elected  for  the  city  of  Knoxville,  as  soon  as 
he  was  qualified,  all  public  money  in  his  possession. 
They  then  adjourned  without  day.  On  Monday, 
the  4th  day  of  April,  an  election  was  held  for  city 
officers,  a  charter  having  been  previously  granted  by 
the  Legislature  for  a  city  government.  James  Price 
was  elected  Mayor;  David  Collins,  Marshal;  T.  T. 
Parmenter,  Treasurer;  Enoch  Patrick,  Assessor; 
Gilbert  Evans,  Street   Commissioner;   Aldermen — 


N.  Huggins,  William  Mansfield,  R.Bailey, Z.  Cooley, 
J.  Duncan,  J.  W.  Cams,  H.  Lander  and  H.  G. 
Reynolds.  Knoxville  had  grown  very  rapidly  from 
the  time  the  county  seat  had  been  located  here,  and 
it  was  that  which,  up  to  a  late  date,  caused  people  to 
believe  it  would  be  the  metropolis  of  the  county. 
After  her  incorporation  as  a  city  she  assumed  airs 
suited  to  her  size  and  growing  popularity,  and  used 
every  effort  to  centralize  the  trade  here.  When  the 
railroad  enterprises  came  up,  she  made  a  hard  strug- 
gle to  have  the  junctions  there;  especially  did  the 
citizens  labor  to  have  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  line  laid  out 
through  their  town  instead  of  Galesburg.  They  se- 
cured, however,  the  Peoria  line,  which  was  of  great 
advantage,  and  which  was  completed  through  the 
city  in  the  spring  of  1857. 

As  a  seat  of  learning  Knoxville  has  ever  been  the 
rival  of  Galesburg,  and  her  schools  and  colleges  have 
a  wide  reputation.  The  county  seat  remained  here 
for  41  years,  and  it  was  the  pride  of  her  citizens. 
When  an  effort  was  made  to  take  it  to  Galesburg,  a 
younger  but  more  prosperous  city,  the  citizens  natur- 
ally enough  rose  up  in  all  their  might  against  it. 
After  a  long,  hard  and  bitter  fight,  they  were  over- 
come by  superior  force,  and  saw  with  great  disap- 
pointment, in  1873,  the  records  of  the  county  carried 
away  to  be  placed  in  the  custody  of  the  rival  city,' 
Galesburg.  Much  of  the  early  history  of  Knoxville, 
and  especially  that  connected  with  it  as  tiie  county 
seat,  will  be  given  in  the  general  history,  to  which  the 
reader  is  referred. 

The  people  of  Knoxville  as  a  class  are  intelligent, 
generous  and  neighborly  in  their  character;  this, 
added  to  its  superior  educational  advantages,  makes 
it  a  most  desirable  place  to  live.  There  are  a  num- 
ber of  good  business  houses  in  the  town,  and  it  has  a 
fair  local  trade.  The  population  of  Knoxville  is  es- 
timated to  be  between  1,600  and  1,700.  The  fol- 
lowing-named citizens  have  represented  the  city  as 
Mayors  : 


James  Price.. .853 

r.    J.    Hale 1854 

H.  h.  Woods 1855 

Benj.  Hebard 1836 

John   Jackson 1857 

H.  N.  Knightley 1858 

J.  B.Smith 1859 

J.  W.  Cams i860 

A.  M.    Burdett     1861 

Henry   Arms 1862 


Albert  Pierce 1866 

Henry  Arms 1867 

Abraham  Lightner 1868 

J.  C.  Cover 1869-70 

Elijah  T.  Eads 1871-2 

S    H.   Tompkins 1873-6 

J.  S.Simpson 1877-8 

J.  H.  Lewis 1879-80 

Reuben  Bailey 1881-3 

P.  L.  Rogers 1883-4 

J.C.  Cover 1885-6 


*+" 


^ 


€4-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^^ 


1047 


St.  Mary's  School. 

HISTORY  of  this  school  should  be  pre- 
'^^_^i.^u  faced  by  a  sketch  of  another  institution  of 
^filS^^  learning,  which  stood  on  the  same  ground 
^•JIJS^  and  of  which  St.  Mary's  was  the  outgrowth. 
I|^  In  February,  1859,  a  charter  was  procured 
I  from  the  Legislature  for  the  establishment  of 
an  institution  of  learning  called  the  Ewing  Female 
University  of  Knoxville.  It  was  named  in  honor  of 
an  old  resident  of  the  city.  A  good,  substantial  build- 
ing was  erected,  and  the  school  was  opened  and  was 
continued  until  1867,  when  it  was  closed  and  the 
scheme  abandoned.  It  had  not  seemed  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  people,  nor  to  fulfill  the  expectations 
that  were  warranted  from  the  tone  of  its  first  intro- 
duction to  the  public.  The  stockholders  of  this  in- 
stitution, feeling  the  importance  of  having  a  suitable 
school  for  the  education  of  young  ladies,  tendered 
this  building  to  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of 
Illinois.  Their  offer  was  accepted  and  preparations 
were  immediately  begun  for  the  opening  of  a  female 
school  under  a  new  management.  Dr.  Charles  W. 
Leffingwell  was  called  to  take  charge  of  the  new  in- 
stitution as  Rector,  and  it  may  be  truly  said  became 
the  founder  of  St.  Mary's  School.  It  was  opened 
April  12,  1 868,  after  improving,  rearranging  and  re- 
fitting the  building.  The  property  was  then  valued 
at  $20,000.  Dr.  Leffingwell  began  with  three  board- 
ing and  a  few  day  pupils  ;  the  building  was  unattract- 
ive, and  the  institution  in  a  degree  unknown.  It 
had  yet  to  make  a  name,  and  to  this  end  its  sup- 
porters labored  bravely  till  it  stood  high  among  the 
people,  distingutsiiing  itself  as  a  place  of  learning! 
not  only  where  young  ladies  could  go  and  receive  an 
education,  but  where  their  characters  would  be  prop- 
erly formed,  their  moral  and  religious  training  made 
a  strong  point,  and  where  they  would  be  as  secure  as 
under  the  paren'al  roof.  All  this  has  been  accom- 
plished thiough  the  indefatigable  zeal  and  energy  of 
Dr.  Leffingwell  and  his  most  estimable  goodwife,and 
St.  Mary's  School,  for  the  educating,  refining  and 
thorough  culture  of  young  ladies,  has  no  superior  in 
the  West. 

Within  four  years  the  school  outgrew  its  accommo- 
dations, and  received  from  the  late  James  Knox 
$10,000  for  the  purpose  of  enlargement.  In  addition 
to  this  about  $50,000  was  expended  in  building  and 


'Xr= 


equipping  the  school.  At  the  time  of  the  destruction 
of  the  school-house  with  its  contents  by  fire,  Jan.  4, 
1883,  there  were  90  boarders  and  30  day  pupils. 
The  fire  broke  out  about  2  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
and  people  rushed  to  the  building,  but  were  too  late 
to  save  anything  or  do  more  than  assist  in  getting 
the  pupils  safely  out  and  beyond  the  reach  of  danger. 
All  escaped  and  only  two  of  the  pupils  were  injured, 
the  latter  by  the  giving  way  of  the  ladder  down 
which  they  were  descending.  The  loss  by  this  fire 
was  estimated  at  $100,000. 

Pending  the  erection  of  the  new  college,  school 
work  was  recommenced  in  St.  .Ansgari  College,  which 
had  been  kindly  offered  by  President  Princell.  The 
new  building  was  begun  in  April,  and  was  occupied 
by  the  school  October  24,  and  proved  one  in  which 
any  society  or  city  might  take  just  pride.  A  beauti- 
ful stone  chapel  is  connected  with  the  main  building 
by  a  cloister. 

St.  Mary's  School  is  an  incorporated  institution, 
under  the  control  of  a  board  of  fifteen  Trustees, 
representing  the  three  Dioceses  of  Illinois  and  the 
city  of  Knoxville.  The  buildings  and  grounds  of 
the  school  are  valued  at  $r 00,000  and  a  large 
amount  is  invested  for  furniture,  school  apparatus 
and  machinery  for  domestic  purposes. 

Ascending  the  broad  steps  which  lead  to  the  grand  . 
entrance  of  the  building,  the  visitor  finds  himself  in 
a  spacious  porch.  On  entering,  he  is  met  by 
spacious  halls,  broad  staircases  and  lofty  apartments. 
On  the  left  are  the  library  and  reception  room,  on  the 
right  the  office,  and  beyond  that  the  Rector's  study, 
and  these  are  all  so  arranged,  by  means  of  large 
sliding  doors,  as  to  form  one  suite  of  apartments  1 12 
feet  long,  affording  a  grand  opportunity  for  recep- 
tions and  other  gatherings.  All  the  rooms  are,  with- 
out exception,  airy,  well-lighted,  well-ventilated  and 
exactly  adapted  to  their  respective  uses.  Handsome 
fresco  work  adorns  the  walls  and  ceilings  of  the  halls, 
and  of  the  public  as  well  as  some  of  the  private 
rooms. 

Returning  to  the  entrance  hall,  the  visitor  ascends 
the  broad  steps  of  the  grand  staircase,  which  is  built 
in  a  tower  outside  the  main  lines  of  the  building. 
On  the  first  landing  he  passes  by  painted  windows, 
resplendent  with  roses  and  morning  glories,  and  at 
the  top  of  the  second  short  flight  finds  himself  oppo- 
site the  "Bower,"  being  a  deep  bay,  forming  a  cosy 
boudoir,  bright  with  plants  and  flowers. 


t 


1048 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


4-(. 


The  recreation  hall  is  a  large,  cheerful  and  airy 
room,  75  feet  long,  adaptel  for  roller  skating  and 
dancing,  which,  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say,  are 
much  in  vogue  after  tea.  The  inevitnble  piano  is 
there  also,  to  add  its  ringing  tones  to  the  merry 
sounds  of  talk  and  song  and  laughter.  On  the  same 
floor,  and  occupying  the  northeast  angle,  is  the 
studio.  In  proximity  to  the  studio  is  the  magnifi- 
cent study  hall,  40x80  feet  and  t8  feet  high.  Ad- 
joining the  study  hall,  on  the  same  floor,  are  recita- 
tion rooms,  toilet  and  laboratory. 

In  the  basement  are  located  the  dining  room, 
kitchen,  laundry,  etc.  Some  idea  of  the  heating 
apparatus  may  be  conveyed  by  the  statement  that 
there  are  four  large  boilers  at  work,  night  and  day, 
sending  steam  through  more  than  five  miles  of  radi- 
ating pipes.  Nearly  600  tons  of  coal  are  consumed 
during  the  year,  and  the  entire  building  is  kept  at  a 
pleasant  temperature  in  the  coldest  weather. 

The  aim  of  the  Rector  has  been  to  provide  the 
■  best  advantages  for  intellectual  training,  combined 
with  social  culture  and  Christian  influences.     The 
exercises  of  the  school  are  conducive  to    habits  of 
,^  order,  promptness  and  self-reliance.     The  pupils  are 
under  the  direction  of  the  teachers   in  dress,  habits, 
manners  and  conversation,  as  well  as  in  their  studies. 
*■  Also  to  the  health  of  the  pupils  the  most  careful  at- 
tention is  given.     All  are  required  to  exercise  in  the 
open  air  and  within  doors.    ■  A  skillful  physician  visits 
the  school  each  day,  and,  with  experienced  matrons, 
has  a  constant  care  for  the  health  of  the  household. 
The    household  arrangements   are   homelike   and 
pleasant.     Pupils  are  received  into  the  family  and 
cared  for  as  children,  with  kind  attention  to  their 
comfort  and  happiness.     Besides  the  daily  associa- 
tion of  pupils  and  teachers,  there  are  special  meet- 
ings on  Friday  and  Saturday   evenings  for  sewing, 
reading,  conversation,  music  and  other  recreations. 

The  grounds,  which  are  located  only  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  depot,  embrace  four  acres.  Tkey 
are  beautifully  located,  ample,  artistically  laid  out, 
and  adorned  with  flowers  and  shrubbery,  giving  the 
whole  quite  a  luxurious  and  homelike  aspect.  In 
the  center  of  these  grounds  the  school  building 
uprears  its  stately  head.  It  is  an  imposing  structure 
of  a  gothic  style  of  architecture,  and  was  designed 
by  Dr.  Lefiingwell,  which  accounts  for  its  complete 
construction. 

The  accompanying  full-page  lithographic  view  of 


the  building,  chapel  and  surroundings  shows  the 
beautiful  architectural  design  and  harmony  of  each 
structure. 

The  following  are  the  officers  and  teachers  of  the 
institution :  Rev.  Charles  W.  Leflfingwell,  D.  D., 
Rector  and  Founder,  Metaphysics  and  Elocution; 
Rev.  Edward  H.  Rudd,  M.  A.,  Chaplain,  Latin, 
Natural  Science,  Mathematics ;  Rev.  William  B. 
Morrow,  Mus.  Bac,  Sacred  Music  ;  Nancy  Meneely 
Hitchcock,  Vice-Principal,  German,  Rhetoric,  Litera- 
ture; Mrs.  Rudd,  Teacher  of  History;  Harrielte  H. 
Post,  English  Branches;  Mile.  Jeanne  Bouvet, 
Teacher  of  French;  Carl  Laux,  Professor  of  Music; 
Carrie  M.  Atkins,  Assistant  in  Music;  Sophia  M. 
Chase,  The  Study  Hall,  English  Branches;  Ellen 
Dewey,  The  Studio,  Arts  of  Design  ;  Carrie  B.  Castle, 
Assistant  in  the  Studio  ;  Blanche  Smith,  Vocal  Music, 
Voice  Culture;  Grace  Warren,  Assistant  in  Music; 
Charles  Lindoft,  Violin  and  Cornet;  M.  A.  McClel- 
land, M.  D.,  Visiting  Physician;  Mrs.  Leffingwell, 
Matron;  Louise  S.  Nichols,  Assistant  Matron;  John  , 
F.  Somes,  Curator  and  Librarian. 

Ansgari  College. 

NE  of  the  objects  of  the  founders  of  this 
College  was  to  provide  for  the  education  of 
the  Swedes,  who  formed  no  inconsiderable 
part  of  the  population  of  this  and  many  other 
of  the  adjoining  counties.  It  was  the  out- 
growth of  a  school  known  as  "  The  Mission 
Institute,"  of  Keokuk,  Iowa.  That  school  was  first 
opened  in  1873,  in  a  chapel  in  that  city.  In  1875, 
Prof.  Chas.  Anderson,  the  Principal  of  this  school, 
and  subsequently  the  President  of  Ansgari  College, 
made  a  visit  to  several  locahties,  with  a  view  to  se 
curing  a  suitable  location  on  which  to  establish  a 
school.  While  on  this  tour,  he  fortunately  met  with 
Hon.  James  Knox  at  Knoxville.  After  explaining 
the  purpose  of  his  visit  to  Mr.  Knox,  he  was  informed 
by  the  latter  that  he  had  long  desired  to  establish  an 
institution  of  learning  in  Knoxville.  These  two  gen- 
tlemen were  not  long  in  forming  their  plans.  Prof. 
Anderson  was  very  much  pleased  with  the  location 
of  Knoxville,  and  more  so  with  the  splendid  donation 
of  that  philanthropic  gentleman,  Mr.  Knox,  who 
agreed  to  donate  immediately  $10,000.  He  subse- 
quently  increased   this    amount    by    about    $3,000. 


V 


LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

Ui^lVERSlTY  OF  ILUNOiS 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


105 1 


Other  donations  were  made,  and  on  July  3,  1875,  two 
months  after  Messrs.  Knox  and  Anderson  had  met, 
ground  was  broken  and  the  construction  of  the  col- 
lege building  commenced.  By  Aug.  i,  1876,  the  edi- 
fice was  completed.  The  building  is  a  four-story 
brick  structure,  with  a  mansard  roof  and  *  stone 
basement,  74  feet  long  by  44  feet  wide,  and  contains 
39  rooms.  It  was  built  and  furnished  at  a  cost  of 
$22,000.  The  architecture  is  modern,  well  propor- 
tioned, and  the  building  presents  a  fine,  imposing 
appearance.  It  is  located  on  a  plat  of  four  acres  of 
ground  on  East  Main  street.  It  is  conducted  in  the 
interest  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  is 
both  secular  and  religious  in  its  course  of  instruction. 
The  collegiate  course  occupies  four  years,  the  theo- 
logical and  academic  course  two  years.  The  first 
Faculty  was  Prof  C.  Anderson,  Rev.  J.  Anjon,  Rev. 
J.  A.  Lowe  and  Miss  S.  Larkee.  It  contained  a  fine 
library  of  1,000  volumes,  which  was  furnished  by  the 
ladies  of  Knoxville.  The  original  Trustees  were: 
Hoii.  S.  H.Tompkins,  President  of  the  Board;  Rev. 
Chas.  Anderson,  Secretary;  D.  M.  Eiken,  Treasurer ; 
P.  H.  Sanford,  J.  H.  Lewis,  C.  A.  Linstrom,  J-  S. 
,^  Holmes,  A.  Nelson,  A.  N.  Anderson,  Rev.  J.  Anjon, 
Lewis  Palmquist,  S.  Peterson,  Geo.  Larkee,  J.  P. 
Lawson  and  P.  Mattson. 

This  college  did  not  prove  a  success,  and  a  few 
years  ago  it  was  closed.  Recently  the  building  has 
been  leased  by  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of 
the  United  States,  and  a  school  is  to  be  established 
here,  to  be  called  the  Knoxville  Acadeniy  and  Normal 
Institute.  It  is  to  be  changed  from  the  Ansgan 
Synod  to  the  Augustina  Synod.  It  is  expected  tliat 
the  school  will  hi  opened  by  the  ist  of  September, 
1886. 

Public  Schools. 

NOXVILLE  has  a  first-class  High  School, 
'  ^"^'^  ^^''^  ^  handsome  school  building.  It  was 
■f  '^^*^  erected  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of  $18,500.  Its 
/i i^L  architecture  is  attractive,  and  the  interior  is 
'USJ      well   arranged  for  school   purposes,  and  the 

!<-       whole  is  very  creditable  to  the  city.     J.  H. 

'  Stickney  is  Principal ;  Miss  Desdemona  Root 

has  charge  of  the  Grammar  Department;  Miss  Jennie 
Heagy,  Second  Intermediate ;  Hannah  Evans,  First 
Intermediate;  Mary  A.  Parmenter,  Second  Primary; 
Miss  E.  F.Tate  and  Eliza  McCracken,  First  Primary. 


Enrollment,  317.  The  following  items  are  from  the 
County  Superintendent's  report  for  1885  : 

"  There  is  one  graded  school,  the  building  of  which 
is  brick.  The  school  property  was  valued  at  $23,000. 

"  Of  persons  under  21  years  of  age  there  are  631, 
of  whom  458  are  of  school  age,  37  i  being  enrolled. 

"  The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were 
$122.22  per  month,  and  the  lowest  were  the  same; 
the  highest  wages  paid  female  teachers  were  $40, 
which  was  also  the  lowest. 

"  Tax  levy  was  $5,300." 

Knoxville  Republican. 

HIS  journal  was  established  by  John  S.  Win- 
ter, an  old   and   able  editor,  who  for  many 

years  edited   it.     Its   first   issue    appeared 

'TO^  Oct.  8,  1856.  It  was  a  seven-column  folio 
^  paper,  neatly  printed  and  ably  edited.  Mr. 
!  Winter  was  a  forcible  writer,  soon  acquiring  a 
prominent  place  as  an  exponent  of  Republican  prin- 
ples  and  progressive  ideas.  It  was  started  during 
the  hottest  period  of  political  excitement  then  known 
to  our  country.  The  Kansas  outrages,  the  Kansas- 
Nebraska  Act  and  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Com- 
promise had  wrought  the  minds  of  the  people  up  to 
such  a  degree  of  indignation  that  a  conflict  then 
seemed  almost  unavoidable,  and  it  was  to  save  the 
country  from  anarchy,  barbarism  and  ruffianism,  that 
Mr.  Winter  again  took  up  the  quill  to  put  his  mite 
into  the  scale  of  liberty,  reform  and  civilization. 
Within  two  years  after  it  had  been  established,  the 
circulation  had  increased  to  1,200.  A  partnership 
was  then  formed,  consisting  of  John  S.  Winter  and 
R.  M.  Winans.  In  April,  1858,  John  S.  Winter  & 
Co.  retired,  and  Beatty  &  Robinson  became  the  pub- 
lishers. It  is  claimed  tliat  the  Republican  was  the 
first  to  suggest  the  name  of  Abraham  Lincoln  as  a 
presidential  candidate  for  i860.  It  exercised,  during 
that  memorable  campaign,  a  powerful  influence  to- 
ward the  election  of  the  Republican  ticket. 

Zaccheus  Beatty  retired  from  the  firm,  and  W.  T. 
Robinson  became  sole  proprietor  and  publislier.  In 
1875  it  was  purchased  by  F.  A.  Lanstrum,  who  con- 
ducted it  for  awhile,  when  O.  L.  Campbell  became 
the  publistier  and  editor,  in  which  position  we  still 
find  him.  Mr.  Campbell  has  clothed  the  Republican 
in  a  new  dress,  improving  its  appearance.  It  is  ably 
edited,  the  young  editor  showing  much  journalistic 


X 


LA^ 


^ 


logs 


KATOX  COUNTY. 


-k^ 


talent,  and  is  bright  and  newsy.  It  is  as  pronounced 
in  politics  as  ever,  and  has  a  circulation  of  about 
1 ,200.  A  good  power  press  and  a  job-office  have  been 
added,  and  Mr.  Campbell  is  prepared  to  do  first-class 
jobwork. 

Secret  Societies. 

■Illinois  Council,  No.  i,  R.  c-  S.  J/.,  was  organ- 
ized March  11,  1852,  under  a  dispensation  granted 
from  Kentucky,  and  was  organized  by  William  A. 
Seaton,of  Monmouth,  Warren  County.  First  officers, 
by  appointment,  of  Illinois  Council,  No.  i,  Royal  and 
Select  Masters,  organized  March  11,  1852  :  Wm.  A. 
Seaton,  T.  I.  G.  M. ;  Geo.  C.  Lanphere,  Dept.  T.  I. 
G.  M. ;  Harmon  G.  Reynolds,  P.  C.  W. ;  I.  M.  Wilte, 
I.G.C.G.;  Isaac  Gulihur,  I.  G.  S. ;  J.  W.  Spaulding, 
Recorder;  Wm.  .McMurtry,  Treasurer  ;  J.F.Mason, 
Steward ;  B.  F.  Hibbard,  Steward. 

Present  members,  33.     Present  officers:     D.  M. 

Elder,  T.  I.  G.  M. ;     H.  J.  Charles,  Dep.  I.  G.  M  ; 

•  R.  Higgins,  P.  C.  W. ;  J.  N.  Vangilder,  C.  G. ;  J.  N. 

Nisley,    Recorder;    M.    H.    Collins,   Treasurer;  L. 

[    Palmquist,  Chaplain;  R.  L.   Evarts,  Conductor;  J. 

R.  Scott,  Steward;  T.  T.  Parmenter,  Sentinel. 

The  Council  meets  in  the  Masonic  Hall,  and  is  in  a 
good,  flourishing  condition. 

Rabboni  Chapter,  No.  <?j,  was  instituted  Oct.  5, 
1856,  with  Alvah  Wheeler,  Adam  Brewer,  D.  M. 
Eiker,  James  Boyd,  T.  T.  Parmenter,  Silas  Bruce,  A. 
W.  Martin,  John  G.  Smith,  Thos.  Cooper,  Isaac  Guli- 
hur, Geo.  A.  Charles,  James  McCracken,  Geo.  F. 
Smith  and  H.  R.  Perkins.  James  McCracken,  H. 
P.;  Alvah  Wheeler,  K. ;  Adam  Brewer,  Scribe. 

The  Chapter  has  a  present  membership  of  54. 
Present  officers:  D.  M.  Eiker,  H.  P.;  Samuel 
Calkins,  K.;  Isaac  Gulihur,  Scribe;  Robert  Higgins, 
C.  H.;  H.J.  Childs,  Treasurer;  R.  L.  Evarts. 
Secretary;  E.  H.  Stilson,  P.  S. ;  J.  R.  Scott,  R.  A. 
C. ;  Michael  Collins,  G.  M.  3d  V. ;  Lewis  Palmquist, 
G.  M.  2d  v.;  John  Nisley,  G.  M.  ist  V.;  T.  T. 
Parmenter,  Sentinel.  The  Council  is  in  good  con- 
dition. 

Knoxville  Lodge,  No.  66,  was  organized  Oct.  3, 
1855,  by  Harmon  G.  Reynolds,  Cyrus  Palmer,  Isaac 
B.  West  and  others.  The  lodge  organized  under 
dispensation,  which  was  granted  on  petition  April  28, 
1849.  Under  the  dispensation  granted  the  memberj 
proceeded  to  elect  their  officers  :  Geo.  C.  Lanphere, 
W.  M.;    Benj.  Hebard,  S.  W. ;    Caleb  Finch,  J.  W. ; 


Edward  C.  Johnson,  Treasurer;  Robt.  L.  Hanna- 
man.  Secretary ;  Reuben  Bailey,  S.  D. ;  Isaac  Guli- 
hur, J.  D. ;  J.  F.  Mason,  Tiler.  They  built  their  hall 
in  1855  with  their  own  funds.  The  lower  floor  is 
rented.  An  elegant  hall  and  well  finished.  Present 
membership,  62.  Present  officers:  D.  M.  Eiker,  W. 
M.;  J.  R.  Scott,  S.  W. ;  John  Cook,  J.  W. ;  Lewis 
Palmquist,  Treasurer;  R.  L.  Evarts,  Secretary ;  Rev. 
J.  Rugh,  Chaplain;  Chas.  Russell,  S.  D. ;  Frank 
Godfrey,  J.  D. ;  John  N.  Nisley,  S.  S.;  Edward 
Schwartz,  J.  S. ;  T.  T.  Parmenter,  Tiler.  This  lodge 
is  in  good  working  order,  is  efficient  in  good  words 
and  works,  and  is  growing  rapidly  into  prosperity  and 
popularity. 

Pacific  Lodge,  No.  400,  was  chartered  Oct  5,  1864 
This  lodge  was  an  outgrowth  of  the  Knoxville  Lodge. 
Its  members  first  organized  under  dispensation 
March  3,  1864,  electing  for  its  first  officers:  A.  M. 
Craig,  W.  M.;  George  A.  Charles,  S.  W. ;  Alvah 
Wheeler,  J.  W. ;  R.  Whtte,  Treasurer;  B.  Kersey, 
Secretary;  S.  Stephens,  S.  D. ;  Adam  Brewer,  J.  D.; 
J.  F.  Stewart,  Tiler.  The  ensuing  fall  they  received 
their  charter.  The  present  officers  are:  E.  H.  Stil- 
son, M.  W. ;  Thos.  Barton,  S.  W. ;  W.  S.  Lessig,  J. 
W.;  E.  Plummer,  Treasurer;  L.  A.  Jackson,  Secre- 
tary; George  O.  Reynolds,  S.  D. ;  George  Barton,  J. 
D. ;  Lewis  R.  Walton,  S.  S. ;  J.  A.  Shawver,  J.  S.; 
Elkanah  Moore,  Tiler.  The  lodge  membership  at 
this  writing  is  54,  and  its  meetings  are  held  in  the 
Kno.wille  Lodge  hall,  wherein  they  own  a  joint  inter- 
est. They  employ  a  financial  agent,  who  manages 
the  business  for  them.  They  are  prosperous  and  in 
good  working  order. 

Knoxville  Lodge,  No.  126,  A.  O.  U.  IV.,  was  or- 
ganized Sept.  30,  1878,  with  17  charter  members. 
The  first  officers  were :  J.  A.  Dillingham,  P.  M.  W. ; 
G.  S.  Chalmers,  M.  W.;  A.  M.  Parmenter,  Foreman; 
James  Boyd,  Rec. ;  T.  B.  Tate,  Financier ;  R.  F. 
Tate,  Receiver;  Joe  Lander,  Guide;  N.  Orump,  I. 
W. ;  J.  E.  Hanson,  O.  W.  The  present  officers  are  as 
follows  :  J.  VV.  Tate,  M.  VV. ;  H.  W.  Arms,  Foreman ; 
I.  E.  WaUich,  O. ;  J.  S.  Simpson,  Rec;  J.  D.  Mc- 
intosh, Financier;  Thos.  B.  Tate,  Receiver;  Frank 
Buck,  Guide;  Thomas  J.  Scott,  I.  W. ;  J.  S.  Simpson, 
P.  M.  W.  Present  number  of  members  is  55.  A 
fine  hall,  60x30,  has  been  leased  for  five  years. 

Knox  Legion,  higher  degree  of  A.  O.  U.  W.,  with 
20  members,  has  just  been  organized. 


■—      ■*■ 


^ 


-T^M^--- 


4U 


■ — '\^^=^ 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


^^^ 


«>53 


CHURCHES. 

Krwx-cilU  M.  E.  Church.  One  of  the  first  relig- 
ious organizations  in  this  part  of  the  State  was  the 
Knoxville  Methodist  Episcopal  congregation.  One 
of  the  earliest  pioneers  of  the  Gospel  in  this  section, 
Barton  H.  Cartwright,  preached  in  a  small  tinshop 
as  early  as  T831.  The  congregation  has  had  many 
pastors,  some  excellent  and  gifted,  others  of  less 
brilliancy,  but  on  the  whole  they  have  wrought  a 
good  work. 

Christian  Church.  Elder  J.  H.  Garrison,  one  of 
the  prominent  ministers  of  this  denomination,  came 
here  in  iSyr,  and  meeting  a  few  members — r3  in 
number — organized  the  Knoxville  Christian  congre- 
gation. The  old  Presbyterian  Church,  standing  on 
Broad  street,  was  purchased  for  §2,000,  and  a  portion 
of  Elder  Garrison's  services  secured.  The  congrega- 
tion has  enjoyed  a  steady  growth. 

Lut/ieran.  As  eariy  as  1853,  Rev.  T.  N.  Hassel- 
quist,  now  President  of  Rock  Island  College,  came 
to  Knoxville  and  organized  this  church.  Its  proper 
name  is  the  Swedish  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 

Presbyterian  Church.  The  present  congregation 
of  this  body  was  formed  in  1870  by  the  union  of  the 
Old  and  New  School  Churches.  This  was  the  result 
of  a  joint  conference  held  on  November  4  of  that 
year.  The  new  congregarion  took  possession  of  the 
Main  Street  Church  the  ist  of  Januar)-,  1871,  under 
the  pastorate  of  D.  \V.  Bradford. 

St.  John's  Episcopal  Church.  A  meeting  to  or- 
ganize a  parish  to  be  called  St.  John's  Church  was 


held  Dec.  30,  1843,  the  record  being  signed  by  19 
jiersons.  The  next  meeting  was  held  Sept.  7, 
1844,  and  was  presided  over  by  Rev.  Dudley  Chase. 
Occasional  service  was  held  by  Mr.  Chase  until  1848. 
The  next  recorded  meeting  of  this  society  was  April 
25,  1859.  In  April,  i860,  the  subject  of  building  a 
house  of  worship  was  discussed,  and  it  was  decided 
to  solicit  subscriptions  for  this  purpose.  In  May 
following,  the  Baptist  Church  building  was  leased  for 
a  chai)el  at  a  rental  of  §50  per  annum,  and  a  rector 
of  Galesburg  was  appointed  to  take  charge  of  the 
parish  in  connection  with  his  own.  The  parish  was 
re-organized  April  23,  1867,  and  a  church  building 
was  erected  the  same  year.  In  1869  Rev.  C.  W. 
Leffingwell  became  the  rector.  In  1873,  the  church 
debt  being  removed,  the  consecrarioti  took  place.  In 
1876  Mr.  Leffingwell  resigned  the  rectorship,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  E.  H.  Budd,  who  served  un- 
til 1879,  when  Mr.  Leffingwell  again  took  charge  and 
is  still  serving  the  church  in  the  capacity  of  rector, 
bat  the  services  are  not  regular,  nor  is  the  congrega- 
tion strong  or  prosperous. 

KNOXVILLE    CEMETERY. 

Just  north  of  the  town  is  the  Knoxville  Cemetery, 
which  was  laid  off  soon  after  the  location  of  the 
county  seat  was  made  at  this  place.  The  grounds 
embrace  several  acres,  and  are  pleasantly  located 
and  well  cared  for.  The  cemetery  is  adorned  with 
beautiful  shade  trees  and  some  very  fine  monuments, 
which  show  taste  and  culture. 


-M- 


cX  > 


IOS4 


•±Ty 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


From 


'^HERE  a  few  years  ago  roamed 
the  red  man  in  pursuit  of  his 
favorite  game  stand  popu- 
lous villages  and  cities 
The  beautiful  little  city  of 
which  we  now  write,  and 
I'hicli  is  so  pleasantly  situ- 
ted,  lies  between  the  town- 
Cedar  and  Indian  Point,  on  the 
he  Quincy  Branch  of  the  C,  B.  & 
.  Its  site  is  on  a  plateau  which 
lopes  back  on  all  sides  into  the 
ling  prairies.  Surrounding  it  is  one 
St  agricultural  districts  in  the  State, 
ery  point  the  eye  rests  on  beauti- 
lighly  cultivated  farms  embellished 
ipely  dwellings,  and  shaded  by 
handsome  trees.  To  Abraham  D.  Swartz  is  due  the 
credit  of  founding  this  town,  by  whom  it  was  platted 
in  1836.  Certainly  Mr.  Swartz  had  an  eye  for  the 
beautiful  when  he  conceived  the  ideaof  starting  a  town 
and  a  college  here.  It  is  reported  of  him  that  soon 
after  he  settled  in  this  township  he  took  his  devoted 
wife,  who  was  feeling  somewhat  sad  on  account  of 
her  solitude,  out  for  a  walk  one  fine  day.  Their 
walk  led  them  up  to  where  the  college  now  stands, 
where  they  rested.  A  wide,  unbroken  prairie  ex- 
tended all  around  them,  reaching  far  away  in  the 
distance,  now  and  then  relieved  by  little  groves. 
Only  two  or  three  cabins  could  be  seen,  and  one  of 
these  was  their  own  humble  dwelling.  After  gazing 
long  and  earnestly  upon  the  lovely  country  around 
him,  he  turned  to  his  wife  and  said :  "  We  will  live 
to  see  a  village  here,  and  where  we  stand  a  college 
will  be  built."     His  vision  proved  a   prophetic  one. 


Abingdon  was  platted  by  Mr.  Swartz  in  May,  1836, 
on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  33,  township  10 
north,  range  i  east.  In  1849  an  addition  was 
made,  which  was  called  South  Abingdon.  This  ad- 
dition was  laid  out  by  Frederick  Snyder,  April  2, 
and  was  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
4,  in  township  9  north  of  range  i  east,  and  immedi- 
ately south  of  the  original  town. 

John  E.  Evans  was  the  enterprising  man  who 
opened  the  first  tavern  in  Abingdon.  It  was  in  a  , 
double  log  cabin  and  its  doors  were  thrown  open  for 
the  entertainment  of  man  and  beast  in  the  fall  of 
1836.  It  was  quite  a  noted  hostelry  in  its  day  and 
was  long  remembered  for  its  genial  hospitality;  un- 
doubtedly it  gave  more  satisfaction  to  the  traveler 
of  that  day  than  the  present  hotel  does  to  the  peo- 
ple of  this.  Mr.  Evans  was  killed  in  Iowa  by  a  run- 
away team. 

Mr.  Swartz  named  the  town  after  the  one  he  had 
lived  in  in  Missouri.  About  the  year  1845  it  was  in- 
corporated as  a  village.  The  records  in  this  matter 
have  been  lost.  The  first  store  in  Abingdon  was 
opened  by  Curry  &  Green,  in  1836,  in  a  little  log  cab- 
in, which  now  would  not  be  regarded  large  enough 
for  a  peanut-shop.  This  was  opened  in  the  spring. 
John  C.  Evans  opened  the  second  store  in  the  fall. 
In  1837  another  store  was  opened  by  Green  &  Bow- 
man. From  this  start  the  village  grew  quite  rapidly 
and  soon  became  a  thriving  town.  Schools  were 
oijened,  churches  were  established,  settlers  con- 
tinued to  come  in  and  other  business  houses  were 
opened,  and  Abingdon  began  to  assume  the  airs  of 
a  city. 

By  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature  passed  April 
21,   1857,   Abingdon    was   incorporated   as    a   city. 


■  V. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


The  first  officers  were  W.  H.  GillasfJie,  Mayor;  C.  C. 
Lewis,  Sidney  Owens,  Jesse  Perdue  and  George  In- 
ness  were  chosen  Aldermen;  Charles  L.  Sunimers, 
Clerk;  Jesse  Burr,  Assessor;  Andrew  Bradbury, 
Collector;  W.  H.  Giliaspie,  Treasurer,  and  W.  Mer- 
rick, Marshal. 

To  return  to  the  early  days.  We  find  that  in  1837 
a  public  sale  of  lots  was  had,  which  netted  quite  a 
little  sum.  In  the  year  1838  the  first  school  was 
opened  in  the  village  and  was  taught  by  A.  Mcin- 
tosh. During  this  year  Alonzo  Reece  was  born, 
which  was  the  first  birth  here.  The  first  death  here 
was  that  of  a  Mr.  Duffield,  in  1838.  Abraham  D. 
Swartz  was  the  first  Postmaster,  receiving  his  ap- 
pointment in  t836.  From  this  time  to  the  present 
Abingdon  has  had  the  following  Postmasters  :  U. 
Reece,  S.  H.  Richey,  W.  Shannon,  B  Bradbury,  Jesse 
Chesney,  W.  D.  Loma.x  and  A.  B.  Cochran. 

After  her  incorporation  as  a  city  Abingdon  com- 
menced the  erection  of  good  school  buildings,  estab- 
lished a  thorough  system  of  public  education,  and 
secured  the  services  of  good  instructors.  Her  schools 
were  noted  for  their  excellence.  Among  her  teachers 
was  Myron  R.  Brewster,  who  taught  here  at  an  early 
day.  He  was  much  beloved  and  respected  by  his 
pupils  and  all  the  people  who  knew  him.  He  was 
the  eighth  child  of  Ezra  B.  and  Joan  S.  (Reed)  Brew- 
ster, and  was  born  in  Greene,  Chenango  Co.,  N.  Y., 
Dec.  10,  1834.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  education 
and  refinement ;  pure  in  character,  of  modest  bear- 
ing and  retiring  nature  and  a  devout  Christian.  From 
Abingdon  he  went  to  VVaukegan  and  took  charge  of 
one  of  the  public  schools  there.  Here  he  remained 
until  the  Rebellion,when,  true  to  his  patriotic  instincts 
and  ancestral  traditions,  he  gave  up  his  charge  and 
enlisted  in  the  cause  of  the  Union,  joining  Co.  D, 
96th  111.  Vol.  Inf.  He  was  poisoned  wiiile  in  tlie 
service,  was  taken  to  a  hospital  and  from  there  dis- 
charged as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  return  home.  As 
soon  as  his  health  would  permit  he  took  charge  of 
one  of  the  schools  of  Evansion,  tiiat  beautiful  city 
on  the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan,  where  he  taught 
until  his  health  and  strength  failed  him,  when  he 
was  obliged  to  give  up  his  trust,  and  a  few  months 
after  he  died.  He  never  recovered  from  the  army 
sickness  nor  from  the  effects  of  the  poison,  and  was 
a  great,  though  patient,  sufferer  for  many  years  prior 
to  his  death.  The  most  able  physicians  in  Chicago 
could  give  him  but  temporary  relief,  and  no  hope  of 


recovery.  On  the  rgth  of  April,  187  i,  surrounded 
by  his  beloved  and  faithful  wife,  his  loving  children 
and  a  devoted  brother,  his  pure  spirit  passed  away 
to  that  summer  land  where  there  is  no  physical  con- 
flict, no  bodily  pain.  His  remains  were  interred  in 
Oakwood  Cemetery,  Waukegan,  by  the  side  of  his 
parents  and  other  kindred,  and  by  the  shores  of  that 
hike  whose  waves  peri)etually  sing  his  requiem,  and 
upon  the  blue  waters  of  which  he  was  wont  to  gaze 
with  admiring  eyes.  He  left  a  wife  and  five  children — 
Nellie,  Otto,  Lulu,  Ernest  and  Perrin,  all  of  whom  are 
living  at  Rock  Rapids,  Iowa,  except  Perrin,  who  was 
drowned  while  out  boating  in  the  Vermilion  River  at 
Pontiac,  III.,  June  i,  1879.  His  body  was  found 
three  days  after,  and  was  placed  by  the  side  of  that 
of  his  father  in  Oakwood  Cemetery. 

Otto  and  Nellie  are   married    and  are   living   at* 
Rock  Rapids,  Iowa. 

Abingdon  made  a  heavy  stride  forward  when  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  completed  its  line  through  the 
place.  This  stimulated  its  business  men  to  erecting 
substantial  business  blocks,  and  filling  them  with 
large  stocks  of  goods.  About  this  time  the  Hedding 
College  was  completed  and  opened,  which  placed 
Abingdon  among  the  first  towns  in  educational  ad- 
vantages. In  1883  the  Central  Iowa  Railroad  was 
completed  through,  which  with  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R. 
gave  her  abundant  facilities  for  transportation  and 
ready  communication  with  all  parts  of  the  country. 
The  business  of  Abingdon  to-day  rests  on  a  substan- 
tial foundation.  Its  stores  are  first-class,  well  filled, 
and  a  fair  business  is  done.  It  has  two  banks.  As 
a  shipping  point  for  fine  horses  and  cattle,  it  is  unex- 
celled by  any  town  of  its  size  in  the  country.  It  has 
al»o  made  considerable  advancement  in  its  manu- 
facturing industries.  Among  these  are  two  brick  and 
tile  factories,  one  owned  by  Messrs.  Reed  &  Davis, 
and  the  other  by  that  old  and  reliable  citizen,  F.  P. 
Foltz.  His  factory  is  situated  about  two  miles  west 
of  the  city.  He  has  a  fine  bed  of  clay,  whicii  is  very 
accessible  and  comparatively  inexhaustible.  A 
first-class  quality  of  tile  is  made  and  sold  at  reason- 
able rates. 

Reed  &  Davis'brick  and  tile  factory  is  situated  just 
north  of  the  town.  This  is  a  recent  purchase  by 
them.  They  have  an  e.\cellent  bed  of  clay,  which 
they  obtain  from  a  shaft  some  75  feet  below  the  sur- 
face. Immediately  above  the  clay-bed  lies  a  two- 
feet  stratum  of  coal,  which  they  propose  to  get  out  and 


-¥ 


^> 


1056 


XJ^OX  COUNTY. 


*t-^ 


put  on  the  market.  There  were  many  improvements 
here  and  a  good  deal  of  machinery  when  these  gen- 
tlemen made  their  purchase,  but  they  are  addirg 
new  and  improved  machinery,  putting  up  new  kilns 
and  drying-houses,  and  largely  increasing  their  man- 
ufacturing capacity.  They  have  one  kiln  in  process 
of  erection  which  will  have  a  capacity  of  25,000  tile. 
The  size  of  their  tile  ranges  from  three  to  eight 
inches.  This  is  one  of  the  institutions  that  help 
maintain  and  build  up  a  town,  and  the  people  should 
give  it  every  encouragment. 

The  Nordyke  Mills,  owned  by  Shoemaker  &  Mc- 
Conkle,  are  another  industry  of  the  city  which  is  very 
creditable.  They  make  a  specialty  of  manufactur- 
ing graham  flour,  corn-meal  and  feed,  and  have  al- 
ready established  an  extensive  business. 

With  its  beautiful  location,  its  superior  educational 
advantages,  its  industries  and  the  rich  agricultural 
country  surrounding  it,  with  the  extensive  stock 
farms,  Abingdon  cannot  but  be  prosperous.  Her 
streets  are  wide,  well  laid  out,  and  bordered  with 
beautiful  shade  trees ;  her  dwelling-houses  average 
well,  while  some  are  elegant. 

FIRE  DEPARTMENT. 

The  fire  department  was  organized  in  1877,  with 
C.  E.  Perdue,  Marshal.  The  Hook  and  Ladder 
Company  has  15  members.  Officers  :  H.  H.  Bell- 
wood,  Foreman;   W.  T.  Phelps,  First  Assistant;  J. 

B.  Davis,  Second   Assistant ;  J.  J.   Bradbury,  Secy. ; 

C.  Leigh,  Treas. 

Abingdon  Engine  Company  (chemical)  was  or- 
ganized with  21  members.  C.  J.  Lake,  Foreman; 
C.  E.  Perdue,  First  Assistant ;  F.  L.  Stubbs,  Second 
Assistant.  Have  150  feet  of  hose;  depend  on  wells 
and  cisterns  for  water  supply.  Present  officers  :  Fire 
Marshal,  W.  A.  Jones.  Hook  and  Ladder  Co. :  J. 
Merry,  Foreman ;  J.  Bellwood,  First  Assistant ;  Ed. 
Fox,  Second  Assistant ;  Ed.  Fox,  Secy.  ;  J.  Bellwood, 
Treas.;  membership  21.  Chemical  Company:  A. 
M.  Hopper,  Foreman;  M.  H.  Best,  First  Assistant; 
W.  H.  Kibby,  Second  Assistant;   15  members. 

CHERRY  GROVE  SEMINARY. 

•This  seminary  was  at  one  time  a  very  popular  and 
well  patronized  institution  of  learning.  It  was 
founded  by  Vl.  C.  Bates  and  Jonathan  Latimer,  and 
was  located  about  one  mile  northwest  of  Abingdon,  on 
section  29.  It  was  opened  March  i,  1841,  under 
the  charge  of  Rev.  Cyrus  Haynes,  who  was  a  minis- 


ter of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr. 
Haynes  had  charge  of  this  school  some  eight  years, 
and  through  liis  ability  as  an  instructor  and  man- 
ager it  became  one  of  the  noted  institutions  of  learn- 
ing of  this  part  of  the  country,  and  was  very  prosper- 
ous. In  1866  the  Cumberland  Presbyterian  Church 
established  a  college  at  Lincoln,  111.,  in  consequence 
of  which  this  seminary  was  discontinued. 

BANKS. 

The  Union  Bank  was  established  by  Thales  H. 
Givens,  J.  M.  Dawdy  and  Strawther  Givens,  in  1873, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Givens,  Dawdy  &  Co.  In 
1878  the  bank  was  reorganized  and  changed  into  the 
Union  Bank  of  Abingdon,  with  Strawther  Givens  as 
President ;  F.  P.  Foltz,  Vice-President,  and  T.  E. 
Givens,  Cashier. 

The  People  s  Bank  was  opened  on  the  ist  day  of 
December,  1879,  with  a  capital  stock  of  ^30,000.  In 
1 88 1  the  capital  was  increased  to  $50,000.  In  1883 
it  was  merged  into  the  First  National  Bank  of  Ab- 
ingdon. This  bank  was  founded  by  M.  C.  Bates,  J. 
B.  McKay  and  M.  C.  Kimball.  The  officers  are:  J. 
B.  McKay,  President;  M.  C.  Kimball,  Vice-Presi- 
dent; W.  A.  Latimer,  Cashier. 


4 


W.   H.  Gillaspii 


[ill. 


T.  Me 

W.  H.  Gillaspie i8fc 

Henry  Frey 1861-62 

I).  D.  Shoop 1863 

W.  H.  Gillaspie 1864 

"     ~  1865 


S.  M.  Lew 


1867 


ry  Frey. 

C  C .  Lewis looo 

Wm.  M.  Veatch 1869-70 

J.  B.  Strode 1871-72 


A.  \'ickery 1873-74 

Wm.    lohnson 1875 

H.C.  Murphy i8y6 

Henry  Frey 1877 

Abner  Vickery 1878 

John  Mosser 1879 

Wm    Johnson 1880 

John  Mosser 1881 

W.  B.  Main 1882 

Thos.    Newell 1883 

Veatch 1884 


W.  v.  Tr 


^ilo. 


HEDDING  COLLEGE. 

In  1829  A.  D.  Swartz  came  to  Knox  County,  and 
settled,  with  his  family,  near  Cherry  Grove.  Being 
far  from  society,  they  were  very  lonely.  One  day 
they  walked  out  to  the  high  ground  southwest  of  their 
house,  and  he  said  to  his  wife,  "  We  shall  live  to  see 
a  village  here,  and  where  we  stand  a  college  will  be 
built."  On  the  ground  where  he  stood  when,  he 
uttered  those  words,  Hedding  College  now  stands. 
The  school  was  opened  first  in  the  old  Methodist 
Church,  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Jackson 
streets.  It  was  under  the  care  of  Prof.  N.  C.  Lewis, 
now  deceased,  assisted  by  Prof.  M.  Andrews,  now  of 
Chicago,  and  was  known  as  Hedding  Seminary. 

The  first  building  was  erected  in  1857.  It  was  70 
by  40  feet  in  dimensions  and  two  stories  high.     The 


t 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


>o57 


upper  room  is  the  chapel.  The  lower  part  was  used 
for  recitation  rooms.  In  1S73  the  new  building  was 
erected,  7  1.^70  feet,  two-stories  high  with  a  basement. 
It  cost  about  ^5,000,  and  gives  ample  accommoda- 
tion for  500  stiidents.  In  view  of  the  growth  of  the 
institution,  and  the  demands  of  its  patrons,  in  1875 
it  was  organized  under  the  general  law  of  Illinois  as 
a  college.  After  Rev.  N.  C.  Lewis,  Prof.  J.  T.  Dick- 
inson was  elected  Principal,  then  Rev.  M.  Springer. 
In  1872  Rev.  J.  G.  Evans,  A.  M.,was  elected  Presi- 
dent. During  his  administration  the  institution  was 
raised  to  the  rank  of  a  college.  After  him  Rev.  G. 
W.  Peck  was  President,  from  1878  to  1882.  The  last 
year  of  his  administration  was  spent  in  visiting 
Europe  and  the  Holy  Land.  He  did  a  good  work 
in  the  college.  In  18S2  Rev.  J.  S.  Camming,  D.  D., 
was  elected.  At  that  time  the  college  was  very  much 
embarrassed  with  debt.  Of  the  319,000  indebted- 
ness, $17,000  has  been  paid,  leaving  $2,000,  for  which 
provision  has  been  made,  and  it  is  hoped  that  at  an 
r  early  day  all  those  claims  will  be  settled.  The  pres- 
I  j  ent  Faculty  consists  of  Rev.  J.  S.  Gumming,  D.  D., 
^  1  President,  Professor  of  Mental,  Moral  and  Political 
Science;  Rev.  D.  T.  Wilson,  A.  M.,  Vice-President, 
Professor  of  Natural  Sciences;  Mrs.  T.  D.  Headley, 

A.  M.,  Preceptress,  Professor  of  Mathematics;  G.  J. 
Hogertz,  A  B.,  Librarian,  Professor  of  Languages; 
Miss  Jennie  E.  Reed,  Ph.  M.,  Secretary,  Professor  of 
Belles  Lettres ;  Miss  Mary  E.  Latimer,  B.  M.,  Prin- 
cipal of  Musical  Department ;  Mr.  C.  D.  Benfield, 

B.  Accts.,  Principal  of  Commercial  Department ; 
Madison  Reece,  M.  D.,  Lecturer  on  Physiology  and 
Hygiene. 

The  college  is  under  the  patronage  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  It  has  done  good  work.  Its 
sons  and  daughters  are  among  its  preachers,  teach- 
ers, lawyers,  doctors  and  most  useful  citizens  all  over 
the  country. 

The  citizens  of  .■\l)ingdon  are  justly  proud  of  the 
college,  and  have  done  and  are  doing  much  to  aid 
in  its  finances,  and,  in  turn,  the  college  is  doing 
much  to  develop  moral  and  intellectual  culture  in  the 
community.  Earnest  efforts  are  being  made  to  se- 
cure an  endowment,  .\bout  §7,000  have  been 
pledged  and  several  bequests  have  been  made, 
amounting  to  a  little  more  than  §20,000.  When  the 
endowment  is  sufficient  to  meet  the  deficiencies  in 
current  expenses,  the  future  usefulness  of  the  college 
will  be  assured. 


PUBLIC  SCHOOL. 

Abingdon  has  an  excellent  graded  school,  which 
is  presided  over  by  V.  E.  Bender,  as  Principal;  Miss 
Elsie  Marshall  has  charge  of  the  Grammar  Depart- 
ment; Miss  Jennie  Haney,  Intermediate ;  Miss.\nna 
Vait,  Second  Primary ;  Miss  Elizabeth  Batty, 
First  Primary.  A  full  English  course  is  taught,  and 
the  sciences  and  Latin.  Enrollment,  170;  average 
attendance,  145. 

It  is  a  fine  two-story  brick  structure,  with  seven 
departments,  including  a  fine  chapel,  in  which  serv- 
ices are  held  every  morning. 

The  school  property  of  Abingdon  is  valued  atf  25,- 
000.  Of  persons  under  21  years  of  age  there  are 
336,  of  whom  240  are  of  school  age,  21 1  being  en- 
rolled. The  largest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were 
$93.75  per  niontli,  the  lowest  the  same;  the  highest 
wages  paid  female  teachers  were  $40,  and  the  lowest 
$35.     The  tax  levy  was  §3,000. 

THE  PRESS. 

The  Enterprise.  This  paper  cast  its  neat,  newsy 
pages  before  the  reading  public  Aug.  6,  1880.  It 
was  established  by  J.  C.  Cramer.  In  June,  1884,  J. 
N.  Reed  and  R.  E.  Pendarvis  purchased  the  plant, 
and  are  the  present  publishers.  They  have  a  steam 
p)Ower  press  and  a  good  job-office,  where  they  are 
prepared  to  do  all  kinds  of  jobwork.  In  this  de- 
partment they  have  a  liberal  patronage.  The  hnter- 
prise  is  a  five-column  quarto  paper,  Republican  in 
politics,  and  is  ably  conducted,  with  a  circulation  of 
about  800.  They  print  the  Gleaiur,  which  is  a 
monthly  paper  published  by  the  College.  They  also 
print  the  Galesburg  Methodist  Episaypal  District 
Monthly,  which  is  gotten  up  under  the  auspices  of 
the  Methodist  Church. 

The  Abingdon  Argus  was  established  March  8, 
r882,  by  Messrs.  Clark  &  Perdue.  It  was  estab- 
lished as  a  seven-column  folio,  and  independent  in 
pwlitics.  Mr.  Perdue  retired  from  the  firm  the  year 
following,  and  went  to  Denver  and  engaged  in  garden- 
ing. Walter  H.  Clark,  senior  member,  who  is  a  son  of 
Judge  Dennis  Clark,  became  sole  proprietor.  He  has 
continued  to  increase  its  popularity  and  its  patrons, 
and  now  has  a  subscription  list  of  about  900.  In 
politics  the  Argus  is  still  Independent,  k  job-office 
is  connected  with  the  paper,  and  first-class  jobwork 
at  reasonable  prices  is  done.  The  Argus  is  a  well- 
edited,  newsy  paper,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  its 


hh 


io;S 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


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patrons  and  the  developjnent  of  Abingdon.  The 
editor  is  a  genial  gentleman,  always  glad  to  meet  his 
friends,  and  to  extend  a  fraternal  hand  to  the  craft. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in  1833.  Tlie 
society  consisted  of  seven  members — Abraham  D. 
Swartz  and  wife,  Joseph  Latimer  and  wife,  Mrs. 
Nancy  Latimer  and  Mr.  Finch  and  wife;  only  one  of 
whom  still  survives — Mrs.  Nancy  Latimer,  at  the 
advanced  age  of  83,  who  resides  with  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Emily  Chesney,  the  next  oldest  living  mem- 
ber. Peter  Cartwright  .was  their  Presiding  Elder, 
and  D.  W.  Trotter  the  first  regular  pastor.  Services 
were  held  in  private  houses  of  the  members  until 
1837,  when  the  first  school-house  was  built,  where 
the  city  park  now  is,  and  they  worshiped  there  till 
1846.  They  then  built  their  first  church,  a  plain, 
one-story  building,  on  the  corner  of  Washington  and 
Jackson  streets,  now  used  for  a  shop.  They  con- 
tinued to  meet  in  this  until  after  Hedding  College  was 
built,  when  they  moved  to  the  chapel.  After  awhile 
the  little  band  of  seven  had  increased  thirty-fold,  and 
)^  they  were  well  able  to  build.  Accordingly,  in  1865, 
!  1  the  building  used  at  present  was  erected.  It  is  a 
two-story  structure,  costing  about  §15,000,  situated 
on  the  corner  of  Latimer  and  Washington  streets, 
containing  a  large  auditorium  and  several  pleasant 
rooms,  beside  bting  adapted  to  social  meetings.  They 
have  at  present  a  membership  of  about  280,  with 
Rev.  C.  O.  McCullough  as  pastor.  The  follo\ving  is 
a  partial  list  of  Pastors  and  Presiding  Elders. 
Pastors:  From  1833-37  — W.  D.  R.  Trotter,  Barton 
Randall,  Peter  R.  Borein,  Henry  Summers,  A.  E.  D. 
West,  Chauncey  Hobert,  Justin  Woodworth ;  1837- 
38 — Thomas  Kirkpatrick  ;  1840 — Reuben  Plumber, 
Richardson  Walters ;  1841-42 — John  Morey  ;  1842- 
44— S.  R.  Beggs,  J.  Wiley;  1845— G.  G.  Worthing- 
ton;  1846 — Barton  H.  Cartwright;  1847 — R.  N. 
Morse,  Freeborn  Haney;  1848 — Benjamin  Applebee; 
T849— William  W.  Clark,  L.  Pool  ;  1851-52— Will- 
iam Haney;  1853-54 — J.P.Brooks;  1855— Hen- 
derson Ritchie;  1856— P.  T.  Rhodes,  J.  G.  Evans; 
1857-58 — John  Borland;  1859 — H.  G.  Murch; 
i860 — A.  C.  Higgins;  186 1 — A.Fisher;  1862 — John 
Morey  ;  1863 — F.  M.  Chaffee,  who  was  also  agent  for 
Hedding  College;  1864— D.  R.  Thomas;  1865— 
C.  Springer;  1866— F.  Smith;  1867— D.  H.  Gray; 
1868 — W.   P.  Graves;  1869-70 — L.  Janes;  1871 — 


J.  P.  Brooks;  1872— B.  E.  Kaufman:  1873-75— J. 
W.  Haney;  1876-77— G.  M.  Irwin;  1878-79— M. 
A.  Head;  1880-81— J.  S.  Gumming;  1882— H.  L 
Brown,  who  was  obliged  to  give  up  the  work  on  ac- 
count of  failing  health,  the  remainder  of  the  year 
being  suppliejl  by  G.  R.  Palmer;  1883— W.  B.  Alex- 
ander; 1884-85 — C.  O.  McCullough.  Presiding 
Elders:  1833-35 — Peter  Cartwright;  1836 — Henry 
Summers;  1838 — Newton  Berryman;  1840 — John 
S.  Barger;  1846— Richard  Haney;  1848— Milton 
Bourne;  1850 — John  Morey;  1856-59 — Henry 
Summers;  i860 — Richard  Haney;  1861 — John 
Morey;  1862 — W.  H.  Hunter;  1863-65 — F.  Smith; 
1866-67— W.  H.  Hunter;  1868-71— H.  Ritchie; 
1872 — Richard  Haney;  1873-76 — J.  S.  Gumming; 
1877-80— A.  K.  Fullis;  i88i— W.  M.  Collins;  1882- 
85— M.  C.  Bowlin. 

The  Free  MetJwdist  Church.  This  society  was  or- 
ganized at  .\bingdon,  in  the  fall  of  1880,  by  Rev.  J. 
G.  Terrell,  with  W.  B.  Morse,  John  Wood  and  wife 
and  Charles  Pratt  as  members.  Meetings  were  first 
held  in  private  houses  and  in  halls.  In  1881  a  lease 
was  secured  of  the  Methodist  Protestant  building. 
Rev.  William  Ferries  was  the  first  installed  pastor,  "^ 
remaining  one  year.  He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  F. 
E.  Hall,  who  remained  one  year,  and  was  followed 
by  Rev.  C.  H.  Loomis.  Mr.  Loomis  served  the 
church  one  year,  and  then  Rev.  F.  D.  Brooks,  the 
present  pastor,  assumed  charge.  This  society  has 
been  slowly  increasing  in  numbers,  and  has  now  a 
membership  of  26.  They  adhere  to  plainness  of 
apparel,  lapng  aside  all  superfluous  dress  and  orna- 
mentation. They  also  exclude  trom  the  pale  of  their 
church  those  who  use  tobacco  in  any  form  or  belong 
to  any  secret  organization.  As  far  as  they  can,  they 
adhere  to  the  means  and  methods  of  the  early  Meth- 
odists. The  clergy  do  evangelical  work  in  the  main, 
instead  of  settling  down  to  local  preaching. 

The  Christian  Church. — This  congregation  was 
organized  in  1840,  by  Rev.  Hiram  Smith,  who  was 
the  first  pastor.  Services  were  held  several  years  in 
private  houses  and  in  halls.  In  1849  they  erected 
a  neat  little  building  at  a  cost  of  §1,000,  in  which 
they  worship  for  several  years.  Their  present  place 
of  worship  is  the  chapel  of  the  old  Abingdon  College. 
This  society  seems  to  have  lost  its  prestige  here,  and 
the  church  work  is  not  as  regular  nor  as  active  as  in 
former  days.    They  have  an  enrollment  of  about  140 


*ir 


LA.:r 


^ 


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KNOX  COUNTY. 


IOS9 


members,  presiding  over  which  is  Rev.  L.  B.  Myers. 
The  Congregational  Church.  This  society  was  or- 
ganized Sept.  21,  1881,  with  13  members,  by  Rev.  J. 
VV.  Clarke,  who  was  the  first  pastor.  A  part  of  its 
congregation  was  made  up  from  the  Cumberland 
Presbyterians,  which  society  had  been  disbanded. 
This  society  was  organized  in  1835,  at  Cheriy  Grove, 
by  Rev.  James  Stockton,  and  at  first  held  its  meet- 
ings in  private  houses.  In  1866  they  erected  a  neat 
little  edifice  at  Abingdon,  which  was  dedicated  in 
February  of  the  following  year.  After  organization 
the  Congregationalists  purchased  the  Cumberland 
church  building.  It  was  refitted  in  1885,  at  an  ex- 
pense of  S2.500,  adding  also  a  lecture  room.  Mr. 
Clarke  served  the  church  until  February,  1883,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  D.  B.  Spencer,  the  present 
pastor.  This  society  has  been  thrifty,  having  now  a 
membership  of  about  100  souls,  and  a  Sabbath- 
school  numbering  160  scholars.  The  present  pros- 
perous condition  of  this  church  is  largely  due  to  the 
present  pastor,  who  is  a  man  of  much  ability. 

SECRET  AND  BENEVOLENT  SOCIETIES. 

Abingdon  Lodge,  No.  iSj,  A.  F.  &-■  A.  M.  This 
Lodge  was  chartered  Oct.  2,  1855.  The  officers 
named  in  the  charter  were  Gabriel  Williams,  W.  M.; 
C.  W.  Higgins,  S.  W. ;  C.  C.  Lewis,  J.  W.  In  regard 
to  the  other  officers  the  records  are  deficient.  The 
present  officers  are  L.  B.  Myers,  W.  M. ;  Ed.  Giv- 
ens,  S.  W.;  L.  L.  Long,  J.  W. ;  W.  W.  Jones,  Treas. ; 
James  Bellwood,  Sec'y;  G.  W.  Fox,  S.  D. ;  L.  D. 
Stephens,  J.  D. ;  M.  Hughey,  S.  S. ;  A.  W.  White, 
J.  S. ;  S.  McFarland,  Tiler.  Present  membership, 
75.  In  187  I  they  built  a  hall,  which  is  well  finished 
and  neatly  furnished.  The  society  is  in  good  work- 
ing condition  and  financially  sound,  having  funds  in 
the  treasury. 

Abingdon  Lodge,  No.  184,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  char- 
tered Oct.  14,  1855,  with  H.  B.  Porter,  D.  \V.  Rack- 
hold,  John  L.  Hill,  Wm.  Shannon,  R.  K.  Porter  and 
W.  H.  Gillaspie.  The  first  officers  were  Henry  Por- 
ter, N.  G. ;  J.  L.  Hill,  V.  G. ;  W.  H.  Gillaspie,  Rec. 
Sec'y;  C.  S.  Howard,  Per.  Sec'y;  Wm.  Shannon, 
Treas.  Of  these  members  Wm.  Shannon,  D.  W. 
Rackhold,  Wm.  H.  Gillaspie  are  living.  In  1880 
they  purchased  a  new  hall  and  fitted  it  up  for  their 
use,  at  an  expense  of  $1,600.  Their  property  is 
valued  at  $3,766.  Present  officers :  F.W.Latimer, 
N.  G. ;  G.  W.  Oldfather,  V.  G.;  James  W.  Cox,  Rec. 


^JT" 


lA-r 


Sec'y;    D.    F.   Givens,  Per.  Sec'y;    M.  B.  Harden, 
Treas.     Present  membership,  49. 

They  have  a  neatly  finished  hall,  and  are  prosper- 
ous, having  funds  at  interest  and  money  in  the  treas- 
ury. The  Rebecca  Degree  has  been  given  to  some 
20  ladies  and  they  have  applied  for  a  charter. 

The  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen  was  char- 
tered Aug.  1,  1878.  First  officers:  John  Mosser, 
P.  M.  W. ;  J.  O.  Andrews,  M.  W.;  Henry  Ratekin, 
G.  F. ;  Wm.  Phelps,  O. ;  G.  W.  Oldfather,  Recorder; 
J.  M.  Heller,  Financier;  Strawther  Givens,  Receiver; 
J.  S.  Ritchey,  G. ;  Charles  Swarts,  I.  W. ;  Milton 
Dailey,  O.  W.  Present  officers:  M.  Bumer,  P.  M. 
W. ;  F.  Foreman,  M.  W. 

Present  membership,  about  30.  The  Lodge  is  in 
good  condition. 

Abingdon  LodgQ,  No.  jio.  Good  Templars,  was 
organized  Dec.  20,  1869,  with  about  20  members. 
First  officers :  S.  D.  Mosser,  W.  C.  T. ;  A.  W.  Coch- 
run,  Sec'y:  Bessie  Benfield,  Treas.  Present  mera- 
bership,about4o.  They  have  a  fine  hall,  well  finished, 
and  hold  meetings  regularly  every  Monday  evening. 
The  Lodge  is  prosperous. 

G.  A.  R.  Post,  No.  58,  was  chartered  July  16, 
1879,  with  38  charter  members.  First  officers:  C. 
W.  Bassett,  Com.;  A.  M.  Hopper,  S.  V.  C;  G.  M. 
Bowden,  J.  V.  C. ;  D.  M.  Reece,  Sui^.;  D.  J.  H. 
Miller,  Q.  M. ;  S.  D.  Hall,  O.  D. ;  A.  N.  Young,  O. 
G. ;  J.  V.  Burd,  Chaplain;  A.  W.  Cochrun,  Adjt. ; 
J.  W.  Maginnis,  Sergt. ;  Henry  Nichols,  Q.  M.  Sergt. 
Present  oflScers  :  A.  W.  Cochrun,  Com. ;  Wm.  Pea- 
body,  S.  V.  C;  Wm.  Kibbey,  J.  V.  C. ;  C.  E.  Per- 
due, Q.  M.;  Wm.  Sheeley,  Chaplain  ;  E.  F.  Purdum, 
Surg. ;  Isaac  George,  O.  D. ;  J.  H.  Young,  O.  G. ;  G. 
W.  Shoop,  Adjt.  Present  membership,  45.  The  Post 
is  fairly  prosperous  and  in  good  working  order.  Have 
a  plain,  substantial  hall,  with  the  necessary  equip- 
ments for  working. 

W.  C.  T.  U.  This  organization  was  formed  here 
in  1875,  and  has  been  doing  good  work  in  its  line 
of  reformation.  Mrs.  G.  D.  Shoop  is  the  President ; 
Mrs.  S.  A  Hughey,  V.  P. ;  Mrs.  Ellen  Sanborn,  Rec.  - 
Sec'y;  Mrs.  Caroline  Perdue,  Cor.  Sec'y;  Mrs.  W. 
H.  Heller,  Treas.  At  present  the  society  is  in  good 
standing,  and  there  are  about  20  members.  A  Band 
of  Hope  was  started  last  fall,  of  which  Mrs.  Hall  is 
the  present  Superintendent. 


•e4 


1060 


js:nox  county. 


Independent  Order  of  Mutual  Aid,  Abingdon  lodge, 
No.7i,^a.'s,  chartered  March  23,  1880,  with  14  mem- 
bers. First  officers:  M.  F.  Johnson,  President; 
H.  M.  Shoop,  V.  P.;  C.  W.  Bassett,  Rec.  Sec'y;  H. 
L.  Chaffee,  Fin.  Sec'y ;  J.  W.  McCowan,  Treas. 
Present  officers:  J.  H.  Miller,  President ;  W.  H. 
Kibbey,  V.  P. ;  J.  W.  McCowan,  Rec.  Sec'y;  J-  A. 
Marshall,  Fin.  Sec'y;  Win.  Sheeley, Treas.  Present 
membership,  10;  many  of  the  members  having  moved 
away.     This  is  an  insurance  order.     Policies  are  all 


$2,ooo,  and  are  issued  to  persons  from  25  to  50  years 
The  meetings  are  held  in  the  G.  A.  R.  Hall. 

CEMETB^Y. 

Abingdon  Cemetery  is  pleasantly  located  on  the 
southeast  quarter  of  section  32,  and  contains  about 
ten  acres.  It  is  owned  by  the  city  and  is  controlled 
by  the  City  Council.  Many  of  the  old  pioneers  of 
Kno.x  County  repose  here  beneath  the  shady  trees. 
It  was  well  laid  out,  the  grounds  are  well  kept,  and 
contain  many  fine  and  appropriate  monuments. 


^NEIDA  CITY  is  situated  in  the 
southeast  corner  of  Ontario 
Township,  and  was  founded 
in  1834,  by  Charles  F.  Camp, 
B.  S.  West  and  S.  V.  R. 
Holmes.  It  was  platted 
September  r,  same  year,  the 
plat  embracing  the  northwest  corner  ol 
section  36.  Additions  were  made 
afterward,  extending  into  section  35, 
and  south  in  section  36.  Tlie  town 
was  started  in  anticipation  of  the 
completion  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 
the  line  of  which  ran  diagonally 
through  the  plat,  and  which  was  com- 
pleted in  December.  The  location  is  exceedingly 
attractive,  and  throvigh  the  enterprise  and  good  taste 
of  its  citizens  Oneida  has  been  made  one  of  the 
pleasant  towns  of  the  county.  A  meeting  was  called 
on  Dec.  3,  1858,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  into  con- 
sideration the  matter  of  village  incorporation.  It 
was  decided  at  this  meeting  to  put  the  question  to 
a  vote  of  the  people,  and  that  the  election  be  held  on 
the  24th  of  December,  to  vote  for  or  against  incor- 


poration. The  election  was  held  at  the  old  school- 
house,  which  resulted  in  favor  of  incor[X)ration. 
There  were  47  votes  cast  for  incorporation  and  18 
against.  Of  these  voters  only  12  are  now  living.  A 
meeting  was  held  on  the  7th  of  January,  1859,  to 
elect  Trustees,  resulting  in  the  election  of  Charles  F. 
Camp,  H.  L.  Sage,  J.  M.  Brown,  J.  M.  Fleming  and 
William  B.  Le  Baron.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees 
held  at  C.  H.  Conger's  office,  Wm.  B.  Le  Baron  was 
chosen  President. 

In  r869  the  town  of  Oneida  was  incorporated  as  a 
city  by  the  General  Assembly,  the  act  being  ap- 
proved March  4,  1869.  The  first  election  for  city 
officers  was  held  April  5,  1869.  B.  S.  West  was 
chosen  Clerk  and  Alvah  Wheeler  and  A.  P.  Child 
Judges  of  Election.  This  resulted  in  electing  F.  G. 
Jelliff  and  George  H.  Varce,  Police  Magistrates;  J. 
A  Pratt  and  George  Stephenson,  Marshals ;  D.  D. 
Martin,  R.  Bristol,  E.  J.  Peterson  and  E.  Bennett, 
Aldermen. 

The  first  store  opened  in  Oneida  was  by  Miles  & 
St.  John,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Square,  in  the  fall  of 
1854.  Soon  after  this  a  building  for  a  hotel  was 
commenced,  and  was  completed  and  opened  to  the 


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4 


■M* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1 06 1 


public  about  Christmas.  On  the  20th  of  November 
of  the  same  year,  according  to  Isaac  Hurr,  the  con- 
struction train  came  into  the  new  village,  and  by  the 
4th  of  July,  the  following  year,  several  families  had 
settled,  among  whom  were  those  of  C.  F.  Camp,  J. 
J.  Rodgers,  C.  W.  Robertson.  J.  Kinney,  S.  Cooley, 
J.  Eckley,  M.  Osgood  and  E.  Child. 

The  present  post-office  was  opened  in  the  winter 
of  1S54-55,  with  C.  F.  Camp  as  Postmaster.  A 
school-house  was  completed  in  June,  1855,  and  soon 
after  Miss  Mary  Allen  West  was  duly  installed  as 
teacher.  Miss  West  is  now  on  the  editonal  stafT  of 
one  of  the  Chicago  papers. 

They  were  a  patrotic  people  about  this  country, 
and,  actuated  by  their  love  of  country  and  the  invit- 
ing prospects  before  them,  they  concluded  to  have  a 
grand  Fourth-of-July  celebration  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1855.  This  was  done  in  the  old  pioneer  style. 
Tiiere  were  some  8,000  people  gathered  in  here  from 
the  broad  prairies,  and  a  grand  old  time  was  had. 
There  was  a  free  dinner,  speeches,  martial  music, 
and  all  the  etceteras  accompanying  the  celebration 
of  our  national  birthday. 

From  its  first  settlement  Oneida  has  had  a  healthy 
and  a  steady  growth.  It  has  suflfered  severely  from 
fires,  but  the  destruction  of  her  business  houses  did 
not  discourage  her  enterprising  citizens,  and  these 
buildings  were  soon  restored.  Oneida  has  now 
several  fine  business  houses,  two  grain  elevators  and 
a  bank.  This  bank  was  started  in  1868,  by  W.  L. 
Hubbard  &  Co.  This  firm  sold  out  to  Conger  & 
Allen,  and  then  Allen  sold  out  to  Conger.  In  the 
spring  of  1877  the  business  was  purchased  by  An- 
derson &  Murdock,  who  are  the  present  reliable, 
genial  and  popular  proprietors,  and  who  are  doing  a 
large  banking  business.  The  people  of  Oneida  are 
noted  for  their  intelligence,  neighborly  regard  for 
each  other,  and  for  their  hospitality.  It  is  estimated 
now  to  contain  about  1,000. 

The  citizens  have  prepared  a  fine  cemetery  for  the 
repose  of  their  dead.  There  are  many  good  monu- 
ments in  it,  some  displaying  artistic  taste,  and  the 
lots  and  grounds  are  well  taken  care  of.  The  fol- 
lowing-named citizens  have  served  the  city  as 
Mayors:  F.  G.  Jelliff,  1869-70;  W.  B.  Le  Baron, 
1871;  A.  B.  Anderson,  1872.  Mr.  Anderson  was 
found  not  to  be  eligible,  and  a  special  election  was 
had,  and  A.  S.  Curtis  elected  and  served  until  1878. 

The  Post-Office  was  first  filled    by  C.  F.  Camp, 


who  was  succeeded  by  E.  Collamer  and  then  by  N. 
H.  Walworth,  J.  A.  Pratt,  C.  B.  VVetmore,  J.  Mc- 
Quade,  R.  Voris,  J.  B.  Shaw,  W.  B.  Le  Baron,  and 
Jeptha  Brainard,  the  present  incumbent. 

SCHOOL. 

Oneida  has  a  thoroughly  graded  school  and  it  is 
well  conducted.  J.  H.  Graham,  Principal ;  James 
Grant,  Assistant ;  Miss  Mary  E.  Shedd,  Intermediate ; 
Miss  A.  E.Graham,  First  Primary ;  Jennie  Voris,  Sec- 
ond Primary;  enrollment,  218;  average  attendance, 
192.  A  well-selected  library  of  300  volumes  is  con- 
nected with  the  school.  The  sciences,  with  Latin,  are 
taught.  -A.  local  teachers'  institute  is  organized  and 
meets  every  two  weeks.  From  scholars  who  have 
attended  this  school  there  are  18  who  are  now  teach- 
ing in  the  county.  The  building  is  a  large,  fine 
two-story  brick  structure  with  five  departments,  and 
has  a  commodious  chapel,  with  capacity  of  seating 
300  persons.  It  was  erected  in  1870  at  a  cost  of 
$1,400.  Mr.  Graham  is  an  old  teacher  and  has  a 
very  peculiar,  though  effective,  method  of  teaching. 
Scholars  passing  out  of  this  school  will  generally  un- 
derstand what  they  have  learned.  This  may  seem 
a  strange  axiom,  but  there  are  many  pupils  graduat-  »< 
ing  from  schools  at  the  present  day  who  have  a 
very  limited  knowledge  of  what  they  have  been 
studying. 

THE    ONEIDA    NEWS 

was  established  in  1882,  the  first  issue  going  out  to 
the  Oneida  public  June  28.  It  was  a  two-column 
folio,  and  edited  by  J.  C.  Montgomery,  who  is  the 
present  editor  and  proprietor.  The  Neios  has  been 
enlarged  to  a  three- column  paper  and  has  a  circula- 
tion of  300.  It  is  independent  in  politics,  is  a  spicy 
little  sheet,  all  original  and  devoted  to  the  interests 
of  its  patrons  and  the  city  of  Oneida. 

BAND. 

The  Oneida  Band  \\a.i  organized  in  August,  1885, 
with  F.  \V.  Dimmitt  as  Leader  and  Secretary,  and  J. 
Barnes,  Treasurer.  This  band  is  in  regular  prac- 
tice and  improving  rapidly. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Congregational  Church  was  organized  Dec. 
22,  1855,  by  Rev.  Jonathan  Blanchard,  with  21 
members.  The  first  pastor,  H.  C.  Abernethy,  re- 
mained ten  years  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  R.  C. 
Dunn,  in  1867,  who  died  the  same  year.  A  call 
was  made  for  and  accepted  by  L.  F.  Waldo,  in 
August,  1868.     He  was  succeeded  by  J.  L.  Gran- 


h^ 


^1- 


Io62 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ger  in  April,  187 1,  who  remained  until  1873  and  was 
succeeded  by  W.  A.  Chamberlain,  Jan.  10,  1874, 
serving  until  March,  1878.  H.  M.  Case  followed  in 
May,  same  year,  remaining  until  Sept.  i,  1882.  May 
I,  1883,  William  J.  Clark  took  charge,  remaining 
one  year.  Nov.  23,  1884,  Rev.  E.  L.  Sherman  took 
charge  and  is  the  present  pastor.  Present  mem- 
bership, 105;  Sabbath  school,  167  ;  parsonage  con- 
nected with  church.  The  church  was  dedicated  Feb. 
4,  1858,  J.  Blanchard  preaching  the  sermon.  Rev. 
L.  Parker  was  a  supply  from  the  organization  of  the 
Church  to  the  installation  of  their  first  regular 
pastor. 

The  Swedish  Evangelical Luthera/i  Ckurch\\3.i  or- 
ganized in  November,  1883.  Rev.  L.  G.  Abrahamson 
was  the  first  pastor,  and  served  the  Church  until  the 
winter  of  1885.  The  society  have  used  the  old  Ad- 
vent building.  As  yet  they  have  not  secured  a  suc- 
cessor to  Mr.  Abrahamson,  but  they  have  services 
on  Sunday  afternoons.     Membership,  25. 

The  Oneida  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organ- 
ized about  1855  or  '56,  probably  by  Rev.  L.  P.  Crouch. 
iKvVe  can  find  no  definite  history  of  the  Church,  how- 
ever, until  the  year  1857,  except  tliat  Robert  Tal- 
bot, now  deceased,  and  Thomas  Talbot  were  among 
the  first  members.  The  following  are  the  pastors 
who  have  labored  here  from  1857  until  date,  and 
the  term  of  service  of  each  :  In  1857,  VV.  M.  Clark; 
1858-9,  G.  W.  Brown;  1860-61,  William  Watson; 
1862-3,  W.  J.  Smith;  1864,  N.  C.  Lewis;  1865,  S.  L. 
Hamilton;  1866-7,  William  Watson;  1868,  Mr.  Spur- 
lock;  1869-70,  C.  B.  Couch;  187  i,  H.  I.  Brown;  1872, 
H.  C.  Foote;  1873-75,  C.  H.  Brace;  1876,  L.  B. 
Dennis;  1377-79;  C.  B.  Couch;  1880,  T.  L.  Falkner 
i88r,  J.  W.  Oiterman;  1882,  D.  Ayers;  1883,  W.  A. 
Pratt;  1884-85,  N.  T.  Allen,  the  present  pastor.  The 
present  membership  is  75.  Mrs.  S.  B.  Glenn  is  the 
present  Superintendent  of  the  Sabbath-school,  which 
has  a  membership  of  about  60.  M.  G.  Waldron  is 
Assistant  Superintendent.  Services  are  held  every 
Sabbath  and  prayer  meetings  every  Wednesday 
night. 

The  First  Presbyterian  Church  was  organized  May 
4, 1863,  at  the  school-house  in  DistrictNo.  3, by  Rev. 
C.  B.  Bristol.  Joseph  Findley  and  James  B.  Rals- 
ton were  chosen  and  ordained  as  Elders.  By  order 
of  the  Presbytery  the  name  was  changed  from  the 
First  Presbyterian  Ciiurch  of  Ontario  to  the  present 


name.  They  have  a  good  church  building,  a  par- 
sonage and  a  fair  membership.  Rev.  Edmond  H. 
Post  is  the  present  pastor. 

Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This  society  was  or- 
ganized as  early  as  1845,  by  Rev.  R.  N.  Morse.  It 
was  subsequently  located  at  Oneida  and  had  a  mem- 
bership at  one  time  of  125.  A  chuicli  building  was 
erected  at  a  cost  of  $2,500,  and  a  parsonage  at  a 
cost  of  $1,200. 


Oneida  Lodge,  No.  JJ7,  A.,  F.  &=  A.  M.  Dispen- 
sation was  granted  for  the  organization  of  this  lodge, 
March  26,  i860.  First  officers:  E.  W.  Roberts,  W. 
M.  ;  W.  L.  Hubbard,  S.  W. ;  James  Suncox,  J.  W. ; 
N.  Maul,  Tiler.  It  was  chartered  Oct.  3,  i860. 
Present  officers:  S.  C.  Whitcomb,  W.  M.;  C.  G. 
Graves,  S.  W. ;  David  Hamilton,  J.  W.  ;  A.  B.  An- 
derson, Treas. ;  E.  Marsh,  Secy.;  Frank  Prouty,  S. 
IX;  John  Talbot,  J.  D.;  William  H.  Moore,  Tiler.  ' 
Present  membership,  60.  Good  working  condition  ; 
money  at  interest.  At  present  they  have  a  rented 
hall,  but  they  propose  to  build  one  soon. 

Oneida  Chapter,  No.  if 3,  was  chartered  Oct.  26, 
1876,  with  23  members.  Previous  to  this  the  Chap- 
ter worked  under  dispensation  for  about  one  year. 
The  officers  under  dispensation  were :  G.  L.  Ste- 
phenson, H.  P.;  F.  Murdock,  K.  ;  T.  A.  Wetmore, 
Scribe ;  A.  B.  Anderson,  C.  H. ;  B.  F.  Brown,  P.  S. 
Present  officers:  G.  L.  Stephenson,  H.  P.;  O.  P. 
Cooley,  K. ;  D.  Hamilton,  Scribe  ;  C.  G.  Graves,  C. 
H.  ;  E.  Marsh,  P.  S. ;  A.  B.  Anderson,  Treas. ;  T.  A. 
Wetmore,  Secy. ;  S.  C.  Whitcomb,  R.  A.  C. ;  F. 
Murdock,  G.  M.  3d  V.;  Thomas  Hosier,  G.  M.  2d 
v.;  S.  S.  Russell,  G.  M.  ist  V.;  W.  H.  Moore, 
Tiler.     Present  membership,  25. 

/.  O.  O.  F.,  No.  228,  was  chartered  Oct.  15,  1857. 
This  charter  was  surrendered  in  1861.  June  3, 
1874,  the  Lodge  was  reinstituted,  preserving  the  same 
number.  The  Lodge  was  burned  out  in  1857.  First 
officers:  R.  Voris,  N.  G. ;  J.  W.  Tate,  V.  G. ;  C.  C. 
Scudder,  Secy. ;  A.  B.  Anderson,  Treas.  Present 
officers  :  F.  Murdock,  N.  G. ;  M.  G.  Waldron,. V.  G. ; 
E.  C.  Hammond,  P.  G.  ;  F.  Beals,  L.  D. ;  A.  B.  An- 
derson, Treas.  It  has  a  membership  of  21,  is  in 
good  working  order  and  financially  good.  It  meets 
in  the  Masonic  hall. 


*~i^ 


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, rz . 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


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1063 


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■^'    ■-■    ■■■■■        'Si*"' 


To  ITiV/S^/P/S 


ISTORIES  of  townships  are 
an  essential  and  prominent 
part  of  the  county  history. 
The  various  parts  of  Knox 
County  were  settled  by 
'^  men  most  of  whom  have 
w"  representatives  now  living 
in  the  county,  or  are  still  living  here 
b^  tiiemselves.  A  careful  reading  of  the 
incidents  relating  to  the  eady  settle- 
ment of  the  several  townships  will 
repay  the  reader,  as  each  one  con- 
tains tlie  names  of  the  first  settlers, 
and  many  other  items  which  are  re- 
quired to  make  the  history  complete. 
The  township  histories  are  given  in 
theij-  alpiiabetical  order,  and  the  sketches  of  the  vil- 
lages are  included  in  their  respective  townships. 

CEDAR  TOWNSHIP. 

'HE  first  settlement  made  in  this  township 
was  by  Azel  Dorsey,  who  with  his   family 
located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
18,  in   1878.     He  sold  out  soon  after  to  Mr. 
Finch,  who    was    a   Methodist  exhorter,  and 
moved  to  Fulton  County.     Mr.  Fincli  subse- 
quently sold  out  and  moved  to  Missouri. 

With  Mr.  Dorsey  came  Rev.  Hiram  Palraer,  who 


located  near  him  on  section  7.  Mr.  Palmer  was  a 
Methodist  preacher.  He  subsequently,  in  the  spring 
of  r832,  moved  to  the  soutiieast  quarter  of  section 
32,  where  the  Abingdon  Cemetery  is  now  located. 

In  1829  Abraham  D.  Swartz  and  family,  from 
Warren  County,  moved  in,  settling  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  17.  This  place  is  now  occupied 
by  James  Kays.  He  had  settled  in  Warren  County, 
to  make  a  home  there,  but  being  an  ardent  Method- 
ist, and  learning  that  there  were  some  of  his  faith 
here,  he  moved  over,  in  order  to  be  with  his  brethren. 
With  him  came  his  nephew,  Josiah  Stillings.  It  was 
Mr.  Swartz  who  first  conceived  the  idea  of  founding 
a  college  at  Abingdon.  Over  twenty-five  years, 
however,  passed  away  before  this  project  was  carried 
out,  ar>d  then  Mr.  Swartz  had  gone  to  his  long 
home.  The  establishment  of  Hedding  College  is 
due  mainly  to  the  earnest  efforts  made  by  tiiis  noble 
Christian  gentleman. 

He  died  in  1852,  and  was  buried  in  Abingdon 
Cemetery.  His  devoted  wife  had  preceded  him  to 
that  better  home.  They  died  of  typhoid  fever.  It 
was  Mr.  Swartz  who  laid  out  the  town  of  Abingdon. 
They  had  eight  cliildten,  three  boys  and  five  girls. 
They  are  all  dead  but  one  boy  and  two  girls.  The 
oldest  girl  lives  in  Washington  Territory,  and  the 
youngest,  Sarah  E.,  who  married  Mr.  Thos.  R. 
Wilson,  is  also  living  in- Washington  Territory.  The 
spn  is  living  in  Kansas. 


44 


1064 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^-¥ 


The  next  settler  was  Joseph  Latimer  and  family 
of  four  children,  from  Tennessee.  They  moved  in 
in  1831,  and  made  a  claim  on  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  29.  Mr.  Latimer  was  a  good  citizen,  and 
built  him  up  here  a  fine  home.  He  and  his  wife 
died  at  their  home  and  were  buried  in  Cherry  Grove 
burying-ground.  George  Latimer,  son  of  Joseph, 
came  in  1831  and  settled  on  section  29.  He  was 
followed  in  1832  by  his  brother  Jonathan,  who  set- 
tled on  section  28.  He  caine  from  Sangamon 
County,  where  he  had  been  living  awhile.  Jacob 
West,  father-in-law  of  Jonathan  Latimer,  came  with 
him,  settling  near  by.  In  1833  Joshua  Bland  came 
with  a  large  family,  settling  in  section  16.  Dennis 
Clark  came  in  this  year  and  lived  with  Col.  Geo.  G. 
Latimer.  He  was  a  smart,  active  and  intelligent 
young  man  and  made  himself  very  popular  as  well 
as  useful  about  the  settlement.  Mr.  Bland  was  quite 
a  benefactor  to  this  new  settlement,  manifesting  this 
element  in  his  nature  by  erecting  a  corn-cracker. 
It  was  started  in  1833  and  located  at  the  head- 
waters of  Branch  Creek,  as  it  was  called.  It  was 
moved  by  horse  power,  and  rather  a  primitive  ar- 
rangement, yet  it  was  as  welcome  as  the  night  dews 
to  the  withered  flowers.  Before  this  mill  was  started 
the  settlers  went  to  EUisville,  on  Spoon  River,  to  have 
their  grain  ground,  and  afterward,  too,  for  his  little 
mill  was  not  equal  to  the  increasing  demand  made 
upon  it.  EUisville  Mill  was  very  good  for  those 
days,  and  was  largely  patronized  from  an  extended 
area  of  territory.  People  going  there  for  their  grists 
were  sometimes  obliged  to  wait  a  whole  week 
before  they  could  turn  their  faces  homeward;  and 
often,  while  there,  kept  body  and  soul  together  by 
eating  parched  corn.  There  was  only  one  dwelling- 
house  at  the  mill ;  and  that  was  not  set  up  as  an 
eleemosynary  institution  and  could  not  be  expected 
to  feed  all  the  hungry  people  waiting  the  slow  turn- 
ing of  this  mill.  While  this  was  not  a  mill  of  the 
gods,  yet  it  was  not  fast  in  the  grinding. 

Wm.  Bevins  and  family  made  an  addition  to  this 
settlement  in  1834,  locating  on  section  23.  He  was 
a  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Bland.  After  dwelling  here  for 
six  years  his  wife  died,  and  he  subsequently  re- 
moved to  Iowa,  where  he  died.  Lewis  and  Bennett 
Spurlock  also  moved  in  this  year,  settling  on  section 
23.  Lewis  was  a  great  deer-hunter.  His  success  in 
hunting  this  game  kept  the  settlement  very  liberally 
supplied  with  venison.     After  all,  this  settlement  fell 


under  very  propitious  circumstances,  for  Bevins  was 
a  great  bee-hunter,  and  with  plenty  of  corn-cake, 
honey  and  venison,  they  were  not  likely  to  go  hun- 
gry. Bennett  Spurlock  moved  away;  Lewis  lived 
and  died  here.  Reuben  Castle,  hearing  of  this 
happy  and  thrifty  settlement,  came  in  this  year, 
making  a  claim  on  section  1 2.  A  greater  claim,  how- 
ever, was  made  by  this  pioneer,  to  the  hand  of  Miss 
Lang,  which  he  took  with  the  owner,  to  strengthen 
and  brighten  his  castle.  Neither  of  these  persons 
has  had  cause  to  regret  this  action,  for  many  years 
have  rolled  by  to  bless  the  union,  leaving  them  yet 
living  happily  together  at  the  old  homestead.  About 
this  time  Hugh  A.  Kelly  and  wife,  a  brother-in-law 
of  Castle,  came  in,  settling  on  section  15.  He  was 
an  active  man  in  township  matters  and  is  still  living. 
In  mentioning  the  early  settlers,  Mrs.  Catharine 
Reed  should  not  be  overlooked.  She  was  a  widow 
of  John  Reed,  who  settled  on  section  17  in  1836. 
His  location  was  made  on  the  ground  the  Indians 
camped  on  before  the  Black  Hawk  War.  Mrs.  Reed  ' 
was  born  in  Scotland  in  1790,  and  emigrated  to  this 
country  in  1796. 

The  first  couple  to  join  their  hearts  and  hands  as 
one,  in  this  township,  were  U.  D.  Coy  and  Susan 
Latimer  in  December,  1832.  They  afterward  moved 
to  Iowa,  where  they  died.  Mr.  Coy  was  intlie  Black 
Hawk  War. 

The  first  natural  increase  to  the  population  of  this 
settlement  was  in  the  person  of  little  Miss  Ellen 
Swartz,  November  29,  daughter  of  A.  B.  Swartz, 
whose  advent  into  this  community  was  as  welcome 
as  a  bright  May  morning. 

The  first  death  was  Miss  Olive  Strange,  who  died  in 
1834.  She  was  a  niece  of  Rev.  John  Strange, of  In- 
diana, and  came  to  this  place  with  John  Kays,  in 

1833- 

The  first  school  taught  here  was  in  the  winter  of 
(835-36,  by  Mr.  Seymour,  at  Cherry  Grove. 

Rev.  Hiram  Palmer  was  the  first  man  to  administer 
religious  food  in  the  way  of  preaching  to  the  people. 
Service  was  held  at  this  time  at  the  residence  of  A. 
D.  Swartz. 

Wolves  were  quite  plenty  here  in  the  early  days 
and  were  very  troublesome  to  the  settlers.  Some  of 
the  cabins  had  no  doors  other  than  straw  bedticks 
hung  up  at  the  entrance  to  keep  out  the  cold.  When 
the  husband  would  necessarily  be  compelled  to  be 
absent   of  a   night   the  wife  would  keep  up  a  bright 


"^ 


t 


.Y-. 
^A/OX  COUNTY. 


■^I- 


io<5s 


fire  during  the  long  hours,  to  prevent  any  invasion 
by  these  hungry  and  dangerous  animals.  These 
wolves  not  only  annoyed  the  settlers  by  their  prowl- 
ing about  the  cabins,  but  were  constantly  preying 
upon  the  sheep  and  young  stock.  Panthers  were 
also  seen  occasionally  about  the  settlements. 

Cedar  Townshii)  is  numbered  ten,  nortli  of  range 
one  east,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  byGalesburg, 
on  the  east  by  Orange,  on  the  south  by  Indian  Point 
Township,  on  the  west  by  Warren  County. 

It  is  watered  by  Branch  Creek  and  other  little 
streams.  A  greater  pwrtion  of  the  township  is  un- 
dulating prairie  with  a  rich  soil. 

April  5,  1853,3  meeting  was  held  for  the  purpose 
of  perfecting  a  township  organization.  The  voters 
selected  Hugh  A.  Kelly,  Moderator,  and  L.  W.  Con- 
ger, Clerk,  and  then  proceeded  to  cast  their  votes. 
E.  P.  Dunlap  was  chosen  Supervisor;  \Vm.  Marks, 
Clerk;  Wm.  Lang,  Assessor;  James  W.  Smoot,  Col- 
lector; J.  W.  Stephens  and  \V.  H.  Heller,  Commis- 
sioners of  Highways;  P.M.  Shoop  and  Joseph  Har- 
vey, Justices  of  the  Peace  ;  Thos.  S.  Bassett,  Over- 
seer of  the  Poor;  Sol.  Stigall  and  Eli  Butler,  Con- 
stables. The  election  was  held  at  what  was  then 
Louisville,  about  two  miles  north  of  Abingdon,  on 
section  16.  A  vote  was  also  taken  for  the  place  of 
holding  the  next  election,  which  resulted  in  favor  of 
Louisville. 

This  township  was  organized  as  Cherry  Grove,  but 
was  changed  to  Cedar.  In  1855  the  place  for  hold- 
ing elections  was  changed  to  Abingdon.  The  same 
year  the  township  «as  furnished  the  means  of  trans- 
portation by  the  completion  of  what  was  called  the 
Northern  Cross  Railroad,  from  Quincy  lo  Galesburg. 
There  is  but  one  town  in  Cedar,  which  is  Abingdon, 
and  is  located  about  midway  on  the  southern  line  of 
the  township.  It  is  highly  cultivated,  and  splendid 
farms,  with  fine  houses  and  farm  buildings,  can  be 
seen  in  ever)' part  of  it.  Special  attention  has  been 
given,  of  late  yeais,  to  the  cultivation  of  blooded  stock 
— Short-horns  and  the  hornless  breed — and  in  this 
line  Cedar  ranks  first  of  the  townships  in  the 
county. 

Cedar  Township  has  eight  school  districts,  all  of 
which  have  ungraded  schools.  Value  of  school 
property,  $8,000,  with  two  brick  and  six  frame  school- 
houses.  Number  of  libraries  worth  $200,  four.  Of 
persons  under  21  years  of  age  there  were  448,  of 
whom  345  were  of  school  age,  320  being  enrolled. 


The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were  $45,  the 
lowest  S30;  the  highest  paid  female  teachers  wereS40, 
and  the  lowest  $25.     The  tax  levy  was  S^.SSS- 

The  populationof  Cedar,  in  1880,  was  1,976,  which 
is  about  the  number  of  inhabitants  at  the  present 
writing. 

SUPERVISORS. 

Below  are  given  the  Hames  of  the  citizens  who  have 
been  honored  by  the  votes  of  this  township  with 
the  office  of  Supervisor:  E.  P.  Dunlap,  1853-54; 
J.  R.  Johnson,  1855  ;  Thos.  B.  Mount,  1856-57  ;  H. 
A.  Kelly,  1858;  J.  W.  Stephens,  1,859-62  ;  James  Mc- 
Kinnie,  1863;  Shaftoe  Lowrey,  1864 ;  E.  S.  Hardin, 
1865-68;  M.  C.  Bates,  1869;  E.S.Hardin,  1870;  M. 
C.  Bates,  1871-72;  P.  M.  Shoop,  1873-74;  M.  C. 
Bates,  1875-76;  J.  S.  Latimer,  1877-79;  M.  C. 
Kimball,  1880-85 


CHESTNUT  TOWNSHIP. 

.HESTN'UT  TOWNSHIP  is  located  in  the 
< uLithern  tier  of  townships  and  is  num- 
■^  bered  9  north  of  range  2  east.  It  has  for 
its  northern  boundary  Orange  Township,  its 
eastern  Maquon,  on  the  south  lies  Fulton 
County  and  on  the  west  Indian  Point  Town- 
It  is  quite  liberally  watered  and  fairly  lim- 
Sjxxin  River  enters  the  township  on  section 
24,  and,  meandering  in  a  southwest  direction,  passes 
out  on  section  34.  Other  little  streams,  tributary  to 
this  river,  course  through  the  township,  which  afford 
ample  drainage.  The  surface  of  the  land  is  mostly 
rolling  prairie,  and  is  very  productive.  In  the  south- 
western part  and  along  Spoon  River,  the  land  is 
broken  and  pretty  heavily  timbered.  Chestnut  was 
among  the  early  settled  townships  of  the  county. 
In  1833  its  beautiful  prairies  attracted  the  attention 
of  .'Xnson  Dolf,  who  came  in  and  made  a  claim  for  a 
home  on  section  17.  The  following  spring  Mr.  Dolf 
permanently  located  here  and  commenced  the  im- 
provement of  his  farm.  He  did  not  dwell  here  long 
alone,  for  this  same  year  came  John  Terry  and  set- 
tled on  the  adjoining  section  16.  Mr.  Terry  was  a 
Virginian,  and  came  from  Greenbrier  County.  It 
was  not  long  before  William  McFarland,  another 
Virginian,  came  in.  In  the  latter  part  of  1834  Mr. 
Shaver   moved    in,   locating  on   section   17.     From 


■^ 


1066 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1839  the  township  settled  up  quite  rapidly,  and  with 
a  sturdy,  thrifty  and  an  intelligent  class  of  settlers. 
John  Terr)-  had  the  honor  of  serving  the  township 
as  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace.  'Squire  Terry  also 
performed  the  first  marriage  ceremony,  that  of  Mr. 
Gray  and  Miss  Cope.  The  first  natural  increase  to 
the  population  of  Chestnut  was  through  tl'.e  agency 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shaver,  in  the  birth  of  a  daughter, 
in  1835. 

Chestnut  was  organized  as  a  township  April  5, 
1853.  A  meeting  for  the  election  of  officers  was 
held  on  this  day. 

There  is  no  town  of  any  importance  in  this  town- 
ship, there  being  no  railroad  passing  through  it,  and 
the  people  do  their  trading  mostly  at  Abingdon.     In 

1840  a  town  was  platted  by  Archibald  Long,  on  sec- 
tion 19.  It  never  grew  to  be  more  than  a  small 
hamlet.  It  was  named  Hermon.  At  this  place  at 
an  early  day  a  Christian  Church  was  organized,  the 
membership  of  which  was  at  one  time  quite  large. 
It  is  still  in  a  good,  healthy  condition,  and  is  pre- 
sided over  by  a  minister  from  the  Abingdon  Christian 
Church. 

Chestnut  is  one  of  the  best  townships  in  the  coun- 
ty, and  ranks  about  third  in  stock-raising,  and  is 
hardly  excelled  by  any  in  the  production  of  grain. 
Its  farms  are  well  laid  out,  intelligently  cultivated, 
and  adorned  with  good  houses  and  farm  buildings. 
Take  it  altogether,  it  is  a  very  attractive  township, 
and  a  man  who  has  a  home  here  can  very  easily  be 
contented  with  this  life. 

The  population  according  to  the  census  of  rSSo 
was  1,087,  and  it  is  estimated  that  there  has  been  an 
increase  since  that  time.  From  the  County  School 
Superintendent's  report  for  the  year  1885,  the  follow- 
ing items  were  taken  : 

There  are  eight  school  districts,  with  no  graded 
schools.  The  school  buildings  are  all  frame,  with  a 
valuation  of  school  property  of  §5,800.  There  is 
one  library.  Of  persons  under  2  i  years  of  age  there 
were  455,  of  whom  330  were  of  school  age,  26  r 
being  enrolled.  The  highest  wages  paid  male  teach- 
ers was  $50  per  month,  the  lowest  §25  ;  the  highest 
wages  paid  female  teachers  was  $45,  the  lowest  $25. 
The  ta.x  levy  was  $3,566.07.  From  the  Assessor's 
report  for  1885,  the  following  items  are  obtained  : 

Number  of  acres  of  improved  lands,  22,695  >  value 
of  same,  $288,495.  Number  of  improved  lots,  32  ; 
value  of  same,  $3,045.     Number  of  horses,  793  ;  cat- 


\- 


tie,  2,423;  mules  and  asses,  20  ;  sheep,  782;  hogs, 
3,650;  steam  engines,  2;  carriages  and  wagons,  22 r  ; 
watches  and  clocks,  5  r  ;  pianos,  i  ;  melodeons  and 
organs,  35.  Total  value  of  personal  property,  S74,- 
055- 

SUPERVISORS. 

Samuel  CoUins,  r852-54;  D.  B.  Routh,  1855; 
Samuel  Collins,  1856;  Daniel  B.  Routh,  1857-61; 
Thomas  Newell,  i  862-64  ;  I-  D.  Ferris,  1865  ;  Thos. 
Newell,  1866-67;  Owen  Betterton,  r868  ;  Thomas 
Newell,  r869;  Geo.  Pickrell,  1870;  Thos.  Hopkins, 
r87i;  Daniel  Wainright,  r872-74;  Samuel  McFar- 
land,  r875-8o;  Leon  A.  Townsend,  r88!-86. 

COPIiEY  TOWNSHIP. 

.OPLEY  TOWNSHIP  was  organized  April 
5,1853.  A  meeting  was  held  in  the  school- 
house  for  the  election  of  officers,  and  was 

presided  over  by   Isaac  Copley.      John    O. 

Stanley  was  chosen   Moderator  and  Ira  B. 

Copley,  Clerk.  There  were  50  votes  cast,  re- 
sulting in  the  election  of  the  following-named  officers: 
John  O.  Stanley,  Supervisor  ;  Norton  Kelsey,  Clerk  ; 
J.  M.  Perkins,  Assessor;  Austin  Gaines,  Collector; 
Isaac  Copley  and  A.  W.  Buckley,  Justices  of  the 
Peace;  Aaron  A.  Smith,  S.  McCornack  and  Joseph 
Airie,  Highway  Commissioners  ;  Jeremiah  Collison, 
Overseer  of  the  Poor. 

Copley  is  numbered  12  north  of  range  4  east,  and 
is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Walnut  Grove,  on  the 
east  by  Victoria,  on  the  south  by  Persifer,  and  on 
the  west  by  Sparta  Townships.  It  is  very  well 
watered  by  Court  Creek,  which  runs  southwesterly, 
and  then  southeasterly,  emptying  into  Sparta  River, 
Foreman  Creek,  which  runs  northeasterly,  and  a 
branch  of  Spoon  River,  running  southerly.  The 
northern  portion  is  fine,  rolling  prairie,  and  the  south- 
!  em  broken  and  very  well  timbered.  It  is  especially 
adapted  for  raising  the  cereals,  oats  and  corn  being 
the  best  crop,  and  in  this  production  Copley  ranks 
among  the  first  townships  in  the  county.  Matthew 
Herbert  was  the  pioneer  settler  in  this  township.  He 
came  with  his  family  in  the  spring  of  1837  and  made 
a  claim  on  section  14.  He  subsequently  moved 
away  and  is  now  dead. 

In  1838  there  was  quite  an  addition  made  to  the 

A-     ■  — 


•^ 


-.y—. . 

JCNOX  COUNTY. 


1067 


Herbert  settlement,  George  Foster  and  wife  and 
children,  viz.  :  John,  William,  Harriet  and  Nancy, 
locating  in  Copley. 

Next  EHas  and  Rachel  Hurr,  Alex.  Stephens, 
John  McDowell,  Sr.,  David  Ogden,  John  and 
Wm.  E.  Foster  came  into  the  township  with  their 
families.  Stephens,  McDowell  and  Ogden  located 
on  section  14.  McDowell  was  from  Scotland  and 
Ogden  from  Ohio.  The  Fosters  settled  on  section 
I.  John  had  seven  children.  He  died  on  the  farm 
in  1844  and  his  widow  in  September,  1866.  Wm. 
Foster  is  still  living  in  Nebraska.  McDowell  died 
on  the  old  homeslead  in  1867.  Ogden  moved  away, 
as  also  did  Matthew  Herbert.  With  Mr.  Hurr  came 
four  children — I.  E.,  Edward  L.,  Margaret,  and  J.  B. 
Hulick,  a  stepson,  locating  on  section  3.  They  were 
from  Clermont  County,  Ohio.  Mr.  Hurr  went  back 
and  died  on  his  return  to  the  township.  His  widow 
died  in  1875,  at  the  old  place.  All  the  children  are 
living  but  Hulick,  who  died  in  1863. 

I.  E.  Hurr  married,  in  1867,  Miss  Mary  M.  Eckley, 
and  is  living  on  section  3.  He  is  a  good  citizen,  an 
industrious  and  well-to-do  farmer,  but  is  more  espe- 
cially distinguished  for  the  possession  of  a  most  re- 
markable and  peculiar  memory.  (See  biography, 
page  916.)  These  settlers  formed  the  nucler.s  from 
which,  with  additional  incoming  new  settlers  and  the 
natural  increase,  the  present  fine  population  was  de- 
rived. 

A  son  of  Matthew  Herbert  was  the  first  child  born 
in  the  township,  in  1838.  The  first  death  was  that 
of  Harriet  Foster,  sister  of  John  Foster,  in  1842,  on 
section  i,  where  she  was  buried.  The  first  couple 
married  were  Mrs.  Hurr  and  Charles  Bostick,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1840.  The  first  sermon  preached  was  by 
Rev.  Charles  Bostick,  a  Methodist  preacher,  in  a 
school-house,  in  1840.  About  that  time  a  Methodist 
class  was  formed.  Mary  Jane  Smith  was  the  pioneer 
teacher,  gathering  her  little  flock  about  her  in  a  log 
school-house  on  section  i,  in  1842.  Miss  Smith  was 
married  to  John  Becker,  Oct.  12,  1845,  and  they 
are  now  living  in  Galesburg. 

The  first  saw-mill  put  up  was  in  1850,  on  the  farm 
of  Jeremiah  Collison,  and  was  run  by  horse-power. 

In  the  early  day  the  people  bought  and  sold  their 
goods  at  Peoria,  Knoxville  and  Chicago. 

The  Indians  had  been  living  about  the  township 
before  the  whites  came  in,  but  they  "  left  the  coun- 
try " — so  to  speak— after  the  incoming  of  the  pio- 


neers. Samuel  Berry  is  credited  with  erecting  the 
first  frame  building,  in  1840,  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  9.     Mr.  Berry  died  in  1881. 

The  Swedish  Methodist  Society  was  the  first  to 
erect  a  church  building,  which  was  in  1854.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Cliurch  building  was  erected  in 
1855,  and  was  dedicated  the  9th  day  of  September, 
same  year,  by  Rev.  S.  Bowles,  of  Chicago.  Rev.  Mr. 
Falkenlnng  dedicated  ths  Swedish  Church. 

The  Scotch  Presbyterian  Church  building  was 
erected  in  1862,  and  dedicated  June  11,  1863.  It 
was  called  the  John  Knox  Church.  Services  are 
held  there  every  Sunday,  Rev.  E.  H.  Post  being  the 
pastor,  with  a  flock  including  about  50  persons. 

Services  are  held  at  the  Swedish  Church  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Anderson.  Rev.  W.  A.  Cumming  is  pastor  of 
the  Methodist  Church,  with  services  regularly  every 
Sabbath.     Its  membership  is  about  100. 

The  Second  Swedish  Methodist  Church,  which  is 
located  on  section  33,  is  presided  over  by  Rev.  S. 
Westergreen. 

A  part  of  the  village  of  Victoria  lies  in  this  town- 
ship, on  sections  12  and  13.  Here,  and  at  Oneida 
and  Waiaga,  the  people  do  most  of  their  marketing 
and  trading.  Copley  is  a  good  township  to  live  in ; 
the  general  outline  is  attractive,  the  soil  fertile  and 
the  location  fine.  Its  farms  are  well  cultivated,  and 
its  farm  buildings  comfortable  and  homelike.  Its 
population  in  1880  was  1,07  i,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
there  has  been  a  slight  increase  since  that  time. 

From  the  County  Superintendent's  report  the  fol- 
lowing school  items  have  been  obtained  : 

There  are  nine  school  districts  in  this  township, 
with  nine  ungraded  schools  and  nine  frame  school- 
houses.  The  school  property  was  valued  at  $4,400. 
Of  persons  under  21  years  of  age  there  were  392,  of 
whom  289  were  of  school  age,  227  being  enrolled. 
The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were  $35  per 
month,  which  were  also  the  lowest;  the  highest  wages 
paid  female  teachers  were  $37,  and  the  lowest  $25. 
The  tax  levy  was  $1,675. 

SUPERVISORS. 

Below  are  appended  the  names  of  the  Supervisors 
elected  from  1853  to  1885  : 

John  O.  Stanley,  1853-55;  S.  McCornack,  1856-62  ; 
J.  M.  Balthis,  1863;  S.  McCornack,  1864-65; 
James  Johnston,  1866-69;  Wm.  H.  Leigiiton, 
1870-72;  J.  L.  McCornack,  1873-74;  J.  W.  Tem- 
ple, 1875-77;  Wm.  H.  Leighton,  1878-85. 
X-  


H^ 


io68 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ELBA  TOWNSHIP. 


Ms^ 


\f 


LBA  completed  its  township  organization 
April  5,  1853.  At  the  meeting  for  that  pur- 
pose, N.  S.  Barber  was  chosen  Moderat- 
W  or  and  P.  J.  Hines,  Clerk.  Forty-nine  votes 
were  cast,  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  the 
following  genilemen  to  fill  the  respective  offices: 
John  B  Nicholson,  Supervisor;  James  W.  Hines, 
Clerk;  H.  L.  Bailey,  Assessor;  Henry  Smith,  Col- 
lector; H.  Oberholizer,  John  West  and  K.  Hines, 
Commissioners  of  Highways;  John  West  and  B.  F. 
Johnson,  Justices  of  the  Peace ;  Wm.  Series,  Over- 
seer of  the  Poor;  Henry  Smith,  Constable.  It  was 
organized  first  as  Liberty  Township,  but  was  changed 
the  same  year  to  Elba.  This  is  in  township  10 
north  of  range  4  east,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Truro,  on  the  east  by  Peoria  County,  on  the  south 
by  Salem  and  on  the  west  by  Haw  Creek  Township. 
The  first  settler  in  this  township  was  John  King, 
who  came  in  with  his  family  in  the  spring  of  1836, 
settling  on  section  2,  where  he  erected  a  log  cabin. 
^f  The  Kings  were  not  destined  to  dwell  alone,  for  they 
were  soon  followed  by  Darius  Miller  and  his  brother 
(who  was  generally  known  as  King  Miller),  John  and 
Felix  Thurman,  Leonard  A.  and  Darius  Jones  and 
J.  H.  Nicholson,  with  their  families.  The  Joneses 
were  from  New  York,  and  located  on  section  15, and 
the  Thurmans  on  French  Creek.  They  were  from 
Ohio. 

In  the  fall  of  1837  Jacob  Kightlinger,  wife  and  1 1 
children — 9  boys  and  2  girls — from  Pennsylvania, 
added  their  force,  which  was  by  no  means  an  insig- 
nificant one,  to  the  settlement,  locating  on  section  27. 
They  came  in  a  flatboat  to  Cincinnati,  bringing  with 
them  timber  for  their  house.  Being  unable  to  get  it 
any  further  without  great  risk,  they  sold  it.  From 
Cincinnati  they  took  a  steamboat  to  Peoria,  and  with 
teams  made  their  way  to  their  new  home. 

In  1838,  James  H.  Baird,  the  Lamberts,  Vachel 
Metcalf  and  John  and  Samuel  Tucker  were  added  to 
the  settlement.  The  Lamberts  located  on  section  27, 
and  Biird  on  section  2,  on  the  Peoria  and  Knoxville 
road.  Mr.  Lambert  did  not  live  long  after  his  settle- 
ment here,  and  his  sons,  Isaac  and  Martin,  carried 
on  the  farm.  Of  these  early  settlers,  the  heads  of 
families  are  all  either  dead  or  have  moved  away,  ex- 
cept the  Kightlingers.  Jacob  Kightlinger  and  his 
■      -      ■* 


aged  partner,  the  former  86  and  the  latter  80  years 
of  age,  are  still  living,  but  left  their  old  home  and 
located  in  Yates  City. 

The  first  couple  married  here  were  Moses  Smith 
and  Miss  Tabitha  George,  in  1840.  They  were  mar- 
ried by  'Squire  Kightlinger.  Mrs.  Smith  died  at  an 
early  day,  and  her  husband  moved  away.  Mr.  Kight- 
linger's  children  are  all  living  but  four,  and  all  in  the 
county  but  one,  and  this  one  is  living  in  Peoria. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  John  King,  who  died 
in  1837,  the  year  following  his  settlement.  Mrs. 
Tabitha  Smith,  who  was  the  first  bride  in  the  town- 
ship, permanently  established  her  reputation  for  en- 
terprise by  giving  birth  to  the  first  child,  which  was 
very  appropriately  named  after  its  progressive 
mother. 

Jacob  Kightlinger  was  the  first  man  appointed  to 
settled  the  legal  disputes  of  his  neighbors  and  to  pre- 
serve the  peace.  The  first  post-office  was  opened  at 
Kightlinger's  house,  where  he  officiated  as  Post- 
master. 

Felix  Thurman  put  up  the  first  saw-mill,  which 
was  located  on  French  Creek.  It  was  a  small  mill 
and  run  by  water-power., 

Vachel  Metcalf  taught  the  first  school  in  the  town- 
ship, in  1840,  in  a  private  house.  The  Kighdingers 
had  a  teacher  come  to  their  house  to  instruct  their 
children  before  this.  Her  name  was  Antoinette 
Walker.  The  first  school- house  was  built  by  Jacob 
Kightlinger  in  1842,  on  section  27. 

Rev.  S.  S.  Miles,  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
preached  the  first  sermon  at  Mr.  Lambert's,  in  1839. 
Preachers  would  come  along  and  services  would  be 
held  here  and  at  other  houses  on  any  day.  After  the 
school-house  was  erected,  services  were  held  there. 
In  1874  the  Methodists  put  up  a  house  of  worship, 
and  the  year  following  the  Presbyterians  erected  one 
for  their  use.  The  Methodist  Church  was  dedicated 
in  June  of  the  same  year,  by  President  Evans,  of 
Hedding  College.  These  edifices  were  fine-looking 
frame  buildings,  and  were  quite  an  ornament  to  this 
part  of  the  township,  known  as  Elba  Centre.  The 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  has  regular  services  at 
present.  Rev.  William  Soape,  pastor,  with  a  fair  con- 
gregation. No  regular  services  are  held  at  the  Pres- 
byterian Church. 

In  this  township  resided  for  some  time  Rev.  John 
Cross,  who  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Under- 
ground   Railroad   system   of    bygone  years. 


This 


O 


€4U 


^^ 


KONX  COUNTY. 


1069 


township  was  also  quite  noted  for  its  temperance 
movement.  A  lodge  of  Good  Templars  was  or- 
ganized here  in  1867.  It  flourished  for  several  years 
and  a  hall  was  built  for  its  meetings.  Finally  in- 
terest in  this  movement  died  out,  members  dropped 
off,  and  in  1876  the  building  was  sold  and  converted 
into  a  dwelling. 

During  the  earlier  days  the  people  did  their  trad- 
ing mostly  at  Farmington,  Fulton  County  ;  now  Yates 
City  gets  most  of  the  trade  from  this  township.  Elba 
is  watered  by  French  Creek  and  Swab  Run,  which 
empty  into  Spoon  River;  the  latter  stream  also 
touches  sections  6  and  7.  Along  these  water-courses 
there  is  considerable  timber,  and  the  country  is  quite 
broken.  About  three-fourths  of  the  townsiiip,  how- 
ever, is  fine  rolling  prairie,  with  a  rich,  black,  loamy 
soil.  Fifty-two  bushels  of  wheat  to  the  acre  have 
been  raised  here,  and  75  busliels  of  oats. 

For  the  production  of  the  cereals,  Elba  is  one  of 

|.  the  best  townships  in  the  county.  Of  later  years 
more  attention  has  been  given  to  the  raising  of  stock, 
which  has  been  successful  and  profitable.    In  raising 

i  of  hogs  it  ranks  now  the  fifth.     Most  of  the  farms  are 

[  attractive  in  their  location,  are  well  cultivated,  and 
have  good   improvements.     The  roads  through  the 

I.  township  are  well  worked  and  kept  in  good  order. 
Population  in  1880  was  902.  There  has  been  but 
little  increase  since. 

The  School  Superintendent's  report  for  1885  fur- 
nishes the  following  items :  There  are  eight  school 
districts,  all  of  which  are  ungraded.  The  school 
property  was  valued  at  $4,700;  all  the  school-houses 
were  frame.  Of  persons  under  21  years  of  age  there 
were  365,  of  whom  228  were  of  scholastic  age  ;  184 
being  enrolled.  Tlie  highest  wages  paid  male  teach- 
ers were  $50  per  month,  and  the  lowest  $35;  the 
highest  wages  paid  female  teachers  were  $30,  and  the 
lowest  $25. 

The  township  has  been  represented  in  the  super- 
visorship  by  the  citizens  whose  names  appear  below: 

SUPERVISORS. 


H^ 


;.imes  H.  Nicholson iSss-M 

J.  W.  H.nes 1855-57 

L.D.  Shinn 1858 

D.  \.  Jon«5     1859 

N.S.Barber 1860-61 

H.  H.  Wood 1862-6J 

Walter  Bailey 1864 

J.  H.  Nicholson 1865 

James  A  .  Adams 1866 


I,a 


1867 

H     H    Wood 1868 

1,.  A.  Lawrence 1869 

H.  H.  Wood 1870 

W    (;.  West 1871-72 

James  H.  Nicholson 1873-74 

W.G.  West 1875-78 

K.  G.Mathews '879-85 


GALESBURG  TOWNSHIP. 

ALESBURG  TOWNSHIP  was  organized 
April  s,  1853.  At  a  meeting  of  the  legal 
voters  held  on  that  day  the  following  town- 
ship officers  were  elected  :  W.  S.  Gale,  Super- 
visor ;  Floyd  Buckingham,  Clerk  ;  I.  G.  West, 
Assessor;  G.  W.  Haskell,  Collector;  G.  C.  Lan- 
phere  and  A.  C.  Wiley,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  J.  T. 
Barnett,  C.  S.  Colton  and  P.  Sisson,  Highway  Com- 
missioners;  L.  J.  Stanley,  Overseer  of  tlie  Poor. 

Galesburg  is  in  the  middle  of  the  western  tier  of 
towns'.iips,  II  north,  of  range  i  east,  and  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  Henderson,  on  the  east  by  Knox,  on 
the  south  by  Cedar  Township  and  on  the  west  by 
Warren  County.  In  its  topography  it  is  unexcelled 
by  any  township  in  the  county.  For  the  richness  and 
productiveness  of  its  soil  it  has  no  superior.  The 
land  is  mostly  rolling  prairie,  relieved  occasionally 
by  groves  of  timber,  watered  by  a  branch  of  Hen- 
derson Creek  and  a  few  other  little  streams  of  minor 
consequence.  A  great  portion  of  this  township  was 
purchased  by  the  Galesburg  Colony,  through  their 
agents,  who  weresentout  in  1835.  Up  to  1832  the 
territory  now  embraced  by  this  township  had  not 
been  molested  by  the  genii  of  civilization,  while  set- 
tlements had  been  made  in  Henderson  and  Knox 
Townships.  It  was  not  long,  however,  destined  to 
remain  in  this  state  ot  peace  and  comfort,  for  soon 
Joseph  Rowe  appeared  upon  the  scene  and  made  a 
claim  upon  the  extreme  western  end  of  the  Knox- 
ville  grove.  Here  he  commenced  the  improvement 
of  a  farm.  This  was  subsequently  owned  by  Isaac 
Hague.  Joseph  was  joined  the  following  spring  by 
Isaiah  Smelser,  who  made  a  location  which  was 
afterward  owned  by  George  Ratelin.  During  that 
year  Gaddial  Scott  came  in,  locating  where  a  certain 
point  of  Cedar  Fork  Grove  enters  into  the  township 
on  section  3.  In  later  years  it  was  known  as  the 
"  Barnett  farm."  He  was  soon  afterward  joined  by 
Jack  Nelson  and  Harvey  A.  Gregg,  who  pushed  out 
from  the  belt  of  farms  that  surrounded  the  eastern 
and  southern  portions  of  Henderson  Grove,  and 
located  on  section  6.  Allen  Hodge  joined  them, 
locating  on  the  same  section.  Later  that  year  Ed- 
ward Morse  ventured  out  and  made  a  location  on 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  ^.     T'l's  was  thought 


-(I* 


±T-^ 


1070 


KJVOX  COUNTY. 


then  to  be  goin^  out  a  good  ways,  and  that  he  might 
not  be  lost  sight  of  entirely  by  his  neighbors  he 
erected  a  high  log  cabin,  which  was  very  appropri- 
ately called  by  his  friends,  "Lighthouse  of  the  Prai- 
rie." It  has  been  known  since  as  the  "  Luther  Gay  " 
place.  The  logs  were  covered  over  with  a  more  mod- 
ern dress  of  clapboards.  About  this  period,  or  in 
1834,  strangers  would  be  occasionally  passing 
through,  looking  for  a  desirable  location,  and  would 
be  told  by  the  settlers  that  the  county  was  pretty 
well  settled  up  and  all  the  best  lands  taken,  and 
there  was  nothing  remaining  but  prairie  land,  which 
was  so  far  from  timber  as  to  be  useless  except  for 
grazing  purposes  or  as  a  range  for  stock.  The  col- 
ony setders,  who  had  located  temporarily  in  Hender- 
son Township — Log  City— in  1836-37,  moved  into 
this  township  and  began  their  labors.  They,  with 
the  other  families  that  had  come  in,  made  quite  a 
settlement.  Again  a  prosperous  outlook  seemed  es- 
tablishing for  the  future,  and  ere  long  proved  itself 
As  the  histor)-  of  the  city  of  Galesburg  will  largely 
include  the  history  of  this  township,  the  reader  is 
li  referred    to  that   part  of  this   work.     The  farms  in 

,  this  township  are  well  laid  out  and  highly  cultivated. 

I   The  farm  dwellings  and  farm  buildings  are  first-class. 

j   Special  attention  has  been  given  to  the  public  roads, 

y  the  result  of  which  is  that  this  township  has  the  best 
roads  in  the  county.  By  virtue  of  the  concentra- 
tion of  the  railroad  lines  in  the  city  of  Galesburg, 
this  township  has  more  miles  of  railroad  track  than 
any  other  township.  Its  population,  in  1880,  ac- 
cording to  the  census  reports,  was  12,085,  *nd  since 
then  it  has  been  considerably  increased.  Below  are 
given  some  items  taken  from  the  report  of  the  County 
Superintendent  for  1885.  This  report  does  not  in- 
clude the  city  of  Galesburg  : 

The  township  has  five  school  districts ;  all  the 
schools  are  ungraded,  with  frame  buildings.  The 
school  property  is  valued  at  $4,700.  There  are 
two  libraries,  containing  40  volumes.  Of  persons 
under  21  years  there  were  251,  of  whom  183  were  of 
school  age,  149  being  enrolled.  The  highest  wages 
paid  male  teachers  were  $5°  P^f  month,  the  lowest 
$40;  the  highest  wages  paid  female  teachers  were 
$40,  and  the  lowest  $30.     The  tax  levy  was  $218,- 

479- 

The  following-named  citizens  have  represented  the 
township  since  its  organization,  as  Supervisors: 


SUPERVISORS. 


W.  S .  Gale 1853-58 

W.  S.  Gale 1859 

John  L.  Clay Asst.1859 

S    WGale i860 

Caleb  Finch .Asst.  i860 

W.S.  Gale 1861 

John  G .  West .^sst    t86i 

W.  S    Gale 1861-63 

Caleb  Finch Asst.  1861-63 

Caleb  Finch 1864 

John  C.Stewart   ....\sst.  1864 

W.  S.Gale 1865 

H.  R.  Sanderson. .  .Asst.  1865 


W.S.  Gale 

L .  E .  Conger Asst  - 

A.C.  Clay 

(Division  of  Townsh 

C.  M.  Fezt. , 

A.  C.  Clay 

CM.   Felt 

G.  W    Gale 

D.  L    Patch 

John  T.   Barnett 

A.C.  Clav 

JohnG.   West 

John  Wilson 


1S66 

1866 

1867-69 

ip) 

1870 

1871-74 

1875-77 

i878-«o 


TOWNSHIP  OF  THE  CITY  OF  GALESBURG. 

HIS  township  was  organized  under  a  special 
act  of  the  Legislature,  passed  in  1867.  Its 
territory  lies  within  the  corporate  limits 
of  the  city  of  Galesburg.  One  of  the  objects, 
if  not  THE  object,  of  the  movers  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  this  township  was  the  securing  of  addi- 
tional votes  in  the  famous  county-seat  contest  between 
Galesburg  and  Knoxville.  The  election  for  town- 
ship oflSceis  was  held  April  i,  1867.  After  the 
counting  of  the  ballots,  it  was  found  that  W.  S. 
Gale,  Henr)'  R.  Sanderson,  L.  E.  Conger,  R.  H. 
Whiting  and  Thomas  McKee  were  elected  Super- 
visors. Since  then  the  following  men  have  been 
chosen  to  represent  the  city  on  the  Board  of  Super- 
visors : 


H.  R.  Sanderson. 
W    S.  C.ale 
G.  C    Lanphere. 
R.  H.  Whiting. 
L.E.  Conger. 


H 

R 

Sanderson . 

(i 

C 

Lanphere. 

1.. 

K. 

Conger. 

K 

H 

Whiting. 

M 

B 

elden. 

1870. 

R 

H 

Sander~;on. 

1,. 

E. 

Conger. 

(; 

V 

Dieterich. 

w 

S 

Gale. 

E 

P. 

Williams. 

187I. 

Benj. 

S- Stanley. 

Alfred  Knowles. 

G 

V 

Dieterich. 

1. 

M 

Morse. 

W 

.S 

Gale. 

1872. 

Alfred  Knowles. 

T. 

M 

Morse. 

W 

.S 

Gale. 

B 

s. 

Stanley. 

G 

V. 

Dieterich. 

1873-75- 

H 

R 

Sanderson- 

W 

.s 

Gale. 

G 

V 

Dieterich. 

1. 

M 

Morse. 

B 

b. 

Sunley . 

1876. 

H.  R.  Sanderson - 
A.M.  Brown. 
W.S.  Gale. 
J.S.  Chalmers. 
Geo.  V.  Dieterich. 

1877. 
Nels  Nelson. 
G.  V.  Dieterich. 
W.  S.  Gale. 
T.  J.Hale. 
C.  R.  Haney. 

1878-79. 


G.  V.  Dieter 
T.  J.Hale. 
W.  S.Gale. 


1880. 


Thos.  McKee. 
G.  V.  Dieterich. 
D.  M.  Morse. 
T.  J.  Hale. 
W.  S.  Gale. 


Thos.  McKee. 
W.  S.Gale. 
T.  J.  Hale. 
G.  V.  Dieterich. 
Jacobs.  Chambers. 


G.  v.  Dieterich. 
Thos    McKee. 
T.J.  Hale. 
Geo- W    Foote. 
Wm .  A .  Boydston 


4- 


*t 


-A-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1071 


1SS3. 

Wm    A    Boydston. 
David  Greenlcaf. 
W.S.  Gale. 
T.J.  Hale. 
OlofHawkioson. 


1884-85. 
Ihos    McKee. 
W.  S.  Gale, 
Geo.  W    Fooce. 

\V    r>    Cooke. 


If 


HAW  CEEEK   TOWNSHIP 
^^^^ 

lif(N  ekction  was  held  tor  the  organization  of 
this  township  April  5,  1853,  which  resulted 
■  ^jf  "  in  the  choice  of  the  foUowing-naraed  citi- 
zens for  township  oflScers ;  Wm.  M.  Clark, 
Supervisor;  Woodford  Pearce,  Clerk;  Isaac 
I  Lotts,  Assessor;  Joseph  Harshberger,  Col- 
lector; John  S.  Linn  and  Enoch  Godfrey,  Justices 
of  the  Peace ;  Benson  Simpkins,  A.  L.  Rainbro  and 
Milton  Lotts,  Highway  Commissioners;  Geo.  Wolf, 
Overseer  of  the  Poor ;  Geo.  Pickeral  and  Wm.  Lewis, 
Constables. 

Haw  Creek  is  a  very  evenly   proportioned    town- 

!    ship  as  regards  timber  and  prairie  lands.       It  is  wa- 

^   tered  by  Sixwn  River,  which   meanders  through    the 

eastern    portion,   entering   in    the   northeast    comer 

and   passing  out   on   section    35,  and  several  small 

water-courses. 

Its  railway  facilities  are  good,  having  the  Peoria 
Branch  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  which  runs  about 
northwest  and  southeast  across  the  western  portion, 
entering  from  the  north,  on  the  southwest  comer  of 
section  6,  and  goes  out  on  the  southeast  corner  of  sec- 
tion 33. 

Parnach  Owen,  his  widowed  mother  and  two 
sisters,  from  Ohio,  were  the  first  settlers  in  this  town- 
ship, who  arrived  in  September,  1829.  locating  on 
section  18.  By  a  person  settling  down  now  in  the 
midst  of  advanced  civilization,  with  all  the  modern 
conveniences  of  travel,  this  journey  can  hardly  be 
appreciated.  But  this  widow,  to  start  out  on  this 
long  journey  with  her  little  family,  with  all  the  in- 
conveniences and  hardships  attending  the  traveler 
into  a  strange  and  unsettled  country,  must  have 
pos  essed  the  courage  of  a  commander.  The  only 
other  settlement  then  in  this  county  was  at  Hender- 
son. After  Knoxville  was  laid  out,  and  a  settlement 
was  made,  this  family  moved  there.  Pamach  Owen 
took  a  prominent  part  in  the  early  affairs  of  the 
county.     He  was   an   extensive   land    dealer    and 


I*** 


speculator,  and  at  one  time  owned  large  tracts  of 
land  in  the  county.  He  moved  to  Iowa,  where  he 
died.  His  mother  died  at  Knoxville.  One  of  his 
sisters  married  Dr.  Rice,  of  Lewistown,  and  the 
other  John  G.  Sanbum.  About  the. next  settler  to 
locate  in  Haw  Creek  was  James  Nevitt,  in  the  early 
part  of  1832.  Among  the  early  settlers  were  Wood- 
ard  Pearce,  David  Teal,  David  Housh,  Joshua 
Burnett,  Jacob  Harshberger,  Linneus  Richmond  and 
W.  W.  Dickerson.  Pearce  settled  on  section  12  and 
is  now  residing  in  Gilson.  Teal  located  on  section 
8.  He  aftenvard  moved  to  Jasper  County,  Mo., 
where  he  died.  Joseph  Godfrey,  from  Ohio,  with 
family,  came  in  1834  and  located  .a  claim.  He  and 
his  wife  died  soir.e  years  ago.  Housh  entered  a  claim 
on  section  19;  at  one  time  he  was  in  business  in 
Maquon.  He  died  in  this  township.  Burnett  also 
entered  a  claim  on  section  19,  where  he  lived  and 
died.  Harshberger  settled  on  section  15,  where  he 
lived  and  died. 

The  first  child  bom  in  the  township  was  a  son  to 
the  wife  of  James  Nevitt,  who  was  named  Charles, 
in  1832.  Eleanor  Jarnagin  died  durinj;  the  winter  of 
1834,  which  was  the  first  death.  That  distinguished 
divine,  Peter  Cartwright,  gave  the  pioneer  settlement 
its  first  sermon,  in  1831.  A  school-house  was  built 
on  section  8,  in  1836,  and  the  first  school  taught  here 
the  same  year  by  Susan  Dempsey.  They  were  not 
very  early  in  erecting  a  house  of  worship  in  Haw 
Creek,  the  first  one  being  put  up  by  the  Methodists 
in  1864,  on  section  17. 

Haw  Creek  is  a  fine  township;  the  lands  are  rich 
and  generally  well  cultivated,  and  the  majority  of  the 
farm  buildings  are  good.  It  is  a  large  stock-raising 
township,  being  the  first  in  the  raising  of  sheep  and 
third  in  cattle  and  horses.  Most  of  the  trading  and 
marketing  is  done  in  Maquon  and  Gilson.  In  1880 
the  population,  according  to  the  United  States  cen- 
sus, was  1,049,  and  it  is  about  the  same  at  the  present 
time. 

According  to  the  County  Superintendent's  report 
for  18S5,  Haw  Creek  has  eight  school  districts,  with 
one  graded  and  seven  ungraded  schools,  and  the 
school  property  was  valued  at  §6,540,  all  the  school- 
houses  being  frame.  Of  persons  under  21  years  of 
age  there  were  451,  of  whom  319  were  of  school  age, 
275  being  enrolled.  The  highest  wages  paid  male 
teachers  were  $50  per  month,  the   lowest  $25 ;  the 


«^f» 


1072 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


highest    wages  paid  female  teachers  were  $40,  and 
the  lowest  $25,     Tax  levy  was  $2,480. 

From  the  Assessor's  report  for  1885  the  following 
items  are  obtained:  Number  of  acres  of  improved 
land,  22,737;  value  of  improved  lands,  $321,643; 
value  of  lots,  $10,699 ;  number  of  horses,  950  ;  num- 
ber of  cattle,  2,579;  number  of  mules  and  asses,  94  ; 
number  of  sheep,  1,057;  number  of  hogs,  2,392; 
number  of  steam  engines,  10;  number  of  carriages 
and  wagons,  210;  number  of  clocks  and  watches, 
10 ;  number  of  pianos,  5  ;  melodeons  and  organs,  36  ; 
total  value  of  personal  property,  $79,593. 

SUPERVISORS. 


Wm.  M.  Clark. 

E.  Godfrey 

Wm.  Swieart... 
H.  P.  Libolt... 

MiUon  Lott 

P.  Lacy 

Tames  Pickeral. 
Wm.  P.  Keller. 


853-54  W 

855-58 


861-62 

863 

S64-65 


.  Swieart 1867 

r  Lacy i86S 


figan 


Pet< 
Wra 
Chas.  W."McKcv 

Peter  Lacy 1871 

Wm.  Swigart 1872-77 

D.W.   .Aldrich 1878-79 

J  ames  Rebstalk 1880-85 


Gilson. 

'his  little  hamlet  is  located  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  section  7,  Haw  Creek  Town- 
ship, and  was  laid  out  by  Linneus  Rich- 
mond, July  10,  1857.  It  is  on  the  Peoria 
Branch  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  and  the  sta- 
tion was  built  very  soon  after  the  road  was 
'  completed.  Around  this  town  the  first  settlement 
of  the  township  was  made.  There  are  some  fair 
business  houses  here,  which  are  supported  by  the 
local  trade  of  the  township,  and  also  by  some  parts 
of  Orange  and  Persifer  Townships.  The  population 
of  the  place  is  about  250. 


HENDERSON  TOWNSHIP. 

^ENDERSON  TOWNSHIP  was  organized 
April  5,  1853.  The  meeting  was  called  to 
'f^-  order  by  William  McMurtry;  S.  G.  Dean 
was  appointed  Moderator,  and  W.  R.  Jackson, 
Clerk;  155  votes  were  cast  at  this  election, 
resulting  in  the  choice  of  Peter  Frans  for  Super- 
visor; Martin  W.  Gay,  Clerk;  James  McMurtry, 
Assessor  ;  G.  G.  Dean,  Collector ;  Thomas  McKee 
and  Abraham  Jackson,  Justices  of  the  Peace. 

Henderson  for  Knox  County  is  a  historical  and  an 
interesting  point,  for  it  was  here  that  the  first  settle- 
ment was  made.     In  February,  1828,  Daniel  Rob- 


ertson found  his  way  into  the  township,  and  settled 
on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  15,  and  com- 
menced his  improvements.  This  was  the  first  set- 
tlement made  in  the  county.  This  land  was  subse- 
quently claimed  by  a  speculator,  and  Mr.  Robertson, 
rather  than  to  have  any  trouble,  gave  it  up  and 
located  on  the  southwest  corner  of  section  11.  His 
brother  Alex,  and  brother-in-law,  Richard  Mathews, 
came  in  soon  after  and  made  a  claim  on  section  2. 
During  the  spring  and  summer  of  this  year,  Jacob 
Gum,  John  B.  Gum,  James  Gum,  Zephaniah  Gum 
(sons  of  Jacob),  Riggs  Pennington,  Stephen  Osborn, 
Robert  and  Eaton  Nance,  B.  Coy,  A.  Frakes,  R. 
Greenwell,  Thomas  Sheldon  and  N.  Voiles,  with  their 
families,  and  Jesse  Gum,  Alex,  and  Andrew  Osborn, 
James  Reynolds  and  M.  D.  Coy,  unmarried  men,  all 
located  along  the  eastern  and  southwestern  skirts  of 
Henderson  Grove.  Early  in  the  fall  Thomas  McKee 
and  Alex.  Frakes  joined  the  settlement,  locating  on 
the  southwest  quarter  of  section  9.  Of  these  "  twen- 
ty-eighters,"  only  two  are  now  living — Daniel  Rob- 
ertson and  Maj.  Thomas  McKee,  the  former  at  his 
old  homestead,  and  the  latter  in  Galesburg.  Daniel 
Robertson  married  in  the  winter  of  1830.  Alex. 
Robertson  died  in  1853.  His  widow  afterward  mar- 
ried again,  but  is  now  dead.  John  B.  Gum  located 
on  section  32,  Zephaniah  on  section  14  and  James  on 
section  34.  James  in  a  later  day  moved  to  Oregon, 
and  Zephaniah  to  Missouri.  John  moved  to  Knox 
Township  and  afterward  to  Oregon.  Riggs  Penning- 
ton moved  to  Texas  in  1836. 

The  Nances  located  on  section  9.  Robert  Nance 
moved  to  Menard  County  in  1831,  where  he  died, 
and  Eaton  Nance  moved  to  Missouri  and  died  there. 
Stephen  Osborn  located  on  section  23;  he  raised  a 
large  family  of  children  and  died  at  Henderson  vil- 
lage. His  widow  survived  him  for  many  years.  He 
was  the  first  Sheriff  of  Knox  County.  Alex.  Frakes, 
who  came  with  his  wife  and  five  children,  moved  to 
Oregon  in  1853,  with  a  part  of  his  family.  He  died 
there  a  few  years  ago.  He  was  from  Indiana,  but  a 
native  of  Kentucky. 

In  1829  William  and  James  McMurtry  and  Philip 
Hash,  with  their  families,  formed  a  further  addition  to 
the  pioneer  settlement,  locating  on  section  3  Will- 
iam became  quite  an  active  and  prominent  politician; 
was  Lieutenant-Governor  from  r848  to  1852.  He 
died  at  the  old  homestead.  His  wife  had  preceded 
him  to  the  other  world.     His  son,  James  C,  is  living 


t 


--* 


41 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1073 


f4- 


on  the  old  place.  His  brother  James  still  occupies 
the  farm  on  which  he  first  settled.  Robert  Green- 
well  located  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  15. 
After  a  few  years  he  moved  to  Grand  River,  Mo., 
where  he  died.  Thomas  Shelden  in  the  spring  of 
1829  moved  to  Rock  Island,  and  went  to  work  for 
Col.  George  Davenport.     He  died  that  year. 

Maj.  Thomas  McKee  was  in  the  first  and  second 
Black  Hawk  Wars.  He  went  to  Schuyler  County 
and  lived  for  awhile.  In  1830  he  married  Maria 
Rice  at  Henderson  Grove.  In  1830  Thomas  Fer- 
guson, the  Roundirees,  Goffs,  William  Lewis  and 
Solomon  Davis  with  their  families  came  in,  locating 
along  the  south  sidej  of  the  grove,  and  following 
them  were  the  Brown  brothers,  filling  up  the  gap 
with  farms  around  to  the  old  "Galena  Trail." 

During  the  last-named  year  that  worthy  old  citi- 
zen, Harmon  G.  Brown,  from  Kentucky,  came  in, 
locating  about  a  mile  south  of  Henderson  village. 
He  wintered  there  and  the  next  year  married  Nancy 
Hogan,  and  also  changed  his  location  to  the  south- 
west quarter  of  section  30,  where  he  and  his  good 
wife  are  still  living,  surrounded  by  children,  grand- 
children and  loving  friends.  One  of  his  boys — 
Henry  Clay — was  killed  during  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg. 

Solomon  Davis  died  May  2,  1862,  but  his  widow, 
Lucinda,  is  still  living  at  the  old  homestead,  section 
32,  with  her  children,  although  in  feeble  health  and 
in  her  82d  year.  They  had  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  still  living.  Solomon  Davis 
was  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  in  active  service,  and 
held  the  rank  of  Lieutenant.  He  left  his  wife  and 
three  children  with  Maj.  McKee 's  family,  who  were 
then  in  Sangamon  County. 

Peter  Bell,  Thomas  Maxwell,  Squire  Reed  and 
James  Reynolds  also  moved  in  in  1830.  Peter  Bell 
located  on  section  32,  now  the  Frans  place,  and 
James  Reynolds  also  on  section  32. 

The  Indians  were  about  here  during  the  early 
settlement.  They  lived  in  their  wigwams,  helped 
the  settlers  in  sugar-making  and  other  work,  and 
were  friendly  until  the  war  broke  out. 

Harmon  Brown  went  back  to  Kentucky,  and  when 
he  returned,  which  was  in  the  fall  of  1 831,  he  brought 
his  sister,  Mrs.  Sally  Frans,  with  him.  She  rode  a 
horse  all  the  way,  carrying  her  two  small  children. 
Her  husband,   Peter  Frans,  followed  some  months 


later.  He  died  in  1863.  He  was  a  strong  sympa- 
thizer with  the  Rebellion,  so  much  so  that  his  life 
at  one  time  was  in  some  danger.  His  Union  neigh- 
bors got  a  flag  and  forced  him  to  put  it  on  his  house, 
and  compelled  him  to  keep  it  there.  Sometimes 
they  would  find  it  down  on  the  ground  and  ihen 
they  would  go  and  put  it  up,  or  compel  him  to  raise 
it.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frans  raised  a  large  family  of 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  living.  Mrs.  Frans  is 
also  living  on  the  old  farm  on  section  33. 

There  were  quite  a  number  of  families  who  came 
in  1831-32,  and  among  these  were  Olmstead  and 
William  Ferris. 

Mrs.  Zephaniah  Gum  received  the  hearty  con- 
gratulations of  her  neighbors  for  presenting  the  first 
native  citizen  to  the  settlement  in  June,  1829.  He 
grew  up  to  useful  manhood  and  died  at  about  21 
years  of  age.  Alex.  Osborn  and  Ann  Hendiicks  were 
the  first  two  loving  hearts  to  unite  their  fortunes  for 
life,  which  was  in  the  warm  summer  month  of  July, 
1829.  Alexander  was  obliged  to  go  all  the  way  to 
Rushville  to  procure  the  necessary  papers  to  con- 
summate this  event.  His  good  example  was  soon  fol- 
lowed by  Fielden  Hash  and  Elizabeth  Razor,  who 
were  united  by  Philip  Hash. 

The   first  death  was   that  of  Philip   Nance,  who 
died  Jan.  7,  1829.     His  remains  were    interred  on   J 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  9.      Maj.   McKee 
placed  a  marble  slab  at  his  grave.     Since  then  there 
has  been  an  iron  fence  put  around  it. 

The  first  school  was  taught  by  Franklin  B.  Barber 
in  a  log  shanty  near  the  grove,  in  1830.  There  was 
another  opened  in  1833  on  section  31,  taught  by 
Harmon  G.  Brown.  It  is  now  the  4th  School  Dis- 
trict.    Mr.  Barber  died  in  Te.xas. 

Rev.  Jacob  Gum  preached  the  first  sermon  in 
1829.  In  the  summer  religious  meetings  were  held 
in  the  woods,  after  the  manner  of  the  AfKDStles,  and 
in  the  winter  in  the  log  cabins.  Mr.  Gum  was  a 
Baptist.  The  Baptists  were  the  first  to  organize  here, 
the  Universalists  next,  then  the  Christians  ;  now  the 
Methodists  and  the  United  Brethren  are  in  the  as- 
cendancy. 

The  first  "corn-cracker"  was  put  up  in  1830,  on 
Henderson  Creek.  This  was  quite  an  event  to  the 
pioneers,  but  when,  in  1833,  the  Ferris  brothers — 
William  and  Olmstead — put  up  a  steam  mill,  the  set- 
tlers felt  that  they  had   no  more  to  ask  for.     This 


— Xn 


--> 


I074 


—        ,t^=r 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


mill  was  located  on  the  northeast  corner  of  section 
30,  on  Henderson  Creek;  at  one  time  in  an  early 
day  there  were  six  mills  within  six  miles  of  each  other. 
There  is  nothing  now  to  indicate  that  there  was  ever 
a  mill  here. 

For  the  first  few  years  the  people  went  to  Rush- 
ville  for  their  mail.  In  1833  a  post-office  was  es- 
tablished in  the  township,  and  John  G.  Sanburn  held 
the  commission  from  the  Government  as  Postmaster. 
This  post-office  was  located  on  section  32,  where  Mi. 
Sanburn  had  a  store,  which  he  opened  in  1832.  Near 
here,  on  section  33,  White  &  McCarver  established 
a  store  in  1833. 

The  first  court  held  in  the  county  was  in  John  B. 
Gum's  house,  on  section  32,  southeast  quarter.  He 
had  a  double  log  cabin,  and  the  county  rented  a  part 
of  it.  It  was  near  Sanburn's  store.  Court  was  held 
here  about  two  years.  The  building  is  now  owned  by 
the  Davis  family.  Mary  Ann  and  James  Davis  were 
young  children  in  1833,  the  former  about  three,  and 
'  the  latter  one  and  a  half  years  of  age.  They  went 
out  to  play  in  the  woods  one  warm  spring  morning, 
and  not  returning  by  noon  their  parents  went  out  to 
'^  look  for  them.  Not  readily  finding  them,  they  became 
alarmed  and  a  general  search  was  instituted.  It  be- 
came dark  and  they  were  not  found.  The  whole 
'■  neighborhood  then  turned  out,  and  the  hunt  was 
continued  until  the  next  day  without  success.  Along 
in  the  forenoon  Harmon  G.  Brown  discovered  them 
near  the  edge  of  the  prairie  in  a  straw-stack.  They 
were  much  frightened  when  Mr.  Brown  came  to 
them,  and  tried  to  run  away.  They  seemed  to  have 
become  a  little  wild.  It  was  supposed  that  they  had 
gone  down  to  the  stream  called  South  Henderson 
and  followed  it  down.  The  girl  had  some  sorrel  in 
her  apron,  which  they  had  been  eating.  When 
brought  home  they  refused  to  eat  at  first.  James  is 
dead,  and  Mary  Ann  is  living  on  the  old  place. 

One  warm  spring  day  in  1832,  Mr.  Brown  thought 
he  would  go  liunting,  a  sport  he  was  not  only  very 
fond  of,  but  in  which  he  was  very  successful.  Be- 
coming tired,  he  sat  down  on  a  log  near  the  creek  for 
a  rest.  While  thus  resting  in  his  solitary  seclusion, 
a  large  blue  crane  flew  over  and  alighted  on  a  tree 
near  by,  where  it  had  a  large  nest  near  the  top.  Not 
particularly  desiring  tlie  companionship  of  the  crane, 
and  wishing  to  test  his  skill,  he  drew  his  old  and 
trusty  rifle  on  the  bird  and  fired.  The  crane  sprang 
several  feet  up  in  the  air,  and  coming  down  caught 


in  the  forked  limb  of  the  tree,  where  it  remained. 
While  gazing  at  the  dead  crane  he  heard  a  noise, 
and  looking  in  the  direction  from  which  it  came,  he 
beheld  a  raven  peeking  out  from  a  large  hole  in  the 
trunk  of  the  same  tree  that  held  the  crane.  Having 
been  so  successful  in  bringing  down  the  crane,  Mr. 
Brown  concluded  to  draw  his  bead  on  the  raven.  He 
fired,  and  the  raven  fell  back  into  the  hole.  Looking 
up  again,  he  saw  anotlier  raven  in  the  hole.  He  re- 
loaded his  rifle,  and  the  raven  still  remained  staring 
at  him;  he  fired  again,  and  the  second  raven  disap- 
peared into  the  hole.  This  hole  seemed  to  be  pro- 
lific in  ravens,  for  no  sooner  had  the  second  one 
passed  down  than  a  third  put  in  an  appearance.  He 
was  treated  to  another  charge  of  lead  from  Mr. 
Brown's  unerring  rifle,  with  the  same  result.  This 
practice  was  kept  up,  Mr.  Brown  entering  enthusias- 
tically into  the  sport,  thinking  that  this  was  the  land, 
or  rather  the  tree  of  the  raven,  until  seven  had  gone 
down  the  hole.  He  gazed  long  and  wistfully  for 
another  to  come  out,  but,  none  appearing,  he  shoul- 
dered his  rifle  with  some  disappointment  and  started 
for  home.  Arriving  there,  his  brother  and  neighbors 
wanted  to  know  what  he  had  been  firing  at.  He  was 
loth  to  tell  them,  thinking  they  would  not  believe 
him,  as  ravens  were  not  numerous  and  were  among 
the  wildest  of  birds  and  the  most  difficult  to  get  a 
shot  at.  They  replied  that  they  were  not  disposed 
to  doubt  his  veracity.  When  he  told  them,  they 
asked  for  the  birds.  He  replied  that  he  would  pro- 
duce them  if  they  would  cut  down  what  he  believed 
to  be  the  largest  tree  in  Henderson  Grove.  They 
accepted  the  challenge,  and  agreed  to  meet  the  next 
morning  with  axes  ground  and  proceed  to  the  raven 
slaughter,  and  have  ocular  proof  of  what  they  con- 
sidered the  biggest  raven  story  on  record.  At  the 
appointed  time  they  all  met,  and  after  a  walk  of  some 
minutes  they  arrived  at  the  tree.  What  was  their 
great  surprise  when,  on  looking  down  at  the  foot  of 
the  tree,  they  saw  the  seven  ravens  lying  there  dead, 
instead  of  being  down  inside  of  the  hole.  The  only 
solution  to  this  raven  mystery  was  that  there  were 
one  or  more  live  ones  left  and  they  had  thrown  the 
dead  ones  out. 

Anticipating  an  Indian  outbreak,  the  settlers  came 
together  and  erected  a  fort.  They  then  fonned  what 
was  called  a  minute  company  of  Rangers  for  home 
protection,  and  concluded  that  should  there  be  an 
outbreak,  they  would  send  their  families  out  of  the 


*^ 


t-i- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


107S 


county.  But  there  was  no  trouble  here.  The  fort 
was  located  on  section  ^3,  now  the  home  of  Mrs. 
Chas.  Evans.  The  settlers  lived  happily,  and  some 
of  those  still  living  do  not  think  there  was  so  much 
hardship  and  suffering  as  is  sometimes  reported. 
They  had  then  to  go  to  Rushville,  a  distance  of  75 
miles,  for  their  mail,  which  was  a  great  inconvenience, 
and  they  felt  some  uneasiness  on  account  of  the  In- 
dians. But  they  had  plenty  of  home-made  clothes 
to  keep  them  warm,  plenty  of  wild  game,  pork  and 
beans,  and  corn-bread  and  honey  to  eat,  and  after 
the  first  year  of  the  settlement  they  had  plenty  of 
wheat-bread ;  this,  added  to  what  they  believed  to  be 
a  prosperous  future  before  them,  gave  reasonable 
grounds  for  contentment. 

Harmon  Brown  tells  of  a  hunting  expedition  which 
he,  in  connection  with  Peter  Frans  and  Benjamin 
Bruington  (known  by  old  settlers  as  "Governor" 
Bruingtoii),  had  in  the  fall  of  1833.  They  started 
out  for  a  several  days'  hunt,  going  in  a  northeasterly 
direction.  Late  in  the  day  they  came  to  a  grove, 
since  known  as  Walnut  Grove,  some  15  miles  from 
home,  where  they  halted.  Mr.  Brown  put  out  his  . 
bee-bait,  the  "Governor"  went  in  search  of  a  camp- 
ing ground,  and  Peter  Frans  started  out  for  a  deer. 
Soon  a  bee  came  to  the  bait,  and  Mr.  Brown  had  no 
trouble  in  following  it  back  to  its  hive,  which  was  in 
a  large  dead  burr-oak  tree.  The  report  of  Frans* 
rifle  was  heard  echoing  through  the  woods,  and  soon 
he  came  in  with  a  large  buck  across  his  horse.  They 
made  their  camp  near  the  bee-tree.  It  was  then 
growing  dark,  and  they  built  a  large  fire  to  give  them 
light  while  cutting  down  the  tree.  It  was  a  large 
tree,  and  they  had  but  one  ax,  which  they  used  by 
turns.  It  was  a  late  supper  they  had  that  night,  but 
a  good  one,  and  was  enjoyed  by  the  hunters.  It 
consisted  of  fried  venison,  bread  and  butter,  honey 
and  hot  coffee.  After  their  repast  they  went  to  work 
to  get  out  their  honey.  The  hole  was  full  for  some 
12  feet,  and  they  estimated  that  there  was  at  least  a 
barrel  of  honey,  which  was  as  pure  and  white  as  any 
honey  they  ever  saw.  They  made  a  bag  of  tiie  deer- 
skin and  had  it  about  full,  when,  to  their  horror,  they 
discovered  that  the  prairie  south  of  the  grove,  where 
Galesburg  now  stands,  was  on  fire,  and  the  wind  was 
blowing  toward  their  cabins.  They  hastily  broke 
camp,  took  their  honey  and  venison,  and  mounting 
their  horses  started  for  their  homes.  It  was  very 
dark,  and  they  experienced  some  difficulty  in  cross- 


ing the  prairie  sloughs,  but  they  arrived  home  in 
about  two  hours.  The  fence  on  Mr.  E.  Morse's 
place  was  on  fire.  They  threw  it  down  and  put  out 
the  fire.  From  there  they  went  to  James  Reynolds' 
place  and  threw  down  the  fence  for  a  mile,  putting 
out  the  fire.  Alfred  Brown's  fence  was  also  on  fire, 
which  they  treated  the  same  way.  They  then  went 
about  three  miles  into  Floyd  Township,  Warren  Coun- 
ty, where  they  found  Edmond  and  Henry  Adcock's 
fences  on  fire.  Here  they  threw  down  a  mile  of  burn- 
ing fence  and  saved  it  from  the  flames.  While  fight- 
ing the  fire  here  the  sun  arose.  They  breakfasted  at 
the  Adcocks'  and  then  returned  to  their  homes,  com- 
pletely tired  out.  The  fire  caused  them  so  much 
work  in  repairing  fences  that  they  never  finished  their 
hunt. 

June  2,  1836,  the  first  installment  of  the  Gales- 
burg Colony,  25  in  number,  arrived.  They  were  soon 
followed  by  a  second  company.  Others  came  singly 
and  in  groups.  They  all  located  south  of  the  grove 
and  built  up  what  afterward  became  somewhat  dis- 
tinguished as  Log  City,  on  section  33.  When  the 
cold  weather  set  in,  there  was  in  this  "  city' '  a  popula- 
tion of  170  souls,  living  in  cabins.  As  this  settle- 
ment here  was  only  temporary,  and  does  not  strictly 
belong  to  the  history  of  Henderson  Township,  a  fur- 
ther account  of  it  will  be  given  elsewhere. 

In  the  spring  of  1837  came  the  balance  of  the  col- 
ony, among  whom  were  S.  W.  Allen,  wife  and  one 
child,  who  permanently  settled  in  the  township,  at 
Log  City,  where  he  lived  three  years,  when  he  moved 
into  Galesburg  and  is  now  residing  there.  He  was 
the  first  butcher  in  the  county,  opening  his  market  at 
Log  Cit)  .  He  supplied  this  settlement,  Henderson, 
Knoxville  and  Galesburg.  Mr.  Allen  raised  a  large 
family  of  children,  one  of  whom,  S.  O.,  was  the  first 
male  child  born  in  Log  City,  and  who  is  now  living 
in  Henderson  Township,  and  is  a  thrifty  farmer  and 
one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the  township.  (See 
biography.) 

An  effort  was  made  by  the  citizens  of  this  town- 
ship to  secure  the  railroad  line  through  here.  Had 
they  been  successful,  probably  the  principal  city  of 
the  county  would  have  been  built  somewhere  within 
its  borders.  As  it  is,  without  a  railroad,  it  has  a  fair 
growth.  It  contains  a  beautiful  body  of  timber, 
known  as  Henderson's  Grove.  It  is  well  watered  by 
Henderson  Creek  and  its  tributaries,  and  much  of 


^ 


'-K^ 


1076 


■  .V. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


4-> 


the  soil  is  rich.  The  western  and  northwestern  por- 
tions are  somewhat  broken,  but  in  the  eastern  parts 
Jhere  are  some  fine  roUing  prairies.  There  are  many 
fine  farms  in  the  township  and  good,  substantial 
dwellings.  Most  of  the  farmers  are  thrifty  and  in 
good  circumstances.  Some  remain  who  can  look  to 
the  days  when  this  country  was  a  wilderness — to 
the  time  when  the  foundations  for  homes  were  laid, 
and  to  the  struggles  and  privations  which  were 
necessary  to  complete  those  homes.  They  can  contem- 
plate now  the  realization  of  the  hopes  and  the  aspira- 
tions of  their  youth,  and  the  progress  and  develop- 
ment that  have  been  made  duringthe  first  half  century. 
The  population  of  the  township  in  1880  was  1,454. 
which  is  about  the  figures  now.  Henderson  village 
is  situated  in  the  township,  but  it  is  not  a  very  thrifty 
town. 


SUPERVISORS. 


Peter  Frans. 

James  McMurtry... 

Peter  Frans 

C.  H.Nelson 

Thos.  McKee 
Thos.  J.  Mansfield. 
John  P.  Parson    ... 
Ctias.  H.  Jackson.. 
V   A.  J.  Dunlap...    . 


853 

854-55 

856-57 


Chas    H.  Jackson 1868 

H.  M.  Sisson 1869 

John  Junk 1870-74 

David   Henderson 1875 

H.  M    Sisson 1876-78 

M.  I,.  Overstreet 1879 

Samuel  Rankin 1880 

A.L.Smith 1881-82 

Samuel  Rankin 1R83 

A.L.  Smith 1884 

H.  M.  Sisson 1885 


Henderson  Village. 

fffifENDERSON  was  laid  out  June  ii,  1835,  by 
f-i.^yi5  Parnach  Owen,  for  Calvin  Glass,  and  is 
(|}K*'°^  located  on  section  14,  Henderson  Township. 
A  At  a  very  early  day  there  were  great  expecta- 
T  tioiis  concerning  Henderson.  But  the  growth 
1  of  a  town  is  not  always  within  the  control  of 
individuals  interested  in  it.  It  was  so  in  this  instance. 
At  one  time  Henderson  had  five  stores,  two  shoe- 
shops  and  three  or  four  blacksmith-shops.  The  first 
store  opened  was  by  Gardner  &  ("hapin.  A  grist- 
mill was  put  np  here  by  one  of  the  Osborns,  in  1829. 
The  burrs  were  brought  here  by  Jacob  Gum.  The 
mill  was  run  by  hand  at  first.  A  saw-mill  was  started 
here  in  1830.  An  enterprising  man,  who  believed 
that  a  "  little  wine  was  good  for  the  stomach's  sake," 
put  up  a  distillery  here.  It  was  burned  and  rebuilt, 
burned  again,  but  not  rebuilt  again.  Evidently  there 
were  some  people  here  who  did  not  believe  in  the 
above  quotation. 


Henderson  was  incorporated  in  1838.  An  election 
was  held  March  7,  to  vote  on  incorporation,  which 
resulted  in  28  votes  being  cast  for  the  measure  and 
none  against  it.  The  village  records  have  been 
destroyed  and  the  village  officials  elected  cannot  be 
given  Tlie  village  organization,  as  well  as  the  vil- 
lage, is  still  kept  up — for  what  reason,  it  is  difficult  to 
determine.  Henderson  Township  has  to  help  pay 
the  village  expenses.  There  is  some  good  farming 
land  that  might  be  used  to  good  purpose  lying  idle 
and  unproductive  here.  Within  the  corporate  lim- 
its it  is  estimated  that  there  are  now  about  150  per- 
sons. 

METHODIST    EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  this  place  was 
organized  in  1837,  and  consisted  of  about  a  dozen 
members,  among  them  Samuel  Mathena,  Sarah 
Mathena,  Anson  Rowe,  Lorana  Rowe,  Ruth  Burner, 
Susan  Burner,  Rebecca  Pippin,  Plina  Morse  and  Cath- 
erine Norris.  The  following  constitute  the  list  of 
pastors  who  have  officiated  here,  so  far  as  their  names 
could  be  secured,  and  the  term  of  service  of  each 
one:  Rev.  Mr.  Waters,  1841  ;  N.  S.  Plummer, 
1842-43;  Samuel  Burr,  1844;  U.  J.  Giddings,  1845; 
R.  N.  Morse,  1846;  H.  Hadley,  1847-78;  no  record 
of  the  two  years  following;  Wooliscroft,  1852-53; 
Watson  Bell  and  VV.  N.  McKaig,  1854;  J.  B.  Quim- 
by,  1855;  L.  P.  Crouch,  1856-67;  J.D.Taylor, 
1858-59;  F.  R.  Boggess,  i860;  H.  Bresson,  1861; 
A.  K.  Tullis,  1862-64  ;  T.  Watson,  1865  ;  J.  B.  Smith, 
1866;  Wm.  Haney,  1867  ;  J.  Luccock,  186S-69;  D. 
Pershin,  1870;  J.  M.  Murphy,  1871-72  ;  N.  T.  Allen, 
1873;  H.  Brink,  1874-75;  D.  Ayers,  1876;  A.  Kel- 
lar,  1877  ;N.  G.  Clark,  1878-80;  H.  S.  Humes, 
1881-83;  J.Rugh,  1884-85,  and  N.T.  Allen,  present 
pastor.  The  first  meetings  were  held  at  private 
houses  or  in  the  school-house.  In  the  year  1849  or 
1850,  a  church  building  was  completed,  which  was 
the  joint  pror.erty  of  the  Methodists  and  Baptists. 
The  United  Brethren  now  worship  in  this  building. 
The  beautiful  edifice  in  which  the  Methodists  now 
worship  was  built  and  dedicated  in  1874.  The 
present  membership  is  40.  David  Henderson,  Miss 
Annie  Rowe  and  Miss  Ettie  Riley  constitute  the 
Board  of  Stewards.  The  Sunday-school  numbers 
about  50. 


X 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1077 


INDIAN  POINT  TOWNSHIP. 

"■"^:2nDIAN  point  township  was  first 
settled  in  1834  by  John  C.  Latimer,  from 
Tennessee,  who  with  his  family  settled 
on  section  6,  putting  up  a  log  cabin  and  com- 
mencing the  improvement  of  his  land.  About 
the  same  time  John  H.  Lonia.v  and  wife  came 
in,  settling  on  section  7.  Stephen  Howard  and  fam- 
ily came  in  soon  after  and  located  on  section  6.  He 
subsequently  moved  to  the  southeast  part  of  Kansas, 
where  he  died  a  few  years  ago.  These  were  the 
only  settlers  in  this  township  during  1S34.  In  1835 
there  were  several  additions  made  to  this  primitive 
settlement,  and  among  those  coming  in  were  John 
Howard,  who  made  a  claim  on  section  16;  Isaac 
Latimer  made  a  claim  on  the  same  section;  John 
Crawford,  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian  preacher,  set- 
tled on  this  section.  Alexander  Latimer  was  among 
the  settlers  who  came  in  in  1S35,  settling  on  section 
16.  He  sold  out  in  1836  to  Daniel  Meeks  and  lo- 
cated in  Cedar  Township.  Subsequently  he  moved 
to  Minnesota,  where  he  is  still  living.  With  Mr. 
Meeks  came  John  Killiam,  a  brother-in-law,  who 
settled  on  sections  15  and  22.  Henry  Russell  and  fam- 
ily came  in  this  year  and  made  a  claim  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  section  24.  Here  he  lived  for  over  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  making  one  of  the  finest  farms 
in  the  county,  and  then  moved  to  Kansas.  Others 
soon  followed,  and  soon  there  was  quite  an  influx  into 
the  township,  which  gave  the  new  settlement  a  pros- 
perous appearance.  Among  the  list  was  Many- 
weather  Brown,  who  settled  on  section  7.  He  was 
a  good  citizen  and  was  at  one  time  one  of  the  County 
Commissioners.  J.  P.  Bartlett  Boydston  came  and 
settled  on  section  17,  where  he  reared  a  large  family 
of  children.  One  of  his  sons,  W.  A.,  is  Roadmaster 
on  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  John  Howard  sold  out  to 
John  Dowty  and  moved  into  Warren  County. 
Daniel  Meeks  was  an  active  man,  taking  a  promi- 
nent part  in  township  affairs.  He  was  at  one  time 
County  Commissioner  and  also  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
and  died  in  1874.  John  C.  Latimer  was  an  active 
and  thrifty  citizen,  holding  various  positions  in  the 
township.  After  living  half  a  century  on  his  farm 
\\t  sold  it  and  moved  to  Iowa,  where  he  had  been 
preceded  by  his  children. 
Ann   Francis,  daughter  of  John    H.  and    Nancy 


Lomax,  was  the  first  child  born  in  the  township, 
wiiich  was  in  1835.  Phoebe  Latimer  was  the  second 
child  born,  her  birth  occurring  a  short  time  after 
that  of  Ann  Lomax. 

The  first  death  in  the  townshii)  was  Mr.  Herbert, 
who  died  on  section  16  in  the  spring  of  1838.  He 
was  buried  at  Indian  Point  Cemetery.  Judge 
Dennis  Clark  was  the  pioneer  teacher  in  this  town- 
ship, commencing  the  improvement  of  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  the  children  of  this  neighborhood  during 
the  winter  of  1837-38.  This  institution  of  learning 
was  located  at  Indian  Point,  on  section  16,  and  was 
a  substantial  structure  of  logs.  Mr.  Clark  had  30 
pupils  during  his  first  term,  which  closed  July  i, 
1838,  and  taught  here  several  years.  His  warm 
heart  and  genial  nature  attached  him  very  much  to 
the  children,  who  applied  themselves  to  their  studies 
as  much  to  please  their  teacher  as  for  their  own  im- 
provement. 

The  first  sermon  preached  here  was  by  Rev.  John 
Crawford,  a  Cumberland  Presbyterian  preacher.  The 
services  were  held  at  John  Howard's  residence.  He 
died  many  years  ago,  but  his  widow  is  still  living. 

The  first  marriage  in  Indian  Point  Township  was 
that  of  Wm.  Ogden  and  Damantha  Roberts,  Oct. 
19,  1837.  The  ceremony  was  performed  by  John 
Terry,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Chestnut  Town- 
ship. 

Judge  Dennis  Clark  and  Jonathan  Latimer  broke 
the  first  ground  in  this  township,  on  section  16.  Mr. 
Clark  drove  the  ox-team  and  Mr.  Latimer  held  the 
plow.  Stephen  Howard  put  up  the  first  cabin  on  sec- 
tion 6,  and  John  C.  Latimer  the  second.  There  were 
no  Indians  in  this  township  when  the  first  settlers 
came,  but  there  were  numerous  evidences  that  they 
had  lived  herein  former  times.  There  were  found  the 
remains  of  bark  wigwams,  flint  arrows,  hatchets,  etc. 
They  were  found  at  the  point  of  timber,  and  it  was 
named  Indian  Point  on  this  account.  In  early  days 
this  i)oint  seems  to  have  been  the  favorite  camping- 
ground  of  the  Indian  tribes.  There  are  two  towns 
within  the  borders  of  this  township--Abingdon,  which 
lies  on  the  northern  line,  and  St.  Augustine,  which 
is  situated  near  the  southern  part,  on  section  32. 
When  first  settled  there  was  but  little  timber  here, 
and  this  was  on  section  36  and  along  the  borders  of 
Cedar  Fork,  on  the  western  side,  and  on  Indian  Creek. 
After  the  question  of  township  organization  had  been 


i 


1078 


XNOX  COUNTY. 


-H- 


settled  a  meeting  was  held  for  organizing  the  town- 
ship April  s,  1853,  at  the  school-house  in  District 
No.  2.  S.  H.  Richey  was  chosen  Moderator  and  T. 
A.  Baldwin,  Clerk.  The  following-named  persons 
were  elected  to  the  various  offices : 

Daniel  Meeks  Supervisor;  Dennis  Clark,  Clerk; 
S.  H.  Richey,  Assessor;  Jefferson  Davvdy,  Collector; 
Henry  Ground  and  Charles  Williams,  Justices  of  the 
Peace. 

Indian  Point  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  town- 
ships in  the  county.  There  is  hardly  an  acre  of 
land  within  its  borders  but  what  is  or  can  be  readily 
cultivated.  The  land  is  undulating  and  very  fertile. 
The  township  is  liberally  watered  by  Cedar  Fork 
and  Indian  Creek,  with  their  little  branches,  which 
meander  through  it.  Indian  Creek  empties  into 
Cedar  Fork  and  the  latter  into  Spoon  River.  Of  the 
early  settlers  not  one  now  lives  in  the  township  ;  they 
are  either  dead   or  have  moved  away.     When   the 

IQuincy  Branch  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  was  com- 
1  pleted  through,  it  added  greatly  to  the  development 
I  of  the  township,  and  gave  the  people  ready  means  of 
iL  transportation.  It  has  two  railway  stations,  one  at 
Abingdon  and  the  other  at  St.  Augustine.  Indian 
Point  is  highly  cultivated,  and  its  farmers  are  all  in 
good  circumstances,  having  good  dwelling-houses 
and  farm  buildings.  In  the  raising  of  horses  and 
hogs  this  township  stands  at  the  head  of  the  town- 
ships in  the  county,  and  in  cattle  among  the  first. 
Its  population  in  1880  was  1,725,  which  is  about 
the  number  of  inhabitants  at  the  present  time.  In- 
dian Point  has  eight  school  districts,  one  graded  and 
seven  ungraded  schools.  The  school  property  values 
at  $6,050,  with  one  brick  and  seven  frame  school- 
houses.  Of  persons  under  21  years  there  were  726, 
of  whom  498  were  of  school  age,  429  being  en- 
rolled. The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were 
$72.50,  the  lowest,  $35  ;  the  highest  wages  paid 
female  teachers  were  $45,  the  lowest  $32.50.  The  tax 
levy  was  $3,777.89. 

SUPERVISORS. 

H.  B.  Cashi 


Daniel  Meek 1853-54 

J.  C.  Latimer '855-56 

J.  W.  Butler ,857 

Daniel  Meek 1858-60 

J  .  C .  Latimer 1861-62 

Daniel  Meek 1863-67 

P.H.Smith 1868-69 

T.  L.  Frazier 1870 


P.  H.Smith 1872-75 

W.  W.  Campbell 1874-76 

James  W.  Butler 1877-78 

M.  B.  Harden 1879 

J.  J    BoycUton i8?o 

M.  B.  Harden 1881-85 


T.  E.  Givens  is  one  of  the  breeders  of  the  Norman 
horse,  and  is  giving  considerable  attention  to  it.  He 
has  fine  thoroughbreds,  and  about  20  grades. 


KNOX  TOWNSHIP. 

NOX  TOWNSHIP  is  located  near  the  cen- 
ter of  the  county,  in  number  1 1  north,  of 
range  2  east,  and  is  bounded  by  the  follow- 

J^  ing-named  townships  :  Sparta  on  the  north, 
Persifer  on  the  east.  Orange  on  the  south  and 
Galesburg  on  the  west.  This  township  was 
organized  as  a  township  April  5,  1853.  At  the  meet- 
ing for  the  electior.  of  township  officers,  R.  W.  Up- 
son was  chosen  Chairman  ;  Hugh  S.  Woods,  Moder- 
ator, and  H.  A.  Keiglitly,  Clerk;  Isaac  B.  West  was 
chosen  for  Supervisor;  Thomas  Muir,  Clerk;  Ster- 
ling C.  Simpson,  Assessor;  Charles  Rogers,  Collect- 
or; W.  M.  Lowan  and  William  Sanburn,  Justices  of 
the  Peace ;  A.  Leighton,  Aldred  Runkle  and  Will- 
iam Sanburn,  Commissioners  of  Highways  ;  William 
M.  Lowan,  Overseer  of  the  Poor;  Isaac  Martin  and 
Peter  Bartnett,  Constables. 

Parry  Morris  was  the  first  settler  in  this  township,  ■ 
coming  in  in  1829,  and  locating  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  33.  His  claim  was  purchased  soon 
after  by  Capt.  John  Charles.  He  had  several  chil- 1 
dren,  among  whom  was  George  A.,  who  was  quite 
prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  county.  Capt. 
Charles  died  several  years  ago.  John  Montgomery 
came  into  the  county  soon  after  Capt.  Charles,  locat- 
ing on  section  30.  He  was  soon  followed  by  David 
Higgins,  who  has  the  credit  of  making  the  first  cheese 
in  the  county.  Dr.  Charles  Hansford  was  one  of  the 
very  first  settlers,  locating  on  the  present  site  of 
Kno.xville. 

Wiien  the  county  seat  was  located  in  Knoxville,  a 
large  number  of  people  founded  homes  in  and  about 
Knoxville,  finding  it  a  desirable  and  beautiful  spot. 
Timber  is  pretty  generally  distributed  over  the  town- 
ship, and  it  is  watered  by  small  streams  which  ripple 
through  it  and  finally  empty  into  Spoon  River.  The 
southern  portion  is  mostly  rolling  prairie,  and  there 
is  also  some  good  and  prolific  prairie  land  in  the 
northwestern  part.  Most  of  the  lands  are  rich,  and 
this  section  contains  many  splendid  farms. 

The  Peoria  Branch  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  runs 
through  the  township,  entering  on  section  36,  and, 
passing  northwesterly,  emerges  at  section  19.  Much 
of  the  history  of  this  township  will  be  embraced  in 
that  of  Knoxville.  The  people  do  their  trading  and 
marketing  at  Knoxville  and  Galesburg. 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1079 


In  1880  the  population,  according  to  the  census 
reports,  was  2,579.  Since  that  time  newcomers 
have  largely  increased  the  population  of  the  township. 

Below  are  given  the  names  of  the  citizens  who  have 
served  this  township  as  Supervisors: 

SUPERVISORS. 


Isa.icB.West 1853 

H.  G.  Reynolds 1854 

Ceo.  A.Charles 1855-61 

Cephas  Armes         1862-66 

Ceo.  A.  Charles 1867-73 

P.  H.  Sanford,  Assistant. .1868-71 

C.  C.  Stearns,  -Assistant. ..1872 

D.  M.Eiker '874-79 

C.  K.  Harney,  .Assistant .  1873-74 
Thos.  Woodmansee,  Asst. 1875-77 


Robl.  Higgins,  .Assistant.  1877-79 

J.  S.  Simpson      1880 

Thos.  \Voodm.ins«,  Asst. 1880 

A.  G.  Charles 1881-82 

H.  Montgomery,  ..\sst.  .  ..1881-82 

A.  C.Charles 1882-84 

H.  Montgomery,  Asst- . .  .18S2-84 

J.  S.  Simpson 1885 

Chas.  Clesson,  .Assistant.  1885 


LYNN  TOWNSHIP. 

[  MEETING  was  held  for  the  organization 
K  of  Lynn  Township,  .April  5,  1853.  William 
A.  Reed  was  chosen  Temporary  Moderator, 
and  J.  S.  Smith,  Temporary  Secretary.  Upon 
ballot  A  Gross  was  elected  Moderator,  and  J. 
S.  Smith,  Town  Clerk,  for  one  year.  There 
were  39  votes  cast,  resulting  in  the  election  of  Jona- 
than Hodgson  for  Supervisor;  William  A.  Reed, 
Assessor;  A.  Gross,  Collector;  S.  G.  Albro,  John 
Lafferty  and  H.Austin  Grant, Commissioners  of  High- 
ways; Jonathan'  Hodgson  and  Jonathan  Gibbs, 
Justices  of  the  Peace;  Erastus  Smith,  Overseer  of 
the  Poor  ;  John  Snyder,  Constable. 

Michael  Fraker  was  the  first  settler  in  this  town- 
ship and  the  first  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the 
county,  locating  in  the  spring  of  1830011  the  southern 
edge  of  what  has  since  been  widely  known  as  Fra- 
ker's  Grove,  on  section  23.  Here  he  erected  his  log 
cabin,  and  commenced  the  improvement  of  his  home. 
It  must  have  been  a  very  substantial  and  well- 
built  house,  for  it  is  standing  and  in  use.  The  cabin 
was  afterward  owned  by  Alden  Bennett,  and  was 
moved  to  the  northeast  corner  of  section  16.  He 
was  subsequently  joined  by  Edward  Sellon  and  Will- 
iam and  Washington  Dunbar,  with  their  families. 
Mr.  Fraker  was  an  inventive  genius,  and  splendidly 
adapted  to  pioneer  life.  His  ready  hand  and  intel- 
ligent mind  were  displayed,  not  long  after  his  re- 
moval to  this  far  Western  home,  in  the  construction 
of  a  hand-mill  to  grind  corn.  His  burrs  were  made 
out  of  nigger-heads  or  hard-heads,  as  they  are  gener- 
ally called,  which   he   had   found   after  a   diligent 


search  about  the  country,  and  they  were  about  two 
feet  in  diameter.  This  mill  was  placed  in  one  part 
of  the  kitchen,  and  could  be  operated  by  two  men 
quite  easily.  These  would  grind  out  from  a  half  to 
one  bushel  of  grain  in  an  hour.  This  mill  was  a 
real  blessing  to  the  settlement,  and  Michael  Fraker 
was  many  times  gratefully  thought  of  for  the  benefits 
this  mill  conferred  ujwn  the  pioneers  of  that  day. 
In  the  organization  of  the  eounty  in  1830,  the  two 
townships  adjoining  Lynn  and  Victoria  in  Stark 
County  were  included  within  the  boundaries  of  Kno.x. 

The  Legislature  of  1836-37  passed  an  act  "for 
the  formation  of  the  county  of  Coffee."  This  was  to 
comprise  nine  townships,  six  of  which  were  to  be 
taken  from  Putnam,  one  from  Henry  and  two  from 
Kno.\.  Those  taken  from  this  county  were  to  be 
Lynn  and  Victoria.  The  formation  of  Coffee  County 
was  afterward  defeated  by  the  voters  of  Knox  Coun- 
ty, and  these  townships  were  retained  by  Knox. 

The  first  couple  to  lead  off  in  the  matrimonial 
venture  were  William  Hitchcock  and  Julia  Fraker, 
who  were  married  at  Knoxville.  Their  commend- 
able example  was  soon  followed  by  those  believing 
in  the  truth,  "  It  is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone." 
Among  these  were  Peter  Miner  and  Matilda  Smith. 
They  were  content  to  be  married  in  the  settlement, 
and  the  services  were  performed  by  'Squire  Fitch. 
These  were  the  first  of  the  kind  in  the  township,  and 
were  conducted  at  the  'Squire's  humble  cabin. 

Rather  a  comical  incident— which  was  also  con- 
sidered a  good  omen — occurred  while  this  couple 
were  being  married.  Directly  as  the  happy  pair  was 
pronounced  "  man  and  wife,"  a  large,  fat  turkey  gob- 
bler, belonging  to  the  '.Squire,  attracted,  no  doubt,  by 
the  unusual  proceedings,  gaining  a  place  on  the  roof, 
came  with  wild  fluttering  down  the  large  chimney, 
landing  at  the  bride's  feet.  The  bridegroom  seized 
it,  and  swinging  it  over  the  heads  of  the  guests, 
claimed  it  as  a  gift  sent  from  above  to  bless  the  oc- 
casion. 

William  Dunbar  opened  a  "  public  house,"  near 
the  "  Grove,"  not  long  after  the  settlement.  It  was 
largely  patronized  by  people  coming  in  from  an 
easterly  direction,  looking  up  land  and  favorable  lo- 
cations to  build  homes  for  themselves.  In  1846  Mr. 
Barlow  opened  'ip  his  tavern  at  Fraker's  Grove,  on 
the  southeast  side.  It  became  popular  as  a  hostelry 
and  was  called  the  "  Travelers'  Home."  It  was  all 
its  name  indicated,  an  abiding  place  to  "  the  stranger 


t* 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


within  the  gates."  The  weary  traveler  found  it  a 
safe  retreat.  Mr.  Barlow  remained  proprietor  of  this 
neat  little  inn  till  1852. 

Lynn  has  some  features  peculiar  to  itself.  There 
are  no  post-offices,  villages  or  churches  here.  An 
attempt  was  made  as  early  as  1850  to  start  a  town, 
and  a  plat  was  made  by  Robert  Rounds,  which  he 
called  Centerville.  It  was  located  on  section  33,  on 
the  line  between  Lynn  and  Victoria  Townships. 
Centerville,  liowever,  did  not  seem  to  its  people  to 
possess  centralizing  force  or  ability  to  become  a  city, 
and  its  name  was  changed  to  Millroy,  deriving  this 
title  from  a  mill  that  was  established  here.  Though 
this  mill  ground  slow,  it  did  not  grind  to  much  pur- 
pose, at  least  so  far  as  the  building  up  of  a  city  or 
town  was  concerned,  and  all  efforts  in  this  direction 
proved  a  failure.  Lynn,  however,  has  good  school 
buildings  and  schools  ;  also  a  good  town  hall,  which 
is  located  on  section  15.  Notwithstanding  the  town- 
ship has  no  churches  within  its  borders,  the  people 
have  a  high  moral  and  religious  standing,  ranking 
well  with  any  township  in  the  county,  and  for  obe- 
dience to  the  law,  as  a  people,  they  have  not  their 
'  equal.  The  people  are  noted  also  for  their  patriotism, 
so  much  so,  that,  when  the  last  draft  was  ordered, 
during  the  Rebellion,  there  were  only  90  men  sub- 
ject to  military  duty,  and  21  of  these  went  into  the 
service  voluntarily. 

The  nature  of  the  land  is  high,  rolling  prairie;  fer- 
tile, liberally  supplied  with  limber,  and  well  watered. 
It  is  a  fine  farming  region,  and  muny  of  the  farms 
have  elegant  dwellings  and  handsome  and  conven- 
ient out-buildings.  Great  attention  has  been  given  to 
the  roads,  the  result  of  wliich  is  that  they  are  equal 
to  any  in  the  county.  The  Peoria  &  Rock  Island 
Railroad  cuts  across  the  northeast  corner  of  the 
township,  and  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  the  northwest 
corner.  The  people  do  their  trading  and  marketing 
mostly  at  Galva,  Victoria  and  Altona;  and  to  these 
places  they  go  to  attend  religious  service  occasion- 
ally. The  population  in  1880,  according  to  the  cen- 
sus taken  at  that  time,  was  964.  This  is  about  the 
estimate  at  present. 

SUPERVISORS. 

....853 


Jonathan  Hodgson 
Jonathan  Gibbs... 

Freeman  Gross tS'sg-Si 

Jonathan  Gibbs 1862-64 

J.  L.    Lafferty 1865 

J.  D.   Gibbs i8b6-68 

O.  M.  Gross 1869-71 

James  Soles 1872-73 


A.S     Hunter 1874-75 

John  A.  Heals 1876 

A.  F.   Hathaway 1877 

Edward   Sellon 1878 

W.  B.  Todd 1S79-81 

J.  W.  McCutchen    1882-83 

W.  B.  Todd 1884 

Howard  P.  Grant 1885 


MAQUON  TOWNSHIP. 

f'AQUON     TOWNSHIP     was     organized 
April  5,   1853.     James    M.    Foster    was 

i^^^'>^  elected  Supervisor  ;  Nathan  Barbero,  As- 
sessor ;  J.  L.  Lowman,  Collector.  It  is 
watered  by  Spoon  River,  which  enters  the 
township  on  section  z,  and  courses  south- 
westerly, going  out  on  section  ig.  Other  little 
streams  run  through  the  township,  emptying  into  this 
river,  which  affords  good  facilities  for  drainage  and 
water.  The  land  is  mostly  rolling  prairie,  yet  there 
are  some  fine  bodies  of  timber.  James  Millan  was 
the  first  actual  settler,  locating  on  section  25,  in 
1830,  and  improving  a  farm.  Among  those  who 
joined  him  soon  after  were  Mark  and  Thomas 
Thurman,  William  Darnell  and  William  Palmer. 

The  territory  now  embraced  by  this  township  was 
a  beautiful  country  and  attracted  the  Indians,  who 
had  at  an  early  day  one  of  their  principal  villages 
here,  which  was  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Spoon  . 
River.  Soon  after  the  Indians  left  their  village,  re-  ^ 
treating  before  the  advancement  of  civilization,  a 
noted  bee-hunter,  by  the  name  of  Palmer,  came  to 
the  village  and  tarried  awhile;  this  was  in  1828. 
He  remained  but  a  short  time,  when  he  proceeded 
farther  Westward.  Many  interesting  relics  were 
found  at  the  Indian  village  by  the  early  settlers. 

The  first  couple  married  from  this  township  were 
Elisha  Thurman  and  Anna  Bell,  the  ceremony  being 
performed  in  Fulton  County.  The  first  death  was 
that  of  an  infant  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mark 
Thurman.  Born  in  the  settlement,  this  delicate  pio- 
neer infant  was  too  frail  a  flower  to  bear  the  rude 
blasts  of  untoward  circumstance,  of  privation  and 
adversity,  and  drooped  and  faded.  It  became  the 
first  gift  to  heaven  from  this  township  and  was  hapjiy, 
while  those  left  to  mourn  gave  with  dutiful  hand  and 
heart  to  "  Him  who  carries  the  lambs  in  His  bosom." 

'Squire  Mark  Thurman  was  the  first  man  in  the 
township  to  hold  the  scales  of  justice.  Benjamin 
Brooks  taught  the  first  school,  in  1834,  in  a  school- 
house  on  section  34. 

After  the  Indian  troubles  were  over  Maquon  set- 
tled quite  rapidly,  and  became  one  of  the  prosperous 
townships  of  the  county.  It  has  a  very  thriving  lit- 
tle village  located  on  the  northern  line,  bearing  its 


<-- 


^ 


u 


•H> 


.v. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


^5^^rH- 


own  name,  where  the  people  mostly  do  their  trading. 
The  advantages  of  ready  transportation  were  given 
the  people  by  the  compleiion  of  the  Peoria  Railroad 
in  the  early  part  of  1S57. 

Maquon  is  a  good  township,  and  within  its  terri- 
tory are  some  good  farms  and  fine  buildings.  It  is  a 
good  stock  country,  and  in  raising  hogs  it  ranks  third 
in  the  county.  Population  in  18S0  was  1,448.  The 
County  Superintendent's  report  fortheyear  1885  fur- 
nishes the  following  items  regarding  schools  : 

"  There  were  eight  school  districts,  one  graded  and 
seven  ungraded  schools.  The  school  property  was 
valued  at  $12,000,  with  eight  frame  school-houses. 
Of  persons  under  zr  years  of  age  there  were  666,  of 
whom  45S  were  of  school  age,  41  r  being  enrolled. 
The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were  $75,  the 
lowest  $33.  The  highest  wages  paid  female  teachers 
were  $45,  and  the  lowest  S30.  The  tax  levy  was 
$4,500." 


SUPERVISORS. 


Jas.  M.   Foster 1853 

John  G.    Hamrick 1854-56 

W.   J.  Lane 1857 

John  G.   Hamrick 1858 

.A.    M     Maple 1859 

>  Nelson  selby i860 

I    John  G.    Hamrick l86t-62 
A.    H.    Potter 1863-&4 
A.   M.    Maple 1865 
John  M.  Combs i8«6 


.1867 


J.  G.  Hamrick  .. 

A.  L    Humphre)- 1S68 

R.   H.   Morsan 1860-70 

Wm.   G.     Taylor 1871 

L.  W".    Benson 1873-73 

Alex.  Donason 1874 

W.  N.   England "875-76 

John  C.   Morse 1877 

L.   W.    Benson 1878-80 

Joshua  Boynton 1S81-86 


Maquon  Village 

>  S  situated  in  Maquon  Township,  in  the 
^.Ksg^^  northeast  corner  of  section  4,  and  was  laid 
fi)g^  '  out  by  Parnach  Owen,  John  G.  Sanburn, 
^iJ^  Wra.  McGowen  and  Robt.  L.  Hannaman  in 
>p  1836.  The  survey  was  completed  October  24, 
*  same  year.  Benjamih  Co.x  erected  the  first 
building.  It  was  a  framiT  one,  and  was  used  for  a 
hotel,  being  opened  as  such  by  its  builder.  Subse- 
quently this  hotel  passed  into  the  hands  of  Nathan 
Barbero,  and  was  kept  by  him  some  20  years.  It 
was  called  the  "  Barracks,"  and  was  a  much  belter 
hotel  than  its  name  would  signify.  Matthew  Mad- 
do.x  erected  the  first  store-house  in  1839,  with  the 
intention  of  putting  in  a  stock  of  goods,  but  he  gave 
up  the  project,  and  it  remained  for  John  Whipple  to 
offer  for  sale  to  this  pioneer  settlement  the  first  goods. 
About  the  next  buildings  to  go  up  in  this  town  were 


two  brick  stores  erected  by  Joseph  Delay  and  Jacob 
Consor,  in  the  autumn  of  1839.  In  1837  a  post- 
office  was  established  and  placed  in  charge  of  Wm. 
McGowen,  who  also  had  the  honor  to  represent  the 
village  as  Justice  of  the  Pe^ce. 

Miss  Harriet  Hamlin  took  charge  of  the  education 
of  the  youth  of  this  town  in  1839,  though  it  was  not 
until  1S4S  that  a  school-house  was  built. 

The  town  went  on  adding  to  its  numbers  until  it 
was  thought  it  was  large  enough  to  be  incorporated. 
Accordingly  a  vote  was  called  for  on  the  19th  of 
March,  1857,  to  decide  this  question.  It  resulted  in 
favor  of  incorporation.  41  voles  being  cast  for  and  14 
against  the  measure.  In  March  an  election  was  held 
for  Village  Trustees,  which  resulted  in  the  choice  of 
S.  A.  Huber,  Horace  Jones,  W.  J.  Lane,  Samuel 
Longwell  and  Denipsey  Capps.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Trustees  at  the  office  of  W.  J.  Lane,  March  28, 
Dempsey  Capps  was  chosen  President  of  the  Board; 
L.  B.  Potter,  Clerk;  and  Anson  S.  Potter,  Police 
Magistrate. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  the  Peoria  Branch  of 
the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  was  completed  through  the 
town,  which  gave  quite  an  impetus,  for  a  time,  to  its 
growth.  It  was  about  the  last  of  April  or  the  first  of 
May  that  the  first  railroad  train  went  through  from 
Galesburg  to  Peoria. 

Maquon  has  some  good  stores  and  is  a  very  good 
trading  point.  A  very  fine  scliool-house  was  erected 
here  in  1866,  at  a  cost  of  about  $9,000.  It  is  a  frame 
building,  and  contains  three  good-sized  school-rooms. 
.A  graded  school  has  been  established  here,  which  has 
a  good  attendance  and  is  ably  conducted. 

Maquon,  according  to  the  census  of  1880,  had  a 
population  of  548,  which  figure  will  pretty  fairly  rep- 
resent its  present  population.  Present  Board  of 
Trustees  are:  Chas.  Brocker,  .\braham  M.  Warfel, 
G.  G.  Shearer,  L.  G.  Benson,  C.  T.  Olmstead  and 
Chas.  Dennis.  Abraham  M.  Warfel  is  President, 
and  W.  VV.  Penmen,  Clerk. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  After  much  per- 
sistent effort  this  society  succeeded  in  establishing  a 
permanent  organization  here,  and  in  the  fall  of  1877 
completed  their  church  edifice  at  a  cost,  including 
grounds,  of  between  $6,000  and  $7,000.  It  was 
dedicated  Sept.  11,  1877,  by  Bishop  J.  T.  Peck,  of 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


I 


■i4  ' 


1082 


XTV^CA-  COUNTY. 


f  ^ 


4-<>- 


Maquon  Lodge,  No.  256,  I.  O.  O  F.,w3ls  instituted 
April  29,  1858,  and  received  its  charter  Oct.  15, 
1858.  First  officers  were:  L.  W.  Fenniruth,  N.  G.; 
Allen  Harasick,  V.  G.;  Wm.  Davis,  Warden;  J.  M. 
Burkhaher,  C.  In  August  of  that  year  they  were 
burned  out.  The  present  officers  are:  B.  M.  Bland, 
N.  G.;  N.  B.  Runibo,  V.  G.;  Wm.  Swigart,  'I'reas.; 
Chas.  A.  Walker,  Secy.  They  have  a  membership 
at  present  of  48,  and  meet  in  the  Masonic  Hall. 
They  are  well  equipped  and  in  a  prosperous  condi- 
tion. 

Maquon  Lodge,  No  530,  A.  F.  6^  A.  M.,  was  or- 
ganized Oct.  I,  1867.  They  worked  under  dispen- 
sation nine  months  before  receiving  their  charter. 
The  first  officers  of  this  lodge  were  :  Robt.  Proseus, 
W.  M.;  Wm.  Swigart,  S.  W;  L.  J.  Dawdy,  J.  W. 
The  present  officers  are  L.  J.  Dawdy,  W.  M.;  T. 
C.  Olmstead,  S.  W. ;  Henry  Norris,  J.  W.;  R.  B. 
Seamen,  Chaplain ;  Wm.  Swigart,  Treas.;  T.  L.  Mc- 
Girr,  Secy.  Present  membership,  50  They  have 
'  a  good  hall,  which  is  well  furnished  and.  equipped. 
This  is  one  of  the  flourishing  lodges  of  tlie  county; 
they  are  out  of  debt,  have  funds  in  the  treasury,  and 
are  in  fine  working  order. 

Hancock  Post,  No.  552,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organized 
Jan.  29,  1886,  with  23  members.  The  officers  are 
L.  J.  Dawdy,  C;  Joshua  Gay,  S.  V.  C;  H.  M.  Rich- 
ards, J.  V.  C,  and  Wm.  Burkhalter,  Q.  M.  This  is  a 
new  Post,  and  promises  to  be  a  flourishing  one. 


ONTARIO   TOWNSHIP. 

IfNTARIO  TOWNSHIP,  at  first,  had  the 
advantage  in  its  topography  over  any  other 
township  in  the  county.  Nature  had  done 
a  good  deal  for  it,  and  the  early  settlers,  in 
making  their  improvements  and  laying  out  the 
roads,  had  the  good  sense  to  follow  the  sugges- 
tions of  Nature.  The  result  is  that  Ontario  is  one 
of  the  best  improved  and  most  attractively  laid  out 
townships  in  the  State.  Its  public  thoroughfares  all 
run  parallel,  crossing  each  other  at  right  angles,  and 
following  section  lines,  with  one  exception,  which  is 
in  section  13. 

The  early  settlers  were  from  the  State  of  New 
York,  and  the  township  was  named  after  Lake  On- 
tario, which  forms  a  part  of  the  northern  boundary 


of  the  Empire  State.  Alexander  Williams  was  the  first 
first  settler  and  came  in  in  i833,locatinga  claimon  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  30,  where  he  commenced 
his  improvements  by  breaking  and  fencing  in  a  part 
of  his  claim.  This  claim  was  purchased  in  1836  by 
Isaac  Wetmore,  of  Rio  Township.  During  that  year 
another  pioneer  was  added  in  the  person  of  G.  W. 
Melton,  who  located  a  home  for  himself  on  section 
31,  where  the  first  cabin  in  the  township  was  erected. 
These  men  were  first-class  farmers,  industrious  and 
thrifty,  and  soon  had  established  comfortable  homes 
for  their  families. 

These  pioneers  were  soon  joined  by  the  Moshers, 
Hollisters,  Cranes,  Camps,  Chapmans,  Powells,  Sav- 
ages, Hammonds,  Haskinses,  Wikoffs,  Ma.xwells  and 
many  others.  Of  the  first  settlers,  G.  VV.  Melton  and 
Ezra  Chapman  are  still  living  on  the  old  homestead. 
(See  their  biographies.)  Royal  Hammond,  Isaac  Wet- 
more  and  Alex.  Williamson  are  dead.  The  Camps 
and  Savages  moved  away. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  township  was  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  G.  W.  Melton. 
This  native  young  miss  of  Ontario  afterward  was 
married  to  Mr.  Ralph  Voris,  of  the  same  township.  ' 
Ontario  and  Rio  formed  one  voting  precinct,  and  the 
first  election  was  held  in  the  latter  town.  Royal 
Hammond  was  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace  elected.  ' 
The  first  school-house  was  put  up  on  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  32,  in  1839,  which  was  called  the 
Camp  School.  At  this  institution  of  learning  the 
Gospel  was  expounded  by  Rev.  Messrs.  Gale,  Waters, 
Bartlett,  Moore,  Bruner  and  others.  The  Presbyteri- 
ans were  ahead  in  the  formation  of  a  church  organi- 
zation, which  was  in  1840,  Rev.  J.  G.  Wright  officiat- 
ing. 

\  Congregational  Church  was  organized  near  this 
first  settlement  in  August,  1848.  It  was  located  on 
section  31,  and  was  called  the  Ontario  Church.  A 
good  church  building  was  erected,  which  was  dedi- 
cated Nov.  4,  1851,  and  subsequently  a  parsonage. 
This  society  is  still  kept  up  and  is  a  strong  one, 
though  at  present  they  have  no  pastor,  but  expect 
one  soon.  Membership,  58.  A  Baptist  Church  was 
organized,  in  April.  1854,  ar.d  a  building  was  erected 
near  the  Congregational  Church,  on  section  32,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $3,000.  Subsequently  a  parsonage  was 
built,  costing  $1,500.  This  society  has  been  general- 
ly prosperous  since  its  organization.     It  has  a  good 


LArr 


Ck 


^ 


+^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1083 


congregation,  jvhich  is  presided  over  by  Rev.  J.  V. 
Cody.  In  1853  the  members  of  the  Ciiristian 
Church  organized  a  congregation  and  erected  a 
house  of  worship,  on  seciion  2,  in  1866,  at  a  cost 
of  $2,000.  Prior  to  this,  they  held  their  services  in 
private  houses  and  in  school  buildings.  It  became 
a  thriving  church,  having  a  membership,  at  onetime, 
as  high  as  70. 

Ontario  was  organized  into  a  township  April  5, 
1853.  At  the  election  J.  M.  Wetmore  was  chosen 
Moderator,  and  William  J.  Savage,  Clerk.  The  fol- 
lowing-named citizens  were  elected  to  fill  the  town- 
ship offices:  Edward  Crane,  Supervisor;  W.  J. 
Savage,  Clerk ;  John  Burt,  Assessor ;  E.  C.  Brott, 
Collector;  James  Hammond,  George  W.  Melton  and 
John  Powell,  Highway  Commissioners;  Ezra  Chai> 
man  and  S.  E.  Mosher,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  E.  C. 
Brott  and  J.  VV.  Crane, -Constables  ;  T.  T.  Wetmore, 
Overseer  of  the  Poor. 

Ontario  is  fairly  watered  by  Pope  and  Walnut 
Creeks  and  their  little  tributaries.  Gently  rolling 
prairies  cover  the  township,  relieved  occasionally 
with  beautiful  groves.  The  soil  is  rich  and  very  pro- 
ductive, and  the  assessed  value  of  its  lands  is  higher 
than  that  of  any  other  township  in  the  county,  ana 
in  connection  with  agriculture  it  is  considered  the 
banner  township  of  the  State.  The  people  do  most  of 
theii  trading  and  marketing  at  Oneida,  located  in  the 
southeast  corner,  on  section  36.  This  town  is  on  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  which  was  com|)leted  through 
here  in  December,  1854,  and  which  passes  across  the 
southeast  corner.  Ontario  had  a  population,  in  18S0, 
according  to  the  United  States  census,  of  1,657. 
Since  that  time,  it  is  estimated,  there  has  been  a 
gain. 

The  County  Superintendent,  in  his  report  for  the 
year  1885,  furnishes  the  following  school  items  : 

There  are  nine  school  districts,  one  graded  and 
eight  ungraded  schools,  with  one  brick  and  eight 
frame  school-houses.  There  ate  four  libraries,  with 
400  volumes;  value  of  school  property,  $22,900. 
Of  persons  under  21  years  of  age  there  were 
719,  of  whom  525  were  of  school  age,  431  being  en- 
rolled. The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were 
$100  per  month;  the  lowest,  $35  ;  the  highest  wages 
paid  female  teachers  were  $40 ;  the  lowest,  $25.  The 
tax  levy  was  $3,625. 

"'X 


SUPERVISORS. 


.irJ  Cr 


-Iss 

limes   Hammonil iSs^-j? 

Will.    B.   I.c   Karon 1858 

J.imcs  Hammoml 1859 

Will.   B.   U  Baron 1860-64 

AS.   Curlis'S 1865 

Orcn  Beadle 1866-71 


Oren  Kcadlc 1873 

Edward    Crane 1874 

.■\.   S.  Ciiitiss   1875-76 

Geo.    L.  Stephenson 1877-80 


J.   W.   Allen 1883-85 


ORANGE  TOWNSHIP. 

FrANGE  township  was  organized  by 
1^  the  election  of  township  officers,  April  5» 
1853.  Asa  Haynes  was  chosen  Supervisor; 
Anderson  Barnett,  Clerk  ;  A.  Pierce,  Assessor; 
John  G.  Rude,  Collector;  Samuel  Mather  and 
J.  Wallace,  Overseers  of  the  Poor;  John  H. 
McGrew,  Thomas  Gilbert  and  Morris  Chase,  Com- 
missioners of  Highways  ;  James  Godfrey  and  Davis 
Stevens,  Constables  ;  Peter  Godfrey  and  Charles  Cor- 
win.  Justices  of  the  Peace. 

Joseph  Wallace  and  family  were  the  first  to  come 
in  and  settle,  in  1S30  making  a  claim  on  section  15, 
and  erecting  a  little  cabin  for  their  shelter.  His  first 
wife  died  at  the  old  farm  place,  and  Mr.  Wallace 
subsequently  moved  to  Iowa.  He  has  been  dead 
many  years.  Mr.  Cranmar  settled  there  in  183 1. 
James  Ferguson,  with  his  wife  and  children,  settled 
on  seciion  11,  in  1832.  They  had  previously  lived 
in  Henderson  Township,  near  Hendeison  village,  to 
which  place  they  came  in  1830  from  Kentucky. 
They  reared  a  large  family  of  children,  a  part  of 
whom  were  born  here.  The  names  of  the  children 
were  Narcissa,  Nancy,  Francis,  Sarah,  Cynthia,  An- 
drew, Thomas  and  Martha.  Of  these  Narcissa  and 
Cynthia  are  dead.  Mr.  Ferguson  died  in  1841.  He 
was  quite  an  active  and  prominent  man  in  township 
affairs,  and  was  generally  known  as  Maj.  Ferguson. 
His  widow  survived  him  some  20  years,  departing 
this  life  at  the  old  homestead,  in  August,  i86i. 
They  were  buried  in  the  cemetery  on  section  1 1. 
Sarah  Ferguson  was  married  to  1  homas  Godfrey,  who 
removed  here  from  Ohio,  March  6,  1848,  'Stiuire 
Barnett  performing  the  ceremony.  Her  husband 
died  in  October,  1868.  Subsequently  she  was  mar- 
ried to  Aaron  Weir,  and  they  are  now  living  on  sec- 
tion 15;  Andrew  Ferguson  on  section  10;  Thomas 
is  living  on  section  11.  The  Fergusons  were  good 
people   and  were   well  thought  of.     Samuel  Mather 


■4^ 


1084 


J!:nox  county. 


and  family  moved  in  soon  after  the  Fergusons,  set- 
tling on  section  14.  John  Denny,  with  John  and 
Simon  McAlhster,  made  claims  in  the  township  in 
1834.  John  McAllister  and  family  moved  to  Ore- 
gon ;  Simon  lived  and  died  on  section  12,  where  he 
first  located  ;  so  did  his  wife.  His  son,  Wesley,  is 
living  on  the  old  place;  he  was  married  to  Harriet 
Reed.  Mr.  Denny  had  a  large  family ;  they  all 
moved  to  Oregon,  where  they  prospered.  Thomas 
Gilbert  was  one  of  the  early  settlers,  locating  on  sec- 
tion 8.  He  died  some  years  ago,  and  his  widow  is 
living  in  Kno.wille.  His  oldest  son,  Thomas,  is  also 
living  there.  Israel  Turner  came  to  the  settlement 
in  1837,  and  later  on  his  brother,  William,  came. 

In  1837  Anderson  Barnett.  that  now  genial,  highly 
respected  and  poetical  old  gentleman,  sought  a 
home  in  this  township,  locating  on  section  10,  where 
he  erected  a  cabin  for  himself  and  his  good  wife. 
To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  18  children,  ten  of 
whom  are  still  living  and,  diligent  in  business,  are 
winning  high  places  in  life.  After  living  on  his  farm 
for  45  years,  and  having  acquired  by  his  industry  and 
economy  a  handsome  competency,  he  has  retired 
from  active  labors,  and  is  now  living  with  his  faith- 
ful life  companion  at  Knoxville,  enjoying  the  fruits 
of  hi-i  industry,  surrounded  by  numerous  friends,  by 
whom  they  are  loved  and  respected.  (See  biography.) 
James  Reed,  a  brother-in  law  of  Mr.  Barnett,  came 
West  witli  him.     He  afterward  moved  to  Iowa. 

In  1834  four  of  the  young  people  of  this  township 
found  life  in  this  Western  prairie  very  lonely  and 
dreary,  unblessed  by  conjugal  ties,  and  concluded  to 
form  alliances  more  conducive  to  their  happiness. 
Their  names  were  Ale.x.  Robertson,  Narcissa  Fer- 
guson, and  Daniel  Fuqua  and  Lydia  Bowmar,  all  of 
whom  were  living  on  section  11.  Rev.  Jacob  Gum 
tied  the  Gprdian  knot. 

The  first  birth  was  Cynthia,  daughter  of  James 
and  Martha  Ferguson,  in  1833.  The  first  death  was 
that  of  Mr.  Cranmar,  who  died  on  section  1 1,  in 
1832.  James  Ferguson  was  elected  the  first  Justice 
of  the  Peace.  The  first  school  taught  was  by  Thos. 
Ellison,  on  section  14,  in  1836.  Mr.  Ellison  is  now 
living  at  Abingdon.  Anderson  Barnett  taught  the 
second  school  in  1837-38.  The  first  man  to  ad- 
minister gospel  food  in  the  way  of  preaching  was 
Rev.  Jacob  Gum,  a  Baptist  preacher. 

The  first  church  building  was  the  Orange  Chapel, 


by  the  Methodist  denomination,  on,  section  22,  in 
1845.  It  was  constructed  of  brick,  which  were  made 
by  A.  Barnett.  A  Methodist  class  was  established 
in  1836.  Meetings  were  held  at  the  Wallace  school- 
house  and  in  private  houses.  The  walls  of  Orange 
Chapel  are  cracked  and  it  is  very  much  out  of  re- 
pair, and  services  are  now  held  in  what  is  called 
Haynes'  Church.  Rev.  James  Core  is  the  present 
preacher  in  charge.  This  is  a  fine  church  building. 
The  United  Brethren  have  a  congregation  in  this 
township,  on  section  22.  It  was  organized  some  20 
years  ago.     Elder  Smith  has  charge  of  this  society. 

There  were  plenty  of  Indiaris  in  the  township 
when  the  white  people  came  in,  and  remained  until 
after  the  Black  Hawk  War.  They  were  quite  trouble- 
some and  a  block-house  was  built  on  the  southeast 
corner,  into  which  the  people  could  go  for  safety. 
This  place  is  now  owned  by  Cornelius  Runkle. 
One  man  was  killed  in  this  township  about  the 
time  of  the  breaking  outof  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He 
went  out  of  the  block-house  about  sundown  to  ■ 
cut  some  hay,  and  some  Indians  came  out  of  the 
woods  and  shot  him,  and  then  fled.  Orange  Town- 
ship is  watered  by  Haw  Creek  and  branches,  and  ■ 
some  other  little  streams.  It  is  quite  liberally  tim- 
bered in  the  northeastern  and  eastern  portions,  and 
in  the  western  the  land  is  quite  broken.  About  the  ■ 
middle  portion  the  land  is  rolling,  and  the  soil  is  rich. 
In  this  section  there  are  many  fine  farms.  Consid- 
erable attention  has  been  given  of  late  years  to  the 
raising  of  cattle  and  hogs,  and  the  farmers  have  been 
successful.  The  Peoria  Branch  runs  across  the 
northeast  corner.  The  people  do  their  marketing 
'and  trading  at  Kno.xville. 

In  1880  the  population  was  stated  by  the  cen- 
sus taker  at  1,130.  It  is  not  far  from  this  at  the 
present  writing.  There  are  eight  school  districts  in 
the  township,  all  of  which  are  ungraded.  The  school 
property  was  valued  at  ^6,923,80.  The  school- 
houses  are  all  frame.  Of  persons  under  21  years  of 
age  there  were  438,  of  whom  345  were  of  school 
age. 

SUPERVISORS. 


.^M  Haynes    1853-54 

Thomas  Gilbert "SsS-sS 

.\.  W.Martin .857-59 

T.W.  Sumner i860 

W.    Woolsey 1861 

Peter    Godfrey 1862 

Geo.  Newman 1863 

~    ■■■     "  1867-70 


Harla 


Peter  Godfrey 1872-73 

T.W.Sumner .874-75 

A.    Barnett 1876 

J.  E.    Eilier 1S77 


W.    H.Reynolds   1879 

M.  W.  McCollister 1880 

}.  C.  Eiker 1881-) 

Luther  Clark 1883-! 


^1^ 


t 


f4: 


:^-^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1085 


PERSIFER  TOWNSHIP. 

<;•  ERSIFER  went  into  township  organization 
April  5,  1853.  George  W.  Manley  was 
chosen    Moderator,    and    Richard   Daniel, 

J-^  J  Cleik  of  the  election.  After  the  jwlls  were 
\,  closed  it  was  found  that  the  following-named 
'*  citizens  were  elected  to  fill  the  township  offices  : 
George  W.  Manley,  Supervisor;  Richard  Daniel, 
Clerk  ;  James  McCord,  Assessor;  William  T.  Butt, 
Collector;  Francis  Wilson,  Caleb  Reece  and  David 
Cobb,  Commissioners  of  Highways;  Rufus  \V.  Miles 
and  Thomas  Pation,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  Wilson 
Fierce,  Overseer  of  the  Poor  ;  L.  A.  Parkins  ajid  David 
Russell,  Constables. 

The  township  is  very  liberally  watered  by  numer- 
ous streams  which  meander  through  it  and  empty 
into  Spoon  River.  This  river  also  ventures  a  little 
way  into  the  eastern  border.  The  township  is  quite 
■  broken  in  some  parts  and  pretty  well  timbered;  the 
southwestern  portion,  however,  is  rolling  prairie.  It, 
like  the  four  townships  cornering  on  it,  Elba,  Truro, 
Victoria  and  Copley,  has  no  railroad.  The  Peoria 
Branch,  however,  passes  within  about  half  a  mile  of 
its  southwestern  corner.  R.  C.  Benson  is  credited 
with  being  the  first  settler  in  the  township,  coming 
in  1835.  He  was  also  the  first  man  to  form  a  mat- 
rimonial alliance,  taking  to  his  cabin  home  the  only 
marriageable  lady  in  the  township,  in  the  person 
of  Sarah  J.  Bradford.  This  wedding  was  celebrated 
at  the  home  of  the  bride's  father,  Charles  Bradford, 
Jan.  5,  1837.  Mr.  Benson  took  his  fair  bride  to  his 
home,  which  was  not  unlike  most  of  the  dwellings  in 
those  pioneer  days.  He  was  a  great  hunter,  and 
upon  his  unerring  aim  and  good  rifle  he  depended 
mostly  for  his  subsistence.  To  this  he  added  a  more 
delicate  luxury,  the  product  of  the  wild  bee.  In 
looking  for  a  bee-tree  his  eyes  were  as  true  as  when 
looking  along  the  line  of  his  rifle-barrel  after  a 
bounding  deer.  Adding  the  above  articles,  venison 
and  honey,  to  that  of  corn-meal,  made  up  the  repast 
during  the  pleasant  days  of  the  honeymoon  of  Ben- 
son and  his  bride. 

The  first  child  born  was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Reynolds.  The  first  death  was  that  of  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Bradford.  The  first  sermon  preached  in 
the  township  was  by  Rev.  S.  S.  Miles,  father  of 
Rufus  W.  Miles.     In  1838  a  Sabbath-school  was  or- 


ganized at  the  home  of  Charles  Bradford,  by  this 
clergyman,  atid  it  is  remembered  to  have  been  a 
very  interesting  one.  John  Mcintosh  taught  the  first 
school,  in  1841,  in  a  log  school-house  that  was  built 
this  year. 

The  Indians  were  living  about  this  township  when 
the  white  people  came.  They  remained  for  some 
time,  hunting  and  making  baskets  and  maple  sugar. 
Among  these  Indians  were  a  squaw  and  her  son.  She 
had,  It  was  reported,  accumulated  quite  an  amount 
of  money  in  gold  and  silver.  Having  to  leave,  with 
her  tribe,  and  being  unable  to  take  all  of  her  money 
with  her,  she  buried  part  of  it  on  the  banks  of  Court 
Creek,  in  one  of  her  iron  kettles.  Subsequently  she 
sent  her  son  back  for  it,  but  he  was  unable  to  find 
it,  and  as  far  as  is  known  it  has  never  been  found. 
Persifer  is  the  home  of  Hon.  Rufus  W.  Miles,  who 
has  held  many  important  township  positions,  and 
who  has  also  represented  the  county  for  several 
years  in  the  Legislature.  (See  biography.)  It  was 
Mr.  Miles  who  sent  President  Lincoln  a  pen  made 
from  the  quill  of  an  eagle,  with  which  the  martyred 
President  wrote  his  first  inaugural  address.  Accom- 
panying the  quill  was  a  letter  to  the  President  which 
was  remarkable  for  its  prophetic  character. 

There  are  four  churches  in  the  township — the 
Bethel  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  the  building  of 
which  was  erected  in  1863,  on  section  30,  at  a  cost 
of  about  §1,800.  Maxey  Chapel  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  on  section  4,  was  erected  several  years  ago. 
The  United  Brethren  have  a  cliurch  on  section  34 ; 
their  building  is  a  good  one  and  was  erected  in  1868  ; 
this  is  called  the  Persifer  Chapel.  Mound  Chapel  is 
located  on  section  8,  and  was  built  in  1872.  There 
are  some  finely-cultivated  faims  in  this  township, 
and  pleasant  homes.  It  has  no  town  within  its  bor- 
ders, the  nearest  market  being  Knoxville,  where 
most  of  the  people  do  their  trading.  The  jx^pulation 
at  the  last  census  was  765,  and  tiiere  has  been  but 
little  gain  since.  The  School  Superintendent's  re- 
port for  1885  gives  the  following  statistics  regard- 
ing the  schools  of  this  township  :  There  are  nine 
school  districts,  with  nine  ungraded  schools,  and  all 
the  school-houses  were  frame.  The  value  of  school 
property  was  32,875.25.  Of  persons  under  21  years 
of  age,  there  were  327,  of  whom  213  were  of  school 
age,  181  being  enrolled. 

SUPERVISORS. 

George  W.  Manley,  1853-54;  R.  W.  Miles,  1855- 


-ft 


:?=^ 


1086 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


58;  George  W.  Manley,  1859;  James  W.  Maxey, 
1860-61;  R.  W.  Miles,  1862-67;  James  Dorsett, 
1868-69;  J.J.  Biggerstaff,  1870-71;  R.  W.  Miles, 
1872-78;  E.  J.  Wynian,  1879-1884;  R.  W.  Miles, 
188C-86. 


RIO  TOWNSHIP. 


*^  \^<MA.S9l 


lOTOWNSHIP  went  into  township  organi- 
zation with  the  others,  Aprils,  1 85 3-  Samuel 
Arnold  was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Larkin 
V\v\  Robertson,  Clerk.  There  were  104  votes  cast, 
resulting  in  the  election  of  the  following  offi- 
cers :  Reuben  Heflin,  .Supervisor;  Paul  Hahn, 
Clerk;  Lewis  Goff,  Assessor;  Daniel  Robertson,  Col- 
lector; Samuel  Brown,  John  Gibson  and  Thomas  J. 
Jones,  Highway  Commissioners;  Larkin  Robertson, 
Justice  of  the    Peace;  Josephus   Hahn,  Overseer  of 

(the  Poor;  W.  D.  Epperson,  Constable. 
The    first   settler   in    this    township   was    Joseph 
Rowe,  who  came  in  in  the  spring  of  1830  and  made  a 
K^laim  on    section    33,  in  the  timber.     Reese  Jones 

Iand  Joseph  Halliday  soon  joined  him,  the  former 
entering  a  claim  on  section  6,  near  the  county  line. 
Abe  Jones,  as  he  was  called,  came  in  in  1831,  and 
settled  on  section  27.  In  1832,  John  Cresswell 
joined  the  pioneers,  making  a  claim  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  section  27,  near  the  old  Indian  fort,  called 
Fort  Aggie,  after  Mr.  Cresswell's  wife.  During  the 
Indian  troubles,  and  when  there  was  an  Indian 
"scare,"  the  settlers  used  to  gather  into  tliis  fort  for 
protection.  In  183611  was  torn  down  by  John  Hahn, 
and  the  logs  used  for  tiie  construction  of  a  barn. 
John  Wooley  came  in  in  1832  and  made  aclaim.  In 
1836  the  families  of  Nelson  and  Lewis  Coe  were 
added  to  the  settlement.  From  that  time  until  1840 
the  settlers  came  in  at  intervals  and  made  claims  in 
different  parts  of  the  township.  From  1840  to  187 8 
there  was  a  healthy  and  prosperous  emigration  to 
the  township,  raising  the  population  to  some  1,200, 
since  which  time  there  has  been  a  decrease. 

The  first  child  born  in  the  township  was  Thomas 
A.  Goff,  April  5,  1835.  The  wife  of  John  McMur- 
try  was  the  first  death. 

The  name  first  suggested  for  this  township  was 
Rio  Grande,  which  are  Spanish  words,  meaning  a 
grand  river,  and  had   its  suggestion   from  the  Rio 


Grande  River.  The  Grande  part  of  the  name  was 
deemed  a  superfluous  appendage,  and  was  dropped, 
the  name  Rio  only  being  retained. 

The  land  in  Rio  Township  is  mostly  rolling  prai- 
rie and  is  very  fertile.  In  the  southern  part  and 
northeastern  corner  the  land  is  broken  and  was 
originally  pretty  well  timbered.  It  is  liberally  wa- 
tered by  Pope  Creek,  the  Middle  Henderson  and 
their  tributaries.  The  Rockford,  Rock  Island  &  St. 
Louis  Railroad  (now  the  St.  Louis  Division  of  the 
C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.)  was  completed  through  the  town- 
ship in  the  fall  of  1870.  It  enters  on  section  4,  and, 
describing  nearly  a  circle,  passes  out  on  section  19. 
The  township  is  well-cultivated,  and  contains  many 
fine  farms  and  farm  buildings. 

At  one  time  there  were  four  churches  in  Rio  Town- 
ship— Congregational,  Me'hodist  Episcopal,  Baptist 
and  Protestant  Methodist.  With  the  exception  of 
the  Methodist,  these  societies  have  not  been  pros- 
perous nor  regularly  kept  up.  The  population  of 
Rio  Township,  when  the  census  of  1880  was  taken, 
was  1,126.  Since  that  time  there  has  been  a  de- 
crease. 

There  are  nine  school  districts,  with  nine  ungraded 
schools  and  nine  frame  school-iiouses.  The  school 
property  was  valued  at  $3,600.  There  is  one  library, 
with  some  40  volumes.  Of  persons  under  21  years 
of  age  there  was  442,  of  whom  298  are  of  school 
age,  251  being  enrolled. 


SUPERVISORS. 


Reuben  Heflin 1853-56 

Thos.  J.  Jones 1857 

Benj.   Titus 1858 

Daniel  Robertson 1859-62 

James   Deatheragc 1863 

Reuben   Heflin 1864-66 

John  Wikofr 1867 

Daniel  Robertson 1868 


Robf 


:De 


therage. 
Uaniel   Robertson.. 

A.GiUis 

lohnRobson 

I.  W.  Deatheragc. 

L.  G.  Bair 

5.  W.  May 


870 

87. 

872 

873 

874-77 

878-79 

880-85 


The  township  has  in  it  one  little  village,  which  is 
located  on  the  line  of  the  railroad,  on  the  southwest 
corner  cf  section  i6  and  the  southeast  corner  of  sec- 
tion 17.  It  was  laid  off  by  William  Robinson,  Deputy 
Surveyor  of  the  county,  in  187  i,  and  was  named  Co- 
burg,  after  the  Coe  brothers.  Soon  after  it  was 
platted,  there  was  a  public  sale  of  lots.  Messrs. 
Schroder  &  Owens  bought  one  lot  on  the  southeast 
corner  of  section  17,  for  S125,  upon  which  they 
erected  a  building  for  a  store,  which  was  the  first 
opened  in  town.  A  post-office  was  established  here 
in  1 87  I  and  was  called  North  Prairie.  Nelson  Coe 
was  the    first    Postmaster.      It    was    subsequently 


4^1- 


¥ 


■^>- 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


^H^ 


1087 


k 


changed  lo  Rio,  which  name  the  village  has  since 
borne.  It  contains  a  church,  school-house  and  one 
store.  There  are  a  number  of  wealthy  and  promi- 
nent gentlemen  who  live  in  the  vicinity,  and  thus  is 
it  a  great  convenience  to  them  to  have  a  i»st-office 
and  railway  station  so  near. 

SALEM  TOWNSHIP. 

'  S|'j|i'  MEETING  was  lield  for  the  organization 
if  of  Salem  Township,  .April  5,  1853,  at  a 
<^  school-house  near  Michael  Eagan's,  which 
resulted  in  the  election  of  S.  S.  BufTum  for 
jl^  Supervisor;  VVm.  Gray,  Clerk;  J.  E.  Knable, 
\  Assessor;  D.Waldo,  Collector;  T.  A.  Croy, 
G.  W.  Enke  and  J.  Jordan,  Justices  of  the  Peace; 
M.  B.  Mason,  A.  Kent,  J.  E.  Duel,  Highway  Com- 
missioners; J.  Taylor  and  D.  Waldo,  Constables,  and 
G.  Chrisnian,  Overseer  of  the  Poor. 

Ale.xauder  Taylor  and  family  are  credited  with 
being  the  first  settlers  in  the  township,  making  a 
claim  on  section  5,  in  1834,  where  he  put  up  the  first 
log  cabin  ever  built  here.  Soon  after  Mr.  Taylor 
came  Feti.ic  and  John  Thunnan,  Henry  and  Avery 
Dalton,  Solomon  Sherwood,  Benona  Hawkins,  Wm. 
Kent,  John  Darnell,  John  Haskins  and  Sala  Blakes- 
lee,  most  of  whom  came  in  with  families. 

In  1835  the  population  of  this  township  was  in- 
creased by  the  advent  of  little  Laura,  daughter  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  John  Haskins.  The  first  persons  to  be 
joined  in  wedlock  were  Avery  Dalton  and  Delilah 
Dalton,  in  1835.  Andrew  Corbine  died  the  same 
year,  which  was  the  first  death.  These  pioneers  were 
quite  religious  and  held  their  prayer-meetings  soon 
after  the  first  settlement.  This  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  Rev.  Henry  Summers,  who  came  and  preached 
for  them,  delivering  the  first  sermon  in  the  township 
on  section  13,  November,  1836. 

In  1837  the  settlement  became  of  sufficient  im- 
portance to  have  a  post-office,  whirl)  was  established 
at  Middle  Grove.  Abiel  Drew  taugiit  the  first  school 
in  a  log  house  on  section  13,  in  1838.  The  enter- 
prising and  progressive  Sala  Blakeslee  erected  the 
first  frame  building  in  the  township,  in  1837,  for  a 
barn.     It  was  quite  a  large  barn,  but  it  did  not  stand 


long,  for   it   was   burned   the  same  year — a  reproof, 
some  of  the  neighbors  said,  for  his  e.vtravagance. 

William  Davis  was  the  first  man  to  hold  the  scales' 
of  justice,  and  it  is  said  of  him  that  he  did  it  with 
a  fair  but  strong  hand.  On  the  farm  located  by  Sala 
Blakeslee  may  be  seen  some  fine  old  cliestnut  trees, 
grown  from  seed  planted  by  him  in  18+6. 

Salem  was  settled  up  by  a  good  class  of  people, 
and  after  a  beginning  was  made  its  population  in- 
creased quite  rapidly.  Its  lands  lie  fair  and  are 
rich  and  very  productive,  and  easily  drained  by 
the  little  water-courses  that  meander  through.  A  great 
portion  of  the  township  is  beautiful  rolling  prairies, 
the  southeastern  and  southwestern  portions  being 
somewliat  broken.  These  sections  at  one  lime  were 
liberally  timbered.  It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best 
townships  in  the  county;  it  ranks  second  in  raising 
cattle  and  horses,  and  first  in  hogs.  It  has  more 
miles  of  railroad  than  any  other  township,  e.xcept 
Galesburg,  and  is  third  in  population. 

The  Peoria  Branch  of  theC,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  which   I 
was  completed  in    December,  1856,  passes  through    1 
the  northern    part  of  the   township,  running  nearly    | 
east  and    west;    the    Rushville    &    Buda    Branch  ' 
enters  the  township,  forming  a  connection  at  Yates 
City,  where   the   people  of  the  township  do  most  of 
their  marketing  and  trading.     Summit,  another  town 
on  the  railroad,  claims   and  gets  some  of  the  trade. 
This  town  was  platted  Oct.  17,  1856,  by  W.  K.  Ware, 
on  the  northeast   corner  of  section  7  and  the  south- 
east corner  of  section  6.     It   is    located  on    a  high 
rolling  ])rairie. 

Uniontown,  on  secrion  19,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settled  towns  in  this  part  of  the  county,  and  before 
the  advent  of  railroads  there  was  quite  a  trade  done 
here.  The  railroad  towns  have  take.i  the  trade  away, 
and  there  is  nothing  here  now  but  a  blacksmith-shop. 
Salem  is  a  great  farming  township,  and  is  dotted 
over  with  fine  dwellings.  Its  population,  in  1880, 
was  1,794,  and  it  is  claimed  that  these  figures  have 
since  been  enlarged.  From  the  School  Superintend- 
ent's report  for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1885,  the  fol- 
lowing items  are  obtained : 

There  are  ten  school  districts  in  this  township, 
one  graded  school  and  nine  ungraded.  The  school 
property  was  valued  at  $14,650.  In  the  ten  districts 
there  are  two  brick  and  eight  frame  school-houses. 
Of  the  persons  under  2  i  years  of  age  there  were  767, 
of  whom  554  were  of  school  age,  473  beingenroUed. 


KSOX  COUNTY. 


The  highest  wages  paid  male  teachers  were  $ioo  per 
month;  the  lowest  $33.33;  the  highest  wages  paid 
female  teachers  were  $40,  and  the  lowest  22. 


SUPERVISORS. 


S.  S.  Baffm J853 

If.  B.   Mawn »*5«-S5 

G.  W.Enlce 1836 

MB.  MaxMi i^ 

J.  E    KuUe «8s8-6o 

M.  B    Mawni iS&i 

J.  E-  KnaWe >8fe 

Samud  Pl»eli>E 1S63 

JofasE.    Kuablc i86« 


M     H.  Pease 18^-66 

C.  M-   HuD 1867 

iJavld  Cory 1868 

lohn  Sloan 1869-70 

j.  W.  Htntlej- 1871-7= 

Jobn  SloaB 1873-78 

J.  M.  Cory 1879-go 

L.  K.  Wertman 1881-82 

John  Sioan 1883-85 


,'-'■'5—0*0- 


4 


Yates  City. 

.ATE.S  CITY  is  vet)'  pleasantly  located  on 

[-  the  Peoria  Branch  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R., 

in  the  northeast  portion  of  .Salem  Township. 

It  was  platted  in  October,  1857,  by  Amos  C. 

and  William  Babcock,  James  Burson  and  Bost. 

wick  Kent,  and  was  surveyed  by  Elias  T.  By- 
ram,  October,  1857.  It  embraced  the  whole  of  section 
II.  The  land  was  purchased  from  R.  H.  Bishop, 
Mrs.  Gray  and  W.  D.  Dixon.  It  was  named  after 
Yates  County,  N.  Y.,  where  the  Babcocks  were  Ijorn 
and  raised.  The  first  building  erected  in  this  town 
was  in  1857,  by  James  Burson,  which  was  located  on 
the  comer  of  Union  and  Main  streets,  and  was  used 
for  a  store.  In  1858  another  store  was  built  by  W. 
D.  Dixon  and  D.  B.  Coykendall;  Mr.  Stiinalt,  John 
Sonnemaker  and  A.  Kerns  erected  dwellings.  When 
the  depot  was  located  here  an  impetus  was  given  to 
the  growth  of  the  town,  and  it  has  been  increasing  in 
population  from  that  time  on.  It  was  incorporated 
as  a  village  by  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature  in 
1869.  An  election  was  had  in  April  for  organization. 
D.  Touslee,  W.  H.  Eastman,  G.  N.  Pierce,  J.  D. 
Roberts  and  F.  Madder  were  elected  Trustees.  At 
a  subsequent  meeting  of  the  Board,  D.  Touslee  was 
chosen  President;  E.  B.  Rhea,  Clerk;  Benj.  Kersey, 
Treasurer;  W.  L  Adams,  Marshal;  and  David 
Wiltsc,  Police  Magistrate. 

Yates  City  is  one  of  the  most  thrifty  towns  in  the 
county,  full  of  life  and  vigor.  It  is  surrounded  by  as 
fine  a  farming  countrj-  as  there  is  in  the  State.  It 
has  a  large  flouring-mill,  a  good  brick  and  tile  factory, 
a  first-class  wagon-shop  and  a  sorghum  mill.  The 
wagon  factory  is  owned  by  W.  D.  Alle)',  and  was  es- 
tablished some   18  years  ago.     Mr.  Alley's  wagons 


have  a  wide  reputatbn,  and  he  has  a  ready  sale  for 
all  that  he  can  make.  Sleighs  and  cutters  are  also 
made  at  this  factorj-. 

In  addition  to  this,  Yates  City  has  a  good  banking 
institution,  known  as  the  Farmers'  Bank,  which  is 
ably  presided  over  by  L.  F.  Wenman.  Several  large 
business  houses,,  lumber-yards  and  elevator,  and 
many  other  buaness  establishments  are  located  here. 
There  is  here  a  co-operative  store,  which  was  organ- 
ized in  the  spring  of  1875.  Its  capital  stock  now  is 
$20,000,  and  the  business  is  carried  on  in  a  two-story 
brick  building,  which  was  erected  by  this  corap)any  at 
a  cost  of  $3,000.  They  are  now  out  of  debt  and 
have  a  fund  large  enough  to  meet  purchasing  de- 
maruis,  and  hereafter  it  is  proposed  to  pay  dividends. 

Three  churches  have  been  established  here,  and 
also  an  excellent  graded  school  and  a  newspaper.  It 
is  the  headquarters  of  the  construction  train  for  this 
division,  and  the  junction  of  the  Buda  Branch.  The 
people  are  enterprising,  hospitable,  social  and  moral. 
The  present  population  is  about  1,000.  The  present 
officials  are  :  C.  S.  Roberts,  Wm.  Burson,  Win.  Nash, 
H.  J,  Truitt  and  F.T.Westfall,  Trustees;  with  C.  S. 
Roberts,  President;  R.  A  Fulton,  Qerk,  and  Lewis 
Series,  Marshal.     Postmaster,  Smith  Rhea. 

Yates  City  has  one  of  the  best  public  graded 
schools  in  the  county.  A  full  English  course  is 
taught,  with  the  sciences  and  Latin.  S.  C.  Ransom 
is  the  Principal,  and  E.  F.  Cunningham,  Assistant. 
Miss  Lizzie  Fumiss  has  charge  of  the  Grammar  De- 
partment; the  Intermediate  is  under  the  charge  of 
Miss  Ella  E.  Williams,  and  the  Primary  is  presided 
over  by  Miss  M.  E.  Qancey.  The  enrollment  is  225, 
with  an  average  attendance  of  200.  Connected  with 
the  school  department  is  the  Salem  Teachers'  Asso- 
ciation, which  has  a  membership  of  25.  Meetings 
are  held  monthly  during  the  school  season.  It  has 
been  organized  about  one  year.  A  well-selected 
library  is  one  of  the  features  of  this  school,  contain- 
ing 1^4^80  volumes.  This  school  has  a  good  corps  of 
teachers,  who  are  interested  in  their  work  and  thor- 
ough in  their  system. 

PRESS. 

Industrial  Banner.  The  first  issue  of  this  paper 
was  cast  before  the  reading  world  on  Christmas  Day, 
1879.  It  was  started  by  A.  H.  McKeighan,  who  is 
the  present  editor  and  proprietor,  and  advocated  the 
Greenback  policy.    It  is  a  seven-column  folio,  issued 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1089 


ever)'  Friday,  is  neatly  printed,  well  edited  and  de- 
voted to  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  Yates 
City.  In  fwlitics  it  is  now  independent,  its  editor 
holding  himself  free  to  advocate  the  claims  of  that 
parly  which,  in  his  judgment,  will  serve  the  interests 
of  the  people.  It  is  quite  liberally  patronized  for  a 
territorj'  so  limited  in  population,  having  a  circula- 
tion of  about  600. 

The  Maquon  Sunbeam  is  published  by  Mr.  Mc- 
Keighan,  and  is  printed  at  the  Banner  office,  with  a 
circulation  of  about  100.  Before  coming  to  Yates  City, 
Mr.  McK'eighan  published  the  Stream  of  Light  at 
Ipava,  in  Fulton  County. 

RELIGIOUS. 

The  Presbyterian  Church.  A  committee  appointed 
by  the  Presbyter)-  of  Peoria  to  organize  a  church  in 
Yates  City  met  at  the  school- house  Nov.  16,1866. 
After  a  sermon  by  Rev.  Thomas  Stevenson,  the 
meeting  was  opened  for  the  admission  of  members  and 
the  election  of  officers.  The  enrollment  was  made 
and  Joseph  Cunningham  and  William  B.  Mathews 
■were  elected  as  Elders,  at'ter  which  they  were  de- 
clared to  be  duly  organized  as  the  First  Presbyte- 
rian Church  of  Yates  City.  There  were  18  members, 
who  were  admitted  mostly  by  letter,  having  belonged 
to  other  organizations.  When  the  organization  was 
completed  the  congregation  proceeded  to  the  elec- 
tion of  Trustees,  which  resulted  in  the  clioice  of  the 
following:  John  C.  Bryson,  John  D.  Henry,  William 
B.  Mathews.  The  committee  of  the  Presbytery 
were  Tiiomas  Stevenson,  J.  H.  Smith  and  John  Mar- 
shall. John  H.  Smith  was  the  first  pastor,  and  was 
followed  respectively  by  Revs.  J.  E.  Caruthers,  L. 
D.  Wells,  L.  C.  Littell,  C.  F.  Carson  and  J.  L.  Hen- 
ning,  the  present  pastor.  Some  of  the  above-named 
gentlemen  were  supplies.  The  church  building  was 
erected  in  the  summer  of  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $3,700. 
The  Ruling  Elders  at  the  present  time  are  W.  B. 
Mathews,  R.  J.  McKeighan  and  J.  J.  Mathews. 
Present  membership,  105.  A  Sunday-school  was 
organized  in  November,  1867, by  G.  N.  Peirce.  It 
has  been  prosperous  and  has  a  membership  of  loc 
It  is  presided  over  by  W.  B.  Mathews. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized 
here  soon  after  the  town  was  started.  In  1867  a 
very  neat  and  substantial  church  building  was  com- 
pleted. This  societ)  has  no  local  pastor,  but  regu- 
lar services  are  held  by  the  pastor  of  the  Elmwood 
.  Church,  who  has  charge  here.     The  persons  to  whom 


we  have  to  look  for  church   history  failed  us  in   re- 
gard to  this  society  ;  hence  our  history  is  rather  limited. 

SOCIETIES. 

Yates  City  Lodge,  Ao.  448,  A.,  F.  d-  A.  J/.,  was 
chartered  Oct.  4,  1865,  with  18  charter  members. 
The  first  officers  were:  S.  S.  Buffum,  W.  M.;  John 
E.  Knable,  S.  W. ;  M.  B.  Mason,  J.  W.  Present 
officers:  Henry  Soldwell,  W.  M.;  W.  H.  Houser,  S. 
W. ;  M.  W.  Thomson,  J.  W. ;  Henry  Hare,  Treas. ; 
J.  D.  C.  Hoit,  Secy.;  W.  H.  Langdon,  S.  D. ; 
Smith  Rhea,  J.  D.;  John  Hensler,  Tiler.  Present 
membership,  45.  This  Lodge  occupies  a  hall  with 
the  Odd  Fellows.     It  is  well  furnished  and  equipped. 

Eurekci  Chapter,  Ao.  p<P,  H.  A.  M.,  was  chartered 
Oct.  5,  1 866,  with  25  charter  members.  Officers 
under  the  charter  were  Benj.  Kersey,  H.  P. ;  M.  B. 
Mason,  K. ;  J.  C.  Riner,  Scribe.  This  is  a  flourish- 
ing Chapter  and  has  been  quite  prosperous,  having 
a  present  membership  of  60.  Present  officers  are: 
J.  M.  Corey,  H  P.  ;  Henry  Hase,  K.;  W.  H.  Loit, 
Scribe ;  J.  W.  Hensley,  C.  H. ;  Henry  H.  Potts, 
Treas. ;  J.  D.  C.  Hoit,  Secy.;  J.  H.  Spring,  R.  A.  C. ; 
John  Hensler,  Tiler. 

Yates  City  Lodge,  Ao.  20/,  JO.  O.  F.,  was 
chartered  Oct.  13,  1868,  with  Ira  Dunn,  Benjamin 
Hays,  B.  Bevins,  .\.  S.  Murphy  and  Henry  Soldwell 
as  charter  members.  First  officers  were :  H.  Sold- 
well, N.  G. ;  B.  S.  Briggs,  V.  G. ;  B.  Hays,  Secy. ; 
B.  Bevins,  Treas.  There  are  at  present  32  members 
coimected  with  the  Lodge.  Present  officers :  John 
Bird,  N.  G.;  William  Clark,  V.G.;  J.  B.  Coyken- 
dall.  Secy.;  T.  J.  Kightlinger,  Permanent  Secy.; 
Henry  Soldwell,  Treas.;  B  Bevins,  O.  G.  The 
Lodge  is  prosperous  and  in  good  working  condition. 
They  have  a  good  hall,  which  is  owned  jointly  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity.  There  was  a  Rebecca  De- 
gree Lodge  organized  some  years  ago,  but  it  has  not 
been  kept  up.     It  was  chartered  Oct.  11,  1S70. 

SPARTA  TOWNSHIP. 


'"^<^f'"_P.\RT.\  was  organized  as   a    township  in 

r  ^  _  '     1S53.     A  meeting  was  held,  pursuant  to  a 

<'    ._«  "''    notice,  on  the  5  th  of  April,  at  the  house  of 

iiv^  Thomas  H.  Taylor,  and  was  organized  by  the 

^rJ      apix)intnient  of  Morvan  Baker, Chairman,  and 

1        Asaph   DeLong,   Clerk;   Julius   DeLong  was 

chosen  Moderator.and  E.  L.  Foster,  Permanent  Clerk, 

when  the  polls  were  declared  open.     At  this  meet- 


—.JL 


.fX-#. 


1090 


.  Y'. 
KNOX  COUNTY. 


f 


4    ^       >■ 


ing  the  following  officers  were  elected :  T.  H.  Tay- 
lor, Supervisor;  Asaph  DeLong,  Clerk;  Stephen 
Smith,  Assessor;  C.  W.  Riiodes,  Collector  ;  D.  Reed, 
Stephen  Russell,  Peter  Davis,  Commissioneis  of 
Highways;  Morvan  BakerandHugh  Ferguson,  Jus- 
tices of  the  Peace;  M.  P.  DeLong,  Constable. 

This  township  is  indebted  for  its  classic  name  to 
Amos  Wilniot.  Hezekiah  Burlbrd  has  the  credit  of 
being  the  first  settler  in  the  township.  He  came  in 
the  spring  of  1834,  locating  on  section  5.  He  with 
his  family  moved  with  tlie  colony  that  went  to  Ore- 
gon about  the  year  1850,  locating  at  Monmouth. 
Amos  Wilniot,  from  Connecticut,  joined  the  pioneer 
Burford,  June  5,  1836.  He  was  born  in  1802.  He 
had  by  liis  wife  (Betsey  Crawford)  ten  children,  six 
daughters  and  four  sons.  Mr.  Wilniot  was  a  public- 
spirited  man,  and  was  much  interested  in  the  pro- 
motion of  education  and  religion.  He  died  Aug.  28, 
1878.  Cyrus  Robbins,  from  New  York,  made  a 
claim  on  section  5,  early  in  the  year  1836.  His  two 
brothers,  Levi  and  Reuben,  joined  him  the  same 
year,  locating  on  the  same  section. 

About  the  first  thing  these  brothers  did  was  to  start 
a  nursery,  from  which  afterward  were  established 
fine  orchards  and  groves ;  one  of  these  groves  has 
since  been  known  as  "  Robbins'  Grove.  This  little 
settlement  was  increased  later  on  in  the  season  by 
the  arrival  of  Asaph  DeLong  and  Luman  Field,  from 
Vermont,  and  Wm.  M.  Heath,  from  New  York,  locat- 
ing on  section  31.  About  this  time  also  came  tlie 
brothers  James  and  Abraham  Neely,  from  Cayuga, 
N.  Y.,the  former  locating  on  section  30,  and  the  lat- 
ter on  section  8.  Abraham  moved  to  Missouri, 
and  James  lived  at  the  old  place.  Among  the  early 
settlers  were  Richard,  Joseph  and  William  Armstrong, 
S.  S.  Russell,  Stephen  Smith,  Thomas  and  Geo.  W. 
Falkner,  Morvan  Baker,  C.  C.  West  and  B.  Pickrel. 
When  once  the  start  was  made  this  township  settled 
quite  rapidly,  and  by  an  excellent  class  of  citizens. 
They  were  mostly  from  the  East,  and  understood 
farming  and  stock-raising,  as  was  afterward  shown 
by  their  fine  farms  and  the  quality  of  their  stock. 
During  the  early  days  prairie  fires  were  frequent. 
Combustible  material  had  been  accumulating  for 
years,  and  when  the  fire  got  in  it  threatened  destruc- 
tion to  everything,  and  cast  terror  and  dismay  over 
the  neighborhood.  A  fire  started  at  Red  Oak,  in 
Henry  County,  and,  moving  southward  with  fearful 
roar,   threatened   to  destroy  the    settlement   in  this 

'K 


township.  Happily  it  was  discovered  before  it  reached 
the  settlement,  by  a  daughter  of  Luman  Field,  who 
awakened  about  midnight.  She  gave  the  alarm  by" 
running  from  house  to  house,  and  devastation  was 
prevented.  Back-fires  were  started,  trenches  were 
dug,  and  wet  blankets  were  placed  upon  the  build- 
ings and  fences,  and  by  these  and  other  means  the 
settlements  were  saved.  There  are  some  fine  coal- 
banks  and  coal-veins  in  Sparta,  which  have  been  a 
source  of  considerable  revenue  to  the  people,  and 
were  the  means  of  furnishing  cheap  fuel.  The  first 
banks  opened  were  on  sections  21  and  22,  south  of 
Wataga.  Mines  have  been  opened  since  in  different 
parts  of  the  township,  and  an  extensive  business  is 
carried  on  in  this  department.  The  coal  is  of  a  good 
quality,  and  much  of  it  readily  mined.  Some  shafts, 
however,  have  been  put  down  to  the  depth  of  100 
feet.  Sparta  is  pretty  well  watered  by  little  streams 
that  meander  through  it,  and  the  southeast  portion 
is  liberally  timbered,  where  the  land  is  somewhat 
broken.  The  other  portions  of  the  township  are  roll-  < 
ing   prairie,  with  a  productive  soil. 

The  railroad,  which  was  completed  through  in 
December,  1854,  enters  the  township  on  section  2, 
and  running  southwest  passes  out  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  section  31.  The  population  in  1880  was 
1,682,  and  there  has  been  a  slight  increase  since  that 
time.  Most  of  the  farmers  are  in  independent  cir- 
cumstances. 

There  are  nine  school  districts,  one  graded  and 
eight  ungraded  schools.  The  school  property  was 
valued  at  $9,000  and  the  district  has  eight  frame 
and  one  brick  school  buildings,  with  one  library. 

SUPERVISORS. 

T.  H.  Taylor,  1853-54;  Peter  Davis,  1855  ;  J.  M. 
Holyoke,  1856-64;  John  Gray,  1865;  A.  Ebright, 
1866;  J.  M.  Holyoke,  1867-72;  H.  P.  Wood,  1873; 
M.  P.  DeLong,  1874;  J.  M.  Holyoke,  1875-77; 
Wni.  Robson,  1878-S5. 

Wataga. 

ATAGA  was  platted  in  the  spring  of  1854 
by  Clark  pJCarr  and  J.  M.  Holyoke.     It 

was  started  after  the  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R. 

lO   •  .  . 

'     line  had  been  established.     This  road  runs 
northeast  and  southwest  througli  the  center 
of  the  town,  and  was  completed   about  the  1st 
of  December,  1854.     J.  M.  Holyoke  was  the  first 


^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1091 


resident.  Willard  &  Babcock  opened  the  first  store 
in  town.  The  building  was  put  up  by  J.  M.  Hol- 
yoke  and  A.  P.  Cassel.  A  defxit  was  erected  in  1856, 
and  a  hotel,  called  the  VVataga  House,  was  opened 
by  Loren  Smith.  Silas  Willard  sold  out  to  A.  P. 
Wood  in  1856,  and  in  1859  Mr.  Wood  bought  out 
Amos  P.  Babcock.  Mr.  Willard  is  dead,  and  Mr. 
Babcock  is  living  in  Galesburg.  After  the  railroad 
was  opened  there  were  several  stores  started  and  a 
thriving  trade  was  carried  on  here. 

In  1868  A.  P.  Wood  opened  his  banking  house. 
The  first  religious  exercises  were  held  in  private 
houses;  it  was  not  long,  however,  before  several  fine 
churches  were  erected.  In  1863  it  was  incorporated 
under  a  special  act  of  the  Legislature.  The  election 
for  Village  Trustees  was  held  September  19,  and  re- 
sulted in  H.  P.  Wood,  J.  M.  Holyoke,  C.  F.  Farns- 
worth  and  John  H.  Shoop  being  elected  Trustees. 
H.  P.  Wood  was  subsequently  chosen  President,  and 
Luther  B.  Hunt,  Clerk.     In  1874  the  village  was  re- 

'  incorporated  under  the  general  village  law  of  1872, 
with  a  territory  embracing  one  mile  square.  There 
is  considerable  business  done  in  Wataga,  and  there 

■*  are  some   large  business  houses.     This   is    a  good 

I  grain  market,  and  a  good  market  also  for  cattle  and 
hogs.     There  is  a  large  elevator  to  receive  the  grain, 

*  and  yards  for  the  stock. 

Williamson  &  Bros,  have  a  flouring-mill,  where 
they  are  operating  three  runs  of  stone  and  make  a 
good  article  of  flour.  A  tile  and  brick  factory  is  car- 
ried on  by  Charles  Pister  &  Co.  They  have  fine  clay- 
beds  and  are  making  a  good  article  of  tile  and  brick. 
Coal  mining  is  quite  an  addition  to  the  business  of 
Wataga.  There  are  several  firms  now  engaged  in 
mining  coal,  which  is  hauled  and  shipped  to  other 
markets.  The  beds  worked  now  are  mostly  on  sec- 
tions 15  and  21  ;  the  veivis  are  from  two  to  four  feet 
in  width.  Wataga  has  a  trade  tiot  only  from  Sparta, 
but  from  nearly  all  of  the  townships  surrounding  it, 
and  its  business  as  well  as  population  is  on  the  in- 
crease. The  estimated  population  is  now  upward 
of  700.  It  is  pleasantly  located,  and  is  populated 
by  a  good  class  of  people.  The  present  village  offi- 
cers are:  C.  H.  Martin,  J.  H.  Merrill,  Charles  Pal- 
mer, Charles  Pister,  Edward  Huston  and  Wm.  M. 
Thomas,  Trustees,  with  C.  H.  Martin,  President; 
Wm.  M.  Driggs,  Treasurer;  M.  O.  Williamson, 
Clerk,  and  J.  L.  Temple,  Marshal.  Edward  Huston 
is  the  present  Postmaster. 


Wataga  has  a  good  graded  school,  which  is  pre- 
sided over  by  Miss  Anna  M.  Sommers,who  is  assist- 
ed by  Miss  Frances  Reed  in  the  Grammar  Depart- 
ment, Miss  Ida  Temple  in  the  Intermediate,  and 
Miss  Addie  Wiles  in  the  Primary.  Enrollment,  r7o; 
average  attendance,  about  140.  The  grade  is  low, 
but  a  full  English  course  is  taught  so  far  as  they  go. 
The  building  is  a  two-story  brick.  The  graded  school 
was  started  in  1867.  This  school  district  was  organ- 
ized Nov.  7,  1845. 

BAND. 

Wataga  is  proud  in  the  possession  of  an  excellent 
band,  the  members  of  which  are  in  good  practice 
and  play  well.  They  have  a  beautiful  set  of  nickel- 
plated  instruments,  from  which  the  band  takes  its 
name.  M.  O.  Williamson  is  Leader;  C.  L.  Denni- 
son.  Assistant;  G.  W.  Mallon,  Secretary,  and  J.  L. 
Robinson,  Treasurer.  They  have  16  members,  and 
were  orgainized  in  November,  1885. 

CHURCHES. 

The  S%ve<iisli  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  was 
organized  in  1856;  the  first  pastor  was  Rev.  T.  N. 
Hasselquist,  who  remained  several  years.  Rev.  F. 
O.  Deuwell  served  next,  remaining  only  a  short  time, 
and  was  followed  by  Rev.  S.  P.  Larsen,  who  served 
several  years.  The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  Axel  Set- 
terdah,  who  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  S.  F.  Vesterdah. 
Rev.  A.  Lindholm  took  charge  after  Vesterdah,  and 
was  followed  by  Rev.  J.  F.  Borg.  Then  came  Rev. 
L.  G.  Abrahamson,  the  present  pastor.  The  church 
building  was  completed  in  i860,  at  a  cost  of  about 
$1 ,500.  Before  this  building  was  erected,  the  society 
held  services  in  private  houses  and  in  school-rooms. 
This  building  was  burned  in  1875,  and  a  new  one 
was  erected  the  same  year  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,500. 
Present  membership  about  125.  They  have  no  par- 
sonage, but  an  interesting  Sunday-school. 

The  Swedish  Methodist  Church  was  organized  in 
December,  1857,  their  first  pastor  being  Rev.  V. 
Witting.  The  same  year  of  their  organization  they 
erected  a  house  of  worship,  at  a  cost  of  $1,500.  They 
have  a  membership  at  present  of  about  60,  with  a 
good  Sabbath-school. 

The  First  Congregational  Church  was  organized 
June  10,  1855.  For  some  years  they  held  services 
in  private  dwellings  and  in  school-houses.  In  i860 
the  society  was  strong  enough  to  erect  a  church 
building,  which  cost  upward  of  $3,000.     In  1876  a 


V 


4 


1092 


• ^  I  1  ■  ■'» 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


I 


parsonage  was  completed,  costing  about  $2,000. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in 
1855  or  1856  by  Rev.  L.  P.  Crouch.  Lucius  Vail, 
Harriet  Vail,  B.  W.  Foster,  Ann  Foster,  John  Gaddis, 
Mrs.  Gaddis,  Lydia  Thorp,  L.  F.  Spaulding  and  wife, 
S.  G.  Dean,  Ruth  Dean,  Bartlett  Hall  and  wife,  with 
possibly  a  few  others,  composed  tlie  membership. 
The  society  worshiped  awhile  in  the  school -house,  and 
then  in  the  Swedish  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
building  until  the  erection  and  dedication  of  the 
building  now  occupied  by  them,  which  enterprise  was 
started  in  1866,  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  J.  W. 
Coe,  and  dedicated  in  December,  1867,  by  Rev.  W. 
H.  Hunter,  Presiding  Elder.  Rev.  J.  Luccock  was 
pastor.  The  following  are  the  names  and  terms  of 
service  of  the  successive  pastors  from  the  organiza- 
tion to  the  present  time;  1855-56,  L.  P.  Crouch; 
1857,  Wm.  Clark;  1858-59,  G.  W.  Brown;  1860-61, 
Wm.  Watson;  1862-63,  W.  J.  Smith  ;  1864-65,  Wm. 
Haney;  1866,  J.  W.  Coe;  1867,  J.  Luccock;  1868- 
69,  D.  Perchin ;  1870,  J.  M.  Murphy;  1871-72,  N. 
T.  Allen;  1873,  H.  Brink;  1874-75,  D.  Ayers ; 
1876,  A.  Kellar;  1877,  N.  G.  Clark;  1878-80,  H.  S. 
Humes;  1881-83,  J.  Rugh;  1884-85,  N.  T.  Allen, 
the  present  effii  ient  and  popular  pastor,  who  is  serv- 
ing them  for  the  second  term.  The  present  member- 
ship is  78.  The  Sunday-school  numbers  about  100 
members.  J.  Gehring  is  Superintendent,  with  L. 
Peterson  and  Miss  Ella  Winnerstrnnd,  Assistants  ; 
Addie  Wiles,  Secretary;  Ida  Temple,  Treasurer; 
Louis  Rowe,  Librarian.  Revs.  Kelly,  R.  D.  Russell 
and  J.  L.  Knowlton  were  assistants  during  the  years 
186 1  to  1864.  G.  J.  Johnson,  a  student  of  Hedding 
College,  Abingdon,  is  assistant  preacher  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

SOCIETIES. 

Wataga  Lodge,  No.  2gi,  A.  F.  (y  A.  M.,  was  in- 
stituted Aug.  17,  1858.  The  first  officers  were:  S. 
G.  Dean,  W.  M.;  J.  H.  Thorp,  S.  W.;  T.  Tafer,  J. 
W.;  Abraham  Botsford,  Treas.;  J  K.  Mallon,  Secy.; 
J.  G.  Pease,  S.  D.;  D.  G.  Caldwell,  J.  D.;  C.  F. 
Farnsworth,  Tiler.  The  Lodge  has  at  present  about 
30  members,  with  a  good  hall,  which  they  own,  and 
is  in  afairly  prosperous  condition.  Meetings  are  held 
on  the  first  and  third  Wednesdays  in  each  month. 
Present  officers:  J.  H.  Merrill,  VV.  M.;  H.  H.  Marsh, 
S.  W.;  John  Wiles,  J.  W.;  H.  P.  Wood,  Treas.;  A. 
S.  Slater,  Secy.;  W.  H.  Wood,  S.  D.;  J.  M.  Churchill, 
J.  D.;  J.  W.  Ferrell,  Tiler. 


Wataga  Lodge,  Ao.  ^gS,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  instituted 
Jan.  10,  1876,  by  A.  W.  Berggren.  Charter  members  : 
Wm.  M.  Thomas,  J.  E.  Thomas,  L.  S.  Whitcomb, 
P.  A.  Smith  and  John  McConcie.  First  officers  : 
Wm.  M.  Thomas,  N.  G.;  J.  E.  Thomas,  V.  G.;  L.  S. 
Whitcomb,  Secy.;  P.  A.  Smith,  Treas.  Present  offi- 
cers :  J.  M.  Churchill,  N.  G.;  C.  F.  Barnett,  V.  G.; 
M.  O.  Williamson,  Secy.;  J.  H.  Merrill,  Treas.;  G. 
W.  Mallen,  W.;  J.  H.  Deming,  C;  J.  E.  Thomas, 
L  G.;  N.  P.  Nelson,  O.  G.;  Wm.  N.  Thomas,  R.  S. 
N.  G.;  A.  S.  Slater,  R.  S.  V.  G ;  Chas.  Pister,  L.  S.; 
V.  G.;  S.  R.  Minnier,  R.  S.  S.;  A.  L.  Squires,  L.  S.  S.; 
M.  O.  Williamson,  R.  Present  membership,  43. 
This  Lodge  meets  in  the  Masonic  Hall,  and  are  in  a 
good  working  and  prosperous  condition. 

Star  of  Hope  Lodge,  l\'o.  jop,  /.  O.  G.  T.,  was  first 
organized  in  1871,  and  did  efficient  work  for  a  number 
of  years,  then  suspended  operations  for  a  time,  but 
was  reorganized  in  April,  1884.  The  present  mem- 
bership is  98.  Their  regular  meetings  are  held  on 
Friday  night  of  each  week,  in  the  Masonic  Hall. 
They  also  hold  public  meetings  on  the  second  Sun- 
day night  of  each  mouth,  in  the  Town  Hall.  Among 
the  membership  are  some  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
the  place,  while  many  of  the  young  find  a  refuge 
here  and  are  instructed  in  those  principles  so  essen- 
tial to  the  formation  of  good  character  and  a  suitable 
preparation  for  a  useful  life.  This  Lodge,  outside  of 
its  regular  lodge  work,  has  made  appropriations  of 
funds  several  times  for  advancing  the  interests  of 
temperance  in  the  community  and  for  missionary  pur- 
poses. Officers  are  elected  every  three  months. 
The  following  are  those  for  the  present  term :  Rev. 
N.  T.  Allen,  P.  W.  C.  T.;  W.  E.  Bonta,  W.  C.  T 
Ida  Temple,  W.  V.  T.;  Minnie  Engdale,  W.  S.;  G. 
W.  Mallen,  W.  A.  S.;  Mrs.  L.  M.  Fitch,  W.  F.  S.; 
Chas.  Dennison,  W.  T.;  Mrs.  N.  T.  Allen,  W.  C; 
Mary  Temple,  W.  M.;  Meit  Carley,  W.  D.  M.;  Kate 
Engdale,  W.  I.  G.;  Chas.  Anderson,  W.  S.;  Chas. 
Harkness,  L.  D. 

TRUBO  TOWNSHIP. 

'RURO  TOWNSHIP  was  first  settled  by 
John  Dill,  in  the  spring  of  1832.  Mr.  Dill 
^  entered  a  claim  in  section  19,  erected  a 
rude  cabin,  and  commenced  the  improvement 
of  a  home.  He  was  soon  followed  by  J.  Ryan^ 
John  Coleman,  the  Stambaughs  and  others. 
Mrs.  Lambert,  a  widow,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers 


LAr: 


i 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


'09.^ 


in  this  township,  locating  on  section  31,  Truro  did 
not  settle  up  as  fast  as  the  other  townships. 

The  first  marriage  was  between  J.  Ryan  and  Miss 
Stanibaugh,  in  1833.  This  couple  were  married  by 
Rev.  J.  Cunimings.  The  first  natural  increase  to  the 
population  of  this  township  came  through  the  Dill 
family,  in  the  birth  of  Andrew  Dill,  in  1833.  The 
first  death  in  the  township  was  one  which  threw  a 
gloom  of  sadness  over  the  entire  settlement.  This 
was  the  drowning  of  Malon  VVinans,  of  Lewistown, 
while  attempting  to  swim  Spoon  River,  the  mail-bag 
on  his  back.  Mr.  \Vinans  had  secured  a  sub-contract 
for  carrv'iug  the  United  States  mail  from  Lewistown 
to  Monmouth,  from  O.  M.  Ross,  which  he  intended 
for  his  young  son,  but  had  started  to  make  the  first 
trip  in  order  to  define  the  route,  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  stopping  places,  etc.  This  was  in 
1834.  John  Coleman  started  the  first  ferry,  on  sec- 
tion 30,  in  1834,  which  at  that  time  was  known  as 
Coleman's  Ferry.  The  first  post-office  was  estab- 
lished here  about  this  time. 

A  very  peculiar  mode  of  disposing  of  their  dead 
had  been  adopted  by  the  Indians  who  had  lived  in 
and  about  this  township.  Logs  about  seven  feet 
long  had  been  halved  and  then  dug  out  sufficiently 
to  receive  the  bodies,  which  were  then  placed  in 
them,  and  the  troughs  or  coffins  were  elevated  into 
the  forks  of  trees,  which  were  arranged  to  hold  them. 
When  the  whites  came  in  they  found  Lo's  remains 
resting  in  this  way,  with  the  skeletons  projecting  from 
the  top.  They  were  taken  down  and  buried  after  the 
manner  of  the  white  man. 

Truro  went  into  township  organization  with  the 
other  townships,  April  5,  1853.  The  meeting  was 
held  at  the  house  of  L.  P.  Lewis.  Thomas  B.  Ross 
was  chosen  Chairman  of  the  meeting;  Giles  B.  Cook, 
Moderator;  and  F.  K.  Lewis,  Clerk.  The  election 
resulted  in  the  choice  of  Augustus  Lapham,  Super- 
visor; John  P.  Cadwell,  Clerk;  Benj.  Sweat,  Assessor; 
Levi  Seward,  Collector;  Thomas  Ross  and  Joseph 
Oberholtzer,  justices  of  the  Peace;  Thos.  Crawford, 
Luther  Rice  and  Joseph  Wilder,  Commissioners  of 
Highways;  Thos.  Ross,  Overseer  of  the  Poor. 

No  railroad  lines  enter  its  borders,  but  it  has  more 
miles  of  Spoon  River  and  is  more  liberally  watered 
than  any  other  township  in  the  county.  This  river 
enters  on  section  13,  and,  after  running  with  all  the 
points  of  the  compass,  it  goes  out  on  section  30,  wa- 


•H^ 


taring  in  its  independent  course  17  sections.  Above 
and  along  this  river  the  land  is  quite  broken ;  below 
it  is  mostly  rolling  prairie.  The  soil  is  rich  and  pro- 
ductive. Attention  has  been  given  by  the  farmers  of 
late  years  to  the  raising  of  stock,  which  has  been 
quite  successful. 

Truro  has  no  town,  and  the  people  do  their  trading 
mostly  at  Victoria  ;  some  go  to  Yates  City,  which  is 
the  nearest  railroad  point.  The  township  has  a  good 
many  fine  farms  and  farm  buildmgs,  and  the  people 
on  the  whole  are  prosperous.  In  1880,  according  to 
the  census,  the  population  was  712,  and  this  is  about 
the  number  to-day.  There  are  eight  school  districts, 
with  eight  ungraded  schools  and  eight  frame  school- 
houses.  Of  the  persons  under  2 1  years  of  age  there 
were  332,  of  whom  212  were  of  school  age,  161  being 
enrolled. 


SUPERVISORS. 


.Augustus  Lapham 1853 

Thomas   B.  Ross 1854-57 

Sarauel  Tucker 1858-61 

John    Wilson 1862 

Bcnj.  Shaffer 1863-64 

Isaac  Lambert 1865 

P.  W.  Thomson 1866 

B.  B.  Shaffer 1867 

Samuel  Tucker 1868 


John  Wilson 1869-72 

L.  D.  Shinn 1S73 

H.G.  Wilder 1874 

Samuel  Tucker 1875-80 

JamesA.  Shaffer 1881-82 

H.  G.  Wilder 1883 

Parker 1884-83 


San 


el  Parker 


■%^-J- 


VICTORIA  TOWNSHIP. 

JjKij^P^ICTORlA  is  in  the  eastern  tier  of  townships 
jIImIIj  and  was  organized  as  a  township  April  5, 
\^®^  1853.  George  F.  Reynolds  was  chosen 
^V  Moderator  of  the  meeting,  and  M.  D.  Minard^ 
(  Clerk.  The  68  votes  that  were  cast  resulted  in 
the  election  of  the  following-named  citizens  to 
be  township  officers  :  J.  L.  Jarnagin,  Supervisor;  J. 
F.  Hubbell,  Clerk;  M.  D.  Minard,  Assessor;  Chas. 
A.  Shurtliff,  Collector;  John  T.  Smith  and  Moses 
Robinson,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  A.  B.  Codding, 
Peter  Van  Buren  and  J.  W.  Mosher,  Commissioners  of 
Highways;  Chas.  A.  Shurtliff  and  Seneca  Mosher, 
Constables ;  .\lex.  Sornborger,  Overseer  of  the  Poor. 
The  first  settlers  in  this  township  were  John  Essex, 
Edward  Brown  and  Mr.  Frazier,  in  1835,  with  their 
families.  In  the  spring  of  1836,  the  Robinsons  came 
in,  locating  on  section  21.  They  consisted  of  three 
brothers,  Moody,  Moses  and  Archibald,  and  their 
families.  Following  them  were  Passon  Aldridge  and 
wife,  the  latter  a  sister  of   the  Robinsons.     G.  F, 


-r- 


^'^ 


1094 


—        .)rzz=r 

KNOX  COUNTY. 


4-^ 


Reynolds  came  up  from  Tazewell  County  in  the 
spring  of  1836,  made  a  claim  and  then  went  back, 
returning  in  the  spring  of  1837,  and  settled  down  on 
section  7  with  wife  and  four  children.  He  was  born 
in  New  Hampshire  in  1799.  Here  he  married  Abi- 
gail Locke,  in  1825,  who  died  many  years  ago.  Mr. 
Reynolds  is  still  living  in  Victoria  village,  and  for  a 
man  of  his  age  is  pretty  hale  and  hearty.  During  his 
long  term  of  life  he  has  been  an  active  and  leading 
man,  and  has  held  many  important  township  posi- 
tions. Moody  Robinson  and  his  wife  lived  and  died 
on  the  old  homestead,  the  former  March  10,  1881, 
and  the  latter  in  November,  1 869  They  reared  nine 
children,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Moses  Robinson 
is  still  living,  but  his  wife  is  dead. 

With  Mr.  Reynolds  came  H.  Shurtliff  and  wife, 
and  Isaiah  Berry  and  family.  Passon  Aldridge^and 
wife  died  in  the  township.  Silas  Locke  came  in 
1837  and  made  a  claim  just  north  of  the  Robinsons. 
He  had  no  family  at  the  time",  but  subsequently  mar- 
ried ;  he  has  been  dead  many  years. 

In  1838  several  additions  were  made  to  this  set- 
tlement, among  whom  were  Ruter  Smith  and  family, 
*■  from  New  York,  John  Arnold,  Peter  Sornborger  and 
Conrad  Smith.  Ruter  Smith  located  on  section  6. 
They  had  four  children  when  they  came — Arthur  A., 
^  who  has  for  many  years  been  Circuit  Judge  of  the 
loth  Judicial  District;  Oliver;  Jane,  who  married 
Mr.  Becker,  and  Sarah,  who  married  Dr.  Nance. 
Several  children  were  born  to  them  after  they  settled 
in  this  township.  They  were  a  fine  family,  and  Mrs. 
Smith  is  especially  held  in  affectionate  remembrance. 
Mr.  Smith  died  at  an  early  day  near  Monmouth, 
while  aw;iy  on  business.  G.  F.  Reynolds  had  four 
children — three  boys  and  a  girl,  all  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing but  one,  John  W.  Charles  lives  in  I0W4 ;  Julia 
Ann  married  Theo.  Hammond  and  is  living  in  the 
township;  George  H.  is  married  and  lives  in  the 
village  of  Victoria.  Conrad  Smith  located  on  section 
30.  He  raised  a  family  of  13  children — 8  boys  and 
5  girls.  These  children  became  widely  separated, 
moving  to  different  parts  of  the  country.  Subse- 
quently they  all  returned  to  Knox  County  but  two, 
who  settled  in   Stark    and    Peoria  Counties. 

Sarah,  daughter  of  Moody  and  Mary  (Kevelt) 
Robinson,  was  the  first  child  born  in  Victoria.  This 
important  event  occurred  on  section  2r,  Nov.  r6, 
1836.  Miss  Sarah  married  M.  Mosher  Dec.  29, 
1853.     She  and  her  husband  are  now  living  in  the 


village  of  Victoria.  One  child  was  bom  to  them, 
which  departed  this  life  before  five  summers  had 
passed  over  her  young  head. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  township  was  between 
Peter  Sornborger  and  Phoebe  Wilbur,  in  the  latter 
part  of  1838.  The  first  death  was  that  of  Mrs, 
Frazier,  who  died  in  1837.  Henr)'  Shurtliff  taught 
the  first  school,  in  1838,  about  two  miles  east  of 
the  present  town  of  Victoria,  in  a  log  cabin. 

Geo.  F.  Reynolds  was  the  first  Postmaster,  in 
1838,  receiving  his  appointment  from  .^mos  Kendall,' 
who  was  then  Postmaster-General.  Mr.  Reynolds 
also  built  the  first  hotel  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  early  travelers.  It  was  a  large  frame  building. 
He  hauled  his  lumber  from  Chicago,  to  which  place 
he  took  his  wheat  and  sold  it  for  50  cents  a  bushel. 
This  hotel  was  built  near  the  present  site  of  Victoria. 
Passon  Aldridge  had  the  honor  to  be  the  first  man 
to  dispense  justice  in  the  township.  To  this  position 
he  was  elevated  by  his  fellow-citizens  as  early  as 
1837,  and  it  is  remembered  that  they  never  regretted 
this  action. 

Rev.  Charles  Bostic  was   the  first   to   administer 
spiritual   consolation  to  this  pioneer  settlement,  in  J( 
r836.     The  meeting  was  held  at  the  residence  of 
Moses  Robinson. 

Victoria  is  one  of  the  few  townships  in  the  county 
that  has  no  railroad.  It  has,  ho»vever,  a  thriving 
town  of  its  own  name,  where  the  people  do  their 
marketing  and  trading.  The  southwestern  portion 
is  somewhat  broken  and  is  also  liberally  timbered. 
The  balance  of  the  township  is  beautiful  rolling 
prairie,  with  a  very  fertile  soil.  In  this  township  are 
some  of  the  finest  farms  in  the  county,  which  are 
ornamented  with  handsome  dwellings  and  shady 
groves.  Its  population  in  1880  was  1,252,  and  it  is 
estimated  that  there  has  been  a  slight  gain  since 
that  time. 

There  are  nine  school  districts  in  this  township, 
one  graded  and  eight  ungraded  schools,  with  nine 
frame  school-houses.  The  school  property  is  valued 
at  $4,800. 

SUPERVISORS. 


J.   L  Jarnagin 1853-S4 

M.  C.  Hubbell 1855 

J.  L.  Jarnagin 1856 

Thomas  Whiting 1857 

J.    L     Jarnagin 1838-59 

Samuel  Coleman     i860 

J.   H.Copley 1861-63 

W.  Lyons 1864 


H.  J.Vaughn 1865-71 

M.    B.  Ogden 187a 

H.   J.  Vaughn .873 

Homer  Gaines 1874-78 

C.  P.  Sansburg 1879-81 

Alex.  Ingles 1882-83 

C.  P.   Sansburg 1884 

C.   S.  Clark 1885 


i 


^Z  • 


^_T> 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


'°9S 


Victoria  Village. 

HIS  pretty  little  village  is  located  upon  a 
commanding  site  on  the  eastern  line  of 
Victoria  Township.  Beautiful  little  hills 
and  valleys,  stretching  far  away  in  the  distance, 
can  be  seen  from  almost  every  point.  The 
town  was  originally  started  about  a  mile  east 
of  the  present  site,  where  there  was  a  small  store 
and  a  blacksmith-shop.  This  was  in  1839,  the  year 
that  Queen  Victoria  was  crowned,  from  whom  it  took 
its  name.  The  town  did  not  remain  here  long,  and 
"  Uncle  "  Reynolds  is  sometimes  accused  of  stealing 
it  and  mov-ing  it  up  to  the  present  site.  From  con- 
versation with  this  sturdy  old  pioneer  we  are  inclined 
to  think  there  is  some  truth  in  this  report.  The  pro- 
prietors of  Victoria  were  Geo.  F.  Reynolds,  John 
Becker.  Albert  Arnold,  J.  W.  Spaulding,  W.  L. 
Shurtliff,  Jonas  Hedstrom,  Joseph  Freed  and  J.  J. 
Knapp.  It  was  laid  out  by  A.  A.  Denny,  County 
Surveyor.  A  part  of  the  plat  is  in  section  7  and  a 
part  in  section  18,  also  in  sections  12  and  13,  in  Cop- 
ley Tosvnship. 

John  Becker  had  the  enterprise  to  open  the  first 
store  in  town,  and  G.  F.  Reynolds  opened  the  first 
hotel ;  he  also  erected  the  first  house.  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds was  also  the  first  Postmaster  here.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Isaiah  Berry.  Mr.  Peuse  succeeded 
Berry,  who  was  followed  by  Ephraim  Russell.  Henry 
K.  Olmstead  then  held  Uncle  Sam's  commission  for 
several  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Louis  Emery, 
who  gave  place  to  Lee  Shannon,  the  present  Post- 
master. 

This  town  was  on  the  stage  route  from  Burlington 
to  Chicago  via  Kno.xville.  Four-horse  Concord 
coaches  for  many  years  were  wont  to  roll  through 
this  town  and  stop  beneath  the  shadow  of  Reynolds' 
far-famed  hostelry.  Here  this  hospitable  landlord 
entertained  the  traveling  public  for  15  years. 

Victoria  is  well  laid  out,  with  many  attractive 
dwellings  and  some  good  business-houses.  It  is 
thrifty  and  has  an  extensive  and  rich  farming  coun- 
try to  support  it.  People  come  here  from  Lynn, 
Truro,  Persifer,  Copley  and  Walnut  Grove  Town- 
ships with  their  produce  and  for  marketing.  There 
is  some  talk  of  getting  a  branch  railroad  through 
here.      It  has  a  population  now  of  about  700  souls. 


They  have  never  had  a  corporate  organization,  yet 
all  their  town  affairs  seem  to  run  smoothly. 

There  is  a  very  good  school  here,  which  is  par- 
tially graded.  A.  VV.  Ryan  is  Principal,  with  Mrs. 
K.  \V.  Ryan,  Assistant.  The  enrollment  in  the  up- 
per department  is  43,  in  the  lower  42.  The  average 
attendance  in  both,  75. 

CHURCHES. 

Congregational  Church  of  Victoria.  This  society 
was  organized  under  Presbyterian  auspices,  April  30, 
184 1.  The  meeting  was  held  at  George  Foster's 
residence.  Members  of  the  first  organization  were 
George  and  Jane  Foster,  Geo.  F.  Reynolds  and  wife, 
John  Foster  and  wife,  Wm.,  Harriet  and  Nancy  Foster 
and  Henrietta  Gaines.  The  first  pastor  wns  Rev. 
S.  G.  Wright.  Meetings  were  held  in  private  houses 
and  school-houses  for  several  years. 

In  April,  1849,  the  society  adopted  the  Congrega- 
tional system.  The  church  building  was  erected  in 
1851  on  section  18.  and  was  dedicated  .Aug.  12, 
1852.  It  cost  about  §1,500.  Rev.  David  Todd  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Wright  in  the  spring  of  1847.  and  served 
the  church  until  1850,  when  they  had  supplies  for 
awhile.  Among  these  supplies  were  Jonathan 
Blanchard  and  F.  A.  Armstrong.  In  April,  1853, 
Rev.  Wra.  Beardsley  was  installed,  remaining  until 
October,  1855.  For  several  years  thereafter  they  had 
supplies.  In  February,  1862,  Rev.  B.  F.  Haskins 
assumed  charge,  serving  the  church  until  1874.  He 
was  succeeded  by  Rev.  L.  E.  Benton,  who  remained 
until  July,  t875,  when  H.  C.  Abernethy  took  charge, 
serving  until  May,  1878,  when  they  again  had  sup- 
plies. In  May,  1879,  Rev.  E.  H.  Bakerwas  installed, 
serving  until  January,  1883.  They  had  supplies  then 
until  May,  1884.  At  that  time  the  services  of  Rev. 
Wm.  Chappell  were  obtained,  who  remained  until 
August,  1885.  Since  this  time  the  church  has  had 
no  regular  pastor.  The  membership  is  small.  A 
good  parsonage  is  owned  by  the  society,  valued   at 

$75°- 

Swedish  Methodist  Church.  The  first  class  for  the 
Swedish  people  was  organized  by  Rev.  Mr.  Jonas 
Hedstrom,  Dec.  15,  1846,  in  a  little  log  house  in 
Victoria,  with  five  members,  who  were  taken  on 
probation.  This  mission  was  served  by  several 
preachers,  but  Mr.  Hedstrom  was  the  regular  pastor 
until  1857,  when  Rev.  N.  C.  Westergreen  took  charge, 
serving  until  1858;  Rev.  V.  Witting  from  1858  until 


*x 


•*-- 


•e-- 


t 


1096 


KNOX  COUNTY^ 


^ 


i860.  In  i860  Peter  Newborg  was  placed  in  charge. 
In  1861,  Albert  Ericson;  in  1863,  N.  Peterson;  in 
1866,  Peter  Newborg;  in  1869,  John  H.  Ekstrand ; 
in  1872,  H.  W.  Ehlund;  in  1873,  John  Burstrom ; 
in  1875,  A.  Walgron  ;  in  1876,  H.  Olson;  in  1878, 
C.  F.  Levin;  in  1880,  J.  B.  Anderson,  who  remained 
until  1883,  when  Rev.  P.  M.  Johnson,  the  present 
pastor,  took  charge.  In  1854  ihey  erected  their  first 
church  building,  at  a  cost  of  $2,000.  Subsequently 
they  built  a  parsonage  at  a  cost  of  $500.  Present 
membership,  no. 


WALNUT  GROVE  TOWNSHIP. 

N  attempt  was  made  toward  the  settlement 
of  this  township  as  early  as  the  spring  of 
1832,  by  Messrs.  Jones  and  De  Hart,  who 
made  claims  on  section  21.  The  Black  Hawk 
War  frightened  and  drove  them  away  and  they 
never  returned.  It  was  unoccupied  then  until 
1836,  when  John  Thompson,  from  Pennsylvania,  came 
in  and  made  a  claim  on  section  16,  the  present  site 
of  the  village  of  Altona.  His  nearest  neighbor  then 
was  at  Fraker's  Grove,  some  11  miles  distanti  The 
only  near  neighbors  the  Thompsons  had  were  a  band 
of  Indians ;  two  of  this  band,  an  Indian  and  his 
squaw,  remaining  for  a  long  time.  Thompson  was 
wont  to  speak  of  this  couple  in  high  praise,  and  re- 
gretted much  to  have  them  move  away.  Amos  Ward 
and  Stephen  Eames  moved  into  the  township  soon 
after  Mr.  Thompson,  also  Simeon  L.  Collinson,  from 
England.  From  1838  the  settlement  increased  quite 
rapidly,  and  among  those  who  came  in  were  many  of 
the  Mormon  faith,  the  leader  of  whom,  Joseph 
Smith,  proposed  to  establish  a  branch  church  here, 
and  to  erect  a  temple  for  worship.  At  this  time  the 
head  of  this  so-called  religious  society  was  at  Naii- 
voo,  Hancock  County,  111.  They  organized  a  society 
hereof  about  100  members.  The  fanatics  were  not 
very  cordially  received  by  the  other  settlers,  and  it 
was  intimated  to  them  that  they  would  not  be  pro- 
tected here  either  in  person  or  property,  and  that  they 
had  better  seek  some  other  land  in  which  to  propa- 
gate their  peculiar  ideas.  Accordingly  it  became 
convenient  for  Joe  to  have  a  new  revelation,  and 
they  were  ordered  to  leave  Walnut  Grove  and  go  to 


Hancock  County,  which  order  they  promptly  obeyed. 


John  Thompson,  Jr.,  was  the  first  male  child  born 
in  the  township,  and  Helen,  daughter  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Amos  Ward,  was  the  first  female  child  born. 
Helen  was  married  to  A.  P.  Stephens,  and  went  to 
Iowa. 

The  first  marriage  was  between  Austin  Frederick 
and  Elizabeth  Finney. 

Amos  Ward  was  the  unlucky  man  to  receive  the 
first  commission  as  Postmaster.  He  held  this  office 
for  many  years,  receiving  but  little  else  than  honor 
and  trouble.  The  first  school  taught  here  was  by 
Eugene  Gross,  who  afterward  distinguished  himself 
in  the  legislative  halls  of  the  State.  His  school  was 
taught  in  a  small  log  building  which  was  put  up  in 
1841. 

A  meeting  was  held  for  the  purpose  of  township 
organization,  Aprils,  i^SS-  Amos  Ward  was  chosen 
Chairman//!?  tern.,  and  L.  B.  Farris,  C\.tx\i pro  tern., 
when  the  polls  were  declared  open.  H.  L.  Sage  was 
elected  Moderator,  and  an  adjournment  for  one  hour 
was  had.  Thirty-one  votes  were  cast,  electing  the 
following-named  officers  :  Amos  Ward,  Supervisor  ; 
A.  F.  Ward,  Clerk;  David  Livingston  and  Amos 
Ward,  Justices  of  the  Peace;  H.  L.  Sage,  Assessor; 
James  Pratt,  Collector;  H.  L.  Collinson,  Daniel  Al- 
len and  C.  Capps,  Highway  Commissioners;  Reu- 
ben Cochran,  Overseer  of  the  Poor;  John  Livings- 
ton and  James  Pratt,  Constables. 

The  land  of  this  township  is  nearly  all  high,  roll- 
ing prairie,  having  a  rich  soil,  easy  of  cultivation.  It 
is  well  watered  by  Walnut  and  Prairie  Creeks,  with 
their  tributaries.  Beautiful  groves  are  in  every  part 
of  the  township,  lending  to  it  an  additional  feature 
of  attraction.  The  C,  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.,  which  was 
completed  through  in  the  fall  of  1854,  runs  nearly 
diagonally  across  from  northeast  to  southwest,  af- 
fording the  people  ample  means  of  transportation. 
It  has  one  good  town,  which  is  located  near  its  cen- 
ter, and  where  the  people  do  most  of  their  trading. 
Some  from  the  southwest  part  go  to  Oneida. 

There  are  many  beautiful  farms  and  fine  farm 
buildings  in  this  township.  They  greet  the  eye  of 
the  traveler  from  almost  every  point,  and  cause  him 
to  wish  he  was  one  of  the  fortunate  owners.  Con- 
siderable attention  has  been  given,  of  late  years,  to 
stock-raising,  wiiich  has  met  with  success. 

The  population,  in  1880,  was  1,781  ;  since  this 
time  there  has  been  a  slight  increase.     There  are  1 1 


^ 


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•H). 


jcjvox  county. 


to97 


school  districts,  one  graded  and  lo  ungraded  schools, 
and  12  frame  school-houses. 

SUPERVISORS. 


Amos  Ward 1853.54 

K.  S.  Stuckey 1854-59 

W.  ,*.  Jones i860 

A.  C.  Biiffuin i86i-6a 

S.  S.  Stuckev 1863-66 

J.  S.  Chambers 1867-72 


James  Johnston 1873-74 

S.   S.  Stuckey "875-76 

Nelson    M  ulter 1877-78 

J.W.Andrews 1879-80 

John  A.  Frederick  1881-83 

J.W.Andrews 1884-85 


Altona. 

HIS  thriving  little  town  is  situated  in  about 
the  center  of  Walnut  Grove  Township,  on 
sections  15  and  16.  It  was  laid  out  by  John 
Piatt  for  the  heirs  of  John  Thompson,  in  1854, 
and  was  then  called  La  Pier,  the  plat  contain- 
ing 80  acres.  Daniel  Allen  and  E.  B.  Main 
made  an  addition  the  same  year  of  28  acres,  which 
lay  north  of  the  first  plat.  In  1863  the  name  was 
changed  to  Altona.  The  advent  of  the  C,  B.  &  Q. 
R.  R.,  which  was  completed  through  here  in  Novem- 
'  ber,  1854,  was  the  cause  of  the  town  being  started. 
The  site  is  a  very  pretty  one,  and  is  in  the  midst  of 
a  rich  agricultural  country.  Silas  Willard  was  the 
*  I  pioneer  merchant  and  he  was  soon  followed  by  S. 
P.  Whiting.  Mr.  Willard  opened  his  store  in  1852, 
on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Depot  streets.  Mr. 
Whiting  opened  in  1853  on  the  opposite  corner.  A 
district  school  was  established  here  before  the  town 
was  laid  out.  The  first  church  organized  was  the 
Methodist  Episcopal,  the  second  Sabbath  in  August, 
1853,  by  Rev.  James  Quimby.  The  first  train  came 
in  in  November,  1854.  Dr.  Herman  Hall  was  the 
first  physician  to  locate  in  town,  in  1856.  The  first 
Postmaster  was  Amos  Ward,  and  the  office  was  called 
Walnut  Grove,  and  located  near  tlie  grove  about  a 
mile  south  of  the  present  site.  It  was  moved  up 
after  the  town  was  laid  out. 

Altona  was  incorporated  under  special  act  of  the 
Legislature  in  1856.  This  charter  was  subsequently 
thrown  out  and  the  town  was  re-incorporated  under 
the  general  law  in  1862,  and  re-incorporated  again 
under  the  village  law  in  1874.  Some  of  the  records 
have  been  lost  and  tiie  history  is  incomplete.  This 
is  the  home  of  Dr.  R.  C.  Edgerton,  who  was  quite 
prominent  in  the  old  slavery  days  as  one  of  the 
operators  of  the  Underground  Railroad.  The  Doctor 
relates  that,  while  living  ai  Galesburg  in  the  summer 
of  1844,  the  slaves  who  made  their  escape  from  Mis- 
souri came  to  his  house  and  asked  for  food.    He  gave 


them  all  a  good  meal  and  then  took  them  out  into  a 
grove  and  gave  them  the  proper  directions  north. 
They  had  been  gone  but  a  few  minutes  when  their 
owners,  with  a  (xjsse  and  bloodhounds,  came  on  in 
hot  pursuit.  They  threatened  the  Doctor,  and  finally 
ordered  him  out  in  the  chase  for  tlie  fugitives.  This 
he  refused  to  do.  He  went  into  town,  rallied  around 
him  a  lot  of  young  men,  and  returned  to  the  slave- 
hunters  and  told  them  if  they  did  not  leave  town 
forthwith  they  would  make  them  wish  they  had  never 
seen  a  slave.     This  order  they  obeyed  post-haste. 

An  election  was  held  to  elect  officers  for  village 
organization  in  March,  1873.  The  Trustees  elected 
met  at  John  W.  Cline's  office  and  completed  organi- 
zation by  electing  John  W.  Cline,  President ;  A.  C. 
Scott,  Clerk;  E.  P.  Lindwell,  Treasurer.  Jacob  Ter- 
williger  was  apiwinted  Police  Constable.  The  records 
of  the  organization  and  elections  prior  to  this  time 
have  been  lost. 

Amos  Ward  held  the  position  of  Postmaster  until 
1 85 6,  and  was  succeeded  by  J.  N.  Rush,  and  Rush  ' 
by  Wm.  Burneson,  who  held  it  until  1861.  John 
Fowler  was  the  incumbent  during  Lincoln's  admin- 
istration. He  was  followed  by  W.  E.  Ward,  E.  C.  X 
Russell,  W.  M.  Whiting,  W.  E.  Wan!  again,  W.  M. 
Whiting  again,  A.  G.  Love  and  L.  K.  Byers,  the  pres- 
ent Postmaster. 

Altona  is  a  prosperous  town,  with  substantial  busi- 
ness houses  and  many  fine  dwellings.  It  has  a  com- 
manding view  of  the  country  surrounding  it;  its  streets 
are  well  laid  off  and  ornamented  with  beautiful  shade 
trees. 

The  population  is  estimated  now  to  be  about  850. 
The  present  officers  are  L.  D.  Vanscogk,  J.  C.  Col- 
linson,  P.  M.  Cronland,  Nelson  Multer  and  A.  G. 
Love,  Trustees;  with  C.  A.  Hopkins,  President  of 
the  Board;  S.  M.  Whiting,  Clerk;  and  P.  M.  Cron- 
land, Treasurer. 

Altona  has  a  good  graded  school.  A  full  English 
course  is  taught  here,  and  the  elements  of  science. 
They  have  a  High  School  course,  with  a  term  of  two 
years.  A  very  fair  school  building  was  erected  some 
years  ago.  This  graded  school  was  organized  as 
early  as  October,  1858.  S.  R.  Lemon  is  Principal, 
and  Mrs.  Lemon  has  charge  of  tie  (Grammar  De- 
partment; Mrs.  Casey  Howland,  tiie  Intermediate, 
and  Mrs.  Etta  Tamblyn,  the  Primary.  The  enroll- 
ment shows  the  names  of  200 ;  the  averaee  attend- 
ance about  180. 


^ 


1098 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


T\\e  Journal  was  established  July  i,  1877,  by  E. 
H.  Waldo,  who  brought  the  press  from  Michigan, 
where  he  had  published  a  paper.  Nov.  i,  1877,  S. 
P.  Whiting  purchased  the  paper,  and  has  since  that 
time  been  the  editor  and  proprietor.  It  is  a  six- 
column  quarto,  issued  every  Friday;  independent  in 
politics  and  religion  ;  circulation,  about  300. 

Mr.  Whiting  came  with  the  family  to  tlie  county 
in  1850,  and  embarked  in  the  mercantile  business  at 
Victoria.  In  1853  a  move  was  made  to  Altona, 
where  the  mercantile  business,  in  connection  with 
shipping  stock  and  produce,  and  carrying  on  a  farm- 
ing busmess,  was  prosecuted  until  1875.  He  has 
since  1877  continued  as  proprietor  of  \.\\e  Journal, 
giving  the  news  of  the  county  to  its  patrons  through 
its  colums. 

SOCIETIES. 

Masonic  Lodge,  Ao.  J  JO,  A.  F.  &-'  A.  M.,  was 
chartered  Oct.  3,  i860,  with  nine  charter  members. 
First  officers  were  Hiram  Hall,  W.  M.;  A.  P.  Stephens, 
S.  W.;  G.  D.  Blanker,  J.  W.  It  was  organized  under 
*  dispensation  March  20,  r86o,  with  J.  J.  Friend,  W. 
M.;  Chas.  Trobridge,  S.  W.;  G.  D.  Slanker,  J.  W.; 
J.  S.  Chambers,  Treas.;  J.  B.  McCalmont,  Secy.; 
,  Hiram  Hall,  S.  D.;  Geo.  McKowan,  J.  D;  H.  New- 
mar,  Tiler.  Present  officers  :  H.  L.  Weaver,  W.  M.; 
E.  S.  Keyes,  S.  W.;  Wm.  Hall,  J.  W.;  T.  F.  Temple- 
ton,  Treas.;  L.  B,  Young,  Secy.;  G.  V.  Sydan,  8.  D.; 
C.  A.  Hopkins,  J.  D.;  Wm.  Moore,  Tiler.  Present 
membership  about  40.  The  Lodge  owns  the  build- 
ing, have  a  neat  little  hall,  are  in  good  working  order 
and  prosperous. 

Altona  Lodge,  No.  511,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  chartered 
Oct.  14,  1873,  ^^i'h  seven  charter  members.  First 
officers:  Mathew  Wiley,  N.  G.;  R.  J.;  Burnerson,  V. 
G.;  G.  U.  Hall.'Rec.  Secy.;  John  A.  Stiickey,  Treas.; 
J.  H.  Griffith,  P.  G.  Present  officers  :  O.  M.  Tiffany, 
N.  G.;  N.  P.  Akeyson,V.  G.;  G.  S.  Chalmers,  Secy.; 
J.  W.  Andrews,  Treas;  A.  G.  Little,  W.;  D.  M. 
Simpson,  C.  Present  membership  30.  The  Lodge 
is  in  good  condition,  and  has  money  loaned  out.  It 
has  a  nice  little  hall  rented. 

CHURCHES. 

The  Congregational  Church  of  Altona  was  organized 
Feb.   21,   1857,  by  Rev.  A.  Root.     Members,  M.  B. 
Waldo  and  wife,  Truman  Eels  and  wife,  Mrs.  Caro-    , 
line  Jones,  Stephen  Eames  and  W.  A.  Jones.    They    ' 


held  meetings  in  a  school-house  and  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  first.  They  erected  a  church 
in  the  year  1866,  which  was  dedicated  November 
9  of  that  year,  and  cost  about  $4,000.  Rev.  A.  Root 
was  the  first  established  pastor,  remaining  only  a  few 
months.  Rev.  A.  R.  Mitchell  followed,  serving  till 
1859,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  H.  C.  Aber- 
nethy,  as  a  supply.  Then  came  Rev.  L.  H.  Parker, 
who  was  a  supply  for  awhile  in  1866.  Then  Rev. 
Harris  was  a  supply  for  a  few  months.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  J.  D.  WyckofT,  in  1867,  who  re- 
mained until  1869.  J.  L.  Grangerserved  the  church 
next  as  a  supply  until  187  i.  Rev.  H.  C.  Abernethy 
then  served  about  six  years,  leaving  in  1878.  Rev. 
E.  H.  Baker  came  in  1879,  serving  as  supply  for  two 
years.  Since  that  time  they  hax^^fir^ly  occasional 
services,  and  this  in  union  with  the  Presbyi'eri'ah's. 
Present  membership  is  about  25.  They  have  a  Sun- 
day-school, with  good  attendance. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Chur(Ji.^'  This  society 
was  organized  here  in  August,  1853,^^'  Rev.  James 
Quimby,  with  13  members.  In  1857  they  erected 
their  building,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  It  is  a  substantial 
frame  building.  From  1867  to  the  present  time  this 
church  has  been  served  by  the  following-named 
pastors  :  Revs.  E.  Ransom,  B.  Applebee,  A.  Bower, 
G.  W.  Martin,  A.  K.  TuUis,  W.  Watson,  J.  Ferguson, 
M.  V.  B.  White,  J.  E.  Taylor,  R.  Barton,  D.  T.  Wil- 
son and  J.  A.  Riason,  the  present  pastor  in  charge. 
They  have  a  membership  now  of  about  100,  with  a 
flourishing  Sunday-school. 

BANDS. 

Altona  has  a  taste  for  music,  which  is  evidenced 
by  her  having  two  local  bands.  Altona  Cornet 
Band  was  organized  Oct.  6,  1883,  with  15  members, 
and  P.  T.  Anderson,  leader.  The  present  members 
are  P.  T.  Anderson,  Leader;  John  Taylor,  Secy.;  W. 
B.  Tiffany,  Treas.;  Latimer  Linderhohm,  John  Ek- 
stedt,  E.  Swanson,  A.  Scott,  A.  W.  Anderson,  W.  H. 
Vanconk,  O.  CoUinson,  G.  Perfect  and  G.  Johnson. 
They  practice  regularly  and  play  very  well. 

The  ladies  have  also  interested  themselves  in  this 
department  of  music,  and  have  also  organized  a 
band.  The  Ladies'  Cornet  Band  of  Altona  was  or- 
ganized Aug.  20,  1884.  John  Ekstedt  is  the  leader. 
The  members  are  Addie  Shade,  Ella  Durand,  Lydia 
Tapper,  Etta  Collinson,  Nellie  Edwards,  Maude 
Templeton,  Mettie  Hopkins  and  Maude  Bane. 


A= 


JU 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


1099 


glc^C^iei     ^iJ^^^a 


rOCK- RAISING  in  Knox 
County  has  become  one  of  the 
chief  and  most  profitaiile  en- 
terprises of  many  of  her  lead- 
ing citizens.  It  is  not  simply 
stock  that  they  raise,  but  the 
"*"'  '  best  pure-bred  animals  known 
in  the  world.  Here  are  to  be  found 
some  herds  of  cattle  equal  to  almost 
any  to  be  found  anywhere.  Many 
of  the  farmeis  have  displayed  great 
enterprise,  as  well  as  rare  good  judg- 
ment, in  the  way  they  have  taken 
hold  of  the  breeding  of  high  grades 
of  cattle,  horses  and  swine.  Some 
of  them  have  had  the  courage  to  in- 
vest vast  sums  of  money  in  a  few 
animals.  These,  however,  have  invariably,  we  think, 
proven  good  investments,  besides  doing  much  toward 
lifting  up  the  standard  of  the  grade  of  the  home 
stock.  Below  we  give  the  names  of  many  of  the 
leading  fine-stock  raisers  in  the  county. 

SHORT-HORNS. 

The  first  man  to  introduce  Short-horns  into  Knox 
County  was  Peter  Godfrey,  who  resided  in  Orange 
Township.  A.  J.  Dunlap  and  E.  J.  Byram  were  the 
second  to  introduce  this  breed  of  cattle,  which  was 
in  1861.  Mr.  Dunlap  started  his  herd  on  his  farm 
near  Galesburg,  and  Mr.  Byiam  near  Abingdon. 
Both  these  men  were  successful,  and  established 
good  herds. 

George  W.   Dunlap  &  Bro.,  sons  of  A.  J.  Dunlap, 


are  breeding  thoroughbreds  on  their  farms,  section 
rg.  Cedar  Townsliip,  and  have  a  fine  herd. 

A.  P.  Charles,  whose  fine  stock  farm  is  near  Knox- 
ville,  has  a  splendid  herd  of  Short-horns,  and  is  quite 
an  extensive  breeder.  He  is  also  raising  the  Polled 
.\ngus.  Some  of  his  fine  stock  are  shown  in  the 
lithographic  plate  in  this  volume. 

F.  P.  Foliz,  on  section  30,  Cedar  Township,  is  a 
successful  breeder  of  Short-horns.  He  has  40  of 
pure  blood  and  75  of  high  grades. 

In  Sparta  Township,  Niles  &  Bros,  take  the  lead 
in  raising  Short-horns.  Their  stock  farm  is  located 
on  sections  21  and  2q.'  They  have  a  fine  and  grow- 
ing herd. 

C.  W.  Wetmore.  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  of 
Ontario  Township,  on  section  32,  is  giving  his  atten- 
tion to  the  Short-horn  stock.  He  is  also  breeding 
blooded  hogs. 

In  Henderson  Township,  on  section  34,  O.  S. 
-■Mien,  one  of  the  prominent  farmers  in  this  part  of 
the  county,  has  a  fine  herd  of  grades,  and  owns  a  full- 
blooded  Short-horn  bull. 

Of  the  breeders  of  Short-horn  stock  in  Knox 
County,  J.  S.  Latiuier  and  sons  take  the  lead.  Their 
place  is  known  as  Cedar  Farm,  and  is  located  near 
the  center  of  Cedar  Township  and  consists  of  350 
acres.  The  farm  is  beautifully  located  and  is  one  of 
the  finest  in  the  county,  with  good,  large  and  con- 
venient buildings. 

Mr.  Latimer  commenced  breeding  and  dealing  in 
Short-horns  in  1872,  procuring  his  first  60  head 
tVom  Kentucky.  From  that  time  on,  they  have 
steadily  increased  their  herds  and  their  stock  busi- 


i* 


^M 


Hl-J 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


ness.  They  have  had  four  public  sales  of  their 
stock,  the  average  price  per  head  being$226,  the  sales 
consisting  mostly  of  yearlings.  In  addition  to  this 
they  have  had  a  large  trade  in  full  bloods  and  high 
grades  with  the  Western  ranches,  having  realized  in 
this  direction  over  $400,000.  Their  total  sales  have 
reached  upward  of  a  million  of  dollars. 

About  five  years  ago  Mr.  Latimer  took  his  son  and 
son-in-law,  W.  B.  Dunlap,  into  partnership  with  him. 
They  now  have  a  herd  of  150  head  of  full-blooded 
Short-liorns  and  300  high  grades.  Their  Short-horns 
are  of  the  leading  families,  many  of  them  having 
been  imported  from  England  at  a  cost  of  from  $500 
to  $1,000  each. 

These  enterprising  breeders  continue  to  keep 
abreast  of  the  times,  and  are  constantly  striving  to 
improve  their  stock.  They  have  no  fears  of  future 
results,  and  believe  the  day  is  far  distant  when 
there  will  be  a  surplus  of  good  Short-horns. 

Otiier  prominent  breeders  of  Short-liorns  in  this 
'  county  are :  C.  N.  Butt,  of  Kno.xville ;  Jonas  L. 
Campbell,  of  Abingdon;  N.  Fay  &  Son,  Oneida;  O. 
C.  Ferris,  Galesburg ;  Amos  Hinchliff  and  Heber 
>"Gillis,  of  Rio;  Strawther  Givens  and  W.  H.  Heller, 
of  Abingdon;  R.  J.  McKeighan,  Yates  City;  K.  R. 
Marks,  Abingdon;  W.  Robson  &  Son,  Wataga,  and 
^  J.  R.  Robson,  Rio;  H.  M.  and  W.  P.  Sisson  and 
John  R.  Smith,  of  Galesburg;  and  Isaac  W.  Wet- 
more,  of  Ontario. 

HOLSTEINS. 

W.  P.  Mosher,  the  enterprising  farmer  of  Ontario 
Township,  section  29,  has  started  a  Holstein  herd 
and  is  doing  well. 

JERSEY    HERD. 

J.  H.  Miller,  of  Abingdon,  was  the  first  to  introduce 
the  Jersey  stock,  he  having  brought  in,  in  March, 
1883,  a  Jersey  bull,  which  he  purchased  in  Peoria. 
He  has  a  fine  stock  farm,  which  is  located  near  Ab- 
ingdon. His  herd  consists  now  of  15  head  of  pure 
Jerseys,  he  having  sold  off  from  time  to  lime.  For 
awhile  he  was  in  partnership  with  with  J.  S.  Latimer, 
which  partnership,  however,  was  terminated  in  1884, 
Mr.  Miller  buying  most  of  the  stock.  In  May,  1883, 
while  in  partnership  witli  Mr.  Latimer,  he  bought  in 
Chicago  five  Jersey  cows,  which  he  brought  to  the 
farm.  Mr.  Miller  is  very  proud  of  his  Jersey  stock, 
and  is  sanguine  of  a  continued  success  in  this  line 
of  breeding. 


GALLOWAY  CATTLE. 

The  Galloway  stock  was  first  introduced  into  Ce- 
dar Township  by  J.  J.  Rodgers.  The  first  bull  was 
John  Boler,  bred  by  Hart  &  Co.,  of  Canada.  He 
was  brought  to  Cedar  Township,  Knox  County,  in 
March,  1880,  and  proved  to  be  a  grand  breeder, 
making  an  excellent  record.  The  first  females  were 
brought  to  Cedar  Township  the  same  spring  with  one 
bull  calf,  from  Peter  Davey's  herd,  Monterey,  Wis. 
They  consisted  of  Sallie,  MoUie,  Snip,  Snow,  and 
Peter  Davey,  the  bull  calf.  In  1882,  Mr.  Rodgers 
sold  all  of  these,  with  their  increase,  to  parties  in 
Missouri.  In  1884  he  purchased  of  Messrs.  Norris 
&  Clarke,  of  Lamoille,  111.,  seven  more  of  this  breed 
— six  heifers  and  one  bull — Don  of  Lamoille  (1617). 
The  heifers  were  Anna  (1601),  dam,  Bron  Nellie 
(1585);  Frances  (1604),  dam,  Lady  Walton  (1580); 
Grace  (1605),  Nellie  of  Broom  (1582);  Charlotte 
(1600),  dam.  Pretty  Polly  (1586)  ;  Dela  (1602),  dam. 
Black  Bess  (1584);  Coa  (1603),  dam.  Maid  of  Keetle, 
(1583).  All  these  were  from  their  first  imported 
cows,  and  by  imported  bull  Harral  (1610),  a  noted 
Galloway.  This  made  one  of  the  best  foundations 
for  a  Galloway  herd  in  the  State.  Mr.  Rodgers  now 
makes  the  Angus  cattle  a  specialty,  although  he 
thinks  the  Galloways  are  good  cattle. 

Among  the  leading  breeders  in  the  State  of  the 
Galloway  cattle  are  Parker  &  Hardy,  whose  farm  is 
located  near  Abingdon.  They  are  extensively  en- 
gaged in  breeding  this  stock.  They  are  the  owners 
of  a  splendid  bull.  Prince  Jumbo  (i  141),  which  was 
imported.     This  firm  are  doing  well  with  their  herd. 

James  Hammond,  whose  farm  is  located  on  section 
33,  in  Ontario  Township,  has  a  Galloway  herd,  and 
is  doing  finely  with  them.     See  sketch  of  Mr.  Hardy. 

As  will  be  seen  by  the  account,  Knox  County  has 
rapidly  advanced  in  the  imixsrtant  industry  of  fine- 
siock  raising.  From  the  time  that  Peter  Godfrey 
first  introduced  the  Short-horns  to  the  present  time 
there  has  been  a  steady  development  in  this  depart- 
ment. It  has  been  demonstrated  tha*.  the  higher 
a  d  purer  the  thoroughbreds,  and  the  better  the 
grades,  the  more  profitable  it  is  to  the  breeder. 

HISTORY  OF  ANGUS  CATTLE  IN  KNOX  COUNTY. 

/.  /.  Rodgers'  Angus  Farm.  In  1880  J.  J.  Rodg- 
ers,   of  Abingdon,    111.,   purchased    from   Thomas 


JLrr 


V 


4 


?=:^^ 


KNOX  COUNTY. 


Ferguson,  of  Kinnochtry,  Coupar  Angus,  Scotland, 
Favorite  6th  (3118),  Baroness  Sth  {5039),  Keepsake 
7th  (5500),  Sallie  13th  (5524)  and  Baron  Balgersho 
(2696)— one  bull  and  four  heifers — and  imported 
them  from  Glasgow  to  Boston,  Mass.,  in  May,  1881. 
They  were  then  hauled  eight  miles  from  the  vessel 
and  placed  in  quarantine,  where  they  remained  tliree 
months,  then  shipped  to  Abingdon,  111.,  and  arrived 
at  the  Angus  Farm  Aug.  10,  i88i.  During  the 
voyage  the  increase  was  a  bull  calf — Boston  (2002). 
In  1882  Mr.  R.  imported  from  the  same  herd  in 
Scotland  15  more — 2  bulls  and  13  heifers.  Among 
them  was  Prince  of  the  Blood  (2307).  In  1883  he 
imported  20  more  bulls. 

Principally  all  of  the  above  were  of  the  Keillor 
Watson  families,  which  have  been  bred  and  handleil 
down  through  the  Watson  families,  via  Mr.  Fergu- 
son, since  from  about  the  year  1700,  and  to  date 
there  is  not  one  other  pure  Keillor  Watson  animal 
in  America  beside  what  is  now  at  the  Angus  Farm  ; 
and  those  that  have  been  sold  from  there  are  tho 
next  closest  in  America. 

In  addition  to  the  three  ;ibove  importations,  Mr. 
'  Rodgers,  in  1883,  purchased  from  the  Geary  Bros., 
M.  H.  Cochrane  and  Mrs.  Whi'.field,  of  Canada, 
about  30  more  heifers,  the  choice  of  their  importa- 
tions and  representatives  of  all  the  best  families  of 
Angus  cattle  in  Scotland.  All  these  together  make 
one  of  the  best-selected  herds  of  .^ngus  cattle  in 
either  Europe  or  America. 

First  cost  in  Scotland  ranged  fiom  $300  toSr,ooo 
per  head  ;  cost  of  importing,  from  $100  to  $150  each, 
aside  from  risk,  losses  and  other  expenses.  The 
average  of  the  sales  since,  for  cash,  of  principally  the 
increase,  was  S500  for  the  bulls  and  $900  for  the 
heifers.  The  Angus  Farm  herd  has  now  furnished 
the  foundations  for  50  herds,  which  are  distributed 
over  Illinois,  Missouri,  Iowa,  Dakota  and  Nebraska, 
but  principally  within  ten  miles  of  the  Angus  Farm 
herd.  And  these  are  also  well  distributed  among 
the  best  farmers  and  stockmen  of  the  country. 

The  bulls  that  have  most  distinguished  themselves 
at  the  Angus  Farm  are  Baron  Balgersiio  (1696)  and 
Prince  of  the  Blood  (2307).  They  have  the  honor 
and  record  of  producing  sons  and  daughters  that 
have  sold  for  thousands  of  dollars.  Two  bulls  and 
ten  heifers,  under  one  year  old,  sold  for  $12,000. 
Their  half-bloods,  from  common  native  cows,  have 


sold  as  high  as  $225  each.  Baron  Balgersho  {1696) 
and  Prince  of  the  Blood  (2307)  also  have  sisters  and 
daughters  at  Angus  Farm  worth  $2,000  apiece.  It 
is  the  opinion  of  good  judges  that  no  two  individuals 
will  prove  themselves  so  valuable  to  the  county  as 
Baron  Balgersho  (1696)  and  Prince  of  the  Blood 
(2307).  Their  future  is  immense  and  will  yet  fill 
volumes. 

The  most  distinguished  among  the  females  at  the 
Angus  Farm  are  Princess  Olga  (55  2 1),  Princess  Lou- 
isa (s5  18),  Blooming  Bell  (5493),  Matilda  of  Rouge- 
mont  {2247),  Princess  Maria  (5519),  Princess 
Alberta  (55  rs),  Dulciana  of  Kinnochtry  (5495),  Bar- 
oness 8th  (5039),  Favorite  6th  (3t  18),  Lady  Benton 
(6109),  and  a  number  of  others  whose  progeny  have 
not  yet  been  offered  for  sale.  But  these  noted  ones 
are  the  dams  of  more  $i,ooo  calves  than  any  cows 
that  were  ever  in  the  county.  They  are  the  dams 
of  the  following  12  calves  that  have  been  sold  at 
$r,ooo  each:  Princess  Beatrice,  to  A.  Hall  &  Son, 
Abingdon,  III. ;  Piincess  Lena,  to  B.  J.  Manifold, 
Dallas,  III. ;  Prince  Sainbo,  to  B  J.  Manifold, 
Dallas,  111. ;  Lady  Langtry,  to  John  Harvey,  Abing- 
don, III. ;  Queen  Victoria,  to  John  Harvey,  Abing-  *< 
don.  III. ;  Princess  Quebec,  to  W.  Neill,  Abingdon, 
III. ;  Diamond  Princess,  to  H.  Dunfee,  Farragut, 
Iowa ;  Charlotte,  to  Benj.  Lombard,  Boston,  Mass. ; 
Prince  of  Angus  Farm,  to  F.  Wilson,  Knoxville,  III.; 
Princess  of  the  Valley,  to  A.  Stickle,  Macomb,  III  ; 
Mechtildas  sold  for  $1,000  and  resold  since  for  the 
same  price. 

Among  the  cows  sold  for  $1,000  and  over  are 
Princess  Maud  (5520),  to  A.  Hall  &  Co.,  Abingdon, 
III.,  $2,000;  Prii.cess  Phoebe  (4522),  to  J.Walton, 
Plymouth,  111.,  $r,5oo;  Keepsake  7th  (5500),  to  J. 
Harvey,  Abingdon,  111.,  $1,200;  Lena  3d  (4279),  to 
A.  Hall  &  Co.,  $1,200;  Rose  5th  (4953),  to  N.  Fo.\, 
Stiles,  Iowa,  $t,ooo. 

The  above  distinguished  cattle  are  of  the  fam- 
ilies of  Angus  doddies  that  the  late  Hugh  Watson 
and  William  McCombie  bequeathed  to  the  world. 

P.  S.  Allie  (1789),  A.  M.,  purchased  by  Mr.  R. 
from  Findly  &  Anderson,  Lake  Forest,  III.,  was  the 
first  Angus  heifer  that  he  brought  to  the  county. 
She  arrived  at  the  Angus  Farm,  April  3,  1881. 

The  Angus  Farm  herd  now  consists  of  about  53 
pure  heifers  and  9  hulls,  headed  by  Prince  of  the 
Blood  (2307);  and  also  100  Angus  grades. 


Hh=^ 


% 


BIOGFJp^F^I^P^- 


Abernethy,  G.  F 754 

Ackerman,  J 204 

Adams,  A.  F 482 

Adams,  Andrew 249 

Adams.John 23 

Adams,  John  Quincy 39 

Adams,  Wilson 567 

Adams,  Wilson 303 

Adams,  Ziba  H 489 

Addis,  Irwin 681 

Aldiith,  Dr.    D.  W   834 

Alexander,  W.  P 257 

1      Allen.  C.  E 8?3 

Alltn,  F.    J 755 

■^ll^n.  J^-n-es 47S 

Allen.  Hugh  C 860 

Allen, S.  O 23c 

Allen,  S.  W 950 

Anderson,  A.  B 206 

Anderson,  A.    G 724 

Anderson,  Jonas   F 793 

Anderson,  N.  L 597 

Anderson,  Ole 410 

Anderson,  Otto 856 

Anderson,  Peter 743 

Anderson,  Thomas 915 

Andrews,  J.    W 799 

Andrews,   Thomas 650 

Arms, Henry 505 

Arms,  Wm 892 

Armstrong,  Isaac  Q 674 

Armstrong,  J.   B 498 

Arnold,  B.   F 961 

Arnold,  H.   L 751 

Arthur,    Chester  A 99 

Avery,  Geo 839 


Backman,  Rev.  Chas.   A.  ..778 

Bailey,  Walter 414 

Baily,  Reuben,  M.  D 578 

Bair,  Rev.  D.  F 542 

Bale,  las 275 


Earbero,  Nathan =62 

Barlow,  Amos  A 618 

Barlow,  Gideon   A 604 

Barlow,  Samuel  K 596 

Barlow,  W.  F 639 

Barnard,  Rev.  L.  F, 778 

Barnes,  Gen.  Myron  S 782 

Barnett,  Anderson 367 

Barnett,  John  T 740 

Bartlett,  E.    A 277 

Bartlett,  F.  S 801 

Bartlett,  Loamma  M 216 

Barton,  Thomas  M 741 

Bates,  M.   C 557 

Beale,  S.  K 50^ 

Beamer,  F.   S 6m 

Beatty,  Z 785 

Beebe.O.  P 30J 

Beeson,  Wm.   H 509 

Behringer,  Mrs.    Ellen 2;8 

Belden,  Marcus 907 

Belknap,  E.  H 824 

Bellwood,  Jefferson 531 

Benfield,  E.  M 546 

Berggren,  Hon.  A.  W 821 

Besler,  J.  D 749 

Best,  M.    H 463 

Best,  Wm  439 

Beveridge.John  L 17, 

Biedermann,  Henry 752 

Biggs,  Iram 826 

Bissell,  William  H 151 

Blakeslee,  Sala 947 

Blakeslee,  C.  C 947 

Blick,  A.   H 844 

Bliss.Cyrus 5,2 

Bloomfield,  J.   H 813 

Bloorafield,  John  L 264 

Bond,  Shadrach mi 

Bond,   Wm 333 

Booth,  Jacob 460 

Boydston,  Emma 327 

Boydston,  Mary  J 483 

Boyington,  J.    B 531 

Bradbury,  Andrew 354 

Bradbury,  Mrs.  S.  A 489 

Bradford,   H.   S 974 

Bragg,  Julius   D 631 

Brainard,   Edwin 278 

Brainard,  Jephtha 518 

"A- 


Brechwald,  C 755 

Brewer,  J.S 640 

Briggs,  J.    W 974 

Broadfield,  Geo.   O 496 

Brooks,  T.  C 688 

Brown,  George  W 643 

Brown,  Harmon 854 

Brown,  H.  G 275 

Brown,  J.  E 893 

Brown,  Joshua 619 

Brown,  L.  A 764 

Brown,  L.  B 697 

Bruner,  M 773 

Brunson,  Dr.  L.  C 489 

Buchanan.  James 7s 

Buffum,  Mathew 488 

Bulkeley,  M.  A 980 

Burgland,  Nels  M 882 

Kurkhalter,  Capt.  James  L  .853 

Burner,  Milton  D 521 

Burneson,  N.  W 981 

Burnett,  G.P 972 

Burt,  John  C 793 

Butt,  Geo.  W 300 

Byers,  L.  K 593 

Byram,  Mrs.  E 494 

Byram,  Robert 271 


Caldwell,  A.  W 600 

Caldwell,  Wm 469 

Calkins,  Edwin 440 

Calkins,  J.   H 763 

Campbell.  James  1 237 

Campbell,  O.  L 591 

Campbell,  R.   M 955 

Campbell,  W.   W 607 

Camp,   Rev.    Thos 926 

Cardiff,   E.   A 726 

Carey,  Benj 701 

Carley,  J.   V.  R 434 

Carl  in,  Thomas 135 

Carlton,  Charles 510 

Games,  J.  W 427 

Carpenter,  A.  N 919 

Carr,   Col.   Clark  E 721 


Carr,  M.  .S.,  M    D 752 

Case,  Frank  H 949 

Cashman,  J.  L 270 

Castle,  Reuben 661 

Catterton,  James  R 426 

Caulkins,  Samuel 717 

Cawkins,  A.    A 975 

Challman,  Geo.    E 596 

Chalmers,  G.  S 656' 

Chambers,  J.S       780 

Chandler,  Jesse 459 

Charles,  A.   G 885 

Charles,  A.  P 

Charles,  Geo     A.... 
Charles,   Harley   J    . 


Cha 


Mor 


Chr 


Dr 


9'3|< 


.923 


Chapman,   Ezra 297 


•305 


Churchill,  Prof.   George 

Clark,  C.  S 7,6 

Clark,  Hon     Dennis 756 

Clark,  Walter  H 493 

Clarkson,  John    831 

Clay,  A.    C 89s 

Clay,  H.    H 706 

Clesson,  Joseph 384 

Cleveland,  S.  Grover 103 

Cochran,   Josiah  J 48a 

Cochrun,  A.    B 203 

Cochrun,  Andrew 42a 

Coe,  R.    B 592 

Cole,  C.  A 590 

Coles,  Edward 115 

Coleman,  Francis 570 

Coleman,    Mary  A 776 

Collins,  E.  M 708 

Collins,  M.  H 980 

Collins,  Peter 585 

Collinson,  Charles 807 

Collinson,  Geo.  M 775 

Collinson,  H.   G 684 

Collinson,  John 869 

Collinson,  J.  S 800 

Collinson,  S.   L 714 

Collinson.  T.  W s40 

Colton,  C.   S 953 

Colton.  Francis 957 

Combs,  Wm.  M 954 

Cooke,  M.  1) 825 

Cook,  Jame- 47« 


-6-^ 


-t 


-— 4-4- 


^^ 


1 104 


INDEX. 


Cooley,  E.  A 773 

Cooley,  Hon.  O.  P 829 

Cooley,  Hon.  Zelotes 432 

Cool,  J.  M 449 

Cope,  Isaac 285 

Corbin.  Wm 427 

Corey,  J.   M 407 

Cothren,  J.  W 784 

Cover,  J.  C 716 

Cox,  L.  J 495 

Craig,  Wm 70S 

Cramer,   Charles  633 

Cramer,  Elijah 656 

Cramer,  Isaac 597 

Crandall,   J.  C 768 

Crane,  J.  W 415 

Crawford,  J.   L 582 

Crocker,  F.    O 732 

Cronland,  P.   M 595 

CuUom,  Shelby  M 175 

Gumming,  Rev.  J.  S 466 

Cummings,  Robert 315 

Cunningham,  Nelson 410 

Cuyler,  C.  H 832 


Davis,  George 827 

Davis,  James  W 471 

Dawdy,  J.  M 201 

Dawdy,  John  W 571 

Dawdy,  L.    J 256 

Day,  D.  B 970 

Dechant,  Peter 680 

Be  Long,  M.  P 446 

Dempsey,  C 342 

Derby,  F.  T 591 

Derham,  J.E 813 

Deuel,  E.  G 373 

Dickerson,  W.  W 272 

Dieterich,  G.  V 675 

Doak,  John 827 

Dodd,  H.  F 903 

Donason,  A.   O 378 

Dougherty,  Hon.  M 564 

Dunbar,  Harry 832 

Duncan,  Joseph 131 

Dunlap,  Andrew  T 935 

Dunlap,  Mrs.   M.  F 323 

Dunlap,  W.   B 536 

Duval,  T.  C 292 


Eads,  E.  T .-744 

Earel,  E.J 973 

Earel,  Harvey  D 615 

Eckman,  J.  D 297 

Edgar,  Lowry  J 712 

Edmundson,  John  E 524 

Edwards,  Geo.   F 978 

Edwards,    Ninian 119 

Edwards,  R.   C 228 

Ehrenhart,  Fred 446 

Eiker,  D.   M 685 


Eiker,   J.  C 681 

Ekins,  George 739 

Eldriedge,  James   J 75° 

Elliott,  Burgess 683 

Elliott,  G.   W 631 

Ellis,  Joseph 191 

Ellison,  Oliver 449 

Ely,  Boanerges    431 

Emery,  John  G 582 

Emrich,  Henry 863 

England,  George 796 

Er.gland,  Henry 585 

England,  Jacob 590 

Enke,  Hiram 959 

Ennis,  John 477 

Envall,  John 888 

Epperson,  P.  W 193 

Epperson,  W.  D 820 

Erickson,  J.  E 856 

Erickson,  Peter 846 

Ericson,  Charles  A 795 

Ericson,   Eric 670 

Evans,  Gilbert 887 

Evans,  Willfard 563 

Ewing,  W.   L.  D 127 


Farnham,  Wm.  S 289 

Faulkner,  I.  B 701 

Fay,  Norman 242 

Ferris,   Henry 693 

Ferris,  L.    D 962 

Fifield,   John  L 732 

Fillmore,  Millard 67 

Finch,  Oscar 730 

Finley,  J.   Alexander 306 

Fisher,  Joseph 866 

Fleming,  J.  M 277 

Flynn,  Daniel  W 862 

Foltz,  F.  P 276 

Fooks,  Mathew 634 

Foote,  Dr.  G.  W 865 

Ford,  Thomas 139 

Foster,  J.  M 380 

Foster,  R.   P 434 

Foster,  Dr.  S 195 

Fowler,  F.  E 803 

Frailey,  Henry 445 

Frans,  Peter 548 

Fredricks,  L.  F..    396 

French,  Augustus  C   143 

Frisbie,  Hon.  D.  H 879 

Frohlich,  Solomon 880 

Fry,  John   F 744 

Fuller,  Charles  H 794 

Fuller,  Capt.    F 777 

Fuqua,  Daniel 269 


Gale,  Wm.  Selden. 

Gardt,  Henry 

Garfield,  James  A.. 


Garwood,  J.C 584 

Gay,  Martin  W 611 

Gehring,  Alexander 465 

Gehring,  Martin 289 

Gehring,  Xaver 451 

Gibbs,   Charles  G 614 

Gibbs,  Jonathan 621 

Gibson,  Peter 602 

Gilbert,  T.   L 687 

Givens,  Strawthers 408 

Givens,  T.   E 208 

Givens,  Thales  H 228 

Glenn,  Clark 985 

Glisson,  T.  R.  and  C,  ..   .216 

Goddard,  Eber 476 

Goff,  M.  H 986 

Goldsmith,  E.  H 334 

Gordon,  A.  H 700 

Gordon,  Peter 372 

Goold,  Wm 577 

Grant,  Austin 617 

Grant,  H.  P 694 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 87 

Graves,  G.  H 984 

Green.  E.F 916 

Greenleaf,  D 981 

Griffith,  H.   M 219 

Griffith,  Morris 601 

Grim,  Davi 
Gross,  Free 

Ground,  J.  E 764 

Grubb,  S.  W 799 

Gum,  Jacob 189 

Gum,  John   B 189 


Hadley,  Timothy  G 949 

Hager,  Levi 987 

Hahn,  Michael 620 

Hale,  T.  Judson 839 

Hall,  Amos 261 

Hall,  Lieut.  John 589 

Hambleton.  C.  E 906 

Hamilton,  John  M 179 

Hammond,  James 629 

Hampton,  F.  M 329 

Hannah,  David 366 

Hannaman,  R.  L ...443 

Hanson,  Olof 682 

Hardy,  E.R 940 

Harlan,  O 983 

Harper,  D.  P 635 

Harpman,  Andrew .958 

Harpman,  John 634 

Harris,  J    5" 

Harris,  O.  D 463 

Harrison,  Charles  W 373 

Harrison,  Jacob  H 360 

Harrison,  Wm.  H 51 

Harshberger,  J.  B '.   299 

Harshman,  David 963 

H.irtsook,  D.    H 290 

Harvey,  B.  M 704 

Hawkins,  Gideon  S 977 

Hawkinson,  Gust   881 


Hawkinson,  Olof.   ..913 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 91 

Haynes,  Asa 937 

Hays,   John  M 283 

Head,  John  W 222 

Hearn,  John   C 227 

Hedman,  Jonas  J 834 

Hedstrom,  G.  L 696 

Hedstrom,  Nels 763 

Heller,  W.  H,  M.  D 328 

Henderson,  Alexander 697 

Henderson.  David ..517 

Henshaw,    Daniel 779 

Hensley,  J.  W.,  M.  D    515 

Higgins,  Addison  P 620 

Hinckley,   C-  A 955 

Hitchcock,  Henry 880 

Hjerpe,  Rev.  Erick  G. ., 931 

Hobbs,  John 193 

Hodgman,  R.    B 702 

Hoffman  Bros   875 

Hoit,  Dr.  J.  D.  C S4S 

Holcomb,  Capt.  B.  F 845 

Holmes,  J.  S 914 

Holyoke,  S.  G 971 

Hopkins,  C.  A    730 

Hopkins,  J.   W 638 

Housh,  A.  C 789 

Housh,  J.   O 532 

Housh,  Thomas 984 

Houston.  George 610 

Howe,  L.  A 450 

Howland,  J.  K 831 

Hoxworth.  John 327 

Hoyle,  W.  R.,  Jr 891 

Hubbell,  J.   F 639 

Hudson,  Benjamin 636 

Hudson,  G.  C 262 

H  uggins,  Edson 874 

Huggins,  F.    D 655  _ 

Hughey,  Wm 341 

Hulse,  R.  W S08 

Humiston,  E ^ 220 

Hunter,  Isaac 205 

Hunter,  Hon.  James  M 535 

Hurd,   Henry  S 904 

Hurlbutt,  U.  C 632^ 

Hurr,  Isaac  E 916 


less,  J.  R 960 

in,  John  N 790 

s,  N.  D 828 


Jackson,  Andrew 43 

Jameson,  R.  B 876 

Jameson,  Robert  G 825 

Jarnagin ,  J  ■  L 935 

Jarvis,  John  W 385 

Jarvis,  S.   G 698 

Jefferson,   Thomas 27 

Johnson,  Andrew 83 

Johnson,  Charles  B.   638 


— X= 


-M^ 


j_6  > 


INDEX. 


John 

John 

John 

John 

John 

John; 

John 

Jone 

Jones, 

Jones, 

Jones, 

Jones, 

Jones, 

judd. 

Junk, 

Junk. 

Junk, 


on,  Frank  A ^:;, 

^on,  Hans 6oj 

on,  John  C 575 

on,  Jonas 979 

on,N.O.G 886 

on,  Olof. SM 

«n.  S.  D 598 

,  A.  W 96* 

Isaac 94<* 

Franklin 7"9 

ThomasE 386 

Waller  N 735 

Wm <*f> 

Herbert 7"3 

John a86 

Samuel 263 

Thomas 573 


Kay.  Robert 3*' 

Kays,  J.  W >94 

Kelly,  H.  A 407 

Kelly.  Robert 5»t 

Kennedy.  D.  T 696 

Kennedy.  G.  W 395 

Kennedy,  John  T 9** 

Kimber,  R.  M 954 

Kimler,  John  H 437 

King,    H.   R 7i6 

Kleckner,  W.  S 572 

Knapp.  Jonathan 890 

Knowles,  Hon.  Alfred 888 

Koons,\Vm.  C.   445 

Kriegh,  John 398 


Lacy,  Peter 360 

Lafferty,  Edwin 694 

Lafferty,  J.G 698 

Lalor.  Wm 829 

Lanphere,  Hon  .  G  .  C 968 

Lanstrum,  C     E 795 

Larson,  C.  T 8S7 

Larson,  Erick 803 

Larson,  Lewis  568 

Larson.  Swan 555 

Lass,  E 88s 

Latimer,  .Alexander 673 

Latimer.  FrankW 887 

Latimer,  Elder  J 595 

Latimer,  Hon.  J.  E 627 

Latimer,  Jonathan 2ai 

Latimer,  J.  S 663 

Lauren,  L .  P 783 

Lawrence,  C.  M 472 

Lawrence,  L.  .A 568 

Lawrence,  Milton 566 

Lee.W    A.,Jr 497 

Lee,  W.  A.,Sr 523 

Leffingwell,  Rev.  C.    W 84a 

Lehman,  Jacob 464 

Leigh,  Benjamin 541 

Leigbton,  John  A 855 


I  ti;  ,;in.   W  m.  H 894 

I  emon,   M.    S 871 

Linberg,  Lars  J 882 

Lincoln.  .Abraham 79 

Lindquist.  J.   W 851 

Linn.  Taylor 966 

Linsley,   J.  H 862 

Lombard,  B.,Jr 628 

Long.  Thomas  L 451 

Lotts.  .\bram S4> 

Lott,  W.   H 340 

Lowry,  Mary  -A 625 

Loy,  George 843 

Lucan,  Carl 6(8 

Lucas,  Berry ..  516 


M 


Mackay.  J.  C     264 

Mackintosh,  G.  D 753 

Madison,  James 31 

Main,  Andrew 903 

Main,  J.   T 973 

Main,  W.  B 315 


Ma 


Wt 


■715 


Maley,  M 873 

Mangion,  John 966 

Maple.  A.    M 535 

Markham,  Charles 499 

Marks,  W.  P ,93 

Mars,  Hiram 768 

Marsh,    E   872 

Marsh,  S.  G 647 


Jackson. 
Jeremiah 
,  Martin  1 


Masters.  Joseph 985 

Mather.  Geo 650 

Mather,  Samuel 493 

Mathews,  C.H 678 

Mathews,  J    J "..585 

Mathews.  John   H 545 

Mathews.  Wm 547 

Mathews,  W.  R 564 


Matson,  Lewis 

Matteson,  Asa  A 965 

Matteson,  Joel  A 147 

Maxwell,  J.  C 437 

May,  S.  W 908 

McCallister,  M  .  W 633 

McClang,  Mrs.  Annie 571 

McClelland,  M.  A.,  M.  D...336 

McClymont,  Jan.es 938 

McConchie,   Alex 925 

McConchie.  David 932 

McCornack,  Roben %v- 

McCornack,  Wm... 724 

McCown,  J.   W 649 

McCullough,  S.  K 902 

McCutchen,  J.  W 791 

McDowell,  John 309 

McFarl.-ind.  S 530 

McGirr,   Mahlon 391 

McGirr,  T     Leslie ....258 

McGowan,  Wm 886 

McUravy,  H.  H gSa 


Mcllravy,  R 729 

McKee,  Thomas 905 

McKeighan,  A.  H 551 

McKeighan,  James 481 

McKeighan,  R.J S40 

McKie,  Mrs.  Agnes 569 

McMasler,  David 533 

McMaster.  James 657 

McMaster,  John 700 

McMaster,  Thomas   771 

McMurtry,   James 234 

McMurtry,  J.  C,  M.  D...  .377 

McMurtry,  Hon.  Wm 3" 

McOmber.  S.  H 779 

Mead.G.   W 851 

.Meadows,  C.  H 866 

Meeks,  A.  W 335 

Melton,  George  W 901 

Merrill,  George  A 8ia 

Merriss,  Sunton  J 553 

Metcalf,  Albert  D 9«6 

Metcalf,  S.    J    966 

Metcalf.  Rev.  Vachel 449 

Miles,  RufusW 214 

Miller,  A.  W 798 

Miller,  J.H 304 

Miller.  J.  M.  A 703 

Milroy,  Samuel 649 

Mitchell,  H.  M 419 

Mcnroe,  James 35 

Montgomery-,  Harvey 241 

Montgomery,  John 241 

Mooers.  David  196 

Moore,  Joshua 616 

Moore,  Wm.  T 608 

Morgan,  Isaac  390 

Morse,  W.  E 460 

Masher,  W.  J 826 

Moshier.  G.  S 6t6 

Moshier,  T 811 

Hosser,  John 247 

MoultoD,  B 802 

Moulton,  E.  S 785 

Mount,  Michael 895 

Mount,  T.  B 197 

Mount.  W^m 368 

Multer,  Josiah 774 

Murdock,  F 497 

Murdock,  Thomas 478 

Myers,  P.  F 939 


Necly.  James 976 

Neely,  Mandiville 416 

Neill,  W.  A 2<B 

Nelson,  A.  F 733 

Nelson,  C.   H 420 

Nelson.  Josiah 374 

Nelson,  Nels 7*5 

Kelson ,  Peter 725 

Nelson,  Peter  S 463 

Nelson,  Rev.  Charles  G 746 

Newbanks,  Wm 371 

Newburg,  Eric 73* 

Newell,  Thomas 207 

Newell,  Wm.   H 566 


1105 

Nichols,  Franklin 823 

Nicholson.  J.  H 389 

Niles.G.  F 311 

Noble,  Mark 365 

Norine,  O.   P 728 

Norris,  John 438 

Norval,  Oliver 659 


Oberholtzer,  Joseph 317 

Oberholtzer,  O.  J 340 

O'Brien,  Thomas 458 

Ogden,  Franklin 804 

Oglesby,  Richard  J 163 

Oleen.N.  J 823 

Olin,   E.  C 841 

Olmsted.  H.  B 713 

Olson,  John  W 970 

Olson,  L.W 522 

Olson,  S.    H 781 

Osborn,  Stephen 852 

O'Shea,  E.  F   771 

O'Shea.  Michael 771 

Ostrander,  A.  J 781 

Ouderkirk,  Harvey 667 

Overlander,  Wm 708 

Overstreet,  M.  L 776 


Palmer,  John  M 167 

Palmquist,  L 939 

Parker,  George  W 333 

Parker,  Prof.  W.  C 896 

Parmenter.A.  M 645 

Parmenter,  T.   T 603 

Parsell,  Wra.  R 377 

Parsons,  Franklin 627 

Parsons,  John  C 352 

Parsons,  J .  P 383 

Patterson,  James 316 

Patton,  S.   F 645 

Pease,  M.  H 384 

Pedrick,  S.    K »o8 

Peckenpaugh,  W.  I gi8 

Pendarvis,   R.  E 284 

Perrin,  M.    T 727 

Perry,  Albert  J 833 

Peterson,  F.    H 576 

Peterson,  John 983 

Peterson,    Nels 725 

Phares,  A.  W 925 

Phelps,  Col    E.  F 889 

Phillip,  E.  L  ,  M.  D 821 

Pierce.  Franklin 71 

Pierce,  Mathew 766 

Pister,  Charles 477 

Pitman,  Gideon 238 

Pittman,  B.  F 317 

Plecker,  J.  R 243 

Plummer,  Samuel 316 


ri^i 


i"^ 


•t4^ 


1 1 06 

Polk,  James  K 59 

Pool,  T.    H 961 

Post,  Gen.  Philip  Sidney 849 

Potter,  A.  H.,  A.  M.,  M.D..974 

Potter,  Col.  L.  H 735 

Purdum,  Dr.  E.  F 1587 


Rambo,  Abraham 321 

Ramp,  B 529 

Randall,  James    R 583 

Rankin,  Samuel 4^1 

Ream,  Henry 79* 

Redd,  Walter 574 

Reed,   Joseph  N 247 

Reed,  Mrs.   Martha 47° 

Rees,  John 707 

Remier,   A.  E 851 

Resseguie,   C.    F 859 

Reynolds,  Geo.  F 530 

Reynolds,  Capt.  Geo.   W 985 

Reynolds,  John I21 

Reynolds,  Capt.  Wm.  H 859 

Rhea,  Smith 353 

Rice,  F.   C 785 

Riner.  J.   C 345 

Tiiner,  Michael 811 

,  S.   D 918 


^is 

r*  Ri! 


Wn 


Robbins,   Cyrus 285 

Roberson,  Mary  A 389 

Roberts,  Charles  L 534 

'Robertson,  Daniel 586 

Robinson,  G.   W 777 

Roe,  Mary 191 

Roe,  T.    H 401 

Rogers,  S.  W 402 

Rommel,  Henry 284 

Ross,  Andrew  J 7'8 

Rowe,  Lorenzo      33° 

Runkle,  C 646 

Runkle,  George 964 

Runkle,  Hon.  Henry 886 

Runkle,  James 205 

Russell,  David 622 

Russell,  Edmund 413 


Salisbury,  W.   O 861 

Sanburn,  F.  G 657 

Sanburn,  John   G 657 

Sanford,  P.   H 920 

Sansbury,  C.   P (64 

Sargent,  D.    B 484 

Sargent,  J.  B 421 

Sargent,  M.   D 484 

Sawyer,  G  .  W 792 

Schoonmaker,  Charles   A...  936 
Schroder,  H.  H 402 


INDEX. 


"^^ 


Schwartz,  Daniel S'8 

Schwartz,  Dr    E 7.54 

Scott,  E.S 864 

Scott,  J.    M 679 

Seacord,  Wilkins 73i 

Sears,  F.  W 318 

Seiboldt,  Martha 346 

Sevitrin,  E.    N 35" 

Seward,  A 323 

Shaffer,  Benjamin   B 379 

Shaffer,  James  h .34* 

Shannon,  Alexander .578 

Shaw,  Cynthia 299 

Sheahan,  Patrick 979 

Sheahan,  Thomas 746 

Shearer,  ) 507 

Sheldon,  Lewis  W.,M.  D...800 

Shelton,   Robert 348 

Shives,  Samuel 348 

Shumaker,  Clark 581 

Shumaker,  Harrison 248 

Shumaker,    John 924 

Shumaker,  W.  H 336 

Simpkins,  G.  W 508 

Simpson,  J.   S 797 

Sipes,  J.  M 846 

Sisson,  H.  M 809 

Skinner,  Ralph 797 

Slater,  A.   S.,  M    D 495 

Slater,  Kirklin 548 

Sloan,  Hon.    John 347 

Sloan,    S.    R 36s 

Smead,  Robert,  M.  D 677 

Smith,  Austin 686 

Smith,  Charles    P 864 

Smith,  DeWitt 97' 

Smith,   Edmund 7'i 

Smith,   H.   W 972 

Smith,  John  R 4H 

Smith,  Malcolm 248 

Smith,  Miles 904 

Smith,  O.  G 904 

Smith,  Thomas 366 

Smith,  V.   R 507 

S.nith,  William 229 

Smith,  William  A 401 

Snider,  Wm 3S3 

Snow,  G.   S 39' 

Snyder,  A.   A 6^6 

Sornborgcr,  Anson 695 

Sornborger,  B.  W 675 

Sornborger,  George  M 667 

Speaks,  James  B 783 

Spence,  David 84s 

Stafford,  T.   D 969 

Starr,  A.   F 844 

Steadman,  V.  C 198 

Stearns,  Capt.  G.  G 801 

Steck,  R.   R 870 

Stephenson,  G.   L 239 

Stephenson,  Mrs  Jane 334 

Stephenson.  J.   G 707 

Stephens,  J.    W 291 

Stetson,  C.  A 352 

Stevens,  George '54 

Stevens,  S.   0 7'4 

Stewart,  Hon.   John  C 786 

Stilson,  E.  H.,  M.  D 890 

Stilson,  Capt.   J.  F 893 

Stonesipher,   Ephraim 565 


Stream,  Oliver 452 

Stuckey,  John  A 7" 

Stuckey,  S.    H 574 

Stuckey,  S.  S '^77 

Sullivan,  E.J 798 

Sullivan,  J 875 

Sumner,  T.   W 580 

Sutor,  John  J 306 

Swadley.  A.  J 466 

Swan,  G.   M 622 

Swart,  Gilbert 395 

Swenson,  S.    W 579 

Swigart,  Williams 3S9 


fait,  H    P '■ 963 

Talbot,  Wm  957 

Taylor,  Frank  M 

Taylor,  John 5" 

Taylor,  S.   M 557 

Taylor,  Zachary 63 

Thomas,  Wm.  D 978 

Thompson,  John 73i 

Thompson,  R.  D 612 

Thompson,  Robert 8s2 

Thurman,  Alex...    233 

Thurman,  Alfred 608 

Tiffany,  O.  M.    670 

Tilden,  Maj .   Josiah 814 

Todd,  W.    B   570 

Torley,  Joseph 967 

Townsend,  Leon  A 362 

TroviUo,  J.  E 665 

Tryon,  George  A 954 

Tucker,  E.  W 362 

Tucker,  H.  C 404 

Tucker,  V.   L 39* 

lurner,  Israel 457 

Turney,   John ....580 

Turney,  Leroy 580 

Tyler,  E    J 843 

Tyler,  John 55 


Van  Buren,  Martin 47 

Vance,   Andrew 841 

Vangilder,   S 902 

Vaughn,  C.  H 243 

Vickery,  Abner  397 


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Wagner,  Jesse 3' 

Wagner,  John   H 3' 


Wagoner,  Barney   960 

Wainright,   B 965 

Wallace,  Robert  N 892 

Walter,  T.    R .626 

Ware,   Edward  H 808 

Ware,  W.  K 808 

Warfel,  A    M 354 

Warner,  David 439 

Washburn,  W.  W 828 

Washington,  George 19 

Waste,  A.  D 86^ 

Way,  Harmon 863 

Weeks,  Gilbert  G 666 

Weir,  Geo.  W 894 

Wenquist,  O.  P 861 

Wertman,  L.   F 416 

West,  Byron  S 500 

West,  Elmer   H 392 

West,  I.  N 662 

West,  J.G 766 

West,  John 339 

West,  W.  G 703 

Wetmore,  I.   U 432 

Wheeler,  Moscs 469 

Whipple,  Mrs.  Angeline  ...    .869 

White,  Rev.  N 727 

Whiting,  H.  K 669 

Whiting,  Will    L 669 

Whitcomb,  b.  C,  M.D 733 

Wilber,   R   J 772 

.  Wiley,  Wm.    H 914 

Williamson,  Jonas 322 

Williamson,  L.   O 984 

Williamson,  M.    0 983 

Williamson,  W..... 324 

Wilmot,  S.  L 3'o 

Willsie,  Col.  H.  H 790 

Wilson,  D.   T 556 

Wilson,  F 255 

Wilson,  J    A 668 

Wilson,  John 613 

Wilson,  John  T 784 

Winne,  De  Witt  C 684 

Wolf,  A 472 

Wood,  Hon.  H.  P 422 

Wood, John '55 

Wood,  J.    W 409 

Wood,  S.  C 742 

Woodmansee,  George  213 

Woodmansee,  James 923 

Woodmansee,  Thomas 490 

Woods,  N.C 871 

Woods,  Tobias    433 

Woolsey,  Darius 873 

Woolsey,  David 637 

Woolsey,  John  W 6oi 

Wyman,  E.J 237 

Wyman,  Stephen 662 


Yates,  Richard '59 

Yates,  Wm.  A '98 

Youngdahl,  Nels  S 780 

Young,  Edward 565 

Young,   Robert 250 


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5,  John   (Juincy . 


Arms,  Lucy.  - .. 
Arthur,  Chester 
Avery,  George. 


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836 

Avery,  Mrs.  S.  P.  M 837 

Beveridge,  John  L 170 

Bissell,  Wm.  H 150 

Blakeske,  Sala.   944 

Blakeslee,  Lydia  B 94s 

Bond,  Shadrach ..no 

Brown.  G.  W 642 

Buchanan,  James 74 

Campbell,  Wm.  W 606 

Carlin,  Thomas 134 

Carr,  Col.  Clark  E 720 

fChapman,  Ezra 294 

Ichapman,  Sarah  A 295 

Charles,  Mrs.  Dorlinsky 759 

JCharles,  Geo.  A 758 

|>jChase,  Morris 9»8 

Cleveland,  S.  G rover 102 

Coles.  Edward 114 

CoUinson,   Charles 806 


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tolton,C.  S       

tollon,  Krancis 

CuUom,  Shelby  M 174 

Da«dy,  J     M 200 


Dawdy,  Elizabeth 201 

Duncan,  Joseph 130 

Edwards,  Ninian 118 

Ekins,  Geo 738 

Ely,  B 430 

Evans,  Eleanor  561 

Evans,  VVillfard 56a 

Ewing,Wm.  L.  D 126 

Ferris,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  H £91 

Ferris.  Henry 690 

Fillmore,  Millard tb 

Ford, Thomas 138 

French,  .\ugustus  C 142 

FrUbie,  D.  H 878 

Fuqua,  Daniel 266 

Fuqua,  Rosana..... 25; 

Garfield,  James  A 94 

Grant,  Ulysses  S     S6 

Gum,  John   B 188 

Hall,  John 588 

Hamilton,  John  M 178 

Hannaman,  R.L 442 

Harrison,  Wm.  H so 

Hayes,  John  M 282 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 90 

Hearn,  Eliza 225 

Hearn,  John  C 224 

Hensley,   Dr.  J.  W 5"4 

Hftush,  A.  C 788 


Jackson,  Andrew 42 

Jarnagin,J.  L 934 

Jefferson,  Thomas 26 

Johnson,   Andrew 82 

Latimer,  Alexander 672 

Latimer,  Jonathan 221 

Lincoln,  .\brahara 78 

Lombard,  Eenj.,Jr 628 

Lowry,  Shaftoe 624 

Madison,  James 36 

Malteson,  Joel  A 140 

McDowell,  John 308 

McKee,  Thomas 905 

McKeighan,  James 480 

Melton,  George  W 898 

Melton,  Mary  .\nn 899 

Mitchell,  H.  M 4»8 

Monroe,  James 34 

Montgomery,   John 240 

Nelson,  Peter  C 868 

Oglesby,  Richard  J 162 

O'Shea,  C.  M 770 

Palmer,  John  M 166 

Parker,  George  W 332 

Parsons,  J.P 382 

Pierce,  Franklin 70 

Phelps,  Col.    E.  F 889 

Polk,  James  K 58 


Post,  Gen.  P.  S 84S 

Rambo,  Abraham 320 

Ramp,  B 526 

Ramp,  Mrs.   B 527 

Reynolds,  G.   F 538 

Reynolds,  John 122 

Reynolds,  Capt.  W.  H 858 

Riner,  J.  C 344 

Swart,  Gilbert 394 

Swigart.  Wm 3s8 

Taylor,  Zachary ^ 

Turner,  Israel 454 

Turner,  Lucinda  E 45S 

Tylcr.John 55 

Van  Buren,  Martin 46 

Ware,  W.  K 808 

Washington,  George 18 

Whiting.  Will  L £69 

Wheeler,  Moses 468 

Wilson,  Francis 252 

Wilson,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 253 

Wood,  John 154 

Woodmansee,   Eliza 2ii 

Woodmansee,  George 210 

Woodmansee,  James 922 

Woodmansee,  Mrs.  Juana  .923 
Woodmansee,  Mrs.  Rebecca  92S 
Yates,  Richard 158 


Adam*,  Wilv.n 30» 

Anderson,  <) 411 

Bailey,  Walter 235 

ilh.  Jacob 30« 

)wn,  Geo.  W 652 

Brown,  Harmon 274 

,wn.  Joshua 337 

,wn..Mrs.  I-  B 363 

Herton,  James 399 

Chailes,  A.  G 885 

Charles,   A.  P     910 

Charles,  H.  J 748 

Collinson,  T  .  W 405 

Cunningham,   Nelson 287 

I>euel,  E.  G 405 

Dunbar,  Harry 313 


Dunlap,  A.  T 337 

El.Iriedge,  James  J ;..  349 

Fredericks,  L.   F 231 

Goold,  Wm 376 

Green.  B.  A 337 

Hawkinson.  Mons 313 

Hays,  John  M 281 

Hall,  Amos 260 

Hearn.  J.  C 815 

Henderson.  David 376 

Hurlbut,  D.  C 399 

Johnson,   J.  C 4" 

Junk,  Thomas 231 

Kennedy.  G.  W 349 

Kriegh,John ...423 

Leiehlon.  John  A 349 


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Lowry,  Mrs.  S 423 

Mackintosh,  Geo.  D 302 

Miller,  J.  M.  A 405 

Nelson,  Josiah 274 

Nelson,  Peter  S 485 

Newbanks.Wm 370 

Oberhollzer,  O.J 485 

Parker  &  Hardy 231 

Parsons,  Franklin 125 

Parsell,  W.  R 376 

Peterson,  F.  H 370 

Pierce.  Mathew. 370 

R.aralK>,  Abraham 3^5 

Randall.  J.  R   583 

S.-.rccnt,D.   B 4R5 


Sargent,  M.  D 485 

Shannon,  .Alexander 41' 

Smith.  John  R 274 

St.  M.ary's  School 1048 

Stuckey,  S.  H 387 

Thompson,  Robert -   363 

Walter,  T.  R 626 

Ware,  W.  K 235 

West,  I.N 274 

West.  W.G   287 

Wiley,  W.    H 387 

Wilson,   Francis  245 

Woodmansee.  Geo 376 

Woodmansee,  Thos 4»3 

Wood,  b.  C 387 

Woolsey.  Darius 287 

Wcmlsey.  David 363 


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1108 


/NDAX. 


INIRODUCTORY 

Public  Schools 

1021 

TOWNSHIPS 

1063 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

977 

The  Press 

102  I 

Cedar 

1063 

Manufacturing  Interests 

1023 

Chestnut 

1065 

CIVIL  GOVERNMENT 

986 

Banking 

1028 

Copley 

1066 

LEGAL  HISTORY 

990 

Churches 

1029 

Elba 

1068 

Circuit  Court 
Probate  Court 
County  Court 
Judges,  etc. 
State's  Attorneys 
Attorneys 

990 
992 
992 
992 
994 
995 

Societies 

Covenant  Mutual  Bene- 
fit Association 

Scandinavian  Mutual 
Aid  Society 

Homestead  and  Loan 
Associaiion 

1034 
1039 
1040 
1 04 1 

Galesburg 
Township  of  City  of 

Galesburg 
Haw  Creek 
Henderson 
Indian  Point 
Knox 

1069 

1070 
107  I 
1072 
1077 
1078 

COUNTY  BUILDINGS 

996 

Miscellaneous 

1 04 1 

Lynn 

1079'' 

WAR  FOR  THE  UNION 

999 

CITY  OF  KNOXVILLE 

1045 

M  aquon 
Ontario 

1080 
1082 

TOPOGRAPHICAL 

lOOI 

St.  Mary's  School 

1049 

Orange 

1083^ 

RAILROADS 

1002 

Ansgari  College 

1050 

Persiler 

1085 

PubUc  Scliools 

1 05  I 

Rio 

1086 

BLOODED  STOCK 

'099 

Knoxville   Rejjublican 

105. 

Salem 

1087 

MISCELLANEOUS 

1007 

Societies 

1052 

Sparta 

1089, 

Old  Settlers'  Associa- 

Churches 

•053 

Truro 

1092 

tion 

1007 

CITY  OF  ABINGDON 

1054 

Vicioria 

1093 

Agricultural  Board 

1008 

Banks 

1056 
1056 

Walnut  Grove 

1096 

County  Officials 

1008 

Hedding  College 

VILLAGES 

Educational 

1009 

The  Press 

'057 

Gilson 

1072 

CITY  OF  GALESBURG 

lOIO 

Churches 

1058 

Henderson 

1076 

Secret  Societies 

'°59 

M aquon 

1081 

Knox  College 

1017 
loi  9 

Rio 

1086 

Lombard  University 

CITY  OF  ONEIDA 

1060 

Yates  City 

1088 

St.  Joseph's  Academy 

1020 

Schools 

T061 

Wataga 

1090 

Western  Business  Col- 

("hurrhes 

1 06 1 

Altona 

1097 

lege 

1020 

Soi  ieties 

1062 

Victoria 

1093 

